39 MB - University of Toronto Magazine

01-OFC 3/2/05 3:52 AM Page 1UTofUNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINETOMORROW’SUNIVERSITY OFTORONTOHERE COMEROBOTSCIUT’SCALYPSO KINGSHEILA HETILIKES YOUWHENANIMALSWORRYWhatMakes UsHappy?Science offers surprisingnew answersSPRING 2005 • VOL. 32 NO. 3PM40065699

IFC Travel Ad 3/2/05 6:53 AM Page 1EXPLOREUNIVERSITY OF TORONTO ALUMNI TRAVEL PROGRAM 2005EACH YEAR ABOUT 500 MEMBERS OF THE U OF T COMMUNITY EXPLORE THE CULTURES,LANDSCAPES AND HISTORIES OF GREAT COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD. WE INVITE YOUTO EXPLORE WITH US IN 2005.Prices quoted are in Canadian dollars, per person and based on double occupancy. Dates and prices are subject to change.Individual tour brochures are available approximately 4 - 6 months prior to departure. To request a brochure, please call416-978-2367 or 1-800-463-6048 or e-mail daphne.tao@utoronto.ca or visit us at www.alumnitravel.utoronto.ca or mailthis coupon to: University of Toronto Alumni Travel, 21 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 3J3Name: ____________________________________________________________ Grad Year: ______________Address: ___________________________________________________________________________________D E T A C HCity: ______________________________Tel: _______________________________Province: ______________ Postal Code: ____________________E-mail: ________________________________________________Alumni ID number (printed on mailing address of U of T Magazine) ____________________________________Please send me additional information about individual trips:Yes No Please check off the trips for which you would like to receive information:GREAT JOURNEYSApril 15 - 23Alumni College Aboard -Holland & Belgiumfrom $3645May 22 - 30Alumni College in Chianti(Italy)$3895June 7 - 15Village Life - DalmatianCoast (Italy & Croatia)from $4290 + airJune 9 - 23Blue Danube(Romania to Germany)from $5995June 12 - 20Alumni College inYorkshire (England)$4195June 12 - 24Norwegian Fjords &Baltic Seafrom $6430 + airJune 17 - 25Alumni College Aboard -Waterways of Francefrom $4495August 11 - 24Journey of the Czars(Russia)from $2150 + airSeptember 5 - 13Alumni College inNormandy (France)$3995September 5 - 13Alumni College in Orvieto(Italy)$3895September 12 - 20Alumni College inItaly’s Lake District$4045October 12 - 20Island Life - Greek Islesfrom $4921 + airOctober 20 - 29Alumni College Aboard -Saxony (Germany & CzechRepublic) from $3355 + airOctober 22 - 30Exotic Morroco$2535 + airGREAT CITIESApril 15 - 23Vienna (Austria)$3400October 7 - 15Rome (Italy)$3400GREAT ADVENTUREOctober 29 - November 12Thailand Adventure$4590

03 3/2/05 3:54 AM Page 3ontents CSPRING 200520 WHATMAKES USHAPPY?Science offers surprisingnew answersby Megan Easton28 DISAPPEARINGACTAuthor Sheila Heti hasalways called Toronto home.Not for much longerby Micah Toub34 TOMORROW’SUNIVERSITYOF TORONTOReady for aworld of changeby Margaret Webb46 MACHINEDREAMSThe quest tobuild a better robotby ChrisNuttall-SmithDEPARTMENTS4 EDITOR’S NOTETaking Stock6 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEEnriching Student Life8 LETTERSThe Corporate Code10 LEADING EDGEWhen Animals Worry15 NEW & NOTABLECalypso King53 GREAT GIFTSNorthern Lights57 ALUMNI NOTESSpirit in the Sky60 CALENDAR62 PUZZLE64 CLASSIFIEDS66 LOOKING BACKMightier than the SwordCover: Illustration bySteve Adams/IllusionILLUSTRATION: MAURICE VELLEKOOPSPRING 2005 3

04 3/2/05 3:40 PM Page 4UT ofUNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINE CreatingSPRING 2005 VOLUME 32/NUMBER 3Editor and Manager: Scott AndersonManaging Editor: Stacey GibsonEditorial Co-ordinator: Jill RooksbyArt Direction: Shelley Frayer/Ireland+AssociatesAdvertising and ProductionManager: Susan WrayPublisher: Rivi Frankle,Assistant Vice-President,Alumni and DevelopmentEditorial Office:Phone: (416) 946-7575Fax: (416) 978-3958E-mail: uoft.magazine@utoronto.caAdvertising Inquiries:Susan WrayPhone: (416) 978-0838Fax: (416) 978-3958E-mail: susan.wray@utoronto.caAll correspondence and undeliverable copies:University of Toronto Magazine,21 King’s College Circle,Toronto, ON M5S 3J3University of Toronto Magazine, with a circulationof 250,000, is published quarterly by theDivision of University Advancement. All materialis copyright © 2005 Governing Council,University of Toronto, and may be reprinted withwritten permission. Alumni of the university receivethe magazine free of charge. Others may subscribe:$30 (U.S. funds outside Canada). Please makecheque payable to University of Toronto.Publications Mail sales agreementNo. 40065699Return undeliverable Canadian and otheraddresses to University of Toronto Magazine21 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 3J3E-mail: uoft.magazine@utoronto.caNon-profit postage paid Buffalo, NYPermit No. 3415. U.S. Postmaster send addresscorrections to P.O. Box 29, Lewiston, NY 14092Printed in Canadaby Transcontinental Printing Inc.ISSN 1499-0040STAY IN TOUCHDo we have your correct name and address?If not, please call (416) 978-2139 or toll free1-800-463-6048.Or fax changes to (416) 978-1066or e-mail: address.update@utoronto.caVisit our online archives atwww.magazine.utoronto.caThe University of Toronto respects your privacy.We do not rent, trade or sell our mailing lists.If you do not wish to receive the magazinein the future, please contact us at(416) 978-2139 or 1-800-463-6048 oraddress.update@utoronto.caTaking StockE ditor’s Notea greener U of T MagazineMAGAZINE EDITORS THINK A LOT ABOUT THE CREATIVE ASPECTS OF PRODUCinga publication. We choose the stories, work with writers to polish themand collaborate with an art director to illustrate them. We tend to think muchless about the raw materials of magazine production, such as paper and ink.As long as the stories and images reproduce well, we’re content to leave thoseconcerns to the printer.However, the decisions we make about paper and ink affect much more thanthe look of our magazine. A Vancouver environmental group that advocatesfor forest preservation and environmentally sound printing practices startedhitting that point home with magazine and book publishers a few years ago.The group, Markets Initiative, is now working with Canadian publishers,printers and mills to develop environmentally friendly papers such as thosemade from post-consumer waste and alternatives to wood fibre.Since it was founded six years ago, Markets Initiative has convinced almostevery major trade book publisher in Canada to print on ancient forest-friendlypaper. Inspired by Canadian publishers’ successes, similar programs are nowunderway in several other countries, such as the U.S., U.K. and Germany.Recently, the group began recruiting the Canadian magazine industry to itscause – and with good reason. According to statistics supplied by MarketsInitiative, less than five per cent of the 110,000 tons of paper used by Canadianmagazines each year has any post-consumer recycled content.This is about to change. Last year, U of T Magazine was one of 35Canadian magazines that pledged to boost the amount of recycled paper theyuse. With this issue, we have switched to a paper stock that contains 10 percent post-consumer waste. However, our goal is to increase the amount ofrecycled content over time, as new papers are developed, to 50 per cent ormore, resulting in annual savings of 60 tons of virgin paper – equivalent tomore than 900 trees.Magazine editors and publishers have been reluctant to switch to recycledpaper because of a fear of a loss in quality. Printers are wary because of problemsrunning the new stocks through their presses. We’re confident, though,that the development of better recycled stocks, such as the one we’re nowusing, will overcome these problems and that we’ll be able to offer our readersan environmentally friendlier magazine, without any reduction in quality.Our decision is just one of many green initiatives happening at U of T.We reported in our last issue the opening of a rooftop park at the residence at30 Charles St. W. The University of Toronto at Mississauga is poweringseveral townhomes with non-polluting fuel cells, and in early February, justdays before the Kyoto Accord on climate change came into effect, U of Tofficially opened a new environmental sustainability office. Headed by environmentalstudies professor Beth Savan, the office will provide support andadvice for the development of a greenhouse gas and energy reduction strategyfor the university. Watch for a feature article about Canada’s commitmentsunder the Kyoto Accord and U of T’s environmental sustainability officein the next issue of U of T Magazine.SCOTT ANDERSON4 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINE

05 Manulife 3/3/05 1:57 PM Page 1An Alumni Success StoryEmily and Rob know they can’t predicttheir future but they have protected it.Emily and Rob know there are no guarantees in life. They make the best financial decisions they can fortheir future and accept that some things are out of their control. The future security of their family is notone of those things. That’s why they invested in the Alumni Term Life Insurance Plan – the insuranceprogram that supports the University of Toronto. They benefit from the low premium rates and thesecurity of life insurance, just in case it’s ever needed. Besides, their future is too bright not toprotect it.To find out more about the alumni insurance plans which support University of Toronto, call toll-free:1 888 913-6333Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST, or e-mail am_service@manulife.com anytime!You can also visit www.manulife.com/affinityuoftT5a web site designed exclusively for University of Toronto alumni.Underwritten by:The Manufacturers Life Insurance CompanyTerm LifeInsuranceMajor AccidentInsuranceIncome ProtectionInsuranceExtended Health &Dental Care InsuranceCritical IllnessInsurance

06 3/2/05 4:21 AM Page 6President’sMessagePHOTOGRAPHY: LISA SAKULENSKYEnriching Student LifeU of T aims to transformthe student experienceI’M STRUCK BY HOW MUCH U OF T HAS CHANGED SINCE I WAShere as provost some 20 years ago. Dozens of new buildingshave sprung up. The student population is larger and morediverse than ever, and the range of academic programs is muchbroader. The past few years have seen especially rapid change.One of the highlights of coming back is to see the universitystarting a new phase in its growth and development. SteppingUp, the university’s academic plan, sets out a vision for the comingyears and builds on our commitment to excellence, equityand outreach. It provides the guiding principles by which wewill meet our commitment to our students and our community.U of T boasts a long history of success. The academic plan– much like a corporation’s business plan – clearly articulatesour goals over the next several years, and outlines a strategy forachieving them. It identifies key strengths and recommendsspecific steps for improvement. As the university has grown, sohave our aspirations. With Stepping Up, we aim to be a leaderamong the world’s best public teaching and research universitiesin the discovery, preservation and sharing of knowledge.Stepping Up’s first priority is to enrich the student experienceboth within and beyond the classroom. U of T offers aworld-class academic setting. We want to build on that and providestudents with more opportunities to interact with facultyby creating an enhanced learning environment, and investingmore in student services. We want students to engage fullyin the life of the university – to discover and learn about theacademic, social, political and athletic activities that interestthem – as a prelude to becoming active members of society.U of T is Canada’s largest research university. We can offerour undergraduates the chance to work with senior faculty incutting-edge fields. Imagine the impact on a young studentof engaging in research activity with such renowned scholarsas nanotechnologist Ted Sargent, Middle East expert JaniceGross Stein or Nobel Prize-winning chemist John C. Polanyi,to name just a few. Such opportunities will surely inspiremany of our students to pursue their own graduate work.Over the next five years U of T will foster more interdisciplinaryteaching and research. Many of the most challengingissues facing society – the AIDS crisis, climate change, poverty– require study from a variety of perspectives. U of T’s sizeand affiliations with institutions around the world are tremendousstrengths. They provide opportunities for interdisciplinarycollaboration that exist in only a few centres worldwide.Stepping Up emphasizes U of T’s vital role as a public university.Community outreach is central to our mission, butwill be given even more prominence with the establishmentof a Centre for Community Partnerships. At the provincialand national level, we will seek ways to inform public policydebates. As a public university, we want to be a vibrant andsignificant part of our city and our community.Our ability to transform U of T has national implications.A generation of doctors, nurses, teachers, engineers – professionalsfrom every walk of life – is approaching retirement.How well we educate our students to achieve their true potentialwill fundamentally affect the destiny of our city, ourprovince, our country and, ultimately, the world.The changes we are making through Stepping Up will befelt by today’s U of T students. Our goal is to complete thesechanges by the end of the decade – and we have reason to beoptimistic. There is a renewed public focus on the importanceof postsecondary education, which is most welcome. A significantincrease in provincial funding is urgently needed toprevent a decline in the quality of postsecondary education inOntario and to bring the changes in Stepping Up to life. Weare hopeful that the government of Ontario will heed the recommendationsof the Rae Review of postsecondary educationand restore funding to the province’s universities.And, as always, the ongoing loyalty of our alumni andfriends is a source of great strength.Sincerely,FRANK IACOBUCCI6 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINE

41 9/1/04 4:20 PM Page 1We standon the shouldersof those who camebefore usAfter coming to Canada from Burundiin 2001, Natacha Nsabimana learned English,found a social network and a place to stay,and discovered her place at U of T. Havingcompleted the Transitional Year Programme,she is entering her first year at U of T asa full-time arts student.Thanks to the generosity of Annual Funddonors like Dr. David Ouchterlony (BPHE1962, MD 1966), she has the resources sheneeds to pursue her dreams.YOUR ANNUAL FUND DONATIONSMAKE A DIFFERENCE.E-mail annual.fund@utoronto.cawww.giving.utoronto.caTel: 416-978-2173 1-800-463-6048Fax: 416-978-3978

08-09 3/2/05 4:23 AM Page 8L ettersThe Corporate CodeDoes business affect our beliefs?THIS UNETHICAL ERAIn the article “Why Good PeopleDo Bad Things” (Winter 2005),Trevor Cole examines why peoplemake unethical business decisions,but doesn’t consider the planninghorizon. An executive who is preoccupiedwith how his decisions affectthe short-term stock price of hiscompany is more likely to do what isexpedient – or, as Cole puts it, resortto situational ethics. Executives concernedwith their company’s long-termperformance are more likely to make decisionsthat reflect ethical values. After all,unethical choices made in the hope ofshort-term gains are likely to becomeapparent over the longer term.Bill Kennedy(BCom 1981 Trinity)TorontoTrevor Cole’s article, though generallyinsightful, treads lightly over some significantterrain. I would like to haveread more about the influence of familyand spirituality on ethical behaviour.North America is a society of overachievers.From birth, we are told thatfor every winner there must be one ormore losers. It’s no wonder that thisobsessive focus on success invites ethicalshortcuts. Whether they like it or not,faculty members should act as role modelsfor students. Similarly, churches, synagoguesand other spiritual organizationscan provide guidance and help restorethe balance between the material and thespiritual aspects of our lives.Don Mulcahy(DDS 1967)EdmontonThomas Hurka, who holds the HenryN. R. Jackman Distinguished Chair inPhilosophical Studies, offers two mainreasons for why people behave ethically:self-interest (a fear of punishment ifQUESTIONABLE SPINI am not sure whether I am more dismayed by U of T’s showing in the latest Maclean’ssurvey or your gross distortion of how our university fared in that survey.In the section in which graduates were asked to rate their alma mater, rather than being“tops again,” the university barely showed up at all. On questions about classroom instruction,student services and overall university experience, U of T graduates gave their schoollow marks.The university did not rank anywhere in the top 20.I appreciate that there are a lot of arguments against the validity of the survey. However,if you are going to report the results, why not state that much of the survey seems toindicate that U of T is failing its students?Gordon Lemon(BA 1979)Cambridge, Ont.they’re caught behaving badly); andthe knowledge that other peopleare behaving ethically. Is this correct?Are there no Kantians left? Don’tmost people who behave ethicallydo so out of a sense of moral dutyto do the right thing?Mark Bernstein(BSc 1972 University College,MHSc 2003)TorontoTrevor Cole’s article was timely andinformative. His research into the “why”of unethical behaviour went far beyondthe sensational approach of the newsmedia, and it was gratifying to readabout the Rotman School’s plan to focuson good corporate citizenship. StaceyGibson’s article “Up from Slavery” wasalso very inspirational.Patricia Rudan(BA 1983 Erindale)Mississauga, Ont.Congratulations on an excellent articleabout corporate governance. We shoulduse the recent bout of business philanderingto teach the next generationabout the perils of selfishness, materialism,and believing oneself to be abovethe rules, and that one’s humanity – nota garage full of Rolls Royces – is the truemeasure of a person’s worth.Laura Pontoriero(BA 2002 University College)TorontoBEWARE THE STATEPlease note that Martha Stewart wasnever convicted of insider trading (“TheLessons of Martha and Conrad,” Winter2005). She was jailed for telling a lieto a policeman, something not considereda crime in most civilized societies.8 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINE

08-09 3/2/05 4:24 AM Page 9The biggest potential threats to oureconomic well-being are agents of thestate like New York State attorney generalEliot Spitzer and Russian presidentVladimir Putin, either of whom coulddo far more damage than a thousandMartha Stewarts.John Sands(BA 1952 Victoria)Markham, Ont.PLACING PROFITS FIRSTCongratulations to Roger Martin forseeking to improve the social responsibilityof corporations (“The CEO’sDilemma,” Winter 2005). However,Martin’s ethical concerns appear qualified:he seeks new ways “for companiesto be more socially responsible withouthaving to sacrifice profits.”Corporate leaders will not makethe necessary psycho-moral breakthroughif they constrict their ethicsby this qualification. Although it isencouraging to find ethical actionsthat also sustain or enhance profits,there are simply too many occasionswhere the right ethical decisionwill have a detrimental impacton profits – forgoing a profitablecontract, for example, because ofa corporate policy against payingbribes. As Martin points out with hisexample from the cement industry, collectivecorporate action can reduce thebottom-line pain of ethical decisions.However, other companies often will notbuy in, or will not buy in soon enough,leaving someone to take the moral lead –and the bottom-line hit.Dr. Chris Barrigar(BA 1982 Innis)MontrealWHO PAYS?Professor Wiseman correctly asserts thatmedia sensationalism has played a rolein decreasing people’s confidence ingovernment (“Shoot the Messenger,”Winter 2005). However, he neglects tomention another important factor: highA PAINFUL PLACEI returned recently from West Africaand was touched by the article on BryanWalls and his work in keeping his family’shistory alive (“Up from Slavery,”Winter 2005). My daughter Nancy isa U of T grad and is working for ourchurch in Benin.While we were there,we visited the oceanfront memorial atOuidah, which honours the slaves whowere taken from their homes to NorthAmerica. It is called “The Port of NoReturn.” We spent time thinking of allthe pain centred in that place, and I aminterested in reading more about thelives of people who came from there.How can I order Bryan Walls’ book?Ina FreySt. Clements, Ont.I first read about Harriet Tubman whenI was in grade school and have been fascinatedby the Underground Railroadever since. (My dad even took me toThe Underground Railroad restaurant inToronto when I was about 10 and it wasa big thrill.) I was very interested to readStacey Gibson’s article,“Up from Slavery,”and would like to know how to obtain acopy of Bryan Walls’ book.A.L. Mahoney(BA 1984 St. Michael’s)OttawaEd. note: The Road That Led to Somewherecan be ordered by e-mailing proverbs@undergroundrailroadmuseum.com or bycalling (519) 258-6253.taxes. As taxes have risen over the years,Canadians have become increasinglyhostile to incidents involving real or perceivedgovernment corruption, waste ormismanagement because these incidentsinvolve their money. This may alsoanswer the professor’s question aboutwhy the salaries of movie stars and athletesdo not receive as much coverageas those of politicians. Celebrities arenot paid by hard-working, ordinaryCanadians. Politicians are.Michael Filonienko(BA 1994 Erindale)TorontoEXTRA CASHIn his article “Star-Struck” (Winter2005), Etan Vlessing neglected to mentionthat much of the university wasused as a backdrop in the 1973classic The Paper Chase. ManyFaculty of Law students werehired as extras. Thirty dollars aday was a considerable sum andmuch of the time on set was spentwaiting for the shots to be taken.Of course, none of us look thesame now as we did then, but whodoes? Except maybe U of T presidentFrank Iacobucci, a law professorat the time, who joined usat the movie’s première.Stephen Grant(BA 1970 Victoria, LLB 1973)TorontoCorrection: Keren Brathwaite receiveda master’s of education degree in 1969.Incorrect information appeared in the“New & Notable” section of the Winter2005 issue.Letters may be edited to fit availablespace and should be addressed toUniversity of Toronto Magazine,21 King’s College Circle,Toronto, M5S 3J3.Readers may also send correspondenceby e-mail to uoft.magazine@utoronto.caor fax to (416) 978-3958.SPRING 2005 9

