LEST WE FORGET
Clubs Fair fascinates students
Luis Miguel S. De Castro HumberETC News
Humber Polytechnic’s Clubs Fair attracted hundreds of students at North campus with vibrant displays on Nov. 7 as about a dozen student-run clubs captivated students eager to explore extracurricular activities.
The event, organized by the IGNITE Student Union, provided a chance for students to connect with peers, embrace shared interests, and step outside the academic grind.
“We had a great turnout,” said Naisha Suthaharan, IGNITE’s student advocate, who represents University of Guelph-Humber students.
“There was a lot of positive feedback from the clubs, and it’s great to see students excited to be involved,” she said.
Suthaharan said the role of clubs is to foster a sense of belonging
“Clubs play a big part in making students feel included and fostering leadership. It’s all about giving students a chance to feel heard,” she said.
The fair featured clubs such as the Filipino Club, the Anime Club, and Caribbean Isle, each dedicated to creating a community for students to relax, connect, and share their cultures.
Kaori Sembrano, the membership head of the Filipino Club,
said her club’s intention is to build connections through culture and food.
“Our club aims to foster a sense of community for all Filipinos and share Filipino culture with non-Filipino students as well,” she said.
The club holds monthly gatherings, celebrating events like Christmas and traditional Filipino holidays.
“We do this to help students form connections with others from different programs,” she said.
Jeasica Luu, president of the Anime Club, said her club provides a space for students to enjoy anime, gaming and Japanese culture.
“Every week, we have two events like game nights and watch parties, and at the end of the semester we hold a big event like a maid cafe or a potluck,” Luu said.
Caribbean Isle, represented by Stephaun Clarke and Isaac Rowe, brings Caribbean culture to Humber, with plans for an on-campus carnival next year.
“The carnival will showcase the vibes, music, and food we know from home. It’s all about expressing our culture and welcoming everyone to join us,”
Clarke said.
His advice to students who feel hesitant to join is simple.
“Just come and join. It’s one love
and not only about having Caribbean descent, but you can also still be a part of it. Just enjoy the culture,” Clarke said.
The fair also underscored the challenges of balancing club participation with academics.
“For students, it’s hard to fit everything in,” Suthaharan said.
Clubs like Caribbean Isle are mindful of this, holding meetings at times that work for most members.
“Even if you can only come by for 10 minutes, you’re still a part of the club,” Rowe said.
Second-year business marketing student Gabriela Rincon was excited about joining a club because it offered opportunities to meet people.
“I’m interested in the women’s leadership club. It’s tough to make friends, but clubs help you find
people who like the same things as you. It’s important for your mental health, too,” she said.
Rincon said joining clubs not only eases the challenge of making friends, but also supports mental well-being, emphasizing the significance of events that promote these opportunities.
“This event is great because it’s also nice to have other activities besides doing schoolwork. I didn’t even know about the clubs of Humber until now,” she said IGNITE remains dedicated to expanding club offerings based on student interests, encouraging students to launch new clubs.
“If someone has an idea, they just need to reach out. Clubs are available to everyone, regardless of background, and they’re a wonderful way to make connections at Humber,” Suthaharan said.
Impact Fund supports programs
Tait A. Graham HumberETC News
The Humber Community Impact Fund has closed applications for a $10,000 grant that would help the community around the polytechnic to pursue what they want to do.
“In essence, the funding is meant to provide support and add funding to organizations, and Humber faculty to work together to increase access to learning oppor-
tunities,” said Nabeel Rahman, the manager of Community and Partnership with the Partnership Fund.
The fund has two streams of grant allocations, one for a project and another for a sponsorship.
The project stream would help fund one event only whereas a sponsorship would be an annual amount of money for an organization to use.
Its primary goal is to fund educational and developmental
opportunities for any community.
“The scholarships that the community fund provides and the opportunity to positively encourage, support and uplift Black youth in the community is something that’s really important to us and to the folks who support the JCA,” said Yolande Davidson, the JCA Chair of Scholarships for the Jamaican Canadian Association.
With that help, the JCA has been able to provide two scholarships worth $5,000 each annually.
Davidson and the Humber Impact Fund have had a long history together, with the JCA having applied to it before it was even called the Impact Fund.
She said Humber recognized more than 15 years ago that “there was an opportunity to look at organizations within the Black community that were supporting young people in the development and growth of young people, and the Jamaican Canadian Associa-
Humber Et Cetera is the Humber Polytechnic journalism program laboratory newspaper. It is created by journalism students in the Advanced Diploma program. Et Cetera serves to inform the Humber community and give its readers well-rounded coverage on the things that matter to them.
tion does a fair bit in that area.
