The Dialog, Jan. 9 to 29, 2018

ISSUE 8 / JAN. 9–29, 2018 GBC Student Newspaper • Founded 1982

NEWS / PG. 2

SPORTS / PG. 7

ARTS & LIFE / PG. 11

Soulpepper’s Albert Schultz sued for sexual harassment and assault

Men’s basketball rebounds to win 40th GBC Tournament

How Francis Torres went from SA events to his own streetwear company

Our highlights in a dark year

pg. 8

2 NEWS

THE DIALOG • dialognews.ca // Jan. 9–29

COMMENTS Re: Student relief fund not enough: student associations Student relief fund is bullshit "That relief fund is bullshit and only applicable to certain people. I lost shifts and therefore money at work because I couldn't commit to working shifts in the event I needed to be in class."

Julia Marie on Facebook All students should get a refund "All students affected by strike should get a refund not only for certain people."

Minie Damian on Facebook Re: 2,429 students withdraw from George Brown due to strike Thanks Deb Matthews "Thank goodness we have Deb Matthews at the helm, only 10,000+ students out a few grand with four months of their lives lost. She's right that's much better than 100,000!"

Alexandros-Dionysios Koustas on Facebook Withdrawing was wrong decision "Withdrawing was the wrong decision. As a full time student at George Brown classes felt no different after a five-week strike. We got right back to work and finished exams in time for Xmas break.

Rather than withdrawing, students should have taken the extended week off and gone on vacation.

Looks like students just wanted their money back at the cost of their future."

Rajeev Mukherjee on Facebook Everyone can set their own pace "I think everybody is entitled to setting their own pace to their own education. There are a lot of different accommodations, learning styles and types of students. Being off for five weeks can feel a lot different to someone else than it did to you!"

Mercedes Burrowes, SA director of campus life, on Facebook.

Albert Schultz resigns from Soulpepper after four actresses file sexual harassment claims Patricia Fagan and Hannah Miller say they first met Schultz while still GBC theatre students STEVE CORNWELL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Two of four actresses suing Albert Schultz for sexual battery and harassment of a sexual nature were still George Brown College students when they first met the actor and theatre director.

Patricia Fagan and Hannah Miller, who each graduated from George Brown's theatre school, filed separate lawsuits against Schultz on Jan. 2. Two other actresses, Diana Bentley and Kristin Booth, have also filed claims against Schultz.

In all four statements of claim, Schultz, who was the artistic director of the Soulpepper Theatre Company before resigning on Jan. 4 is accused of being a “serial sexual predator.”

The claims have not been proven in court.

In a statement from Schultz, he said, "these claims make serious allegations against me which I do not take lightly. Over the coming time period, I intend to vehemently defend myself."

Fagan, then 23, was offered the role of Viola in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night while still a George Brown theatre student in 2000. The play was directed by Schultz, who called Fagan personally to offer her the part.

According to Fagan's statement of claim, Schultz was the leader of Soulpepper and "yielded immense power in a young actor's career."

The claim makes several allegations, including that Schultz pushed @DialogGBC

CONTACT US dialog@sagbc.ca Tel: 416-415-5000 ext. 4274 Room E122 - Casa Loma 142 Kendal Avenue Toronto, ON M5R 1M3

www.dialognews.ca Read this issue and back issues online at https://issuu.com/dialog

his penis against Fagan's buttocks during a rehearsal for Twelfth Night, and showed her his penis before she went on stage during performance of Hamlet in 2005. The claim said that she told the male director of Hamlet after the incident but he took no action.

Miller, who started studying at George Brown's theatre's school in 2005, said that Schultz was a lecturer in her classes and regular patron of the café in the Young Centre where she worked part-time after graduation in her statement of claim.

The claim states that "because the theatre school and Soulpepper are housed in the same building, Albert's position is well known amongst the theatre school students" and that they were “groomed to want Albert’s full attention.”

Schultz's position in Canadian theatre allowed him to "harass and bully actors with impunity," according to the claim. "The terms are clear: Albert’s attention, which is necessary to advance professionally, involves enduring harassment.”

Miller’s claim alleges that during a 2012 rehearsal for The Crucible, Schultz stepped into a scene, grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her “under the pretence of how he wanted Hannah’s male colleague to perform the scene.” The claim said that Miller was stunned and angered but felt Schultz was “untouchable” because of his control of Soulpepper and that he "could ruin her career."

Trent Scherer, George Brown's acting chair of media and performing arts, said that the theatre com/dialognews

Albert Schultz faces four separate civil suits alleging that he "serial sexual predator."

PHOTO: GEORGE PIMENTEL/ CREATIVE COMMONS

munity is exceptionally small and he was saddened that he didn't hear anything about the allegations prior to the claims being made.

"Students and graduates don't like to say anything in case they end up somehow blacklisted, or (labelled) a trouble maker," Scherer said. "When they're not. They're just bringing a serious issue to light."

Soulpepper Theatre Company was established in 1998 by Schultz and 11 other founding members including Diana Leblanc and Diego Matamoros. George Brown and Soulpepper are the founding partners of the Young Centre for Performing Arts, which opened in 2005, and houses rehearsals and performances for the college's theatre program and Soulpepper.

The four women allege that Soulpepper management “knew or ought to have known of Albert’s sexual harassment and assault and yet allowed it to continue."

Scherer said that the college has no plans at this time to alter its part-

@thedialog

nership with Soulpepper, but they're in a holding pattern with the claims.

"We honestly don't know what might happen with the lawsuit because it's not just against Albert, it's also against the company itself," Scherer said. "So we're just kind of holding on where we are just to see what ends up happening."

In a statement on Jan. 3, Soulpepper said that Schultz and his wife Leslie Lester, who was the executive director of the theatre, had both stepped away from their roles while an investigation took place. On Jan. 4, the theatre announced that it had accepted Schultz's resignation.

Two days later, the executive committee on Soulpepper's board of directors released a statement saying it had "severed" its relationship with Lester and cancelled its run of Amadeus following the recommendation of its performers. whom Schultz was set to direct.

"Unfortunately, we did not know that Albert Schultz was alleged to have engaged in any harassment," wrote the committee.

"No such complaints ever made their way to the board."

A statement from the artists and designers of Amadeus said that they had come to an agreement to recommend that the show not go on.

On Jan. 8, more than 281 artists, including actress Mia Kirshner, filmmaker Sarah Polley as well as actor and founding member of Soulpepper Ted Dykstra, released an open letter calling on the theatre's board to "acknowledge the harm that these women, and others, have suffered."

"We believe the allegations they raised against Albert Schultz and Soulpepper Theatre Company," the letter stated. "We also believe that there are more stories like theirs that have not been told."

/TheDialog

EDITORIAL

OPERATION

CONTRIBUTING

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Editor-in-Chief Steve Cornwell. . . . . . . . . . . . . .dialogeic@sagbc.ca Managing Editor Mick Sweetman. . . . . . . . . . . . . .communications@sagbc.ca Art Director/Designer Manar Hossain. . . . . . ..dialogdesign@sagbc.ca Podcast Host/Producer Manseeb Khan. . . . . .dialogpodcast@sagbc.ca Videographers Devante Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dialogvideo@sagbc.ca Gurdas Singh Panesar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dialogvideo@sagbc.ca Reporter-Editors Lidianny Botto. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dialogreporter1@sagbc.ca Chau Nguyen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..dialogreporter3@sagbc.ca Megan Kinch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dialogreporter3@sagbc.ca Matthew Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dialogreporter4@sagbc.ca Afra Hossain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dialogreporter5@sagbc.ca Carolina Toca Perea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dialogreporter6@sagbc.ca Ad Sales Phillip Chung . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dialogads@sagbc.ca

The Dialog newspaper is published by The Dialog with the support of the Student Association of George Brown College.

