Nageen “This Without Any Context Is...Something” Riaz
Sammy “3x JHM Nominee” Kogan
Media Editors
Divine “Working Remotely” Amayo Lucas “Logoing” Bustinski
Digital Producer
Lily “Mimi’s Mom” Han
Circulation Manager
Sherwin “Bigfoot” Karimpoor
Design Director
Vanessa “Website Is Back!” Kauk
General Manager
Liane “Coconut Cheques” McLarty
Contributors
Greg “Musician” Burkell
Ava “Superhero” Whelpley
Shumaila “Oakham” Mubarak
Tristan “GREEN” Forde
Keiran “CPL Connoisseur” Gorsky
Jonathan “RAC Goer” Reynoso
Shaaranki “TSA Baddie” Kulenthirarasa
Moyo “To The Rescue” Lawuyi
Dylan “Rope Master” Marks
Peyton “Me When Bigfoot” Andino
Gray “Tariff Babies” Moloy
Calan “Peddler” Pittis
Kieran “Baddie” Lauzier
Saif-Ullah “Legend” Khan
Yasmeen “Rescheduled” Shawish
Katherine “Went Viral” Gorelik
Daniella “Hear Me Out” Lopez
Ilyas “Montoya” Hussein
Negin “Always Mother” Khodayari
Charlie “Welcome!” Vernis
Ontario NDP and Liberal leaders speak at TMU
By Greg Burkell
Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Marit Stiles and Ontario Liberal Party leader Bonnie Crombie visited Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) as a part of two democracy forums hosted by the Dais, “a public policy and leadership think tank at TMU” according to their site. Throughout both events—the first on Feb. 4 welcoming Crombie and the second welcoming Stiles on Feb. 5.
The two politicians discussed their ideas as parts of a series to invite the provincial party leaders to the university ahead of the approaching provincial snap election on Feb. 27, called by current Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
Healthcare
The two leaders outlined their own separate priorities within the Canadian healthcare system.
Crombie plans to invest $3 billion to ensure that everyone in Ontario has a family doctor within the next four years.
In order to accomplish this, Crombie explained 3,100 new family doctors will need to be recruited to fulfill Ontario needs.
“It’s funny,” said Crombie, “because that $3 billion price tag is the same as the $200 checks you were just given” The pre-election cheques may provide temporary relief for groceries or rent, but they do not address long-term financial stability, Crombie explained.
Included in that price tag is a $150,000 incentive for Canadian doctors working internationally to return to work in Canada.
She also promised to double the number of potential doctors in residency programs and increase access to the Practice Ready Ontario, a program that offers Canadian mentors to internationally trained doctors.
Stiles intends to hire more doctors but is more focused on addiction as a healthcare issue.
Additionally, the NDP opposed Ford’s closure of supervised consumption sites for March 2025 as
previously reported by The Eyeopener.
Stiles said the current government’s Health and Addictions Recovery Treatment (HART) hubs aren’t a good enough replacement, calling them “a drop in the bucket.”
Housing
Stiles tied the addiction crisis to a lack of supportive housing.
While her Homes Ontario plan is focused on lowering rent, Crombie intends to make owning a home more affordable.
Stiles’ plan aims to address homelessness by building co-op housing, supportive housing and tying rent to income.
She proposed using public land to build housing, saying municipalities have the plans ready to go, “what they’re missing is a provincial partner.”
Ford initially took away rent control for all units built after Nov. 15, 2018—the same year he got elected as Premier of Ontario. Stiles said she’ll reinstate rent control and prevent landlords from increasing rent between tenants. She plans to build 1.5 million homes within 10 years.
Crombie aims to lower housing prices by up to $170,000 by eliminating development charges.
She also wants to remove the land transfer tax, which is paid to
the Government of Ontario when buying a property.
After criticizing the Ford government’s approach to encampments, Crombie said she wants to build more supportive housing and get 53,000 case backlogs through the landlord-tenant board, which has left many tenants waiting up to years for hearings on evicitions, rent disputes and maintenance issues.
She also said she intends to increase the diversity of housing density, saying “Young people need choice.”
Education
Neither of the leaders shared any detailed plans for Ontario’s postsecondary schools but both said they don’t plan to increase tuition costs and that Ontario needs to catch up with the rest of Canada.
“We are dead last in funding for post-secondary institutions, universities and colleges in the country” said Stiles. “That is shameful.”
Both leaders want to lower the impact of student loans, with Crombie promising to remove the tax on student loans while Stiles proposes to replace them with grants.
When asked if her plan to hire doctors would prioritize equity diverse admissions programs, Crombie said, “I believe in merit based, but think some of our diverse students have that merit.”
Criticisms of Doug Ford
Both leaders criticized Ford’s spending.
Crombie identified “$7 billion dollars of waste” including $2 billion to bring alcohol into corner stores a year early, $2 billion developing Ontario Place into a spa and $3 billion in cheques delivered to Ontarians.
She also said Ford’s removal of the Cap-and-trade system—which set limits on emissions and allowed companies to trade allowances to
reduce pollution—forced the carbon tax to be imposed on Ontario.
“This government is spending money, I would say, like a drunken sailor,” said Stiles.
She took a shot at the slow construction of the Eglinton crosstown light-rail transit saying, “It is amazing to me that Doug Ford and his government [can’t] tell us, to this day, when this thing will open.”
Both candidates were asked if, in the event of a Ford minority government, they would be able to work together to stop him.
“I can work with anyone,” said Crombie. “I think [Ford] is doing immense damage to the people of this province and he has to go.”
Stiles shared similar sentiments, adding that “I will absolutely not prop Doug Ford up,” said Stiles, “I will work with anyone on issues where we share common values.”
Upcoming election
Both leaders criticized Ford for calling an early election and stressed the importance of voting.
Last year, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police launched an investigation into Ford’s decision to open up the Greenbelt to land developers.
Crombie and Stiles both agreed that Ford’s snap election call was an attempt to suppress voter turnout and get ahead of the potential backlash from this investigation.
“I feel strongly that this is one of the reasons that this election was called so abruptly in the dead of winter,” said Crombie. “Try putting election signs in lawns that are frozen.”
“I think Doug Ford has actually given us a gift,” said Stiles. “He quit and he’s given us an opportunity to vote for something better.”
The provincial election will take place on Feb. 27.
For more information, please visit www.elections.on.ca
JERRY ZHANG/THE EYEOPENER
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles (left) and Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie spoke at TMU in February. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: JERRY ZHANG/THE EYEOPENER
Shooting next to TMU campus raises student concerns
Man shot near Victoria and Dundas intersection has sparked worries about safety in downtown core
By Jerry Zhang
A man was shot near Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) campus early on Feb. 4, prompting concerns throughout the university about the safety of students and community members.
According to an emailed statement from the Toronto Police Service (TPS), officers responded to a shooting near Victoria Street and Dundas Street East at approximately 8 a.m.
The victim and suspect both fled the scene but the victim was later located by law enforcement at a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police have not released any information about the suspect and an investigation remains ongoing.
A Reddit user and self-proclaimed TMU student posted on the university’s subreddit—r/TorontoMetU—claiming to have witnessed the incident.
“So pissed about how unsafe campus is and seemingly nothing is being done about it,” the post
reads. The user recounted witnessing a fight between two people at 8 a.m. when one pulled out a gun and shot the other, 15 feet away from them.