10-13 3/2/05 4:26 AM Page 10LeadingEdgeSparrows can suffer somuch while avoidingpredators and looking forfood that they canexperience a form ofchronic stressWhen Animals WorrySparrows, rabbits and other wild animalscan suffer so much from the daily grind offinding food while avoiding predators thatthey can experience a form of chronic stress– and this can affect their reproduction andsurvival levels.Researchers collected blood samplesfrom 91 song sparrow fathers with sixday-oldnestlings. They found food andpredators together affected corticosteronelevels (the principal stress hormonein birds), free fatty acid levels(the energy molecule used for flight),anemia, and nestling numbers andcondition. The researchers concludedthat birds in environments with limitedfood and many predators were themost stressed.The study was conducted by Dr.Michael Clinchy and Professor RudyBoonstra of the Centre for the Neurobiologyof Stress and department of zoology atU of T’s Scarborough campus, and colleagues from the universities ofWestern Ontario, Washington and British Columbia.In an earlier study on snowshoe hares, Boonstra and others showedthat reducing predator pressure and boosting food levels led to an 11-foldincrease in the population density of hares. In 2001, Professor Liana Zanetteof the University of Western Ontario published the first study showingcomparable effects in song sparrow reproduction.“The fact that our new song sparrow data fit predictions from thesnowshoe hare study so well suggests this is very general phenomenon,”says Boonstra. “If so, then targeting both food and predators may be thekey in conserving threatened species.”ILLUSTRATIONS: MARIE-EVE TREMBLAY, COLAGENE.COMSeeing AnewUniversity of Toronto researchers have shown that human animals’ development when all the nutrients and signals theyretinal stem cells transplanted into the eyes of mice and chicks needed for differentiation were still there,” says lead authorcan successfully regenerate – and this knowledge may one day Brenda Coles, a U of T laboratory technician working underhelp treat eye diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and maculardegeneration.After transplantation,the human stem cells and microbiology.The pair collaborated with Jules Gonin ofthe supervision of Derek van der Kooy in medical geneticsdeveloped into photoreceptor cells (which detect light) and Hospital Ophtalmique in Switzerland.“When the animals’retinal pigment epithelial cells (which bounce light and images eyes fully developed,the human cells survived, migrated intoback onto the retina).“We transplanted them early in the the sensory part of the eye and formed the correct cells.”10 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINE

10-13 rev 3/7/05 3:42 PM Page 11Bismuth BulletsThe use of bismuth bullets – analternative to lead shots, whichwere banned in the 1990s forenvironmental reasons – hasraised concerns among someU of T researchers that thesubstance may be enteringthe food chain.“It’s not clear whetherbismuth is non-toxic,” saysWilliam Gough, a professorof environmental sciences atU of T at Scarborough andco-author of a study on bismuthpublished in EnvironmentalPollution.“Our finalrecommendation is to abandonbismuth and use steelshots until further researchis completed.”Gough, graduate studentRuwan Jayasinghe and colleaguesat McMaster, Queen’sand the University of Waterlooexamined the muscle and livertissues of mallard ducks, northernpintails, green-wingedteals, Canada geese and snowgeese and found evidence oflead contamination resultingfrom bismuth use.The waterfowlsamples were all providedby hunters from First NationsCree communities, who eatthe birds as part of their traditionaldiet. Researchers alsobelieve there are errors in theoriginal studies that justifiedthe switch to bismuth.Human and laboratoryanimal studies have suggestedthat excessive bismuthexposure may belinked to blood, liver, kidneyand neural problems.U.S. MultinationalsBypassing Canada, Study FindsFewer U.S.-based multinational companiesare investing in Canada sinceit formed the North American FreeTrade Agreement with the United Statesand Mexico in 1994, according toProfessor Walid Hejazi and ProfessorEmeritus A.E. Safarian of the Joseph L.Rotman School of Management.“U.S. multinationals no longer needto locate in Canada to access its market,”says Hejazi, who also teaches in the divisionof management at UTSC. “In thepast, foreign multinational enterpriseswould locate in this country to avoidpaying tariffs. Now that there is free tradewithin North America, these companiescan locate near wealthier and more productiveenvironments in America andsimply export to Canada.”Hejazi and Safarian compared thegross domestic product of the U.S. with52 countries from 1970 to 2002. Theyalso looked at the amount of foreigndirect investment in these countries overthe same period. The findings showedthat Canada only receives 10 per cent ofU.S. foreign investment whereas Europereceives more than half. This contrastssharply to 40 years ago when Canadareceived the same amount of U.S. foreigninvestment as Europe.“The answer to this foreign directinvestment dilemma is to improveCanada’s productivity performance andits investment environment,” says Hejazi.“This is a difficult challenge, and one thathas received the attention of both policymakersand academics.”Vertebrata:Amphibia –Batrachia, Frösche,circa 1887-1892This wall-sized scientificillustration of the frog, used asa classroom visual aid by 19 thcenturybiologists and zoologists,was drawn for Rudolph Leuckart,a pioneering German professorof zoology. Eighteen of theserare Leuckart Wandtafeln (wallcharts) were recently discoveredin U of T’s Ramsay WrightZoological Laboratories byzoology professor Polly Winsorand undergraduate studentGina Trubiani.The lithographsare printed on four folio sheetspasted on canvas backing.SPRING 2005 11

10-13 rev 3/7/05 3:45 PM Page 12LeadingEdgeWorkplace Smoking Bans WorkSmokers whose workplaces allow smoking light up five morecigarettes a day than smokers whose workplaces ban it,according to a study conducted by U of T’s OntarioTobacco Research Unit.“A lot of people assume smokers in smoke-free workplacescompensate for being without cigarettes while at work bysmoking more at lunch, during breaks or after work, butoverall they don’t. People are more likely to cut down or togive up cigarettes,” says Dr. Thomas Stephens, lead authorof the study. Workplaces that allow smoking are typicallyblue-collar or trade organizations and small enterprises.Twenty-four per cent of employed adult Canadians consumean average of 17 cigarettes daily, according to the study.In workplaces where smoking is banned, only 18 per cent ofworkers smoke daily, and their intake drops to 15 cigarettes.At jobs where there are no restrictions, 40 per cent of employeesare daily smokers and average 20 cigarettes daily.“Usually, the reason given for banning smoking in theworkplace is to benefit non-smokers and this is a valid andimportant reason,” says Dr. Stephens. “What this studyshows is that the bans also have health benefits for smokersthemselves.” He adds that this is consistent with research inthe United States and Australia.In Canada, two provinces (Manitoba and New Brunswick)and two territories (Northwest Territories and Nunavut) haveintroduced legislation banning smoking in all indoor enclosedworkplaces. In Ontario, smoking in the workplace is nowrestricted to a lesser extent, but the provincial government hasintroduced legislation to ban smoking in all workplaces and public places.“At jobs where there are no smoking restrictions, 40 per cent of employeesare smokers and average 20 cigarettes daily. In workplaces wheresmoking is banned, only 18 per cent of workers smoke daily”Bringing Up BabyAdult mothers tend to display moreaffection toward their infants whereasteenage moms focus more on instrumentalbehaviour – fixing their infant’sclothes or adjusting their soother – findsa new study of maternal behaviour.“This was very surprising,” saysKatherine Krpan, who conducted theresearch as part of her undergraduatethesis at the University of Toronto atMississauga.“We expected to see teenmothers exhibit more inappropriatebehaviours toward their babies,such aspoking and prodding, which has beenshown by previous research.”Krpan, along with her co-authorsAlison Fleming,Rosemarie Coombs andDawn Zinga from UTM and Meir Steinerfrom McMaster University, examinedthe maternal behaviour of 119 mothersin three age groups: teenage mothers(15 to 18 years), young mothers (19 to25 years) and mature mothers (26 to40 years), all of whom had given birthwithin a three-month time span.Theyalso found that moms who received consistentcare during their childhoodsbehaved more affectionately towardtheir infants than those raised by frequentlychanging caregivers.12 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINE

10-13 3/2/05 4:28 AM Page 13The IcebergComethLabrador Sea ocean tidesdislodged huge Arctic icebergsthousands of years ago, carryinggigantic ice-rafted debrisacross the ocean and contributingto the Ice Age’s deepfreeze.The study, publishedin Nature, is the first tosuggest that ocean tides contributedto Heinrich events –a phenomenon where colossaldischarges of icebergs periodicallyflowed into the NorthAtlantic from about 60,000to 10,000 years ago.U of T physics professorJerry Mitrovica, lead authorProfessor Brian Arbic ofPrinceton University and ateam of researchers used anew computer model thataccurately captures currentopen-ocean tides.They theninputted ice-age simulationsof sea-level changes over time.“The results showed thatthe tides were highest in theLabrador Sea at the same timethe Heinrich events occurred,”says Mitrovica.“We can safelyassume that the tides playeda key role in breaking theice and launching the icebergsin the ocean.”“These findings providea link between ocean tides,ice sheets and ocean circulationand a measure of thesensitivity of climate duringthe last Ice Age,” he says.“This sensitivity is importantto understand, because theconnection between changesin ocean circulation and futureclimate remains a matterof great interest.”Contributors: Kristi Gourlay, Karen Kelly, Michah Rynor, Elaine Smith, Sue ToyeThe Evolution of the Book in CanadaWhat was the name of Canada’s first newspaper? What was the first documentto be printed in a native Canadian language? And where was thefirst printing office in British North America located?For those fascinated by Canadian history, the answers can be found in theHistory of the Book in Canada: Volume 1, Beginnings to 1840, a nationwide projectheadquartered at the University of Toronto.The History of the Book in Canada/Histoire du livre et de l’imprimé au Canadais a three-volume history to be published in English and French. This first volumecontains work from 58 authors from all regions of Canada (including 15 affiliatedwith U of T) and represents more than seven years of research.“We need this kind of chronicle because it is an important part of the culturalhistory of Canada. It strengthens our identity and you learn so much from it, suchas how this industry affected the economic history of the nation, the status ofwomen, of native Canadians,” says Professor Patricia Fleming of the Faculty ofInformation Studies who served aswriter, project director and co-editor(with Gilles Gallichan, Bibliothéque del’Assemblée nationale du Québec andYvan Lamonde, McGill University).The 570-page book covers suchtopics as the effects of explorers, tradersand missionaries on the printed word;how books and print were circulatedthrough the years; how literacy wasspread to the public; print in daily life;the world of children’s literature; andthe many languages used in the earlyCanadian presses. “Along with Englishand French there were German, Gaelicand six native languages being publishedbefore the middle of the 19 thcentury,” says Fleming.In fact, there are the printer’s recordsfrom Quebec detailing the publicationof a native Canadian text (analmanac in Montagnais) that is dated 1766. Fleming also notes that both Englishand French publishing started the very same year – 1752, in Halifax, which hadthe first printing press. “A press wouldn’t open for business in Quebec until 1764,”she says. Fleming also notes that the very first printed text in Canada wasn’t a bookbut a newspaper – the Halifax Gazette.The History of the Book in Canada project was granted more than $2 million bythe Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Most of the research onCanada’s print history had previously been done on a provincial or regional scale,and it took the age of electronic-information gathering to make it all accessible toscholars. “Today you can research the whole country backed by the strength of theresearch library infrastructure that’s in place now,” she says.Fleming is especially proud of the pictures gracing the book – some going backto the 1700s. “There is,” she says with a laugh, “a picture of someone reading abook in a canoe – which is inevitable.”SPRING 2005 13

14 Home Loans 2/28/05 9:21 AM Page 1

15-19 3/2/05 4:38 AM Page 15New&NotableRECENT DEVELOPMENTS ON CAMPUSCALYPSO KINGThe contagious rhythms of calypso music are filling the atticstudio at CIUT, U of T’s campus radio station. It’s –30 C on thisJanuary night, but Jarrod Lall – a.k.a. DJ Jarro – is heating thingsup. He leans into the mike:“Let the Island Breeze lift and warm everythingin its path on this cold, cold night.”Island Breeze – a show dedicated to traditional calypso and dancehallsoca – airs from 6 to 8 p.m.every Friday at “the eight to the nine tothe dot to the five” on the FM dial.Lall,a U of T music student,co-hostswith several friends and kicks each show off with a themed set.Thisweek, he starts with Trevor B.’s “Get Up, Stand Up” – ostensibly aboutdancing, but with a strong subtext about standing up for your rights.Continued on page16PHOTOGRAPHY: LORNE BRIDGMANSPRING 2005 15

15-19 rev 3/7/05 3:49 PM Page 16New&NotablePHOTOGRAPHY: PASCAL PAQUETTESujany Krishnalingam,a materials science and engineeringstudent, sold ribbons in theBahen Centre in January to help raisefunds for tsunami victimsTsunami Relief EffortsFlags flew at half-mast on January 10 as the university communitycame together at memorial services on all three campuses to grievefor victims of the December 26 tsunami disaster.Students quickly mobilized to organize tsunami relief efforts. Of themany undertakings, MBA students at the Rotman School of Managementarranged a lunchtime fundraiser; law students set up a donation booth tocollect funds; and members of the Tamil Students’ Association held a basketballtournament at Hart House to raise money for Sri Lankan victims.At the University of Toronto at Scarborough, a coalition of campus groupslaunched the UTSC Tsunami Relief Fund, holding events such as an eighthourdance-a-thon in the student centre. At the University of Toronto atMississauga, the Tamil Students Association and the Sri Lankan StudentsAssociation partnered to create the Ribbons for Rescue campaign.Gwen Agboat, a first-year student in social sciences at UTSC, pledgedto match whatever her fellow students could raise, up to $10,000. Agboat,who entered university as a mature student, had savings set aside for schoolbut says “given the situation, we have to do as much as we possibly can.”Students met the challenge, raising $25,000 for the Red Cross, most ofwhich was matched by the Canadian government.The University of Toronto Earthquake Relief Network, a universitywidecommittee of students, staff and faculty, is looking at long-termways to help rebuild devastated areas. Committee member SaswataDeb, a first-year medical student, remarks that “the immediate monetaryeffort by the university community has been incredible.” But, he pointsout, “even when the urgency of the crisis has passed, hundreds andthousands of lives have been affected – the need is still there.”– Lisa Rundle and Sue ToyeContinued from page15Social commentary is an importantelement of calypso, says Lall. When themusic first emerged, it carried subtleor satirical criticisms of political partiesin Trinidad and Tobago (calypso’s birthplace),and then became more blatantand wide-reaching.The music’s globalinfluences are part of what attractsLall.The Island of Trinidad is populatedby many different peoples – African,Indian, Spanish, French, Portuguese –and the music, with its steel-pan drums,sitars, tablas and keyboards, reflectsthat, he says. He likens the effect to abouquet of flowers gathered fromaround the world.“If you took one out,you’d have a different bouquet,” he says.When Lall was 12, he and his familyemigrated from Trinidad to Canada.After singingcalypso in a highschool talent showat 16, he developedan interest inperforming. Lallsang each year atCaribana (the largest Caribbean festivalin North America), and, at age 18,won “most promising artist” from theOrganization of Calypso PerformingArtists. After he finishes his part-timestudies in music and Caribbean studiesat U of T, Lall plans to become a musicteacher, as well as continue writingand performing.Lall has been a co-host since theshow began eight years ago, but knewthe program had really made it whensoca icon David Rudder agreed to performat its fifth-anniversary bash. Afterthe show’s 10 th anniversary, Lall plans toleave to give someone else a chance.Asked if he yearns to have his Fridayevenings back, he laughs.“This is therapyfor me.To come here and just playmusic is something I love to do.” Headds,“Besides, I’ve got little kids –they get up early!” – Lisa Rundle16 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINE PLEASE GO TO WWW.NEWSANDEVENTS.UTORONTO.CA

15-19 3/2/05 4:42 AM Page 17Daniel Levinson is standing between two men aimingswords at each other’s necks, and telling them tobreathe. Maybe he can help them work it out withoutviolence? Instead, he takes a large step back. “Okay. Resume.”Levinson doesn’t want the two U of T students to stop, hewants them to fight like they mean it – but without gettinghurt. Levinson is their fight instructor. The students haveworked with him in the joint UTM/Sheridan College Theatreand Drama Studies program, and are now in his downtownToronto studio earning their stage-fighting certification.At UTM, Levinson teaches basic fight manoeuvres suchas rolls, falls, throws, slaps, punches, kicks and chokes, aswell as some knife and sword work. Through his company,Rapier Wit, Levinson offers more advanced training. He alsochoreographs and directs both armed and unarmed battlesfor stage and film. Included in his U of T repertoire areTheatre Erindale performances of Dangerous Liaisons and AMidsummer Night’s Dream, as well as a Hart House productionof A Clockwork Orange.Choreographed combat is an intricate and potentially dangerousdance most actors will be required to perform duringThe Art of Stage FightingEn garde! Daniel Levinson teachesUTM students Zachary Smadu(centre) and Luc Forgeron the finerpoints of the fake sword fighttheir careers. Weeks of preparation translate into minutes onthe stage; Levinson trained for nine years to become a certifiedfight director. (There are three combatant levels to completein addition to two apprenticeships.)The symbolic meaning of the fight intrigues Levinson asmuch as the technicalities. “The fight is a metaphor for whatactors do – enter into emotional conflict with other characters.In some cases, words won’t work.” The emotions are raw anddirect, Levinson explains. “I want to attack you; I want to cutyour arm.” When a fight is done right, it appears both spontaneousand inevitable. And, Levinson hopes, honest. Heconsults medical texts to achieve accuracy: If you are stabbedin the upper arm, how much blood would you lose? Wouldthe blood trickle – or spurt? How long could you stagger aboutafter an abdominal through-and-through?The range of weapons is impressive. “Check out the armory,”Levinson says, smiling. There hang rows of broadswords,rapiers, sabres, daggers and axes. Soon after, a package arrivesat the studio. “Submachine guns,” Levinson tells me. Buthe prefers weapons of old – for their drama. “Give me a swordfight any day.”– L.R.SPRING 2005 17PHOTOGRAPHY: EVAN DION

15-19 rev 3/7/05 3:54 PM Page 18New&NotablePHOTOGRAPHY: LISA SAKULENSKYOxford’s New CompanionJon Dellandrea, vice-president and chiefadvancement officer, and the architectof the Campaign for the University ofToronto, has accepted a senior administrativerole at the University of Oxfordstarting in October.“The University of Toronto is homefor me and leaving is not easy,” says Dellandrea,who will serve as pro-vice-chancellordevelopment and external affairs atOxford. “It has been an enormous privilegeto serve at one of North America’spremier universities.”Under Dellandrea’s leadership, theCampaign succeeded in raising morethan $1 billion for students, faculty andprograms. Completed in 2003, one yearahead of schedule, the Campaign attractedgifts from 112,819 donors; of these, 50,000made their first-ever gift to the universityand 217 made gifts of $1 million or more.“Jon Dellandrea has served the Universityof Toronto with passion, intensityand enormous success in his 11 years asVP,” says interim president Frank Iacobucci.“His history with U of T is filled withaccomplishment, and his dedication tothe university is extraordinary.”Dellandrea has had a long associationwith U of T, where he earned a bachelorof arts, and master’s and doctoral degreesin higher education. He is a professor inthe division of management and economicsat the University of Toronto at Scarboroughand in the Rotman School ofManagement, and an associate senior fellowof Massey College. He will remain atthe university until the end of June.The Campaignraised more than$1 billion underJon Dellandrea’sleadershipAppointmentsCatherine J. Riggall wasappointed the university’svice-president (businessaffairs) late last fall afterserving in an interim capacitysince January 2004.Riggall joined the universityin 2002 as assistant vicepresident(facilities andservices), and helped transform89 Chestnut Streetfrom hotel to a state-ofthe-artresidence.Three of U of T’s mostexperienced deans werereappointed in December.Professor Roger Martin,dean of the Joseph L. RotmanSchool of Management,will serve a secondfive-year term. Martin is aprofessor of strategic managementand the author ofThe Responsibility Virus.ProfessorBruce Kidd, dean ofthe Faculty of Physical Educationand Health, has beenreappointed for three moreyears.The former Olympicathlete works to eradicatesexism and racism in sportingcommunities aroundthe world, and has servedas director of the InternationalCampaign AgainstApartheid Sport. ProfessorWayne Hindmarsh, dean ofthe Leslie Dan Faculty ofPharmacy, will begin a newfour-year term. He haswritten two books on drugabuse, and his researchinterests include neonataltoxicity, forensic toxicityand drug abuse prevalence.– F. Michah Rynor,Elaine Smith18 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINE

