HUMBER’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
VOLUME 61, ISSUE 6
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2020
election 2020:
managing your $11M nine positions open on ignite board of directors mark your ballots P 4-5
2 - News
Humber Et Cetera
March 11, 2020
Students in Humber’s Electromechanical Engineering Technology program created machines from scratch in preparation for a provincial robotics competition taking place from May 4 to 6.
Engineering squads compete for spot in Ontario mechatronics throwdown Melanie Valente-Leite NEWS REPORTER
With only six hours on the clock, 16 Humber engineering students raced to complete and perfect their machines to move forward in the Skills Ontario competition. “We have high expectations to be first, so there’s a little bit of pressure,” said Marco Gunja, an Electromechanical Engineering Technology student at Humber. “Mostly, I think I put the pressure on myself to do as good as possible, and I think we finished good.” Teams of students built different automated factory and production systems from scratch to qualify to compete in Skills Ontario in the provincial tournament. Two gold medalists, one junior and one senior on each team, emerged from the annual event, this year held at the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation on Feb. 20. Each won a grant of $1,250 along with the chance to compete in the Skills Ontario tournament in the Toronto Convention Centre in May.
Humber’s engineering students have won more than 40 medals at World Skills, Skills Ontario and Skills Canada competitions since 2004. The Electromechanical Engineering Technology program started in September with professors introducing students to the concept of these competitions and to teach them how to use the equipment properly. “It would have been nice if we had more females in the program because we’re not as represented as we should be,” said Maramawit Demisse, an Electromechanical Engineering Technology student at Humber. “I hate the misconception that women aren’t able to do things like this. As you can see, we are,” she said. Mechatronics is a field of study and standard manufacturing technology that includes mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, electronic engineering and computer engineering. After the students have completed the Skills Ontario tournament, the
Humber Et Cetera is the Humber College journalism program laboratory newspaper, publishing 10 times per term in fall and winter. Et Cetera serves to inform the Humber community and give its readers well rounded coverage on the things that matter to them.
Editor-in-Chief Lucy Lau Editors Aarti Rachael Dyal Alison Gallagher Anakul Thakur Alina Zornia
winners will compete in the Skills Canada tournament in Vancouver, B.C., then proceed to compete in WorldSkills, where hundreds of students participate for a grand prize of money and scholarships. “There are different scholarships involved for people that compete in all the skills competitions, they get a medal, and there’s a sponsor as well,” said Anthony Nyman, a lab technologist at the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation. “At the top of the provincial competition, some companies will offer jobs to medal winners.” The winners in this year’s mechatronics event were: Gold in the senior category: Marko Gunja and Hartej Tapia Gold in the junior category: Zack Kennedy and Nickolas de Boer Silver in the senior category: Alex Mosor and Suhail Mohammed Silver in the junior category: Silver: Jordan Regada and Jarod Lin Bronze in the junior category: Diego Quintero and Theresa Martinez
Senior Reporters Abhinav Mendhe Harmony Multani Faculty Adviser Rob Lamberti Creative Adviser Marlee Greig
PHOTOS BY MELANIE VALENTE-LEITE
Maramawit Demisse builds an electrical system during the qualifying stage of a province-wide competition at the Barrett CTI on Feb. 20.
Front cover : Jared Dodds, IGNITE Back cover: Diego Guillen @humberetc etc.humber@gmail.com humberetc.ca
© 2020 All rights reserved Humber Et Cetera is a publication of the School of Media Studies & Information Technology at Humber Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning 205 Humber College Blvd., Etobicoke, ON, M9W 5L7
March 11, 2020
Humber Et Cetera
Industrial design students take a seat at annual chair-making competition
News - 3
Humber aims to curb coronavirus by cancelling non-essential travel Tyler Biggs
SENIOR REPORTER
Harmony Multani SENIOR REPORTER
Industrial design students Logan Smith, Tiam Morrowrogers and Ezgi Ozkut won top prize for getting people to sit down at Humber’s 19th Annual Chair Show. Ten chairs battled it out for the top prize at the contest held March 9 at the Barrett Centre for Technology and Innovation. “Since a lot of our society is structured in a way where we tend to spend a lot of time in chairs, I think it’s important for buyers to know just how much thought went into the chair in terms of things like ergonomics and sustainability,” Industrial Design student Smith said. Their winning design, Oru, had attendees lining up to test its sustainable materials, easy-to-build design and cost-effectiveness. “We shouldn’t be wasteful and try to do some homework before purchasing a chair,” he said. Glenn Moffatt, Humber Industrial Design instructor, said students were tasked with designing something that aligns with the visual elements of the building while accommodating student workspaces. “We brought the students to the building, and one of the first things they realized was that there weren’t many students due to the fact that there weren’t enough study spaces here,” he said. Around 200 guests and 11 industry judges attended the event to test the chairs built by second-year Industrial Design students. “What we’re really looking for in the students’ chairs is something we can take to market,” said judge Lucas Spassiani, an industry professional from Borgo Contract Seating. Spassiani’s score card highlighted form, materials, human centeredness, cost and ergonomics as the five areas students would be judged in, with a possible high score of 100. “Chair design is important right now because it’s a bridge between industrial design and humanistic factors, and it’s a thing that everyone interacts with on a daily basis,” said Smith. Other contestants also listed sustainability as the top priority of their design. Student designer Aviraj Cheema worked with his team to build a back-
HARMONY MULTANI
Industrial Design student Ezgi Okut poses in the Oru, her team’s winning design submission at Humber’s 19th Annual Chair Show on March 9.
less chair named Endeavour, a chair that forces the user to get up and move their body from time to time. Cheema said materials like blend plywood are one of the best bases to start with, as it is natural and biodegradable. “Better things are coming for chairs — we now understand the long-term effects on human beings from sitting for too long. With all the knowledge we have, the industry has an obligation to implement those ideas in their designs,” Cheema said. The event gave students the op-
portunity to show off their skills and ideas to the public and industry professionals. For Moffat it was about more than the cash prize available for the winning design. “We ask industry professionals to judge the event because we think it’s a great opportunity for students to get their names out there, many of the judges are former students,” Moffatt said. He said judges then follow the development of individual students who display potential.
HARMONY MULTANI
Judges evaluate the Endeavour Chair, designed by Industrial Design students Aviraj Cheema, Sam Khan, Colton Brown and William Yin.
Due to growing concerns of the COVID-19 virus, which has infected more than 35 people in Ontario and killed one person in Canada, Humber College has cancelled all non-essential trips to heavily effected regions until the end of June. The announcement comes after the latest discovery of three new cases of coronavirus in Ontario. This brings the total number of cases in the province to 34 with 77 confirmed or presumed in Canada. Jacqueline Anderson, Humber’s Associate Director of Health and Counselling, declined on Friday to comment to Humber News on the trip cancellation move but did suggest that people follow internal college media to learn of any further development. “I cannot comment on the future of other trips at this time,” Anderson said. “Any concerns, though, and someone can go to [the college’s news portal] communique,” she said. “There are currently no identified cases in the Humber or U of
Guelph-Humber community,” Anderson said. The Government of Canada has been categorizing regions affected by COVID-19 by level and are encouraging special practice when travelling to countries with high cases of the virus. “The risk to Canadian travellers abroad is generally low but will vary depending on the destination. The Public Health Agency of Canada is closely monitoring the spread of COVID-19 in other countries,” the Canadian government said. The World Health Organization recently declared the virus to be an international health emergency but the risk to Canadians is still low. As of March 4, China, Iran, Italy, Japan and South Korea had been deemed either a medium-high risk to public health for Canadian travellers. However, steps can still be taken to reduce exposure to the virus.. Health experts recommend washing hands frequently, covering up when coughing and staying home when ill to combat the spread of infectious diseases. Below is what you need to know about COVID-19.
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
A public health notice from WHO offers information about the novel coronavirus, including its symptoms and how to prevent getting sick.
4 - News
Humber Et Cetera
March 11, 2020
IGNITE ELECTION
From left, Keithtian Green, Anthony Grguric, Eli Ridder and Sirene Qureshi, are four of the five candidates competing for a position on IGNITE’s new Board of Directors.
