The Eyeopener: Vol 57, Issue 11

Celestial slate sweeps TMSU 2024 annual election

The slate won every BoD executive position with nearly 60 per cent of the vote

By Anastasia Blosser, Dexter LeRuez and Gabriela Silva Ponte

The Toronto Metropolitan Students’ Union (TMSU) announced the 2024 annual election’s results at 6 p.m. on Sunday.

The Celestial slate—composed of presidential candidate Nadir Janjua, vice president operations candidate Muhammad Awais, vice president equity candidate Hafsa Iqbal, vice president student life and events candidate Koby Biya and vice president education candidate Aneesa Masood—won all of the executive slots of the TMSU Board of Directors (BoD).

The slate led with approximately 60 per cent of the vote in every BoD executive position.

Janjua will serve as the TMSU’s president for the 2024–25 fiscal year, despite never serving on the BoD before.

The voting period came to a close on March 8 at 5 p.m., after voting polls opened on March 6.

According to section 11.3.1 of the Elections Procedures Code, the TMSU is to provide unofficial election results as soon as possible and within 48 hours of the voting polls closing.

Due to daylight savings time, the Elections and Referenda Committee (ERC) technically had until 6 p.m. to provide results.

The 2024–25 TMSU general election saw a voter turnout of nearly seven per cent, an increase of almost 30 per cent since the fall 2023 byelection.

Former vice president operations Aleksander Strazisar, former vice president education Hetu Patel and former vice president equity Patricia Doan were not elected into their desired roles.

Strazisar was running for the president position and Patel and Doan were looking to be reelected into their former roles.

They were previously elected during the fall 2023 byelection which was held as a result of the cancellation of the overall spring 2023 election, as previously reported by The Eyeopener. The election’s cancellation came due to a wide array of bylaw infractions.

The nomination period for the 2024 TMSU election took place from Feb. 12 to 16 and the campaigning period spanned over the course of 10 days, starting Feb. 28 and ending March 8.

The new team will serve in office from May 1, 2024 to April 30, 2025, according to section 4.3.1 of the TMSU’s bylaws. The current team, which resulted from the byelection, will continue to serve until April 30, 2024.

Vice president education: Aneesa Masood

Vice president equity: Hafsa Iqbal

Vice president student life and events: Koby Biya

The Creative School (Two seats): Arzo Aslami

Ananya Sharma/No photo

Faculty of Arts (Two seats): Josh Klomp/No photo (acclaimed) Jason Ramsay (acclaimed)

Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science (Two seats): Saad Manjawala/No photo Isabella Furlan

Faculty of Science (Two seats): Sarthak Sanjay Pradhan/No photo (acclaimed) Faheem Iqbal (acclaimed)/No photo

President: Nadir Janjua

Here are your 2024–25 BoD Faculty Representatives:

Vice president operations: Muhammad Awais

International (One seat): Muhammad Ahmed Raza (acclaimed)/No photo

Here is your 2024–25 TMSU BoD:

Ted Rogers School of Business (Two seats): Saya Diji Pressa Anilkumar (acclaimed)/No photo Rohaan Janjua (acclaimed)/No photo

JERRY ZHANG/THE EYEOPENER

Photos courtesy of the TMSU

Dais hosts panel highlighting women in tech industries

Panelists included leaders from IKEA, Ericsson, Accelerate Her Future, Shopify and Women In Big Data

By Anastasia Blosser

The Dais and the European Union (EU) held a joint panel in the Sears Atrium of the George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre on March 8, which was also International Women’s Day. The event discussed the role of women working in technological sectors and how gender equality can be fostered in the industry.

Panellists Golnaz Golnaraghi, Jane Strong, Lilian Lau and Siham Himer Soufiani shared their experiences working in tech, practical career advice and their recommendations for addressing gender inequality in the industry.

In part of her opening comments, Katie Gibson, a senior fellow at the Dais, explained that the organization’s name means raised platform.

“The voices and perspectives of women are essential in shaping innovations”

“It reminds us that real change only happens when we lift new voices,” she said. “In an era defined for rapid, logical advancement, there’s an urgent need for gender equality. The voices and perspectives of women are essential in

shaping innovations that will define our collective future.”

At the event, Magdalena Pszczółkowska, a Polish consul general, said the EU has been actively working to address gender imbalances in the tech industry.

“There is no doubt that we have made significant progress towards a more equal sector,” she said. “The EU has been investing in initiatives to enhance digital skills and education to encourage girls and women to pursue schooling in [tech] fields.”

According to a Statistics Canada study from 2019, women graduated faster than men from science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs and were more likely to persist in their field.

Despite this, there has been a very small increase in the number of women working in tech from 2001 to 2023 according to Viet Vu, an economic research manager at the Dais. Approximately a third of women with a STEM degree do not work in a field related to their studies.

Pszczółkowska said she reviewed documents from G20 countries to determine five essential strategies to promote gender equality in the technology sector. The strategies were early exposure to educational opportunities, mentorship, highlighting successful women, strong

networks and equal pay practices.

“We find ourselves at a university and an institution of knowledge, new ideas. In this room I see future leaders, CEOs, scientists, educators and journalists,” said Pszczółkowska. “I believe your generation has a wonderful opportunity to impact the STEM industry and to even the playing field. You are the future and in no time, you will have the power to make change.”

Quennie Rapa, a second-year business technology management student, said the panel provided “lots of learning opportunities” that will help her throughout her career.

“It was a great networking opportunity,” she said. “I just wanted to dress up a little bit and be a business student for once.”

Rapa said panels like these help her explore fields she’s interested in and expand her opportunities

SAMMY KOGAN/THE EYEOPENER

after graduation.

Monica Kulbieda, a second-year business technology management student, echoed Rapa’s sentiment and said the information shared was helpful, even if Kulbieda chooses not to go into a technological field.

“Although I might not be interested in this sector, I thought it was a good opportunity to meet more people and enhance opportunities for the future,” Kulbieda said.

TMU students react to the university law school’s new home

The Lincoln Alexander School of Law will be moved to one of the

By Dexter LeRuez

Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) students are hopeful that new class space will be created due to the TMU law school’s relocation.

As previously reported by The Eyeopener, the Lincoln Alexander School of Law is set to be moved to 277 Victoria St. in 2025.

The school acquired the building alongside 38 Dundas St. E. last summer, as previously reported by The Eye.

“This will be a permanent new space for our law students, faculty and staff,” TMU president Mohamed Lachemi told The Eye in an interview.

“It will establish a highly visible presence for the law school and the university at the busiest intersection in the country,” he said.

Currently, the school is based out of the fourth floor of the Podium Building at 350 Victoria St. Riyan Jama, a first-year collab-

orative nursing student, thinks the school’s current location fails to inform people of its usage.

“I’ve been to the fourth floor but I wasn’t sure what exactly went on there,” said Jama. “I feel like if they move [the law school], they have an opportunity to promote it more so people know it exists.”

According to Lachemi, the university was aware that a new location for the law school would be needed to satisfy accredita -

university’s recently-acquired buildings

tion bodies when the school was opened in 2020.

However, one student is unsure if the space will be best used by the Lincoln Alexander School of Law.

Kyle Lingum, a fifth-year business communication student, doesn’t know “how much space the law school needs.”

Lingum highlighted a lack of lecture space for undergraduate students while acknowledging his limited knowledge of the law school.

“It’s tough because I know the undergraduate classes…have very little lecture space,” said Lingum. “But I’m not too sure, [the law school] might [have] the same problem.”

“The student and faculty population has significantly grown since the law school’s launch, and additional space is needed,” said Lachemi. “Larger classrooms and dedicated space for research and academic work are critical in ensuring the law school’s continued growth and success.”

The Lincoln Alexander School of Law was inaugurated in 2020, as previously reported by The Eye. It was renamed from Ryerson’s Faculty of Law to its current name in 2021, as previously reported by The Eye.

277 Victoria St. is currently used as a safe injection site and is 11-storeys high with 115,000 square feet of space. With so much space for the university to use, Jama hopes that more resources for students of faith can be established on campus.

“I feel like if there is a place where we could sign out prayer mats and [access] resources, that would be nice for sure.”

JERRY ZHANG/THE EYEOPENER

Some behind the scenes photos of Volume 57 so far

It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for—Eyelections are back!

