Et Cetera Vol.67 No.7/ March 21, 2024

‘Migrant Spring’ calls for freedom

Migrants marched in Toronto demanding “Status for All” for migrants and for the government to deliver on their pledge to regularize undocumented workers.

The march was one of a series of actions across several provinces over the weekend as part of what organizers are calling “Migrant Spring.”

Syed Hussan, executive director of the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change said Status For All helps protect migrants from exploitation.

“When people are denied permanent resident status, employers can pay them less, landlords can charge them more, health-care institutions can charge them fees, post-secondary institutions can charge them fees,” Hussan said. “It’s really about the profit of the richest few and Prime Minister Trudeau needs to choose. Is he on the side of the richest few or is he onside of the people?”

Hussan said migrants are being scapegoated for the housing crisis to distract from government failures.

“We live here, we work here, we feed families, we take care of communities, we actually build the homes and it is not our responsibility,” he said.

“It is the speculators, the developers, the landlords and governments whose failure has created a housing crisis. Migrants live in some of the worst housing conditions under constant fear of abuse and exploitation and it is not migrants who are responsible.”

Rose is a healthcare worker who came to Canada as a refugee and is fighting to renew her expired work permit.

Rose declined to give her last name because she is an undocumented worker.

“It’s very important to me because I’ve gone through hell,” said Rose.

“I was a teacher in my country. I have a dream of becoming a teacher here, but I cannot because I don’t have permanent residency.”

“I came as a refugee here because I needed some protection,” she said. When I came I had high hopes, but now I’m discouraged because I’m feeling like I’m being discriminated and it’s breaking my heart.”

Rose said that her situation has left her isolated from friends and taken a toll on her mental health. She wants the government to bring an immediate stop to all deportations.

“I’m a health-care worker,” she said. “We are feeding the residents. Some of them, when we are

feeding them, they die. You see them die. We are washing them, we are dressing them, we are supporting them with their medication. I really don’t want to stop helping them.”

One group that faces precarious status is international students.

Upon graduation, many struggle to accumulate the full-time hours needed to meet the point requirements for permanent residency.

Humber College has one of the highest numbers of international students among Ontario colleges.

A 2023 report found that international students were outpacing the Ontario government in funding colleges.

“You come here. You work here

Humber Et Cetera is the Humber College journalism program laboratory newspaper. It is created by journalism students in the Advanced Diploma and Post Graduate Certificate programs. 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

Zoe Pierson

PAGE 1 EDITOR

Liv Chug

NEWS

Ankur Gupta

Etti Bali

POLITICS

Brandon Harris

CULTURE

Aarjavee Raaj

Iqbal Alibhai

SPORTS

Caleb Moody

Toni Canyameras

OP-ED

Adrian Olivier

FACULTY ADVISER

Rob Lamberti

TECHNICAL ADVISER

Ishmeet Singh

for a few years. You also pay massive tuition, and eventually they can’t live here until they’re forced to leave the country,” said Hussan. “This is a system of abuse and exploitation.”

International students are restricted to 20 hours of work a week, a restriction that was temporarily lifted after migrant advocacy.

However, that measure is set to expire April 30.

More than 1.7 million people in Canada are without permanent status, including more than 500,000 who have no status at all.

Also, Canada hosted more than 800,000 international students last year, a number which continues to grow.

FRONT PAGE PHOTO

Santiago Helou Quintero

BACK PAGE PHOTO

Kyle Gilmor

Santiago Helou Quintero Senior Reporter

Migrants in Toronto held a Spring March to demand status for more than 1.7 million people who do not have a permanent status in Canada.

Migrant Spring is a part of several calls to action to call for status.

SANTIAGO HELOU QUINTERO

SANTIAGO HELOU QUINTERO

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: THE LONG GAME

Anusha Siddiqui Senior reporter

Kaverappa K.U., 30, has loved video games since he was a kid. “I always wanted to be a video game developer,” he said.

