NEWS
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Research by TMU profs could help diagnose cancer with a blood drop | One researcher said this could be the future of cancer screening
Editor-in-Chief Abeer “I’m Going To Punch You” Khan News Edward “Anti-BF ” Djan Thea “British Lord” Gribilas Prapti “IG Baddie” Bamaniya Photo Jes “Fast Walker” Mason Vanessa “Adult Baby” Kauk Peyton “Grad Capped” Keeler-Cox Online Alexandra “I’m Baby” Holyk Abby “Chair Coordinator” Hughes Features Stephanie “Fact Checked!” Davoli Mariyah “Carey” Salhia
PREMILA D’SA/THE EYEOPENER
By Rochelle Raveendran Ultrasensitive nanosensors created by Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) professors could expedite early cancer diagnosis and treatment by detecting tumours during routine blood tests. Nanosensors are cost-effective devices engineered to identify a specific molecule or biological component, according to a 2021 study in Nanoscale Research Letters. Engineering professors Bo Tan and Krishnan Venkatakrishnan used the nanosensor and blood samples to detect brain cancer in 60 patients who had a brain tumour with 100 per cent accuracy. Using only five microlitres of blood–approximately–one-thousandth of a teaspoon–the sensor also identified metastatic tumours, which are cancer cells that have spread from their original site, with 100 per cent accuracy. Tan and Venkatakrishnan’s research is an example of a liquid biopsy, a non-invasive test that uses blood samples to detect substances in the bloodstream that may be a sign of cancer. Substances that may indicate cancer in the body are known as tumour markers.
“It has to be operable, durable and reliable in a clinical environment” Research in liquid biopsies for clinical use has expanded rapidly over the past decade. Mainstream liquid biopsies use blood-processing methods to isolate tumour DNA before analysis. This approach is a complex, time-consuming and costly process, according to a 2015 paper in Clinical Chemistry. However, Tan said the nanosensor can detect trace amounts of tumour markers directly from blood samples, due to its ultrasensitivity. Dr. Sunit Das, a neurosurgeon
and scientist at St. Michael’s Hospital, described this methodology as a fundamental change to liquid biopsies, as it can be replicated outside of advanced, high-tech labs. “From an engineering point of view, you want to make an instrument,” Tan said. “It’s not only [about] the sensitivity. It has to be operable, durable and reliable in a clinical environment.”
not high resolution and cannot differentiate between benign and malignant tumours, said Srilakshmi Premachandran, a Ph.D candidate at TMU who worked on the research project as part of her thesis. To determine if a tumour is cancerous, doctors may then perform a tissue biopsy, removing a sample of cells for testing. “With your vital organs, sometimes it is not safe to perform a tissue biopsy,” she added. “It is very risky “We want to make and painful because you’re literally some difference in drilling a hole in their skull.” the real world” Drawing blood tests from a patient’s arm eliminates challenges The professors collaborated with associated with imaging sensitivity Das on their research through the In- and tissue biopsies, she said. stitute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), a “This could be the partnership between TMU and St. future of cancer Michael’s Hospital. screening” Tan and Venkatakrishnan, who are married, have been researching nanomaterial fabrication for 20 years. In 2017, Tan said they Brain cancer has a low concenbegan looking for practical uses tration of tumour markers in the for their work, ultimately landing bloodstream compared to other on cancer diagnosis. cancers, said Swarna Ganesh, a “We wanted to find an applica- TMU postdoctoral fellow who also tion, not just doing research [that] worked on the project. This makes stays in the lab,” she said. “We it an effective test of the nanosenwant to make some difference in sor’s sensitivity. The sensor identithe real world.” fied brain tumour location with a 96 Das said the research could have per cent accuracy rate. a remarkable impact on improving “What we thought is: let’s pick the cancer monitoring. hardest cancer to detect and show Cancer patients, typically get that we can do it,” Tan said. “And an MRI or CT scan every three maybe people will be convinced.” months. Das described this winGanesh said the nanosensor can dow as the result of practical and detect as little as approximately financial limitations on frequent 10,000 cancer cells, a higher sensiimaging tests. tivity than imaging scans. The avHowever, if the nanosensor is erage human body has roughly 30 incorporated into patients’ weekly trillion cells. bloodwork, doctors could identify “This could be the future of canrecurrences and metastatic tumours cer screening,” she said. much earlier. While research into detecting tu“In patients where we see tumour mours during blood work is promrecurrence or progression, it’s not as ising, labs that are tasked with proif that process started the day before cessing those specimens are already their scan,” Das said. stretched thin. Brain tumour imaging tests are Ontario labs are struggling with
Arts and Culture its current testing capacity, let Madeline “Tissue Provider” Liao alone potentially sustaining additional tests, said Michelle Hoad, Business and Technology chief executive office of the MediChristina “EIC” Flores-Chan cal Laboratory Professionals’ Association of Ontario. Communities Hoad said that 70 per cent of Asha “Suburban Regret” Swann Ontario laboratories were understaffed even before the COVID-19 Sports pandemic, which has since prompt- Gavin “Leather Jacket Cows” Axelrod ed a “mass exodus” of medical lab Jack “Get Well Soon!” MacCool technologists. The government should invest Fun and Satire in increasing the number of medi- Zarmminaa “Listicle Debut” Rehman cal lab technician programs in the province to supplement a burnt Web out workforce, she said. Sam “Pita Land!” Chowdhury “One thing we forget is that Nishil “Follow-up Emails” Kapadia [labs are] pretty much the engine of healthcare,” Hoad said. “EveryMedia thing that runs within our healthSonia “We Got This!” Khurana care centres is from a finalised test Youdon “Best Blink” Tenzin out of a lab.” Before the nanosensor can reach General Manager a hospital setting, the researchers Liane “Walky Walk” McLarty will test their findings using a larger sample size. Tan said they are Advertising Manager testing the sensor on other cancer Chris “Legal Car” Roberts types, including breast cancer and colorectal cancer. Design Director If a clinical trial is secured, asJ.D. “#FeelingBetter” Mowat ymptomatic and undiagnosed individuals will also be tested. Contributors Rochelle “Clean Copy” Raveendran Keiran “Clean” Gorsky “Let’s pick the Nashra “New Shooter“ Syed hardest cancer to Keirsten “Socials Dawg“ Spade detect and show that Mikayla “Not This Guy Again” we can do it” Guarasci Konnor “Mountain Man” Premachandran and Ganesh Killoran said that they are continuing to Matthew “Credentials“ Lin work on the project, with Das Raphael ”Needs To Pee“ Chahinian planning to do so as well. Das said Andrew “Pop Steam“ Yang he is very proud of the collaboraBana “Loves Pascal“ Yirgalem tion, which allowed him to gain Dexter “The Wrestler” LeRuez knowledge of clinical medicine to Volunteer with us! guide research questions. “There’s a real benefit and op- The Eye has numerous talented and portunity when clinicians and fun- hard-working volunteers that condamental scientists meet because it tribute to our paper weekly. opens up opportunities for trans- And you can be one of them! lation that are really hard to push Email editor@theeyeopener.com for more information! forward otherwise.”