The Dialog is responsible for the overall vision and direction of The Dialog newspaper, as it coincides with the larger vision and mission of the Student Association.

The cost of producing a monthly newspaper is in part defrayed by advertising revenue and largely subsidized by student fees.

Occasionally, some advertisers, products and services do not reflect the policies of the Student Association.

Opinions expressed in The Dialog are not necessarily those of The Dialog, the Student Association of George Brown College, or its editorial staff.

Contributions to The Dialog are always welcome. We request that articles be submitted as digital copies in plain-text (TXT) or rich-text (RTF) format.

Letters to the editor can be sent in an e-mail message to: dialog@sagbc.ca.

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We acknowledge that the work we do happens on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee and most recently, the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation. The territory was the subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, and is also covered by the Upper Canada Treaties. The meeting place of Toronto is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island.

The Dialog is a member of CUP, the Canadian University Press

NEWS 3

THE DIALOG • dialognews.ca // Jan. 9–29

GBC students walk out over refunds Students at four colleges walk out to protest how refunds are being administered after the college faculty strike MEGAN KINCH REPORTER-EDITOR

About 40 students braved the cold and snow outside St. James campus on Dec. 15 saying that both staff and students got a raw deal during the strike by college faculty.

The action was co-ordinated by Ontario Students United across four college campuses, with protests at George Brown, St, Clair, Sheridan and Centennial colleges.

George Brown College (GBC) student Marco La Grotta delivered a fiery speech targeting upper management.

“Why should they care about us? They got their six figure salaries, they got a car, they got a nice home.

Why should they care about us?

They’re not accountable to us,” he said to the group of students gathered in the snow.

Nour Alideeb from the chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students—Ontario was at the

UPCOMING EVENTS FREE SA LUNCH Tuesday, Jan. 9 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Kings Lounge. St. James A Building, Room 150 200 King St. East Wednesday, Jan. 10 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Casa Loma Student Centre E building, first floor 142 Kendal Ave. Thursday, Jan. 11 10:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Ryerson Campus 5th floor SHE Building 99 Gerrard St. East

Students walked out and protested refunds from the strike on King Street, then marched into the president's office on Dec. 15. PHOTO: MEGAN KINCH/THE DIALOG

GBC protest.

“Just because the strike is over doesn’t mean we’re finished fighting,” said Alideeb.

The students proceeded to enter the main St. James campus building and walked up the stairs to the president’s office, where they read off their list of demands.

GBC’s president Anne Sado entered the room filled with protesters, calmly listened to students and took the demand letter from La Grotta.

The demands of the protest were around how the colleges are handling student refunds; more fulltime faculty with academic freedom, a restructuring of the College Employer Council to include faculty and student representation; the creation of an academic senate; and increased services for Indigenous and international students.

At Centennial College, according to organizers, a core group of 40 students grew larger as they marched through the hallways, with students

leaving their classrooms and filling the halls as the march passed by, building to about 80 students.

Sheridan college had a smaller protest, but had about 150 people at a “photo-voice exhibit” called “the students strike back” the day before.

All the protests were in solidarity with staff legislated back to work, as well as for students affected by the strike.

James Fauvelle is one of the organizers from Centennial. Before the strike he was just a student in class learning that his school year was likely to be disrupted, but now he is a key organizer behind the multi-college walkout and giving interviews on live TV. “I’ll be honest with you, for several weeks I didn’t think my voiced mattered, but throughout this whole process I’ve realized that it does,” said Fauvelle. “I realize that all it takes is that one voice, that one rock in the water to start a ripple effect.”

Monday, Jan. 15 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Theatre School of George Brown College 50 Tank House Lane Happy New Year! The SA welcomes you back with a lunch (while supplies last).

MENTALIST & ILLUSIONIST: WAYNE HOFFMAN Wednesday, Jan. 10 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Casa Loma Student Centre E building, first floor 142 Kendal Ave. Thursday, Jan. 11 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Kings Lounge St. James A Building, Room 150 200 King St. East (DJ spinning in the Kings Lounge from 2 p.m to 5:30 p.m.)

One of the most talked about campus shows across North America.

Child care crunch Rising cost of child care impacting parents, says GBC Parent Association founder MATTHEW GREEN REPORTER-EDITOR

The cost of child care is something working parents shudder to see. Or for that matter, college students with children.

A recent report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) details just how challenging the cost of child care has become in some Canadian cities.

According to the report, fees

have increased faster than inflation in 71 per cent of the country’s 28 biggest cities since last year.

But no place has been hit harder than Toronto, which ranks the highest in the country in all age groups according the report. Over the past three years, rates for preschoolers (2.5 to 4 years in Ontario) have climbed faster in Toronto than anywhere else in the country to a median of $1,212 a month, or $14,544 annually.

For infants, median child care

costs $1,758 per month, ten-times more expensive than the same age group in Montreal, which costs $168 a month.

CCPA senior economist David Macdonald said that the difference in affordability between cities like Toronto and Montreal is whether the market or government sets the rates of child care.

“What makes fees a lot more affordable is if the province sets the fees and makes up the difference to providers through direct operational support,” Macdonald said. “That’s going to be the case in Manitoba, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island."

Macdonald also said that it’s tough for folks in Toronto to find affordable child care, and that most of the market cities have had their

SA BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING Monday, Jan. 15 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Career Centre St. James A Building, Room B155, Workshop room 2 200 King St. East Come and get involved in your student government. Don’t be shy! Board members are your fellow students and are there to answer your questions, and are accountable to you.

BASKETBALL: DURHAM VS. GEORGE BROWN Tuesday, Jan. 16 Casa Loma Gymnasium 160 Kendal Ave. Women’s game: 6 p.m.

Men’s game: 8 p.m.

VOLLEYBALL: DURHAM VS. GEORGE BROWN Wednesday. Jan. 17 St. James Gym 200 King St. East Women’s game: 6 p.m.

Men’s game: 8 p.m.

I GOT THE KEYS PUB NIGHT Friday, Jan. 19 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Kings Lounge St. James A Building, Room 150 200 King St. East Music by: DJ Charlie B Top Prize: Trip for 4 to Montreal Free for GBC students. $5 for guests. Wristband policy in effect HANDS ON EXOTICS: CAMPUS ANIMAL VISITS Monday, Jan. 29, 2018 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Casa Loma Student Centre E building, first floor 142 Kendal Ave. Hands On Exotics will be visiting campuses with their fury friends.

fees rising much faster than inflation.

For Shana Kealey, who founded the GBC (George Brown) Parent Association, the challenges of finding and child care can mean changing life plans.

“I can’t tell you the amount of inner suburb mothers that, be it a single mother, or a mother in a family unit that foregoes their plans because it’s just not financially viable for them to get a job or to go to school,” she said. “People actually are forced into the decision of staying home to do child care.”

Another obstacle for students searching for child care options is simply availability. According to a 2016 City of Toronto study on child

care affordability and demand, the supply of licensed child care spaces was short by 7,316 in 2015.

George Brown College operates 12 child care across the city, including one at the Casa Loma campus.

But spaces are limited.

For Kealey, the purpose of the GBC Parent Association was to raise awareness of the issues facing parents. But she said that a more structured system of child care is required to make changes.

“We don’t really have a system right now. We have a patchwork scenario from city to city, rural to urban, it’s all very different,” Kealey said.