Join us for The Eyeopener’s annual in-person elections where every position on our masthead will be open. It will be an exciting day of speeches as we welcome new editors onto our team for the fall 2024 semester and the next volume of The Eye! Elections will occur on April 11 in the Oakham Lounge on the second floor of the Student Campus Centre from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and the voting period will take place on April 12

from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. via email.

Who can run?

All full-time, Toronto Metropolitan University students are eligible to run for a masthead position.

Which positions are available?

Editor-in-Chief

Arts and Culture Editor

Features Editor

Business and Technology Editor

Fun and Satire Editor

Communities Editor

Production Editors (previously Online Editors) (2)

Sports Editors (2)

News Editors (3)

Photo Editors (3)

Media Editors (2)

Digital Producer (new position!)

The full list of role descriptions will be available on our website theeyeopener.com and the aforementioned social media platforms on March 19.

Who can vote?

All masthead members and any volunteer who has contributed at least three times this semester is eligible to vote. Articles, photos and videos count as one contribution each, features count as two contributions each and copy editing and factchecking articles each count as half a contribution. Interested in running? Stay up-todate on all our platforms to not miss a thing. Nomination and campaign-

Editor-in-Chief

Negin “Negzilla” Khodayari

News

Gabriela “Nice Necklace” Silva Ponte

Dexter “PWHL” LeRuez

Anastasia “Daily Double” Blosser

Photo

Brithi “Merch!” Sehra

Jerry “Pizza Hut” Zhang

Sammy “Groovy” Kogan

Online

Madeline “Sun Baby” Liao

Shaki “Dipsy” Sutharsan

Features

Kinza “Womp Womp” Zafar

Arts and Culture

Caelan “Gagged” Monkman

Business and Technology

Jake “Final Jeopardy!” MacAndrew

Communities

Bana “Noo-Noo” Yirgalem

Sports

Ilyas “Tinky-Winky” Hussein

Daniella “Laa-Laa” Lopez

Fun and Satire

Joshua “Po” Chang

Media

Konnor “Peach Cream” Killoran

Vanessa “Back to Photo?” Kauk

General Manager

Liane “HBD Luke!” McLarty

Acting Design Director

Sammy “J.D.” Kogan

Contributors

Valeria “Sunny D” Aldana

Fatima “LACHEMI???” Raza

Adriana “Most Contribs Award” Fallico

Khushy “Double Header” Vashisht

Talia “Cafe Connoisseur” Saley

Alex “Murder on the Dance Floor” Wauthy

Anthony “Bloomberg” LippaHardy

Dana “Super-NOVA” Kleiman

Parker “DaHotBox” Theis

Danielle “Crochet Club” Reid

Jonas “Camera Boy” Ibach

LeBron “Emotional” Pryce

Felipe “Support” Karmel

Nika “Sippity Sip” Bakhtiari

Matthew “Dap Up” Lin Zarmminaa “Suspicious Cookies” Rehman

Mohamed “Hide-and-seek” Lachemi

CP “Office MVP” 24

Kate “Missing” Middleton

Frankie “Flaming Hot” Falcon

Slotted “Mic’d Up” Spoon

JP “Anti-King City” Saxe

Hey “It’s” Franklin

Ken “Maphead” Jennings

Visuals by Brithi Sehra, Sammy Kogan, Jerry Zhang and Jonas Ibach

TMU students showcase artwork ‘NOVA’ at Winter Stations

Four architectural science students among winners of this year’s competition

By Dana Kleiman

Four Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) architectural science students are among this year’s winners of the design competition, Winter Stations, on display until the first week of April. Started in 2014, Winter Stations is a Toronto-based international architectural design competition that “invites the international design and art community to reimagine the lifeguard stations along the city’s east end beaches for the winter,” according to the competition’s website.

This year’s theme, Resonance, led to the creation of NOVA—a product of TMU architectural science students Nathaniel Barry, Luca Castellan, Emily Lensin and Jake Levy—supervised by associate chair of architectural science Vincent Hui. NOVA stands as an innovative design filled with creativity, inviting users to engage with their surroundings and access panoramic views of the beach.

With the four team members taking on different tasks, they worked together effortlessly to make NOVA a reality. Additionally, 18 eager first and second-year

students also joined in, helping out at different stages of the project.

“Creating NOVA was all about creativity and teamwork,” said Lensin. “Everyone brought something special to the table, and together we overcame challenges to make something truly amazing.”

While difficult at times, the NOVA team was aided by the fact that two of their members—Levy and Castellan—had participated in Winter Stations before—their past experiences being incredibly helpful in tackling the project’s obstacles.

“We actually just embraced it, and it was very fun.”

“My role allowed me to closely observe the design leads throughout the entire project lifecycle, from the schematic phase to post-construction,” explained Levy in a written statement to The Eyeopener. “This unique vantage point gave me valuable insights into the intricacies of successfully delivering a project.”

Levy explained that NOVA’s de-

sign ethos—based on this year’s theme of Resonance—honoured past Winter Stations installations while pushing boundaries with innovative materials and forms. Specifically, their design was influenced by former Winter Stations pieces— Snowcone, Lithoform, and S’winter Stations. NOVA celebrated textiles

as a unique fabrication method and integrated 3D printing for rapid assembly. The design aimed to create an immersive experience, inviting viewers to contemplate the stars, water and beach. Despite the challenges of working with difficult fabric, the team spent at least 15 hours a week sewing.

“It wasn’t something we learned along the way,” explained Lensin. “We actually just embraced it, and it was very fun.”

Visitors can now view NOVA and its fellow Winter Stations installations at Woodbine Beach, as well as images and videos on how the installation was created at theeyeopener.com

5 cover songs that had absolutely no right going this hard Reimagined to help you dance through the rest of the winter term

By Parker Theis

Are your playlists not hitting the same as they used to? Do you wish you could experience hearing your favourite song for the first time? You can experience the magic all over again by switching up who’s singing the song.

Cover songs are a cultural phenomenon that every musical artist has dabbled in at some point— whether they want to admit it or not. Read below to discover five cover songs that some might argue are better than the original and find some new jams for your commute.

“Somebody

That I Used to Know”

covered by Three Days Grace

If you’re looking to headbang in your room, look no further. Taking the emotionally charged dialogue of the 2011 hit “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye featuring Kimbra, Three Days Grace turns this classic duet into a rock ballad about the pain of love lost. This cover forgoes genres, replacing the subtle Brazilian guitar sample with similar riffs in deep synth and lighter guitar melodies. The delicacy of the verses builds up to the powerful bass of the chorus, making the song a lot more of an aggressive break-up song. The use of two voices in the original—a man and a woman—expresses contrasting feelings of pain

about the aftermath of their mutual breakup. Kimbra’s verse, originally intended to reveal the other side of this fictional relationship, is turned into a heavy-hitting bridge about realizing how poorly you were being treated by someone and not wanting to go back to them.

The emotional dialogue of the original is subverted in the cover by making the voice a single perspective. Instead of seeing both sides, it becomes solely about the emotional turmoil that the narrator is experiencing. The drums on this song are absolutely wild, making this a perfect sing-along for releasing all your stress after a long day of studying or scream-crying about your ex.

“I Will Survive” covered by CAKE Are you feeling beaten down by the world? So is CAKE.

This late ’90s alt-rock band does a subtler take on the Gloria Gaynor classic, replacing the grand piano and disco synth with funky bass and crashing cymbals. The empowerment and rebirth projected in the original are played with in this version and the vocals are much more jaded and moody. The band also chooses to articulate the verses at different paces throughout the song, giving a more reluctant confidence—like the narrator is trying to convince himself that he will survive.

While the disco sound of the original version stays fairly consistent, the instrumental breaks on this cover are much more intriguing with its creative riffs and melodies. The horns near the end are also a fun touch. This is the type of song to play while you’re getting ready for the day and need a grungy kind of confidence.

“Holding Out For A Hero” covered by Frou Frou

Yes, this is from the Shrek 2 soundtrack and yes, it is a legendary cover. This classic ’80s pop anthem was transformed in 2004 into an eerie electronic pop song by the iconic early-2000s electro-pop duo Frou Frou.