The student also criticized inaccurate reporting of the incident by media outlets that stated the shooting took place at 10 a.m., saying they had been late for their morning class because they were giving a statement to the police.
TMU Security was informed of the incident by TPS as part of their investigation. In an emailed statement, Saeed Zolfaghari,
TMU’s Vice-President of Administration and Operations, said that the university was not aware of any community member being directly involved in the incident.
“The TMU campus is located in one of the busiest intersections in the country, and thousands of people visit the neighbourhood every day,” Zolfaghari said.
“The safety of our community remains a top priority for the university, and we recognize that safety on our campus is a
pressing concern.”
The university has not announced any immediate security change but emphasized that community safety and security teams work proactively with various city agencies and social services to address safety issues.
“We want to be clear that at this time the university has not been
advised of a risk to TMU community members as a result of this incident,” said Zolfaghari.
Zolfaghari stated that TMU security provides 24/7 campus coverage and maintains partnerships with organizations such as Toronto Public Health and other shelter programs.
He emphasized that students
who feel affected by the incident have been encouraged to reach out to TMU’s various resource centres. ”Students concerned about their wellbeing are encouraged to speak to the Office of Student Care,” he wrote.
TPS are asking anyone with additional information about the shooting to come forward.
SAMMY KOGAN/THE EYEOPENER
Alumna shares her Indigenous identity
Jules Arita Koostachin visits TMU to share her stories that inspire and foster community
By Ava Whelpley
Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) Gdoo-maawnjidimi Mompii Indigenous Student Services (GMISS) featured TMU alumna Jules Arita Koostachin as this year’s Indigenous Role Model on Feb. 6 in the Podium building.
The Indigenous Role Model initiative has taken place annually for 10 years. The event brings in Indigenous peoples with stories to inspire and support the TMU Indigenous community, while fostering connection and learning between university community members.
According to TMU’s website, Koostachin is a member of Attawapiskat First Nation, the Directors Guild of Canada as well as an acclaimed filmmaker, writ -
er, academic, performance artist and mother.
She is a graduate of the TMU documentary media (MFA) program where, according to her website, “she produced her first feature documentary Remembering Inninimowin (Swampy Cree). According to her website, Koostachin “has extensive knowledge on Indigenous story and methodology” and applies said knowledge to her creative craft. She continues to inspire those she speaks with.
“That [connection] happened at a very early age, like it’s just something I was born into and then being from a family of storytellers and Cree speakers. It’s just a part of my DNA,” said Koostachin in an interview with The Eye.
Harshi Shah, a second-year TMU student in the nutrition and
food program who attended the event described Koostachin’s talk as “inspiring,” explaining how she resonated with Koostachin’s story as an international student. She said it inspires her to “try harder to [achieve] whatever you want.”
When asked at the event how she found her voice, Koostachin explained that you have to speak with intent, honesty and that storytelling is about sharing your truth. She said “when you speak your truth, things do change.”
Koostachin also described a Cree teaching in which you connect with your words. When learning Cree, she told the audience, you spend up to three days learning one word, connecting with it and understanding it in different contexts.
“Of course, that is a place where it always starts from, is an Indig-
enous way of knowing, a Cree way of being,” Koostachin said.
Additionally, Koostachin mentioned having a hard time finding her voice as English is her third language. She described her hardships with language during her undergrad at Concordia University but she was determined to be
an academic. This led her to make connections with Indigenous student services accessible to her, creating a smoother transition to higher level academia.
Koostachin now works with Indigenous communities, supporting those who have faced challenges similar to hers.
Jevontae Layne prepares for the pros
The TMU Bold men’s soccer striker was drafted first overall in the 2025 CPL U Sports draft
By Keiran Gorsky
Third-year forward Jevontae Layne scored a brace against the Queen’s Gaels in a 3-2 win in Kingston, Ont. on Oct. 5, 2024. He also, however, managed to score an elbow square in the face. Blood was seeping out and the requisite bandage applied was to some, comically huge.
Maybe his teammates were thankful for the three points. It was hard to tell.
“I had to go out with the team to a dinner [after], and they’re making fun of me,” Layne recounted with a laugh.
Layne didn’t have a long stay at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), as he was drafted first overall in the Canadian Premier League’s (CPL) 2025 U Sports Draft by Valour FC on Dec. 5, 2024. Should he sign with the Winnipeg outfit after a frigid preseason, he’ll be the third athlete to
suit up in the CPL from TMU and the second draftee after Bold alumnus Jacob Carlos to dawn Valour’s black, red and gold.
Similarly to former Bold striker Ameer Kinani, who was drafted second overall in 2023, there was little indication from Valour that he would be selected first overall.
“After a few calls…I honestly felt like I was gonna go in the top three,” Layne said.
He wasn’t on campus much—his recent winter course load consisting of only two Chang School philosophy classes—but he was just about impossible to miss on the field. In 11 matches—starting 10 of them—
Layne found the net 10 times, forming a lethal duo up front with the previous season’s leading Ontario University Athletics scorer in graduate midfielder Chris Campoli.
Layne didn’t apply to TMU immediately after graduating high school. Instead, he spent two years
at Sheridan College, playing at the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) level—a quite unlikely path for anyone with professional ambitions. Still, he doesn’t necessarily see himself as that archetypal late bloomer. The aim for Layne has always been the same.
“When I finished high school, I didn’t know what pathway I was going to end up going,” said Layne. “But my end goal was always to be a professional.”
That road hasn’t always been straightforward for TMU’s handful of CPL graduates. Kinani, who signed with expansion side Vancouver FC after posting impressive goal totals at U Sports and the semi-professional League1 Ontario level, only found the net once in 19 appearances.
For Carlos, who occupied a primary roster spot as opposed to the developmental roster Layne will likely join, the struggle for professional playing time was even more unforgiving. Hopes of staying in the league and a follow-up contract were always on his mind.
“Football—it’s a tough business,” Carlos said. “That’s why you can never be too high and never be too low.”
That second contract never came about for Carlos, who’s currently back plying his trade in League1 Ontario. Nevertheless, he has great respect for Valour head coach Phillip Dos Santos, who still manages the team three years later.
How might Layne go about pressing him?
“Don’t stop running,” Carlos advises. “The key to [Dos Santos’] heart is to work hard on the field.”
The goal totals are consistently eye-popping for Layne but it’s his all-around game that gets coaches gushing. His knack for being in the right place at the right time, TMU Bold men’s soccer head coach Filip Prostran said, is equally impressive off-the-ball.
From an early age, even as a forward, he realized he could separate himself by getting stuck in at every opportunity. Growing up in Brampton, Ont., Layne found he could construct playing surfaces from nearly anything.
“I’ve played against garages,” he remembered. “I’ve played in between two wooden trees...Anywhere I can make a net, I’ll play.”
Should Valour extend him the opportunity, Layne will likely sign a U-Sports developmental contract. If their club teams elect not to retain them, this allows drafted players to return to university soccer, which a fully professional contract would preclude for 365 days.
It wouldn’t be Layne’s first taste of professional opposition. In April of last year, he started up front for Simcoe County Rovers FC against Toronto FC in the preliminary round of the Canadian Championship—a tournament that pits Canada’s top semi-professional teams against their Major League Soccer and CPL counterparts.