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SPORTS
Bold aiming for the top of U Sports mountain in B.C. NASHRA SYED/THE EYEOPENER
country by knocking off an undefeated York Lions team in a quarterfinal match on Oct. 29. However, the Bold potted two goals in the opening 10 minutes of the match. They lead wire-to-wire and kept their composure through a lengthy fog delay, earning a 3-0 victory and securing a trip to nationals.
“If we’re just ourselves individually and collectively, we’ll
By Gavin Axelrod The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s soccer team looks to swap defeat in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) final last Saturday for championship glory in Kamloops B.C. at the U Sports national tournament from Nov. 10 to 13. It’s been nearly a decade since the university competed for a national title in men’s soccer. U Sports was still called Canadian Interuniversity Sport and head coach Filip Prostran was only an assistant when the team finished seventh at the event in 2013. But this year’s Bold squad has been a force to reckon with in the country. They went 9-3 in the regular season, didn’t lose back-to-back matches at all and have been ranked as high as third in U Sports this year. “This team has a certain level of fight and grit that is really hard to explain,” said Prostran. “There’s this confident feeling within the group that no matter the situation, up down or even, that we can make it happen.”
“This team has a hard to explain” TMU opened the season with a 2-1 loss against the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks back in September. Three players on the team were shown red cards in the match and another pair were warned by the referee with yellow cards. Fifth-year goalkeeper Ali Ghazanfari—one of the players booted from the match—said it was an important lesson to learn early in the season. Ghazanfari added that the seasonopener helped the team develop a mentality that if the squad didn’t beat itself, no team could beat them. “As a team we kind of lost the plot,” he said. “We learned and we just realized ‘Hey we lost ourselves this game.’”
This year has been Ghazanfari’s first season in net for the Bold since 2019. He explained that after his fourth season with the team in 2019, he and Prostran discussed next steps. Prostran wanted to bring back Praveen Ahilan, another one of the team’s top goalies, who still had U Sports eligibility left. He said the original plan was for Ahilan to play in 2020 and for himself to get back in net the following year.
“The players have to watch and I’m very proud” The plan was pushed back a year with the COVID-19 pandemic wiping out the 2020 campaign. Ahilan took the starting reigns for the team in 2021 and Ghazanfari stepped away in pursuit of his master’s degree and worked a full-time job. Ghazanfari said he didn’t play soccer from November 2019 until this past March, but it’d be hard to tell based on his play this season. He’s posted six shutouts—also known as clean sheets—in the regular season and playoffs combined. He’s ready to go out with a bang in his fifth season playing for the team and seventh overall with the Bold program. “It actually feels like it was written for me,” he said. “I've been here for seven years, I've had seven attempts to make it to nationals and in my last year this happened. It just feels surreal.” The Bold will have their fair share of supporters watching the games, even if the national tournament is on the other side of the country. And one of those fans is TMU president Mohamed Lachemi. While he won’t be with the team in B.C. this week, the self-proclaimed avid soccer fan will be keeping up to date with the action. Lachemi told The Eyeopener he was thrilled the Bold hosted the OUA final, even if they didn’t come away with the gold medal.
“The players have been inspiring to watch and I'm very proud of their achievements to date,” he said. “And we're also excited to see the team compete at the upcoming youth sports national championship in Kamloops, B.C.” TMU’s road to nationals started with a 2-1 win over the Carleton University Ravens in an OUA quarter-final match. Carleton tied the game with a penalty kick in the 71st minute, wiping away a Bold lead that stood for 22 minutes. TMU managed to absorb the blow and in the 90th minute, were rewarded for their perseverance when Ameer Kinani stepped up to bury a penalty kick, which stood as the winner. “In years past, those situations have happened in the Final Four and big moments and for whatever reason, the team didn't find a way,” said Prostran. “But this team, I just felt good. Even when they scored, I still felt confident that we were getting through that game but I didn't know how or what. I just knew that the resolve of the team wasn't defeated.” TMU then welcomed the University of Waterloo Warriors to Downsview Park on Nov. 2 for a semi-final clash. The Warriors shocked the NASHRA SYED/THE EYEOPENER
Soccer is commonly referred to as “The Beautiful Game” and one of the beauties of TMU’s philosophy this season has been its depth. Prostran is also quick to point this out too, noting how on any given day, the team can expect to flex its depth and anyone in the lineup can step up to make a key contribution. The Bold also had four players in defender Kai Martin, captain Christian Westlaken, forward Luca Di Marco and midfielder Juan Pablo Delgadillo receive OUA All-Star nods. Another player to watch in TMU’s lineup at nationals is second-
year Justin Santos, who put up nine goals and three assists across the regular season and playoffs. “The scary thing is Justin still has lots of room for improvement,” said Prostran. “This year there’s been big moments, he just seems to show up in the playoffs and the clinching games. He’s just always there.” TMU has been seeded sixth at the national tournament and will face the University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderdbirds on Thursday. Kick-off for TMU’s nationals opener is set for 4:30 p.m. ET. UBC won the Canada West title on Nov. 6 against the University of Calgary Dinos. The two squads needed seven rounds of penalty kicks before the Thunderbirds captured their fifth-straight conference title. But Prostran said as long the Bold stay true to themselves they can compete with any team in the country at the tournament. “If we're just ourselves individually and collectively, we'll be in every game and no matter the result, we'll walk off the field with our head high,” said Prostran. “We just really have to be ourselves and I think that will be good enough to accomplish what we want to accomplish.”
NASHRA SYED/THE EYEOPENER
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Editorial: It’s okay to ‘Adult’ at your own pace By Christina Flores-Chan My favourite outfit at the age of five was my mother’s custom-tailored, navy Ralph Lauren suit. I remember sitting at the dining table every morning before school, munching on Cheerios and watching her come down the stairs in the outfit. She’d grab her lunch bag and thermos filled with black coffee from the kitchen counter, her sleek black hair swishing as she turned her head to say goodbye to my sister and I. I’d wave back as she rushed out the door, feet dangling from my chair because I wasn’t tall enough yet to touch the floor. Sometimes on days off from school, my sister and I would meet my mother for lunch downtown. We’d wait for her at the park between the TD Centre in the Financial District. I remember how tall the buildings were, seemingly slicing through the clouds up into the sky. I’d watch the groups of suits walk by on their lunch break, laughing together and using big words. When my mother finally came down to meet us, she’d be in her best heels and trench coat, briefcase in one hand and coffee cup in the other. She looked so strong and powerful, like she could take on the world. I wanted so badly to be like her. I
dreamt of the day that it would be my turn to have a business lunch on Bay Street, to buy myself designer workwear and own my own condo in one of those cloud-cutting high-rises. I am incredibly fortunate to have grown up with the support and resources to help me achieve success and I’m thankful for that every day. I told myself I would go to university downtown and by graduation, I’d have a full-time job, doing the “adulting” thing—taking important phone calls while strutting down the sidewalk with my own power suit, sleek hair and thermos.