It replaces the strong choral interludes with haunting vocals and distorted guitar, changing the song from a pleading pop ballad into a groovy dance track. Knowing better than to compete with Bonnie Tyler’s vocals, this version turns the bridge into a creepy spoken verse that builds into the electrifying chorus full of vocal layers and dark synth rhythms.

The style of the song almost makes it about literally needing rescuing rather than about wanting a good man. This cover pays homage to the original song while reimagining it with a synthpop style and infusing it with Imogen Heap’s signature breathy vocals.

“Say My Name” covered by Hozier One of the more legendary Spotify Studio session singles came in January 2019 when folk music icon Hozier decided to cover legendary R&B trio, Destiny’s Child.

Hozier even admits on Spotify’s podcast, Under Cover that he would never have been able to hammer out the “machine-gun of a prechorus” without making the song into something slower. While the original version is confrontational and lyric-heavy, the choice to slow down the strings and change the tempo and key gives the song a much softer energy—turning “Say My Name” into a plea rather than a demand.

It’s a beautiful bluesy cover, the light drums and strings pair amazingly with baritone vocals and an electric organ. Later in the same Spotify podcast, Hozier explained there are so many innovative nuances to the production of the original song that the band wanted to explore with a more countrystyle arrangement.

“Across the Universe” covered by Fiona Apple

Originally made for the movie Pleasantville, Fiona Apple’s 1998 cover gives a perspective to the song that a male singer could never be able to capture—sorry, not sorry, John Lennon apologists.

Her cover is much more sedated and has a slower tempo than the Beatles.’ Her slow pace stays constant throughout the song, with her mellow vocals flowing through subtle guitar and percussion. Her pace and tonality keep with the meditative feel of the original.

The sensitivity with which she sings the lines is so reassuring to listeners, and the music video is not one to be skipped. In black and white, Fiona Apple sits in a soda shop as men smash through windows and destroy the space. Surrounded by chaos, she wanders through it, smiling into the camera while reminding viewers that “nothing’s gonna change our world.” This is a particularly poignant message that still hits close to home for many women.

SAMMY KOGAN/THE EYEOPENER

2024 U Cup marks one last dance for Bold men’s hockey

By Ilyas Hussein

“Ramenez la coupe à la maison” by French hip-hop artist Vegedream blared from the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) Patriotes men’s hockey team dressing room after their double overtime win in the Queen’s Cup final on March 9 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC).

The newly-crowned champions belted out the song’s lyrics “Allez les Bleus! Allez!” in celebration of their third consecutive Ontario University Athletics (OUA) title.

In the other dressing room, the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s hockey team sat in complete silence—stunned from the “heartbreaking” defeat in the program’s first-ever Queen’s Cup final just moments prior.

“You never want to feel this way again,” said third-year Bold defenceman Ryan Wells following the loss. “It sucks. It’s a tough pill to swallow.”

However, TMU’s season isn’t over yet.

As hosts of the 2024 U Sports men’s hockey national tournament that will run from March 14 to 17, they have a chance to redeem their loss in the Queen’s Cup final by hoisting the David Johnston University Cup (U Cup) and becoming national champions. This is the first time the university will hold the men’s hockey national tournament. Despite automatically qualifying for the event by being the host, the Bold earned the fourth seed as OUA silver medalists and

will face off against the Calgary Dinos in the quarter-finals.

The University of New Brunswick (UNB) Reds, the University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderbirds, McGill Redbirds, Moncton Aigles Bleus and Brock Badgers round out the tournament field alongside TMU, UQTR and Calgary.

The tournament will open with UNB taking on Brock at the MAC at 1 p.m. on March 14, followed by the Bold and Dinos matchup six hours later. The next two quarterfinal matchups will take place on March 15. The semi-finals will be held on March 16 while the gold and bronze medal games will be played on March 17.

Despite the loss in the OUA final, Bold head coach Johnny Duco and his players are chomping at the bit to get started in the tournament they knew was coming their way since November 2022.

“Initially they were devastated, but here we are a couple of days removed and only [a few] days from playing game one at the national tournament,” said Duco about the locker room atmosphere following the defeat to UQTR. “They’re excited for it.”

TMU third-year forward and team captain Chris Playfair was among the devastated players who was devastated following their loss to UQTR. Playfair sat in his stall in his full TMU gear as his teammates changed into their regular street clothes. Coming out of the locker room, he visibly held back tears while still in his equipment. However, as he “flipped the switch” and his attention turned to the national tournament, Playfair had a smile on his face a few days later.

“In these situations, you just don’t really have a choice. We know there’s a lot at stake,” he said. “We have a lot of excitement.”

Heading into the season, the Bold

had two objectives—take home the Queen’s Cup and win the national championship. With the former in the rearview mirror, the squad wants to take full advantage of what is in front of them.

“The real prize is the U Cup,” said Duco. “Anything can happen in a one-game series, so we’re looking to have the best week of our year right here.”

“Having it on home ice is such an incredible oppportunity, and it’s going to be awesome”

The Bold also don’t want to squander the chance to play with a raucous home crowd behind them at a national tournament—something they’ve never had before.

“Having it at home ice is such an incredible opportunity, and it’s going to be awesome to play in front of our home fans,” said Playfair. “Aside from being at home, just any chance you get to prove you’re the best team in the country you get up for those opportunities. We know they don’t come around every year.”

The Dinos also finished as the silver medalists in their respective conference—Canada West—after losing a best-of-three series to UBC. They were the top seed at the 2023 edition of the national tournament, but lost to the host, University of Prince Edward Island Panthers, in the quarter-finals. This time they will face the host again, but as the fifth-seed, which Duco thinks might alleviate some pressure from his opponents.

“It’s going to be tight. It’s going to be hard-fought. It’s going to be physical…We want to use the energy of the crowd. We want to play our game, play to the advantages that we have with being the home team,” said Duco about the quarter-final matchup against the Dinos. “But in no stretch of the imagination are we thinking this is

going to be an easy game.”

Coming into the tournament, UNB is heralded as the favourites to capture gold. The Reds went undefeated throughout both the regular season and playoffs this year and have won four national titles in the past six full seasons.

Although TMU won’t face off against them in the quarter-final, they are on a crash course to meet each other in the semi-final should both advance to the next round.

“They’ve got the most talented roster in the country,” said Duco. “But talent doesn’t always win hockey games, I think the culture they’ve set that…everybody contributes…I think it’s so special to watch because they’re super talented on paper, but they get them playing the right way.”

UBC captured their first ever Canada West hockey championship in 53 years to secure themselves a top-three seed at the event. They will take on OUA bronze medalists McGill in their quarter-final matchup on the other side of the bracket. The winner of that game will face the victor of UQTR and Atlantic University Sport runnerup Moncton.

The tournament will also be the last showcase for 10 graduating players from TMU as the core that took the squad to its first-ever national tournament in 2022 has their last dance.

“Two years ago, we beat UNB in that tournament when they were coming in as a top team,” said Playfair. “We know what it takes to beat those teams, so it’s just going to be about executing it and bringing the right game.”

For the Bold, they will use their loss in the Queen’s Cup final as fuel to the fire in their quest to raise the program’s first-ever banner at the MAC.

“We got to do everything we can to never feel like this again,” said Wells. “It’s probably one of the hardest things you have to go through.”

HOCKEY!

SAMMY KOGAN/THE EYEOPENER

SAMMY KOGAN/THE EYEOPENER

SAMMY KOGAN/THE EYEOPENER

‘They’re like brothers’: How TMU’s Russian duo came to be

By Alex Wauthy

Johnny Duco was driving home after a recruitment visit at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC) in the middle of summer as a phone call came through on his SUV’s dashboard.

Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s hockey player Daniel D’Amico’s name popped up and worry washed over the head coach.

“Anytime you get a phone call from one of your players in the middle of the summer, you’re like ‘he’s phoning me to tell me he’s not coming back,’” said Duco.

D’Amico, who eventually departed the squad a few weeks later, instead tipped Duco off about Daniil Grigorev—an “elite” 19-year-old hockey player hailing from Moscow, Russia.

Duco connected with Sean Werth, the camp director of the Elite Prospects Junior Showcase Hockey Camp. Duco wanted to make sure Grigorev would be present at the camp he instructed in the following week to take a look.