Five candidates vie for board of directors at North New IGNITE structure elimiates elected president and vice president roles and focuses on board of directors Jared Dodds NEWS REPORTER
Monday marked the beginning of voting for the elections of the next batch of IGNITE Board of Directors. Orangeville is the only campus without a candidate running for the now nine open spots. North campus has four positions with five candidates vying for them. The candidates include Eli Ridder, Keithtian Green, Anthony Grguric, and Sirene Qureshi. Aisha Ahmad is also running but could not be reached for this article. This is the first campaign for Grguric, a first-year industrial design student, and he is hoping this campaign will be the next step in his growth as a person. Ridder ran unsuccessfully for the Guelph city council in 2018. “In high school I never ran for anything, but here it’s a new start, new me, and this seemed like the best option for me in that new start,” Grguric said. He said he was inspired to run after being named the head of social planning in his residence. Green, a third-year student in the nursing program, was driven by her long Humber career, from the Child and Youth program to where she is now, and the knowledge she has gained through all that time at Humber. Qureshi, a post-grad paralegal student, is relying on her experience running for student unions in the past, particularly two campaigns at York University.
Ridder, a first-year journalism student, chose to run to push for the change he has been hoping to see in IGNITE since his time at the University of Guelph-Humber. “I believe we need more transparency, more collaboration and more integrity in our student union, and they can be a lot stronger in advocating for students,” he said. The four who are elected will represent the largest percentage of students from any campus on IGNITE’s board, which controls an $11 million budget funded by Humber students. Ridder said he’s confident he will be able to handle that budget because of the different approach he would take to directors in the past. “My approach would be to talk to students
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each has a unique point setting them apart. Qureshi said she wants to increase the sense of community between students while educating them on the programs the college presents to them. “I think when students come into college and university, they’re not aware of the services or opportunities available to them, job opportunities even” she said. “Not only that but there’s even tutoring here that the students don’t take advantage of.” Grguric is also running a campaign focused heavily on community, aiming to bring a more high school feel to the halls of Humber. “My perfect world is everybody knows everybody, everybody is friends with everybody, and everyone wants to talk to every-
My perfect world is everybody knows everybody, everybody is friends with everybody, and everyone wants to talk to everybody
”
-ANTHONY GRGURIC
BOARD OF DIRECTORS CANDIDATE
about what we’re doing behind closed doors, and actually open those doors up for students,” he said. “This is their money.” Qureshi and Grguric mirrored the student-first mentality, with Grguric saying he felt no concern managing a budget of that size. Green took a slightly different approach, saying she wanted to focus on cooperation among board members to ensure the budget is handled appropriately. All the candidates have similar platforms with a focus on advocating for students, but
body,” he said. “I don’t see that happening here, and that’s what I want to change.” Ridder said he wants to bring cannabis-safe zones to Humber, places where students can go to smoke without risking at minimum a warning from security. This contradicts Humber’s current policy banning smoking on campus, something Ridder said was a product of poor planning by the college. Green said she wants to lobby for international students. “I think it’s very necessary to have some-
one who is an international student on the board,” said the student from Jamaica. “I want to see the same opportunities IGNITE offers to domestic students, international students are also able to access.” Green cited the increasing the number of bursaries and scholarships that are offered to international students, as well as giving other international students a face and a voice. “A Caribbean Black student is getting up and saying diversity is here, not just saying [it’s] inclusive, but having students actually see it and have someone to relate to,” she said. A common theme among all the campaigns was the issue of transparency, but each candidate has a different definition of what it means. Ridder, a long-time critic of what he views as a complete lack of transparency from IGNITE, is campaigning to reopen board meetings, which would reverse a bylaw change made last November. Grguric and Qureshi said they too would open be in favour of open meetings, with Qureshi going as far as to say media members shouldn’t be left out, but rather invited in. “Media is the first source to get information out there, and if they [past board members] can’t even deal with the tough questions what are they doing in this job,” she said. Ercole Perrone, the executive director of IGNITE, said in interviews with Et Cetera reporters the reason board meetings were closed off was to ensure the comfort of the board of directors. Students have until March 13 at 4 p.m. to cast their ballot. PHOTOS BY JARED DODDS KEITHTIAN GREEN PHOTO COURTESY IGNITE
March 11, 2020
Humber Et Cetera
News - 5
Lakeshore election sees crowded candidate pool Jared Dodds NEWS REPORTER
The race for IGNITE directors to represent Lakeshore campus is being hotly contested. There are seven students at Lakeshore looking to fill just three spots, compared to the five candidates vying for four positions at North. The candidates running include Gabi Hentschke, Ryan Stafford, Sabina Khannanova, Hafsa Ahmed and Shrikant Kediya. Aashi Jhunjhunwala and Cordell Brathwaite are also running but could not be reached for comment. The candidates’ reasons for running are varied, with some interested in pushing for real change and others wishing to build on IGNITE’s existing structure. Ryan Stafford, a second-year Business Administration student and current vice president of IGNITE, and Sabina Khannanova, a post-graduate student in Global Business Management, both want to continue to grow IGNITE’s current platform and continue the work it has done for students. “I realized the ability and networking opportunities there were being in IGNITE, and I wanted to continue my journey with them because I saw how positive the work they do is,” Stafford said. Khannanova is also aiming to put students first. She wants to use IGNITE’s events to learn more about the electorate so she may better represent their interests. Ahmed, a first-year Commerce and Accounting student, wants to be a face people can recognize and speak to, all with the goal of bettering the Humber community. “Overall, I just want to be someone on
“
at IGNITE,” Hentschke said. “Students don’t feel like they have the power to change stuff. There are a lot of things we want changed but we just don’t know who to go to.” Kediya said these problems — what he calls “glitches in the system” — are especially prevalent for international students. He said IGNITE needs a different approach when it comes to managing its $11 million budget. “I come from India, which is a very financially conservative country,” Kediya said. “I think that is something which is very much needed when running a budget that large.” The largest divide among the candidates concerns the topic of transparency. Kediya, Ahmed and Hentschke both want to increase IGNITE’s level of transparency by opening up board of director meetings, which were closed in a bylaw change in November. “Why would a board meeting be closed?” Kediya said. “This is the students’ money and if you don’t want to answer questions regarding the students’ money, why are you in this job?” Hentschke said she would also advocate for opening meetings. She raised questions about past board members saying they were uncomfortable with media being present during board discussions. “Students should know what is happening, what decisions are being made and why they’re being made,” she said. “Yes, sometimes they’re tough decisions, but students should be able to know why they’re being made.” Ahmed shared both candidates’ frustration, confused with why IGNITE would have made this change. “It’s actually shocking to me that board
Students don’t feel like they have the power to change stuff. There are a lot of things we want changed but we just don’t know who to go to
”
-GABI HENTSCHKE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS CANDIDATE
campus others can approach to share their thoughts and ideas with, and I want to make change on campus,” she said. Hentschke, a second-year International Development student, and Kediya, a post-graduate student in Marketing Management, are instead looking to instill radical change in the organization. Both international students see problems with how IGNITE is operated and will advocate for change should they be elected. “Overall, I feel there is a gap between students and [those] who make the decisions
meetings would be closed to the public,” she said. “I feel like if were having a board meeting it would be really important to get students input and the insight of the public in general.” Khannanova takes a more measured approach to transparency, choosing instead to focus on the form of delivery and ensuring accuracy. “You have to choose the right way to deliver your message and have students understand you,” she said. “It really needs to be careful while still telling the truth.” Stafford was the lone candidate inter-
Clockwise from top left, Gabi Hentschke, Ryan Stafford, Shrikant Kediya and Sabina Khannanova are competing for three spots represent IGNITE at Lakeshore campus.