“The scholarship program has been around for 22 years, so we’ve been doing this work for a long time,” Davidson said.
The continued collaboration between the Impact Fund and organizations like the JCA shows the fund’s commitment to fostering educational opportunities and community growth.
When the impact fund provides financial support to local groups dedicated to youth development and education, the Humber Community is directly affected by it and encourages anyone in it to learn.
As the application period closes, many organizations have applied for the chance to receive funding that can help make a meaningful difference in their communities.
The Humber Community Impact Fund remains a crucial resource for those looking to create positive, lasting change in the community.
Humber granted $10,000 for community projects around the campus.
HUMBERETC/TAIT A. GRAHAM
Anime Club members at the Humber Polytechnic ’s Clubs Fair on Nov. 7.
HUMBERETC/LUIS MIGUEL S. DE CASTRO
It’s Taylor’s World in Toronto
Preeti Malhi Skedline.com
Toronto is preparing for Taylor Swift’s six-show Eras Tour run starting Nov. 14.
CHAOS
The City of Toronto has partnered with Rogers to temporarily rename John Street, Blue Jays Way, Front Street and Queen Street West to Taylor Swift Way.
The unveiling of the signs took place Nov. 4.
“Luckily for me, my classes are at 8 a.m. so I might be able to avoid all the traffic that is expected because of her concerts,” said Emily Candido, a Toronto Metropolitan University student.
“As much as it’s exciting, taking public transit in the city during rush hour is already a struggle,
Toronto road closures
The city will close the following roads each day of the concert, on Nov. 14 to 16 and again from Nov. 21 to 23:
From 1 p.m. onwards, for each day of the concert, westbound lanes on Bremner Boulevard between Rees Street and Navy Wharf Court will be closed. Eastbound lanes will remain open for two-way traffic.
At 2 p.m., the following roads will be limited to local traffic only:
- Bremner Boulevard between Spadina Avenue and Simcoe Street Northbound lanes on Rees Street will be closed
- Southbound lanes will remain open for two-way traffic including an accessible entry point
- Blue Jays Way between Spadina Avenue and south of Front Street
but adding the fact that Taylor Swift has a show, or multiple shows, the city is going to be crazy busy,” said Candido. Candido said she will not be attending any of Swift’s shows.
SWIFT CITY
Although doors don’t open until 4:30 p.m., Toronto’s Version: Taylgate is taking place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from 1:30 to 11 p.m., where fans can gather before the concert.
Along with the street signs,
posters of Swift have been placed around the city, exciting fans ahead of the shows.
Sabrina Policelli, a resident near the Rogers Centre, said she will be leaving the city to avoid the mayhem and isn’t attending any of the shows either.
“Ever since Taylor Swift announced her Toronto dates, I knew I had to get out of the city to avoid the chaos of fans making their way to the show, so I’ll be staying at my friend’s place while she’s here,” Policelli said.
The City of Toronto encour-
Zachary Correia, a second-year Police Foundations student at Humber Lakeshore, has wanted to be a police officer since a Mother’s Against Drunk Driving (MAD) officer visited his sixth-grade class, in case hockey doesn’t work out.
“She was just telling us about policing and drunk driving and from there on it just stuck with me. I just wanted to become an officer,” Correia said.
He is currently a member of the Before the Badge Program which is an internship with the Peel Regional Police, with the long-term goal of hoping to be a cadet or constable there.
Hockey is also a huge part of Correia’s life as he’s been playing since he was four, has played for the school team, is a defenceman coach for a junior team in Bradford, has represented Portugal in ball hockey and Midnight Express, one of Canada’s top teams.
“I played at Nationals with them in Winnipeg and we actually won gold. I’m hoping to make Team Canada for the 2026 World Championships, but I was on the under-18 Team Canada for ball hockey,” he said.
“Hockey is my little safe place. When I’m on the ice, I don’t think about anything. I just think about the game and to win the game is the end goal,” Correia said.
“It’s been a lot of days in the gym, a lot of hard days, but there’s also a lot of good days, like when you lift up that trophy at the end of the season, it’s all worth it,” he said.
This report is by Julia Vellucci, Social Justice Reporter
Hockey star with a heart for policing
COURTESY OF CAMERON SHEPHEARD Correia won gold in Winnipeg playing with the Brampton Midnight Express last summer.
In Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Arlington, TX, she performs Midnights, getting the crowd’s undivided attention with her execution and energy.
RONALD WOAN FROM REDMOND, WA, USA IS LICENSED UNDER CC BY-SA 2.0
Remembrance Day ceremonies
Humbercommemorates Canada’stroops
Valencia Amore HumberETC News
Humber Polytechnic North campus commemorated Remembrance Day, with students, staff and faculty reflecting on the sacrifices made by Canadian soldiers on Monday.
The community paused for two minutes on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the moment in 1918 when the Great War, the war to end all wars, officially ended.
The Canadian War Museum reported more than 66,000 Canadians and Newfoundlanders died in the First World War and more than 172,000 were wounded.
A Humber student played the lone trumpet during the ceremony. In Flanders Fields by John McCrae was also read.
Humber Lakeshore watched the Remembrance Day service from the North campus on screens, unlike previous years when it had its service.
Many students were touched by the event, including Zachery Lynch.
“We owe a debt of gratitude to every Canadian who has answered the call, whether in times of war or peace, ” - Ann Marie Vaughan
The museum said 45,000 died in the Second World War, with 55,000 wounded. Korea claimed 516 troops and Veterans Affairs Canada said 158 were killed in Afghanistan.
The day has a special meaning for Ann Marie Vaughan, Humber’s president, who has Canadian military veterans in her family.
“Remembrance Day is not just about remembering those who died but also about honouring those who continue to serve,” Vaughan told about 200 people at the E Concourse.
“We owe a debt of gratitude to every Canadian who has answered the call, whether in times of war or peace,” she said.
“It’s important for us to remember not only the sacrifices made but also the lessons learned,” he said.
“Remembrance Day is a reminder of our common responsibility to work toward peace.
“It fills my heart with bravery remembering my grandfather who fought the war against Germany,” Lynch said. “My father told me how my grandfather left him to fight with the U.S. and never returned.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement that it is everyone’s responsibility to remember and honour those who served.
“We honour the Canadians who have served and defended our country,” Trudeau said. “We tell their stories of determination.”
Many staff members brought their children to the ceremony and stayed after the service to talk about what the day and the sacrifices made by soldiers meant to them.
The Remembrance Day ceremony concluded with a march off from parading bodies following
The Old City Hall Cenotaph serves as a Toronto monument to commemorate
The Humber Polytechnic community comes together to commemberate Remembrance Day at North campus.
ceremonies recognize the fallen soldiers
Honouringthedeadat downtownceremony
Liam Oliver Neilson HumberETC News
The annual day to remember Canadian sacrifices of valour has come, and the people of Toronto gathered throughout the city to honour it.
Remembrance Day ceremonies were held at war memorials,including the Old City Hall Cenotaph at the corner of Bay and Queen Streets.
As the eleventh hour approached, a parade of people donning uniforms and bearing flags marched toward the cenotaph while a crowd of people assembled to observe and pay respects.
“Let us together hold tight the memory of those who gave everything,” Mayor Olivia Chow said in a speech addressing ceremony attendees.
“Let us remain steadfast in the pursuit of a just future for all, lest we forget,” she said.
Torontonians who attended the downtown ceremony agree that it’s important to honour the sacrifices and courage of Canadians.
“I had to make it a point to get up, shower and shave, and show my respect by making it down here,” said Cory Swick, an onlooker at the event.
“All of them were up there standing completely still in the cold for that long, so I think the general public should be able to show up and do that as well to show their respect,” he said.
Swick said he’s proud to call himself Canadian and attended the Tuesday morning cer-
emony to pay his respects to his grandparents and all others who served in the military.
The event’s turnout of people gathering for this similar reason of showing respect was positive and a definite improvement from the previous year, according to Royal Canadian Air Force Captain Kwan Tai Chow.
“Remembrance Day is always significant to us as CAF members because it reminds us of the sacrifices of previous soldiers that came before us, and today’s show-up is quite good,” Captain Chow said.
He serves as a public affairs officer within 32 Canadian Brigade Group, an infantry-heavy brigade made up of various reserve force units within the GTA.
“I’d say the audience is much bigger than before because of COVID from last year, and I love it,” Chow said.
He said the parade was composed of the Seventh Royal Regiment Band, veteran contingents, Toronto Police, Toronto Fire, Toronto Medics, cadets and the City of Toronto Honour Guard.