“He’s skating... with people he shouldn’t be”

Third-year TMU forward Elijah Roberts laid eyes on Grigorev for the first time alongside Duco at the camp. Roberts served as a guest instructor, spruced up in a tracksuit with his gloves, stick and skates. He was a familiar face to help Duco assess the player who caught D’Amico’s eye in greater depth.

Roberts thought Grigorev stuck out among the tens of players on the ice from how hard he could shoot the puck and his work ethic.

“He’s skating…with people who he shouldn’t be. He should be with higher-end players but his work ethic didn’t change,” said Roberts.

They then brought Grigorev to the Bold men’s hockey team summer skates to see how he stacked up against U Sports athletes.

Roberts and Duco gloated to third-year forward Kyle Bollers about Grigorev throughout the summer. Bollers didn’t think much of the “Russian kid” then but after seeing him, he understood his

team’s fascination.

“[Grigorev] probably looked better than most guys to be honest,” Roberts said of Grigorev’s play at TMU’s summer skates.

At that point, the team extended an olive branch. The Bold offered Grigorev to join a side that had a spot secured in the U Sports national tournament months in advance. For Grigorev, it was an easy answer.

“I made my decision almost instantly,” said Grigorev.

Confusion, miscommunication and occasional hiccups mired the initial stages of bringing Grigorev onto the team. But after connecting with international support at the university, the paperwork process sucessfully settled with a sixmonth plan. In short, the Russian player was TMU-bound.

The leadership group went to quick work making Grigorev feel at home. Big cities and being on the move was natural for him, but an English language barrier and no fellow Russians meant he would stick out.

“He came in, had a visor that didn’t really fit, all red equipment—the Russian hockey equipment,” said Roberts. “In a way, he stuck out because he was the only Russian on the team, but also because everyone was wearing their blue equipment.”

Eventually, he ditched his red for TMU blue once he was enrolled in

classes. His new helmet seemed a little too big. To Bollers, Grigorev was perhaps too shy to ask how to fix it, but seeing his new teammate in the school colours was a “really good change.”

As weeks passed, Grigorev’s shyness turned to comfort and his trademark smile never faltered. Slowly but surely, he became one of the guys.

A quarter of the way through the season, Werth tipped Duco off on another Russian athlete, Artem Duda. The 19-year-old defenceman 2022 NHL draft pick was projected to play big minutes with the University of Maine in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, but his eligibility was denied. Following two failed appeal attempts, the Moscow product was left without a team, a rink to practice in and a certain future.

“I made my decision almost instantly”

Duco asked Grigorev to reach out to Duda. The two Russians have played hockey with each other since they were 10, grew up in Moscow together and each won an Olympic Youth gold medal in 2020.

Weeks of talking logistics, study permit and living situation proceeded throughout the latter-half of November. Shortly after, it was official. Duda was on his way to TMU.

“Daniil had a pretty big impact on me,” said Duda. “He suggested [TMU], he said, ‘We have some opportunities if you want to play for us, it would be great because I know you have problems with Maine. If you fly here, it would be awesome.’”

Duda landed at Pearson International Airport on Dec. 26, 2023. Assistant coach Michael Fine and a videographer waited among swaths of people at the airport’s international arrivals section for the Russian to emerge. Eventually, a tall man pushing bags and hold-

chance to head to the Queen’s Cup.

With less than two minutes left in a tied series-deciding game, Grigorev had the puck pop out to him at the top of the faceoff circle. He unleashed his hard shot and beat firstyear goaltender Connor Ungar clean for the game-winning goal.

“He’s one of my best friends and always supports me and helps me”

The Bold bench erupted, slamming their sticks against the glass behind them as silence fell over Brock’s home crowd. Grigorev lit up with a smile, fell on one knee and pumped his fist in celebration.

ing hockey sticks walked through the sliding arrival doors.

“I was so excited because it’s a new step in my career, a new page in my life,” said Duda. “I’ve never been to Toronto before, so I was looking forward to getting this opportunity.”

The Bold got a new player and teammate with Duda’s recruitment, while Grigorev found a brother.

“It feels great to have someone who speaks your native language,” said Duda.

The MAC’s employees sometimes have to kick the two off the ice after practice. The duo will repeat one-timers and passing plays on the barren ice while their teammates are in the gym. After games, Duda will get up from his stall and walk over to Grigorev to chat. The two make time to connect with their teammates, but their bond is special and the team knows it.

“I’m really happy that they have each other,” said Duco. “I think if they were on their own, they could maybe feel a little lonely at times. I think having each other is really special and allowing them to thrive at such a high level.”

While living in Maine, Duda had no Russian players alongside him. With Grigorev at TMU, his transition to the university was much smoother.

“We’ve been playing together since childhood,” said Duda. “We have a great relationship with each other. He’s one of my best friends and always supports and helps me, and I try to do the same for him.”

“It’s probably the biggest goal in school history”

In the Ontario University Athletics West division final, the Bold took on the Brock Badgers—their long time rivals. The Badgers won game one, but the Bold rallied to force a do-or-die game three for a

“It’s probably the biggest goal in our school’s history,” said Roberts. After a joyous bus ride, the Bold arrived back at the MAC. Their coaches offered to take the team out for wings and fries at the Irish pub, Mick E. Fynn’s, across the street for defeating Brock. However, the two Russians stayed behind in the bus to clean up.

After entering the pub some time following the rest of the team, the Russian duo—one who just scored the goal that sent them to the Queen’s Cup and the other who was tied for the team lead in playoff points at that time—plopped down at the end of a makeshift table sized to hold the hockey team. Bollers went up to Duda and said “yes” and “no” in Russian—two of the few words he knows from the language—and the team continued to celebrate.

Roberts reminisced about Grigorev’s summer camp after his gamewinning goal against Brock.

“Things happen for a reason. Maybe it’s a different coach who’s running that camp and I’m not there, and Daniil ends up on Brock,” he said.

The gloomy restaurant, which housed no more than a dozen other people that night, surrounded the Queen’s Cup bound team with hockey highlights from professional leagues. But the Bold were replaying their triumphant victory.

Bollers gave the Russian duo a quick glance later in the night. Sandwiched between fourth-years Cole Cameron and Zach Roberts along with second-year Will Portokalis, he saw Duda cupping his phone next to Grigorev. Duda held it out just far enough for his fellow countryman to watch videos with him.

Grigorev had his patented smile plastered to his face and his compatriot smiled with him as they laughed at a video on Duda’s phone—shoulder-to-shoulder and surrounded by their new Canadian family.

“The way they get along is special, they’re like brothers,” said Duco. “They got a special bond.”

SAMMY KOGAN/THE EYEOPENER

SAMMY KOGAN/THE EYEOPENER

TMU women-focused groups offer members a professional ‘haven’

In

traditional male-dominated programs, women are taking initiative to establish empowering spaces

By Khushy Vashisht

With several student groups dedicated to fostering communities based on different races, religions, hobbies and more, some women at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) have also taken it upon themselves to build and contribute to supportive spaces within their programs.

From fields spanning from economics and finance to computer science and law, students have formed clubs to promote values of gender equity and inclusion in their disciplines.

Jenny Carson, an associate professor of history at TMU, said the motivation behind creating these groups is simply establishing a platform.

“When you have a predominantly male program, it’s important for women to feel like they have a space where they can come together and discuss their particular challenges which may arise from being part of a minority in a program,” she said. “The creation of solidarity among women as they navigate a space that is predominately male is important.”

TMU Women in Finance

Micaela Pantoja, a third-year international economics and finance student, is both president and founder of TMU Women in Finance (TWIF). She had the idea to create the group in December 2023 after noticing the lack of gender diversity in existing finance clubs on campus.

“From my previous experiences, I didn’t feel like my voice was heard when I was in [other] clubs”

After discussing this idea with a friend, it came into fruition and hiring call-outs for the team started to go out. Pantoja said they received over 70 applications for positions—showcasing the high demand for such a group.

“From my previous experiences, I didn’t feel like my voice was heard when I was in [other] clubs,” she said. “So, I wanted to have a group for [members] to be themselves and to speak [about] anything they want about finance.”

She shared that TWIF offers many initiatives that vary from preparing for job interviews to workshops that help members learn about investing and asset classes.