4 NEWS

THE DIALOG • dialognews.ca // Jan. 9–29

2,429 students withdraw from George Brown due to strike Across Ontario, more than 25,000 students withdraw from fall semester, says Ministry of Advanced Education STEVE CORNWELL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Due to the strike, 2,429 students withdrew from the fall semester at George Brown College (GBC).

The majority of the withdrawals, 2,005, were domestic students, while 424 were international students, according to a spokesperson from the college. The withdrawals represent around 11.9 per cent of the college's total full-time students, according to a preliminary report by the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development.

GBC has the second-highest full-time student withdrawal rate of Greater Toronto Area colleges behind Seneca College's 13.3 per cent. Centennial College had the lowest rate at 8.1 per cent followed

There were 2,429 withdrawals from George Brown College's fall semester due to the strike. PHOTO: STEVE CORNWELL/THE DIALOG

by Humber (8.3 per cent) and Sheridan (8.5 per cent), while Mohawk and Durham each had withdrawal rates in the 11th percentile according to the ministry.

There were 25,676 withdrawals across the college system, for an average of 10.3 per cent, or one in 10 students withdrawing from the fall semester.

Karen Thomson, the college's vice president, marketing, student life and alumni marketing, said that because GBC is one of the largest colleges in the province, the number of withdrawals would appear larger. But in all, Thomson said that the withdrawals were spread out relatively evenly across the programs, suggesting that the college

did well to accommodate its students after the strike.

"I think the implication of that is that the return to school accommodations and plans were all working effectively across the board, and so if students did withdraw, it was really more about the student particulars than the college particulars," she said.

In a statement, minister of advanced education Deb Matthews said that the preliminary numbers showed that the "vast majority" of students chose to stay in their programs and that many expected to re-enroll in January and September.

"I want to say to those students who did decide to withdraw, we hope you will return to college," she said. "We need your talent and skills in this province and want to keep seeing you succeed."

Ontario colleges were directed to use the savings derived from the strike to pay for the tuition refunds and the student relief fund by the ministry.

While Thomson could not provide the total cost of the tuition refunds and claims to the relief fund, she said that both are projected to be higher than what the college has saved.

"At this point, we're looking to see where we can find the money ourselves," she said. "But having said that, it's one of many subjects that we're talking to the ministry about."

Peggy Sattler, who is the Ontario New Democrats’ advanced education critic, said that from what she has heard from the colleges, the money for tuition refunds and student relief payments isn’t there.

"Certainly, even on the hardship fund, the colleges have been pushing back against the government and saying the savings weren't really as significant as the government has claimed," she said.

The deadline to apply for Student Strike Relief Fund, which provides up to $500 for eligible students who have experienced financial impacts from the strike, is April 27, 2018.

Arbitration adds academic freedom for faculty New contract increases job security for partial-load faculty CAROLINA TOCA REPORTER-EDITOR

Arbitrator William Kaplan revealed a new collective agreement for Ontario College strike just a month after the province legislated striking faculty back to work.

In an award issued on Wednesday, Dec. 20, Kaplan set out the terms of a four-year contract from Oct. 1, 2017 until Sept. 30, 2021.

Ontario colleges issued a statement saying they are "very pleased" with the arbitrator’s award.

JP Hornick, chair of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union

(OPSEU) bargaining team, said it didn't need to get to this point.

“With any reasonable amount of co-operation from the colleges, there would never have been a strike, students would not have had to worry about losing their semester, and faculty would never have lost five weeks’ pay,” Hornick said in a statement.

The arbitration-mediation was held from Dec. 14 to 16 between the colleges and OPSEU, imposed on faculty in November when the Ontario Legislature passed Bill 178 to end the college faculty strike.

The arbitration award includes modest wage increases of 1.75 per

cent in the first year, retroactive to Oct. 1, and two per cent in each following year.

The award also contains language on academic freedom, which was a main issue between the faculty and the college.

“For the first time in history we have meaningful academic freedom language in our collective agreement,” said Nicole Zwiers, OPSEU bargaining team member.

Kaplan, defined academic freedom at the college as “the right to inquire about, investigate, pursue, teach and speak freely about academic issues without fear or impairment to position of other reprisal.”

“Faculty have always had academic freedom from a policy perspective in the institutions, all (the arbitration has) done is put it in the

context of the collective agreement,” said Don Sinclair, the CEO of the College Employer Council at a press conference.

Other items of note in the arbitration is: • Partial-load faculty will receive a full month of seniority for each calendar month where they taught 30 hours or more, double the previous formula.

• If two partial-load faculty are entitled to teach the same course, the one with the most seniority will be offered the job.

• A provincial task force to examine faculty complement, precarious work, provincial funding of the colleges and other issues.

• Extended health plan coverage for employees for paramedical services increased by $500 to

$2,000 a year. Visits to social workers and psychotherapists are now included.

• A lump-sum payment of $900 to each full-time member of the bargaining unit, and $450 for partial-load faculty, who were actively employed when the strike started and who returned to work at the end of it.

“This might be the message for the presidents of all the colleges, you said you care, you said you want the best for everybody and I think it's time to start showing that,” said OPSEU president Smokey Thomas.

Requests for comment from the College Employer Council and OPSEU were not returned by press time and arbitrator William Kaplan declined to comment.

NEWS 5

THE DIALOG • dialognews.ca // Jan. 9–29

Students campaign to ban the sale of bottled water at GBC Over 100 people signs a petition to ban the sale of bottled water on all George Brown College campuses CAROLINA TOCA REPORTER-EDITOR

The amount of plastic in world's oceans is global problem. But Courtney Hayes is trying to help by changing her own backyard.

Hayes, a post-graduate student in project management at George Brown College (GBC), has started a petition to ban the sale of plastic bottled water on all campuses.

“This initiative may seem small because it's just about bottled water but it really does make a huge impact for the environment," she said.

"Plus, we shouldn't have to pay $2.25 to have access to clean water."

So far, 124 people have signed the petition.

"We want to show the people

that are in charge of and making the decisions, that the students do really care about this,” said Hayes Hayes, a graduate of Ryerson's environmental and sustainability program, founded the GBC Sustainability Squad after seeing a need for a student club on campus.

A report called The New Plastics Economy by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation was presented at the World Economic Forum last year.

The report looks at the amount of plastic that ends in the sea as well as the actions people can take.

The study revealed that 8 million tonnes of plastic, mostly from packaging, leaks into the world’s oceans each year to be ingested by seabirds and fish. That is the equivalent to dumping the contents of one garbage truck into the ocean

every minute. By 2050 the report estimates that the ocean will contain more plastic than fish.

“George Brown College has made a commitment to sustainability,” said Stephanie Foster, GBC's sustainability co-ordinator. “We developed the green plan that included goals and actions to address the global environmental challenges, and now we are looking forward to developing a new sustainability plan that will be more comprehensible and related to engage and involve the students.”

Foster said that access to water is a human right and that she supports the campaign to end the sale of bottled water at GBC. “A lot of people don't think about where is the water coming from and that's just as important as where does the plastic bottle is coming from, so I think we all need to learn more, and care more,” she said.

The University of Winnipeg was the first post-secondary institution to ban the sale of plastic bottled water in 2009. According to Maclean’s, universities of Ottawa, Queen’s, Bishop’s, Ryerson, UFTO,

Courntey Hayes is proposing a ban on the sale of plastic bottled water at George Brown. PHOTO: GURDAS SINGH PANESAR/THE DIALOG

Concordia, Trent, Brandon, Memorial, and Fleming College have followed that path.

According to the college's sustainability webpage, there are currently 58 water stations throughout GBC's campuses.