15-19 3/2/05 4:44 AM Page 19AccoladesThe Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundationhas named two U of T communitymembers as 2005 Trudeau FoundationMentors: Irshad Manji is Hart House’s writerin-residenceand author of The Trouble withIslam, and Ken Wiwa, a Saul Rae Fellow at theMunk Centre for International Studies, is ahuman-rights activist and author of In theShadow of a Saint. The mentors help promotepublic dialogue on such issues as human rights,social justice and responsible citizenship.University Professors Sajeev John of physicsand Geoffrey Ozin of chemistry, who createdthe first photonic crystal, received the inauguralBrockhouse Canada Prize for InterdisciplinaryResearch in Science and Engineering.The prize is accompanied by a $250,000research grant.Professor John Youson of the University ofKen WiwaIrshad ManjiToronto at Scarborough has received the Canadian Society of Zoologists’Fry Medal for outstanding contributions to the field of zoology. Yousonspecializes in developmental biology, cell biology and endocrinology, andstudies relatively ancient fish species such as lamprey, bowfin and gar.In February, the Sexual Diversity Studies program gave its first annualCitizenship Award to the Canadian Union of Public Employees for challenginginequities and fighting prejudice within the labour movement andin larger society. The program also gave Awards of Merit to Vancouverlawyer barbara findley (who spells her name in lowercase) and Torontofilmmaker John Greyson for raising the visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual,transgendered and queer issues.– Lisa RundlePull Up a ChairWhy do aspects of our memoriesdecline as we age? How does theatreeducation help city kids overcome thechallenges they face at school? ProfessorsCheryl Grady (psychology) andKathleen Gallagher (OISE/UT) willpursue these questions as two of Uof T’s15 new Canada Research Chairs,named Nov. 12 in Vancouver.In 2000, the federal governmentannounced the goal of establishing 2,000chairs in Canadian universities overfive years.The new appointments bringU of T’s current number of chairs to175, out of an overall allocation of 267.Tier 1 chairs, who are awarded$200,000 annually for seven years are:Grady,Tania Li (anthropology), JohnFloras (medicine), Liliana Attisano(biochemistry), Joseph Culotti (medicalgenetics and microbiology) and AkiraMiyake (psychology).Tier II chairs, who receive $100,000annually for five years are: Gallagher,David Guttman (botany), Joel Levine(zoology),Daniel Sellen (anthropology),Denise Belsham (physiology),Lisa Robinson(pediatrics), Aneil Agrawal (zoology),Alberto Martin (immunology) andSharon Straus (medicine).– Paul FraumeniGreen Grass, Cleaner HarbourImagine for a moment that you werethe mayor of Toronto and could spend asmuch money as you wanted to improvelife in the city.What would you do?That was the tantalizing questionasked of real-life Toronto mayor DavidMiller (LLB 1984) in mid-January at apublic event hosted by the School ofContinuing Studies.Miller talked to Andy Barrie of CBCRadio One’s Metro Morning and an audienceof approximately 100 about hisdream of an Eglinton Avenue subway lineInternational Airport, which would endthe impossibly long journey that peoplemake by bus.There’s a notion that peopleonly travel between the suburbs anddowntown Toronto, Miller said, but theyare not always headed to the city centre.London and Chicago are role modelsfor Miller, and he hopes Toronto willadopt certain features of those cities,including more room for pedestrianson city streets. He would also like tosee more squares and parks inToronto,and if this involved the demolition ofthat people could swim in features largein the mayor’s dreams for the city,and more trees, flowers and public artwould also assist in the transformationof the city, he said.The result would notbe London or Chicago transported toToronto, but a Toronto with a strongeridentity of its own.The event was one of several heldat the School of Continuing Studiesthis year to celebrate its re-opening at158 St. George Street and to encouragemore interaction between the universityrunning from Scarborough to Pearson a building or two, so be it. A harbourand city. – Karina DahlinPHOTOGRAPHY: JOHNNY GREIGSPRING 2005 19

20-26 3/2/05 4:51 AM Page 20Last fall, Professor Adam Anderson beganarriving at his office much earlier than usual,at an hour when the psychology departmenton the St. George campus wasdeserted. He didn’t turn on his computeror even flick on the lights. Each morning,he would shut the door, sit downand close his eyes. He could have usedthe time to get a head start on the workpiled on his desk, but instead he took halfan hour to concentrate on nothing at all.Anderson, an expert on how the brainproduces positive and negative emotions,began his daily ritual because he wasstudying the mental health benefits of?UsHappyILLUSTRATIONS: STEVE ADAMS/ILLUSIONWhatMakesBY MEGAN EASTONScience offerssurprisingnew answers20 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINE

20-26 3/2/05 4:52 AM Page 21

20-26 3/2/05 4:53 AM Page 22‘‘It ’ s like training any other musclein your body.You’re developing your brainto cope better with the world’’meditation and wanted to test them firsthand.He is one of a growing number ofresearchers at U of T who are investigatingthe biological, psychological andcircumstantial causes of happiness.Historically, psychology has probedthe dark corners of the human mind.Psychologists have focused on ways tocure, or at least curb, mental illness. It’sonly in the past 10 years that researchershave been trying to identify the factorsthat contribute to happiness and a satisfyinglife – a study that has come to beknown as “positive psychology.”Anderson’s early-morning meditationsessions didn’t induce Zenlikebliss: a construction projectwas going full tilt outside his office window. “It wasn’t like anidyllic setting with a babbling brook,” he says with a laugh.“I heard jackhammers and saws. So I just said, ‘I’m going tofind peacefulness in the din.’”While practising mindfulness, people learn how to findcalm in a difficult world. Being mindful means paying attentionto moment-by-moment experiences. It means observingphysical sensations and the mind’s thoughts and feelings, bothpositive and negative, without suppressing them or lettingoneself be engulfed by them. A mindfulness response to angerwould be “This is anger, and it will pass” rather than “I amreally angry.”Students of mindfulness begin by focusing on theirbreathing. Inevitably, the mind wanders. The challenge, saysAnderson, is to keep bringing your attention back to yourbreath as a means of anchoring yourself in the presentmoment. Mindfulness instructors suggest meditating for 20to 45 minutes every day. These sessions are the foundationof the whole practice, but the objective is to be mindfulthroughout all of life.“Rather than labelling your daily experiences as good orbad,” says Anderson, “you just experience them for what theyare.” When you wake up in the morning feeling down, forexample, you monitor the dark thoughts and any relatedbodily symptoms such as heaviness or tension while gettingon with your day. You simply note the sadness. You don’truminate on how you could possibly feel like this whenthe sun is out, who is to blame, whether it’s ruining yourlife and so on. “Mindfulness is a childlikesensibility. It’s more sensory,” hesays. It’s what Buddhists call the “beginner’smind.”People who master this skill are lessprone to get upset when unpleasantfeelings arise. Everyday mindfulness hashelped Anderson, a Canada ResearchChair in Cognitive Neuroscience whocame to U of T from Stanford Universityin 2003, handle the pressures ofbeing a new professor. “When I’mworking on something, I feel guiltybecause I know it’s taking me away fromworking on something else. But I’m ableto have those thoughts now without theanxious feelings that would normallyaccompany them,” he says. “I feel morecomposed.” Meditation, he adds, is like fitness for the brain.“It’s like training any other muscle in your body. You’re developingyour brain to cope better with the world.”New research has found that mindfulness can help peoplewho suffer from depression. Professor Zindel Segal, theMorgan Firestone Chair in Psychotherapy at U of T andMount Sinai Hospital, combines the principles of mindfulnesswith cognitive behavioural therapy, a form of psychotherapythat helps people see the connection between theirthoughts and feelings. In people who have been depressedbefore, even mild sadness can trigger an excessive amount ofnegative thinking, which can, in turn, cause a recurrence offull-blown depression.Professor Segal has discovered that mindfulness can keeppeople out of that harmful loop by teaching them to be awareof temporary unhappiness without being swallowed up by it.They learn that sad feelings are a part of life and usually transient,provided they don’t dwell on them. In a study publishedin 2000 involving individuals who had recovered from severalbouts of depression, Segal found that those who completedmindfulness-based cognitive therapy relapsed in thefollowing year only half as often as those who did not receivethe therapy. A subsequent study in the U.K. replicated thesefindings, and researchers concluded that mindfulness therapyis most effective in preventing the recurrence of depression inpatients who have had three or more previous episodes.Why does mindfulness meditation work? Neuroscientistsfrom several North American universities have been studying22 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINE

20-26 3/2/05 4:54 AM Page 23Buddhist monks – the acknowledgedworld champions of meditation – to seehow their brains differ from the averageperson’s. Segal and other researchers atU of T, meanwhile, are using advancedmedical imaging to examine how mindfulnessand psychotherapy affect thebrains of ordinary people strugglingwith depression.Along with Dr. Helen Mayberg, whois now at Emory University in Atlanta,but is still an adjunct professor of psychiatryat U of T, Segal led a groundbreakingstudy in 2002 that comparedthe brains of people who had recoveredfrom depression using cognitive behaviouraltherapy with those who had useda popular antidepressant. The patientswho got well with the drug showedchanges in the lower, more primal, partof the brain known as the limbic system,while those who received therapy demonstratedchanges in the upper areas of thebrain connected with higher thought.Both areas are implicated in depression.The hopeful message from this research,says Segal, is that there are differentroutes to mental health. Drugs are notthe only solution; we can also feel betterby altering how we think.Segal, who is also head of the CognitiveBehavioural Therapy Clinic at theCentre for Addiction and Mental Health,will test this theory further later this year.He and Anderson are collaborating on aresearch project to investigate how the brains of people whohave recovered from depression respond to sad stimuli – clipsfrom movies such as Terms of Endearment, for example – beforeand after mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Segal expectsthe mindfulness training to enable the group to watch the clipswithout becoming sad themselves. “You can change the chemicalenvironment of your brain with drugs,” says Segal, “andyou can do it with mindfulness, and by learning how to payattention in the midst of upsetting emotions.”Evidence of the healing power of mental training is excitingfor everyone interested in happiness, says Anderson, and notFeeling Good vs. Doing GoodThe meaning of happiness has changed over timeUnlike contemporary North Americans, the ancient Greeks believed happiness couldbe achieved only by being a good person; it had nothing to do with feeling good.Aristotle offered the most complete articulation of the ancients’ views about wellbeing.He said happiness could be achieved only through virtuous conduct and rigorousthought. Professor Thomas Hurka, who takes a similar view, says the good life consistsof things that are valuable and worth pursuing in themselves – self-understanding,achievement and moral virtue, among others – even if they don’t always make you feelhappy in the sense of feeling pleasure.“Sometimes genuine self-understanding is painful,”says Hurka, the Henry N.R. Jackman Distinguished Professor in Philosophical Studies.Early Christian scholars incorporated this notion of suffering for happiness into theirdoctrines. St.Augustine, a theologian who lived in the fourth century, argued that originalsin precluded perfect happiness in this life, but the devout would get their due in theafterlife. Reformation theorists pondered whether earthly pleasures might even be a signof God’s grace, a reward for good behaviour in advance of the real thing in heaven.A radical break came in the 17 th century when the English philosopher John Lockesuggested that feeling good was intrinsically good because God wanted his creatures tobe happy.The right action was therefore the one that resulted in the most pleasant feelings.Utilitarianism, a philosophy that flourished in the 18 th century, extended this theoryto public life. It asserted that government should judge its policies on which ones producethe greatest happiness for the greatest number of people.The 19 th -century Englishphilosopher John Stuart Mill offered a refined version of utilitarianism in which he distinguishedbetween “higher” and “lower” pleasures. In his view, cerebral satisfaction shouldrank higher than purely physical delight, which any animal could experience.The idea that happiness is about feeling good rather than “doing good” has moderndefenders.Wayne Sumner, a U of T philosophy professor and proponent of utilitarianism,says happiness has both an immediate, emotional component (you feel fulfilled in yourlife) and a more long-term, cognitive component (you judge that your whole life is goingwell). For Sumner, this kind of happiness is the most important part of the good life. – M.E.just for those who want to prevent depression. “This empowersus as individuals to understand and regulate our own emotions,”says Anderson. “That’s part of what’s exciting about it– we’re looking at untapped human potential.”As promising as mindfulness meditation is, our happinessis not entirely within our control. Genetics plays a part,too. In 1996, University of Minnesota researcherDavid Lykken released the results of a study in which he hadexamined the role of genes in determining one’s satisfactionwith life. Lykken collected data on about 4,000 sets of twinsSPRING 2005 23

20-26 3/2/05 4:54 AM Page 24How I Learned to StopWorrying and Love HGTVA lifelong pessimist meets his matchBY JOEL YANOFSKYMy wife and I had known each otheronly three months when we decided toget married.We’d fallen in love and gottenourselves pregnant, more or less in thatorder.Were we ready for a new life? Whoknows? Both of us were pushing 40 so if weweren’t, we probably never would be.There’s bound to be a learning curve in anyrelationship – she’s teaching me yoga, I’mteaching her poker – but ours has beenparticularly steep.What my wife didn’t knowabout me, for example, is that I complainabout everything.What I didn’t knowabout her is that she’d prefer I didn’t.Which is why the other day, to seewhere we stood, we took a “life-orientationtest” I saw in a book called Learn to Bean Optimist.The test measures attitude andoutlook.Thequestions weresurprisingly easy,at least for me. (1. Inuncertain times, I usually expect the best.Ha! 7. I hardly ever expect things to go my way.You can say that again!) I finished the testlong before my wife. My score – three outof a possible 24 points;“extreme pessimism”on the test scale – was also easy to tally.My wife, who rated a 16, looked worried.“But I’m happy,” I said.“Really. Extremely.”To which she replied,“Compared to what?”Good question.Woody Allen oncesaid that life is either miserable or horrible,and you should consider yourself lucky if,most of the time, you are merely miserable.By that standard, I explained, who’s luckierthan us? I alsopointed out thatsince studiesroutinely demonstratethat there’s nohappier creature onthe face of the Earth thana married man – happierthan married women, anyway –it’s safe to assume my score, lowas it was, was probably higher than it hadbeen before we met.Somehow, none of this reassured her.As she double-checked the test results, Icould guess what she was thinking – perhapsbecause it was what she was thinking moreand more often: there’s room here forimprovement.Another thing I recently learned aboutmy wife is that she’s addicted to HGTV.Home & Garden Television provides viewerswith a wealth of home-decorating solutionsand do-it-yourself good intentions. Noamount of clutter is untameable, and noslob (i.e. husband) too irredeemable.Theborn in Minnesota between 1936 and 1955, compared theresults from identical and fraternal twins, and came to theconclusion that about half of one’s happiness is determinedgenetically. The other half depends on life circumstances andwhat Lykken calls “life’s slings and arrows.”Our inborn temperament explains the general stability ofour well-being over time. A famous 1978 study by researchersfrom Northwestern University in Chicago found that lotterywinners reported feelings of intense joy following their win,while paraplegic and quadriplegic accident victims experienceddespair. Within a few months, though, people in eachgroup reported feeling about the same as they had prior to thelife-changing event, leading experts to conclude that we allhave a happiness set point. Our mood rises and falls, and seriousmental illness can shift us lower, but over the long termour average happiness hovers around the same spot. “Someonewho has a cheerful disposition today is probably going tobe cheerful 10 years from now,” says Professor Ulrich Schimmack,who spent two years working in the University of Illinoisat Urbana-Champaign lab of Edward Diener – a pioneerin the study of happiness and the editor-in-chief of the Journalof Happiness Studies – before joining the psychologydepartment at the University of Toronto at Mississauga.In almost any situation, Schimmack says, our personalitystrongly influences our happiness. We all know someone whois wealthy, good-looking and successful yet also downrightglum. “If we feel bummed out or that our life is meaningless,it’s hard for us to ignore those feelings and say, ‘Hey, my lifeis great,’ even if in most ways it is.”Schimmack’s research has refined scientists’ understandingof the link between specific personality traits and well-being.A study published last year illustrated that, of all the traits, apredisposition to sadness – the tendency to have a lot of bluedays – has the strongest negative impact on life satisfaction.Cheerfulness has the greatest positive effect. Shocking? No,but it’s the first time these intuitive truths have been proven24 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINE

20-26 3/2/05 4:55 AM Page 25‘‘When my wife and I are watchingDebbie Travis’ Facelift, I’ll notice she’s eyeing me the wayshe used to eye our gloomy living room decor’’premise of the channel, which featuresredesign and makeover programs 24/7, isthat by improving your surroundings you willinvariably improve your outlook, yourattitude and your potential for happiness.I complain to my wife about HGTV,but, frankly, I enjoy it. I like the perky hostsand their earnest handyman sidekicks talkingabout “wallpaper making a comeback.”Or saying things like,“Eggshell is the newblack.” Only now, when my wife and I arewatching Debbie Travis’ Facelift or Rooms ThatRock, I’ll notice she’s eyeing me the wayshe used to eye our gloomy living roomdecor. Her focus has shifted from ourhome’s interior to mine.In an episode of The Simpsons, Margeshares some advice on the opposite sex withher daughter, who has become infatuatedwith a pint-sized thug.“Most women will tellyou you’re a fool to think you can change aman,” she says to Lisa,“but those womenare quitters.” My wife’s no quitter.And it doesn’t help that there’s nowscientific evidence to support her decisionto make me her new renovation project.Martin Seligman, the author of AuthenticHappiness and a former president of theAmerican Psychological Association, studiedoptimism for 25 years and concluded that“optimistic people got depressed at half therate of pessimistic people,” and that theyalso “had better, feistier immune systems,and probably lived longer than pessimisticpeople.” They also tend to be betterstudents, salespeople, athletes, parents and,it goes without saying, husbands.So it’s no wonder that upbeat is in andthat self-esteem couldn’t be more highlyesteemed. Feeling good about the world andyourself is its own reward, of course, butit’s also as trendy these days as pilates andSUVs.“Happiness is the new black,” mywife announced the other day.According to Seligman, himself a recentlyreformed grouch, the goal for psychologistsand psychiatrists has changed.They usedto worry mainly about making miserablepeople less miserable; now they concentrateon making happy people happier.“My aimis that psychology and maybe psychiatrywill increase the tonnage of happiness in theworld,” Seligman said in a recent interview.He and others in the field called positivepsychology are hard at work creating“interventions that reliably changepessimists into optimists.”In other words, as my wife alsoannounced recently,“Resistance is futile.”For some people, the Dalai Lama orDonald Trump, let’s say, happiness comesnaturally; others, like me, have to havetons of it thrust upon them. Still, I’m notcomplaining anymore. In fact I’m countingmy blessings – along with learning toenjoy yoga, an exercise highly recommendedin Learn to Be an Optimist. I know I’m luckyto have a family I love and a wife whocares about me enough to try to make meinto a brand new person. But am I forgettingsomething? Yes, of course, access, roundthe clock, to HGTV.Joel Yanofsky is a Montreal writer and the authorof Mordecai & Me:An Appreciation of a Kind.scientifically. Schimmack also found that, contrary to what wemight expect, sociability plays only a minor role in increasingour sense of fulfilment, and anxiety doesn’t diminish it. “A lackof meaning is more detrimental to life satisfaction than stressand worries,” he says.Since we can’t trade in our gloomy genes, this may all soundgrim. Yet in the realm of happiness, personality is not destiny.We have the capacity to enhance our well-being by striving forthings that will make our lives more satisfying, says Schimmack.The problem is that we generally don’t know what willmake us happy or unhappy. Joy is rarely as intense or as longlastingas we imagine it will be, and the same is true for despair.This leads us to make poor choices in our quest to be happy.So Schimmack’s ultimate goal is to identify, through scientifictesting, the personal and social factors that truly do contributeto our sense of well-being.What do people say when they’re asked what makes themhappy? Family and friends tend to rank high, as do religion,career and health. But studies have yielded conflicting results,particularly about how much marriage and faith contributeto happiness. Although a 2000 study by Diener of more than59,000 people in 42 countries concluded that there is a positivecorrelation between marriage and life satisfaction acrosscultures, more recent studies have challenged this idea. In2003, Richard Lucas of Michigan State University publishedresearch showing that people report being happier only at thebeginning of a marriage; after five years they tend to returnto their previous level of happiness. As for religion, studieshave demonstrated a link between religiosity and happiness,though researchers say the social-support and communityaspects of attending religious services are probably moreimportant than belief in a higher being.In an experiment involving mostly female universitystudents, Schimmack showed that feeling satisfied in areasof our lives that we personally value can strongly contributeto happiness. “Progress toward a goal in a life domain that youSPRING 2005 25