It was a 5-0 drubbing at BMO Field for the Barrie, Ont.-based
side, but still, Layne cherishes the game as one of the best experiences of his life. Professional clubs have an ability to be so crafty and technical that from the other side of the pitch, it seems to Layne as if they don’t make any mistakes.
If he’s intimidated, it’s not clear to his teammates or coaches. Prostran describes Layne as a quiet, sturdy presence in the locker room.
“He never seems to tire from the first minute to the last, breaking, pressing, working,” said Prostran. Layne emphasized that he often remains in the shadows and lets his game speak for itself. Carlos, who has gone head-to-head with Layne in League1, gathered as much.
“[Layne] just puts his head down and just works,” he said. “He seemed very positive all year...[even] when things weren’t going for his team. You can see he just works hard and that’s what [Dos Santos] wants.”
For U Sports draftees, even developmental contracts are far from guaranteed. Professional opportunities beyond rookie seasons have thus far eluded Bold graduates. Layne hopes to change that. He is intent on remaining grounded through all the ups and downs that come with pursuing professional sport.
“If things don’t seem to work out perfect at first, I gotta keep my head down and keep working hard and [not] let that bring me down.”
Layne will travel to Winnipeg on Feb. 14 for the beginning of Valour’s pre-season.
AVA WHELPLEY/THE EYEOPENER
John Carlos leaves bold mark on TMU
The civil rights mogul shared his story with TMU athletes, students and guests on Feb. 4
By Tristan Forde
“When did you let me go to the games? I qualified for the games,” said John Carlos. “Just like I qualified to do what I felt was necessary.”
Carlos is a retired track athlete for the United States (U.S.) Olympic team, recipient of threehonorary doctorates and a spearhead for action and belonging in the Black community. His career was defined during the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, when he and teammate Tommie Smith clenched their fist and pointed to the sky, making the Black power salute while on the podium for the 200-metre dash.
This action would in turn end up removing them from the U.S. Olympic team and banning them from the Olympic village. It all took place just 10 days before the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., cementing Carlos as a memorable figure of the civil rights movements.
On Feb. 4, the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold athletics hosted a conference inviting Carlos and other influential speakers from the Black community in Toronto to grasp the motives and understanding behind such an uplifting figure.
Before the event kicked off on the eighth floor of the Sheldon & Tracy Levy Student Learning Centre, the room slowly filled with students, visitors from across the city and North America—including some from Manitoba, Texas and beyond. A majority of the
TMU Bold varsity teams were also present and clad in their black “Bold, Beautiful & Brilliant” shirts.
“[Carlos’] story left a lasting impact on my team,” said first-year Bold men’s soccer player Noah Pickering. “Everyone should know the challenges that Black athletes and athletes of colour face all the time.”
An enlightening opening act performed by Toronto-based poet and storyteller, Nigel Birch Jr., set the stage for the rest of the afternoon. He recited a poem about being Black, wonderful, smart and standing up for a culture.
“We are beautiful, bold and brilliant,” said Birch Jr. to conclude his poem.
Last year’s event host Mark Stoddart, a Toronto-based designer, returned to the event this year and spoke to those in the audience about being persistent and not giving up. He encouraged the crowd to take a step forward and chase after their goals without letting anyone stop them.
This was exemplified when Stoddart offered the crowd copies of Carlos’ and co-writer Dave Zirin’s book, “The John Carlos Story: The Sports Moment that changed the world.” Numerous hands went up but one woman went a step further, cautiously walking up to the stage to be handed the book by Stoddart.
“With your hands up you have an opportunity to make change,” said Stoddart to the crowd, “You can’t allow those dreams to be stagnant.”
Stoddart partnered with the
Bold to create the “Bold, Beautiful & Brilliant” shirts last year, which the teams wear pre-game and on the bench throughout the month of February. For this year’s event, a new shirt was designed to honour Carlos’ legacy and everlasting impact on Black athletes across the world.
The new shirt features multiple added symbols across the front and back, including the Olympic ring colours and a multi-coloured fist on the left sleeve, which itself features a silhouette of Carlos performing the Black power salute.
“As an artist you try to create things that are impactful in a way that it resonates for people to be curious,” said Stoddart.
After a few words from TMU Chancellor Donette Chin-Loy Chang, Carlos made his way onto the stage, greeted by a standing ovation. To lighten the mood, he started by telling the audience he doesn’t enjoy applause.
Since the Mexico City Olympics, Carlos has dedicated his time to civil rights activism and humanitarian efforts. He educates many on the importance of inclusion and equality and acts as one of the founding members of the Olympic Project for Human Rights to protest against segregation.
Once Carlos took a seat, he shared his heartfelt story with the audience. The activist detailed his life before the 1968 Olympics and before the moment that immortalized him in history. Sharing the story and experiences of becoming an athlete representing a nation that did not respect him or his people back.
Members of the crowd sat in silence internalizing each and every
word that Carlos spoke. Those in attendance could hear the story, relate to his hardships with racism and discrimination but also draw from his perseverance amidst the backlash, punishments and threats directed to him.
“His story is a beacon of light for people affected by racial discrimination. It shows things can get better,” said first-year Bold women’s soccer player Gabrielle Solano.
Despite the sombre nature of the tale of his youth, Carlos spoke with a smile across his face and kept a humorous tone as he shared the story—showing that despite the deprivation, he still pushed forward and isn’t afraid to spread his word to the world.
“His story is a beacon of light for people affected by racial discrimination”
With much of Black history being rooted in mistreatment, racism and violence, many can get caught in focusing solely on the negative aspects that could tear a community apart, while disregarding the endeavors made by the more vocal members of said community—like Carlos—to rebuild it. For Stoddart, this is an opportunity to express the meaning behind his art.
“Beloved, means keeping hope and faith,” said Stoddart on one of his designs. “I thought that it was important to create the conversation especially for Black History Month.”
Towards the conclusion of Carlos’ speech, the floor was opened for questions, where those who voiced any would be rewarded with a copy of his book.
As the event came to a close, members of the crowd gave one final applause for Carlos, but laughter emerged as some remembered that he didn’t like applause. The spectators took to conversing with each other and going to line up for pictures with him.
The efforts of TMU Bold marketing director Nuala Byles, combined with various student unions and societies, allowed students and members of the community the opportunity to meet such an esteemed guest. Through support and funding from student groups, the Bold held a dinner for Carlos the night before the event and paid for his hotel and travel.
“We turned the impossible into the possible,” said Byles. “It’s because the students brought them forward, they paid for this and they wanted him here.”
Throughout February, TMU is continuing its efforts to highlight the importance of Black History Month. This includes a walk of fame exhibit outside the courts at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC), a “What does BHM mean to you?” message wall in both the MAC and the Recreation Athletic Centre as well as social media content all throughout the month.
While some who receive the awards and praise of an Olympic athlete, Carlos emphasized a vision for a whole community. To him, the true message behind Black History Month is to embrace the people and heritage around you.
“Don’t think about yourself and your greatness, think about your community because your community made you who you are.”