viewed who stated outright they agreed with closed meetings. She said the board of director’s needs must be respected. “I feel like this position was made to not put extra pressure on students, and to give you some insight and a look into what the business and professional world can be like,” he said. “To make it the most comfortable for the students is clearly ideal. “You don’t want to stress them out every month to the point where they don’t even want to show up anymore,” Stafford said. “Me, personally, I feel like media doesn’t need to be there, because I get that it does get more difficult in front of a camera.” Transparency is not the only hot-button issue, as each candidate has different platform points central to their campaign. Kediya, like many of the international candidates, including Hentschke and Keithtian Green from North campus, wants to put more emphasis on the international students at Humber. He said many students have financial concerns and feel as if they are left out of IGNITE’s current setup. Stafford said he wants to continue the work he feels he started as vice president by providing the best experience for every student. “I think during my time we saw what stu-
dents really like and what they’re iffy about,” he said. “So, with that knowledge and my program, I’ll be able to bring the best value to Humber.” Ahmed said she wants to bring a Presto Card machine to Lakeshore campus, and work with Humber to try and secure a transit plan for students at all campuses. Hentschke is advocating for a stronger focus on sustainability, educating students and working with IGNITE on making their events more environmentally friendly. Khannanova said she wanted to use what she has learned during her time at Humber to make IGNITE’s events bigger and better, while also shining a light on health support for students.“I am diabetic and have been going through tough times since last fall,” she said. “I had 12 hypoglycemic attacks over three months, and it was a really tricky time for me. “But I was very supported by Humber and want to make that help an important part of IGNITE, too, because there are many students with health concerns and not everyone knows how to handle them,” Khannanova said. Students at the Lakeshore campus have until Friday to vote in the IGNITE election at either the AB Café or L Café. PHOTOS BY JARED DODDS SABINA KHANNANOVA PHOTO COURTESY IGNITE
6 - News
Humber Et Cetera
March 11, 2020
Sculpture breaks conventional gallery setting by taking art lovers outside Kristen Cussen NEWS REPORTER
A bronze figure standing just outside C building at Humber Lakeshore gazes out toward the street unflinchingly as his hands reach up to his hood. Thomas J. Price, a U.K.-based artist, stood next to his nine-foottall sculpture, Cover Up at the unveiling meet and greet on Tuesday. Price’s figure sculptures have gained notoriety for the “honesty of the unguarded moment,” he said. Dealing with issues of social identity, his artwork is often linked to underrepresentation of Black people. “I don’t want to shout or wag my finger,” he said. Instead, Price would rather place responsibility on the viewer than say “this is what this is, this is your fault” and declare a concrete stance. “I don’t think it’s necessarily the best way to create a lasting impression,” he said. Price’s sculptures are physical invitations to “engage in selfreflective understanding of how we form the world around us.” By removing descriptors, he aims to emphasize schemes used to decode body language. Abandoning the traditional gallery setting, Cover Up has been
able to connect directly with people in natural settings like parks or sidewalks. Gallery displays tend to be more formal and rigid in terms of rules. Outdoors, Price said he’s seen more people interact with his art, taking photos and feeling the texture. “It can be used to explore other aspects and other instances of that kind of violence or privilege or, you know, institutional actions against people,” he said. With this outlook, Cover Up has been able to fit in and stand out on the Lakeshore grounds. Cole Swanson said the statue’s placement reminds of the Lakeshore Campus’ former use. “This site is the Mimico Asylum,” the coordinator for Visual and Digital Arts said. “We have a history of institutionalized violence against marginalized members of society.” Just a few kilometres away, deceased patients rest in the unmarked graves of the Lakeshore Asylum Cemetery. “It keeps the conversation going in the present,” Swanson said. Sculpting candid and relaxed poses with modern materials like bronze are part of Price’s twist on traditional Western sculptures. Conventional Western figure sculptures stand tall and proud with ide-
alistic bodies. Choosing off-guard poses creates “a power in vulnerability, to be able to slouch, to really own one’s space,” he said. The figures question who people are told to idolize and who they’re supposed to be wary of, Price said.He typically hollows out the pupil and iris his figures’ eyes, but at nine feet, there’s no way to make eye contact with Cover Up as he gazes out towards Colonel Samuel Smith Park Dr., south of Lake Shore Boulevard West. “They don’t make contact because it’s not about you, they don’t need approval, they’re there whether you are or not,” Price said. Breaking free from the criticcreated mould is a constant battle for Price. “I’ve been described as difficult,” he said. “As a black man in the U.K., and the U.S., wherever I go, basically, it’s an issue that I’ve dealt with on a daily basis. “That comes down to a refusal to accept the role that I’m expected to play or the way that I’m supposed to facilitate a level of comfort throughout an interaction with someone in order for that conversation to be pleasant,” Price said.
KRISTEN CUSSEN
U.K.-based artist Thomas J. Price stands next to his sculpture Cover Up, unveiling a history of institutionalized violence against marginalized members of society. The statue will be on display at Lakeshore until May 1, 2020.
AISHWARYA DUDHA
The entrance that will eventually house Humber’s downtown Toronto International Graduate School which is slated to open in 2020.
International student campus to open in 2021 Aishwarya Dudha SENIOR REPORTER
Humber College will open a new campus in downtown Toronto for international graduate students in January 2021. The Humber International Graduate School, or Humber IGS, is currently under construction and is located at 59 Hayden St., near Bloor Street West and Church Street. This new campus will offer graduate certificates in businessfocused programs such as global business management, marketing management, project management and supply-chain management. “The programs have a specialized focus on work-integrated learning,” said Diane Simpson, senior international consultant at Humber. “Being located downtown also allows students to work closely with industries.” Simpson said Humber’s international student enrolment has increased significantly in recent years. Graduate certificates offered at Humber IGS are alternatives to master’s degrees, which Simpson believes are a good option for undergraduate students who are looking to transition into the workforce with co-op placements or internships. “There will be a strong focus on work-integrated learning and ca-
reer support for the students. The vision is to create a global tool that connects students through collaborative online international learning,” Simpson said. “We want to give students the opportunity to work on projects and solve problems that are faced in multiple countries, and multiple regions around the world.” Students may begin applying for programs at Humber IGS in April 2020, a media statement said. During this time, additional Humber IGS programs may also be introduced for the May 2021 semester. The new campus will occupy three floors of an eight-floor building. Although there will be no onsite gym or cafeteria, kitchenettes, vending machines and microwaves will be available for students. “The close environment will offer a challenging experience to students — one they might not be able to have at larger campuses like the North and the Lakeshore campuses,” Simpson said. “The students, faculty and staff should be able to feel like this is their space to learn, study, collaborate and hang out.” Around 350 students are expected to be enrolled at Humber IGS for January 2021 and enrolment is expected to grow to 2,000 students, a statement said.
March 11, 2020
Humber Et Cetera
News - 7
TTC fare increase puts pressure on student wallets Beatriz Balderrama Baleeiro NEW REPORTER
Torontonians don’t seem to be looking forward to spring so much anymore. Since March 1, public transit users have started to feel their wallet a bit lighter after the TTC’s 10-cent fare increase. The Toronto Transit Commission website says that the adult cash fare continues the same at $3.25, the adult PRESTO fare increased to $3.20. Monthly and 12-month passes adult and youth/senior were also affected by the increase, the adult monthly pass now increased to $156 for the regular monthly pass and to $201.90 including the downtown express. The fares for a 12-month pass increased to $143 and $188.90 including downtown express. Youth, post-secondary and senior month-
ly and 12-month passes are also included in the fare increase, but more changes are coming. “Students commuting on GO Transit and TTC are facing another fare increase on April 1, when the provincial government plans to end the $1.50 co-fare discount for trips using GO and TTC,” said Shelagh Pizey-Allen, the Executive Director of TTCriders, a transit advocacy organization. “The TTC is increasing fares because our elected officials have not provided enough operating funding to the TTC,” Pizey-Allen said. “TTC is the least-subsidized major transit system in North America, which means it is overly reliant on fares.” The Commission also says programs like these and other fare options will be reviewed as part of its Five-Year Fare Policy and 10Year Collection Strategy. Additionally, the TTC has announced that from April 1, PRESTO card cus-
tomers who transfer between GO Transit, UP Express and the TTC will have to pay the full fare for each transit agency. “As a student I don’t personally enjoy it because I’m broke, and I didn’t want the prices to increase,” said Arnold Samson, a student at University of Guelph-Humber. “But as a resident of Toronto, I’m also angry because the raise in fare costs was justified under being used as improvements for the system, but I haven’t seen any.” “There are constant delays, especially because I use Line 2 a lot as a well as buses, it can make it difficult if there are no improvements,” Samson said. The TTC’s audit department report says it lost more than $73.5 million from fare evasion in 2019, which accounts to approximately 5.7 per cent of riders not paying their fares, and is considered the biggest justification for the increase.
BEATRIZ BALDERRAMA BALEEIRO
The TTC fare for the adult cash remains the same at $3.25 and for the adult PRESTO increases to $3.20, bringing montly expenses to $156.
Tough talk around gender equality essential for Women’s Day
KRISTEN CUSSEN
Haesun Moon addressed the power of words and the value of discussion.