20-26 3/2/05 4:55 AM Page 26‘‘A lack of meaning is moredetrimental to life satisfactionthan stress and worries’’care about is more important than thegoal itself,” says Schimmack, addingthat unattainable ambitions can lead todiscontent. Setting career goals thatdon’t match up with your talents andabilities, for example, is a sure way tounhappiness.Researchers know that people alsolook to the balance of pleasant andunpleasant experiences over their lifetimewhen they judge their life satisfaction.But traumatic events don’t have to derailour quest for happiness, says ProfessorKate McLean, also in UTM’s psychologydepartment. She studies how peoplemake sense of their suffering by creatingtheir own life stories, and has found thatthe way we tell the tale of an upsettingexperience, whether it’s a divorce or afailed exam, influences our quality of life.“The more people acknowledge the negativityof the event and find some sort ofresolution,” she says, “the better off theyare in terms of well-being.” Rather thanglossing over something and repressingit, we should find meaning in it, integrateit into our identity and move on.When it comes to pleasant experiences,and particularly the pleasant physicalexperiences in our lives, many peoplewould agree that activities such as playingsports, dancing, eating good food andhaving sex bring them happiness. Butaccording to Schimmack’s research, physicalfulfilment doesn’t have a lasting influence on our sense ofwell-being, though it can definitely brighten our day.The same is true of money. Although wealth gives us theopportunity to pursue these pleasant physical experiences moreoften, it’s not the key to happiness that many expect. On surveyafter survey, rich people report being happier than poorpeople, but the difference for those who can afford life’s necessitiesis negligible. In other words, the extremely affluent aregenerally no happier than the modestly well off. “It’s possiblethat people don’t evaluate their total life satisfaction basedon their income or material possessions,” says Schimmack,“though they clearly enjoy their new cars and boats on a26 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINERate YourHappinessHow happy are you? Try this shorttest.The Satisfaction with Life Scalewas devised in 1985 by Edward Diener,a psychologist at the University ofIllinois at Urbana-Champaign, and isused by researchers around the world.On a scale from 1 to 7, indicate howstrongly you agree or disagree withthe following statements, with 7 beingstrong agreement.1. In most ways my life is closeto my ideal.2.The conditions of my lifeare excellent.3. I am satisfied with my life.4. So far I have gotten the importantthings I want in life.5. If I could live my life over,I would change almost nothing.Total score: 31 to 35: you areextremely satisfied with your life;26 to 30: satisfied; 21 to 25: slightlysatisfied; 20: neutral point; 15 to 19:slightly dissatisfied; 10 to 14: dissatisfied;5 to 9: extremely dissatisfiedday-to-day basis.” Perhaps the sayingshould be changed to “Money can’t buylong-term happiness.”There is a twist, though. The happinesswe derive from our own wealthdepends on the wealth of those aroundus. A Harvard University study showedthat most people would be happier toreceive $50,000 if everyone else got$25,000, than to get $100,000 if everyoneelse got $200,000. It seems we arewilling to settle for less, as long as we’refaring better than those around us.Studies have also shown that we quicklygrow accustomed to any increase inwealth. Scientists call it the hedonictreadmill: before long we’re wonderingwhen the next increase is coming andlooking around to see who’s doing better.Since there will always be someone onerung up the ladder, it can be a vicious,misery-making cycle.As a society, we are about as happyas we were 30 years ago, but we’re certainlybecoming more preoccupied withhappiness – witness the flourishing ofthe self-help industry. In general, saysSchimmack, societies that do not haveto worry about poverty worry abouthappiness. “Once you don’t have basicneeds to fulfil, people move from survivalvalues to what’s called well-beingvalues. Those values are ‘I want to feelgood all the time,’ ‘I want to have fun’and ‘I don’t want to do the things that aren’t fun anymore.’We’ve become more hedonistic in our choices and in the waywe evaluate what is good and bad in our lives.”This may explain why the majority of researchers exploringthe science of happiness are from Western nations. Whilethey are no doubt fuelled by scientific curiosity, they may alsobe energized by society’s passionate interest in their findings.“People are always asking, ‘Am I happy?’ ” says Schimmack.“It seems to be on everyone’s mind.”■Megan Easton is a freelance writer in Toronto. She wrote aboutyoung alumni in the Summer 2004 issue.

utmag_spr_reu.qxd 2/15/2005 12:01 PM Page 1SPRING REUNION 2005Watercolour design by Ina EliasJune 2-5Join our Spring Reunion 2005 co-chairs Sheila Connell, Gay Evans and Ann Wilson, along with theirhusbands, fellow co-chairs and former U of T presidents Dr. George Connell, Dr. John Evans andDr. J. Robert S. Prichard, for a weekend to reconnect with friends and the university.THURSDAY, JUNE 2• 25th Anniversary Reception• John Arpin in Concert• Beer Tasting atSteam Whistle BrewingFRIDAY, JUNE 3• 50th Anniversary Luncheon• Chancellor's Circle MedalCeremoniesSATURDAY, JUNE 4• Great Books by Great Grads• Classes Without Quizzes Lecture• Hart House Barbecue• President’s Garden PartySUNDAY, JUNE 5• Other faculty and college eventsHONOURED CLASSES:1925, 1930, 1935, 1940, 1945, 1950, 1955, 1960,1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995 and 2000UNIVERSITY OFTORONTOFor more information please call 1-888-738-8876 or 416-978-0424 or spring.reunion@utoronto.caFax: 416-978-5102 or visit www.springreunion.utoronto.ca

28-31 3/2/05 5:00 AM Page 28DISA P P E A R I NGActSHEILA HETI HAS A WAY OF MAKING YOU FEEL AS IFyou’re the most interesting person in the room. Sheand I are waiting in line at Future Bakery & Caféon Bloor Street where we’ve met to talk about hernew novel, Ticknor, but already she’s asking me all thequestions. “How do you like freelance writing?” sheinquires. “Who have you written for?”When Heti’s hot cider is ready and I’ve filled mymug with coffee, we find a place to sit, and I put adigital recorder on the table between us. I want tobegin by asking Heti about the inspiration for hernew book, but the miniature device catches her attention,and I soon find myself telling her about a creativeproject I’m involved in: recording voice messagesfrom people on the street and posting the messagesonline. Her voice rises as the questions pour out. “Arepeople able to be free enough with themselves?” sheAfter years at theheart of Toronto’sindie culture scene,author Sheila Hetiis leaving townBY MICAH TOUB28 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINE

28-31 3/7/05 4:01 PM Page 29PHOTOGRAPHY: GREG PACEKSPRING 2005 29

28-31 3/2/05 5:01 AM Page 30wonders. “Do you use their full names?”“What are you calling the project?”You expect writers – especially thosewho write fiction – to show an interestin people, but I sense that Heti, 28,makes a habit of investigating subjectsuntil she’s covered every conceivableangle. She seems to want to know everything,and would be just as happy notto talk about herself at all.YOU CAN FIND OUT A LOT ABOUTSheila Heti (BA 2002 Trinity) withoutasking her, thanks to a literarycareer that went public in 2000when McSweeney’s, a hip U.S. literaryjournal founded by Americanwriter Dave Eggers, published fiveof her short stories. Heti was 23 atthe time, and studying art historyand philosophy at Trinity College.Her first book, The Middle Stories,was published the following year.Looking back now, Heti says thespate of sudden attention was alittle bewildering – and made her thetarget of some ill-mannered jealousy,mostly from the press. She felt many ofthe reviews of The Middle Stories focusedon the buzz around the book and gavehardly any thought to the content. “Itstruck me as suffering from, if not jealousy,at least some kind of preoccupationwith whatever degree of success theyseemed to think I was having.”The Canadian literary community isextremely small, and many writers workfor years without signing a publishingcontract. So when someone new comesalong and seems to achieve success tooquickly, certain questions arise: abouttalent, about staying power, about owingone’s success to someone else. Heti knowsshe has McSweeney’s to thank for gettingher noticed, and, indirectly, for her firstbook, but she became clearly tired ofbeing asked about it. “I’m so lucky that ithappened,” she told an interviewer a fewyears ago. “But it’s also like constantlybeing asked about your sister.”Before Heti was a published writer, andbefore NOW magazine readers voted her“best emerging author” for three of thepast four years, she had little idea what she30 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINEwanted to do with her life. After graduatingfrom North Toronto High School,she thought it would be fun to write plays,so she enrolled at the National TheatreSchool in Montreal. During her first year,a stage adaptation she’d written of Faustwas cancelled by her teachers. “Theythought it was going to ruin my career,”she says. The teachers never gave her anyspecific feedback, but Faust’s love interestin her version was only 12 years old.“I ’ mquitting everything. I don’t wantanything that was in my lifewhile I was writing this book tobe in my life anymore.”“I think it left many of them feeling nauseated.”Heti dropped out after that andmoved back to Toronto, where she tooka job in the editorial department at Shiftmagazine. Although she found the workenjoyable, she says the triviality of theassignments eventually wore her down.For one article, she recalls having tointerview people who were obsessedwith the heroine of The Little Mermaid.“She’s a cartoon character!” Heti exclaims.“I felt like I had to study something real.”So she went back to school.At the University of Toronto, Hetispent a full semester studying Ulysseswith Professor Jennifer Levine, who saysHeti was fascinated by the idea of literaturewithin literature. “Sheila was readingnot to prove a preordained model inher head, but to think about the world.”Levine enjoyed The Middle Stories andthinks Heti’s writing echoes elements ofJoyce. “Underlying their verbal gamesthere is a powerful sympathetic imagination,”Levine says. “Everyone is interesting.No one is boring.”ONE DAY A FEW YEARS AGO, HETI WASwaiting for a friend at a downtownToronto lounge, and randomly pulled abook – an old leather-bound volume –from one of the shelves. She began readingand was intrigued by the uniquenessof the writer’s voice. “So I stole it,”she says.The book, published in 1864, wasThe Life of William Hickling Prescott,a biography by George Ticknor ofhis friend and fellow Harvard scholarWilliam Prescott. It was Ticknor’s voice –the style of his writing – that providedHeti with the inspiration for her newbook and its central character. Sheexplains that Ticknor wrote in anexceedingly reverent and formal style,leaving the reader to imagine whatwas going on between the lines. “Ididn’t want to write a historical novel.I was doing an impersonation,” shesays. “I wanted to know Ticknorthrough his voice – not through thedetails or narrative of his life.”The action in Heti’s psychologicallydense 108-page novel takes placeover one night as Ticknor reluctantlymakes his way to a party at Prescott’s.As he walks along the cobbled streetsof Boston, Ticknor wrestles with difficultpersonal questions: What does hisfriendship mean to Prescott? Why hashe failed to become a great writer? Willhe be missed should he forgo the partyaltogether?In life, George Ticknor was a respectedand influential professor of belles-lettres.Heti’s Ticknor, however, is a paranoid,anxiety-ridden, failing writer who’s jealousof his best friend Prescott, who isextroverted, often published and wellloved – much like Heti’s own public persona.I ask Heti whether there is also aTicknor side to her personality, a hidden,anxious element that sometimes comesinto conflict with her Prescott self. “Ithink that’s a legitimate thing to say,” sheresponds, but leaves it at that. Heti hasnever been the kind of author who likesto tell her readers what to think.Ticknor is ostensibly set in mid-19 thcentury Boston, but Heti deliberatelydrops clues to suggest otherwise. Streetcarsrumble through the city, Ticknorwears rubber earplugs to block out noise

28-31 3/2/05 5:02 AM Page 31from a neighbour’s party, and he feelsguilty about smoking – a decidedly modern-dayphenomenon. Although theanachronisms are subtle, they’re enoughto make a careful reader realize that thestory takes place somewhere other than inhistorical reality. “It doesn’t take place inthe history of America, but in the historyof an attitude or a feeling,” Heti explains.Ticknor may not be historical fiction,but Heti used her subject as a startingpoint – literally. In writing the book,Heti often began by typing directlyfrom the real Ticknor’s own prose, usingthe beginnings of his sentences as fuel,and continuing on her own from there.Heti used a similar creative technique inwriting The Middle Stories, where shewould begin sentences without knowinghow they would end. It’s how shetalks, too. She starts down one path,stops, then starts again on another. Ifyou listen long enough, you can see howher ideas come into existence.IS EVERYONE INTERESTING? HETI SEEMSto believe it. In The Middle Stories, hercharacters were often generically identified– the plumber, the middleman, thepoet – but she infuses their lives with fantasticalevents. Similarly, in Ticknor, Hetidelves into the mind of a man who thinkshe is worthless, but in showing him attention,proves he’s not. Heti tested thenotion in real life by creating a venue for“average” people to speak publicly aboutthe things they really care about. Thatvenue is Trampoline Hall, a monthly lectureseries held in a variety of Torontobars, which Heti founded three yearsago with her friend Misha Glouberman.The people Heti asks to speak atTrampoline Hall are not really “experts”and often have never spoken in public.The lectures are not designed to inform oreducate, though Heti hopes they do communicatesomething “truthful.” And soTrampoline Hall audiences have listenedto impassioned speeches about the number32, why gossip is worse than pork,and how fantasy sports leagues allow mento be intimate without being personal.Heti would be the first to admit that thelectures are sometimes rough around theedges, but she says they are never boring.For Heti, who arranged the speakerseach month but has now handed responsibilityfor the whole enterprise to Glouberman,the series took on a social dimension.“I fall in love with people all thetime,” she says, “and Trampoline Hall wasa way of doing something with themrather than just going out for coffee.” Inhis memoir A Heartbreaking Work of StaggeringGenius, Dave Eggers describes alattice – a figurative snowshoe – whosecriss-crossing fibres are made up of theindividual connections among people.The lattice gains strength every time twopeople connect, and if the network growslarge enough, it can support anything.Trampoline Hall was Sheila Heti’s lattice.Now that her involvement with TrampolineHall has ended, it’s possible thatthe William Prescott phase of Heti’s life iscoming to a close, and the era of Ticknor– the reclusive writer – is beginning. “I’mquitting everything,” she says. “I don’twant anything that was in my life whileI was writing this book to be in my lifeanymore.” She says all her cultural activitiesfrom the last four years – TrampolineHall; her impassioned articles about artin the public sphere; the biweekly cocktailparties that she and her husband,Globe and Mail music columnist CarlWilson, held at their home in Toronto– share some indefinable quality that shewants to be done with now. She’s evenleaving the city, at least for a while, andshe doesn’t want to say where she’s goingnext. She wants to disappear. “I don’twant to know anybody,” she says.These days, people expect a lot fromHeti, who is left with no time to dowhat is most important to her – writebooks. Along with reading and just simplythinking about things, Heti says shewill have more time in her new city toindulge in her craft.When we’ve drained our mugs andput on our coats, I walk Heti to her nextappointment, which happens to be justaround the corner, at the place she discoveredTicknor. As she opens the door to goin, I realize that whoever awaits her therewill surely feel like the most extraordinaryand exciting person in the room. ■Micah Toub is a freelance writer in Toronto.IN THEUNIVERSITY OFWhyADVERTISETORONTO MAGAZINE?REACH CANADA’SBEST ANDBRIGHTEST MINDS• 220,000 Canadianprofessionals anddecision-makers• Plus 12,000 U.S. and 8,000international readers• Additional 14,000 elitedonors, corporations andpolitical figures onlyaccessible by advertisingin U of T MagazineCOST-EFFICIENTTARGET MARKETING• Median householdincome: $125,900*• Male: 48%. Female: 52%*• Median Age: 47*• Extremely high proportionof Managers, Professionalsand Owners*• Database mining byfield of studyAWARD-WINNINGEDITORIAL• 15 awards in 2002 fromCanadian and U.S. alumnipublications competitions• Plus 2 National MagazineAwards nominationsREADER LOYALTY• 88% of recipients have read3 or 4 of the last 4 issues**Totum Research ReadershipSurvey, December 2001For more information and rates for display andclassified advertising, please contact:SUSAN WRAYADVERTISING & PRODUCTION MANAGERPhone: (416) 978-0838 Fax: (416) 978-3958 E-mail: susan.wray@utoronto.caSPRING 2005 31

32-33 MBNA DPS 3/7/05 12:06 PM Page 1On and off the race trails, members of the University of TorontoMountain Bike crew form a great team. In the fall of 2004 the team’swomen and men competed as a unified team and won the provincialUniversity Cup championship. Excellence, teamwork, and an avidcommitment to academics, sport and the environment make this teamunique. For the past 7 years the team has organized a trail maintenanceday in Toronto’s Don Valley. To date the team’s volunteer efforts haveresulted in the removal of over 2000 pounds of garbage from theforest floor.MBNA Canada Bank is a proud Pillar Sponsor of GREAT TEAMSlarge and small.- Flicks on the Field ~ University of Toronto outdoor movie night- Skule Night ~ U of T Engineering Society- Engineers without Borders ~ International Development Team Support- National Concrete Canoe Competition- Blue Sky Solar Racing ~ Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering- Symphony Orchestra series ~ Faculty of Music- Varsity Blues Rowing ~ Faculty of Physical Health and Education- University of Toronto Gospel Choir- Hart House Dramatic Arts SeasonTo apply for the U of T Platinum Plus ® ®MasterCard that supportsyour university visit www.affinity.utoronto.ca or call 416-978-4410

32-33 MBNA DPS 3/7/05 12:06 PM Page 1On and off the race trails, members of the University of TorontoMountain Bike crew form a great team. In the fall of 2004 the team’swomen and men competed as a unified team and won the provincialUniversity Cup championship. Excellence, teamwork, and an avidcommitment to academics, sport and the environment make this teamunique. For the past 7 years the team has organized a trail maintenanceday in Toronto’s Don Valley. To date the team’s volunteer efforts haveresulted in the removal of over 2000 pounds of garbage from theforest floor.MBNA Canada Bank is a proud Pillar Sponsor of GREAT TEAMSlarge and small.- Flicks on the Field ~ University of Toronto outdoor movie night- Skule Night ~ U of T Engineering Society- Engineers without Borders ~ International Development Team Support- National Concrete Canoe Competition- Blue Sky Solar Racing ~ Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering- Symphony Orchestra series ~ Faculty of Music- Varsity Blues Rowing ~ Faculty of Physical Health and Education- University of Toronto Gospel Choir- Hart House Dramatic Arts SeasonTo apply for the U of T Platinum Plus ® ®MasterCard that supportsyour university visit www.affinity.utoronto.ca or call 416-978-4410

34-38,40-44 3/2/05 5:33 AM Page 34T O M O R R O W ’ SU N I V E R S I T YO F T O R O N T OReady for a world of change By Margaret Webb34 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINE

34-38,40-44 3/2/05 5:33 AM Page 35The University of Toronto is aiming to securea place among the top 10 public universitiesin the world, and has laid out an ambitiousagenda for how to achieve its goal.Over the next five years, Canada’s largest universityintends to improve the experience of its50,000 undergraduate students – both inside andoutside of the classroom. Students will take moreseminar classes, have increased opportunities towork on research projects with their professorsand enjoy better prospects of studying abroad.With a click of a computer mouse, they’ll be ableto register and pay for courses, obtain coursematerials – even book a tennis court – online.They’ll be offered more chances to participate inathletic, co-curricular and community activities,which, in turn, will help them foster a closeraffinity to their school.To develop scholarship in emerging fields,U of T plans to expand its expertise in interdisciplinarysubjects such as ethics, public policy,culture and immigration. It will make communityinvolvement – both locally and nationally – centralto its mission. And it will continue to strive towardequity and diversity in all of its activities.“The Stepping Up academic plan has been anenormous undertaking,” says Professor Vivek Goel,vice-president and provost. “What has emergedrepresents a culture shift for the university. WithStepping Up, we have developed a plan that willresult in a renewed spirit at U of T with a strongemphasis on enhancing the student experience.”As you’ll find in the following articles, each ofwhich discusses one of the five major goals of theuniversity’s Stepping Up plan, undergraduatesare already getting a taste of U of T’s future.ILLUSTRATION: MAURICE VELLEKOOP/PHOTOGRAPHY: KEVIN KELLYSPRING 2005 35