Managing Editor Christina Flores-Chan
JES MASON/THE EYEOPENER
Editor-in-Chief Abeer Khan
The feeling of uncertainty post-graduation seems to be pretty common What they don’t tell you is that between preparing to become an adult and actually being one, there’s an awkward middle stage. I am living downtown, but somehow still show up late to class. I own a few suits but no ironing board. I spill my coffee at least once a week and the other day, my briefcase fell apart in the middle of YongeDundas Square. I am in my fourth year of university, with one school term left until graduation and no prospects of a full-time job yet. As it turns out, maybe I am not so good
Contributors
at the “adulting’’ thing. Given the conversations I’ve had with friends and coworkers, however, the feeling of uncertainty of a stable, self-sufficient life post-graduation seems to be pretty common. Between preparing to become an adult and actually being one, there’s an awkward stage My peers have voiced their own concerns about “adulting,” be it juggling part-time jobs and classes to make monthly rent, feeling grossly
unprepared for the workforce after two years of online schooling, or being so overwhelmed about an impending recession that it even creeps into their shower thoughts and nightmares. The Adulting Issue explores the very real, very valid fears and anxieties of university students who feel unprepared to be thrown into the workforce after graduation, whether those worries stem from imposter syndrome, a lack of financial literacy, burnout or the instability of the Canadian economy. At the same time, the issue also highlights different resources and ways that might help them cope with “adulting”, both financially and emotionally. My hope is that this issue instills positivity and confidence in students, while reminding them that they’re not only capable of achieving success in their own time, but that they’re also not in the journey alone.
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Writers Samira Balsara Joseph Casciaro Zarmminaa Rehman Madison Schuliakewich Anastasia Blosser Matthew Johnson Samreen Maqsood Joseph Gomes Mariyah Salhia Copy Editors Stephanie Davoli Gavin Axelrod Jack MacCool Thea Gribilas Edward Djan Asha Swann Madeline Liao Online Alexandra Holyk Abby Hughes Web Sam Chowdury Nishil Kapadia Visuals Vanessa Kauk Peyton Keeler-Cox Jes Mason Berry Shi Sagal Duale Eyas Gharaibeh Media Sonia Khurana Youdon Tenzin Asritha Swaminadhan Amber Ranson
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By Zarmminaa Rehman Budget-friendly student grocery plans and fast food options may often consist of instant noodle packages and 2 a.m. McDonald’s runs. While many quick and easy meals on or close to campus offer prices that don’t cut too much into students’ wallets, not all of them qualify as ‘healthy’ or balanced meals. Balanced meals provide nutrients for the body to function and assist in forming an overall balanced diet that “fulfills a person’s nutritional needs.” The 2019 Canada’s Food Guide— replacing the 2007 Canada’s Food Guide which experts regarded as both “unrealistic and overly complicated”—is a revised nutrition model that focuses on how people can make conscious choices to better frame their meals in order to meet their personal daily macronutrient (fat, carbohydrates, protein) goals. For students, affordability is another concern. Many are on strict budgets and given the high cost of food due to inflation, both in markets and restaurants, it can be diffi-
cult to meet an adequate nutritional intake without going over budget. To satisfy your stomach and prevent compromising your wallet, here are three meals from places near campus that won’t cost you your daily budget, keep you feeling full and maybe leave some leftovers:
prices ranging from $11.30-$18.10 (tax included). This particular meal sits at $14.10 after tax, granted you don’t make any major substitutions. Pitaland: Falafel wrap If seafood is not an ideal option then you can’t go wrong with a shawarma or falafel wrap. Restaurants may differ in terms of how they make them but the basics are always there. If just getting a chicken or beef shawarma feels a bit habitual, switch it up with a falafel wrap instead. The wrap is served in a flour pita filled with crispy falafel, lettuce, tomato, pickles and turnips on a creamy hummus base, topped with Pitaland’s famous tahini sauce. It ticks off all of the boxes for your recommended nutrient intake. The wrap alone costs $12.87 but with a side of garlic potatoes or lentil soup and a drink, you can purchase a combo for under $20. The meal can also be saved for a later snack.
Rolltation: Teri-Shrimp bowl Looking for sushi-adjacent fixings but don’t have time for an all-you-can-eat buffet? Rolltation at Yonge-Dundas might be worth checking out. The menu boasts multiple dishes including burritos, poke bowls, salad bowls and hot bowls. The TeriShrimp—bowl or burrito—fills not only the criteria for a balanced meal (protein, carbs, veggies and healthy fats) but is also dangerously delicious. The meal comes with a reasonable portion of either tempura or boiled shrimp, a choice of brown or white rice, cabbage, diced cucumber, carrots, edamame, sweet corn, kani (crab) salad, tempura bits and a drizzle of teriyaki mayo. Service Hub Cafeteria: Soup or For the food-to-price ratio, Roll- Revolution Noodle tation offers a sizable portion for If you’re in the Podium (POD) build-
VANESSA KAUK/THE EYEOPENER
ing and don’t have enough time or energy to go anywhere off-campus, then check out the Hub Café. The cafeteria can be considered a hidden gem because not many people know what or where it is—the second floor of the POD building below the library floor. The Hub Café offers a wide range of appetizers, baked goods, drinks, on-the-go snacks, burgers and chef special entrees all at student-friendly prices. Toronto Metropolitan University OneCard flex dollars can also be redeemed as payment here.
By Matthew Johnson and Christina Flores-Chan Every time we turn on our TVs, scroll through TikTok or even walk past book displays at the store, it’s hard to avoid being bombarded with information about investing. But as inflation rises and students have even less disposable income, investing can seem daunting—especially given its complex nature. To break down the numbers, The Eyeopener spoke to Steven Riddiough, an associate professor of finance at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and Jason Heath, the financial director and financial planner at Objective Financial Partners Inc. What is investing? Investing, according to Investopedia, is the process of putting money into financial plans, projects or companies for a period of time with the expectation and motive of making a profit over time. Types of investments vary depending on the duration of the investment, the amount of money invested and the project or plan upon which the money is being invested. When a company opens up a portion of their ownership to the public, people are able to put money into that company by investing in a stock (the capital of a business). Once they own a share of the company’s stock, they become a shareholder and if the company turns a profit, the stock goes up and that shareholder’s stock
Using seasonal and locally sourced ingredients, the café has a rotational chef’s table and soup menu that changes on a weekly basis. It features four different daily soups that range from chicken noodle to borscht. To pack some more power into a meal, try Revolution Noodle, a food station inside the cafeteria which allows students to customize their pasta to personal taste and liking. The Hub Café also has dietary conscious meal options that suit almost everyone’s dietary necessities and preferences.
“A bank account is very liquid because it’s already cash, whereas a piece of real estate is not as liquid,” Heath said. “There’s varying degrees of liquidity and a business might be the least liquid because of how long it takes to sell one.”
