If you use Hotmail or the Window’s mail system then this shouldn’t be a whole new world for you. In fact it’s exactly like the Window’s Live emailing system… because that’s what it is. But for those who would like to get some information here’s a screenshot:

Let’s go through this!

1. This is your list of mail! Yay!
2. Here you find the different folders you can organize your mail into. You can create folders to organize yourself!
3. Reply, reply all, or forward. Other actions are there too.
4. You get your own calendar! And contact list! And tasks to keep yourself organized!
5. This is the interesting part: online messaging. If another friend is online at the same time then they should appear online. It seems I don’t have many friends since no one is ever online on this thing.

Short, sweet, and kinda-sorta-maybe-almost to the point.

That’s how I’d best describe the Trinity College Drama Society’s (TCDS) production of Woody Allen’s one-act play God, which ended a few weeks ago much to the chagrin of this belated reviewer.

The play revolves around a Greek playwright and actor who, while creating a new work, come to realize that they are merely characters in a piece by Woody Allen. Some faux-audience interaction later (really? The girl in costume and full make-up was actually part of the show?), a quest created by one of the show’s 29 characters and some existential queries propel the characters of God through a series of self-referential jokes about theatre, the meaning of life, and God. The script is light – just short of schticky – without sacrificing meaning.

Steven Conway’s direction goes a long way to give life to a play that was never meant to be staged.  Stars Willa Cowan and Arun Radhakrishnan keep the audience’s interest with their superb comedic timing. Cowan especially shines as Ancient Greek actor Diabetes, delivering her many punch lines with clarity and character. The rest of the expansive cast perform ably as well, given the difficulty of maintaining sincerity in a play that apparently has none, but occasionally mumble or lose a line due to what may be lack of energy in a hectic and chaotic piece.

Nic Farber’s set gives just enough Ancient Greek context without being too distracting and  the tricky transitions run off without a hitch. The same cannot be said for Raven Kaur’s costumes, which offer just a little bit too much knowledge of which cast members have tattoos and where the sound and lighting were strong.

Overall, God is a deep, meaningful journey into the fundamental questions of human existence that isn’t afraid to laugh at itself and everything around. The cast keeps the audience laughing and the production values are excellent, making God an enjoyable fifty minutes or so of theatre.

Unfortunately, God’s run has ended.

If you are interested in TCDS’ plays, check out their shows in the upcoming Hart House Drama Festival and their production of Spring Awakening this March.

For more information about PARTY FOR A CAUSE, visit their facebook page.

The events that prompted this revelation, are, in my view, not necessarily the happiest of circumstances. There is, first of all, the mouse in my apartment. My roommate and I have been dealing with this burglar since the beginning of the first semester, who breaks into our home all too frequently to eat scraps of cheese and rice cakes off the ground, and scurry around in the elements of our stove. At first, I naturally came up with an elaborate back-story for the mouse, imagining that he was a tough city mouse, probably part of the mouse mafia, come to torment me ceaselessly just to turn over a little profit to the intimidating head mouse who constantly has a cigar… or something. My roommate and I cursed him and, every time I saw him, I would retreat to higher ground. But something has changed in the past few appearances of the mouse – although, admittedly, I still tend to jump to the nearest elevated surface in his presence and send out a text cry for help to a few friends – I’ve felt less a panic attack, and more a familiar feeling of dread. I’ve even begun to call him Stuart, after the fun-loving and charming Stuart Little, and we’ve reached a state of frustrated, cooperative tolerance.

Secondly, I went to the dentist here in Toronto. I hate the dentist – and this is a big debate between my roommate and I, who claims that hating the dentist is totally weird and most people love the dentist and, just as an aside, she is still wrong – and therefore was dreading going. So I went to the dentist, and it was your average dental appointment but, when I left and made an appointment for my next cleaning, I realized I had established my first doctor here in Toronto.

In one of my lectures this week, my professor reflected that it is amazing how quickly people become natives where they settle. When I walk down Bloor Street, everywhere I look I have my own memories - good, bad, inspiring, absolutely far-fetched. When I walk down Harbord, past all the familiar storefronts, I feel like I’m among weird, vaguely loveable neighbours. On St. George, as I’ve said before, I’m among my fellow soldiers on the U of T battlefield, struck by familiar senses of camaraderie and competition. It’s a wonderful feeling that, whichever way I walk - towards campus or towards my apartment - I feel like I’m walking somewhere that I belong. I’m walking in the landscape of my own history.