Kristen Cussen NEWS REPORTER
Life coach Joyce Shabazz says equity is often viewed through the prism of business, but it should be something that is shared evenly. She said equity is only given to people who have dominate positions in society, based on their multiple identities including physical ability, sexual orientation, gender, class and race. If a person fits within the preferred categories, it’s easy to tune out authentic dialogue, Shabazz
said at the Humber College International Women’s Day forum on March 7. “More often than not, [equity] is held in this way: equity holders in business enterprises and only equity holders can truly participate in and benefit from growth in the value of the enterprise,” Shabazz said. For Shabazz, redefining equity is an important part of ensuring that it is distributed equally among all people, despite a person’s multiple identities, in part defined by race, gender and orientation, Certain specifications of identi-
ty disqualify marginalized groups from their fair share of human value, disrupting the fragile scales of social equality, she said Transforming leadership practice is essential in order to create equity as an imperative and sustain it, Shabazz said. She said a lot of money has been spent internationally to improve diversity, equity and inclusion. “I think it’s because the outcome [of equity programs] was not a success,” Shabazz said. “It’s not that complicated. Are you holding humans, all humans, at value? Or are you not? “It needs to manifest day to day, hour to hour, moment to moment. It is a behavioural change. It is about taking charge of how you live your life,” she said. “Dominance will put you to sleep,” where leaders and company executives remain unaware of the struggles people around them are going through, Shabazz said. But she said the only way to provoke change is to have a worldview, “and not just because it’s an agenda.” Listening without truly hearing is problem-solving without all the necessary information, Shabazz said. “We hide behind politeness to cover our lack of interest and ownership of our personal agendas and
the fear of making mistakes,” she said. Discomfort in situations can be used as a barometer measuring progress towards transformation, Shabazz said. At a workshop, a simulated fire crackled and sizzled behind Haesun Moon as she explained the power of words and how people interpret them. Moon, the executive and program director at the Canadian Centre for Brief Coaching where she studies dialogue, kept with the theme of intentional change, by decoding language, subtext and the history of words. That is the first step toward valuable conversation, she said. “Discussion and dialogue are often confused,” Moon said. The ‘-cussion’ in ‘discussion’ can be found in words like percussion and concussion. In these instances, the root word means to hit. Hitting drums, hitting one’s head or in the word discussion, to hit ideas. “We’re hitting and breaking apart ideas,” she said. “The purpose of a discussion is to decide something by breaking down a topic, finding pros and cons and eventually coming to a decision,” Moon said. Moon offered a formula to navigate challenging conversations and
build ideas rather than eliminate options until only one remains. “Decision making is about reducing the number of options, meaning-making is generating more options,” she said. In conversation, it is natural to respond to the negative aspects of one’s feelings or ideas, Moon said. “Your response shows me more of your own biases and assumptions than anything else,” she said. She said it’s best to respond to people positively and effectively, rather than being negative. Moon said conversation becomes a very intentional practice this way. To untrained ears, people hear three times more of the negative and past-based information and are likely to retain and retell negative information, she said. To generate authentic dialogue, it is important to focus on positive change rather than what is negative and unchangeable, she said. “Can you invite someone to talk more about what they want? How do we build on that? How do we explore that?” Moon asked. People often hide their values within their complaints and worries whereas conversation is meant to curate ideas and “listening to someone with a filter will show what the person values or finds important,” she said.
8 - Arts
Humber Et Cetera
March 11, 2020
Grammy Award-winning drummer plays Lakeshore
John Grant ARTS REPORTER
Grammy Award-winning drummer Terri-Lyne Carrington pounded a space for women in the drum industry and showcased inspiration with Humber music students during the artist-in-residence showcase. Carrington’s illustrious career showed woman can coexist in a scene predominantly dominated by men. “It has always been acceptable for women to play piano, but these other instruments haven’t been as acceptable for women to play,” she said. “Know that you can do what you want and find your community that will support it,” Carrington said. “Work hard and be authentic with the music. Be your authentic self, and it will shine through.” She has won three Grammys in total. The Mosiac Project won for best jazz vocal album, Money Jungle: Provactive in Blue won for best jazz instrumental album, and she also won one as a producer for Dianne Reeves’s Beautiful Life. The three-time Grammy winner played on stage for every song on Friday, March 6, at the Artist-in-Residence Showcase at Hum-
JOHN GRANT
Terri-Lyne Carrington plays drums during the Artist-in-Residence showcase at the Humber Lakeshore auditorium on March 6, 2020.
ber Lakeshore, highlighting her endurance, quality and musicality. Even though she was ill, she upheld the well-known cliché among performers, that “the show must go on.” And she did not disappoint. Almost every song played on stage was composed by Carrington except for three songs: Backward Country Boy Blues by Duke Elling-
ton, Michelle by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and Benny’s Tune by African jazz artist Lionel Loueke. The first band was the Enriched Ensemble of the night was led by Humber jazz Professor Alex Dean. They played two songs to reel in the audience to prompt a joyous response from the crowd as they oohed and aahed over Carrington’s
drum play, and the student’s prestigious efforts during Backward Country Boy Blues and Jack’d. The music students showed how phenomenal the Humber music program is as they tried to match her level of ability. As the night transitioned to the second band, the musicians with the Humber X Ensemble joined the fray playing three songs. They were led by music Professor Mike Downes and played Michelle, Insomnia, and Mosiac Triad 1. Moments from Humber Tenor Sax player Lucas Dubovik highlighted such moments due to the presence and guidance from Carrington. “Terri-Lyne Carrington is a world-class musician, educator, the list goes on. She’s incredible at every aspect of the music that she does,” Dubovik said. “It’s good to hear and learn from a true professional and legend in the same field as I am,” he said. “It’s been three days but I could say, I’ve learned a lot from her.” The last band ended the night with a standing ovation. They kept the momentum going when they played Benny’s Tune, Wistful, Midle Way, The Corner, and Samsara. The five songs they performed
induced the crowd into a musical daze with entrancing sounds thanks to the leadership of Mark Promane, professor of woodwinds and saxophone. Alto Soprano Saxophone player Daniel Barta felt the inspiration of sharing the stage with Carrington and felt the impact she had for all the students. “Just the intensity she brings to the music is crazy. We’ve been playing her music for a while now. It’s been a lot of fun to hear. Her interpretation of her stuff is awesome,” Bartra said. Carrington wanted Humber music students to know that everything she had obtained in music is achievable if they acquire the right skills. “It is about the total musician, I write music, I play drums, I produce records and take care of all my own business. So, you have to have all of those things happening,” Carrington said. “So be well versed in all those areas,” she said. However, the night was much more than just Carrington. Every student on stage contributed a special night that they will cherish for the rest of their lives.
Video game students prepare for inevitable, painful industry crunch
JACOB PHILIPS
Kevin Witaszek, a third-year Computer Engineering student, is critical of crunch time as an industry standard.
Jacob Phillips ARTS REPORTER
It’s common knowledge among gamers and those working in the
video game industry that “crunch” is unavoidable in AAA companies. Crunch is the intense period of time leading up to the release of a game, which could include 100-
hour work weeks, very few breaks, no extra pay, sacrificing personal time, risks of job cutting and damage to their health. Game programmers are put through hell to get a
finished product out the door. It’s something that second-year Michael Wilson and his classmates in Humber’s Game Programming program are expecting to experience once they graduate. Despite Humber training, Wilson knows school can’t train him on how to handle crunch. However, it’s something Wilson and his classmates have been expecting ever since they started the program. “Well, obviously it’s going to be intense but it’s on the companies to handle themselves during crunch time and what I’m expecting when I enter the industry is I’ll still feel welcomed even when I’m at my breaking point,” Wilson said. While crunch is something that plagues AAA companies, there is a small chance that it might be at least reduced shortly. Since January, hugely hyped and anticipated games have been delayed from their original release date by up to six months. These games include the Final
Fantasy Seven remake which has been delayed by one month, while Cyberpunk 2077 and Marvel’s Avengers video game have been both delayed by four to five months. There is some outrage from gamers about the delays, but the general reaction is they don’t mind as this gives them time to not waste their entire savings on games they want being released so close to each other. With leaks from big companies like Rockstar, Blizzard and EA on the working conditions during crunch periods being posted from video game reporters, consumers have rallied for those working on video games. “I would say give developers all the time they need and developers need to understand that a tighter deadline means a rushed game with problems, developers just need more time to develop the game without the use of crunch,” said Kevin Witaszek, a third-year Computer Engineering student.
March 11, 2020
Humber Et Cetera
Arts- 9
Full moon nights marked for ‘Yoga Day’ at Humber Abhinav Mendhe SENIOR REPORT
JOHN GRANT
Kate Ulster, Christopher Chan and Dallin Whitford sing on stage during the Lakeshore showcase on Feb. 21.
Students voice love for vocals, drums John Grant ARTS REPORTER
Vocals and drums are the heart and soul of every musical performance, and Humber music students showed the evolution of music from Africa into the music heard today. “We all came from the same place,” said Humber’s drum teacher Steve Mancuso at the March 6 show at the Humber Lakeshore campus auditorium. “If you go right to the beginning, you’ll realize we’re all the same.” “Learn your roots and go to the source,” he said. “You’ll respect the music. You’ll respect the lineage of the music. it’ll bring more to you as an artist as a musician and as a performer.” The night was much more than simple melodies. The 12-person Vocal Jazz Ensemble led by Lisa Martinelli, the college’s Head of the Vocal Jazz Department, demonstrated early the diversity in sound that would be heard during the night. The Ensemble sang eight songs that lured in the audience with its diverse group of singers on stage. These singers comprised of Caitlin Gyorgy, Micaela Tyson, Leah Holtom, Adina Vlasxo, Rachel Bobbitt, Tarik Henry, and Ethan Jones. These seven singers, backed by five musicians, had distinct tones in their voices that blended in effortlessly when harmonizing and singing together. Each singer had moments of brilliance with solos when they were allowed to shine with their vocals.