34-38,40-44 3/2/05 5:36 AM Page 361T O M O R R O W ’ SGoal 1: Every student will havethe opportunity for an outstandingand unique experienceat the University of TorontoOn a bitterly cold morning, studentsarrive early for Professor John Browne’sfirst-year seminar course on J.R.R. Tolkien’sfantasy trilogy The Lord of the Rings.Half-a-dozen former students are here,too. They have returned to challenge thefrosh in a game of Tolkien Trivial Pursuitthat Browne has devised to ease studentsback after Christmas holidays.Browne, the white-bearded formerprincipal of Innis College, is as visiblydelighted to see his alumni as they areto see him. They tease him mercilesslyabout his “evil laugh” when his questionsstump the students.U N I V E R S I T YO F T O R O N T OThe alumni triumph, but that’s hardlythe point. After class, everyone lingers totalk; indeed, Browne has to shoo themfrom the seminar room at WoodsworthCollege so he can prepare for his nextclass. Clearly, Browne’s small seminar –enrolment is capped at 24 – achievesimportant goals: it inspires students’ passionfor learning, boosts confidence andfosters a sense of community. (Browneand some of his former students stillmeet two or three times a year for lunch.)Large lecture halls filled with hundredsof first-year students are still thenorm at U of T – something that’sunlikely to change without a significantinfusion of new provincial funding. Butthe university recognizes the need to givea greater number of first-year studentsat least one intimate, superbly taughtfirst-year class, such as Browne’s.Good teachers need the support oftheir school, and Browne is a primeexample of how someone, with trainingand ample prep time, can create a transformingclassroom experience. Afterteaching graduate courses and serving inadministration for 26 years, Browneasked to return to the classroom – specificallyto teach first-year students. Thenhe took a six-month administrativesabbatical, to plan his Tolkien course.“Most of these students speak e [as inelectronic] as a native language,” saysBrowne. “I wanted to live in the contextthey’re living in, to lower the barriersbetween us.”Browne started preparing at U of T’sResource Centre for Academic Technology,“taking every course available,” heReverseReport CardSurvey asks students theiropinion of U of TWhat’s the best way to measurethe quality of a universityeducation?To create its annual ranking ofCanadian universities, Maclean’s usesmore than 20 measures such as classsize, operating budget, scholarshipsand library holdings to come up withan overall score for each school.The National Survey of StudentEngagement (NSSE), on the otherhand, asks students directly abouttheir university experience to determinehow engaged they are with theirundergraduate education. Researchhas shown that students who arehighly engaged in their studies andactive on campus fare better academicallyand enjoy a better learningexperience than those who are not.Developed at Indiana Universityin 1999, NSSE is used annually atmore than 400 universities in theUnited States. U of T participated inthe survey for the first time in 2004,along with seven other Canadianresearch universities.While U of T students reported ahigh level of academic challenge, theygave the university lower marks onstudent-faculty interaction and supportservices.“A decade of underfundinghas taken its toll,” says David Farrar,deputy provost and vice-provost,students.“We need to improve ourefforts to enrich the educational experience,both in the classroom andoutside, and to help students developsupportive relationships.”U of T e-mailed the NSSE survey lastfall to about 4,400 first- and fourth-yearstudents from all three campuses andin all first-entry faculties. Almost 60 percent of the 2,400 respondents werewomen; 73 per cent lived off campus;and 55 per cent of first-year respondentsidentified as visible minorities.The university plans to administerthe survey every two years to measurethe success of the Stepping Up academicplan, particularly with respectto student experience.The survey willalso enable the university to compareits performance against peer institutionsin Canada and the U.S.“NSSE isthe standard U.S. experts in the fieldhave developed to get at the heartof the student experience,” saysFarrar.“And that’s exactly wherewe want to go.” - Scott Anderson36 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINE

34-38,40-44 3/2/05 5:37 AM Page 37jokes. With his improved computer skills,he developed a comprehensive Web sitefor his course that runs to hundreds ofpages. It not only informs and guides,but connects students – to him and eachother. Browne posts notices and answersquestions via e-mail. Students do groupwork on online bulletin boards and continueclass conversations through instantmessaging. “The course runs 24/7,” saysBrowne. “It’s intense.”The Stepping Up plan aims todevelop and celebrate exemplary teacherssuch as Browne, who recently received aFaculty of Arts & Science OutstandingTeaching Award. “We want to ensurethat every student who comes to U of Thas a great academic experience,” saysProvost Vivek Goel. “And we want professorsto have the resources they needto develop and make the most of theirteaching skills.”Three years ago, U of T created theOffice of Teaching Advancement (OTA)to improve the overall quality of teachingat U of T and celebrate examples ofexcellence. This year the office offered36 seminars to about 1,200 participants,and next year it plans to expand itsofferings. U of T is also creating anAcademy of Teaching to honour outstandingteachers with a designationsimilar to the title of University Professor.Teaching ability is already a majorconsideration in both tenure and annualsalary reviews, yet it’s often harder toassess than research accomplishments.OTA helps professors build teachingportfolios (a record of accomplishments,including the creation of new courses orrevitalization of old ones). The officealso advocates for policy changes tosupport teaching, such as sabbaticals toallow professors to prepare new courses.“How do we recognize, celebrate andStepping Up aims to develop and celebrateexemplary teachers such as Professor John Browne(left), whose first-year seminar course on J.R.R.Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings is a prime exampleof a transforming classroom experiencereward professors who spend a lot oftime and imagination on creative teaching?”asks Ken Bartlett, the director ofOTA, whose office is looking into waysof acknowledging greatteachers. “We’re trying togalvanize more colleaguesto discuss teaching the waythey discuss research.”Learning also happensoutside the classroom, andU of T is stepping upefforts to draw studentsmore fully into co-curricularactivities. “Universityis not just about impartinginformation,” says ProfessorDavid Farrar, deputyprovost and vice-provost,students. “It’s about engagingstudents. And that’schallenging, with so many of our studentsliving off campus.”Last year, U of T participated forthe first time in the National Survey ofStudent Engagement (NSSE), an independentNorth American survey administeredby the Indiana University Centerfor Postsecondary Research, to find out“We want toensure that everystudent who comesto U of T hasa great academicexperience. Andwe want professorsto have theresources they needto develop andmake the most oftheir teachingskills”where it’s succeeding and where it’s fallingshort in involving students in the classroomand co-curricular activities. (See“Reverse Report Card,” p. 36.) WhileU of T students indicatedsatisfaction with the levelof academic challenge, theyrated the school poorly oncreating opportunities forstudent-faculty interactionand on offering a supportivecampus environment.Though the university hasmore than 300 studentclubs and the largest varsityand intramural sports programin Canada, 60 percent of commuter studentsspend zero hours a week inco-curricular activities, and80 per cent of all U of Tstudents commute. Results from otheruniversities indicate that students whoparticipate in out-of-classroom activitiestend to fare better academically andreport greater personal satisfaction withtheir overall university experience.To foster a greater sense of communityamong students, the Faculty of Arts &SPRING 2005 37

34-38,40-44 rev 3/8/05 8:33 AM Page 38Science will launch a pilot program thisfall called First-Year Learning Communities(FLCs, or “flicks”) for 240 commuterstudents in the life sciences.Inspired by a program at the Universityof Texas at Austin, these not-for-creditand voluntary seminars will put studentswho attend the same college and take thesame section of math, biology and chemistrytogether in social-study groups oftwo dozen. “They may have large classesbut with these communities you willknow 23 people in three of your classes,”says Deanne Fisher, program co-ordinatorwith the Office of Student Affairs.Facilitated by a trained senior studentunder the guidance of a staff adviserand a faculty member, FLC groups willlearn research and time-managementskills, form self-directed study groups,become better acquainted with academiclife, and develop a social network asthey explore the academic and culturalresources available to them, in both theuniversity and the city. “It will bring theuniversity to the students,” says Fisher.Goel recognizes that, given its size,the University of Toronto will never beable to offer its students the personal,intimate experiences of a small, primarilyundergraduate university. But becauseof its size, U of T can offer undergraduatestudents a wide range of classestaught by leading researchers. It can offerstudents the chance to learn abroad atany of more than a hundred universitiesaround the world. It can offer courses,programs and extracurricular activitiesnot available anywhere else. And withthe right combination of faculty, programs,services and technology it canprovide students with a university experienceunlike any other in Canada. Allthis, notes Goel, “in the most diversecity in the world.”38 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINE2T O M O R R O W ’ SU N I V E R S I T YO F T O R O N T OGoal 2: Link all academicprograms to strong researchexperiencesSilvester Komlodi was concerned abouttravelling to war-torn Kosovo during thesummer of 2003 as part of a third-yearresearch course in international relations.But six months of pre-trip planning – toestablish key contacts in Kosovo andarrange interviews – assured him that“things were safe on the ground.” Still,a question lingered. As an undergrad,could he pull off his research mission –to study the media as a source of democratizationin a post-conflict society? “MyDad always said, ‘When you’re throwninto deep water, you learn to swim,’” saysKomlodi. “People are able to do workthat they didn’t realize they could.”Komlodi, now an MA student inU of T’s Centre for Russian and EastEuropean Studies, interviewed leadingFourth-year ecologystudent Monica Granados(right) says a researchassignment withProfessor Hélène Cyrencouraged her topursue graduate workplayers in the media and met high-levelbusiness and political figures, includingRamush Haradinaj, now prime ministerof Kosovo. The intense two-week trip,which he took with two other studentsand faculty adviser Robert Austin,inspired the research he’s doing in graduateschool. “To have taken this kind oftrip as an undergraduate and to haveworked this closely with a professor wasunbelievable,” says Komlodi.Offering undergraduates such extraordinaryresearch opportunities is a keyplank in the Stepping Up plan. Currentlyonly about 10 per cent of undergradsenjoy a significant research experience,such as paid summer fellowship, internshipin a lab or a research course for credit.By 2010, Provost Vivek Goel hopes thatnumber will have tripled to 30 per centor to every undergraduate who wants aresearch experience.Meeting the huge demand for such

utmag_RAE_rev.qxd 2/15/2005 3:52 PM Page 1THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTOIS AT A WATERSHEDProvincial funding for Ontario’s universities is the lowest in Canada – 10th out of 10.The Ontario government spends one-third less per university student now than it dida decade ago. Undervaluing our universities diminishes Ontario’s competitiveness inCanada and globally. And it shortchanges our students and their future.THE RAE REPORT ANDRECOMMENDATIONSFormer Premier Bob Rae wasappointed by Premier DaltonMcGuinty to study and advise onways to improve post-secondaryeducation in Ontario.His report calls on thegovernment to:• Increase provincial funding• Expand graduate enrolment• Provide grants for low-incomestudents• Overhaul student assistanceto benefit mid-income familiesA TIME FOR ACTIONTHE UNIVERSITYOF TORONTONEEDS YOURHELPThe Ontario budget is expectedin early April. It is thegovernment’s opportunity toboldly support our universities.Please take a moment totell your MPP that yousupport increasedfunding for Ontario’suniversities.Your voice is essentialto the future of youruniversity. Please callnow.To find your MPP’s telephonenumber or e-mail address,contact Elections Ontario at1-800-677-8683 or visit theWeb site atwww.electionsontario.on.caMAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD AT QUEEN’S PARK.CONTACT YOUR MPP TODAY.1-800-677-8683 or www.electionsontario.on.cawww.utoronto.ca

34-38,40-44 3/2/05 5:39 AM Page 40opportunities means increasing the numberof faculty who work closely with students– and that, acknowledges JohnChallis, vice-president, research, andassociate provost, “greatly depends on asignificant increase in provincial fundingfor universities.”Since the second- and third-yearresearch courses were first offered in 1995,they have been enormously popular. Lastyear, 2,000 students competed for 240places in 100 second-year research projects.The third-year course, which theCanadian Bureau for International Educationacknowledged with an OutstandingProgram Award, is even more difficultto get into, as only four or five projectsare available each year. Anecdotal evidencesuggests that research experiences fuelacademic ambition. A survey of U of T’slife-science students doing paid summerresearch internships indicated that threeout of four continue on to graduate schoolor second-entry programs, such as medicalschool.Challis says that U of T is focusing onbuilding “a research road map” for undergraduates– one that starts before studentseven reach university. In a pilotprogram that the university hopes tolaunch this spring, a select group of about40 high school graduates who received afirst offer of admission to U of T will beawarded a summer research internship.While working closely with a professoron a research project, they will live in residenceand receive an honorarium. Thepilot, if it secures additional resources,will be expanded and, undoubtedly, willhelp attract top students to the university.Challis says that conducting studiesand learning in a research-charged environmenttransforms a passive universityexperience into an active one. “It willturn students on to thinking about the3T O M O R R O W ’ SU N I V E R S I T YO F T O R O N T Ouniversity as a place where you’re notjust fed information, but stimulated tothink. It will turn some on to doingresearch [in graduate school]. But primarily,we’re trying to develop inquisitiveminds – to not just accept a set offacts, but to ask why and how.”U of T’s roster of internationally recognizedfaculty and its sheer size offerextraordinary opportunities for undergraduatesto get a taste of research, bothinside and outside the classroom, saysKen Bartlett, director of the Office ofTeaching Advancement. “Research andteaching can’t be separated. When aNobel Prize winner publishes a book orgives a lecture, she is teaching. It’s thesame person engaged intwo aspects of something. We tellWe tell professors, ‘If youwant to bring vitality intothe classroom, talk aboutyour own research. Showthe enthusiasm that droveyou to choose this curiouslife, to make such enormoussacrifices.’”Fourth-year studentMonica Granados creditsher undergraduate researchopportunities with changingthe course of her life.Initially bound for medical school, she’snow excited about pursuing graduatework in evolutionary ecology at U of T,thanks to a study of a mastodon-bone bedin upstate New York during second yearand a six-week assignment for ProfessorHélène Cyr in third year. Granados stillvolunteers in Cyr’s lab, as do many ofCyr’s research protegés.“When you go into a new field, youdon’t know if you’re capable, but ProfessorCyr has given me confidence thatI can excel in this field,” says Granados.“professors, ‘If youwant to bringvitality into theclassroom, talkabout your ownresearch. Show theenthusiasm thatdrove youto choose thiscurious life’”Goal 3: Bring faculty andstudents from diversedisciplines together to meetscholarly challengesIn an interconnected world, what areour obligations to distant others? Howshould we respond to the AIDS crisisin Africa, the genocide in Darfur andenvironmental disasters such as thetsunami in South Asia?Given advances in biotechnology,cloning and genetic engineering, whatdoes it mean to be human?Does the wave of scandals rockingbusiness and government in the Westsignal that our culture of affluence hasreached a limit?“These questions can’tbe answered from withinthe context of any singledisciplinary approach,” saysMelissa Williams, an associateprofessor of politicalscience and the co-ordinatorof U of T’s proposedCentre for Ethics. “Ethicsis one of those areas wherethe need for interdisciplinarystudy is self-evident.”The ethics centre willbring together scholarsfrom across the university, includingthose from the Faculty of Arts & Science,the Rotman School of Managementand the Joint Centre for Bioethics.It will also collaborate with similar centrescropping up at other North Americanuniversities, including Princeton,Harvard and the University of Montreal.This new interest in ethics, says Williams,indicates “a growing consciousness ofinterconnectedness.”To make sense of the change, studentsand scholars need to collaborate40 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINE

34-38,40-44 3/2/05 5:40 AM Page 41across disciplinary borders. “In smallhomogeneous societies, there’s a code tofollow,” explains Williams. “Now there’sa plurality of human goals, cultures andreligions, which creates a conflict of values.To live an ethical life, one must seekto understand a problem from a varietyof perspectives.”Over the past two decades, interdisciplinarystudy at U of T has expandedrapidly – notably at the Munk Centrefor International Studies and the manyprograms at the affiliated teaching hospitalsand research institutions. Fewhave appraised the change more closelythan U of T’s interim president FrankIacobucci, who has served as a justice ofthe Supreme Court of Canada. “Thereal stretching of the world of knowledgeis at the frontiers of disciplines andat the intersection of disciplines,” hesays. “Many questions I’ve dealt with asa judge are really crying out for helpfrom various disciplines – whether it’sassisted suicide or the patenting of lifeforms. They call for input from science,humanities and social sciences.”Finding ways to support and encourageinterdisciplinary study in all activitiesof the university is a theme that runsthrough Stepping Up. To ensure thatdepartments are flexible and responsiveto new challenges, U of T will encouragemore interdisciplinary research andcross-appointments. As well, the AcademicInitiative Fund – money that hasbeen reallocated from the operatingbudget – will provide seed money tocreate a number of new interdisciplinarycentres. Some areas that may vie for thesefunds include Diaspora and TransnationalStudies, the Environment, andthe Creative and Performing Arts. TheFaculty of Information Studies (FIS)is proposing a centre to consider howWise to the WorldLike everything else, higher education is going globalwent surfing in the PacificHEOcean, swam with sharksand had a wonderful time scubadiving off the Great Barrier Reef.But while attending the Universityof Sydney as part of a half-yearacademic exchange, KevinFleischhaker also found himselfcomparing Australia and Canadasocially and politically.“We havemany issues in common, but I foundAustralian policies to be moreAmerican than Canadian,” he says.“It made me realize that the U.S.has a much more far-reachinginfluence than I thought.”The 23-year-old engineeringstudent returned home last yearwith some thoughts about whatU of T could learn from Australia’spost-secondary educational system.“Unlike U of T’s engineeringdepartment, they do not rank theirstudents at the end of each year,nor do they place averages ontranscripts.There is much to besaid of this system.”A critical understanding ofdifferent educational systemsand an appreciation of differentcultures is exactly what studentsshould be bringing back fromexchanges, says Pekka Sinervo,dean of the Faculty of Arts &Science.“All of us recognize thatthe world and universities arebecoming increasingly global intheir perspective.An internationalexchange prepares studentsfor what they will encounter inbusiness and life – working internationallyand with people fromdifferent cultures.”Last year, about 300 students –most in their third year – studiedabroad, with the help of U of T’sInternational Student ExchangeOffice, which has forged partnershipswith 124 universities in 38 countrieson five continents.Stepping Up emphasizes theneed to increase opportunities forundergraduates interested instudying abroad.The faculties ofphysical and health education, lawand engineering are all boostingthe number of exchanges theyoffer, but Arts & Science has set themost aggressive target.The deansays he wants 10 per cent of students(about 2,200 undergrads) to haveacquired some international experienceby the time they graduate –more than double the current total.“This is an opportunity studentsshouldn’t miss,” says Sinervo.“This is not a U of T phenomenon.Europe sets goals of 30 to 40per cent.”As for Fleischhaker, his tripto Sydney whetted his appetite tosee more of the world. He plansto do an exchange – either in Franceor back in Australia – while takingan MBA at the Joseph L. RotmanSchool of Management.And then?“I want to find a job that makesa positive difference,” he says. - M.W.SPRING 2005 41