Additionally, sentries were placed around the cenotaph, which was manned by members of the 48th Highlanders of Canada, a local Toronto reserve infantry unit.
With representation from the Canadian Armed Forces and many other organizations dedicated to the service of the Canadian public, Tuesday’s ceremony continued the tradition of honouring those who are willing to give their lives for others.
following the laying of poppy-donned wreaths and a reading from a Toronto Police Chaplain.
HUMBERETC/LIAM OLIVER NEILSON
commemorate Canadians who have died in combat as well as veterans.
HUMBERETC/LIAM OLIVER NEILSON
RCAF Captain Kwan Tai Chow attended the Nov. 11 ceremony to honour
fellow members of Canada’s armed forces.
HUMBERETC/LIAM OLIVER NEILSON
Toronto designer transforms personal trauma into empowering art at Fashion Week
Tia Kureshi turned to fashion to help build her confidence after being bullied in school when she was 12. She translated this hurt into sewing and making clothes with her mom. At 14 years old she began sketching, then started studying fashion.
“Turning my trauma into an inspiration is something that I’m really proud of myself for,” said Kureshi, the 2024 Fashion Student of the Year winner at the Canadian Fashion and Art Awards. Kureshi realized she had a different aesthetic from her peers in India and moved to Toronto to study fashion.
“The best part is here there are no restrictions,” she said.
Kureshi’s pieces are about empowering everyone, particularly women. She uses fashion as a way to overcome personal hardships.
She is showcasing an exhibit at Toronto’s fashion week, which began last night in a new venue at T3 Bayside on Queens Quay East. Fashion Art Toronto week will include an exhibition of photography, paintings and installations by local designers, including Humber Lakeshore graduate Tess Morgan.
Morgan, a former business fashion arts student, now works as the creative content director for Fashion Art Toronto. She was the editor-in-chief for Humber’s fashion magazine Infuse and managed the social media accounts for
this position.
She made connections at Fashion Art Toronto while working for Infuse, working backstage during her second year attending, then helping on and off until she naturally found her role in a creative, community-forward position.
“The thing that really drew me to Fashion Art Toronto was the permission that it gave to both artists and attendees to dream big and push their own kind of boundaries, and you know, kind of turn fashion on its head a little bit,” Morgan said.
Morgan has always loved exploring fashion, and the feeling of transformation clothing has provided her. Her favourite part of fashion is the way it brings people together through conversation,
tography for Fashion Week’s promotional content and pictures around the exhibit. Kureshi and Morgan’s work will be included in the exhibition for the remainder of fashion week until the last night, Sunday, Nov. 17. The event focuses on where art and fashion meet while highlighting the diversity in Toronto’s
designing from are all such a unique perspective and very artistic,” Morgan said.
Select Canadian artists will exhibit their pieces in the remaining days through runways, and tickets are available on the Fashion Art Toronto website.
Zoë Stone is one of the designers showcasing her col -
Aislinn E. Millette
HumberETC Culture
Designers posing
Jacqueline Bradica models leads modles down the catwalk on the opening night of Toronto Art Fashion week showcasing designs.
Photos by Aislinn E. Millette
Designed by Zainab Raza
lection on a runway on Saturday. She started working on her collection for Fashion Week in early September.
Her collection will include 12 pieces with dramatic design elements, focusing on shape and silhouettes with the models coming out in pairs.
The models will be wearing two different styles but will be tied together by a certain design element, usually shape, Stone said.
Her runway was inspired by nature and can be seen in the visuals behind the models and the pieces themselves, but she didn’t want to give away too much information before the show.
Stone said her runway will have a theatrical opening and recom-
mends attendees to be as close as possible.
The designers look forward to participating in fashion week and for attendees to see the garments and collections they have been working on while inspiring the audience through fashion.
Kureshi wanted to inspire attendees in her collection by sewing motivational quotes from her professors, classmates and herself into a dress she featured in the exhibit.
She used this collection as both a way to inspire others and an opportunity to try new things in her creative process.
“I felt like I needed to push my boundaries, and I did, and that’s how I ended up with this collection,” she said.
posing at runway finale for Myles Sexton for groundbreaking designs.
Models on the runway on the opening night of Toronto Fashion Week held at T3 Bayside on Thursday.
A model walks down with a design by Bradica.