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price increases. While shareholders have the option to sell or hold onto their share of the stock as long as they choose, when they do opt to sell the share, their goal is to sell the stock at a higher price than they originally bought it for—thus earning a profit. Students who are looking to invest for the first time have a variety of options to choose from to begin building their investment portfolios. They can opt for self-run investment management services that allow you to buy and sell shares accessibly, like Wealthsimple or bankmanaged personal investment plans from banks like TD or RBC. Investing can be done through accounts such as a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA), an account that individuals 18 years of age and older with a valid social insurance number can use to set aside money tax-free, according to the Canada Revenue Agency. Another potential option is a Registered Retirement Savings
Plan (RRSP). An investment portfolio can be as heavily tailored to personal preference and circumstance as the investor desires, depending on the account chosen to invest through and whether the investor manages their own portfolio or leaves it up to the bank or a different service to handle. How much should I invest? Rather than focusing on the amount of money invested, “the important point is that students do invest,” Riddiough said in an email to The Eye. He said investing is “a long-term business when done well” and a business best started up at a young age, no matter the number of dollars put in. “Over time, money makes money through interest…and the earlier we start investing, the more we are likely to accumulate over,” Riddiough said. However, investments don’t always go up and earnings can take time. For students with less dispos-
What should I invest in? Riddiough recommends speaking with financial advisors at local banks about specific investment needs, given the variety of each student’s individual circumstances. “But at the outset of investing, I would aim for diversification and to have a long-term holding period,” Riddiough said. Heath describes diversification as not having all your eggs in one basket, meaning that to diversify your investing portfolio is to invest in a variety of investments, as well as different types of companies and sectors. He adds that most people would consider a diverse portfolio as one that contains 10 to 20 different stocks. One example Riddiough points out as a “good” diversification option is index funds, which are large groupings of stocks or bonds that track the performance of specific markets. “Index funds allow you to buy an entire stock market in a single investment,” Heath explained, adding that there are index funds that represent specific sectors of a stock market, such as the financial sector of the Toronto Stock Exchange.
able income, selling stock shares too quickly or during a downturn in the market because they need the cash could result in a loss. During an economic recession for example, the stock market would typically experience a downturn as companies struggle to make profits, leading stock prices to fall and decrease in value, according to Investopedia. The downturn would lead to a probable loss for any investor who chose to sell shares during that period of time. “Students should never invest what they can’t afford. That means we first have enough to cover the essentials and have sufficient money on hand for emergencies,” Riddiough said. “Only then would I consider allocating money to longer-term investments.” Keep liquidity, the ability to turn an investment into cash, in mind before putting sizable amounts of money away into more long-term Read more at or volatile investments, Heath said. theadultingissue.theeyeopener.com
What comes next?
Final-year students say they feel unprepared for the ‘real world’ after graduation Words by Alexandra Holyk Visuals by Eyas Gharaibeh, Vanessa Kauk & Peyton Keeler-Cox
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hen I was in Grade 10, I thought I had my whole life figured out. Sitting in the second row on the right-hand side of my religion class, I eagerly pulled out a blank sheet of paper and a pencil while my teacher stood in front of the whiteboard, about to unveil our next assignment. As she stepped aside, written in blue dry-erase marker were the words, “My Life’s Milestones.” Our task was to draw out a timeline of the goals I expected myself to achieve in my lifetime, down to the age I’d be and the exact date I anticipated each milestone to happen. I planned to graduate from Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) journalism program in June 2023, attend law school from September 2023 to June 2026, get married in September 2027 and have my first child by the end of 2028, all while pursuing my dreams of becoming a news anchor for NBC’s Today Show in New York City. The assignment also asked us to include our anticipated deaths, which I expected to happen at the ripe old age of 92. As I worked on the assignment and carefully coloured in the orange hues of the Today Show logo, I didn’t see a single flaw in my plan. I was confident in my ability to meet all of these checkpoints by the set deadlines and I mentally carried that timeline with me until my first year of university. Everything seemed to be on track after my first semester at TMU at the end of 2019—I was set to start working as a news editor at The Eyeopener in the new year, I made connections with my classmates and professors and attended networking events and informational sessions to expand my career options once I graduated. Then in March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and my timeline slowly began to fall apart before my eyes. The shift to an online environment meant the end of face-to-face interactions and on-campus activities. Instead of getting the hands-on
experience I was excited to receive in the journalism program, I was forced to use what I had at home. Instead of learning how to use Panasonic AG-AC90 cameras in the School of Journalism’s Studio D, I learned how to position my iPhone on a ring light stand in my bedroom. My access to broadcast equipment and studio space, among other in-person perks, was taken away and its return was constantly being pushed back. Feeling discouraged but recognizing that all post-secondary students were in the same boat, I pushed through the myriad of recorded lectures and awkwardly-silent breakout rooms—still determined to achieve the goals set by my Grade 10-self. But by the time I returned to campus full-time in March 2022, I was more than halfway through the third year of the four-year program, with little knowledge of the equipment or skills needed to pursue a career in broadcast journalism. I felt like I was cheated out of half my degree. The experiences I was supposed to have during the last four years to forward my career—networking with instructors and guest speakers who work in the journalism industry, joining different clubs or extra-curricular activities on campus and even just making friends in my classes— either became a jankier, online version or weren’t offered at all because of the pandemic. As a result, I had to carve my own path for post-grad, with little to no help from my school. Now, as I wrap up the first half of my final year, graduation seems bittersweet; on one hand I’m looking forward to pursuing the various career opportunities available to me. But on
the other, like many final-year TMU students, I feel underprepared—like I don’t belong in the “real world” outside of school. According to the 2020-21 Ontario University Graduate Survey conducted by the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities, nearly 93 per cent of the responding students who graduated in 2018 were employed two years after graduating. The survey had a 35.1 per cent response rate, and most students completed their schooling prior to the pandemic. However, Wincy Li, the associate director of career education at TMU’s Career, Co-op & Student Success Centre, says she often encounters upperyear students that struggle to figure out their post-grad plans and are unfamiliar with their options. “A lot of the time, undergraduate students in particular, have been in school all their life,” Li says. “So this is the first time they’re going into the professional world.” Li adds that as society returns to a sense of normalcy following the height of the pandemic, students are forced to navigate uncertainty. “There’s a lot of conflicting information out there and students don’t really know what to make of it,” she says, referring to the impact of inflation and costs of living, changes in the labour market and job prospects for graduating students. As students return from online learning, they’re not sure what lies ahead post-graduation. Since the pandemic moved life online for two years and prevented in-person interactions and on-campus activities, these students say they feel underqualified and unprepared to enter the workforce in just a few months. However, they have become more forgiving of their rigorous expectations of themselves, recognizing the disruption in their plans as a chance to explore a wider range of opportunities.