Songs they sang like ‘I Adore You’ by Esperanza Spalding, ‘A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square’ by Manning Sherwin and Eric Maschwitz, and ‘Love Makes the World Go Around’ by John Hendricks highlighted those beautiful moments. Fourth-year student and tenor Tarik Henry is in his final year and has sung on that Lakeshore stage various times. His love for singing has transcended beyond boundaries and emotions. “Music takes me to the safest place, in my mind, my safe place,” Henry said. “I feel like I’m able to influence and give the audience and lead them into an experience where they can come along into that place of serenity that place of peacefulness that place of just love,” he said. However, the night transitioned into something far from jazz and implemented elements of other cultures to join a different and unique experience. The World Drumming Ensemble performed four styles of percussion that night, including were Kpanlogo from Ghana, Capoeira and Samba from Brazil, and Guine Fare from Guinea. The unexpected change of culture added a multitude of sounds. A special moment on that night had first-year drum student Roshane Wright playing his bongo drums and engaged the audience. His drums sang as they echoed into the auditorium, cementing powerful sounds that radiated throughout. “I want them to feel what I feel
on stage and feel the good vibes that I feel up there, and they did. It was just lovely playing for all of them, and the feedback was excellent,” Wright said. He came to Canada two years ago, and because of music, he was able to share his drumming style that he learned while he was in Jamaica. “I was in Jamaica didn’t even know I’d be here a year ago and then I’m here,” Wright said. “Now music is taking me to a lot of places that I’ve never even expected.” The last group, Humber World Jazz Lab, continued to keep the performance of multiculturalism started by the World Drumming Ensemble. The two groups after the Vocal Jazz Ensemble had to also sing in different languages. They were performing songs from languages they never spoke. First-year student and vocalist Kate Ulster said she felt the struggle of learning these languages. “I’ve only ever learned one other language. I sort of know French, but this was completely new to me. I’ve never like learned any language from that part of the world,” Ulster said. “Yeah, so that was definitely a challenge, so we have to work extra hard to be able to, like, you know, sing, not memorize it because it’s not doesn’t come natural,” she said. Regardless of her struggle, the Humber World Jazz Lab delivered an upbeat performance, which ended the night with the room being filled with joyous emotions from the uplifting tempo displayed.
Every day that’s marked by a full moon, yoga enthusiasts gather at the Humber Fitness Centre. Yoga is the physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India around 10,000 years ago. Modern-day yoga focuses on stretches and poses (asanas) that invigorate physical energy and inner peace. Exercising yoga during a full moon provides powerful lunar energies and takes yoga to practice to a deeper level and helps achieve the yoga goals more easily. Maureen Martin-Edey, a 61-yearold yoga instructor, started the class with a few poses (asanas) in a light that was dimmed to mimic the sunset lighting and relaxing music in the background. “There are so many benefits to practice yoga. I find it important for a lot of people who have different types of physical or even mental conditions because it helps to calm you,” she said. Yoga helps to fights depression, hyperactivity, sleep disorders, and stress. “A lot of people who have anxiety, their minds are busy and they
can’t seem to relax and 50 things are going on in their head at once. With yoga, it forces you to tune in to one thing, and it’s either your breathe or your breathe with movement,” Martin-Edey said. The National Fitness Leadership Alliance conducted a Canadian Fitness Industry Trends Survey and found that yoga is trendy. It further reported one out of five Canadians practice yoga, and around 35 per cent of the people practicing yoga are in the 18-to-34 age group. Thuraia Jraidan, a 20-year-old General Arts and Science student who has been practicing yoga for two years, attended the event. “I love doing yoga. I feel like its therapeutic and relaxing for the mind, it helps my muscles relax. I recommend it to a lot of my friends who have anger problems or are stressed out all the time,” she said. Martin-Edey, who also works fulltime as a Learning and Development Coordinator at Humber, said yoga helps her cope with her arthritis. “Yoga is for everyone, even people suffering from various health problems. To the people who haven’t tried yoga yet, come on out and have a little relax time for you, just come and try and experience how it feels for you,” she said.
ABHINAV MENDHE
Maureen Martin-Edey has been practicing yoga for three decades.
10 - Life
Humber Et Cetera
March 11, 2020
Boss Up event builds students’ confidence Emily Wilson NEWS REPORTER
Jacob McIntyre had sweat dripping down his face and the sheer panic shone through his eyes as he assessed his surroundings. Around him, people were laughing and enjoying their time as they attended the Ready, Set, Boss Up event last week at Humber’s North campus. “I’m not good at interacting with people,” the 21-year-old said. “I panic when I try to talk to people I don’t know.” McIntyre has a mental illness which leaves him with very high levels of anxiety, often leaving him “feeling paralyzed” due to the stress. The business marketing student knew the event would strengthen his personal skills and understood he would be putting himself in a vulnerable situation. “I took a step forward anyways and here I am,” he said. Many students are feeling the pressures of graduating as the year comes to a close and summer jobs become a necessity. Interviews are scheduled, networks are broadened, and connections to the professional world are made.
EMILY WILSON
Cosmetic Management student Hailey Clark prepares Audrey Blake for her LinkedIn profile photo shoot.
That is why IGNITE and the Career Success Centre stepped in to help students expand their skills after leaving school, either for good or just the warmer months. Students were encouraged to shop through the pay-what-youcan business attire and take advantage of the optional mini make-over
before taking their profile photos for LinkedIn. Hailey Clark, a second-year cosmetic management student, said the process was intended to give a confidence boost, explaining that makeup can often make or break how someone feels about themselves. “Everyone here is working to-
gether to make [people] look good,” Clark said. “It’s not always even about the professional photos, it’s about how they feel.” Feeling confident is exactly how McIntyre felt. Dressed in his grey suit and pink shirt, he gave a wide smile for his picture. Audrey Blake, 30, was eager to
take part in the speed interviewing aspect of the event. She said the activity is a good experience for anyone who is not used to meeting face to face with an interviewer. “It’s something you don’t get to do often,” she said. Blake, a human resources management student, encourages students to participate whenever they can. “It’s free and helpful so open up to it,” she said. The four-hour event offered everything a student requires to prepare themselves when school is done. Other activities included a networking hub using bingo to express personal skills, career exploration for students unsure of what to do after graduation; a program the Career Centre continuously offers, and career connect to grow professional contacts. Resume and cover letter reviews were also available. McIntyre said he hopes his determination to put himself in that position inspires others to get out there and start connecting. “Really push through and encourage yourself,” he said. “It’s really going to help in the future.
Pay-what-you-can career boutique offers office-friendly threads Jaeybee Martinito NEWS REPORTER
A collaborative effort to raise a pile of donated business attire helped students financially and lined the clothing racks at IGNITE’s Career Boutique last Tuesday. “It’s like a one-stop shop for students to prepare for life after graduation, or their internship replacement,” said IGNITE’s president Monica Khosla. Boss Up: Career Boutique was a partnership between IGNITE, Advising and Career Service and Humber’s Faculty of Business. The boutique, held at Humber College North campus March 6, helped raise students’ confidence while preparing to meet future employers. The boutique was a pay-whatyou-can event with a three-item limit that made it accessible to all students. Naman Shah, a first-year Humber Computer Engineering student from India, wore a blazer with his LinkedIn picture for the first time at
the event. “I felt professional wearing a blazer and it helped to be confident,” he said. The pay-what-you-can feature was especially affordable to Shah because a blazer back home would cost him 7,000 Rupees, equivalent to $130. Coming to an event like this didn’t cost him a fortune. “Once you get here as an international student, you get to know about how to manage your finance. It was good I learned all these skills,” he said. Narvana Dayal, a 28-year-old Business Accounting student from Guyana, said each semester costs her around $8,000. On top of her daily expenses, the program requires her to purchase business attire, which can be very expensive. “I would of course go for quality stuff so that you wouldn’t have to replace it,” she said. Dayal remains positive despite the long list of expenses because she considers it an investment. “Investing isn’t a waste of time,” she said.
JAEYBEE MARTINITO
Naman Shah, a first-year Computer Engineering student, tries on a blazer at the career boutique event.
“The struggles make you stronger because it’s a motivation. You’re more disciplined.” Subata Khalid, a Career Support Peer, spent her time during the
event to help students fix their resumes. Some students were transferring from different fields and some were starting out their careers.