I think that, for those of us coming to Toronto from somewhere else, whether from somewhere across the globe or as close as a town in Ontario, that realization – that ‘Toronto’ moment, where you claim this city and this school as your own – comes at different times. It’s a subtle feeling, an instinct, but one that surprises you when you become aware of it. It’s not just an idea anymore; Toronto, the Big City, a hazy notion of tall buildings and busy people. It’s tangible, it’s living, and it’s, you realize, yours. For me, it took a mouse and a dentist to really cement this as my home – not just somewhere I visit for school, but somewhere I live.

While it may only be the beginning of February, the storm is already brewing. The Varsity has already published a few articles about the UTSU, and even has a weekly column dedicated to the upcoming election just for the sole purpose of keeping us updated. Sadly, if last year’s election turnout is any indication, few people care what really happens. Why? Well, we all say U of T has no school spirit. I really hope that this year we can prove that wrong and perhaps get some dialogue going about something that actually concerns all the undergrads on campus. I’m not just saying this to sound corny and important– UTSU elections actually matter!

Before I get down to it, I want to be very clear that right now I have no particular side I’m writing for. Everything I am saying here is meant to be presented in the most critical and objective way possible. If it appears otherwise, please accept my apologies.

Today, I’m writing about the potential opposition slate, Stop The Salaries. Campaigning hasn’t started yet, but even keeping that in mind, I say “potential” because, as of right now, I really don’t see them gaining much momentum. Why? Well…

1. Their Premise

As a union, UTSU is supposed to look out for our rights and interests. According to Stop The Salaries, our executives have not only cut spending on services, but they have also given themselves a fancy $100,000 raise.

That is basically the whole premise the Stop The Salaries. We are paying a group of elite students and getting nothing in return. Seems valid. Year after year, U of T students are subject to higher and higher tuition and fees. Your regular Joe isn’t going to see where the money is going, or how it’s being used. Even campus club executives, who deal with the UTSU and club funding on a regular basis, can feel the frustration when they see their club funding decrease year by year. As a general whole, it feels like we’re paying more and getting less, and the most logical explanation is that the UTSU are high rollers and that is that.

Current UTSU president Danielle Sandhu has already explained in a response published in The Varsity that the executive board members did not receive any raise, as any salary increases have to be passed by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors are college and undergraduate faculty representatives that we elect along with the president and vice-presidents. The thing is that this is true. Regardless of what Stop the Salaries says, sources say that salaries haven’t been in meeting agendas for the past two years. By basing their whole premise and campaign on something that isn’t true, they have shown that they are taking the easy way out.

2. The Easy Way Out

(┛◉Д◉)┛彡┻━┻

It’s a trend, I think, that when we find something unsatisfactory about the incumbent, we immediately go “rah rah rah” over funding and how the money is spent. Students are no different. We want to know where our money goes, probably more so that your average voter because a good chunk of us are on student loans. It wasn’t until I took on an executive position in my own club that I saw just how quickly money is used up. For an organization as big as UTSU, it would seem logical that their budget would be much harder to balance.

I’m getting off topic… My point is simple: by saying that the UTSU is misusing student funding, they are basically saying “UTSU SUCKS BECAUSE IT DOES.” The “misused funding” slogan is old school. We hear it all the time. Even their explanations are subpar. If you take a look at their website, their “evidence” for the hikes and cuts are too simple. Anyone who has worked with million dollar budgets (that much is true) would know that one line doesn’t usually tell you the whole story. Again, Danielle did a very thorough job going through the budget, line by every contested line.

What I’m looking for are concrete criticisms. Okay, so UTSU is bad. Why?

Is there something wrong with current services?

Are they neglecting or marginalizing any groups on campus?

Is there a fundamental difference in ideology or is Stop the Salaries just there for the sake of being anti-UTSU?

How can you do better?

3. What can they do better?

(I’m seriously on a segue roll here.)

Varsity associate news editor Simon Bredin is starting a column this week covering UTSU elections. Despite a momentous opposition slate campaign in 2008, Bredin discusses how every opposition that had run against the incumbency (which is really what it is) loses steam with each progressive year. Why is that?

The fact that UTSU has been around for so long tells may tell us a few things:

• Perhaps the student body is so passive that, as long as someone is there to take care of things, we don’t really care who it is.
• If it’s not that the student body doesn’t care, then it’s because they don’t know, which is just as bad.
• What if UTSU incumbents are actually doing something right? People only notice something is wrong when it is blatantly obvious. Unless a campus wide scandal with a chasm as soul sucking as Con Hall classes erupts, people are going to go for what they know.