“When I was in first-year, I didn’t even know about finance and I want [women] to know from a young age since the competition is huge,” said Pantoja. “I feel in that way, they will continue learning more about it and fulfill their goals by [later] years.”

TMU Women in Computer Science

Saadia Shahid, a third-year computer science student and director of graphics for academics of TMU Women in Computer Science (WiCS), she was

drawn to the group due to the community it provided.

“As a woman, it makes sense to join a place that is catered to you, making space for you,” said Shahid. “Especially knowing that computer science is a field that is heavily male dominated and women are the traditionally marginalized groups [here].”

“Also knowing from personal experiences, women need that emotional connection with each other that we don’t always get from men,” she continued.

Shahid also said an environment like this helps women in the program, including her, gain validity and reassurance of their personal experiences with certain people and events. Thus, members are able to provide support and comfort to one another which, to her, makes the environment a “haven”.

With other women, Shahid says her connection with them can be “almost immediate,” while interacting with men in the program can use a bit of an “icebreaker.”

“I think part of that is contributed by the fact that there aren’t many women in computer science in the first place,” she said. “So you see somebody that you’re similar to and you’re like, ‘oh my god, you’re like me.’”

Shahid shared that WiCS aims to uplift and empower women to gain confidence, to learn more and to take initiatives by acting as a resource hub and showcasing solidarity.

TMU Women in Information Technology Management

Similarly, Alina Alvi, a fourth-year business technology management student and vice-president of corporate relations for Women in Information Technology Management (WITM), said the club’s goal is to “bridge the gender inequality gap in the business and IT industry.”

In her experience, there is a feeling of intimidation at times when approaching certain projects but says the support from WITM provides her with reassurance and the “verbal affirmation” she needs.

Alvi said she’s always been her own biggest critic. “I feel like because of WITM, I am as confident as I am now. When it comes to intimidation, that really does not exist for me anymore.”

In 2019, WITM won the Best New Initiative award by the Ted Rogers Students’ Society and raised around $1,250 that same year.

An impactful moment for Alvi in the club came during its design tech hack-athon in the fall 2023 semester.

A group of four first-year students gave a presentation in front of a panel of judges in a “case competition.” One of the judges was very impressed with the four women and invited them to present to his company’s team—with one of them even landing a job interview.

“Seeing the students accomplish

something so significant thanks to WITM’s platform was truly inspiring and it really reinforces the organization’s mission,” said Alvi. “I have never seen something like that in four years of WITM and I was so happy to be part of it.”

“So you see somebody that you’re similar to and you’re like, ‘oh my god, you’re like me’”

TMU Women in Law

Dyana Abdul-Khalek, a third-year law and business student as well as president of TMU Women in Law (WIL), said she joined the group as an associate of events in her second year due to feeling a disconnect from her program.

“I faced a lot of imposter syndrome and I wasn’t sure I was passionate about becoming a lawyer,” said Abdul-Khalek. “Acknowledging it’s a male dominated industry and based on these events it wasn’t helping me break that ceiling or out of my shell.”

“Ultimately, that was the epiphany that I had that helped me join Women in Law,” she continued.

WIL’s goal is to help break barriers by providing resources to further women professionally right from their undergraduate journey. AbdulKhalek said she wants members to “feel empowered, confident and inspired” no matter whether or not they pursue law.

“You do not have to feed into that stigma or that stereotype and you are not limited,” said Abdul-Khalek.

TMU Women of Colour in Law

At TMU, there are two clubs for women who are interested in or curious about pursuing a career in law—the second being exclusive to women of colour.

Roseleen Ladi, a third-year criminology student and co-president of TMU Women of Colour in Law (WocInLaw), said the group wants to address the lack of diversity in the legal field and the challenges

women of colour, in particular, face in comparison to their white and male counterparts.

“We want to do this by uplifting women aspiring to enter the field through a lot of curated opportunities and resources that allows them to address that underrepresentation and feel empowered in their identity and feel that [they] can take up space in there,” said Ladi. “It’s very much a space for [them] as well.”

She said WocInLaw takes a more “intersectional approach” to the legal field by highlighting both the gender and racial inequalities persistent in the industry.

Carson, the associate professor, said the specificity of groups such as WocInLaw are “understandable.”

“Within my own studies, Black women often did form their own sort of alliances and networks independent of white women workers because the challenges they faced were specific to racism and sexism and classism,” she said.

Carson added that she understands different challenges Black women face and why they create their own spaces away from white women.

Ladi shared that WocInLaw have hosted networking events which have provided members with confidence after seeing professionals who come from diverse backgrounds.

“It allows them to get advice from individuals who have experienced the similar hardships or roadblocks that they have,” she said.

TMU Women in Economics

Samrah Siddiqui, a third-year international economics and finance student as well as co-president of TMU Women in Economics (WIEC), created the group in January 2024 because the discipline wasn’t spoken about much in relation to women.

“It’s mostly facilitated by men, no one really cares for it [when it comes to] women,” she said. “There’s not [many] women in economics, and the ones that are, don’t get that light.”

In her experiences in other economics clubs prior to creating WIEC, Siddiqui found that not many men were willing to network with women and found the “awkwardness” of the situation upsetting to exist at a university level.

Siddiqui’s goal with creating WIEC is to promote economics as something women can pursue and not let it solely have the label of “a boy’s club.”

“I want to make it so women are prepared for the future and are a couple steps ahead. Because when you’re plastered with the mindset of not being able to walk the same path as men, a lot of people end up not going down that route,” she said.

Currently, Siddqui, alongside her two co-presidents, Nabiha Tonoya and Kaavya Sivaraj, are in the hiring process of team members.

In a year’s time, she hopes to see the group branch out into hosting networking events and creating something unique to differentiate themselves from other student groups.

“You do not have to feed into that stigma or that stereotype and you are not limited”

“I’m excited to [officially] start [WIEC] and meet new people because it’s been three years and I haven’t met many, specifically girls, who [study] economics and finance,” said Siddiqui.

Carson said the impact of women seeing people that reflect them in their profession can be beneficial to their self-esteem.

“Talking to those women can be important too and knowing what the challenges can be going into that profession is really valuable to have,” said Carson. “It’s a celebratory thing where you see someone that looks like you succeeding in a space where most people that don’t look like you is empowering.”

Read more at theeyeopener.com

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JERRY ZHANG/THE EYEOPENER

The bloom of Korean culture: Opening of local Korean cafe ‘18feet’

How has Korean culture been spreading around campus and the world?

By Talia Saley

I attended 18feet Espresso Bar & The Cheong, a local Korean café, which opened its doors to the public for its grand opening March 4 to 10. The café is located at 86 Gerrard St. E., a five-minute walk from the Rogers Communications Centre at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU).

The café’s origin started as an 18-foot-long coffee truck at the University of Toronto campus in 2019. It then opened two locations across the campus, according to their Instagram. The latest location of the café is the first to open near TMU.

“We tried to build this location to look like a truck, but it was hard because we had to bring the real truck over here [which] was impossible,” said James Kim, the branch manager of 18feet. “We tried to design everything. That was the hard thing.”

At first glance, the front of the café has graphics simulating the original 18feet coffee truck—a clever visual to show their roots and history.

18feet’s mission is to “elevate the presence of Korean cuisine worldwide,” according to an information guide sent from 18feet to The Eyeopener. “We are dedicated to introducing K-food to a global audience, fostering an appreciation for the rich flavours and culture it embodies,” it stated.

“We tried to introduce Korean culture to university students with a budget,” said Kim.

Luckily, their goal resonated with Samantha Ju, a Korean first-year business management student at TMU. “I think the drinks are pretty high quality and fairly priced compared to other cafés in the city,” she said.

18feet’s main specialty menu item is the Cheong—a preserved sweet syrup originating from South Korea, composed of equal parts sugar and choice of fruit. At 18feet, they offer the cheong flavours in grapefruit, strawberry, yuzu and lemon. Joy Chun, an employee at the café, shared that the cheong is entirely homemade and preserved for two days until ready to be served.