“The good thing was that most people who showed up were really, really invested and they’re really interested in looking for a job,” Khalid said.
March 11, 2020
Humber Et Cetera
Life - 11
Tim Hortons pulls Roll Up cups due to COVID-19 Eli Ridder
NEWS REPORTER
Precautions amid the coronavirus outbreak have impacted one of Canada’s most beloved national contests. Tim Hortons on Saturday announced it removed all of the Roll Up the Rim paper cups “due to the current public health environment”. “Tim Hortons does not believe it’s the right time for team members in our restaurants to collect rolled up tabs that have been in people’s mouths,” the coffee chain said in a press release. The virus, known formally as COVID-19, broke out from the Wuhan province in China late last year. Hours before the contest cups were pulled, the number of coronavirus cases worldwide passed 100,000 infections and the latest numbers state there are 77 infected patients in Canada. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland repeatedly told those gathered at the Ontario Liberal leadership convention this weekend to continue to wash their hands as some attendees avoided skin-toskin contact. Although the paper cups won’t be available, Tim Hortons had al-
ELI RIDDER
Tim Hortons will not be giving out its “Roll Up The Rim” disposable cups this year over COVID-19 concers, opting to move the contest online.
ready planned to take the contest online this year. The annual “Roll Up the Rim” contest, which sees Canadians winning prizes as small as free doughnuts to as big as new vehicles, was making the switch to a more digital approach in an effort to be more eco-friendly. The $30 million of prizes concealed in the now-to-be-recycled cup will be redistributed in restaurant giveaways and the digital contest. The Canadian mainstay will kick off a four-week promotion on March 11. Until April 7, customers
can “roll up the win” digitally by a phone app or online. Using a reusable cup will get people three digital rolls throughout the whole promotion. Starting on the eve of the contest, the company will give away 1.8 million reusable hot beverage cups for free. Those with Tim’s Rewards cards will have an advantage. In the last two weeks, cardholders can get chances but won’t know unless they’re registered with the app. People have two weeks until after the promotion ends to register their card and play digital rolls.
Students were divided on whether Tim Hortons was making the right choice. “In my opinion, Tim Hortons wanting to remove their Roll Up the Rim cups is a good idea because the coronavirus spread around Canada has been (sic) scary news,” said Rimsha Khaliq, a first-year business administration student. “I don’t think any Tim’s worker would want to touch any of the rolled up tabs by their customers,” Khaliq added. “I stand by it because I wouldn’t do that either.”
Michel Johnson-Figueredo, a second-year public relations student at Lakeshore had a different take. “I could see why Tim Hortons would choose to reduce exposure to their staff, but this seems minimal in the grandness of the food service industry,” Johnson-Figueredo said. In its latest update on Friday, Humber College said it “continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation and the potential impact on our community.” “All classes, campus operation and activities are continuing as scheduled.”
Students to create eco-friendly designs for WWF competition promoting sustainability on campus Pooja Luthra NEWS REPORTER
For Gayathri Menon, climate change isn’t just a headline; it’s an inescapable fact of life. “As we move forward in today’s world, we can see how human actions have really had a negative impact on our planet,” said Menon, a fashion management and promotions student at Humber College. “Sustainability is something that should not be implied occasionally,” she said. Menon’s interest in the environment is what led her to participate in the World Wildlife Fund’s Designing Change for a Living Planet conference last year. The one-day event, which is organized annually under the WWF’s Living Planet @ Campus platform, tasks post-secondary students from
across Ontario with designing a device, object or installation addressing a sustainability-related issue. It also offers participants the chance to network with peers and industry experts, as well as an opportunity to present their work to WWF staff and a panel of judges. Humber’s Office of Sustainability has sent a team of students to the Designing Change for a Living Planet conference since 2018. This year’s event takes place on March 14 at WWF’s downtown Toronto office. “The WWF is a recognizable group. We support it as it’s just a really great opportunity for students ... to network and to meet people and to just have this experience,” said Tayler Buchanan, the communications and events coordinator at Humber’s Office of Sustainability. Buchanan, who will be attend-
ing the conference as a mentor to Humber’s student representatives, said WWF looks for participants from various educational backgrounds who have unique and boundary-pushing ideas. Students who attend the conference should also demonstrate leadership and quick problem-solving skills, Buchanan said. Arman Amin, an industrial design student who was one of four people selected to represent Humber in 2018, was asked to create an art installation that illustrated the amount of trash and recyclables that are regularly sent to landfills. “The experience of working with such a diverse group of students on an environmentally conscious project was fascinating,” he said. “It has helped me consider and take into account the environmental impact that products have when
POOJA LUTHRA
Taylor Buchanan, the communications and events coordinator at Office of Sustainability, says events like the World Wildlife Fund’s Designing Change for a Living Planet conference make the planet a better place.
being manufactured, as well as the ability to educate users through an empathetic design,” Amin said. Menon appreciated the opportunity to work with peers who came from a variety of disciplines — and the chance to make environmental change in small but innovative ways.
“It provided the Humber team with a unique opportunity to meet and work with like-minded and inspiring students,” she said. “There was an immense exchange of ideas that took place which inspired us to work towards implementing the best of those in our surroundings,” Menon said.
12 - Commentary
Humber Et Cetera
March 11, 2020
EDITORIAL
Lack of diversity skews coverage of COVID-19
I
t’s been a landmark few years for Asian representation in North American media, with prominent Asian figures starring in everything from heart-tugging rom-coms and Pixar shorts to social media-centred thrillers and Marvel’s soon-to-hitthe-silver-screen Shang-Chi.But there’s one place those of Asian descent haven’t expected to see their faces plastered all over: in the image section of seemingly every coronavirus-related news article. Indeed, while COVID-19 was first identified in Wuhan, China, it appears news organizations — particularly those in North America — have taken great liberties with running photos of Asian-identifiable folks in coronavirus stories, even when said stories make no mention of Asians. The New York Times, for instance, which recently published an image of two masked popos minding their own business in Flushing’s Chinatown in an article about a Manhattan woman who contracted COVID-19 after returning from Iran. Or political news site The Hill,
which ran a photo of a Chinese man on the subway — one apparently taken in Hong Kong — alongside a story concerning a New York attorney who was confirmed as the state’s second COVID-19 case. Both images have since been replaced with ones that don’t prominently feature Asian people, though not before they received criticism on social media. The photographs, which are part of a larger cycle of coronavirus news coverage that is steeped in xenophobia and racism against those of East Asian descent, are the latest example of why North American newsrooms (the majority of which are overwhelmingly white) desperately need more diversity. A 2019 census conducted by the American Society of News Editors found people of colour comprise about 22 per cent of salaried employees at the 429 news organizations that volunteered to participate in the survey. Only around 28 per cent of these newsrooms employ non-white people in their top three leadership positions, underlining a
2018 study by Pew Research Center that found newsroom employees in the U.S. are more likely to be white than workers in other industries. The situation isn’t much better in Canada, where racial minorities make up less than 15 per cent of our national broadcaster’s staff — a number not representative of the more than 20 per cent of people of colour who call this country home. This lack of diversity is reflected in the stories a newsroom produces, which may give racial minorities “less prominent and more negative” media coverage than their white counterparts or present them as “products of their socio-demographic backgrounds,” writes Erin Tolley, a political science professor at the University of Toronto and author of Framed: Media and the Coverage of Race in Canadian Politics. To be clear, simply employing people of colour doesn’t make a news organization immune to poor, lazy reporting. But building a diverse team of journalists from different backgrounds and of varying identities, and more importantly
supporting them and promoting them into leadership positions, can certainly lead to richer, more nuanced journalism that understands and better represents the myriad of communities it serves. This diversity is integral in helping editorial organizations reach more readers while avoiding “the bland and often false conventional wisdom held in a room full of people who come from similar places,” Ben Smith, Buzzfeed’s former editor-in-chief, told Nieman Reports. This results in stories that reflect a range of beliefs and experiences, which may strengthen reader trust and help ensure a news organization is telling stories that “best meet the audience’s needs,” the News Media Alliance said. To do this, North American newsrooms need to tackle the issue from the top. The Canadian Association of Black Journalists and Canadian Journalists of Colour released a list of seven calls to action in January, urging industry leaders to commit to diversity and multiculturalism in newsrooms across Canada by hiring more editors and
reporters of colour and retaining and promoting these folks to management positions. The document also outlines steps such as creating scholarships and mentorship opportunities for aspiring journalists of colour and addressing the lack of diversity and inclusion in Canadian journalism schools, which serve as a “talent pipeline for media outlets,” part of an action that aims to dismantle the racial foundations of journalism itself, which for decades has been built by and for white voices. Such concrete and highly accessible guidelines mean industry leaders have no excuse when it comes to making diversity in newsrooms a priority. If news organizations continue to look as homogenous as they do today, we will continue to see instances of discriminative, reductive reporting — whether it’s a blatantly xenophobic op-ed or a racist, completely unrelated-to-the-story image — that goes against the very fabric of journalism: the fair and accurate reporting of issues that matter most to a community.
