Toronto’s “Slutwalk” spreads
Addressing a law class at York University on January 24 of this year, Toronto police Constable Michael Sanguinetti remarked that “women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized.” The comment stirred up a storm of controversy in Toronto and led to the “Slutwalk,” a march against victim blaming, on April 3.
The event inspired hundreds of protesters in Tampa, Florida who gathered in the downtown core on Saturday, September 18, dressed in “slutty” ensembles, and holding posters that denounced victim blaming.
Charlie Solis, Tampa organizer, told the St. Petersburg Times that they kept the name “Slutwalk” to show solidarity for the original event. Solis acknowledged that the name was controversial, but she hopes it will help raise awareness about victim blaming. “The word is kind of weird, kind of uncomfortable, kind of ugly, but so is sexual assault,” Solis said. “Putting that word on the table and talking about these issues brings it to the forefront.”
With files from the St. Petersburg Times and CBC News.
— Sarah Niedoba
Cheap food for U of T
Students hunting for deals on food and goods can now use “Push A Deal,” a mobile app from Toronto firm Mobile Fringe that updates users about deals and discounts near their current location. The app utilizes customers’ smartphone GPS locations to present immediate deals from nearby participating stores as customers cross their “geo-fence.” Push A Deal is launching with a U of T focus this September through a partnership with Aramark, the company that manages many of the university’s food services. Promotions include free food for a month at New College and free coffee at Robarts. Push A Deal is downloadable for mobile phones at pushadeal.com
— Wendelle So
If you’ve got the money, you’ve got the grade
A recent investigation by the Toronto Star discovered several private schools in the Toronto area that were essentially functioning as “credit mills.” Students would pay anywhere from $500 to $900 per course and graduate with a severely inflated average. In some of these schools, only half the teachers were accredited, and students would get as few as 40 hours of instruction per credit. “It was pretty much a sham operation,” said Arthur Goldstein, who attended the TCT High School in 2008 and 2009. “They’re making a **load of money off of people who are just trying to get a good grade and that’s not how the school system should be run.”
With files from the Toronto Star.
— Charlotte Smith
Vote Compass returns for provincial elections
The CBC has brought back Vote Compass, an online “election literacy application,” for the upcoming 2011 provincial elections. The program has become the subject of political discussion as party loyalists and academics have claimed the survey is biased.
Vote Compass asks users to respond to a series of 30 statements on political issues, rating them from ”strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” Upon completing the questionnaire, users can “determine how individual opinions on policy compare with each of the election platforms of the candidates.”
After completing the survey with different strategies and continuously earning the Liberal result, Queen’s University political science professor, Kathy Broke, denounced Vote Compass. She claims the survey has an unintentional bias towards the Liberals. As well, Conservative MP Tony Clement asserts that Vote Compass inadvertently favors the Green Party over the NDP.
Vote Compass’ Executive Director, Clifton van der Linden, in agreement with CBC spokesperson, Jeff Keay, stated Vote Compass was “introduced as a means for people to engage with … [election] issues … not to tell people how to vote.”
With files from CBC News and the
National Post.
— Gabriella Lambert
University pays students to live off-res
Many Ontario universities found themselves hard-pressed for housing when a record-breaking 90, 000 undergraduates confirmed their acceptance to provincial schools this fall. The number is about 2,000 more than the double cohort number in 2003.
McMaster University offered students from Oakville, Hamilton, and Burlington $1,000 to stay at home or find alternate accommodations to living on campus this year. According to Gord Abreau, McMaster’s Director of Public and Community Relations, the incentive was an effective way to reduce demand for housing; 64 students accepted the offer.
After the University of Guelph experienced a surge in residence applications, around 60 first-year students have been relocated to the Best Western Royal Brock.
Sarah Burley, acting Dean of Residence at Chestnut, announced that the University of Toronto also had to tweak its residence arrangements to keep its first-year housing promise. Chestnut had to convert some single rooms to doubles when the number of students living in the converted hotel rose from 1,047 last year to 1,077 this September. Furthermore, with 87 more first-year students than last year, many upper-level students have had to find alternate arrangements.
With files from the Toronto Star.
— Regine Taduran