Cheong was something truly special in my life when I lived in South Korea before I moved back to Canada in 2014. After my ice-cold walk from school in the winter, I would come to my aunt’s house to enjoy her friend’s preserved lemon cheong. I would mix the simple sweet syrup with hot water to create a sweet tea-like drink to enjoy all to myself. Like those memories I grew up with, 18feet is trying to share that love with Toronto, which is heartwarming to see—coming from my love for Korean culture.

The café offers other trendy Korean items such as the dalgona cof -

fee, blueberry cream cheese bagel and triangle kimbap —also known as samgak gimbap.

With the opening of this café near campus, it allows Korean culture to be recognized on a broader scale. However, the question to ask is: how do Korean and non-Korean TMU students feel about the recognition Korean culture is receiving?

“The Korean pop culture wave—called the Hallyu wave— introduced many people to Korean culture like music, movies and TV shows,” said Ju.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Korean cinematography has been making waves on the international scale. Titles like Parasite and Squid Game helped spread awareness of Korean culture.

“That helps me learn more aspects of the culture that are not Americanized”

Catherine Wasik, a Polish-Canadian third-year biology major at TMU, said she’s noticed the TMU K-pop community and club grow over the years. “Even in my classes, I’ve noticed by talking to other people about their taste in music, more people are being exposed to it…and they talk about it with

SAMMY KOGAN/THE EYEOPENER

their other friends,” she said.

Iris Yeh, a half Japanese half Taiwanese fourth-year interior design student at TMU said young people are more familiar with K-culture.

“There’s a younger generation that’s bringing that culture here and so they’re more aware of how to use it on social media. That’s why we’re more exposed to it,” she said.

Multiple new Korean restaurants have been opening near campus, such as Pizza Maru, which is a local Korean pizza location that opened in September of last year, said Ju.

“There’s a place also just north of Church and George [Streets] called Sinjeon Topokki and I know that they’ve also become a lot more popular,” she said, which opened back in 2022.

Ju said growing up, she would often experience weird gazes when bringing her food, which would often smell and look different. “I think it’s definitely great that people have grown to appreciate it more instead of find[ing] it odd,” said Ju.

Yeh shared that she learned about Korean culture through her Korean friends by visiting her friends’ houses and trying new foods that she wouldn’t easily get outside. “That helps me learn more aspects of the culture that are not Americanized.”

As a Korean TMU student, it’s heartwarming to see the love Korean culture is receiving now, including the openings of more Koreanowned locations near campus.

Read more at theeyeopener.com

My name: Defining my personas, defying conformity

The history of Chinese culture using anglicized names is deeply-rooted

By Jerry Zhang

The practice of anglicizing names in China traces its roots to the late 19th and early 20th centuries—a period marked by the aftermath of the Opium Wars. This era sparked significant debate in China surrounding the notions of “Westernization” versus “cultural preservation.” In works like renowned writer Lu Xun’s book The True Story of Ah Q, Western influence was often vilified, with individuals embracing the culture of the West de-

JERRY ZHANG/THE EYEOPENER

rogatorily—labelled as “phony foreign devils,” reflecting a disdain for blind worship of foreign cultures.

However, since the 1980s, internationalization has led to the slow diffusion of the English language throughout Chinese society, according to a study titled Defining and Negotiating Identity and Belonging: Ethnic Name Change and Maintenance among FirstGeneration Chinese Immigrants. This was primarily driven by increased importation of Western media. This is due to the growing social importance

and affluence associated with Western employment opportunities. The influence of English culture reached its peak in the 2000s, leading to the trend of an English name being associated with high social status.

I got my English name, Jerry, long before I set foot in Canada. As a child, I was captivated by the antics of the American cartoon series Tom and Jerry—the show is brimming with charm, creativity and slapstick comedy. My mischievous behaviour as a kid often earned me the moniker of “troublemaker” which, looking back, led to being associated with the character Jerry. During my kindergarten years in China, a teacher affectionately dubbed me as ‘Jerry,’ reflecting both my love for the cartoon and my knack for mischief. It was initially a playful nickname, but with the boom of the popularity of the English language in the 2000s, ‘Jerry’ slowly replaced my Chinese name which meant liveliness and blessings.

My cultural name, which was carefully chosen and held deep symbolic meaning, began to fade into the background as ‘Jerry’ took centre stage. Eventually, my parents started introducing me as Jerry at social

gatherings. Despite being known to the world as Jerry, I was still called my Chinese name within my family. However, when I moved to Canada, what started as a childhood nickname evolved into my identity as an immigrant—a symbol of shifting perceptions and circumstances.

I found myself navigating between two worlds, each language conjuring a distinct persona

During my early days in Canada, I recall meeting the school principal on my first day of grade four. When he asked for my name, I replied with “Jerry” without hesitation. I didn’t realize the significance this choice would have. Over time, the name Jerry evolved from a mere nickname to my identifier—like a lingua franca mask. While my Chinese name remained the foundation of my heritage, ‘Jerry’ became my gateway to Western society, a linguistic bridge connecting me to my new environment.

Everywhere I went, I was often asked “What’s your Chinese name?” As time progressed, I became reluc-

tant to answer the question, in part due to its pronunciation. My name is in a register that does not exist in the Indo-European language branch. Most of the time, people just pronounce it like the word ‘sushi.’ Most of my good friends would jokingly call me ‘sushi’ as a harmless joke— ironically stressing the complexities of cultural assimilation.

Studies conducted at Stockholm University’s Centre for Research on Bilingualism suggest that switching between languages can evoke varied emotional responses and social behaviours. The way someone communicates in their native language may reflect cultural nuances and values, shaping their personality accordingly. I found myself navigating between two worlds, each language conjuring a distinct persona.

Ultimately, ‘Jerry’ became more than a name—it embodied my adjustment to Canadian life. It illustrated the blurring lines between identity and assimilation and furthered dissonance of my identities, feeding into this narrative of the perpetual foreigner.

Read more at theeyeopener.com

Maxed out:

By Anthony Lippa-Hardy

Standing in the freezing cold, annoyingly waiting for his delayed MiWay bus, then 14-year-old Duan Ngo was still getting used to Canada’s unique culture. Ngo moved to Canada from Vietnam seven years ago in search of a safe education. He began his international student journey at Bronte College, a small boarding high school in Mississauga, Ont. Now a first-year fashion student at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), Ngo is fortunate to be among the international students exempted from abandoning higher education dreams in this country amidst the recent governmentenforced visa restrictions.

A new two-year international student visa cap was announced by Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Miller on Jan. 22, 2024.

According to the Canadian government, approximately 360,000 approved study permits will be issued in 2024, marking a 35 per cent decrease from 2023.

“We don’t

really have a choice besides paying the international tuition”

The new policy aims to ease pressure on Canada’s housing market and other public services by reducing the rapid increase of international students in Canada.

However, according to Usha George, a professor in the school of social work and expert in immigration and settlement at TMU, some universities rely heavily on the income these students provide.

“International students actually pay twice or thrice the fees...and therefore, international students are becoming a big source of revenue for certain universities,” she said.

With less strain on Canada’s economy comes a significant loss of revenue, said George.

According to the Canadian government, in general, international students contribute $22.3 billion per year to the Canadian economy. That’s more than exports of auto parts or lumber.

“Any reduction in the number of international students would affect the revenue that colleges and universities get. So there has to be a happy medium,” said George.

TMU’s international student tuition has also seen an increase in recent years. According to an archived page of the university’s 2020-2021 undergraduate tuition fees, the cost for international students ranged from $28,633 to $38,430. However, after compar-

Why international student visas are a growing cost at Ontario’s universities

JERRY ZHANG/THE EYEOPENER

ing with TMU’s most recent tuition fees, international students have seen as much as a seven per cent increase in just three years.

Although economic factors like inflation can have an effect on tuition fees, Daniel Lang, a professor in the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto (U of T), said Canada’s overall economy doesn’t have a large effect on Ontario universities. “The climate does not make a difference,” he said.

According to Lang, the main financial impact some universities may face upon the visa restrictions would come directly from the loss of student revenue. However, not every institution will face that issue.

He also shared that every university across Ontario receives funding differently, as there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Institutions like TMU depend on student enrollment and tuition revenue to fund their academic programs.

According to a statement from TMU’s 2024-2025 budget page, “More than 90 per cent of our operating revenues come from tuition fees and grants associated with enrolment. In other words, our financial health as an institution relies on enrolment.”