Bottled water is already not sold at GBC's Waterfront campus but Hayes said students are students asking for a cup of water, instead of bringing their own water containers.

“Everything is about awareness because those cups are not recyclable and they actually last over 100 years in the landfill, but people don’t know about it," she said.

Foster says that the college's "green team" will be discussing the possibility of banning the sale of bottled water in February and may recommend to the college's management that bottled water no longer be sold at GBC.

TTC to look at U-Pass for Toronto postsecondary students TTC board hears from students about universal student transit pass and approves policy framework LIDIANNY BOTTO REPORTER-EDITOR

Students in Toronto are one step closer to a universal student transit pass. On Dec. 11, TTC board members passed a motion accepting staff recommendations on implementing a "U-Pass."

Representatives of U-Commute gave deputations at the meeting to propose how a U-Pass could be

The TTC is looking at mandatory student U-Passes that would be included in student fees. PHOTO: BOOLEDOZER/CREATIVE COMMONS

implemented.

U-Commute is a joint lobbying effort between the full-time undergraduate students' unions at the University of Toronto St. George, Ryerson University, George Brown College (GBC), and OCAD University. Its goal is to get a U-Pass for students throughout downtown colleges and universities.

Tiffany White, director of education from Student Association

(SA) at GBC, spoke during the meeting reaffirming the interest of implementing a U-Pass at George Brown College.

She said that the majority of 29,000 full-time students at George Brown don't reside in the downtown core and that U-Pass will bring a lot of benefits for students.

"There are three main (GBC) campuses residing in the downtown core, three satellite campuses and

two education centres," said White.

"Many students are commuting between campuses to access their classes."

Parker Galbraith-Nolan, OCAD Student Union's director of campaigns and advocacy highlighted Ottawa as a comparison and noted that OC Transpo has a U-Pass for students at Carleton University, University of Ottawa, Saint Paul University and Algonquin College.

There students pay about $50 a month for the pass, over a 50 per cent discount on a regular monthly pass.

"I believe the U-Pass could strengthen TTC's public relations by showing OCAD students that you care," said Galbraith-Nolan.

During the meeting, Toronto City Councillor Joe Mihevc said that the cost for a U-pass would have to be $80 to $100 each month and an external funding source, such as provincial funding, would be needed.

Without funding, he said "this will be yet another attempt that will be stillborn" as students who walk or drive won't vote to pay the mandatory fee at that level.

Mihevc tweeted that the main challenge is to find a way to balance the students' needs and the TTC's

operation.

"Of course a U-Pass is very desirable," tweeted Mihevc. "This issue will be how to pay for it without hurting TTC operations. That will require external funding."

Nour Alideeb, chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario (CFS-O), said the U-Pass "is the best way forward for students studying, living and commuting into the city."

Alideeb recommended the scope be extended to include students traveling into Toronto via other transit systems such as Hamilton, Mississauga and Durham region.

"Our students are workers, they shop at our local grocery stores, they go to placement, and they are invested in eco-friendly ways of commuting," said Alideeb. "As one of the biggest transit providers in the province, let's lead with affordable and accessible models that work for all."

If approved, the proposal is that U-Pass will be integrated with Presto system and paid for through mandatory student fees for all students in the colleges and universities that join in the program.

6 NEWS

THE DIALOG • dialognews.ca // Jan. 9–29

New health plan will make over 4,400 prescriptions free for young Ontarians OHIP Plus plan available for those aged 24 and under, misses majority of people who can't afford medications, says NDP critic AFRA HOSSAIN REPORTER-EDITOR

Starting Jan. 1, over 4,400 prescribed drugs became free for people 24-years-old or younger in Ontario.

Under the Ontario government's OHIP Plus program, which will cost an estimated $450 million a year, anyone with a health card can get prescribed medications for free.

Drugs covered in the plan include antibiotics, EpiPens and medications for asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression and more.

In a statement, Ontario health and long-term care minister Eric Hoskins said that the government believes all families in the province deserve the same access to medication.

"By making over 4,400 medications available to Ontarians 24 and under at no cost, we are helping all children and youth, regardless of income, get the care they need,” he said.

France Gélinas, the New Democrats' (NDP) critic for health and pharmacare said that the Liberal's plan was missing the majority of people, aged 35-65, who can't afford their medications.

"These are people who are precariously employed, (and) although they are working, they still live in poverty," she said. "They are diagnosed with one, two, sometimes three chronic diseases that all need medication management for them to live healthy. And they are the ones who have the most trouble accessing their drugs."

The OHIP Plus program, which took effect on Jan. 1, will make thousands of prescription drugs free for young Ontarians.

The NDP has announced its own pharmacare plan earlier this year which, if implemented, would provide universal coverage for 125 "essential medicines," according to a party document. The covered medicines would be determined by an independent committee, which would evaluate the drugs included based on "the demonstrated health needs of Ontarians."

Gélinas said that most health issues experienced by people aged 24 or under are not chronic, but for those diagnosed with mental health

issues she is concerned about what happens when they age out of the plan.

"Most serious mental illnesses will be diagnosed between the age of 18 and 25 and those people will be put on medication probably for the rest of their lives,” Gélinas said.

“And who in this day and age at 25 has a full-time job and a drug plan?”

Mark Nesbitt, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, said that OHIP Plus is a starting point for universal pharmacare.

"We've have to start somewhere for universal pharmacare, so we're hoping that this will be a good example," he said. "The OHIP Plus plan is meant to ease the burden of children with chronic illnesses. Also for youth with everyday health concerns, as well."

Full-time George Brown College students have access to health plans through the Student Association (SA), which funds The Dialog.

The enhanced drug plan offers 90 per cent coverage of most prescription drugs and medicine for domestic and international students, up to $6,500.

International students paid $603 for the plan from September until the end of April, and domestic $206.

Yukiko Ito, the SA's senior coordinator of member services, said that the student health plans will remain unchanged for this school year.

However, she added that the SA has requested a review of the next school year for students who are covered by OHIP Plus with its insurance provider, We Speak Student.

Student Association of George Brown College ACADEMIC ADVOCACY PROGRAM The Student Association’s academic advocacy program provides students with guidance and support to resolve academic issues at George Brown College.

as a student, you have the POWER

after your exams, you have 10 DAYS

your education, your voice, SPEAK UP

For more information on the Academic Advocacy program, please email academicadvocacy@sagbc.ca

SPORTS 7

THE DIALOG • dialognews.ca // Jan. 9–29

Huskies ace badminton tournament 18-year-old Yuge "Ace" Zeng continues impressive season at George Brown Open MATTHEW GREEN REPORTER-EDITOR

The Huskies aced another test in December as the badminton squad moves closer to provincial championships.

First-year student Yuge (Ace) Zeng delivered yet another strong performance at the Kim Ng Open tournament Dec. 9-10 at George Brown College to capture the men's single title as well as winning mixed doubles with Yan Zhou.

The 18-year-old Zeng, who entered the tournament as the second seed, outlasted the University of Toronto's Victor Chan in the finals to add another tournament win to his already impressive season. Zeng captured both singles and men's doubles gold in November at Fanshawe and had little trouble at the St. James campus event, never being pushed to three games in any match until the showdown with the top-seeded Chan.

Despite similar results, the new Huskies standout said he felt better about his play at George Brown than at the Fanshawe outing, where

he wasn't at the top of his game due to the time out of classes from the strike.

"At that tournament, I played too relaxed and I didn't play very well but this time we're back to school and I had a lot of time to prepare," Zeng said. "That's why I played way better than at Fanshawe."

Huskies head coach William Schram agreed that Zeng was not his best self at the Fanshawe tournament, but he still found a way to win.

