U of T Pistol Teams commended
At this time I would like to commend the Hart House Pistol Teams for their continued participation in the Metropolitan Toronto Pistol League. This league was formed just over forty years ago with the founding members, including those from the Hart House club, coming together in the spirit of friendly competition to determine the top clubs in the Metro area, including those from Georgetown to Ajax.
Hart House has been a constant competitor over the years, presently competing in four of the league’s ten divisions. These divisions consist of men and women of varying ages and professions on forty-eight teams. In fact, last year the Hart House teams in Div. 6 and 16 were the Division Champions.
In the fourteen years that I have been involved in the running of the league and competing against the various Hart House teams, it has been a pleasure to host and be hosted by friendly competition.
It seems that every year new faces from the students on the team appear then fade away, only to reappear when they settle to work in the Toronto area. It is also nice to see the students when they first start to shoot and note their progress along the way, some even striving to shoot in the Provincial and National Championships.
Wayne Morris
League Convener
I didn’t know about the rifle range
(Re: “Officers Seize 54 guns from student,” 6 November 2001)
I was not aware during my undergraduate years that there were target shooting clubs at Hart House. Had I known, I would have most definitely wanted to join, to learn about them. It’s possible that I would have found their activities boring and not at all to my liking. I passionately resent any implication that I would have somehow been better off if some faceless university administrator took that choice away from me “for my own good!” I cannot believe that women students today feel any differently. Universities are supposed to encourage students to think and experience for themselves, not according to some du jour politically correct framework.
If the International Olympic Committee thinks these sports worthy of their inclusion in both the summer and the winter games (18 shooting events in all), how can there be even a sliver of doubt that they have a legitimate right to exist in an athletic facility of a modern Canadian university? If you don’t like them, don’t participate.
We are talking about banishing a legal, legitimate sporting activity involving tiny calibre target pistols and target rifles, in some misguided (though undoubtedly well-meant) attempt to protect against criminal actions committed using hunting and military firearms.
Or better yet, against terrorist attacks committed using box cutters and anthrax!
While we’re at it, why don’t we ban cars from campus to protect against drunk driving foreign diplomats?
Ana F. Pereira
SMC 9T1
Open letter to Hart House warden Margaret Hancock
Dear Ms. Hancock,
As the captain of the Toronto IBM Club rifle team, I would like to express my disappointment in your decision to close the Hart House rifle and pistol range [which is temporarily closed pending review].
My and my wife’s involvement with the U of T/Hart House rifle and pistol teams extends back nearly 20 years, while others on our team have an even longer history.
A variety of student members of your teams have come and gone but one thing has been consistent: their professional approach and conscious effort to maintain a safe environment which their members and visitors can enjoy. Many young people over the years have been introduced to safe handling of firearms and the various sports of target shooting.
I would not be surprised with the calibre of members that some of your alumni have progressed in the sport to the national or international level because they were introduced to the sport at Hart House.
The current closure has impacted the scheduling of several matches. Hart House has provided a skilled team in the Metro Toronto Sporting Rifle League for many years and I would hate to see that relationship be negatively impacted.
Please consider reopening the range as soon as possible so that the season can continue with as little interruption as possible.
Philip Gray
Let’s get movin’: nothing’s sacred
(Re: “Pharmacy building to replace greenhouses,” 15 November 2001.)
I’m not very good at originating ideas, but once I have found a good one, I run with it like a dog with a fresh bone. When I read of the decision to move those old greenhouses to a more suitable location out in the country, I immediately began looking for other things on campus that could be relocated and was amazed by the possibilities. Move Hart House to the farm? Now there is a natural fit. That would be a perfect location to receive this old building stone by stone and slate by slate. What a marvelous location would be left vacant for some new, necessary structure. Without so much as a half-turn, I spy the observatory. Aha. Perfect for Richmond Hill, and leaving behind only a few old trees easily cut and aged for firewood at the new Hart House location. Brilliant!
Next—oh, yes—the International Students Centre. What a great location. The building is not particularly useful or even worth relocating—I would suggest just levelling it. I’m sure there are numerous other possibilities I haven’t even dreamed of. Did someone mention the Newman Centre? What’s historic? What’s aesthetic? Off with the old, on with the new…utilitarian, modern, spartan and sanitary.
Bob Chenevert
Ph.D. student promised three convocation tickets, but gets one
I am a recent graduate student from University of Toronto (Dept. of Anthropology). My Ph.D degree will be conferred this coming week.
However, the Office of Statistics, Records, and Convocation is experiencing some serious difficulties which I wish to bring to your attention.
As with all fall convocations, graduating students are informed that they are given a total of three tickets for their guests/family to attend their convocation, and that these tickets are guaranteed to them for pickup three working days prior to their convocation date.
Only on the day before the convocation date can students pick up any extra tickets (dependent on availability and on a first come-first served basis).
The date of my convocation ceremony is Nov. 22, 2001, and after receiving my information package from the Office of Stats, Records, and Convocation I called to confirm that I could pick up my guaranteed three tickets on the Friday (Nov. 16th) as I do not live in Toronto, at which time I was repeatedly assured they are set aside for me up to that day, as they are for every graduate. On Friday Nov. 16th, myself and several other graduates picking up our tickets, as we were instructed, were informed that a serious overbooking of Convocation Hall had occurred, whereby more than the expected number of graduates had decided to attend their degree ceremony. This being the case, we were told we would not be given the three (3) promised tickets as all other graduates were already given but only one (1). The office staff admittedly wholeheartedly that this was a serious error on their part, but that nothing would be done. They suggested nothing more than we contact and voice complaint to our respective faculties.
As of Friday afternoon, there were some 100 students, if not significantly more, who had been told they could only bring one guest to their ceremony.
While we fully understand the serious issue of limited seating (and fire safety codes), it is wholly unfair that some not be given the three tickets that other fellow graduates have already received through absolutely no fault of their own.
Sabrina Agarwal
Errata
November 15: The photo for “Top Lawyers provide insights into terrorism bill at U of T forum” was actually not related to that story.
November 19: In the article “Abortion poster sparks debate,” the group Feminists for Life were misindentified as Feminists for Choice. Those are two very different things. We sincerely apologize for the mistake.