DANIEL CARRERO/THE EYEOPENER
DANIEL CARRERO/THE EYEOPENER
A blast from the past: The renaissance of traditional crafts in the 21st century
Canadian youth are turning towards the handcrafted arts as a form of expression and comfort from the uncertain world and digital overload
While wandering the floor below the basement level of the School of Interior Design building at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) in September 2023, Adrianne Bou-Zaid suddenly came across an entire ceramics studio containing a kiln and pottery wheel. Having already completed her undergraduate degree and just beginning her master’s—both in the interior design program—she believed she would end up in a hands-on role like carpentry or construction as she’s always had a love of creating things with her hands. Yet, when she saw the pottery wheel for the first time, a curiosity was sparked within her.
“I know that you can create whatever you want with some clay and then get it fired in the kiln. I understood the process very little but I wanted to learn more about it,” Bou-Zaid said.
The studio’s manager quickly told her that usage was only permitted if it related to what she was studying in her master’s program. Having decided earlier that her thesis would centre around the use of artificial intelligence (AI), BouZaid began thinking about how AI could replicate handmade pottery.
and sculpture dates back as far as the Prehistoric Period according to an article from Smithsonian Magazine. Young children would mould sculptures out of nearby clay and adults would create tools and weapons by carving stone to ensure survival. Ceramic and fabric work are also prevalent at Before Common Era (B.C.E.) sites in Egypt, Britain and the Czech Republic.
“It’s important to do what you love and that sometimes may be a challenge within itself but I think it’s important to follow that route”
It wasn’t until the late Victorian era that the Arts and Crafts movement—a movement originating in Britain—reached its peak popularity and made its way to the United States shortly after.
from using digital devices or technology—have seen a resurgence among younger demographics like post-secondary students.
Anaia Corrigan, a third-year biology student at TMU, was in-
spired to start crocheting after seeing her friend working on the craft technique in her first year. Corrigan’s first crocheted creation ended up being a book bag—one she still uses to this day. She continues to crochet two years later, citing her interest in the hobby as a means to unwind from her busy program and pass the time as a commuter student.
“I guess it helps me get distracted with how long I’m just sitting in one place doing nothing…I also use it to de-stress during class or if I’m tired in class to not fall asleep,” said Corrigan.
Stemming from a need to uphold intricate craftsmanship over the work of brand-new machinery taking over the workforce, the movement “called for an end to the division of labor and advanced the designer as craftsman,” according to an article from The Metropoli-
With that, she was off to the races and began to experiment with the relationship between AI and pottery. Whether it was through asking different platforms to try and replicate a ceramic she just created or asking AI to visualize a loose design concept, Bou-Zaid seized the opportunity to create artwork in the studio for her enjoyment while also tying it to her studies.
“My research was pretty much playing with clay and experimenting [with the] exploration of taking a physical image and creating it, or taking a virtual image and creating it physically,” she said.
tan Museum of Art . These crafts continue to be embedded in art spaces today, but what was once considered “ancient” and traditional art forms, these detached
With many students taking an interest in her crocheting, she soon found herself yearning for a club at TMU where she could meet other students who shared the hobby. After perusing TMU’s Reddit page and seeing similar sporadic posts of students asking for a crochet club, Corrigan took the initiative to write a call-out post in an effort to potentially begin one herself.
After getting direct messages and replies under the thread, she created the Instagram page @tmu_fibrearts, the official club Instagram page for TMU’s
new crochet club. Corrigan was also able to gather the 20 signatures needed to apply as a recognized club as outlined by the Toronto Metropolitan Students’ Union (TMSU) on their website.
Clubs like the one Corrigan founded exist outside of TMU and can be found in the Greater Toronto Area, and similarly, were created out of a love for the craft.
Toronto Crochet + Knit Collective started as a call out on Instagram for a potential crocheting get-together in the park by Emilie Young, a social media lead for OCAD University and co-founder of the collective. Young, who also enjoys knitting and woodworking, had garnered some attention online for her crochet patterns and wanted to find a few people to meet in a free and public space.
“It was in May of 2023 when we were more and more coming out of this pandemic space…but just getting outside and meeting up more, I just put out a call to be like, ‘Who wants to go hang out in a park and work on a project together?’” said Young.
Grace Tompkins, a current PhD biostatistics student at the University of Waterloo and the collective’s second co-founder, had taken an interest in crocheting at the time and was one of the four people who joined Young’s first knitting and crochet outing.
By the second meeting, the at-
viable space where people could gather together regularly to work on their projects together. Once they began brainstorming a name for themselves and branding, they launched both the collective and their social pages in October 2023 as a non-profit club—an aspect Tompkins highlighted.
“We do events to encourage people to come out and try to make it as accessible and for free as possible,” said Tompkins.
The Toronto Crochet + Knit Collective hosts monthly meetups in parks such as Trinity Bellwoods and Christie Pits as well as indoor spaces during the colder months. They strive to create a “safe space” where many young people from different backgrounds and demographics can all come together to hone in on their work collectively.
“The growth has been really, really amazing and I think it was a community that was lacking in Toronto, and particularly, we make it a safe space for queer and LGBTQIA+ folks to join us,” said Tompkins.
tendance increased to 15 people.
Tompkins then
“Hobbies are always a good way to make friends, because you know you’ll have something to connect to, I think it’s a good medium to meet people in”
It is not just fibre arts that allow young people to gather around analog arts. Anyone with a passion for ceramics can head over to pottery studios like Mono Art Studio.
Bou-Zaid isn’t the only one with a newfound interest in recreational ‘traditional’ art forms founded on their analog and handcrafted nature—such as pottery, quilting, calligraphy, woodworking, welding and more.
Historical evidence has illustrated how crafts like these have persisted throughout ages. One of the earliest origins of humans hand-making items like pottery
Founder and owner of the studio Anastasiia Bukina became interested in pottery after graduating from the undergraduate architecture program at OCAD. What started as a casual pottery-making hangout with friends in 2022, ignited a newfound adoration for ceramic making. This aligned perfectly with her previous interests in the arts after attending an arts high school in Ukraine before moving to Canada. She took it upon her-
self to buy a small pottery wheel and began learning how to create through online tutorials and inperson classes.
Bukina imagined the possibility of opening a pottery studio during the COVID-19 pandemic as a step forward in both her personal and professional life. She didn’t believe in the viability of starting a business until the financial advice and emotional encouragement of her father, a businessman, gave her the push she needed to take her idea “to the next level.” Bukina took to sourcing the furniture and materials second-hand to save costs and, in September 2022, she finally opened up the doors to Mono Art Studio in Toronto.
The studio specializes in painting and pottery classes with the studio offering events from bridal showers to birthdays and more. Today, they’re always updating their activity options with new workshops and classes for all ages. Bukina, who works full-time at the studio, said seeing how the atelier has grown since its inception has been wonderful to watch.
“I never had a specific plan and whenever I was receiving offers or doing some new workshops or collaborating with someone, it always was another milestone I never tried before,” she said.
Like Bukina, artisans have taken it upon themselves to turn their crafts and pastimes into their careers and viable income.
During her time pursuing her master’s, Bou-Zaid became so enamoured by ceramic-making that she bought a pottery wheel for her place and eventually created her own business, ABZ Pottery. Here she sells pieces she made during and after her studies. In her words: “Anything pottery from A to Z.” Her page showcases her creations, videos showing her process and even tutorials on pottery making.