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rior to the pandemic, then-first-year RTA media production student Lina Elsaadi would describe herself as a planner; she strictly organized every aspect of her life, from her academic journey to post-grad career. She knew she wanted to work in broadcast TV production and applied to university programs accordingly. When outlining her fouryear undergraduate degree at TMU, she specifically arranged to study abroad at the University of Technology Sydney in Australia during her sixth semester. There were a number of factors that contributed to Elsaadi’s decision to travel for school. As someone who values international experiences, Elsaadi views the exchange as an opportunity to see the world, learn more about herself and live life independently. Further, while students typically spend their first year of university making friends within their program, Elsaadi found herself feeling alone in a close-knit program, making it difficult at times for her to attend class. The pandemic worsened learning conditions for Elsaadi, as she was unable to make connections with new folks, or access camera and audio equipment for her previously hands-on courses that were shifted to a virtual platform. “It made me really start contemplating if I made the right choice,” Elsaadi says. “I was getting quite frustrated with my schooling…Exchange was this one beacon of hope that was trying to pull me through.” But shortly after she received her acceptance letter and entrance scholarship to the University of Technology Sydney in late 2021, Elsaadi’s winter term exchange was cancelled due to a rise in COVID-19 cases and her semester abroad turned into another semester online. When she tried to reapply in her fourth year, she initially got rejected but eventually was able to convince TMU and the University of Technology Sydney to take her in for winter 2023. Elsaadi says that, for her, the pandemic didn’t only impact going on exchange and making new connections. She has also noticed that it took away the opportunity for students to acquire “soft skills,” or “employability skills” in the workforce. U.K.-based Chartered Management Institute (CMI) outlines 11 key skills that employers look for in recent graduates to ensure progress in the workplace. These include team-working, critical thinking and problem-solving, communication, flexibility and adaptability to name a few. According to a 2021 CMI report though, only 27 per cent of students can confidently demonstrate these skills. At the same time, 80 per cent of employers find that recent graduates aren’t equipped with the skills they need to be ready to work. “Soft skills are the most important things for employment [and] for life. And those are only things that can be developed through experience,” Elsaadi says. In a 2018 article for the Harvard Business Review, authorRebeccaKnight writes about how moving abroad can contribute to the development of these professional skills, as it places the individual in a new environment and a new culture. Citing an interview she conducted with Matthew Bidwell, an associate professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Knight writes that some employers prefer those with a geographically diverse resume and subsequent skillset. “Indeed, in many organizations, ‘some form of international experience is necessary to get that top job,’” she states. While Elsaadi prides herself on her extroverted personality
and professional skills, she also now describes herself as more of a “go with the flow” type of person, which she attributes to the pandemic. She says she’s adopted a more spontaneous approach to things, especially when it comes to jobs and her career. This includes pursuing a law minor, replying ‘Yes’ to all networking events and being open to exploring jobs and internships she wouldn’t have thought twice about prior to 2020, like in audio production or the video game industry. When it comes to offering advice to students like Elsaadi who have many options available to them but aren’t sure which career path to take, Li compares the process to dating. “You don’t expect to find the right person on your first try,” she says. “Oftentimes you need to try different career paths out and really engage in that self-reflection, to ask yourself, what is it about this that I do like, what is it about this that I don’t like?” “That’s part of the journey, making mistakes,” she adds. Elsaadi says she is looking at several post-grad paths to take once she wraps up her semester in Sydney. She isn’t sure if she’s going to stay and work in Australia, move back to Canada, go to law school or travel the world—and that uncertainty is something she now welcomes. “Not that I don’t plan, not that I don’t try. But rather I’m trying not to plan ahead as to not close opportunities for myself,” she says.
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hen Joanna Lukhverchyk was in her first year of criminology at TMU in 2019, she found herself enjoying her newfound “freedom” that accompanied university life. She was excited to attend parties, make new friends and gain an independence that was unlike anything she experienced in high school. Although she has lived at home throughout her degree and commutes to campus from Etobicoke, Ont., Lukhverchyk would prioritize socializing and establishing network connections with her classmates, professors and guest lecturers in hopes that they’d be able to provide her with career advice and opportunities once she came closer to graduating. Recognizing that completing a criminology degree often leads students to law school, Lukhverchyk began taking law courses in her first year and loved the content. While simultaneously taking classes toward her psychology minor, she saw her post-grad options growing. But throughout the pandemic, while cases of COVID-19 in the province were hitting many all-time highs, Lukhverchyk’s motivation to engage in virtual learning was at an all-time low. Stuck at home all day with nothing to do, nowhere to go and no one to see, she says she had to force herself to watch the pre-recorded lectures. Plus, the law classes she was taking online discouraged her from pursuing law school altogether. “With online lectures, the professor was so monotone and boring,” Lukhverchyk says. “You’re not really getting that full experience that I got in my other law courses.” “COVID really just messed up a lot of things for me,” she adds. “I lost a few friends…Didn’t really learn anything. I don’t even remember half of the courses…that was just a blur.” Now that TMU has returned to full in-person learning, the fourth-year student says she loves being back on campus and engaging in face-to-face interactions. Lukhverchyk is once again interested in attending law school but has also had the opportunity to explore other career paths, including detective work, cyber-
“I don’t know how to study properly anymore. I don’t know what to do with my life anymore”
security analysis and even fraud detection in banking, from conversations she’s had with her professors and professionals that have come to speak to her classes. “I feel like if I got that throughout all four years of my university experience, I think I wouldn’t feel as lost,” she says. Although Lukhverchyk has several careers she’s interested in, she feels as though there are many more opportunities out there that she hasn’t looked at yet and so she still doesn’t have a concrete plan for what will come after graduation. Lukhverchyk isn’t alone. According to a 2022 poll conducted for Colorado State University Global, 34 per cent of surveyed students graduating from either college or high school didn’t have a post-grad plan, while 41 per cent of respondents didn’t have a job lined up once they finished their studies. The results from the 2022 poll also show that 71 per cent of students surveyed say it’s the post-secondary institution’s responsibility to prepare students for the “real world” and its hardships. However, Lukhverchyk says she doesn’t feel supported by TMU administration. “I feel like TMU really hasn’t helped any of its students transition from that COVID period to post-COVID period,” she says. Lukhverchyk explains that while the school helped students adapt from in-person to online learning, there was no guidance during the switch back to in-person instruction. “I don’t know how to study properly anymore. I don’t know what to do with my life anymore.” She adds that career services and support aren’t well-advertised to students. Li points out that TMU offers a wide range of guidance when it comes to students’ post-grad plans but she acknowledges that “there is a lot happening on campus and sometimes it is hard to keep track.” To prevent students from feeling discouraged or unable to find someone to talk to, Li says the school has a “No Wrong Door” approach. “I find that in general…everybody’s trying to be helpful,” she says, adding that if students are confused about who to approach, they can go to any department or employee within the Career, Co-op & Student Success Centre. “And then, as you start asking these different departments what they do, as you attend different events, you will discover something new that you perhaps would want to explore,” Li adds, mentioning that all of the career centre’s events can be found on its website. Lukhverchyk says she has reached out to peers and students who have already graduated for advice. She’s also realized the work and networking experience she was hoping to gain during her degree will most likely have to happen once she graduates and continues to explore the best career for her. Though, she calls the process “very, very scary.” “It’s kind of terrifying…I haven’t even graduated. I don’t know what I want to do. And now I’m kind of forced into becoming an adult already.”
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s I look back on the milestones I set for myself in Grade 10, I’ve made some revisions to the timeline. While I still expect to graduate from TMU’s School of Journalism in June 2023, what comes next is still to be determined. Like many others, I am terrified of what’s to come once I finish my undergraduate degree. I am grateful that I have many different options available to me. At the same time, I wonder whether I’ll make the right choice and worry about the repercussions of making the wrong choice—or worse, if my employer feels like they made the wrong choice in hiring me simply because I’m not good enough for the job. That being said, I am also optimistic. Although the pandemic may have prevented me from feeling 100 per cent qualified to enter the “real world” post-convocation, I know that I’m not alone. Instead of trying to stick to the linear life path’s dates and deadlines I created for myself six years ago, I’ve become more open to taking different paths; revisiting old ones and pursuing new ones I didn’t even know existed. And who knows? Maybe this new and improved timeline will let me live to at least 93.