Stop The Salaries has to have a platform that is far-reaching, progressive, and realistic. Maybe it’s just me, but Stop The Salaries seems to have been established for the sake of opposing UTSU. If their purpose is to be the new governing body of our campus, they have to go beyond just being an anti-UTSU slate whose sole purpose is to oppose the current office.  They must come up with better campaign methods and introduce changes that actually matter to students.

Since I was in my pre-UofT years, I’m going to have to take Simon’s word for it and go with his explanation as to why the 2008 Change slate was very close to running the election. He said that the biggest reason why 2008 Change was so close to winning is because they had a very experienced team. There needs to be a team in which every single person knows what they’re doing. Stop The Salaries of 2012 has to remember that they’re running against a well-oiled machine that has executive members and officers that have been in the game for a long time.

Last year, executive board candidates of United For Action (which is the name of the incumbent slate) ran virtually uncontested. The opposition slate equivalents were disqualified and voter turnout was dismal. Stop The Salaries must be careful and not commit the same mistakes as its predecessor. They must also have a well-built and solid team.

However, the one thing they must do in order to even stand a chance against the incumbent slate, whoever they will be, is promote, promote, promote. Be strategic. Don’t just resort to traditional methods. The benefit to this is twofold:

1. Depending on their strategy, they can be perceived as being more in touch with the student population
2. More people will be aware of elections, which will give students a more representative vote.

If Stop The Salaries does it right, they might be able to tap into a pool of votes that never really bothered to participate before.

Yes. Promote until Anthony Dodson has something to sing about again.

Of course, it may just be too early to tell. We don’t know who’s going to be running for what, but something tells me that Brett Chang and current Trinity Representative Michael Scott (infamous for his need to motion for clause-by-clause voting during board of director meetings) will be there. There is no real platform yet from anyone. Hell, we don’t even know who from the current executive board and board of directors are going to be rerunning. A lot of things are still up in the air.

As students and members of the student body, keep yourselves informed. I’m really glad that The Varsity is starting a weekly column covering the elections this year. If we want better services, want better representation, and want a better campus, it is our responsibility to know.

As always, I want to know what you think. Comment below! Any critics ready to rip those panties into shreds? I really have to stop laughing at my own jokes.

If you’re up for it, run for the election. Nominations open Monday, February 13. Visit the UTSU website to learn more about how you can be nominated. Being nominated doesn’t mean you necessarily have to run with a slate.

Note: The original text has been slightly altered.

On January 23rd, Oohlala Mobile announced the transformation of University of Toronto’s St. George campus into a virtual playground. By downloading the app, Oohlala, students become contestants in a digital treasure hunt, utilizing the GPS on their smartphones to locate and acquire the treasure. The hunt involves three simple steps:
Step 1: Locate the treasure chest using the app.
Step 2: Obtain the treasure chest.
Step 3: Prevent others stealing it from you!
Other students using the app are able to snatch the chest if they are within 50m of the prize holder. Students must use their wits, determination and speed while trying to hold on to the prize over a 5-day period! The person holding the chest on Thursday, February 6th at 5pm is the winner of a high-end Macbook Air, while the person who has held on to the chest the longest without its capture gets a semester’s worth of text books for free.
Check out the game here: www.CampusApp.com

Virtual Capture the Flag is OOHLALA Mobile’s latest initiative to enhance campus life via the OOHLALA mobile app. The app also allows students across Canadian universities and colleges, along with their student unions, to connect with one another, form study groups, trade books, get notified of campus events, and access exclusive student deals from local and national retailers. Student unions (such as the UTSU, which has adopted Oohlala as its official app) and clubs are able to view metrics to gauge student engagement and success of events, allowing them to deliver a more tailored and engaging student experience. “Oohlala Mobile is all about energizing the student experience and fostering a more close knit feel on campus. We help students navigate their campus life and have a good time while doing so,” said Danial Jameel, CEO and founder of Oohlala Mobile. “An interactive and action packed approach, Virtual Capture the Flag represents our commitment to finding unique ways for students to explore their campus and meet new people without relying on clichéd forms of marketing such as campus flyers on crowded bulletin boards and Facebook posts. Mediums that are effective in theory but have become saturated to the point that a lot of useful information is lost in the noise.” Danielle Sandhu, President of UTSU, remarked, “Traditional forms of mass communication are often drowned out in a sea of information and are often ineffective when it comes to reaching many target groups. Today’s students suffer from stimulus overflow and short attention spans. We need to keep things dynamic. When people know they are in for an interesting experience – in this case, being a part of not only a live adventure but an inaugural use of a new technology – not only does it create awareness of their university activities, but it strengthens their affinity to it.” Concepts like these are challenging the paradigms of media and interaction. Live gaming apps are just but one of the innovative ideas Oohlala has planned for engaging the North American student populace. Students want and deserve to get the most out of their time in college and that is our mission.