EDITORIAL
Climate crisis demands political action now
Global political leadership is failing the world, especially new generations, in cooperating in fighting against anthropogenic climate change, the greatest threat humans have ever faced. This isn’t new, as oil, coal and gas lobbies exert enormous pressure on governments by dictating their agendas.
But it is equally disheartening that, despite the worsening climate crisis over the past decade, world leaders, particularly those in the richest countries, have failed to make decisive progress towards meeting the 1.5 C threshold set during the 2015 Paris Agreement.
As the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP29, is underway in Baku, Azerbaijan, a new study published by the United Nations last month called Emission Gap Report 2024 has assessed the climate progress in cutting emissions since last year’s COP28, when countries vaguely called for transitioning away from fossil fuels.
The verdict? There was none.
The report stated greenhouse gas emissions grew 1.3 per cent to 57.1 gigatons of carbon dioxide last year, making the 1.5 C goal by 2030 harder to reach.
To remain on that pathway,
emissions should fall by 42 per cent by 2030 compared to 2019 levels, while for 2 C, emissions should be cut by 28 per cent by 2030.
The report found current climate policies would deliver up to 3.1 C of warming, causing devastation to people, ecosystems, and economies and necessitating further costly and large-scale carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere.
It is clear emission cuts should be more extreme — but would be more difficult to put into practice — in the coming years if the world wants to stay well below 2 C and closer to 1.5 C.
The study also showed despite climate investments both in adaptations and mitigation having grown steadily to almost $1.3 trillion in 2021 and 2022, funding needs to increase to an average of $9.1 trillion by 2035, a figure that is manageable in the context of the current global economy.
Investment patterns need to shift from fossil, agriculture and fishery subsidies to key sectors like energy, transportation, and buildings that can play a role in reaching the 1.5 C goal and mitigating global warming in 2035, with a mix of private and public finance
involving tax collection, private capitals, multilateral development banks and concessional finance.
These ambitious and overdue targets would require global cooperation and an energy system transformation that simply does not exist.
Major political and economic shifts since the Paris Agreement have undermined climate collaboration, like the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, the deteriorating U.S.-Russia relationship, the Chinese dominance in the clean-energy supply chain, and the broken promises by rich countries to help the poor to shift away from fossil fuels.
The world is also holding its breath to see what will happen to U.S. climate policies once Donald J. Trump returns to the White House. He has promised to withdraw the country from the Paris Agreement, as he did in 2016, with disastrous consequences for the fight against climate change.
The scale and pace to mitigate global warming immediately would be comparable only to those seen following a global conflict, according to the report.
The recent research project Global Carbon Budget, published by the Global Carbon Project and
produced by an international team of more than 120 scientists, confirms this grievous trend.
The study found global carbon emissions from fossil fuels have reached a record high this year of 37.9 billion tonnes, up 0.8 per cent from 2023. Coal has increased by 0.2 per cent, oil by 0.9 per cent and gas by 2.4 per cent, contributing 41 per cent, 32 per cent and 21 per cent of global fossil emissions, respectively.
Global Systems Institute Professor Pierre Friedlingstein, who led the study, said climate change impact is becoming increasingly dramatic, but there’s no sign the burning of fossil fuels has peaked.
“Time is running out to meet the Paris Agreement goals,” he said. “World leaders meeting at COP29 must bring about rapid and deep cuts to fossil fuel emissions to give us a chance of staying well below 2 C warming above pre-industrial levels.”
At this point, the real question is: will they?
Looking at COP29 itself, one cannot help but notice enormous contradictions. A petrostate is hosting the event for the second year in a row, a petrostate is hosting the event, after the United Arab Emirates last year.
Shortly before the climate talks started this Monday, Elnur Soltanov, the chief executive of Azerbaijan’s COP29 team and deputy energy minister of the country, was recorded discussing possible fossil fuel deals with a purported oil and gas investment group, according to the climate justice group Global Witness that conducted the investigation.
During the summit’s opening speech, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev lashed back at criticism from some Western countries, calling natural resources, including oil and gas, a “gift of the God.”
Negotiators from Argentina were ordered by the government to leave COP29 on Wednesday, just three days after the event started, raising concerns about the tenure of the agreements to be discussed.
Global emissions grew since last year’s COP28 in Dubai despite new agreements, highlighting how little the global leaders have done so far to follow through the 2015 Paris Agreement.