One crucial factor in the increase of these fees at TMU lies in the lack of government support. According to a written statement sent to The Eyeopener from the university, it says international students are not covered through government grants, unlike domestic students.

A large concern for Ngo is another possible increase in his already expensive tuition fees as a way for the university to accom-

modate lower enrollment numbers.

Tuition fees have not yet been developed for the 2024-25 school year, according to TMU’s statement. However, it reads that “In past years, fees have increased modestly to reflect inflation and offset increased costs associated with instruction and student services.”

According to TMU’s offices of International Student Support and University Planning, 3,976 international students from over 140 countries attended the university last year—around 9.3 per cent of the school’s enrollment. On top of the large number of students, on average, international student tuition fees range from $33,423 to $38,584 per year. That’s approximately a 205 to 365 per cent increase compared to domestic student fees.

“There has to be a happy medium”

Nervous and excited after arriving in Canada for the first time, Sina Rahimi, a third-year building science PhD candidate, temporarily migrated to Toronto from Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was like a whole different world here,” he said describing Canada’s culture and educational system.

However, while scrolling through the news, he recently found himself disappointed as he learned about the new visa cap implementation. “This news popped up and I was like, oh my god,” he said.

While not affected by the visa cap as a graduate student, Rahimi said he still feels he and other international students are being blamed for Canada’s poor economic climate even

though international students contribute billions in revenue each year.

“Canada passed this law because they are blaming international students for the increase in rent prices. But I don’t think this is the issue,” said Rahimi.

Although international students make up about 10 per cent of the student population at TMU, “Roughly a quarter of TMU’s fee revenue in the 2022-23 fiscal year was from international students,” said the university’s statement to The Eye.

These larger tuition costs don’t include housing or meal plans, according to TMU’s tuition page. Unlike domestic students, Ngo explained how international students often have no choice but to pay the hefty fees as there aren’t as many scholarship opportunities available as there are for domestic students.

On top of the high tuition costs, Ngo also explained that it is challenging to earn proper wages in Canada due to the hourly international student restrictions. “It’s less than 20 hours now. So yeah, that’s barely covered half of the rent prices here in Toronto,” he said. This forces students like Ngo to rely on their families to help support their financial needs.

When comparing international student fees to domestic fees, the majority of the heightened expenses come from the cost of billing units per semester. For example, one billing unit for Ngo will cost $4,497.44, whereas a domestic student in the same program would only have to pay $1,202.75 for the same unit, according to TMU’s undergraduate full-time fee’s schedule.

Looking for an education abroad while not straying too far from her

home in New York City, Whitney Zheng, a third-year business management student at TMU, decided to move to Toronto to pursue her post-secondary education. She found Toronto to be a great fit as it allows her to study abroad while still being near her family.

Zheng, however, said she sees the high cost of living and lack of job opportunities in Toronto as an additional financial challenge for international students. “I do feel like it is difficult. And I do see the prices of things like groceries and rent increasing every year,” she said.

On top of the increasing tuition fees, according to the international undergraduate admissions at TMU, students can expect to pay at least another $17,593 in personal living expenses each year living in Toronto.

Although tuition fee increases have not yet been released for the 2024-2025 school year, according to TMU’s 2024-2025 budget page, “Ontario’s Blue-Ribbon Panel on Postsecondary Education Financial Sustainability recommended an increase of 5 per cent in tuition fees for 2024-25—8 per cent for professional programs.”

“International students are becoming a big source of revenue forcertain universities”

In an effort to minimize revenue loss, TMU also stated it will continue to develop contingency plans and take part in discussions with the provincial government and sector partners regarding guidelines and implementation details with the visa cap restrictions.

Daylight saving time probably won’t fi x your seasonal depression

By Valeria Aldana

Disclaimer: Some characters and quotes are fake, just like the social construct of time

Students from Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) greatly anticipated the arrival of daylight time, commonly known as daylight savings. Clocks spring forward every March and fall back every November to adjust the time in some areas of the world, allegedly saving daylight. But who is going to save TMU’s already sleep-deprived students?

Picture this: you’re walking down Gould Street on the seventh-coldest day ever recorded. You’re being bombarded by an onslaught of snowflakes, turning the world into a chaotic, white blur. Snow compiles on top of your fake lashes, completely blocking your eyesight. It hurts to breathe but you have no choice but to hold your breath and risk passing out—which isn’t looking so bad at the moment.

“This is not what the Lord meant when he said ‘Let there be light’”

Nevertheless, you’re determined to make it to your lab on time. Until, you feel your feet dampen with the moisture seeping through your Uggs. You look down and come to find you’ve

just stepped in the greyest of slush—a Toronto winter staple. You don’t have snow boots—who can afford them in this economy?

You immediately question both your will to live and the decision your parents made to emigrate from a country that’s sunny all year long to a place where you’re neighbours with the polar bears. This was the reality for second-year mechatronics engineering student Stuti Archarya.

“This is rubbish! I had to sit and write a test for three hours with a moist sock,” said Archarya. “It will all be worth it though, daylight savings is right around the corner—sunlight and fresh air got me acting normal.”

Archarya seems to be one of the rare TMU students with this optimistic outlook on daylight time. Others like philosophy student Iams Ad have a different perspective.

“Why are we—as a somewhat developed and fully functioning society—altering the fabric of time for a big ball of fire 148 million kilometres away?” demanded Ad.

Canada introduced daylight time over 100 years ago and was one of the first countries to adopt the practice. Contrary to popular belief, it was not for farmers to have more time to farm—it was apparently to reduce the use of coal. However, the ever-rebellious Saskatchewan shrugged off the shackles of daylight savings in 1966, declaring, “We’ll just march to the beat of our own sun, eh?”

Dr. Dep Ression, a TMU alumnus with a PhD in Saskatchewan studies, commented on the province’s decision to cancel the ever-changing clock once and for all.

“It was a waste of time,” he said. “Nothing says efficiency like rearranging the clock and pretending we’ve accomplished something meaningful.”

You can kiss your seasonal depression bye bye

When you think of daylight savings, you might have a similar outlook to Archarya: summertime is just around the corner and with the added time under the sun, you can kiss your seasonal depression bye bye. Either that or you can expect to see severe sleep deprivation in your future since someone decided to play God last century and steal one hour of your life for eight months.

“Seasonal depression this, seasonal depression that. My depression has a penthouse suite at the Four Seasons,” said Ad. “I can assure you this is not what the Lord meant when he said ‘Let there be light.’”

Ad is not the only student who shares this distaste for daylight savings. Seizo Nalle, an eighth-year midwifery student, has had enough of everyone transforming into a “TikTok clean girl” as soon as they catch a glimpse of sunshine.

“It’s ridiculous! How is a ball of fire

going to solve all my problems?” said Nalle. “Is the sun doing all my homework and clearing my skin? No. Rain or shine, I’m still sad.”

She commented on the unrealistic nature of it all, noting that seasonal depression is a hoax to distract us from real-world problems like waiting for the next upload of the Who TF Did I Marry!!!? series by Reesa Teesa on TikTok.

“I just think you have to be completely delusional to believe that with a longer presence of the sun, life will immediately get better. Am I a plant?” Nalle added.

Despite Nalle’s perspective on the sun, local TikTok clean girl Vero Gomez shared her love for the fiery medium-sized star by placing a flower crown on her head. She added that humans are like plants because we need water and sunlight to survive.

“Seizo Nalle? I know her, she’s in my environmental sociology class. I think she’s a vampire—I saw her using an umbrella once on a sunny June afternoon,” said Gomez.

“Rain or shine, I’m still sad”

Even though there’s a clear division about whether TMU is “Yay or Nay” for extra time under the sun— the overall consensus is that TMU is entering its ‘beef era’ with the medium-sized star in outer space, the Sun.

Ression was seen handing out Sunny D’s on Gould Street prior to his interview with The Eyeopener, and when asked about the controversy regarding daylight savings time and seasonal depression, his only comment was, “Delulu is the solulu.”

A TMU student’s guide on how to be a professional inconvenience

By Adriana Fallico

We all have those moments when we overcomplicate simple situations and overthink what others will think of us. Here’s my hot take for Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) students: embrace the complexity, it’s good for you. As a professional inconvenience myself, I find that I live a very stress-free—and occasionally insane—life when I seize as much chaos as I can.