“I began by creating mugs, bowls, plates, saucers, key chains and then going to TMU markets and selling them. And I had so much fun doing that,” said BouZaid. She has participated at local markets including STACKT and even on The Gould Street Market on the TMU campus. Although she’s working at a restaurant as a supplementary source of income, she sees herself in the future working in the creative field full-time instead of a nineto-five job.
“I want to be able to work with my hands. Have a flexible schedule. I don’t want to take the traditional route of climbing the corporate ladder and trying to be somebody’s boss,” said Bou-Zaid.
The path to becoming a fulltime artist comes with financial obstacles, Bou-Zaid acknowledges. A 2024 survey analysis conducted
by the Cultural Human Resources Council found that about 66 per cent of Canadian artists earned less than $40,000 annually from their arts and culture sources in 2023, with 21 per cent of that figure coming from artists making less than $10,000. Regardless of the modern-day financial hurdles that come with turning your passion into a prosperous career, Bou-Zaid reiterates how much pursuing her art means in this journey.
“It’s important to do what you love and that sometimes may be a challenge within itself but I think it’s important to follow that route and, sometimes, it’s going back to the ancient times where they were creating stuff out of clay,” she said.
tendees at the studio—controlling something malleable when other parts of the world aren’t easily changeable.
“Clay has a stability because clay is a natural material. It’s basically like Earth and it helps them to bring themselves down and just focus on this [for] two to three hours.”
people felt [they] could be around peers more around their age and just felt more welcoming,” said Young.
To anyone wanting to get into the craft, Tompkins says to “allow yourself to fail.”
“If things don’t work out, you can try again. That’s what’s great about these crafts too, is that they’re really forgiving,” said Young.
Among these artisans, what ties them together—aside from the yarn and fibre as Tompkins said—is their eagerness to learn from free, accessible sources like YouTube tutorials and their desire to find community within their art. For most of them, art was not solely for monetary desire but a creative form that allowed them to step away from reality and their personal ongoings.
Bou-Zaid can recall the exact day she made her first pottery piece: Oct. 13, 2023. While developing her thesis, this day marked the end of a six-year-long relationship and left her seeking creation as a form of escapism.
“I needed to put my time towards something else and I really needed to focus on myself and heal myself. So I used pottery as a form of therapy…I would spend five, six hours a day in the studio, teaching myself and isolating myself in that world to just focus on working with my hands,” said Bou-Zaid. “I really do feel like it healed me in that time.”
Bukina also initially took to pottery and painting to distract herself from times of hardship, as she discovered the hobby around the same time the Ukraine-Russia war was running rampant in her mind, fearing the state of her home country.
“I was just painting for my own good and calmness. It just brought me peace, because my head, my mind, was full of negative thoughts,” said Bukina.
According to a 2022 study published in The United States National Library of Medicine, researchers found that art therapy practices focused on hands-on visual arts aided participants diagnosed with anxiety and depression symptoms. For Bukina, the ability to carefully play with and shape the soft clay provides some therapeutic relief. This is a belief she hopes to instill into the at-
Along with alleviating stress physically by constantly moving their hands and adapting, analog crafts help people physically disconnect from their electronic devices for one moment in the day. This is a mindset both Tompkins and Young agree is crucial for their mental health in their busy work and school schedules and in an era where global conflicts and changes in the world are constantly shown on social media.
“I work in a really digital space, so I’m on the computer for eight hours at work and then I was getting home and I was going on the computer again. So it’s been such a nice way to disconnect from that,” said Young. “It’s a way better dopamine hit when you finish a project than doom-scrolling.”
interior design master’s program in June 2024, her final thesis encompassing how AI cannot replicate handmade pottery but could be used as a starting tool for any artist wanting to see a loose concept of a preliminary idea. She soon would take part in a tabling event on TMU’s Gould Street alongside other small businesses, food vendors and second-hand shops run by students and alumni.
Though they’re on standby for the club to get funding approved by the TMSU, Corrigan believes having a club centred around crochet at the university would be a great way to meet new people.
“Hobbies are always a good way to make friends, because you know you’ll have something to connect to,” said Corrigan. “I think it’s just a good medium to meet people in.”
Similarly, the two founders of Toronto Knit + Crochet Collective are determined to keep the group going. They’re driven not by a desire for growth in followers or engagement but by their acknowledgement of how important third spaces are for the new friends they’ve met at these sessions—especially for those from the new generations who are just discovering this traditional art.
“I don’t want to take the traditional route of climbing the corporate ladder and trying to be somebody’s boss”
“There is this gap between the older demographic who are into these fibre arts and these crafts, and then this resurgence…coming up from this younger generation. We started this too as a space where
On ABZ Pottery’s table where small colourful and glossed bowls and dishes are carefully laid out on the spread stands a statement piece she created for that thesis—a ceramic sculpture with round, uneven holes inspired by Tuscan architecture and combined with misshapen and abstract elements that merge tradition with innovation.
As students perused the assortment of ceramics, they all gravitated toward the thesis sculpture and some reacted much differently than others, says BouZaid.
“It did help attract people to the table because they would come to me and be like, ‘What is that,’ ‘That’s so cool,’ ‘How did you make that,’ ‘What’s the idea behind it?’ ‘How much is it?’”
This positive reception of her sculpture and the joy she experienced making it has inspired Bou-Zaid to take on a new approach to how she crafts.
“The route that I’m taking now is that I want to explore these more abstract pieces instead of creating the smaller, more practical pieces,” said Bou-Zaid.
She attributes that her love of pottery and her business would not be where it is today without the people on her social page who voice their admiration and support for her work, creating a community she feels comforted by.
“I get so excited when I get even one like or one view because someone is interested in what I’m doing…people are saying they love what I’m doing, or they think it’s cool as to what I’m creating and it’s not just me who thinks it’s cool I’m not just biased with my own work…I think that’s the biggest sense of community that I can have is the support from everybody.”
Tamil students at TMU rediscover their roots through Bharatanatyam
Many are rekindling an old art form, honouring their culture and telling stories through traditional Tamil dances
By Shaaranki Kulenthirarasa
With the sun barely out and the skies dull and grey, the distinct swooshing sound of the wind blows against the window. Many people are huddled in their beds, taking this Saturday morning to sleep in—but not Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) second-year sociology student Kuberaka Kumareswaran. She is up and awake, wearing her favourite green shalwar—the uniform of the Kalai Aruvi Academy of Fine Arts. She stands in front of her mirror, braiding her black hair and preparing to teach Bharatanatyam, a South Indian classical dance form that originated in Tamil Nadu, India. As she enters the academy doors, many students are present, dressed in their mustard yellow and maroon shalwars.
Kumareswaran greets the students one by one and picks up a Thattu Kazhi—a South Indian instrument used to keep rhythm. She then recites basic jathis as intricate sharp beats formed by the wooden instrument fills the room. With each tap of the instrument, synchronized mudras—hand gestures, and footsteps from her students—echo throughout the room. They simultaneously accompany their steps with drishti bhedas—eyemovements—as well.
Kumareswaran’s relationship with the art form was not “love-at-first-sight,” but rather one she grew to love. She joined a Bharatanatyam dance studio at the age of seven but stopped going within a few weeks as she had lost interest. A year later, she grew more interested in the art form after seeing the community where her older sister danced. After a brief conversation with her mother about how new students were joining for Vijayadashami—a day Hindus see as an auspicious day to begin learning new art forms—she suddenly experienced a desire to learn the traditional dance.