"You can't play your best every day and he was still able to pull it off and win," Schram said. "Today's victory was against a much stronger opponent and was a really exciting victory, so I'm very proud of him today."

Zeng and Zhou defeated Cameron Lai and Boom Nilyok of Humber College to win the mixed doubles bracket. Zeng and Alex Chao finished third in the men's doubles competition.

On the women's side, Yunji Kim placed third in singles after dropping a tough three-game semi-final match to Xia Zhu. In the women's doubles event, Kim partnered with Angeline Alviar to take home a silver.

MEN’S BASKETBALL East / West Holiday Series Dec. 29 Humber. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 George Brown. . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Sheridan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 George Brown. . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Dec. 30 Fanshawe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 George Brown. . . . . . . . . . . . 57 40th Annual Men's Basketball Tournament Jan. 5 QUARTERFINAL George Brown. . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Mohawk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Ace Zeng (middle), with mixed doubles partner Yan Zhou (left) and coach William Schram, has had a strong season so far. PHOTO COURTESY OF GBC ATHLETICS.

"TODAY'S VICTORY WAS AGAINST A MUCH STRONGER OPPONENT AND WAS A REALLY EXCITING VICTORY, SO I'M VERY PROUD OF HIM TODAY." Next up for Huskies is an Ontario College Athletics Association (OCAA) invitational at Centennial College Jan. 12 to 14.

All eyes are looking toward the OCAA Regional tournament as the road to the nationals continues.

"It's nice to have that warm-up tournament and then going to regionals two weeks later," said Schram. "The next step is preparing for those tournaments and picking our team moving forward for regionals."

Big rebound for GBC men's basketball team Huskies cap off holiday break with tournament title after winless series against the West MATTHEW GREEN REPORTER-EDITOR

Point taken.

George Brown men's basketball team made a strong statement coming out of the holiday break by capturing the 40th Annual George Brown Men's Basketball Tournament on Jan. 6.

The Huskies took home the title with a 77-66 win over the St. Clair Saints in the title game. Third-year guard Teshayn Gayle continued his impressive play of late, earning MVP honours. Gayle, Adam Costanzo, and Nick McDonald were

named all-stars for George Brown.

The Huskies opened with a victory over Mohawk before knocking off Durham in the semifinals on the way to victory. The result was a nice bounce back for George Brown after going 0-3 against western division opponents in the East / West Holiday Series a week earlier.

"We played six great games full of intensity and we said it wasn't really about the wins during this break, it was more about improving quarter by quarter," said Huskies head coach Jonathan Smith. "I think we achieved that. We had three tough losses at the East / West but they were all close games."

SCORES

Jan. 6 SEMIFINAL George Brown. . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Durham. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 FINAL George Brown. . . . . . . . . . . . 77 St. Clair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NCCC Thunderwolves Classic Dec. 16 George Brown. . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Genessee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Dec. 17 George Brown. . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Niagara. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

MEN'S VOLLEYBALL Dec. 6 George Brown. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Centennial. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Fleming Tournament Jan. 6 George Brown A. . . . . . . . . . . 3 Sheridan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 George Brown B. . . . . . . . . . . 3 La Cite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 George Brown A. . . . . . . . . . . 2 George Brown B. . . . . . . . . . . 3 Jan. 7 Fleming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 George Brown A. . . . . . . . . . . 0 Sheridan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 George Brown B. . . . . . . . . . . 2

WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL Dec. 6 Centennial. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 George Brown. . . . . . . . . . . . . 0

Chris Fields plays against Durham College in the GBC Basketball Tournament on the Jan. 6. PHOTO COURTESY OF GBC ATHLETICS.

Both events served as a good measuring stick for GBC heading into the second half of the regular season. The opportunity to battle western division teams is not to be overlooked.

"To see from one to eight in that (west) division, anybody can beat

anybody, so we all know that fighting for the best possible position for the cross-over game (in first round of playoffs) is immense," said Smith.

The Huskies (9-1) resume their regular season on Jan. 12 at Fleming (2-8). A huge matchup against the OCAA's only undefeated team, the

Seneca Sting (10-0) looms large on Jan. 23. Let's just say this team has not forgotten.

"We know Seneca's coming up and that's a big one and we're ready for them. We're waiting for them.

We're marking our calendar," said Gayle. "That's one game we're definitely looking forward to, from the coaching staff all the way down to the 15th man, all the way down to the therapist, all the way down to the crowd."

8 STORIES OF THE YEAR

THE DIALOG • dialognews.ca // Jan. 9–29

Stories of the year From the record-breaking college strike, an ongoing overdose crisis and Hurricane Irma, The Dialog shed light on some dark matters in 2017

What we learned covering the college faculty strike Strike coverage shows how crucial student journalism is as students and faculty from across Ontario read The Dialog for the latest news Mick Sweetman Managing Editor

T

he longest strike in the history of the Ontario college system.

That’s what 12,000 faculty and 300,000 students experienced this fall, including the student journalists at The Dialog.

George Brown College is one of the few colleges in Ontario that has a student media organization that isn’t run by a journalism program.

As such, we were able to keep reporting throughout the faculty strike, unlike other college papers

that were shut down.

When we first broke the news of the strike vote in mid-September, students were doubtful of it being real. One reader even said our headline of “Ontario college faculty vote to strike” was “clickbait at its very best LOL.” After five weeks of a bitter strike nobody was laughing anymore.

Our journalists were busy filing daily stories about the strike from the first strike vote in September to end of the strike with back-towork legislation and the aftermath of issues with the student relief fund.

The Dialog published nearly 50 different stories about the faculty strike, including seven videos and the first episode of our new podcast.

The Dialog’s website became a go-to news source during the strike and attracted readers not only from George Brown, but also college students and striking faculty from across Ontario.

Our website saw a huge spike in readership during the strike with 365 per cent more pageviews than

the same period the year before.

Over half of our digital readership was from outside of Toronto during the strike, including cities that have major colleges like Brampton, Mississauga, Hamilton, London, Ottawa and Kitchener-Waterloo.

But beyond the numbers we were able to help students put a face to the faculty that were striking.

Our reporters went out on the picket line to talk with professors about why they were on strike and covered rallies by both students and faculty.

This type of digital-first daily reporting was effective, but also difficult to co-ordinate with a small part-time news team as stories would break over the weekend or late Friday afternoon. There were times when our team was stretched to the breaking point but we were able to keep on the stories that mattered to students and broke news that other outlets didn’t cover.

We were one of the only places that apprenticeship students could learn about what was happening with their eight-to-10 week pro-

Covering the opioid crisis Editor-in-Chief goes behind the scenes of The Dialog's coverage of the overdose crisis Steve Cornwell Editor-in-Chief

O

ne of the biggest stories that The Dialog followed in 2017 was the ongoing opioid overdose crisis, and efforts to stop it— some official, and others unsanctioned.

I became aware of Jonathan Johnston, a George Brown College (GBC) culinary graduate who died from a fentanyl overdose in April of 2016, after reading about him in the St. Catharines Standard, a news-

paper from his hometown.

Jonathan's life and death was immediately captivating and utterly tragic. By all accounts he was a driven and rising star in Toronto's culinary scene, as well as a revered eldest brother and son in the large Johnston family.

But Jonathan also had trouble controlling his use of substances, and was one of the 2,458 opioid-related deaths in Canada in 2016.

Speaking to the next of kin in these situations is challenging, and in approaching Jonathan's mother Jennifer, for an interview, I anticipated at best being rejected. At worst, I wondered if Jennifer and her family might call me an ambulance chaser or grief merchant.