Trials and Tribulations Navigating the uncertainties of graduating during economic instability Words by Samira Balsara
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wenty-one-year-old Eva Oseen sat in a navy blue graduation gown at Lassman Studios, a photography studio in Toronto, getting her graduation photos taken. After finishing up and hearing the word “Congratulations,” the realization set in—she’s almost done school. “I’m not fully convinced yet that I am graduating. So many people are saying congratulations. It’s genuine, you’re like ‘Thank you,’ but it doesn’t feel real.” After four long years of growing, learning and attending school through a pandemic, while balancing different interests in journalism and politics, Oseen is finally ready to venture into a new chapter of her life.
Visuals by Peyton Keeler-Cox and Vanessa Kauk
Oseen, a fourth-year professional communications student at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), says she feels like she’s been working towards graduating from university for a long time. “I feel like I spent the last four years anticipating what I’m going to do…So now, this is game time. Everything I’ve learned, it’s time to put it into action,” she says. But graduation and leaving school opens a world of unknown obstacles—and this year, many new graduates will have to enter the workforce into Canada’s current unstable economy, one with increasing prices of rent prices, goods and services and unemployment rates expected to rise. Graduating students at TMU may have more than just job
searches to worry about now that economists are also predicting a recession in the next year, indicating economic instability as students start navigating their professional lives. Amidst it all, TMU students say they feel uncertain but remain hopeful for the future. According to the Macquarie Group, an Australian global financial services group, Canada could face an approximate three per cent decline in gross domestic product—the monetary value of goods and services produced by a country in a given time period, in this recession. This means the economy is shrinking and Canadians may face financial strain, which impacts everything from rent to the cost of basic necessities. It was also reported that a five
9 per cent rise in Canada’s unemployment rate is predicted during this recession, making the job market unstable. The Bank of Canada once again hiked interest rates to 3.75 per cent at the end of October, the sixth consecutive increase since March, increasing the cost of borrowed money over time for things like student debt to mortgage and credit card payments, and impacting the day-to-day lives of Canadians as the cost of living rises. “There’s all these inflationary pressures and prices are rising right now. The standard reaction is to try to slow the economy down a bit,” says Matias Cortes, an associate economics professor at York University “It seems like there’s a lot of demand for a lot of goods and services.” Tiff Macklem, the governor of the Bank of Canada, said Canadians should expect additional increases before the year wraps up during a press conference on Oct. 26. He added the goal is to slow down the economy in order to relieve the price pressures. For new graduates, that means pricier food, clothing, basic living expenses, rent increases and job instability. Cortes says those who graduate during a recession typically take the greatest toll. “It is true that recessions tend to impact younger people more strongly than older people. Older people are usually already more established. It’s always tougher for younger people and it can have longer term consequences.” These long term effects can include difficulty entering the workforce or maintaining a job held at the onset of a recession. Today’s young adults and new graduates may be hit even harder than past generations because they carry more debt, on average, than previous generations of young adults. According to Statistics Canada, in 1999, young Gen-Xers, people born between 1965 and 1980, had a 125 per cent debtto-after-tax income ratio, while Millennials in 2016 had a 216 per cent debt-to-after-tax income ratio, meaning that interest on debt had increased throughout the decades. “The economy and the state we’re in is what’s worrying me,” Oseen said. “Am I really prepared to be out here figuring out how to handle this?”
For students like Qureshi in technology and business fields, startups and big tech companies are continuing to hunt for talent. John Hepburn, chief executive officer of Mitacs, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing collaboration between industry, academia and the government, is placing thousands of students in paid internships in Toronto and across Canada, helping them gain experience amidst economic instability. The company works with students at all levels, from college and undergraduate students to postdoctoral fellows, and offers them paid positions in their fields of interest. Programs like this help prepare students, giving them valuable and paid experience in their field, ensuring they are equipped to navigate the job market—especially during tough economic times. Hepburn added that one of Mitacs’ main mandates is to help students succeed in their respective fields in Canada. “We try to do what we can to make sure that talent gets good jobs in Canada. Our economy is not going to grow if we lose talented people or if we don’t use [them].” When it comes to the technology sector, jobs are plentiful. In fact, an Information and Communications Technology Council report from 2021 predicted that the country’s employers would need to fill an additional 250,000 technology jobs by 2025. “The major can also determine how affected you are by downturns in general. For science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates from these majors, it doesn’t matter what the state of the economy is, there’s a lot of demand,” Cortes says. Cortes noted that for humanities majors, it can be a little harder during tough economic times to find job opportunities, especially because governments don’t always prioritize supporting jobs in these fields. In the 2022 to 2023 budget, it’s expected that the federal government of Canada will spend around $14.3 billion on scientific and technological activities. For comparison, in the 2021 budget, the Government announced $70 million for Canadian artists and musicians. A 2018 article titled “Up in STEM, Down in Business: Changing College Major Decisions with the Great Recession,” found an overall increase in the frequency of STEM majors. The report suggested the tech boom is making related majors more attractive because of increased income and employment prospects. An additional study published by the Institute for the Study of Labor in 2015 found that when the economy was bad, students were less likely to major in sociology, education, literature and languages. Majors such as nursing, nonfinance business and engineering were chosen instead. However, for Qureshi, acquiring a position post-graduation is not a huge worry. “I am a firm believer that all companies need new talent and while it might be harder then before I do not believe the impact is going to be massive,” he said. Qureshi added that he is hopeful for his future and looking forward to graduation—even in a looming recession. “There is still hope and [a recession] basically means that the competition is going to be better and rather interesting to see.”
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hen graduating, the first thing most students look for is a job in their field. Even though it’s still early in the year, Oseen has started her post-graduation job hunting process now. And while unemployment rates may rise during this expected recession, she is more concerned about job requirements and pay. While sitting at her plain white desk, free of clutter to avoid her from distraction, Oseen spends time on LinkedIn, looking at job opportunities and what the expectations of employers are. “You’ll find entry jobs looking for five years of experience— how does that work? How am I supposed to get that experience if no job is going to hire me without prior experience?” The location of the place she wants to work is also something Oseen is thinking about. Owning property is becoming almost unrealistic for many students. “I feel like as a generation, we all have established that that’s not something we’re ever going to do, which is a little scary,” Oseen said. Right now, rental prices in the Greater Toronto Area have risen by double-digit levels on a year-over-year basis in between the months of July, August and September, according to the Financial Post. For example, the average one-bedroom apartment rent during this time was up 20.4 per cent to $2,481. At the same time, entry-level pay in Toronto ranges from about $19 to $22 an hour. Average entry level salaries are about $38,560 for this year. Total rent for a year in an average onebedroom apartment will cost someone about $29,772. “If I’m living downtown, is the salary going to be different? Because if I’m living downtown, I’m not going to be making any money at that point if it’s all going towards rent,” Oseen added. However, when it comes to actually finding job opportunities, Cortes said graduating students may have less reason to worry. “University graduates are usually much more shielded from the negative impacts during a recession.” A research paper published by the World of Labour revealed that, in a recession, university graduates are less affected in terms of initial employment availability, regardless of labour market flexibility. However, the research also noted that, “High-educated youth are less adversely affected, but the penalties persist longer.” Penalties can include getting locked into lower-quality jobs and a possible loss in earnings. Since university and college educated youth are at a higher earning capacity, their hourly wage is not protected by minimum wage. If labour market entry conditions are bad, graduates may have to choose between accepting low-wage jobs or unemployment. However, the paper did add that university students will eventually catch up as long as the labour market is flexible. Aside from work, some of the stress and worries students are feeling also have to do with their social life. Oseen said one of her bigger concerns after graduating, apart from buying property, include her work-life balance. “I want to enjoy my 20’s. I don’t need to stress about paying rent and all that stuff… I’m also someone who really likes to travel a lot,” she said. “So that is something that’s like a priority to me in terms of how I saved my money. I don’t think I’ll have money to save for that. So it’s figuring all of that out.” She added that, due to remote work, many jobs today aren’t always a set nine-to-five day, and in her own experience, Oseen has found herself thinking about work even after it’s over. “That’s what’s scaring me about graduation because I feel like this is the last time I’ll get to actually enjoy my life before it’s just work, work, work.”