PEXELS/MARKUS SPISKE
All sports injuries must be taken more seriously
Injuries are always going to be a part of sports. There is no denying that. It’s a given that at any moment in the game, an athlete will get injured.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, 3.5 million children out of a total of 30 million American children and teenagers suffer from injuries each year related to organized sports. When athletes get injured, the first thought in their heads is how soon they can get back to playing. In most instances, that mentality could cost them their careers.
A recent example of an athlete who came back from an injury way sooner than he probably should have was Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Tagovailoa suffered a concussion playing against the Buffalo Bills in 2022. He struggled to get back on his feet and he was taken out of the game.
In a shocking moment, Tagovailoa returned to the field when everyone knew he was not fit to return. In the next game, he suffered a severe concussion against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The NFL and the Miami Dolphins medical staff made a huge mistake by letting Tagovailoa return in the Bills game.
This season, Tagovailoa suffered yet another concussion in the second game of the season against the Bills. With all these concussions he is suffering, I have serious doubts that he will be able to perform at the highest level for much longer.
According to the University of Michigan Health, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that five to 10 per cent of athletes will experience a concussion while playing sports.
Concussions are not the only injuries that
keep athletes out for long periods.
Humber Hawks women’s basketball player Maezell Del Mundo said when she tore her Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL), her journey back to playing basketball was tough.
“I tore my ACL in my first year playing for Humber, that recovery was a nine-month process, and I had to sit out for the whole year,” Del Mundo said.
“I had to get full reconstructive surgery for my knee. I had to relearn how to walk. I had to relearn how to do daily things again that are easy to do prior to surgery,” she said.
“I had a great recovery and a great support system around me throughout my recovery. I actually got back to playing around seven months post-surgery, when the usual time period is around nine months to a year,” Del Mundo said.
Another example of a star athlete suffering a torn ACL is soccer player Rodri, who plays for Manchester City.
After winning the league title for Manchester City and the UEFA Euro 2024 for Spain, he suffered a torn ACL and is out for the remainder of the season.
It raises many concerns about the number of games Rodri had to play last season and not getting enough rest needed to go into a new season.
Athletes need to take more rest and recovery days so they don’t overwork themselves and they can remain healthy for a longer period.
Del Mundo said the recovery aspect for young athletes goes unnoticed and is important for them if they want to continue to play sports as they get older.
“The recovery process is not really looked upon in the younger ages, but it’s really important to focus on it at a young age and build up to learning how to treat your body well because it helps in the long run,” she said.
The sports fan in me always wants to see the best players play, but if a couple of days of rest for athletes means they will be healthy in the long run, I can live with that. And so should team owners. They should protect their players, who are worth millions.
NicholasRego,he/him,isaseniorreporter and news editor at Humber Et Cetera and coverssports.
OPINION Raptors need to rebuild quicker or risk relocation
The losses are piling up. The stars have been traded away. No trumpets are needed to alert anyone that the Toronto Raptors are on a downward spiral.
The whole organization will be in trouble until they can get a winning record.
The Toronto Raptors were the first and only NBA champions outside the United States in 2019, a mere five years ago.
Today, the Raptors look different after drafting several rookies and letting stars like Pascal Siakim and Fred Vanvleet go.
Even though they have gained a young core featuring Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and Gradey Dick, I fear if the Raps' record doesn’t improve after acquiring these pieces, I fear that Toronto may end up like many former franchises.
The Seattle SuperSonics was a storied franchise that was beloved by fans and feared by foes.
Despite averaging a winning percentage of .500, the team relocated to Oklahoma in 2008.
In an X post, Detroit Pistons fans were heard chanting to sell the team after losing 25th consecutive games.
Pistons is another storied franchise with three NBA championships.
Just because a franchise is noteworthy, it doesn’t mean they are safe from moving.
Our old neighbours, the Vancouver Grizzlies, racked up many losing records before moving to Memphis.
During their six seasons in Vancouver, the team racked up a 101-359 record, an average winning percentage of .215, according to sports statistics company Basketball Reference.
Losing records affects a team's impact in the city as fans will become uninterested. Uninterested means fans won't show up at home games. And one thing almost all teams faced before the relocation was the downward spiral in attendance.
The Association for Professional Basketball Research followed the attendance record of the Seattle SuperSonics and what after winning the 1978-1979 NBA championship.
In the five years after winning the Larry O'Brien trophy, Sonics attendance peaked during the 1979-1980 season with an average attendance of 21,725. But it continued to drop to 10,902 by 1983-1984.
For the Raptors, after winning the 2019 championship, the average game attendance was 19,795, placing them third in the NBA attendance report by ESPN.