OPINION Washing hands, social distancing key to preventing transmission of novel Coronavirus
RACHAEL DYAL OP-ED EDITOR
A
s a student at Humber who is concerned about the novel coronavirus, I find it comforting to know there are steps we can take to prevent the possibility of catching the virus. Sure, many of us may joke about COVID-19 or make memes about it. Maybe you’ve even laughed at social-media posts making light of the disease. And though I’d like to think that I’d be within the top tier if it came
down to a survival of the fittest, even I can confess the coronavirus scares me. I’ll even be so bold to admit that I sometimes avoid hugging my own mother after she’s come off the subway out of fear that she may have contracted the virus after riding the subway. I acknowledge these thoughts are fairly irrational considering the TTC is doing its best to keep buses and subway cars clean, but I’d be lying if I said this isn’t an anxiety of mine. However, what’s eased my dread, and what I argue should ease your distress, is the fact that there are preventative measures — corona-etiquette, if you will — students should follow to help stay clear of the virus. Stefanie Santorsola, a registered nurse and health promotion coordinator at Humber College, offered some tips for how students could protect themselves on campus. “The big thing is washing hands effectively — using soap and water for 20 seconds and making sure
you’re getting all the aspects of the hand, mostly between the fingers,” she said. Even if hands aren’t visibly soiled, people should use a hand sanitizer that has at least 60 per cent alcohol, Santorsola said. As much as some of us would like to cough on people we don’t like, Santorsola said students should engage in respiratory-related etiquette as well. “Coughing into your shoulder or elbow and then engaging in hand hygiene afterward is important,” she said. However, there’s still that underlining anxiety about shaking someone’s hand. Santorsola suggests avoiding physical contact altogether — including kissing on the cheek, which may transit germs — when greeting people. She said using one’s words — for example, a simple hello — is sufficient and offers an alternative to the first bumps and elbow bumps that some officials have been encouraging as forms of greetings.
BRIAN SPURLOCK/REUTERS
Enes Canter wears a message on his shoes for fans to wash their hands as a precaution against COVID-19 during a game against the Indiana Pacers.
“Really, we don’t want mass hysteria. The transmission rate [of COVID-19] in Canada is still really low, but, again, hand hygiene is the biggest way to stop the spread of really any illness,” Santorsola said. The federal government published a number of tips on its website that people can take to protect them-
selves and others from the virus. These include staying home from work or school if you are feeling sick, avoiding “touching something with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes before washing your hands.” This is all advice that’s easy to follow and beneficial to know.
March 11, 2020
Humber Et Cetera
QUOTED
ARE YOU FOLLOWING THE US PRESIDENTAL ELECTION?
“With Trump, I don’t see any progress. It’s all chaos — a lot of failure. For me, it’s hard to believe which are the real leaders we should follow.”
“The U.S. elections also affect Canada. I think Bernie Sanders would be good to win because … he’s been protesting for equality and everything.”
BRET SAMBAJON
FASHION ARTS AND BUSINESS
PHOTO OF THE WEEK Wellness coach Shakira Martin leads a Feb. 14 class at Humber North campus which was hosted by the One Billion Rising committee. The forum was used to make women aware of the gender violence they face. Statistics show one in three women will be a victim of sexual violence during their lifetimes.
NATHANIEL SMITH.
SEND YOUR BEST PHOTOS TO ETC.HUMBER@ GMAIL.COM OR TWEET US AT @HUMBERETC FOR A CHANCE TO BE PUBLISHED IN NEXT WEEK’S ISSUE!
MISC - 13
“I’m hoping Bernie Sanders makes it as opposed to [Joe] Biden, considering President Trump’s stances on a lot of things.”
SABRINA RANDHAWA,
CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY
JOSHUA ROMEO FIRE SERVICES
ONE BILLION RISING RALLIES TO END GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
14 - News
Humber Et Cetera
March 11, 2020
Mental health takes centre stage at wellness event Nicholas Rahmon NEWS REPORTER
JOHN GRANT
Bahareh Yaraghi poses on stage before she performs in OIL at Toronto’s Geary Lane studio on March 8, 2020.
Humber grad shines in local theatre shedding light on dirty business of oil John Grant ARTS REPORTER
Humber alumnus Bahareh Yaraghi inspired on stage during ARC’s production of the theatre play OIL, proving that hard work and dedication are cliches that should be followed. The five-time Dora Mavor Moore nominee graduated from Humber 10 years ago and has since moved onto pursuing her acting dream. The Dora Mavor Moore award is awarded yearly from the Toronto Alliance for Performing Arts that honours opera, theatre and dance. “I graduated in 2010, and I have to say I feel like I’m doing exactly what I dreamt of doing. I always said I just want to do good work with good people,” Yaraghi said. “It’s kind of my goal always with every project just to challenge myself with a good script and work with people that are like-minded, and are driven in the same way and are just as passionate,” she said. OIL starts in the 1880s with
Yaraghi’s pregnant character, May, leaving her husband after a visitor at night shows her family how oil can be used. The visitor tries to buy the land that her husband has owned to extract more oil. As May and her daughter travel through a 200-year span of chaos and evolution, the play highlights how love can be a driving force in conquering all obstacles that we try to conquer with money. OIL is a UK play written by Ella Hickson. Directors Christopher Stanton and Aviva Armour-Ostroff revamped this play to bring it to the Canadian stage to spark a dialogue about how the world uses oil. “Well, honestly, I’d love people to take away sort of a feeling of the scope of the depth of the history of the oil extraction industry and how deep the problems are,” Stanton said. “It’s not just ‘Let’s all buy electric cars and that should solve the problem.’ There’s more going on here
and it’s a much deeper conversation that needs to happen, “ he said. Yaraghi learned many lessons while attending Humber’s theatre program and has incorporated them into her acting career. “Humber prepared me to really listen to my gut, and to really find myself as an artist. And it taught me how to bring a unique voice into every role and how to be comfortable in my own skin,” Yaraghi said. “It showed me how to be creative and to not try to mould myself into any form. Being there allowed me to find my confidence as an artist,” she said. With all the success she has received in plays that she has been apart, such as The Death of the King, Le Placard, Moment and Prisoner of Tehran, Yaraghi had words of encouragement for Humber theatre students trying to pursue their acting dreams. “Be as fearless as you can. And even if you fall just keep getting back up because if your passion’s there, you’ll get there,” she said.
Students at Humber North gathered at the E Concourse on March 5 for an event which provided solutions towards issues related to mental health. The event, which also took place at the Lakeshore campus on March 4, allowed students to learn ways to combat anxiety, stress, and depression. “The main focus of this event is the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress scale,” said Adrian Francis, a fourthyear nursing student on placement. “Based on this, they’ll take this over to a table of counsellors and nurses to explain their experiences and get a gift bag after speaking to the experts.” Those who run the stress screening booths, whether it’s student nurses on placement, the athletics department or the Humber Arboretum, have made their best efforts to lead attendees toward success on the inside. “Most of what we’re teaching here is based on physical, with 30 minutes to an hour of physical activity recommended; a diet which includes the Canadian food groups; and sleep, which has stress caused by lack of it,” said Daniel Wasik, a third-year nursing student. “We’re promoting natural wellness and the idea that spending time in nature helps individuals cope with
stress and anxiety that may be happening. We know that they’re under pressure with work and family, and we feel the environment can help with that,” said Emelia Maceasik, a psychology student at the University of Guelph-Humber and member of the Humber Arboretum. However, the Stress and Wellness Event isn’t the first time Humber has reached out to students about their mental health near the end of another semester. “Student wellness and accessibility have offered numerous health and wellness initiatives throughout the year,” said Stefanie Santorsola, the Health Promotion Coordinator at Humber and a Registered Nurse. “[This event] provides students with basic strategies of stress-relieving activities, information, tools to get back to the basics and guiding them towards resources on campus and outside of Humber,” Santorsola said. With the provincial government’s decision to make mental health services free, event attendees showed approval for what is yet to come. “I think it’s about time that they made the decision,” said Sadiya Chowdhury, a Bachelor of Creative Advertising student. “Mental health is becoming more and more aware of our society because of it being a stigma.” “It’s great that the government is taking our side to offer the services that we need,” Chowdhury said.