But Jennifer and her daughter Sarah graciously walked me through their lives with Jonathan and the aftermath of his untimely death. It

PHOTO: LIDANNY BOTTO/THE DIALOG

wasn't easy for me to ask the questions and hear the responses, so I can imagine it was very challenging for them.

Their accounts made the story, which I hope is a humanizing if horrible account of the stakes of the ongoing overdose crisis in Canada, and elsewhere. The crisis has brought many individuals, communities and institutions into the fray to address overdoses.

grams that were interrupted by the strike.

We also covered the lighter side of the strike with an interview with the faculty member behind the popular “Yeti on strike” Twitter account who picketed for weeks in a Yeti costume.

The main lesson I can draw from this experience is that it’s times like a faculty strike where the importance of having an active student media organization on campus really shows itself. Students at George Brown College were lucky

to have a news source that was independent of the college where they could get quick and reliable information about the strike.

That said, we are all glad it’s over.

Lidianny Botto, a reporter-editor at The Dialog, produced several stories to highlight the efforts of harm reduction volunteers in Moss Park, who set up an overdose prevention site, north of St. James campus in August. These volunteers, have been working to ensure a measure of safety for folks at risk of overdosing, and done so without the protections of a legally sanctioned site. With the addition of a winterized trailer in November, they are prepared to continue their work into the winter.

Botto was also the first to break the news that GBC's first-aid staff were being trained to use naloxone, a drug which can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Over the following month, the story of the college's naloxone policy developed rapidly.

The Dialog learned that the staff from security and student life were trained to administer naloxone. Yet, we also learned that the college was not allowing staff to use the anti-overdose treatment.

When I was fact-checking this,

and with a story ready to publish, I learned that the college had softened its position. Catherine Drum, the college’s interim manager of environmental health, safety and wellness, told me that there was no legal reason preventing the college from having a policy on administering naloxone, and that if GBC staff were to treat an overdose with the drug, they would be acting on their own accord.

With another draft of the story complete, and just hours prior to sending the story to the printer, Drum revealed that the college had committed to developing a plan for staff to administer naloxone in the case of an overdose. I have never seen the main news item of a single story change so many times before publishing.

We will continue to follow this story in the new year.

Mick Sweetman was a finalist for a John H. MacDonald award for excellence in student journalism for Proposed pay hike for college presidents ‘unacceptable’.

Steve Cornwell won a John H. MacDonald award for excellence in student journalism for The life and death of Jonathan Johnston.

STORIES OF THE YEAR 9

THE DIALOG • dialognews.ca // Jan. 9–29

Representing views that make your 'blood boil' Former reporter-editor Kelsey Rambaran reflects on covering anti-abortion group's visits to George Brown

A

s a writer, one is often faced with having to write about topics that are not necessarily interesting to them, or topics that they don’t have any strong feelings toward in either direction.

However, there are those times when journalists are tasked with covering something that they do have strong opinions about, but must remain unbiased in their reporting to give both sides of the story.

This past year, I was given one such story that made me extremely upset when having to report it, because people I interviewed had such opposing views from my own. It was hard to take a step back from it and just listen to them as if I were a neutral party.

Many students were not pleased to find the anti-abortion protesters on George Brown College's St. James campus back in the 2017 winter semester. They had made it their

mission to go around to as many schools as possible in and around Toronto to attempt to have discourse with and dissuade students from being pro-choice.

As a feminist, I strongly believe in being pro-choice, female empowerment and equality for all. To me, this means women have the right to make their own decisions in all matters, and in this instance, that includes making choices about their health.

The anti-abortion protesters do not agree with me on this, and having to talk to someone who blatantly said that it’s not the mother’s body so it’s not her choice made my blood boil. But of course, I couldn’t say

that to their face.

Instead, I wrote the story and kept my opinions to myself, which can be difficult sometimes. While it was a challenging series of pieces for me to write, I still feel as though I am better for having done so. I know I put my best reporting foot forward and can proudly say that I helped raise awareness by letting students know what was happening on their campus.

Kelsey Rambaran reported for The Dialog from February to July in 2017.

Reporting on a student housing crisis, as a student in a housing crisis Reporter-editor Megan Kinch reflects on her feature story, Student housing in a rental crisis

B

efore I got the job as a reporter-editor at The Dialog, I was thinking about writing a rental housing crisis story. I even pitched it in the interview.

Sometimes it's hard for me to think about anything but the rental housing crisis. A year ago I was living in a totally shitty basement apartment crammed in with way too many people with an asshole landlord. As a working-class person, the struggle just gets harder without effective rent control and no serious

money going into housing.

Despite the fact that I always pay my rent on time, I haven’t lived in one place for more two years in a row since I moved out from my parents' house in 1999. I even decided to change my profession and go into construction because I just can’t make enough money as a writer or an academic to make it work anymore in this city.

So how did I approach a story about a crisis in student housing, a story I've experienced intimately?

PHOTO: THE DIGITEL/CREATIVE COMMONS

In this case, I chose to interview Anna Oliveros, my neighbour and friend who lived down the hall from me -- it's like a way of telling my story without making it about me.

Another student voice in the story, Saj Emmanuel, an African immigrant hustling to find a decent

2

017 was definitely the year of natural disasters in many parts of the world.

Mexico suffered from earthquakes that killed hundreds while floods devastated parts of Bangladesh, India and Nepal killing at least 1,200 people. Texas and Louisiana were slammed by Hurricane Harvey, which killed 82 people and caused a reported $180 billion in damages.

But it was Hurricane Irma, which devastated several countries in the Caribbean, that touched the George Brown College (GBC) community.

In September I interviewed the former GBC clubs co-ordinator, Cameron Wathey. The same week

that Wathey was going to leave his job and life in Toronto to go back to his family home in St. Martin in the Caribbean, to work in his family business, the island took a direct hit from Irma.

I spoke with Wathey three days after the disaster happened and I could feel how desperate he was about the situation. He told me that his family lost their house, their business, and they were sleeping at a friend's house.

Several times his voice faltered on the phone, which made me wonder if he was crying. It was delicate to ask how he was feeling and to hear him vent.

"Everybody is in panic, afraid," he said. "Nobody knows what to do.

I’m hopeful for my family, but I’m extremely sick to my stomach because there is limited food.”

While I was speaking with him, I couldn't stop thinking about what I'd do if this happened with me.

In November, reporter-editor Meng Ma, wrote a story about Masini McDermott, a GBC staff member and former student with family members who made homeless by Irma.

McDermott needed to take two of her aunts and their children into her apartment in Toronto. The children have been stayed since Oct. 7.

McDermott also organized and performed at a benefit concert for a relief effort for the islands Tortola, Dominica and Anguilla.

I was also really happy to report that even more members of the George Brown community were

highest traffic stories in 2017 were strike related.

The three stories that broke through were:

Police arrest two men in murder of GBC student Samatar Farah Mick Sweetman Managing Editor

room, reminded me of my partner.

He's also an African immigrant who is always dealing with housing insecurity and trying to find a room somewhere with decent people and hopefully a window.

I feel like being embedded in this kind of life allows me to find the right people and to know a bit of what they are going through.

Megan Kinch was a finalist for a John H. MacDonald award for excellence in student journalism for King of the Casa.

Anti-abortion protestors target George Brown College Kelsey Rambaran Reporter-Editor

When your life takes a direct hit Reporter-editor Lidianny Botto reflects on reporting the impacts of Hurricane Irma in the George Brown community

17/20 of The Dialog’s

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAMERON WATHEY

banding together to help with Hurricane Irma relief efforts, when SafeWalk and SXM Irma Relief ran a campaign to collect donated supplies to send to St. Marten.