Here’s a few ways you can be the absolute best version of yourself—an absolute menace to society.

Use “shortcuts” to get to class, even if you don’t know how to use them

With the Toronto weather acting batshit crazy, it’s hard to anticipate what the temperature will be on a day-to-day basis. With the temperature expected to drop into the negatives at some point (probably), the idea of walking outside isn’t appealing. The solution? Take an indoor detour instead of braving the outdoors. Besides, it’s always nice to get in some extra steps before rotting in class for a few hours.

Despite the benefits, it’s pretty easy to get lost along the way to class. Take one wrong turn and you’re completely lost into the TMU abyss. You can lean into the role of an “inconvenience” by asking random people where your lecture hall is when they clearly have their own places

to be. But hey, if you end up showing up four hours and 55 minutes late to a five-hour class because you somehow ended up in the basement of Kerr Hall, I would say that you still learned something new that day.

Take your sweet time to slay (I mean get ready)

If you claim to have never been late for an event because you took a while getting ready, I’d probably call you a liar. I personally have no concept of time, so one minute I think I have lots of time to get ready and the next I’m an hour late.

However, in my opinion, it’s always better to be fashionably late rather than not show up at all. The last thing you want is to have anything go wrong, like having your hair out of place, a concealer that doesn’t blend perfectly into your skin or an outfit that just isn’t giving.

Who cares if you show up too late to participate in the event anyway?

You look great and that’s probably all that matters. Honestly, if you have to sacrifice your timeliness to guarantee that you’re the star of the show, it’s worth it.

Be a teacher’s pet, everyone loves to see it

I feel like it’s pretty reasonable to go above and beyond to get on your professor’s good side. Besides, at the end of the day, your grades are in their hands.

I recommend that you always compliment your prof on their outfits, answer every question they ask during class and be sure to include a ton of follow-up questions that aren’t related to the course content. You can even bring them a coffee before the lecture starts to show how stellar of a student you are. If anyone hates on you for this, that’s their problem, not yours.

Take everything literally

I like to consider myself to be a pretty sarcastic person, but there are some moments where I deeply fail at recognizing sarcasm. Despite this, I tend to take people for their word on everything they say even if it’s as obvious as the day is sunny. But where’s the harm in that?

So, even in those moments when you know someone is obviously being sarcastic, simply believe them. For example, if your classmate jokes that you should both drop out of your program instead of doing another assigned reading, immediately pull out MyServiceHub and select

‘permanent program withdrawal.’

Show them you’re serious about this change and more importantly, will do anything to prove you understand where they’re coming from.

Lose your OneCard? Don’t bother replacing it

Scavenging your wallet and pockets to find your OneCard is a canon event for TMU students. I can’t count the amount of times I’ve reached into my wallet and felt my heart drop, realizing the lifeline to my campus entry is missing. While I tend to find it in the inner depths of my schoolbag or underneath my feet on the subway, the moment of panic isn’t a very pleasant one.

Rather than paying the $35 fee for a new one, I always suggest that students put it off for as long as possible by asking their friends to borrow theirs to get around campus. Can this get on people’s nerves? Maybe, but remember you have places to be and people to meet.

My personal favorite activity is waiting outside the doors of a campus building for someone else to dig through their pockets to find theirs. Yes, it can be annoying for them, but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.

VANESSA KAUK/ THE EYEOPENER

BRITHI SEHRA/ THE EYEOPENER

President Lachemi spotted on campus minding his own business

Not many students are aware that the president walks among us

By Fatima Raza

Disclaimer: The content in this story is entirely fictional, as shocking as that might seem.

A student at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) has claimed to have seen President Mohamed Lachemi far too many times on campus in one day.

In what appears to be a glitch in the matrix, first-year fashion student Sleida Hausboots has come forward, saying she’d spotted the “campus celebrity” four times in one day.

Seeing him was the last thing she expected to happen last Tuesday. During her commute to campus, she was far too busy mentally critiquing every stranger’s choice of clothing to even consider the odds of meeting someone important, like the president or Peepeepoopoo man.

When she reached Union Station during peak morning rush hour, her eyes immediately landed on a suited man hovering by the Presto loading machines. Though Hausboots was fashionably late for class, she stood there for a moment observing the man struggle to free his card from his wallet.

“At first, I was like ‘slay,’ we love a classy man who commutes to save the environment,” she said. Little did Hausboots know that she would soon realize the man was none other than TMU’s one and only president.

As the president headed for the escalators behind Hausboots, she could have sworn the world went into slow-motion and the entire Bay Concourse froze in their steps.

As any student does when witnessing something mildly newsworthy, Hausboots snapped a photo, sent it to the school group chat with a witty ‘Should I ask him to

pay my tuition lol’ and moved on with her day.

When she arrived on campus, she was surprised to see a huge line outside of Balzac’s. Upon pushing her way through the crowd, she thought everyone was gathered to collectively judge one person’s “hideous pairing” of camouflage and neon.

“Like, where else is he supposed to be?”

“I was gagged,” she said. “Like are you trying to blend in or stand out?”

To her surprise, no one even batted an eye at the human highlighter and instead were whispering rumours that the president was apparently paying for everyone’s orders that day.

Third-year business student Fai Nanshel-Brough never even fathomed that the president was a real person who existed.

“Dude, this is awesome. I didn’t even know the president was real,”

he said, sipping from a caramel iced latte. “I’m definitely going to invest the money I saved today.”

For Putcho Masqon, an alumnus of the public health program, deciding to pass through campus for an almond croissant was the “best decision of his life.”

“I didn’t even know we had a president,” he admitted. “I do love free food, though.”

When Hausboots made it to the front of the line, she caught a glimpse of Lachemi sipping his coffee while chatting up a group of students. At this point, she was even more fond of him.

“I respect his kindness,” she said, grabbing her matcha latte from the counter. “But it’s weird that I’ve seen him twice today already. Is he following me?”

Following some intense deliberation and a few sips of her latte, she made the executive decision to skip class. With some time to kill before the next one, she headed over to

the Sheldon & Tracy Levy Student Learning Centre (SLC) to lounge with some friends.

After an hour of doing absolutely nothing but yap, Hausboots and her friends headed to the food trucks outside SLC to grab a bite. Then, it happened again.

As she mentally rehearsed her order, she couldn’t shake the temptation to eavesdrop on a conversation in front of her. She recognized one of the voices all too well at this point.

“I was stunned to see the president at the Korean corn dog truck,” she said in disbelief. “I honestly didn’t know our president was chill like that.”

Second-year journalism student Inyo Biznes, who was with Hausboots on the scene, said she thought otherwise.

“I’ve met the president a handful of times so it doesn’t faze me anymore,” said Biznes. “One time I saw him lost in Kerr Hall with a compass open trying to distinguish between east

and west—I was like ‘same bro.’”

Biznes added that, based on her journalistic observation, Lachemi is on campus a lot more than people would think, seeing as he runs the place. Many times, she has seen him casually strolling the campus.

“I don’t know why people are surprised,” she said plainly. “Like, where else is he supposed to be?”

By 5 p.m., Hausboots had almost forgotten about the odd bump-ins with the president and was headed to her last class of the day.

While arriving at the bridge connecting the Rogers Communication Centre to Kerr Hall, she audibly complained about having to dig through her bag for her OneCard to open the door.

That’s when a hand reached forward from behind her, scanning a card on the reader.

“Thank god,” she thought to herself, readjusting her tote bag on her shoulder. To her surprise, her saviour was none other than the man, the myth, the legend that she had coincidentally bumped into thrice already that day.

“Oh come on,” she said, shockingly out loud.

“Sorry, what was that?” the president asked with a confused look on his face.

Immediately, her face turned bright red and she began thinking of ways to cover up her outwardly evident disbelief.

“Oh my stars, you’re the president, right? I would love to get a picture with you,” Hausboots said, filling the awkward silence.

The matrix wasn’t done messing with Hausboots just yet, though.

As she turned on her phone to take the selfie, her screen immediately opened to the photo she had sneakily snapped of the president back at Union Station.

SAMMY KOGAN/ THE EYEOPENER

SAMMY KOGAN/ THE EYEOPENER