34-38,40-44 3/2/05 5:40 AM Page 42information technology will change theuniversity over the next 50 years. Suchcentres enable the university to structureitself in new ways to address newproblems, says Brian Cantwell Smith,the dean of FIS.Addressing new problems will be akey priority for the Centre for Ethics,says Williams. To be housed at TrinityCollege, the centre will enhance Trinity’sundergraduate program in ethics, societyand law; encourage collaborativeresearch in ethics; help develop theethics curriculum in other faculties; andhost visiting scholars, lecture series andconferences. The centre will also drawon its Toronto location to developstrength in comparative ethics. “There’sno greater laboratory [than Toronto],”says Williams. “There are lots of communityleaders and scholars to deepenour understanding of diverse traditions.”4T O M O R R O W ’ SU N I V E R S I T YO F T O R O N T OGoal 4: Scholarship andacademic programs will berelevant to, and have animpact on, the broadercommunity, through outreachand engagement in theprocess of public policyEvery year, U of T students, faculty andstaff volunteer in their local communities.In 2003, a survey by the Office ofStudent Affairs found that about 10,000students on the St. George campus alonewere involved in community work –everything from tutoring at-risk childrenin public schools to coaching sports atcivic centres. Our faculty, meanwhile,advise policy-makers in all three levelsof government and appear regularly innational media to share their expertise.Still, U of T wants to make communityoutreach even more central to itsmission. The Stepping Up plan urgesfaculty, staff and students to seek outopportunities to share their knowledgewith the public and to collaborate onsolving community problems. It’s all partof being a leading public university, saysProvost Vivek Goel. “People will recognizea great university for the contributionit makes to the arts, the community,public policy and public health,” he says.By 2010, U of T expects to haveestablished several new centres to coordinateits community outreach efforts:the School of Public Policy and Governance,to facilitate the work of academicswho contribute to public policy; theCentre for Community Partnerships,to co-ordinate the efforts of studentsinvolved in community service; and theCentre for Urban Schooling, to bringtogether scholars and students fromdiverse disciplines to study and offerMy U of TThe Internet revolutioncomes knockingImagine, as a student, that you canfind answers to all of your administrativequestions, sign up for courses, booka squash lesson, be remindedof your debate club meeting andreceive the course reading you need –all right at your computer desktop.That bright new future will arrivefor U of T students considerably soonerthan 2010.The university is developinga campus-wide student Web portal, acomprehensive online student-servicescentre based on systems currentlybeing used at the Joseph L. RotmanSchool of Management and the Universityof Toronto at Scarborough.Theportal will launch modestly in the nextyear or so, but eventually students willbe able to use the service to obtainacademic counselling, apply for and payfor courses, and have course information,readings and digitized textbooksdelivered right to their computer.Theportal will also enable the universityto tailor information to each student’sneeds and interests. Once the portal“knows” that a student is enrolled atUniversity College and is taking CanadianStudies, for example, it will deliverinformation of particular interest tothat student, such as a notice of UCorientation activities and an announcementof an upcoming lecture. In turn,students can use the portal to buildtheir own unique university community– they can find and join student clubsor athletic teams, build study groups,and do online group projects.The primary objectives of the portalare to give students better access touniversity information and services andto make it easier for them to connectwith professors, other students andstudent clubs.“U of T is a community ofhundreds of little communities,” saysDavid Farrar, deputy provost and viceprovost,students.“This system will helpeach student find and connect withhis or her own unique community.”U of T has already developed aportal to make university libraries moreaccessible. Administered by U of T forthe entire province, the Ontario ScholarsPortal enables students and facultyfrom across Ontario to find any of42 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINE

34-38,40-44 3/2/05 5:41 AM Page 43solutions to the problemsfaced by Toronto’s schools.The latter two centreswill work specifically tohelp revitalize Toronto.“The thinking behind theCentre for CommunityPartnerships is that theGreater Toronto Area hasbeen adversely affected overthe last 10 or 15 years bycutbacks at the municipaland provincial levels,” saysSusan Addario, director of the Office ofStudent Affairs, which is launching thecentre. “Our goal is to harness the energyof our students, staff and faculty and todeploy that energy across the GTA inmore of a planned way.”The centre will dramatically increaseboth the number and kinds of communityservice opportunities available tothe 30 million books in Ontario’suniversity libraries or seven millionarticles from the nearly 5,000 journalsavailable electronically. By way of anonline search, students can have ajournal article sent to their desktopor request a book through aninterlibrary loan.Since 2002, the Ontario ScholarsPortal has delivered more than ninemillion articles to 400,000 users. It hasrevolutionized both the temporal andspatial use of libraries – with students“using” the libraries from home,often after “closing.” The portal hasalso enabled smaller universities toplug into U of T Libraries – the fourthlargestuniversity library system inNorth America – and has put U of Ton the leading edge of the delivery“The centreis looking forways totranslate whatUof T isdoing insideits walls intomeaningfulcommunitywork”students and will link theirvolunteer service with theiracademic pursuits, possiblyfor credit. Students willbe trained to lead projects,resolve conflicts and workin multicultural settings. Acurrent project has a teamof 80 U of T studentstutoring Grade 9 pupils.Another project will see studentsproviding intensiveEnglish-language trainingto preschoolers who are new to Canada.“By 2010, we want to have a community-basedlearning opportunity availablefor every student who wants to includeit as part of his or her university experience,”says Addario. “The centre is aboutlooking for ways of translating whatU of T is doing inside its walls intomeaningful community work. But it’sof digital information.U of T wants to extend the reachof the portal by scanning and deliveringbooks in electronic form, archivingimportant scholarly and governmentWeb pages, and deliveringother forms of information, such asmaps and digitized fine art images,right into the lecture hall if need be.“In the age of Google, people want tobe able to search everything and findwhat they need quickly and easily,”explains Carole Moore, the chieflibrarian of University of TorontoLibraries.“We are making it possiblefor students to access licensed andfreely available material through asingle search, in a way that integratesseamlessly with their academic work.That’s our goal.”- M.W.also about providing students with goodcitizenship skills. We want our studentsto take leadership roles in the workplaceand in their communities.”The new Centre for Urban Schooling,based at the Ontario Institute forStudies in Education of the University ofToronto, will bring together scholars andstudents to study and propose creativesolutions to the “overwhelming problems”facing some urban schools, saysacademic director Kathleen Gallagher.Gallagher, who holds a CanadaResearch Chair in Urban School Researchin Pedagogy and Policy, spent three yearsstudying urban classrooms in New YorkCity and Toronto. She sees a disturbingtrend: “When I first undertook thisresearch, issues of security were not onmy radar. My experiences in New Yorkschools introduced me to heavy surveillance,ID checks, metal detectors andlocked bathrooms as a matter of course.The kids experience more intense scrutinydaily than I’ve undergone at any airport.It was Orwellian. Most disturbing, theynow see these routines as a normal partof school.”Gallagher thinks there’s another wayto run city schools while addressing safetyconcerns. “I hope the research and workof the centre can inform school policyand practices at schools in Torontobefore we end up too far down a roadthat is not the right one to take.”The proposed School of Public Policyand Governance will tap into theuniversity’s current strengths in publicpolicy – particularly in health, law andeducation – and develop new expertisein ethics, science and technology.“Toronto is a world crossroads, easilyaccessible from any continent, and witha diverse population that makes U of T anideal setting for the school,” says Goel.SPRING 2005 43

34-38,40-44 3/2/05 5:52 AM Page 445T O M O R R O W ’ SGoal 5: Achieve equity anddiversity in all activities toensure that we reflect ourlocal and global communityU N I V E R S I T YO F T O R O N T OSomething interesting is afoot at the Universityof Toronto at Mississauga (UTM).Though the number of students ofCaribbean heritage is small, CaribbeanConnections is one of UTM’s most popularclubs. At semi-formals, Latin danceis all the rage. When cricket was introducedlast year, it caught on like wildfire.The buzz here is not just about tolerance;there’s a genuine curiosity amongstudents to learn about the broad spectrumof cultures present on campus.The Erindale Filipino Student Association,for instance, boasts on its Web sitethat it is “quite possibly the most diversecultural club” at UTM.What’s happening at UTM reflects abroader trend at U of T. According tothe Office of Student Affairs, some 60different ethnic, cultural and religiousbackgrounds are represented at U of T;half of all undergraduates identify themselvesas a visible minority. No surprise,then, that Stepping Up calls for U of Tto “serve as a model of diversity for theglobal community.”While excellence remains the primaryU of T student Olivia Wilkins (right) volunteerswith Frontier College, a literacy organization,to help new Canadians improve their English.Stepping Up urges faculty, staff and students tobecome more involved in their communitymeasure by which faculty appointmentsand student admissions are judged,U of T wants to ensure that all of its programsand activities reflect the diversityof the entire Toronto community andthat every group is given equal access toopportunities on campus. It’s a groundupeffort with specific goals: to recruitmore aboriginal and African-Caribbeanundergraduates, to create a more diversepool of PhD candidates, and to hire newstaff and faculty to better representToronto’s diversity. As a public university,U of T has a responsibility to beaccessible to all members of the community.But there are academic reasonsto pursue diversity and equity too, saysAngela Hildyard, U of T’s vice-president,human resources and equity. “The presenceon campus of people with so manydifferent perspectives enables the universityto enrich its research and curriculum,”she says.U of T is also striving to become moreaccessible and supportive of people withphysical disabilities. While it’s costlyand difficult to retrofit older buildings onthe St. George campus, an elevator wasrecently installed at Hart House and severalother buildings are slated for renovationsover the next few years.To help achieve the university’s objectives,Hildyard is establishing an EquityAdvisory Board to examine commonissues, draw on research at the universityand develop a collective strategy. Hildyardsays her office will also conduct anemployment equity survey of faculty andstaff, and develop measures to ensure thatthe university reaches its goals. “Ourobjective,” she says, “is to have a faculty,staff and student body that is fully representativeof Canada’s diversity.” ■Margaret Webb is a Toronto writer.44 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINE

45 School of Cont rbw 2/28/05 2:54 PM Page 1Does anyoneever stop learning?Open your mind to a life of learning at the University ofToronto School of Continuing Studies. From BusinessLaw to International Languages, Children’s Literature toStudio Arts, we offer hundreds of unique experiences thatwill enrich your thinking and your life. Courses are opento all adults 18 and older.New this year is the U of T Summer Writing Schoolat the School of Continuing Studies. Join us in ourbeautiful new building for a five-day intensive workshop,from July 18 to 22. The program includes invigoratingpanel discussions and workshop sessions led byexperienced, published writers.Registrations are open now for the Spring/Summer 2005session and for the Summer Writing School. To find outmore, visit us at learn.utoronto.ca or call 416-978-2400.Open up.

46-50 3/2/05 5:58 AM Page 46The U of T Artificial Intelligence andRobotics Club designed a miniature robot(below) to find and put out a burningcandle.The club entered the gizmo, whichthey christened The Big Bad Wolf, inthe Eastern Canadian Robot Games,held in Toronto last November

46-50 3/2/05 5:59 AM Page 47THE QUEST TO BUILDA BETTER ROBOTThe students come at all hours, slipping into the clutteredcomputer lab between classes to work on thecircuits or tweak the design. By late October thebasics of a robot are there: two wheels on a circular frame witha corona of infrared sensors. Sometime early in November –on one of those nights when the clock hands seem to spin tooquickly – they look at their trundling, buzzing mass of wires,circuit boards and batteries and christen it The Big Bad Wolf,though this robot clearly can’t blow anything down. And itcertainly can’t do what it’s supposed to do, which is navigatearound a warren of miniature rooms and hallways to find andextinguish a burning candle. Not tonight. Not by a long shot.It’s a little more than a week until The Big Bad Wolf must beready for competition. Robert Nguyen, chief programmer withthe U of T Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Club (UTAIR),slouches over a keyboard, punching in lines of code to programthe robot’s microcontroller to communicate with a computermouse. A mouse works by detecting motion across a surface andMACHINED R E A M SBY CHRISNUTTALL-SMITHtranslating the motion into computer code; Nguyen hopes thatthis mouse, re-purposed and mounted between the robot’swheels, will help guide the robot, and the club, to victory.The club’s mechanical team, Chris Moraes and Zoe Shainfarber,are unscrewing the undercarriage for the fourth time,hoping to find a way to make the robot move in a straightline. The no-budget wheels aren’t helping: Moraes and Shainfarbermade them from electrical tape and dowelling. Out inthe hallway, Sandra Mau, the club president, sits sprawled onthe floor over a large piece of white cardboard. Mau’s tasktonight is to translate the event’s guidelines – a set of rules andmeasurements so exacting they might have been written bya team of corporate lawyers – into a scale replica of the competitioncourse, which is essentially a four-room miniaturebungalow, without the roof.This will be UTAIR’s first year at the Eastern CanadianRobot Games. The annual event, held at the Ontario ScienceCentre in Toronto, draws students and serious amateurs fromSPRING 2005 47PHOTOGRAPHY: EVAN DION

46-50 3/2/05 5:59 AM Page 48U of T robot builders(clockwise from left): Sandra Mau,Robert Nguyen, Chris Moraes, ZoeShainfarber and Roger Mongacross North America. The games rangefrom robot sumo wrestling to “linefollowing” (picture souped-up TonkaTrucks steering their way along impossiblytwisty black lines laid out on thefloor) to firefighting, the most difficultchallenge. Getting around the competitioncourse is hard enough. What’sworse, the robots have to find a burningcandle placed in a corner of one of therooms and put it out – without knockingthe candle over. Competitors getextra points if their robot returns to thestarting position after completing itsmission. And the faster the robot performs,the more points the team scores.It will take all of the students’ skills –and a good deal of luck – to get therobot to do what it should. Many of theclub’s members are deluged with otherdemands. Nguyen, 22, a student in thebiomedical option of engineering science,‘‘BUILDING SYSTEMS THAT CAN CATEGORIZE OBJECTSTHE WAY HUMANS DO IT, EFFORTLESSLY, REMAINS ONEOF THE GREAT OPEN PROBLEMS IN COMPUTER VISIONand Shainfarber, 22, in the aerospace option, are swampedwith work at MDA Space Missions, the Canadian aerospacecompany that in January won a $154-million (US) contractto help NASA fix the Hubble Space Telescope. Both students,who have finished their third year of studies, are completinga 16-month internship at the Toronto-area company as partof their engineering degree. They have been dashing downtownfrom Brampton on their off-hours to work on the robot.Mau, 23, a fourth-year aerospace student, and Moraes, 21, anengineering student in the fourth year of a nanotechnologyoption, have both been cramming for fall mid-terms.Nobody in the club has built a firefighting robot before.And the team hopes to make the robot without spendingmore than a few hundred dollars. There will be no frills suchas sonar navigation systems and laser-cut components, whichhave become standard on the competition circuit. As the tournamentcreeps closer they don’t know if the robot’s navigationsystem will work, or if its sensors can detect a lit candle, orwhether they’ll be able to make the machine move in astraight line. They’re a long way from completing a successfultest run.48 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINE’’After screwing the undercarriage back on, Shainfarber andMoraes set the robot down on the lab floor, gingerly, as ifteaching a baby how to walk. At the flip of a switch the robotspins out in a wide circle. Then it rams into a table leg andstops. Shainfarber takes the collision in stride. Asked whetherthe robot is going to be done on time, she replies, “Thatdepends on what your definition of ‘done’ is.”ways the problems that the students haveto solve are the same dilemmas that have inspiredINmanyand frustrated roboticists for years. Their machinemust be able to find its way around. It must be able to makedecisions – when to turn, how much to turn and when toswitch on its fan – and it must be able to “see,” or at the veryleast detect a flame.Canada’s robotics industry is still small compared withrobotics in the United States and abroad, but it has had itsshare of successes. Researchers at Canadian universities havedeveloped robots to inspect coral reefs and to work as tourguides in museums. Engineering Services, a Toronto firmfounded by U of T engineering professor Andrew Goldenberg,

46-50 3/2/05 6:00 AM Page 49has developed robots for bomb and hazardous materials disposal,as well as for biotechnology and manufacturing applications.And in the 1970s the most famous of Canada’s robotics companies,Spar Aerospace, developed the Shuttle Remote ManipulatorSystem, the mechanical handling device better knownas the Canadarm. (Professor Goldenberg, then a recently graduatedengineer at Spar, helped develop it.) In 1981, the devicewas sent into space aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, andthe Canadarm and its descendants have proven their worth asmobile work platforms for astronauts, for deploying andretrieving satellites, and even for potentially life-and-deathshuttle repairs. Spar’s robotics division was sold in 1999 to thecompany that is now MDA Space Missions, where Nguyenand Shainfarber are interning.While MDA is primarily concerned with practical applicationsof robot technology, several U of T professors andtheir students are investigating robotics at a more theoreticallevel. Sven Dickinson, vice-chair of the U of T computerscience department, has been trying to help machines “see”for the past 20 years. Sight is a key hurdle that researchersmust clear before they have any hope of developing thinking,learning, high-functioning robots, like the ones we see inHollywood movies.The problem is that computers have trouble identifying anythingthat doesn’t precisely resemble what they’ve beenprogrammed to see. Scientists can teachcomputers to recognize particular objectsbut not categories of objects. They canteach a computer to recognize a telephone,for example, but only a phoneof a certain shape and size. (A child’sMickey Mouse phone would confusea robot, if it hadn’t already been taughtto recognize it as a phone.) Scientistsare approaching this problem of computervision in two distinct ways.Researchers such as Professor Dickinsonare creating mathematical models toexpress the geometry of certain objects,and then transferring those models tocomputers equipped with video cameras.A simplified description for a humanbeing might indicate that a human iscomposed of a cylindrical torso and twocylindrical legs and two cylindrical armsand a sphere for a head. Each of thoseparts, in turn, is broken down into subparts,with models to explain that a legis composed of two moving cylindersjoined at the knee. With luck, a machineseeing all these parts can determine thatit must be looking at a human being. Butwhat if the machine sees a human beingfrom the side or from above? What ifits only view is of a head sitting on a set of shoulders?Another approach to computer vision addresses the problemby storing and matching two-dimensional images ofobjects, taken from all angles: a circle with a long strip underneathit, for example, could be an aerial view of a person.However, it could also be a mixing bowl on a rectangular cuttingboard – or a designer lamp, or the logo for the LondonUnderground. “Building systems that can categorize objectsthe way humans do it, effortlessly, remains one of the greatopen problems in computer vision,” says Dickinson.While Professor Dickinson wants to help robots see, RezaEmami, a senior lecturer with engineering science’s Institutefor Aerospace Studies, hopes to develop intelligent controllersthat allow robots to make decisions by mimicking humanbehaviour. Emami’s research observes how humans makedecisions or perform actions and tries to distil that experienceinto sets of rules and systems that can help machines followthe same logic. So in the case of a real-life firefighting robot,an ordinary controller would tell a robot to rush in and spraythe fire for all it’s worth. An intelligent controller, by contrast,would gauge the fire’s temperature, the wind and the sourceof the fire, and then sort the data to determine the best wayto fight the fire.Parham Aarabi, an assistant professor in U of T’s electricaland computer engineering department, hopes that robotsWill they do windows, too?Robots can already vacuum your floorsand mow your lawn.What next?At some point, when most of us weren’t watching, robots slipped from the pagesof science-fiction novels and into real life – and not just at the Pentagon and inauto plants. Robots are becoming commonplace as they’re fast becoming affordable.WowWee, a Hong Kong-based toy company, has sold more than two millionRobosapiens, the dancing, farting, programmable robot designed by Mark Tilden,a Canadian engineer. Robosapien was one of the few must-have items in storeslast Christmas, but to write off the $120 gizmo as a mere toy undermines its capabilities.Robosapien comes pre-programmed to kick, dance, belch, pick up anobject and throw it, among other actions.The robot is just as popular with adulttech-nerds as with kids.iRobot, the Massachusetts maker of military and consumer robots, has soldmore than one million of its Roomba robotic vacuums since their introductionthree years ago. Electrolux, the Swedish appliance company, has also introduceda robot vacuum, as well as a robot lawnmower, to much acclaim.If the predictions are correct, these few household successes are merely thebeginning:a United Nations report published in the fall estimates that there will bemore than $13-billion worth of robots at work globally by 2008 – triple the 2003figure – as costs continue to fall and new consumer and service robots hit the market.Comingsoon? Mobile security robots,robotic janitors and robot helpers for theelderly. And make way for medical robots, which will act as couriers in a hospital,deliver tools to surgeons and even help perform complex surgeries. – C.N.-S.SPRING 2005 49