Covering how Irma impacted the GBC community gave me the opportunity to reflect on how grateful I am to have my family and friends safe in my home country, Brazil.

Lidianny Botto joined The Dialog as a reporter-editor in August 2017.

The life and death of Jonathan Johnston Steve Cornwell Editor-in-Chief

The Dialog won the John H. MacDonald award for best website in 2017

10 ARTS & LIFE

THE DIALOG • dialognews.ca // Jan. 9–29

Becoming a Canadian Reporter-editor Carolina Toca on becoming a Canadian citizen CAROLINA TOCA REPORTER-EDITOR

Oh Canada, I just became one of your citizens. Thank you.

Typically, your editor doesn’t often ask you to write a personal essay of an event in your life. But, it’s not often you become the citizen of an adopted homeland.

As immigrants, life isn’t always easy at first. The immigration process is much more than getting a permanent residence visa.

Learning to live in a new language, adapting to new traditions, a new culture, a new climate (the first Winter is brutal), finding a job and friends, can be actually the most challenging parts of the whole pro-

Carolina Toca, reporter-editor at The Dialog, shares the significance of becoming a Canadian citizen. PHOTO: CAROLINA TOCA/THE DIALOG

cess. Then there is the Canadian citizenship test.

People hoping to become citizens must first prove they know about Canada's history, demographics, geography, politics, elections and symbols. The test is just one of the last steps toward citizenship, and it contains 20 multiple-choice ques-

tions. You need to get at least 15 questions correct to pass.

It’s not the easiest test, but I was able to get a perfect score.

According to the Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration 2017, Canada admitted more than 296,000 new permanent residents in 2016, the highest admissions levels since

2010. Between 2012 and 2016, Canada welcomed almost one million new citizens. The majority of new Canadians came from the Philippines (109,212), India (100,220) and China (73,052).

Soon, we will be more. A new plan by the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship will settle nearly one million new immigrants will settle in Canada between 2018 and 2020.

Under the plan, 310,000 new permanent residents will settle in 2018, increasing to 330,000 in 2019, and 340,000 in 2020.

In the long immigration process, I cannot even imagine the adversity many aspiring Canadians have had to overcome. Packing your life in a suitcase, leaving your homeland, your family is not as simple as it sounds. Yet through all the challenges, we chose to stay.

Looking back, I want to share why I love living here and being a new Canadian citizen.

Canada is an amazing country in many aspects and now the rest of the world is becoming well aware of that too. In its annual liveability ranking report, the Economist Intelligence Unit took a look at 140 cities across the globe, and three Canadian cities, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver are listed in the top five.

I love being here because I feel

I STILL CANNOT BELIEVE THAT I AM STANDING HERE LIVING MY DREAMS. Canadians tend to trust, take care and help each other. I think we practice the importance of democracy, of having a voice, and speaking out for others. We may not share the same past, but it feels like we share the same goals for the future.

Canada gave us a future, hope and the ability to choose the life we wanted. I still pinch myself every time I do what I love to do, and I still cannot believe that I am standing here living my dreams.

All of this is possible because we live in a country that values pluralism and diversity.

Canada has its challenges too.

For a start, we have to reconcile with Indigenous communities here.

And we have to be kind, respectful and loving of one another as the cultural demographics of Canada continue to change.

I believe we can do it.

ARTS & LIFE 11

THE DIALOG • dialognews.ca // Jan. 9–29

‘Talk, talk, talk, people, people, people’ Francis Torres, Motif Co founder, GBC graduate and former SA St. James campus director, talks fashion and entrepreneurship CHAU NGUYEN REPORTER-EDITOR

During his time at George Brown College (GBC), Francis Torres had a lot on his plate.

He started off as a member of the Student Association’s (SA) events squad and went on to run for the position of St. James campus director, while also starting a street clothing line called Motif. Co. However, Torres said that originally he had no intention of getting so involved with campus life.

“I figured I was going to study, I was just going to go to class, go home and one thing led to another,” said Torres. “I started from the event squad and things just went from there.”

The GBC alumnus credited his success as an entrepreneur to GBC professors who encouraged him to pursue his passions and the courses

at the college which helped him realize his potential with things that he didn’t expect he’d be good at.

He also attributed his current success to the experiences he had with as part of the SA. “It taught me a lot, it taught me ‘people, people, people’,” said Torres. “To meet as many people, it helped me out of my comfort zone to really reach out and meet like-minded people.”

There were days that Torres felt overwhelmed. His secret on managing everything despite a hectic schedule is simply to know what to prioritize and who to prioritize.

"Sometimes you have to take a step back and be like ‘maybe I have to push this a couple of days back so I can sleep and maybe work on things for school’,” said Torres.

“Sacrificing is something that you do as a student and sometimes I had to bite, so to speak.”

As an entrepreneur what Torres

thinks really matters is “talk, talk, talk, people, people, people.” Meeting different people from different walks of life with different viewpoints is vital to anyone who sets out to be self-employed, according to him.

Founded in July 2015, his street clothing brand has had several collections, yet still remains a “side hustle”, as he calls it, due to the lack of time and resources. Torres has set his goal to make Motif. Co a full-time passion.

Torres thinks his brand Motif, which stands for “Motivate Others ‘Till It Fits”, can help motivate people.

“When I reached out to other people and they were talking about how much the brand changed them and how much that inspired them to do other things, I find it really cool and I found that it was cool that something so little to some people could motivate to the masses,” said Torres. “You’re motivated, you’re trying to do what you can and that’s what it’s all about.”

Francis Torres credits his success to both his academics and his time with the Student Association at GBC. PHOTO: SANDY DRAL

With files from Manseeb Khan. You can listen to his interview with Torres on The Dialog Podcast on our website, iTunes, Soundcloud or wherever you get your podcasts.

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12 ARTS & LIFE

THE DIALOG • dialognews.ca // Jan. 9–29

Breaking bedazzled Student jeweller Isabel Gertler left a job in market research to take full-time jewellery studies at George Brown CHAU NGUYEN REPORTER-EDITOR

Third-year jewellery student Isabel Gertler has experience working with several different materials. But what's her favourite?

"It probably depends on my mood that day," Gertler laughed.

She's been working with silver and gold, yet she said her favourite is acrylic.

"I really enjoy the acrylic — it’s sort of a quicker material to work with, it doesn’t require the same finishing that metal does and you just get that big pop of colour."

Gertler decided to take up jewelry when her job in market research started to feel dull and she decided to do something about it.

"I was looking for a creative outlet, so I started doing silversmithing and copper enameling classes in the evening," Gertler said.

Enchanted by jewelry-making and thrilled with the idea of accomplishing more than just what she learned in her evening classes, Gertler decided to leave her job and study full-time at GBC. "The program here is amazing.

It’s so comprehensive, it gives us a lot of experience with all aspects of jewelry," said Gertler.

She has also been making jewelry for her friends and family outside of her full-time study at the college. She's been making engagement rings and wedding bands for her friends and family, and also has joined quite a few fairs and exhibitions to get her crafts out there —

one of which is the her program's Holiday Jewellery Sale.

The Holiday Jewellery Sale, held at George Brown's Casa Loma campus on Dec. 12 and 13, is also a chance to give back to the community, according to Gertler. Ten per cent of the sales will be go to the local food bank to support families at holiday time.

With all the experience and knowledge acquired from the time she spent at the college, different art shows and from her internship, Gertler is excited to have her own jewelry brand someday. At the same time, she also feels like she still has a lot to learn.

“I’m going to do a field placement in the winter semester with a jewelry business in Toronto, and so I’m excited to get some local experience working for an established company here, and then we’ll see how that goes.”