“I went upstairs and I changed into a random pavadai sattai—a traditional dress worn in South India—and I came down and said ‘I want to join dance now.’” Kumareswaran then continued her
Bharatanatyam journey through the founder and director of Kalai Aruvi Academy of Fine Arts, Smt. Renukadevi Vigneswaran who founded the academy in 1996. Through Kumareswaran’s Bharatanatyam journey, she has grown closer to Vigneswaran as both an inspiration and best friend.
Bharatanatyam dancers are known for telling religious, personal and historical stories through their performances due to their angular gestures and facial expressions. The Swagatham Krishna, a famous keerthanai or devotional song, in Bharatanatyam demonstrates the major hindu deity Lord Krishna’s significance in Hinduism. The song discusses the ways Lord Krishna protected those around him and is adorned by the gopikas, his devotees.
According to Akademi, Bharatanatyam has served as the principle of many other Indian dance styles including Kuchipudi and Odissi. The dance form has been accompanied by numerous other components. These include an orchestra consisting of a Carnatic music made up of South Indian classical music singers, a double-sided drum called a mridangam and a Bharatanatyam guru who guides the dancers using a Tattu Kazhi.
Inspired by sculptures and deities in Hindu temples, the rich costumes tailored to perfection from colourful silk sarees along with the stunning jewelry made from dark green and maroon kemp stones bring the dance to life.
As the cultural coordinator of the Tamil Students Association at TMU, Kumareswaran has been able to stay connected to her Tamil roots while still being on campus. She is able to help the team organize events from beginning to end to educate the diaspora and the greater community about aspects of Tamil culture.
“Being on campus, there [are] a lot of great resources for us to accept and embrace our cultural identities”
Kumareswaran works with other dancers on the team to fuse Bharatanatyam with oth-
er genres of dance. “Being on campus, there [are] a lot of great resources for us to accept and embrace our cultural identities,” she says.
Similarly, third-year child and youth care student Archana Atputharajah highlights the fusion of Bharatnatyam and other dance styles to connect with youth.
“In order to appeal to new generations, many are incorporating dance forms while maintaining its historical roots,” Atputharajah said.
Bharatanatyam was originally used to share the stories of Hinduism and express the dancer’s devotion, which Atputharajah still continues to do. That being said, she emphasizes the important role traditional Bharatanatyam has played in connecting with her Tamil heritage and roots.
“[Bharatanatyam] is a cultural and spiritual expression that keeps me deeply connected to my Tamil heritage. The mudras, abhinaya and stories told through Bharatanatyam all reflect Tamil history and traditions,” Atputharajah added.
Ishwaria Chandrabala, the artistic director of Kalaimanram Academy of Fine Arts and Yoga has worked to keep this style alive in the Tamil community. Chandrabala, who completed a world dance degree at York University, said learning Bharatnatyam plays a key role in shaping one’s knowledge about Tamil culture.
“You are learning about Tamil music, Tamil traditions, Tamil culture through compositions as well, how people behaved socially [through padams], how people pray [through keerthanais].”
Chandrabala herself, who has been teaching Bharatanatyam since 2014, said she struggled to talk about her passions in this dance form to peers at university due to cultural differences. However, she said the highlight of teaching dance is when she sees her students embrace their talent in Bharatnatyam, especially at school or university by joining dance teams and performing.
Atputharajah’s journey with Bharatanatyam started in classes under the guidance of her aunt at the age of three and completed her Arangetram—a graduation ceremony
where gurus present their pupils, at the age of 12.
“My journey with Bharatanatyam began even before I was born. My aunt, who is also my dance teacher, would recite jathis [rhythmic syllables] and share stories while I was still in my mother’s womb,” she said. She then received her certification as a dance teacher last year through Thamil Isai Kalaamanram after nearly 18 years of training. She is now the founder of StepsByArchana, a dance company dedicated to performing and teaching. Since then, Atputharajah has choreographed dances, filmed dance covers and taught dance classes for all levels.
“My goal is to make South Indian dance more accessible and engaging while preserving its authenticity,” she said.
Though Kumareswaran completed her Arangetram nearly three years ago, her passion for dance allows her to find ways to engage with and continue this form of art. She is currently working towards a teacher’s certification in Bharatanatyam and helps Vigneswaran take classes.
“[Bharatanatyam] lets me go to events where I learn so much more [about my culture], I go to the temple when I dance and I learn so much about my religious roots,” Kumareswaran said.
The dancer said learning Tamil and Bharatanatyam went hand-in-hand to shape her knowledge.
“If you are going to [do a Bharatanatyam performance] for Tamil Heritage Month, you are definitely doing a dance to a song about Tamil mozhi. If you listen to those lyrics and you learn the dance, then you will learn so much about your language that you didn’t even know,” she said.
Kumareswaran remains grateful to her parents for introducing this art form despite an adverse upbringing in Canada.
Like Kumareswaran and Atputharajah, many other Tamil students use Bharatnatyam as a way to connect with and learn about their Tamil heritage and roots. Despite cultural differences in a westernized society, students are finding ways to incorporate the dance form in Toronto.
KHADIJAH GHAURI/THE EYEOPENER
KHADIJAH GHAURI/THE EYEOPENER
Black students build safe spaces on campus
From cultural groups to industry-based ones, Black student groups foster kinship at TMU
By Moyo Lawuyi
While Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) bustling, multicultural downtown location fosters a diverse demographic of students, many have also undergone their own search for likeminded peers who can provide them with a safe space through shared lived experiences.
According to The Ryersonian’s archives, in the 1980s, the then-named Ryerson Polytechnical Institute had only one student group for Black students—the Ryerson Caribbean and African Association. However, this was before the university’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion—and long before its first Anti-Black Racism Campus Climate report in July 2020.
Today, there are various Black student groups at TMU where, in 2024, eight per cent of its undergraduate population identified as Black. These groups range from cultural and ethnic associations to academic program groups, which provide not only a social gathering, but also a home away from home and a shared space to celebrate Black identities.
If you’re looking to connect with fellow Black students, explore Black cultures and traditions or simply have a good time, here are five student groups at TMU for you.
Black Business Students’ Association (BBSA)
In her second year at TMU, global management studies student Olamide Olukolu was searching online for initiatives at the university for Black students, when she came across the Black Business Students’ Association (BBSA) and joined as a general ambassador.
Now in her third year, Olukolu currently serves as the association’s corporate relations lead. She said the association fosters a supportive community and provides resources that work to minimize barriers within the corporate world that Black students might face.
Since its creation in 2021, the BBSA has hosted many events, but Olukolu said its professional events—like the group’s annual conference or shark tank—are what benefit students the most.
“It’s a way for companies to actually engage with Black students and talk about the resources they have in their companies that will benefit us,” she said.
The BBSA also aims to help bridge the gap between students and industry professionals. While many resources on campus provide
mentorships and career advancement opportunities, Olukolu said not many focus on Black students.
“BBSA is focused on Black experiences and how easy or how hard it is to actually navigate corporate spaces,” she said.
The group also hosts social events and, at times, collaborates with other Black student groups at TMU to allow students to network and forge connections with people from their community.
Olukolu said many people mistakenly believe that due to the group’s name, only students in the Ted Rogers School of Management can join or attend events. However, she assured that the BBSA welcomes all Black-identifying students regardless of their faculty.