“Am I really prepared to be out here how to
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wenty-two-year-old Arqam Qureshi, a fifth-year business technology management student at TMU, is starting his job hunt in the finance and technology fields as he finishes up his final year of school. “I’m looking forward to a full-time job and entering the workforce and potentially trying to…figure out which direction I want to go in terms of working,” he said. Qureshi said his experience through co-op and involvement at school, such as his role as vice-president of finance at the Ted Rogers Students Society, has prepared him to graduate and enter the workforce with minimal stress. Qureshi has an optimistic outlook on what’s to come. “If you think about it, regardless of the unemployment rates…[companies] do need new fresh talent,” he says.“They need the new students.” Qureshi said he often tailors his resume for each job he applies for and avoids mass applying, focusing on the specific types of jobs and places he actually wants to work at. “You need to be best prepared for the position if you do get an interview,” he added. Despite layoffs in recent months, technology workers are in high demand in Canada. The Toronto Star reported in October that several online job postings have revealed opportunities for software developers, data scientists and other workers in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector.
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Loyalty programs that will save you money while savouring city life Living on a budget doesn’t need to mean missing out on the university experience VANESSA KAUK/THE EYEOPENER
By Anastasia Blosser From toilet paper to pre-class coffees, there are certain necessities university students purchase on a regular basis—some a need and others a want. Though some expenses are inevitable, students can save money on many essential items by signing up for loyalty programs. From PC Optimum to Presto, these programs will allow you to live on a budget without missing out on city life. Through careful spending and strategic memberships, students can save money while enjoying their time at university.
Students should also be wary of memberships that charge a fee Consumers should keep in mind that companies are ultimately looking to make a profit and some loyalty programs will result in more spending than saving. It’s important to understand which ones are worth your loyalty and which ones
will eat away at paycheques. Customers should review how much they typically spend and how much they would be saving if they had used the membership plan before committing to a paid program. If the savings exceed the cost, the loyalty program is most likely worth it. Students should also be wary of memberships that charge a fee. Whether it’s daily necessities or indulgent experiences, there are dozens of programs to take advantage of. Here is a list of programs that students can sign up for at no cost, that may be worth looking into depending on individual spending hab-
its and purchasing decisions.
Shop and save! The Student Price Card—also known as the SPC card—is a Canadian loyalty program with over 450 participating businesses. Students can purchase the card for $10 online or from participating retailers like Shoppers Drug Mart or Aerie. Students can renew annually to continue receiving discounts. Deals vary depending on participating companies, according to their website. PC Optimum is another one of the more well-known loyalty programs across Canada. Members can earn points on groceries, gas and other purchases at participating locations, such as Loblaws, Esso gas stations and more. Whether in-store or online, every 10,000 points is redeemable for $10 with a maximum redemption of $500 off of one purchase. At the gas station, members earn 10 points per litre of fuel and 10 points per dollar spent and are eligible to eventually redeem 4,000 points for 10 cents off per litre.
lars while eating out, even on a budget. Most chain restaurants offer loyalty rewards and some—like Popeyes or Subway—have daily specials. Through point collection and redemption, fast food fans can save at places like McDonald’s or Tim Hortons. Close to campus, students can also take advantage of the new IKEA at Yonge and Gerrard streets in between classes. They offer a free family plan, granting members complimentary tea or coffee in addition to other loyalty benefits. Members also get a free meal for every ten meals purchased. Some businesses like Bulk Barn or Metro offer student days where customers receive a discount at checkout if they show a valid student ID. Looking to save money while minimising your ecological footprint? Too Good to Go is an app devoted to reducing global food waste. Bakeries, restaurants, grocery stores and even hotels sell leftover food at the end of the day for a third of the price.
School services Keep an eye out for exclusive amenities available to Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) students via tuition fees. From free athletic programs and gym memberships offered at the TMU Recreation and Athletic Centre and the Mattamy Athletic Centre, to counselling from the Centre for Student Development and Counselling and other forms of health care provided by the school, the university has established a variety of programs for stu- Food & drink Read the full story at dents to make use of. Students can stretch their dol- www.theadultingissue.theeyeopener.com
First and second generation Canadian students fear they’re never going to be able to own a home Amid rising real estate prices, students say goodbye to both the city and their dreams of owning a house By Samreen Maqsood When Ahmed Bein, a first-year business technology management student at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) immigrated from Saudi Arabia to Toronto with his family seven years ago, it became the city where he grew up and an influential part of his life. Seven years ago, the average living wage in Toronto was $18.52 an hour for a family of four, with both parents making the same amount and working full time, according to a report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. And based on a report by the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board, the average cost of a house in Toronto was $622,116. Today, the Ontario Living Wage Network states that the average living wage is $22.08 an hour while the average house price in Ontario is $1.1 million, according to an article by The Canadian Magazine of Immigration. Bein says for immigrants like himself and his family, they make long journeys to new places in hopes of adapting and calling it home. Although he dreams of being able to purchase a house, Bein says it’s scary and sad how unaffordable living costs are driving people away from their homes.
“People have made history here. This city accepts minorities and encourages them to come and settle down here,” he says. “It’s sad to see them leave because of this and the last thing they want is to keep moving from city to city.” First and second generation TMU students are scared their dreams of owning a home are too far to reach in the current economic climate. For many of them, the increased costs mean moving away from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), where they grew up.
“I don’t honestly know how anyone is supposed to live like this” Toronto’s real estate market has never been more rocky. According to the 2022 report by UBS Global Real Estate Bubble Index, property prices in Toronto and Vancouver have increased to the highest rate in five years, with the cost of a home now 14 to 17 per cent higher than last year. Although the city’s real estate mortgage rates were declining in 2019, the low mortgage rates increased the price of houses greatly,
as reported in 2022 by the UBS Global Real Estate Bubble Index. According to an article by Investopedia, this is because lower interest rates on mortgages increase the demand for property, which increases the average house price. Fourth-year fashion communications TMU student Joseph Gleasure is a second-generation Canadian. Owning a home is one of Gleasure’s biggest concerns. Gleasure has been looking at the Vancouver real estate market rather than Toronto and plans to move there after graduation, which according to Mercer’s Annual Cost of Living Index, isn’t much more affordable. The city comes in second to Toronto as the most expensive city in Canada to live in. In a survey by Royal LePage, 39 per cent of Canadians aged 25 to 35 have considered moving out of their current homes to “less dense area[s]” since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey also found that in the Greater Toronto Area, the number of people who want to leave the city for a less dense area is 46 per cent. “I thought to myself, what’s my realistic plan to own home ownership in a major metropolitan area in Canada?” Gleasure says. “Well, there is a path. It’s just very tricky and it relies on a lot of sacrifices.”