Most of her work can be found on her Instagram or her website, and she also has her work carried at the Craft Ontario shop.

Third-year George Brown jewelry student Isabel Gertler was looking for a creative outlet when she started taking jewelry classes, but now she's looking to start her own brand. PHOTO: CHAU NGUYEN/THE DIALOG

"THE PROGRAM HERE IS AMAZING. IT’S SO COMPREHENSIVE, IT GIVES US A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH ALL ASPECTS OF JEWELRY."

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 13

THE DIALOG • dialognews.ca // Jan. 9–29

encourages you to get outside and walk around to increase your steps and altitude that is monitored by the device. Wii Fit Plus is for those who are looking for less intense workouts that anyone can do.

Intensity Level: 5/10

IMAGE: SIMON DUNFORD AND ALI MCKELLAR

SAMANTHA KACZALA INTERROBANG

(CUP) — For years, video games have transcended the sole use of controllers. Only your hands were required to move around the device to play the game. However, now some video games implement the whole body, giving players the ability to exercise while appreciating a fun game. We found a few games that require your body to get up and going, while playing a fun activity.

Pokémon Go (iOS, Android) Made popular in the summer 2016, the goal of the game is to find Pokémon and catch them as you walk around a town or city. At the same time you can collect items from Poké stops (item caches) in

certain locations as well as hatch any Pokémon eggs you find by the miles you walk. Discovering new Pokémon and hatching eggs is what makes Pokémon Go an exciting adventure for players and it is as simple as walking around town for the fun times to begin.

Intensity Level: 3/10 Wii Fit Plus (Wii U + Wii Balance Board + Wii Fit Meter) Successor to Wii Fit, Wii Fit Plus offers a variety of mini games that will get you moving. The accessory Wii Balance Board determines a person’s weight and centre of balance to determine what games would be best played for the player.

There are over 40 games to choose from to get some simple exercises in the day. In addition, the Wii Fit Meter, which comes with the game,

Sprint Vector (Oculus Rift with Oculus One Touch) You won’t even have to move from your spot to work up a sweat. Sprint Vector is a fast moving racing virtual reality (VR) game that avoids the dreaded motion sickness of regular VRs. The player moves their arms back and forth, as if running, to propel their character forward.

Now, put this on 20 times repeat and you have a fast action moving game that leave your muscles pleasantly sore and potentially sweating buckets. Hands are the new feet for Sprint Vector.

Intensity Level: 6/10 Just Dance 2017 (Nintendo Switch, Wii U, PS4, Xbox One, PC) The latest installment of the Just Dance series, Just Dance 2017 keeps the classical wacky dances of the previous games packed together with new songs for players to enjoy.

The choreography is fun and expressive for people to just “wave their arms around in the air like they just don’t care” and this can

make you look pretty ridiculous.

But don’t fret because when you play with your friends they’ll be in the same boat as you. The game is a great way to have a fun and wacky time while exercising to some interesting tunes.

Intensity Level: 8/10 Dance Dance Revolution (Arcade, PS1, PS2, PS3, Xbox, Wii) Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) is one of the best video game series to get you working up a sweat. You play by stepping on directional arrows on a mat that is timed to the beat of a music track. You can compete with another player and see who can hit the right notes with the most accuracy and speed. The game is fast paced and has you both appreciating and hating the intensity of the step sequences at the same time. DDR is best for building stamina and leg strength while you “bust a move” to some great tunes.

Intensity Level: 9/10 Dance Central Spotlight (Xbox + Kinect) A fun game that you can groove to with well-choreographed dancing and an almost seemingly endless list of music. Dance Central Spotlight focuses on the cool moves of the choreography of each song to get your heart racing and your feet moving as you follow along with

the dancer shown onscreen. You are able to customize a fitness workout with music of your choosing and focus on what parts of your body you want to train, such as cardio. Play solo or with your friends to enjoy hip-hop moves. Dance Central Spotlight lights up any dull exercising to an intense workout of fun dancing.

Intensity Level: 9/10 Nike+ Kinect Training (Xbox 360 + Kinect) Nike+ Kinect Training uses the Kinect of Xbox 360 to its full use.

With full-on tutorials and a virtual trainer leading you through the workout sessions, you will feel as if you are in an actual gym while exercising from the comfort of your own home. The game is not so much fun as it is an intense exercise.

You can see both yourself as a projection and the trainer at the same time relatively well, making it easier to follow the exercises you’re doing. After giving the game some of your information like height or weight, it will create a personalized workout session for you. Nike+ Kinect Training is an excellent game to achieve an intense workout.

Intensity Level: 10/10

STUDENTASSOCIATION G E O R G E B R O W N C O L L E G E

Come learn more about clubs and other college services!

RYERSON CAMPUS, 5TH FLOOR ATRIUM THURSDAY, FEB. 1, 2018 // 11 A.M. – 1 P.M. CASA LOMA, 3RD FLOOR PATIO, CAFETERIA TUESDAY, FEB. 13, 2018 // 11 A.M. – 1 P.M. ST. JAMES, 2ND FLOOR PATIO, LOWER LOBBY WEDNESDAY, FEB. 14, 2018 // 11 A.M. – 1 P.M. WATERFRONT, MAIN LOBBY THURSDAY, FEB. 15, 2018 // 11 A.M. – 1 P.M. For more information: Please contact our Clubs Coordinator at clubs@sagbc.ca

PUZZLES & FUN 15

THE DIALOG • dialognews.ca // Jan. 9–29

HORRIBLE "HOROSCOPES" Aries (March 21-April 20) Whether it's a major purchase or finally starting your peanut-butter bubble gum business, trust yourself to mostly not break the bank—or the law.

Taurus (April 21-May 21) Beware of weaknesses such as low-fi GIFs no one understands and the need to sleep.

Gemini (May 22-June 21) Life is too short for putting up with bad vibes or shoes. Be open to new friends and better footwear.

Cancer (June 22-July 23) Keep an eye on the skies. Snow, birds or crushed dreams may be making themselves known on your head sooner than you think.

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Libra (Sept. 24-Oct. 23) Remember that friend whose texts you never responded to? No? Well, they remember you.

Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Of all your overly optimistic resolutions, drinking more water is probably the only one you're going to follow through on. Especially if you stretch the definition of "water" to anything liquid.

Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Expect several mediocre conversations in the days to come that will seem disturbing in retrospect.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) It's time to take the leap and employ one of the many comebacks you've come up with in the shower against your foes.

Aquarius (Jan. 21-Feb. 19) New year, new you. Unrecognizable you. Take advantage of this permanent and possibly terrifying change.

Pisces (Feb. 20-Mar. 20) The stars have aligned to spell out some rude words directed at you. Now, we can't possibly publish them in this family-friendly newspaper. But trust us: super rude.

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ISSUE 7 SOLUTION

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Puzzle by websudoku.com

Leo (July 24-Aug. 23) This is the year to overcome your allergies to committment and strange seasonal fruits. Best of luck.

Virgo (Aug. 24-Sept. 23) Saturn is not happy with you. No one is, really.

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Puzzle by websudoku.com

PUZZLE CONTEST

Complete a puzzle from this page and drop it off at any Student Association (SA) office* for a chance to win a $10 Tim Hortons gift card!

First Name Last Name Phone # Email

*SA OFFICE LOCATIONS Casa Loma Campus St. James Campus 142 Kendal Ave, Room E100 200 King St. E, Room 147 Waterfront Campus 51 Dockside Dr, Room 033

Ryerson Campus 99 Gerard St. E, Room 614 ACROSS

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