Black Fashion Student Association (BFSA)
The Black Fashion Student Association (BFSA) was founded in 2019 by Caron Phinney—an assistant professor at TMU’s School of Fashion—to create a community for Black-identifying students in a program where they saw little representation.
Since joining the association in her first year, now co-president and fourth-year fashion student
Cali Greenidge has watched the association grow from organizing fashion runway shows to welcoming guest speakers, including influential Black figures in the industry such as Sean Brown, Karen Ferguson and Iris Simpson.
“Bringing in these outside sources who can speak to their real experience, while being Black and working in the fashion industry, helped to make the space positive and I think motivates students to fulfill their creative passion,” expressed Greenidge.
The group also runs more laidback events, such as vinyl painting and game nights. In recent years, it has evolved into a home for Black students who are interested in fashion and related fields, regardless of their program.
“It was important that we opened the BFSA to students outside of the fashion program, cause we knew that the community could be so much stronger and so much bigger,” explained Greenidge.
Caribbean Students Association (CASA)
TMU’s Caribbean Students Association (CASA) was reinstated in 2023 after its president, Analise Bartolo and her friends pursued a goal to bring together the Carib -
bean community on campus.
Bartolo, a third-year global management studies student, said transitioning from the warmth of the Caribbean islands to cold Canadian winters can be difficult for many students. With that shared experience as a base, the group aims to plan events that unite the community.
“We [try to] uplift the spirits a bit more and try to teleport people and make them feel as though they are home, despite the weather,” she said.
So far, the group has hosted events like game nights/potlucks and Caribbean parties that allow Caribbean students—regardless of their birthplace—to get to know each other. The club is also open to people who aren’t from the islands to attend events just so they learn more about Caribbean culture.
“I just want everybody to feel safe and feel included and feel welcomed. Just seeing that being radiated through people’s faces at events, it’s the most fulfilling feeling,” said Bartolo.
Nigerian Students’ Association (NSA)
TMU’s Nigerian Students’ Association (NSA) is relatively new, having been created in 2023 by a group of first and second-year Nigerian students. They felt that although many Nigerians they knew attended the same places of worship in Toronto, they still needed a community on campus—which was missing.
“You don’t really have to start from scratch with people in a cultural group”
Ihinosen Ebhohimhen, a thirdyear biomedical engineering student, is the president of the NSA as well as one of its founders. She said that since most Nigerians on campus are international students, the
group was essential to establish.
“We wanted to create a space where you could be your truest ‘Nigerian-iest’ self,” she said.
Ebhohimhen said the group introduces students to resources—such as where to get their hair braided or the best place for Nigerian groceries and ethnic food—providing a soft landing for newcomers.
The group also hosts many social events during the school year to introduce more Nigerian peers to each other. These events benefit first-year students especially, helping them bond over shared experiences, cultural ties and mutual connections from home.
“You don’t really have to start from scratch with people in a cultural group,” said Ebhohimhen.
For now, the association’s president said the group aims to curate more career and academiccentric events and reach parts of the university’s Nigerian student population that might not have heard of them yet.
“We’re just here to help you unwind. We’re here to help you have a good laugh, eat some jollof rice and be happy,” said Ebhohomhen.
United Black Students Association (UBSA)
While the university’s United Black Students Association (UBSA) had existed for many years, it fell inactive until Mary Kamau, a fifth-year RTA media production student and Markicia Fletcher, a fourth-year social work student took the initiative to revive it during the Winter 2024 semester.
Kamau had spent six months in Germany as part of an exchange program through TMU and saw how a Black community foundation there had events for Black-identifying students in their predominantly white university. This motivated her to
restart the UBSA alongside Fletcher when she got back to Toronto.
Both Kamau and Fletcher said it was difficult to go through the various steps needed to make the group official again but knew how important it was to have this Black student space on campus—one that transcended ethnic backgrounds or academic programs.
“We just want it to be a safe space for any type of Black-identifying student,” said Kamau.
Now the two co-presidents lead a new team that curates events ranging from study sessions and panel discussions to movie nights and parties.
Kamau said that at a commuter school like TMU, the UBSA is essential to build a community on campus.
“Given the history of who we are as Black people, it’s so important for us to come together, share in our experiences and work together to be better people, to find each other and to create community,” she said.
“We’re here to stay. We have a purpose here, there’s a reason we’re on this planet”
Fletcher agreed, citing that the group additionally helps create a space where students can talk about the racism or microaggressions they may experience on campus when they don’t feel comfortable doing so elsewhere.
“[It’s important] having that outlet where we can talk to each other and just uplift each other and change the narrative at school to say, ‘Hey, we’re Black and we’re here,’” affirmed Fletcher.
“We’re here to stay. We have a purpose here, there’s a reason we’re on this planet.”
KIERAN LAUZIER/THE EYEOPENER
Students’ digital footprints can affect job recruiting
By Dylan Marks
Experts suggest students keep a clean digital footprint as Canadian employers are increasingly screening job candidates’ social media profiles before hiring.
Assistant professor at Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) Ted Rogers School of Management
Jenna Jacobson said the social media screening process could be used by an organization to check a candidate’s qualifications, see how professionally someone is presenting themselves and if they would be a good fit for the organization.
“I think that it’s important to recognize that social media screening has become a dominant practice. Organizations will use social media to attract, recruit and screen qualified job applicants,” said Jacobson.
According to a survey from The Harris Poll, 65 per cent of Canadian companies said they use social media to screen job applicants, 41 per cent found social media content that led them to reject a candidate and 86 per cent said they would fire an employee based on an inappropriate social media post they’ve made online.
“The number of employers using social media and then potentially integrating that information into a hiring decision may just be higher than we even think,” said Darren Charters, a professor of
accounting and finance at the University of Waterloo. “But just because they can access somebody’s private social media, does that mean they should?”
Third-year RTA media production student Carina Tomasso said she feels that “it makes sense for people in charge of hiring to screen a possible employee’s digital footprint.”
Tomasso also added she understands employers have a responsibility to ensure workplace safety and sees value in checking a candidate’s online presence to confirm whether they are a suitable hire.
With the rigorous process of social media screening, some experts feel there are ethical implications involving privacy and transparency during the act of not informing applicants that their digital footprints will be looked at and used towards the hiring decision.
Zubin Austin, a professor of pharmacology at the University of Toronto said, “When recruiters or companies are actually going to be doing something like this, it is ethically responsible for them to inform the candidate that this is going to be part of the search process.”
According to a report from the National Library of Medicine, social media screening is not something that should be considered procedurally fair as “it opens up far too many opportunities for
inaccurate or job-irrelevant information, lack of transparency, discrimination, recruiter biases and privacy violations.”
Charters said the idea of social media screenings used during the hiring process is something that needs to be told upfront with consent for doing so being a possible avenue as well.
“You will see people recommend being upfront about it, let the participant know you’re doing it and or get their consent to review certain social media,” said Charters. “I think if employers do that, ethically they can argue they have interacted respectfully as an individual who has autonomy and is capable of making their own decisions.”
Zubin noted that many students may have misconceptions regarding what employers can and cannot look at and evaluate in terms of social media.
“Anything you put on social media is fair game. It’s likely going to be findable, and you need to exercise responsibility and caution in your social media presence,” said Zubin.