The numbers would rise and fall throughout the years.
The Raptors would remain in the top 10, with the worst year being 2021 with an average attendance of 2,312 when the team temporarily relocated to Tampa for the COVID season.
The common thread with all these teams was that they struggled to keep a fan base and consistent revenue.
Though the Raptors have a team value of $4.4 billion and rank 11th in revenue, according to Forbes magazine, teams need an average winning percentage of .400 to be buoyant.
NBA fans have seen what happens when a dedicated fan base isn’t enough. It all depends on the team's ability to stay afloat for the long term.
Gabriel Noda, he/him, is a senior reporter andbusiness,technologyandesportseditorat HumberEtCetera.
Nicholas Rego
Athletes across all sports are suffering from injuries and should take more rest and recovery time.
PEXELS/ANASTASIA SHURAEVA
Raptors must turn it around to avoid the same fate as the Grizzlies, which is now based in Memphis.
CP PHOTO/AARON HARRIS
Gabriel Noda
Humber scores gold in OCAA rugby final
Nina A. Kersnik HumberETC Sports
The Humber men’s rugby team captured its eighth gold medal at the Ontario Colleges Athletics Association (OCAA) finals defeating the Conestoga Condors 33-14 on Nov. 9 at Brampton Rugby Club.
The team ranked first in the West Division and finished the season undefeated for the fourth time in the team’s history.
Fabian Rayne, Humber rugby’s head coach, said he felt ecstatic for the team’s achievement.
“I don’t really cry on a regular basis, but I think I might’ve shed a tear or two at the end because I was just really happy that the guys were able to pull it together and pull off the win,” Rayne said.
He said that he is proud of all the hard work that was put in to create a storybook ending for the seniors.
Just five minutes into the start of the match, Seth Kirkham, a thirdyear hooker, burst through two tackles, and with the help of Timico Smith earned Humber’s first try.
With the Hawks up by five, Conestoga came back with solid offence to earn their first try and convert the kick to record a score of 7-5.
On the next drive, Humber came back with their second try, as Prince Ndukwe, a fourth-year winger on the men’s rugby team, added another conversion boosting the Hawks’ lead to 13-7.
Late in the first half, the Hawks got another chance when Smith, a third-year winger on the men’s
rugby team, would score his second try of the game.
Ndukwe followed with another conversion, and Humber exited the first half up six.
In the second half, Humber took off quickly gaining another try only seven minutes in, and he gave Humber another big lead of 26-6.
Just 30 minutes from the gold, the Hawks were focused.
But the Condors fought back with three chances in the Humber zone, but the Hawks kept them out each time.
In the 70th minute, Ndukwe added the last try as he faked his way through and broke three
tackles tossing defenders away. As seconds were left on the clock, Ndukwe ended up alone and scored with a finger pointed towards the sky.
He nailed the conversion once again, giving Humber a 33-6 lead.
The team stayed locked on defence for the rest of the game, but Conestoga got away and added another tally.
But the Hawks would prove to be too much for the Condors, winning the game 33-14, while securing their first gold medal in ten years.
Rayne, in his 10th season with the team, said that everyone played a vital role in the success of the team.
He said the biggest aspect is not only having talented players but that they bought in and believed in what they were doing.
Rayne said the goal for next and every season is to always win a championship.
“We don’t start the season aiming to become second or third, we start the season looking to win,” he said.
Humber’s women’s rugby sevens team won the OCAA bronze medal on Oct. 26 after defeating the Algonquin Wolves 27-7.
The Hawks rugby team was able to capture their first OCAA gold medal in over a decade on Nov 9, 2024.
COURTESY HUMBER ATHLETICS/KYLE GILMOR
Humber was able to finish the season undefeated with a record of 5-0, carrying the momentum into the playoffs, beating Conestoga in the final, securing their eighth OCAA gold medal.
COURTESY HUMBER ATHLETICS/KYLE GILMOR
Men’s basketball ranked 5th nationally
HugewinoverRedeemerliftsteamto6-0streaktotheseason
The Humber Hawks men’s basketball team remains undefeated after a dominant win over the Redeemer Royals on Wednesday night.
With the 113-65 victory, the Hawks have won six straight games, while Redeemer suffered its fourth loss of the season.
Point guard Jalen Menzies started the scoring with a threepoint jumper in the first quarter, creating the overall mood for Humber’s overwhelming performance.