Oohlala Mobile’s motto is to “Energize the Student Experience”. Since its launch in September 2011, the company, composed of students and recent grads, has been selected by tech/startup accelerator FounderFuel, adopted by the Canadian federation of students, and numerous student unions including those at University of Toronto, Ryerson, McGill. The company has been the recipient of numerous accolades, including top honors at the Rotman ADventure business competition, Kinnear Business competition, NBTC 2011 entrepreneur competition, Queen’s Entrepreneur competition, Bank of Montreal’s Apex business competition, and the Quebec entrepreneur competition.

Source: Letters from Iran (Unfortunately the video I watched that fueled this post seems to have been removed from the Al Jazeera website)

In Iran, the planned and controlled oppression of the young voice is drowning the brightest minds of a country daily.

Iran’s sons and daughters know no freedom.  But freedom knows them.

The fabric of restraint tied around the throats of a nation is slowly ripping and that indomitable force known as the human spirit, is like a dull knife becoming sharper over time; cutting and cutting through the binds of modern slavery to a new era of Arab freedom.

Our lives involve a much less violent form of oppression and control. Gone are the days of unveiled open slavery inflicted on us by others.  We now suffer collectively as western nations from forms of self-inflicted restraint.  Wars are now waged internally; man against himself.

We have become our own greatest enemies.

In the 20th century, the ocean of freedom washed over our western nations and swept away plights of racism, sexism and other basic human rights.  Upon the water’s receding, we entered a new era of freedom of expression, liberation and innovation.  Freedom reigned, whilst in the background the once powerful human spirit, which brought on our evolution to free selves, began quietening and regressing ,as we deservedly began enjoying the fruits of our toils, the spoils of our innovation.

Consequently, less thought oriented we have become.  The poison of laze runs through many of us and a new self-imposed slavery binds us to our halls of freedom where we once triumphantly marched.  Self-progression is halting, but thankfully we are noticing.

Hear today the voices again crying out:

“Repression, we are living lives of repression……”

“Our governments hold us back……”

“We don’t receive what we deserve……”

“Our dreams never realized; our struggles never cease…….”

Do you feel this very fabric tightening around your own throat?  Does difficulty plague your everyday living?

Is your answer, Yes?  If it is, I challenge you to rip the fabric.

You were born into a free world.  You were given the opportunity of a level playing field.  What will you do with these gifts and advantages?  It is time that we return to our grass roots nature, as the power to change; to obtain; to excel, exists within us all.  Pursue what you deserve!  Why are you playing small?  Why are you settling?  Make today the final day tht you live driven by acceptance.  Instead, drive your life forward with your influence.

The same powerful human spirit that broke chains and rewrote history in the 20th century exists inside of all of us.  Believe in yourself and your rights to success and to the true life you were born to live. Like the youth of Iran, step forward in defiance of all forms of oppression; internal and external.  Do not allow self-pity to slow your progress.

You were born into freedom and with more power than you know.

Rip the fabric holding YOUR OWN development back.

Surge forward and prosper.

Now, I know it’s a little odd to be discussing other universities on a U of T blog, but the recent controversy at the University of Western Ontario has evoked some concerns and questions for me about the U of T image. For those of you who have yet to hear of the changes happening to our notorious rivals, here is an update. This week, University of Western Ontario students were informed by their president, Amit Chakma, that UWO is no more.  Instead, the university has officially changed its name to ‘Western University’. Additionally, the university has released their new ‘visual identity’, changing their symbol from the well-known purple building to a newly designed (darker purple) crest.  The school representatives claim that the name change and the new visual identity was decided upon based on student, faculty, and alumni interviews about the Western image.  It’s assumed that the changes are meant to revive the Western image and create a more marketable institution internationally.

The change has been controversial among the student body at the former UWO. Questions about the necessity of the change, the effectiveness, and financial waste have been points of concern for Western students.  It’s estimated that the new transformation has cost over  $200,000 – money better spent elsewhere, perhaps?