NATHANIEL SMITH
Stefanie Santorsola encourages students to take part in a mental-health exercise at the Stress and Wellness Event at Humber North on March 5.
March 11, 2020
Humber Et Cetera
Sports - 15
Women make habit of winning CCAA Chloe Rowe and Susanna Quach use on-court chemistry to defeat Concordia University of Edmonton in national championship Tyler Biggs SPORTS WRITER
Humber College beat Concordia University of Edmonton to win the 2020 Canadian Collegiate Athletic (CCAA) Women’s National Badminton Championship on March 7. Chloe Rowe and Susanna Quach beat Jasleen Kaur and Johnna Rymes in straight sets. The Humber duo took the match 21-18, 21-14 in the final game mirroring their overall tournament performance. The pair dominated from start to finish and did not drop a single set during the weekend. This is the fourth gold medal for Hawks player Chloe Rowe. The business management student has previously won OCAA and CCAA in 2017, ’18, and ’19 before taking
home the title again this year. The accolades continued as Rowe was named one of the Student Athletes of the Week on March 9 for her performance last weekend. Each year Rowe has taken a new partner and this year was no different as she teamed-up with firstyear student Susanna Quach. Rowe hopes her experience helps her teammates in the future. “I’ve won three women’s doubles titles with different partners,” she said. “It’s nice to bring her in and help. I wanted to play with Susanna.” It may have been the preferred choice but the two had clear chemistry on court, controlling play with a rhythm and harmony one would expect to see on a stage, not a badminton court. “They wanted to play together,”
TYLER BIGGS
Hawks Chloe Rowe and Susanna Quach react after winning CCAA gold at University of Toronto Mississauga.
said assistant coach David Trinh. “Through the season they remained undefeated and we thought, what if we are going to make this happen?” “This is the time,” he said. Quach played in her first CCAA
tournament and said she is thankful for Rowe and the calming influence she brings. “We practiced like six months together,” she said. “I think we played really well.” Next year Quach plans to return
to Humber a champion with the intention of sharing the wisdom imparted by Rowe. When asked how they are going to celebrate, the four-time winner Rowe was uncertain of her plans but not Quach: “Party!”
PlayDays lets students game their grades and build connections Nathaniel Marksman SPORTS WRITER
Media studies students were able to boost their report cards with their Esports score cards at the Week 8: PlayDays event. The event last Thursday included a group workshop involving the Humber Esports team and media students. Although the event was open to all students, media studies students were able to earn five per cent on their report card by playing either video games or board games.. The event also allowed media students to meet with other program students through various activities that help build social interaction.“For anyone with common interests , this is an easy way to meet and make new friends,” said Kevin Faber, a third-year game programming student.PlayDays also helps prepare students towards working in their respective fields. “I’m big on designing games so I would like to make a horror game one day,” said Basil Noubani, a third-year student in game programming. Students could play Super Smash
NATHANIEL MARKSMAN
Game programming students Kevin Faber, Basil Noubani and Aldren Munoz play a card-based version of Monopoly.
Bros. Ultimate at the event or participate in a three-on-three Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:
GO) tournament with the opportunity to play against the Humber Esports CS: GO squad.
“We pitched do more Esports events through administration and this was them answering us in a
way,” said Kevin Tang, the Humber Esports community coordinator. Students and faculty could also play board games including Uno, Monopoly and various card games. The media studies program hosts PlayDays to show students that everyone needs a break from books to have some friendly competition between friends. “Honestly, it is good to get your mind off of school for once and to just relax and play video games,” said Aldren Munoz, a third-year game programming student. Michael Wilson, a second-year student in game programming, said PlayDays helps display what the media studies section is about. “It is a good way to widen our horizon and to show people who have never played these games what we do,” Watson said. Geoffrey Lachapelle, Esports director and game programming professor, said he’s happy that an event like this was added to the curriculum and wants to see it grow further. “Events like these only work if everyone is involved and it only really works if there are opportunities for everybody.”
16 - Sports
Humber Et Cetera
April 10, 2019
OCAA milestone on way to CCAA in New Brunswick Jayvon Mitchum SPORTS REPORTER
Wayne Wilkins led the Humber Hawks to a 18-0 season winning the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Men’s Volleyball Championship on Feb. 29. With the unbeaten streak, the seemingly invincible Humber men’s volleyball team also took first-place in the OCAA Western Division. The OCAA committee appeared impressed with the record and awarded Wilkins the 2020 OCAA Men’s Volleyball West Division Coach of the Year at the league’s annual banquet on Feb. 26. The team’s head coach is also in the running for the Canadian
Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Coach of the Year award on March 11. Wilkins said he is “flattered” for the recognition. “It’s an honour.” “I don’t take that alone, the award goes to our entire staff,” he said. This is his third award, after receiving the OCAA Coach of the Year awards in 2002 and 2005. In his 24-year career as the head coach, Wilkins has amassed an impressive record of 371 wins over 124 losses, collecting five division honours and accolades throughout his career. “He does a lot for volleyball and Humber, so for the OCAA to see that, is a great honour,” said Hank Ma, assistant coach at Humber.
“I’m happy for him,” he said. Assistant Coach Mack Robertson believes Wilkins winning the award was “a long time coming.” “He’s put together great teams over and over again and I believe the recognition was deserved,” he said. “He should’ve gotten more, but that’s how it goes,” Robertson said. Wilkins and the Humber Hawks are set to face the Holland Hurricanes in the CCAA National Championships at St. Thomas University, N.B., on March 12. Wilkins is confident his team will win the championship and bring it home for Humber. “It feels good to be recognized but, we have a championship to win.”
JAYVON MITCHUM
Wayne Wilkins said the Hawks volleyball team is ready for nationals.
Men’s, women’s teams set season record for All-Star selections David Pastor SPORTS REPORTER
Humber men’s and women’s volleyball teams set a season record for All-Stars selections this past week. The men’s four selections from Humber in this year’s Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) league All-Stars are Jake Gomes, Andrew Blakey, Rrezart Sadiku and Randy Kim. Collin Skanes, Humber’s middle blocker, is grateful for the leadership that the group of all-stars brings on-and-off the court. “You can go to them with your problems and they help you build on your skills,” he said. “When we needed that final point in the final game, we knew we can rely on them to step up.” Jake Gomes was named men’s volleyball OCAA Player of the Year. He is the second Hawk to ever receive the award. Gomes also holds the Humber record for most assists with 1,172. Andrew Blakey led the team in blocks with 27 and had an impressive swing percentage of .538. Blakey is in his final season with the men’s volleyball team and is happy with his all-star selection.“Winning the OCAA championship this year means so much more because we finally bring gold home after five seasons,” said Blakey. Rady Kim, Humber’s setter received his second all-star nod after leading the team in digs for the past two seasons.
DAVID PASTOR
DIEGO GILLIEN
Jake Gomes was named CCAA Men’s Volleyball Player of the Year 2020.
Julia Watson gets the ball past a defender during a game against Seneca.
Rrezart Sadiku received his first all-star selection in his final season with Humber with a career-high 143 points this season and third-best swing percentage in OCAA with .380. Over the last 33 years, the men’s volleyball team at Humber has had 55 all-stars. The Women’s team this year alone had a total of five all-stars. The Hawks women’s all-stars are Alex Krstonosic, Julia Watson, Alex Bartmann, Shiann Williams and Alex Lachapelle. Over the past two decades, the
years. “This is my first-time and it feels pretty good,” said Watson. “It feels nice to be recognized for all the hard work we put in,” she said. She led the team in kills and was ranked 10th overall in points per set in the OCAA competition. Shainn Williams, Humber’s middle blocker, led the OCAA ranking with 49 blocks, setting a record of most blocks in program history since 1999. As for Alex Bartmann, she set a
women’s team has had 65 OCAA All-Star selections. In previous years the team has had three OCAA AllStar selections in a single season, a feat that has occurred nine times. Alex Lachapelle set a program record 262 digs in her first year with the team solidifying her first-ever all-star selection. Alex Krstonosic, Humber’s middle blocker, also made the list with the second-best swing percentage of .381 in the OCAA league. Julia Watson received her first OCAA All-Star selection in four
program record for most assists in a single season with 481 bringing her total to 1,093, ranking her first in Humber Hawk history. Bartmann praised the volleyball team for all the hard work and dedication throughout the season.“It shows how much talent we have and how hard we’ve worked over the season,” she said. “I believe that every one of us is an all-star.” The men’s and women’s teams led by their stars now begin to prepare for the nationals.
VOLUME 61, ISSUE 6
SPORTS
HUMBER’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2020
WHAT A RACqUet! Hawks duo make noise on national scene p 15