“I thought it was a good way to start the game, and my first threepointer that I made was kind of early in the game,” he said.
Menzies has become an outstanding player for the Hawks, often coming up with crucial shots and defensive plays. He has shown an impressive amount of skill and determination this season compared to previous years. Menzies scored 23 points by the fourth quarter.
The Hawks overcame the Royals in strength and skill throughout the game, showing excellent teamwork and smart play.
Menzies finished the first quarter with 18 points, as forward Malik Grant scored seven points. So, the Royals found it difficult to keep up with Humber’s offensive plays and strong defense.
Redeemer made every effort to catch up, but every quarter saw them fall further behind. By halftime, the Hawks had a big lead of 48 points, which kept growing throughout the third and fourth quarters.
The score of 113-65 highlights Humber’s roster’s depth and adaptability. Menzies finished the second quarter with seven points, while Grant scored 10 in the first quarter.
To keep pressure on the Royals while allowing starters to rest, the Hawks bench also saw a lot of action from players like Romeo Osas Joshua, Menzies and Grant. With a potential championship
in vision, the Hawks are focused on maintaining their recent success as the season goes on.
The match provides the Redeemer Royals with a difficult reminder of how competitive the field is this season, but it also presents them with chances to get better as they keep improving.
The Humber Hawks want to continue their success in their
upcoming games after confirming a spot in the league’s top teams with this kind of victory.
Hawks head coach Omar Miles said the team established a high standard for league opponents with their consistent play technique and high level of intensity in every quarter.
“The Humber Hawks victory shows not only their athletic
skills but also their mental toughness and dedication to playing at their best as possible,” he said.
The athletes’ dedication to the team and their own development was praised by the audience.
“Our guys have put in lots of work into the program this season, pushing themselves to the limit on the court and in training,” Miles said.
Hawks women’s volleyball stays unbeaten
Matthew R. Ziniuk HumberETC Sports
The Hawks women’s volleyball team is showing no mercy to its opponents.
They swept both the Redeemer Royals on Nov. 6 and Niagara College on Nov. 9 by winning their sets 3-0, extending their winning streak to seven games and extending its season record to an impressive 7-0 record, and in fourth spot in the national rankings.
Humber’s aggressive, fast-paced play overwhelmed Redeemer on Nov. 6, showcasing a style that clearly sets the Hawks apart as one of the most powerful teams this season.
Outside hitter Hannah Manners led with 17 attempts, seven kills, and 15 points over three sets, showing why she’s become a standout on the team.
Manners’ sharp, focused play has been crucial to the Hawks’ undefeated streak. Her consistency and skill are helping Humber solidify its position in the league.
Head coach Chris Wilkins praised the team’s effort, calling
it “one of our cleanest and best matches of the year.” Humber’s energy fuelled their success.
“We made a decent team look not so good because we played real aggressive,” Wilkins said. “This was exactly what we needed.”
Wilkins said consistency and
focus will be crucial in keeping their winning streak alive.
“The other teams are good, you know, we’re going to have to really take care of business at the service line like we did tonight, and that will give us the opportunity to really capitalize,” Wilkins said.
“We’re going to have to keep rolling,” he added.
Manners said Humber’s dedication to staying strong defensively and communicating effectively.
“If we keep up our intensity and focus, we can take this all the way,” she said. “This win wasn’t just
about me. My teammates set me up perfectly on every play.
“We all contributed,” Manners said reflecting on her performance.
Hawks fans took on the role of the seventh player energizing the women and fuelling their determination. The team’s unity and precision kept them on track for an undefeated season.
“Our defence has been key,” Manners said. “Every point counts, and if we stay focused, we’re unstoppable. We’re capable of achieving something big this season.”
With each match, the Hawks are proving their strength and unity. Their defence and teamwork are driving their perfect record, but their passion is unmatched.
“This season is about pushing each other to be better every day. We’re not just playing for wins,” Manners said. “We’re playing for each other.”
The Hawks are motivated to continue this momentum as they prepare for their next game against the Mountaineers at Mohawk on Friday, Nov. 15.
Kennedy Williscroft going for an overhand serve against the Redeemer Royals. Humber won three sets to none.
HUMBERETC/MATTHEW R. ZINIUK
Valencia Amore HumberETC Sports
Hawks forward Malik Grant (#5) scored 16 points alongside five rebounds to help the Hawks beat Redeemer. HUMBERETC/VALENCIA
HUMBER ET CETERA SPORTS GOING FOR THE KILL