First-year professional music student Ryan Sykes said he understands employers “may want to get a sense of a candidate’s online presence. So it’s reasonable for them to look through a person’s social media.”
Sykes added that he is confident in the way he posts on social media and understands that anything he
may put out into the public can and will be seen by other people. “I’ve thought about how what I post online could impact my career and I’m quite mindful of what I share publicly just for that reason,” he said.
However, concerns that may arise from potentially being screened should not deter students from maintaining their regular social media activity as well as keeping an active online presence. A study conducted by TMU’s Centre for Immigration and Settlement backed up this idea with a conclusion that Canadians who used social media are about 2.3 times more likely to find employment than those who don’t.
Jacobson said that, in her classes, she encourages students to Google themselves to see what information is available about them online as well as if it’s something they would
want a potential employer to see.
She also said it raises the issue of online self-presentation and highlights the importance of digital literacy in understanding and managing one’s online presence.
“Perhaps what’s online is not the impression that you would like to leave,” Jacobson said. “Try to curate the identity that you want to have online. So take control of that to see how others may perceive you and clarify what information you want to share.”
Tomasso said she feels it is important for people to keep in mind that anything they publish can be seen by possible employers and when applying for a job it’s best to be mindful of what you have put out on social media.
“I think that the way I post online is always with the mindset that anyone could see it,” said Tomasso.
TMU creators monetize social media beyond views
By Anthony Lippa-Hardy
With restrictions against viewership monetization on platforms like TikTok in Canada, student content creators are turning to other creative methods of generating revenue from their online platforms.
According to the TikTok Rewards webpage, creators are only able to monetize their views if they meet specific content criteria and
are located in the United States, Brazil, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, South Korea or France.
With restrictions on how Canadian creators can generate revenue through social media, Abdullah Zaidi, a third-year Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) student double majoring in English and history, said he doesn’t feel “too left out on the Canadian side” as many creators are steering away from monetized
viewership through other income methods such as brand deals.
With over one million followers on TikTok and 396,000 followers on Instagram, Zaidi said his videos were designed to be a collection of funny ideas he originally had saved in his notes app, never having planned to gain such a large following.
“The idea was, ‘nobody’s going to see it anyway.’ And then my second video in July 2023 got 10
million views,” he said.
His online success has also allowed him to discover other opportunities to make an income.
For Zaidi, his primary source of revenue on social media comes from brand deals.
He explained that 80 per cent of his brand deals come from people reaching out to him directly. However, through the help of his agency, their team is able to help source the other 20 per cent through a variety of industry connections and cold emailing potential companies.
“There are brands that I’ve worked with that, you know, at the beginning it was kind of difficult to get their attention, but now that I’m in that ecosystem, I’m always in discussions to work with them,” Zaidi said.
According to Jenna Jacobson, an assistant professor at Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) Ted Rogers School of Management, “attention is a commodity,” making it highly sought after by brands.
“Having a large audience means that an influencer—whether you’re talking macro, micro [or]
nano—have opportunities to engage in paid sponsorships or collaborations with these brands,” said Jacobson.
According to Shopify, some brands have experienced growing success with influencers, as 84.8 per cent find influencer marketing effective and 36 per cent report that influencer content surpasses brand-created material.
Jacobson also said social media “affords two-way communication,” allowing for online audiences to feel a more genuine connection with content creators.
According to a study by the Journal of Marketing Innovation, twoway communication can be conveyed through a brand endorsing social media figures, ultimately allowing the brand to build a trustworthy connection and overall consumer satisfaction.
The study also stated, “companies that can concoct ways of communicating their brand with creative advertising promotions will build relationships with their consumers to create brand trust.”
Read more at theeyeopener.com
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Bigfoot sighting debunked as student in winter coat ClassifEYEds
Students left ups-yeti after claims of a creature walking on campus proved false
By Peyton Andino
Disclaimer: Like Bigfoot, the contents of this satirical story are not real. (Unless, that’s what they want you to believe...)
Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) students leaving class on Monday were shocked after several witnesses spotted the cryptid known as Bigfoot “serving lewks” on the Kerr Hall Quad.
At 3 p.m., a large crowd of students gathered around the Quad as a supposed large-footed sasquatch wandered aimlessly among the forested area of TMU’s sole cleanair space.
“My pants were thoroughly soiled, my Balzac’s dropped and my day was ruined”
However, the hysteria was quickly dispelled once campus security appeared on the scene with a big net and confirmed that the creature was, in fact, a student in a thrifted grey faux mink coat.
“My pants were thoroughly soiled, my Balzac’s dropped and my day was ruined,” said second-year mechatronic engineering student Brandon Penafiel-Velez, who was present on the scene when the sighting occured.
Penafiel-Velez was one of many students and TMU-based social
media accounts to flood the Internet with various TikToks and memes about the viral incident.
Posts such as “Bigfoot will be real in 10 seconds,” “Oomf sent me a picture of Bigfoot on campus, can’t have anything at TMU” and “Why Bigfoot kinda...” circulated X, formerly known as Twitter, following the event.
Student Life TMU uploaded a reel where assorted first-year journalism students interviewed people on the eighth floor of the SLC on whether or not they believe bigfoot truly exists.
Instagram account @tmemeu_ even joined in on the fun and posted a sped-up video of Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow dancing with the caption “Me when Bigfoot.”
“Oomf sent me a picture of Bigfoot on campus, can’t have anything at TMU”
As of this morning, an Instagram account going by @hearts4lachemi slid into The Eyeopener’s direct messages (DMs) claiming to be the fabled Bigfoot impersonator.
Bigfoot—a.k.a. first-year philosophy student Sash Scotch—is an Instagram fashion micro-influencer with over 3,000 followers who is known for their Canva editing skills.
“Why Bigfoot kinda...”
“So often in society, we find ourselves blending into the sea of sameness that is perpetuated by the fashion industry,” they said. “I decided to take it upon myself to show others that it is possible to set yourself apart using an entire outfit of statement pieces.”
Scotch’s entire “lewk” consisted of Great Wolf Lodge black Timbs, a bushy stache, the aforementioned mink coat and the sheer Canadian audacity to frolic in -30 degree weather.
TMU President and ViceChancellor Mohamed Lachemi
took to social media warning students to keep the fashion, style and boundary-pushing to a “safe minimum.”
“Please refrain from making extravagant yet dangerous fashion choices,” said Lachemi who was wearing winter clothes taken directly from a GAP mannequin.
“Please refrain from making extravagant yet dangerous fashion choices”
“TMU Archives ain’t gonna notice your fit. For the safety of yourself and fellow students, please refrain from wearing outfits that may cause you to be mistaken for cryptids,” he said.
By Gray Moloy
By Calan Pittis
Disclaimer: This is all fake (duh).
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Scotch insisted that the outfit itself was meant to start a conversation.
May I present to you...our current leadership
KHADIJAH GHAURI/THE EYEOPENER
Goofy Groceries
By Vanessa Kauk
Dive into this Eye-Spy for a chance to win one of two $50 gift cards to Metro. Simply circle all the items in the list and take a photo, scan the QR code and submit your completed Eye-Spy along with your contact information. This contest closes Feb. 24 and winners will be contacted by Feb. 28. Good luck! Rules can be found in our Instagram bio @theeyewideopen.
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