PEYTON KEELER-COX, VANESSA KAUK/THE EYEOPENER
These sacrifices include leaving Gleasure’s hometown of Mississauga, Ont. “I don’t know, honestly, how anyone is supposed to live like this and achieve any of those personal goals that they want to.” Murtaza Haider, a data science and real estate management professor at TMU, says one of the solutions to the area’s high real estate prices is to build more homes. The provincial government announced on Oct. 25 that they aim to build 1.5 million homes in Ontario, with 285,000 in Toronto, in the next decade. But for Gleasure, one of the problems isn’t that houses aren’t being built, but the type of homes that will be built. Building bigger houses in cities is “ridiculous,” as the goal should be to build houses that are
more affordable, explains Gleasure. “There has been no past initiative to build more homes and it won’t be happening in the next five years, making purchasing a home even that more difficult,” says Haider. There is a lack of affordable housing in the city. According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, 30 per cent and more of household incomes in Toronto are spent on shelter. According to an article by Insurdinary, the average individual income in Ontario is $52,600 as of October 2022. With a decrease of 5.23 per cent in the average individual income, housing expenses are becoming harder to keep up with. Read the full story at www.theadultingissue.theeyeopener.com
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By Joseph Gomes TikTok and YouTube are quickly becoming students’ primary entry point into the financial world, with finance experts and influencers offering advice on how to manage money online. But in today’s digital age where clicks are currency, the line between fact and fiction can become blurred and it’a hard to know who to trust. Especially when it comes to money. Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) students say they gravitate to social media for monetary advice because it’s free and the information is usually conveyed in accessible, easyto-understand terms. For third-year business management student Emanuel Tsiris, YouTube is his first stop to gaining financial information, because digesting knowledge in video format helps him understand the concepts better. “Financial advice is really hard to understand and video can actually explain it properly, so YouTube is probably my go-to place,” he said. “And then once I get a brief knowledge [of the topic], I go to Google and search from there.” He also trusts YouTube over TikTok. “Anyone can go viral [on TikTok]. And misinformation can spread wildly that way, so I tend to go to YouTube more than Tiktok.” Tsiris pointed to YouTube’s comment section to differentiate good advice from bad. Before implementing any advice he learns on the platform, he’ll look at the comments and review what other
“I feel like it’s important that everyone should get a good idea of what their investment is,” he says. “I don’t think blind investing has made anyone rich ever. You need to learn and do your research.” Patel cited market intelligence platform CapIQ and business news outlet Bloomberg as his go-to source for real-time information on stocks and investments and does his best to avoid opinion-based information, especially from finfluencers. “If you really want to check out the latest news on a company, it’s really easy to go on Bloomberg rather than searching on Google and seeing five different websites and going from there,” Patel said. He added that outlets like Bloomberg provide easy and reliable ac-
cess to reported news and updates, as opposed to offering finance advice, allowing readers to make their own decisions based on their individual circumstances. Since some students don’t have a background in finance or the time to do research, Lifehacker, a software and technology web blog owned by media company G/O Media, states on their site that it is important that people at least get familiar with the problems of misleading advice. The site compiled a list of finance influencer red flags—signs they may be unqualified to give advice— including, “if it sounds too good to be true,” “if they focus on short term investments” and “if they tout “secret” ways to build wealth.”
Lu Zhang, an associate finance professor at TMU, encourages students’ interest in learning more about personal finance and gives some alternate approaches to self education. “TMU students have all these resources, courses, workshops available to them on campus, student clubs on campus, where they can seek better, more credible advice or learn by themselves, how to manage finances,” she said. She emphasized that you don’t have to be a finance major to join these clubs or courses and that occasionally hanging out with the finance community is a great place to gain exposure. Another great place, said assistant TMU finance professor Daniel Tut, is your local bank. “If I have to make a financial decision on a specific product and I’m not sure about that specific product, I might go to my local bank and talk to my investment representative,” he said. “They might give me exactly the same information that I’m already privy to, but from very different angles.” Tsiris said that whichever platform students choose to learn from should be fine, “As long as you stay diligent and make sure that the content you’re consuming has facts behind it.” For students who are looking for accredited online sources to learn more about personal finance, both Tut and Zhang recommend business news sites such as The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, CNBC and Financial Times.
throne. Golden toilets can cost about $2,000, an amount that some of us students don’t make in two months. That’s not even a semester’s worth of tuition for most students. For anyone under the age of 30, that’s a ridiculous investment for something that’ll hold what you had for dinner last night.
Luxury cars A lot of boomers love their fancy cars and riding in style. Some boomer men even make it a personality, filling their garages with Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Mercedes and McLarens that’re even older than themselves. It seems like it’s their way of flexing the money they have no matter where they go. In the meantime, students are pumping their fists with pride when their Presto cards don’t decline when they get on the subway. Be honest, we all know the shame of hearing the uber-loud “card decline” beep and the machine turning red on a packed bus. If you’re a student with your driver’s license, you’re probably far too broke to buy your own car,and have accepted your fate driving around your mom’s minivan.
Kopi Luwak Have you heard of Kopi Luwak? Neither have we! Also called “cat poop coffee,” this is not your regular cup of joe—the process first involves Indonesian cat-like animals called civets eat coffee cherries. They cannot digest the coffee beans in the fruit, so they end up in the cats’ poop. The beans are then collected, the feces cleaned off, and they’re used to make the coffee. Some say this creates the most delicious coffee in the world and due to the low supply of the beans, it can cost between $30-$100 per cup. That is an absurd price for a cup of coffee. But if you’re rich, why not? As for us students, I think we will be sticking to Tim Hortons, Red Bull or Balzac’s (if we’re feelin’ fancy) to push us past the endof-term finish line.
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viewers are saying, before taking the information seriously. He said he is also cautious of the fact that some creators are more interested in profits from viewers rather than helping them manage their finances and keeps this in mind when deciding who to watch. Earlier this year, Australia zeroed in on misinformation, warning “finfluencers” (finance influencers) to get licensed to give financial advice or face jail time. But since no such requirement exists in North America, the responsibility usually falls on the viewer. Third-year finance student, Ishan Patel says students shouldn’t be investing without properly getting information from a trusted source.
By Joseph Casciaro We all know money can buy happiness and unfortunately for us students, we usually don’t have a lot of it. We know the hustle of looking for all the discounts we can get, unlike the world’s boomers; many of whom are established in this economy with all the money they could want. Boomers are the generation of people born roughly between 1945 and 1965, just after the Second World War. With their boring nine-to-five jobs, steady retirement funds and, of course, unnecessary purchases, they are definitely a few socioeconomic classes above us measly students. Here are some of the lavish, overthe-top expenses a boomer wouldn’t hesitate buying that make us Gen Z-ers, born between 1997 to 2012, shake in our boots.
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Golden toilets Let’s be real—if you need to go, you’re going to go, no matter where it is. However, for those rich boomers, there is a standard of bathroom design that needs to be met. They treat their go-time as an opportunity to sit upon a gold-plated
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