46-50 3/2/05 6:00 AM Page 50will one day be able to communicate with spoken languagejust as easily and accurately as humans do. Aarabi, who holdsthe Canada Research Chair in Multi-Sensor Information Systems,directs the university’s Artificial Perception Lab. “In atypical environment where there’s going to be noise, there arealso going to be obstacles – robots have to be able to findtheir way around,” he says. “They have to be able to understandwhat a person tells them, even if there’s music playingin the background.”Aarabi and his colleagues are developing a speech-enhancementaid that significantly reduces background noise so thatrobots can distinguish a speaker’s words from the din. Anothercurrent project is trying to enable teams of robots to communicateby talking to each other in rudimentary English.And in another effort, Aarabi hopes to outfit search-and-rescuerobots with radio equipment that can help them navigatenoisy disaster sites. Like fires, for example.The team looks as if it has been through hell. At 9:45a.m. on Competition Sunday, just a few hours beforethe games begin, Nguyen, Shainfarber and RogerMong, 21, a third-year engineering student and the team’scircuits whiz, huddle over their robot in the competition’scrowded preparation area, testing, programming and calibratingas fast as they can. They are punch-drunk, speaking in theclipped, stuttered syllables of the sleep-deprived. Shainfarberand Nguyen have not been home in days. The team has‘‘had fires of its own to extinguish.A few days before the competition, the team discovered thattheir navigation system, built from the computer mouse, wasn’tgoing to work. They spent the next 48 hours trying to createanother system out of handmade bumper pads. “We’re usingtouch sensors,” Nguyen explains. “To try to follow the wall.”“It’s kind of slow,” Shainfarber adds. “You’re hitting thewall a lot. But we couldn’t possibly in a day-and-a-half puttogether a completely new navigation system.”Last night the team met what should have been its finalchallenges, writing new algorithms for the navigation systemand calibrating the robot’s infrared sensors so it could distinguisha flame from ambient light. But after spending mostof the night accomplishing these tasks, this morning theydiscover that the competition course is lit with a bank of highpoweredspotlights. The lights are so bright that their robot’ssensors can’t distinguish ambient light from flame. It thinkseverything is on fire. The Big Bad Wolf’s tiny fan is huffingand puffing, but it’s blowing at nothing but air.At 11 a.m. two entrants from Grand Rapids, Michigan,50 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINEannounce that they’re pulling out of the competition: likeUTAIR’s robot, their robot uses infrared sensors. (The moreseasoned competitors generally use ultraviolet sensors, whichcan be calibrated so as not to be tripped up by ambient light.)The U of T team doesn’t give up. They’ve got three tries.Maybe one will work.Nguyen kills the infrared sensors and writes some lastminutecode for the robot. Competitors can choose to have awhite disk placed under the burning candle. The floor of thecompetition course is black. The team hopes that the sensorwill be able to detect the contrast between the black floorand the white disk. If the robot stumbles onto the disk, thecontrast might be just enough to trigger the fan.The first trial begins well enough. The robot wheels outfrom the starting area and creeps slowly but surely along awall. When it reaches a corner, though, it turns too far andgets stuck. Nguyen doesn’t hesitate. He picks up the robot andshuts it off before carrying it to the preparation area backstage.He has some more tweaking to do.An hour later they try again. This time the robot rollsperfectly around the corner, bumping, then correcting itssteering, bumping, correcting. It drives into the room withthe candle, edging forward until it hits the white disk. Thefan switches on. The Big Bad Wolf sweeps right, then left,then directly at the flame. It blows out the fire.Team U of T does not win the competition – that honourgoes to a circuit veteran from the U.S. with not one, but twoTHE ROBOT’S SENSORS CAN’T DISTINGUISH AMBIENTLIGHT FROM FLAME.THE BIG BAD WOLF’S FAN IS HUFFINGAND PUFFING, BUT IT’S BLOWING AT NOTHING BUTAIR’’firefighting robots. But the team does not come last, either.A couple of robots couldn’t find the candle at all.The U of T students are considering a competition inHartford, Connecticut, this spring and another in California,but they figure that to stand a chance they’ll need to makesome changes to their robot. They’ll probably adapt sonarfor their navigation system and some better sensors to detectthe flame. “I think we’re going to have to bite the bullet andactually buy some technology,” says Shainfarber. “If wewant to compete there’s no point in trying to reinvent –” Shestops herself. “It’s not even reinventing the wheel; it’s likeknowing that a [round] wheel exists and choosing to usesquare wheels instead.”Still, the team is not discouraged. Far from it. “We showedthat we could adapt to having lights that completely screwedup our whole plan – of everything,” says Shainfarber, smiling.“We really came together to get all the parts working.” ■Chris Nuttall-Smith is a freelance writer in Toronto. He wrote aboutthe Uof T women’s mountain biking team in the Fall 2004 issue.

HumCONF.qxd 2/14/2005 2:36 PM Page 1The CHANCELLORJACKMANPROGRAM FOR THE ARTSU N I V E R S I T Y O F T O R O N T O P R E S E N T SVOICINGTORONTO:THE CITYANDA R T STHEVoicing Toronto is an artistic celebration of the cityand will focus on the muse that is Toronto.It will consist of:A conference to be held May 13 – May 15, 2005A series of public events spanning the month of May:• an architecture and art display,• a dramatic performance,• a film festival,• concerts and• a series of literary readings.Voicing Toronto is organized and hosted by theUniversity of Toronto Humanities Centre.For more information, please visit:www.utoronto.ca/humanities-centreThe Humanities Centre gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the following:Canadian Studies Program at University College, Centre for Comparative Literature,Cinema Studies at Innis College, Department of Fine Art, Drama Program at University College,Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, Faculty of Arts and Science, Faculty of Music,Innis College, Institute for Canadian Music, Office of the President, Office of the Vice-Presidentand Provost, University College. The event’s print media sponsor is the

40 GiftPlanning 6/1/04 9:02 AM Page 1*Trust *faith, belief, hope, conviction, confidence, assurance, certaintyCHARITABLEREMAINDER TRUSTSCreate a trust, gift the principaland keep the income for life.Make the most of your assets.You benefit, your loved onesbenefit and U of T benefits.Ask us how.Elizabeth Logan (BScN 2002) andOlivia Druxerman (Class of 2024 - potentially!)Photography: Jayson Gallop PhotographyGiftPlanningat the University of TorontoDivision of University Advancement ■ J. Robert S. Prichard Alumni House ■ 21 King’s College Circle ■ Toronto, Ont. M5S 3J3Tel: 416-978-3846 Toll-free: 1-800-463-6048 ■ E-mail: gift.plan@utoronto.ca ■ Web site: www.giving.utoronto.ca

53-56 3/2/05 6:09 AM Page 53GreatGiftsNorthernLightsThousands of photographs ofCanadian rock stars, politicians,actors, community leaders andartists taken during the 1980sare now part of U of T’s MediaCommons, thanks to a gift fromNOW,Toronto’s alternativeweekly magazine.Among the photos are portraitsof writers Margaret Laurence andMargaret Atwood (BA 1963), formerOntario premier Bob Rae (BA 1969,LLB 1977), artist Norval Morriseauand actor Mike Myers (left). Manyare “outtakes” that never made itinto print. Although most of theshots are black and white, some arehand-coloured by the photographers.“Thisgift is really importantbecause NOW documents portionsof society that are not alwayscovered by the mainstream newspapers,”says Brock Silversides,head of Media Commons and theuniversity’s film archivist.A portion of the gift was displayedat the Thomas Fisher Rare BookLibrary last fall.“Through decadesof publishing the essential chronicleof the life of our city, NOW hasamassed an archive that is a treasurechest for future historians andstudents of Toronto’s culture andevolution,” says Alice Klein (BA 1975Woodsworth), who co-foundedNOW in 1981 with Michael Hollett.“By donating to U of T, we were ableto assure that the material is safelycared for and will be accessibleto those who need it.”The photos are among the firstto be stored in U of T’s new filmvault at Woodsworth College, one ofthe few facilities in Ontario designedspecifically to preserve photographsand film.– F. Michah RynorPHOTOGRAPHY: SUSAN KINGSPRING 2005 53

53-56 rev 3/10/05 12:41 PM Page 54GreatGiftsPHOTOGRAPHY: JAYSON GALLOPFaculty of MedicineHonours SurgeonInnovations in surgical education and research areDr. Bernard Langer’s personal legacy to the Universityof Toronto, but his students and colleagueshave ensured that his name will be remembered, too.The Dr. Bernard and Ryna Langer Chair in GeneralSurgery at U of T is a $2-million endowed chairhonouring the retired professor and his wife. Thechair has been funded through gifts and pledgesfrom the Division of General Surgery, friends andfamily of the Langer family, and Dr. Langer’s students,patients and colleagues.One of Dr. Langer’s contributions to U of T is thecreation of the surgeon scientist program, which providesresearch training for surgical residents interestedin careers in academic medicine, and fosters the developmentof surgical specialties. He also helped introduce anincome-sharing plan in general surgery that ensures surgeonsare compensated for time spent in research and teaching.“As a physician leader, Bernie Langer was a true innovator,an extraordinarily gifted surgeon and a great teacher,” says Dr.David Naylor, dean of the Faculty of Medicine. “The surgeonscientist program he created has been widely emulated inother clinical departments across Canada and is a cornerstoneof the department’s international reputation.”As current chair of the Division of General Surgery, Dr. ZaneCohen will hold the Langer Chair. The annual endowment“income will be used to retain and recruit faculty, support thesurgeon scientist program, and promote innovation and fundresearch in general surgery.“I am extremely honoured that my colleagues and studentshave chosen to recognize me in this way and to recognize mywife, who has been tremendously supportive of my work andmade it possible for me to spend much of my time in my career,”says Dr. Langer (MD 1956). “It is also very gratifying to seethe great accomplishments of the graduates of the surgeon scientistprogram, who make up the next generation of academicsurgeons in our department and elsewhere.” – Elaine SmithIt is very gratifying to see the great accomplishmentsof the graduates of the surgeon scientist program, who makeup the next generation of academic surgeonsParents of U of T students have anew way to support their children’seducation. Launched inSeptember 2004, the Parents Fund is anannual giving program for parents ofcurrent and former students who wishto improve the quality of student life oncampus. Since it began, the programhas raised more than $300,000 (through5,000 gifts) for athletics, the libraries,student services and other initiatives.Kenneth and Susan Luke areco-chairs of the Parents Fund program,54 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINEDr. Bernard Langerand his wife, RynaI’m Fine, Please Send Moneyand their daughter, Lauren, is a firstyearstudent at the University ofToronto at Mississauga.The Lukes saycontributing to the Parents Fund helpsthem stay in touch with what’s happeningon campus.“We feel like we’re asmuch a part of the fabric of the universityas Lauren is,” says Susan. Addsher husband:“Financial support fromparents is essential to the ongoingsuccess of this world-class university.”Carole Moore, chief librarian ofUniversity of Toronto Libraries, says”contributions from parents will givean important boost to the library’sresources.“With the higher enrollmentof recent years, there is increasedpressure on the library to update andexpand collections in order to providestudents with the resources theyneed,” she says.“Support from theParents Fund, which will go towardnew acquisitions, will be put to immediateuse and allow our students tohave access to the best informationavailable.”– Stephen Watt

53-56 3/2/05 6:10 AM Page 55Life BeforeShakespeareAn international research projectinvestigating early English theatremarks its 30 th anniversary at U of Tthis year – a milestone it reachedthanks largely to the financial supportof Father Edward Jackman (BAVictoria 1962), a Dominican priest.Jackman, who takes a keenpersonal interest in history andmedieval studies, has helped keepthe Records of Early English Drama(REED) project going since 1989with annual grants from his family’sJackman Foundation.The organizationsupports a wide range ofCanadian charities and scholarlyprojects.“Without Father Jackman’shelp, REED simply would not exist,”says Alexandra Johnston, founderand director of the project.REED is a collaborative workby scholars from Canada, the U.S.,Australia, South Africa and the U.K.who are seeking to establish thebroad context from which the dramaof Shakespeare and his contemporariesgrew.The project, which isassociated with the university’sDepartment of English, and VictoriaCollege’s Centre for Medieval Studiesand Centre for Reformation andRenaissance Studies, has published24 volumes about the medievaland Renaissance worlds of theatre,minstrelsy and public ceremoniesin England before 1642.The volumes are co-publishedby U of T Press and the BritishLibrary, with additional funding fromthe National Endowment for theHumanities and the Mellon Foundationin the U.S., as well as the BritishAcademy.They are used aroundthe world by scholars researchingthe history of drama, dance, theatreand music. – F. Michah Rynor21, Ashley Saundershas been through asAtagemany ups and downs assome people experience in a lifetime.In 1999, her mother passed awayfrom health complications, leavingAshley and her two sisters to takecare of themselves. Only 16 at thetime, Ashley dropped out of highschool and took a job waiting tables.Just when she felt her life wouldnever improve, a friend told herabout U of T’s Transitional Year Programme(TYP), an access programfor adults who do not have the formalacademic background to qualifyfor university admission. In additionto offering a full-year, full-time academicprogram, TYP also providesfinancial and social support.Ashley was accepted to TYP in2003, and, after an intensive yearof studies, she earned a U of TNational Scholarship and startedlast fall as a full-time student inthe Faculty of Arts & Science.“TYP is one of the best things tohave happened in my life,” shesays. “Whatever barriers you faceTotal Support for TYPas a student, TYP lowers them tohelp you succeed.”In 2004, the program’s currentand retired faculty and staff, as wellas a number of former directors,made contributions to the TYPFaculty and Staff Education Award,an endowment to provide financialaid to cover such basic costs astuition, books and accommodation,as well as emergency expenses. Thisshared gift was matched by the university,matched by the provincialgovernment through OSOTF, andtriple-matched by the WilliamWaters Challenge Fund for a totalendowed fund of $75,000.The fundraising effort wasspearheaded by the program’sdirector, Rona Abramovitch, andreceived support from 100 per centof TYP faculty and staff. “OSOTFis all about raising funds for students,and TYP is all about studentswho need financial aid,” saysAbramovitch. “We’re doing thisfor the students, who are the mostextraordinary people.”– Stephen WattAshley SaundersPHOTOGRAPHY: PASCAL PAQUETTESPRING 2005 55

53-56 3/2/05 6:10 AM Page 56GreatGiftsPHOTOGRAPHY: JAYSON GALLOPFrom left: Guy Hamel,Andrew Baines, DonaldIvey,Ted Chamberlinand David ClandfieldThe Munificent SevenThe current and former principalsof the Universityof Toronto’s New Collegeunderstand the importance of studentsupport – as administrators,professors and now as benefactors.Last spring, New College principalDavid Clandfield and sixof the college’s former principals– Andrew Baines, Frederick Case,Ted Chamberlin, Guy Hamel,Donald Ivey and Robert Lockhart– made a shared gift that wasmatched by the Ontario StudentOpportunity Trust Fund(OSOTF) and the University ofToronto Faculty and Staff MatchingProgram to create an endowmentof $75,000. The NewCollege Principals’ Scholarshipwill be awarded annually toNew College students whodemonstrate financial need.The matching programs providedthe principals with a uniqueopportunity to make a lastingcontribution to the college.“New College is unusual becauseso many former principals are stillactively involved in supportingthe college,” says Clandfield, whoproposed the idea of the scholarshipto his colleagues. Ivey, whobecame principal shortly afterthe college’s inception, says thescholarship is “more than a giftto students” as it reflects the veryessence of the college and thepeople associated with it.Since the establishment ofthe college in 1962, faculty andstudents have made a tremendouscontribution toward studentsupport. Over the past 25 years,the New College Student Councilalone has pledged more than$400,000 to scholarships at thecollege. – Sara Figueiredo“My Beloved Dept.”As a plastic surgeon, Manaf Alazzawihas witnessed both life’s tragediesand miracles. He was recently a keymember of the medical team atKing Fahad National Guard Hospitalin Saudi Arabia that successfullyseparated conjoined twins.Dr.Alazzawi, who in 1997 completedeight years of residency andfellowship training in plastic surgeryat U of T, fondly remembers his timein Canada.To commemorate histeachers and assist future specialists,he has donated $275,000 to endowthe Alazzawi Fund in Plastic Surgeryin the Department of Surgery, whichwill support research, post-doctoralfellowships and faculty recruitment.“In Arabic we have a proverb thatroughly means: I am forever a servantfor any person that teaches me howto write if only one letter of thealphabet.It reflects the classical Arabicculture of appreciation of teachers,”says Dr. Alazzawi.“I will always feelindebted to the university.”Dr. Richard Reznick, chair of theDepartment of Surgery, says U of Towes a debt of gratitude to its formerstudent, too.“Dr. Alazzawi’s generousgift will provide funds to support ourcurrent academic priorities,” he says.Since leaving U of T, Dr. Alazzawihas applied what he learned inCanada to his work in the SaudiKingdom. He is currently head ofplastic surgery at King AbdulazizMedical City.“In Canada, I learnedwhat medical care should be like,”he explains.“I came back to SaudiArabia well equipped to deal withany medical challenge.”His pledge is the beginning of along relationship with U of T, he says.“I hope to increase my gift over time.It pleases me that I have establishedsomething permanent for my beloveddepartment.” – Jamie Harrison56 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINE

57-59 3/2/05 6:14 AM Page 57AllumniNotesPROFILES•NEWS•EVENTS•CALENDARSpirit in the SkySandra Laronde, founder and artistic director of the Red Skyperformance company, is recounting a vivid memory. At 17she was out in a boat on Lake Temagami in Northern Ontario,when she spotted a black bear swimming in the distance. Shesteered toward it, determined to get close enough to see howthe beast moved in the water. She imitates the powerful butgraceful movements as she tells the story.A fascination with movement and a deep connection tothe natural world – as well as an impressive fearlessness –have stayed with Laronde (BA 1989 Innis).These qualitiesare also intrinsic to Red Sky, which she founded in 2000.Thecompany incorporates aboriginal culture, contemporarydance, theatre and music into each production. Larondelikens this approach to a First Nations perspective of art.“When I go to a traditional ceremony, all the art forms areintegrated. In one ceremony alone, I will hear songs, music,Continued on page 59PHOTOGRAPHY: HELEN TANSEYSPRING 2005 57

57-59 3/2/05 6:14 AM Page 58AlumniNotesILLUSTRATION: RUSS WILLMS; PHOTOGRAPHY: UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO ARCHIVESShake, Rattle and RollAnew series of alumni events – tailored to urban professionals whowant to meet up with old friends and network with new ones –kicked off in late November at Bruyea Brothers College Street bistroin Toronto. Shaker – as in movers and shakers – holds receptions at tonylounges and restaurants throughout Toronto. “Our first event had a greatvibe,” says Kyle Winters, acting director of alumni advancement at U of T.“A lot of alumni commented on the laid-back atmosphere and the superbvenue. I think it makes for a really great mix.” Organizers expected morethan 100 people to attend the March Shaker at Hotel Boutique Loungein Toronto’s Entertainment District. A range of hot spots are being consideredfor future events (the next is in late May). Visit www.alumni.utoronto.ca/shaker.htm for details.– Lisa RundleSpring ReunionWhy are puzzles – from crosswords toriddles to the Rubik’s cube – so pervasive,and what do they reveal aboutthe human imagination? Marcel Danesi,a professor of semiotics and linguisticanthropology at U of T, will decipherthe answers in a June 4 lecture at HartHouse, as part of Spring Reunion 2005.Danesi’s speech is one new event atthis year’s reunion, which runs from June2 to 5. All alumni are welcome at SpringReunion, but this year’s honoured classesare 1925, 1930, 1935, 1940, 1945, 1950,1955, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975 and 1980.Many faculties and colleges are alsohonouring 1985, 1990, 1995 and 2000.Three past presidents and theirwives – J. Robert S. Prichard and AnnWilson, George and Sheila Connell,and John and Gay Evans – will serveas co-chairs. Premier events includethe 50 th Anniversary Luncheon in thecircular dining room at 89 Chestnutresidence, the 25 th AnniversaryReception at U of T’s Faculty Club,and the Chancellor’s Circle MedalPresentations in Hart House’s GreatHall. New this year is a beer-tastingevent geared toward younger alumnithat will take place on June 2 atthe Steam Whistle brewery.To register, call (888) 738-8876 or(416) 978-0424 or visit www.springreunion.utoronto.ca.– L.R.KudosLt.-Col. John McCrae’sname will grace anexhibition gallery inOttawa’s CanadianWar Museum, whichMcCraeopens on May 8.McCrae (BA 1894 UC, MB 1898, MD1910) served as a surgeon with a brigadeof the Canadian Field Artillery in theFirst World War. In 1915, while waitingto treat casualties, he scribbled downthe now famous poem “In FlandersFields.” The McCrae Gallery will showcasepaintings from the museum’sextensive collection of war art.Architect Daniel Libeskind andeconomist Amartya Kumar Sen wererecognized with honorary degrees atUof T’s fall convocation. Libeskind, masterplanner for the World Trade Centersite in New York, and Sen, a Nobellaureate whose work has revolutionizedthe economics of poverty, receiveddoctors of law. Classical guitarist LionaBoyd (BMus Perf 1972), and theatredirector Robert Wilson were alsopresented with honorary degrees.Historian Jack Granatstein (MA1962) won the 10 th annual PierreBerton award for achievement in popularizingCanadian history, and KennethOppel (BA 1989 TRIN) picked up theGovernor General’s Award for children’sliterature for his novel Airborn. – L.R.58 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINE

57-59 3/2/05 6:15 AM Page 59Soldiering OnJohn McIntyre (BCom 1941 UC), aformer captain in the Royal CanadianOrdinance Corps during the SecondWorld War, completed his term as chairof the Soldiers’ Tower Committee inNovember. McIntyre has helped preserveSoldiers’ Tower – Canada’s second-largestwar memorial – throughout the 1980sand 1990s. He was also involved indeveloping the Soldiers’ Tower stainedglassmemorial window.Incoming chair Lt. (Navy, retired)Owen Williams (BA 1950 St. Mike’s) presented a framed pictureof the tower to McIntyre at a committee meeting in December,in recognition of his six years as chair. “The thoughtfulapplication of Mr. McIntyre’s experience and skills acquired froma successful business career shepherded the start of the fundraisingfor Soldiers’ Tower and its memorial room,” says Williams.“This will ensure a proud heritage site worthy of the university.”“Those who died in the two great wars were passingon the torch to all those who followed,” says McIntyre, whowill continue his Soldiers’ Tower volunteer work. “And thatmessage is one that for years we at the committee have triedto convey.”– F. Michah RynorSoldiers’ Tower chair Owen Williams(left) with former chair John McIntyreThe Government of Canada has declared 2005 the Year ofthe Veteran, to mark the 60 th anniversary of the end of theSecond World War. Soldiers’ Tower members would like toencourage U of T alumni to pay tribute to veterans throughoutthe year. A few key dates include: May 8, the end of the SecondWorld War in Europe (VE-Day), Canada and the Netherlands;July 1, Canada Day; Aug. 14, the end of the Second World Warin the Far East (VJ-Day); Nov. 5-11,Veterans’ Week; andNov. 11, Remembrance Day.To learn more, visit theWeb site www.vac-acc.gc.ca.“ ”Mr. McIntyre’s experience and skills shepherded the start of thefundraising for Soldiers’ Tower and its memorial roomContinued from page 57orators speaking in heightened poetic text and see sacredclowns, dance and spirituality all at once.”Red Sky’s Caribou Song, first staged in 2000, is based ona story written by Tomson Highway.The tale is oftwo Cree children caught in a caribou stampede.But instead of being trampled as their familiesfear, they become a part of the movement of theherd and emerge laughing. Laronde calls the RedSky performance music-driven, incorporatingdance and Highway’s words.The production willbe touring across Canada this year and in 2006 willtravel to China,Taiwan and Korea. Red Sky will soon beinterpreting the work into a film, to be directed by formerNational Ballet of Canada dancerVeronicaTennant.“I believethere is a thirst for these ancient stories in the world rightnow,” says Laronde.“They resonate with everyone.”Laronde earned her degree in philosophy at U of Tbefore going on to intensive training in physical-based theatre(which includes dance and all other forms of movement).During her undergrad, she studied for a year inGrenada, Spain, through Uof T’s Study Elsewhere programand learned Spanish in order to connect to abroader range of peoples. (It’s what made RedSky’s production Dancing Americas, a Canadian-Mexican collaboration, possible – two of thedancers did not speak English.) Laronde, who isalso founder of Native Women in the Arts, hasperformed in every Red Sky production to date.A member of the Teme-Augama-Anishnaabe(People of the Deep Water) nation, Laronde draws inspirationfrom her ancestors and her connection to the vastlandscape of Temagami.“I believe that having grown up onthe land where my ancestors have been for thousands ofyears got right inside me.Your vision becomes immense,”she explains,“because the land is immense.” – Lisa RundleSPRING 2005 59PHOTOGRAPHY: MIKE ANDRECHUK

60 3/2/05 6:16 AM Page 60CalendarALUMNI EVENTSApril 8 to 10. Join fellow graduates from theAsia-Pacific region for the inaugural AsiaAlumni Hall, Old Victoria College Building,91 Charles St.W. (416) 585-4484, crrs.vic@utoronto.ca or www.crrs.caAlumni Congress. Topic: “Crossing Borders:Networking in the New Asian Economy.”The reunion will feature guest speakersfrom around the region and from U of T.Social events will include an opening receptionat the Official Residence of the CanadianHigh Commissioner to Malaysia, His ExcellencyMel MacDonald, on April 8. Shangri-LaHotel, 11 Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 KualaLumpur, Malaysia. For information and to registerEXHIBITIONSPetro Jacyk Resource Centre,Robarts LibraryTo May 31. Exhibition of ContemporaryNovels and Short Stories from EasternEurope features a selection of books fromacross the region. Robarts Library, Room8002. 130 St. George St. Monday to Friday,10 a.m.-6 p.m. (416) 978-0588(space is limited),contact the U of T Asia-Pacific Advancement Office in Hong Kong at(852) 2375-8258, ask@utoronto.com.hk orwww.alumni.utoronto.ca/asiacongress.htmThe Justina M. Barnicke Gallery,Hart HouseToApril 7.West Gallery: Hart House AnnualPhotography Exhibition.LECTURESSt. Michael’s CollegeApril 11. 26 Years of JohnPaul II is presented byGeorge Weigel (MA 1975),Catholic theologian and internationallyEast Gallery: Hart HouseAnnual Art Competition.These juried exhibitionsfeature works bystudents and Hart Housealumni members.celebrated writer.Sam Sorbara Auditorium, 2 ndFloor, Brennan Hall. 7 p.m.(416) 926-2760April 14 to May 12. lesenfants terribles.Montrealartist Susan G. Scott usesJean Cocteau’s 1929 novel,April 30. Annual MedievalSymposium: Muslims of Susan G. Scott’s Girl withles enfants terribles, as thepoint of departure for herthe Middle Ages includes Tongue Out is on display at installation, which exploresHart House in Aprilguest speakers, illustrationsthe interplay of imaginationand a medieval luncheon. Alumni Hall,121 St. Joseph Street. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. $150;seniors $125. Contact (416) 926-7254 orand desire in childhood and adulthood. Scott’sartistic process is revealed through her drawings,paintings and personal sketchbooks.continuinged.stmikes@utoronto.ca, or visitwww.utoronto.ca/stmikes7 Hart House Circle. Monday to Friday,11 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 1-4 p.m.The Centre for Reformation(416) 978-8398 or www.utoronto.ca/galleryand Renaissance StudiesMarch 22. Short Journeys to SacredPlaces: Devotional Landscapes and Circulationin Early Modern Mexico. Lectureby CRRS Distinguished Visiting ScholarWilliam B.Taylor. 4 p.m.April 16. Canada Milton Seminar: Milton,Nationalism and Seventeenth-CenturyPolitics. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. $25.Doris McCarthy Gallery, UTSCMarch 17 to May 22. Roy Kiyooka: AccidentalTourist examines a large but lesserknown period of Kiyooka’s artwork from1969 until his death in 1994.This exhibitionincorporates soundscapes, video, slideinstallations and sequential photographicworks. 1265 Military Trail. (416) 287-7007 orwww.utsc.utoronto.ca/dmgThe Eric Arthur Gallery, Faculty ofArchitecture, Landscape, and DesignTo May 21.Instruments of Faith:Toronto’sFirst Synagogues by Robert Burley.Thisphotography exhibition features six downtownsynagogues built before 1940.Created byeastern European immigrants, these buildingsserved as cultural hubs for a vibrant Jewishcommunity that shaped the Kensington Marketneighbourhood and surrounding areas. 230College St.Monday to Friday,9 a.m.-5 p.m.Saturday,12-5p.m.(416) 978-5038,enquiry.ald@utoronto.ca or www.ald.utoronto.caUniversity of Toronto Art CentreTo April 16. Tony Scherman:Works onPaper showcases a recent gift to the Universityof Toronto Art Collection from the artist.On display are 26 works on paper from suchseries as About 1789,The Blue Highway and TheSeduction of Oedipus. 15 King’s College Circle.Tuesday to Friday,12-5 p.m.Saturday,12-4 p.m.$5; free for students and art centre members.Contact (416) 978-1838 or www.utoronto.ca/artcentreTHEATREHart House TheatreMarch 31 to April 2. 10 th Annual U of TFestival of Dance.This festival unites studentsfrom all three U of T campuses, andshowcases dance styles from around theworld. 7 Hart House Circle. $12; seniors andstudents $10. 7:30 p.m. (416) 978-8849,www.harthousetheatre.caThe Graduate Centrefor Study of DramaMarch 31 to April 10. Mein Kampf byGeorge Tabori. In his best known play,Taborimixes historical facts with farce, biblical legend,Talmudicargument and biting satire.Ayoung Adolf Hitler moves to Vienna to workas a less-than-mediocre painter of postcards,and comes to love and hate his Jewishroommate in this funny, shocking and movingmasterpiece. Studio Theatre, 4 Glen MorrisSt. Wednesday to Saturday 8 p.m, $15;students and seniors $10. Sunday 2 p.m.,PWYC. (416) 978-798660 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINE

62 3/2/05 6:18 AM Page 62ILLUSTRATION: CHRISTIANE BEAURÉGARD/ILLUSIONPuzzleAnagrams,Mythsand LegendsBy Marcel DanesiThe ancients took anagrams –words or phrases made by rearrangingthe letters of otherwords or phrases – quite seriously.Legend has it that Alexander the Greatbelieved in their prophetic power.During the siege of the city of Tyre,Alexander was particularly troubled bya dream in which a satyr appeared. Thenext morning he summoned his soothsayersto interpret the dream. Theypointed out that the word satyr containedthe answer, because in Greek satyrwas an anagram of “Tyre is thine.”Reassured, Alexander went on to conquerthe city.Anagrams are found throughoutancient cultures, where they were typicallyintertwined with myth and legend.After the Renaissance, the widely heldview that anagrams were secret messagesfrom the gods started to fade. But thefeeling that anagrams, particularly ofnames, cast light on a person’s characterpersisted. Louis XIII of France appointedhis own “anagrammist” to entertain theCourt with anagrams of famous people’snames. In the 19 th century, writer LewisCarroll proposed a fitting eulogy forBritish humanitarian Florence Nightingalewith the letters in her name: “Flit on,cheering angel.” He also found evidenceof a firebrand personality in the name ofBritish political agitator William EwartGladstone: “Wild agitator! Means well!”Anagrams fall into four categories:1. A single word that yields another singleword (riptides → spirited);62 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINE2. A single word thatyields a phrase or expression(earnestness → a sternsense);3. A phrase or expressionthat yields a single word(Is pity love? → Positively!);4. A phrase or expressionthat yields another phraseor expression (the goldendays → they gladden so).The most appealingtype of anagram is onethat provides an apt commentaryon the meaningof the original word or phrase, as withthe examples above. Into what legitimateEnglish words or expressions canthe following words be changed? (Thecategory of anagram is indicated.)• Elvis (1) • Presbyterian (2)• helicopters (2) • dormitory (2)• desperation (2) • voices rant on (3)• life’s aim (3) • old masters (4)• the summer vacation (4)• the countryside (4)Anagrams that turn a word or phraseinto one with the opposite meaning arecalled antigrams: e.g. evil’s agents →evangelists. Try the following antigrams:• united • ill-fed • more tiny • restfulAnagrams have been constructedretrospectively to explain a person’s fatein life. For example, Mary Queen ofScots, who died in 1587 by execution,was posthumously memorialized withaction; Alec Guinness → genuine classhated for ill;Tom Cruise → so, I’m cuter; Clint Eastwood → Old WestEngland’s Queen Victoria → governs a nice, quiet land; Adolf Hitler →Henry Wadsworth Longfellow → won half the New World’s glory;united → untied; ill-fed → filled; more tiny → enormity; restful → fluster;the Latin expression Trusavi regnis morteamara cada (“Thrust by force from mykingdom I fall by a foul death”), whichis an anagram (if one treats the lettersu and v as interchangeable) of MariaSteuarda Scotarum Regina (“Mary StewartQueen of Scots”). Shortly after HenryIV of France was assassinated in 1610 byan unscrupulous man named Ravillac,it was pointed out that Henricus IVGalliarum rex (“Henry IV, King of theGauls”), when rearranged, became Inherum exurgis Ravillac (“From theseRavillac rises up”). Is a person’s name aportent of destiny and character, asmany have believed? Test this hypothesis(in English) by making anagrams ofthe names of these historical and contemporaryfigures:• Henry Wadsworth Longfellow• England’s Queen Victoria• Adolf Hitler • Tom Cruise• Clint Eastwood • Alec Guinness ■vacation → a time to charm Venus; the countryside → no city dust here;conversation;life’s aim → families;old masters → art’s models;the summerdormitory → dirty room;desperation → a rope ends it;voices rant on →Elvis → lives; Presbyterian → best in prayer; helicopters → pilots cheer;ANSWERS Note: Answers other than the ones given are possible.

64-65 3/2/05 2:20 PM Page 64ClassifiedsA SINGING VACATION IN OXFORD!July 22-August 6. Join us, in our 12 th summer,for two weeks of the ultimate choral/travel experience.Every morning, sing church-music selectionsfrom the last thousand years in BalliolCollege Chapel. Total cost including air, collegeroom/ensuite bath, most weekdaymeals, side trips, tuition, music and taxes:$3,500 (single), $3,250 (pp/double). For abrochure or further information, contact Tim orMary Elia at Oxford Churchmusic, 209 HowardPark Ave., Toronto, M6R 1V9, (416) 766-6136or Debra House at Egan Travel (905) 272-3055or oxfordchurchmusic@rogers.com Web site:www.oxfordchurchmusic.caACCOMMODATIONSAffordable summer residences. Furnishedrooms in shared houses. $455/month plus. Stepsto U of T. For more information, contact CampusCo-operative Residence Inc. at (416) 979-2161,ext. 222, or recept.asst@campus-coop.org Website: www.campus-coop.orgOcean Educations Intro Marine Science forages 16-19. Grade 12 full credit and SCUBA certification.Pearson College,Victoria, B.C. July/August2005.Seals,sea lions,orcas! In association with PeelDistrict School Board. Phone 1-877-464-6059.Web site: www.oceaned.comU of T PowerMusic Camp. An exciting and funmusic day camp for students completing Grades 5to 9. University of Toronto’s award-winning musicfaculty teaches students to become power musicians.Dailyactivities include band or choir rehearsals,world-music drumming and recreation. Studentsmay register for either one or two weeks; July4-8 and July 11-15. Contact performance.music@utoronto.ca or the PowerMusic Camp Office at(416) 946-8467.Web site: www.music.utoronto.ca/English/Summer-Programs.htmlBe curious! Join us at Knox College for our 12 thannual week-long summer program.August 8-12and/or August 15-19. Morning lectures on subjectsof current interest, followed by lunch. For moreinformation, contact Eleanor at (416) 978-4500or knox.college@utoronto.ca Web site: www.utoronto.ca/knoxLIFE/WORK COACHEncouragement and support provided for successful,timely completion of grad-student thesesand major projects. Contact Reg Lang, Ed.D., at(905) 727-4177.Web site: www.reglang.caPERSONALSSide effects may include euphoria, light-headednessand long-term bliss. Membership in ScienceConnection. Phone 1-800-667-5179. Web site:www.sciconnect.comPRESENTATION SPECIALISTU of T alumna will provide quality PowerPoint presentations,reports and graphic support to largeand small businesses. Contact Heather Shaw, FolioDesign Company, at (416) 691-9581 or hjshaw@sympatico.caDENTAL SERVICESDr.Valerie Stavro would like to invite you and yourfamily to her practice. She is committed to providingpersonalized dentistry in a caring environment.Youdeserve a healthy smile. Contact (416)923-8668.Web site: www.drvaleriestavro.comDONALD GRANT CREIGHTONBrock University historian is writing a biography ofProfessor Donald Creighton,Victoria College alumnusand U of T history professor. If you were a studentor a colleague of Professor Creighton’s and youwould like to share your memories of him, pleasecontact Donald Wright at dwright@brocku.ca;(905) 688-5550, ext. 4231; Department of History,Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1.EDUCATIONForeign Language Teaching Certificate.Englishand Spanish specialization. Also,SPANISH CLASSES.Register now. U of T and new location in London,Ont. Contact (416) 428-9000 or (519) 471-5247.E-mail mdeantunano@canadamexico.com Website: www.canadamexico.com64 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINETAX CONSULTANTTax Questions Answered. Canadian CA willanswer your tax questions, via e-mail, at reasonablerates.Visit www.jamesjonesca.ca or e-mailaccounts@jamesjonesca.caOur Victorian charm offersa perfect alternative toconventional, higher-pricedhotel accommodations.FROM $77 (CDN)• All rooms feature private bath,kitchen amenities, cable TV,telephone, wireless internet, A/C• Close to shopping, dining,theatre and all major attractionsVICTORIA’SMANSIONGUEST HOUSE(416)921-462568 GLOUCESTER STREETTORONTO, ONTARIO M4Y 1L8 CANADAwww.victoriasmansion.com

64-65 3/8/05 8:39 AM Page 65VACATION RENTALSBritain. Furnished two-bedroom apartmentlocated in central London. Sleeps three tofour. Non-smokers. £475/week or £1,200/month.Contact Robert at (705) 944-5997 or cellphone(289) 251-0476.Italy. Umbria, Cortona. Stunning apartments andsuites in 12 th -century castle. Also ideal for groupsand weddings.Breakfast.Pool,whirlpool.Moderateprices. E-mail info@borgomonticelli.it or call 39-075-8787-246. Web site: www.borgomonticelli.itNew Brunswick. Cosy, private, fully furnishedoceanfront cottage. Sleeps four. Close to P.E.I.bridge. $425/week or $1,200/month. For moreinformation, contact Robert at (705) 944-5997 orcellphone (289) 251-0476.Newfoundland. Scenic oceanview homes forrent 20 minutes from St. John’s. For more information,contact Mark and Judie Wessels at (709)754-6047 or jwessels_99@msn.com Web site:www.goliathweb.com/baulineParis. Charming, newly renovated, fully furnishedstudio apartment at Gobelins, available weeklyor longer. Full bath, cooking. Suits couple ortwo singles. Non-smokers. $830/week. E-maillouiseb@netvigator.comTuscany. Bed and breakfast outside Siena. Runby Canadian and U of T alumna, Ruth Colapinto.Two double rooms with ensuite bathrooms, and acommon breakfast area with walkout to largegarden. Contact ruthcolapinto@libero.it Web site:www.tuscanholidays.infoPLACE YOURCLASSIFIED HERE!NEXT ISSUE: May 30, 2005Text only$5.50 per word $25 flat ratefor contact informationDisplay1" - $275 • 2" - $475 • 3" - $675For more informationcontact Susan WrayPhone: (416) 978-0838Fax: (416) 978-3958E-mail: susan.wray@utoronto.cawww.magazine.utoronto.caYOUR- Home & Auto Insurance®- U of T MasterCard- Life Insurance- Wealth Management- Home Mortgagewww.affinity.utoronto.ca1-866-399-2548Programs and Services for Alumni, Staff, Faculty and Students that support YOUR University of Toronto.

66 3/2/05 2:42 PM Page 66LookingBackBY F. MICHAH RYNORPHOTOGRAPHY: CHRISTOPHER DEWMIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD“A man’s mind should be firm as a rock: In constancy simpleand straight as a well-made arrow.” So said Walther von derVogelweide, a medieval German poet. His words shimmerlike winter ice on this hand-blown glass,created by artists EllenSimon and Yvonne Williams in 1951.The window was commissionedby “Salada Tea King” Gerald Larkin for TrinityCollege’s Strachan Hall. Larkin had requested a knight ingrand dining area. But Simon, an avowed pacifist, had a differentidea. She chose von der Vogelweide for his love songs,and had him brandish the mighty quill rather than the “wellmadearrow.” On one side of the window “Walter of the BirdPasture” (as his name loosely translates) keeps an eye onthe Trinity students, while on the other he gazes at therobins, sparrows and the occasional owl who make theshining armour to forever look down at the students in this Trinity quadrangle their dining hall.■66 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MAGAZINE

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