A young Kaverappa would save money to play video games at a nearby cyber cafe. “After graduating from school, my family wanted me to be an engineer,” he said. Kaverappa forwent his family’s engineering ambition to explore game development.

“Video game development was very nascent in India back then. There was one institute that offered the program,” he said. Kaverappa wrote the exam and was accepted to the gaming institute, but never started the program. “The game development course they offered was a certificate program, and in India, parents want their children to have a degree,” he said. Kaverappa’s father asked him to pursue a bachelor’s program instead so he would be employable.

“I had to agree with my dad,” Kaverappa said.

He resigned to being a player only and pursued a Bachelor’s in Computer Applications instead.

“Back then I did not know that it wasn’t a degree that made a game developer but the skills,” he said. Kaverappa got his first job at Nokia as an application developer. With his first salary, he bought a video gaming console. At Humber, Kaverappa is now doing a web design program and is hoping to find employment to fund his love of gaming.

“I wish I could’ve done that certificate course, but that’s just how life is. It’s all part of the game,” he said.

Humber sees rise of the machines

Humber College is the scene of the annual FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) where high school students showcase and compete with specially designed robots.

This event is part of a series of nine regional qualifying tournaments across Ontario, leading up to the provincial championship in early April.

President at FIRST Robotics Canada, Dave Ellis, spoke to Humber News to give details on this tournament and how it is about more than just building robots.

“FIRST Robotics is an acronym,” Ellis said. It means, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology and the goal of all of these events and all the programs that we run is to inspire kids to think that science and technology is cool and fun and something that they might want to pursue as a career.”

The competition accepts youth aged 14 and up, from either school or community teams and invites them to design and build specialized robots to perform and compete in a special challenge.

“They get a challenge in January for this program,” Ellis said. “They find out what the challenge is, what the robot has to accomplish and then they design and build that robot and program it from January until March.”

The challenge changes every year.

This year, the challenge was

under the theme Crescendo as part of an effort to integrate the Arts into Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

“Now the acronym is S.T.E.A.M. So, they’re integrating the arts into that,” Ellis said. “Say, for example, a music concert: you go there and you enjoy the music, but in order for you to enjoy that music, there’s a ton of technology that goes into that event, right? From lighting to sound, pyrotechnics, all of that stuff is happening because of technology.”

To go along with that theme, the game pieces are foam rings that represent musical notes. The game involves robots picking up the notes either off of the carpet or given by a team member and then shooting or placing them in different locations on the field.

Teams compete in alliances of three vs three. That means six robots are on the field at a time and alliances mix and match throughout the event.

“One of the neat things about that is that it means that we have to communicate with each other because we’re going to be on an alliance,” Ellis said. “If your robot is really good and my robot’s not so good, and you see on your schedule that you’re going to be playing with me, you’re then incentivized to come and help me.”

“It becomes part of the culture of FRC is to help each other and the kind of idea of a rising tide lifts all boats, right? So it’s not just one team gets really good, everybody gets better together,” he said.

In order to qualify for provincials, teams need to accumulate points. Points are given for performance and for winning awards.

“There are a couple of big awards,” Ellis said.

The biggest award is The first impact award, which is basically the team outreach and community work that they do generally STEM-related.

So, often things like mentor younger kids on things or run summer camps or even reach out. We’ve got one team that’s working on reaching out to a seniors’ home to engage their kids with the seniors’ group and get them

engaged with technology as well.”

“It also just gets more kids involved in the program and interested in science and technology, right? So there are some team attribute awards like that. How does the team work together? How do they communicate? How do they work through problems? Conflict resolution skills, all of those kinds of things.”

The Ontario District Humber College Event features 29 teams from the surrounding region.

The 33rd season of the FRC features 3,468 teams from 28 countries around the world with over 86,700 youth team members.

Santiago Helou Quintero Senior Reporter

SANTIAGO HELOU QUINTERO

High school students showcased their engineering skills at the annual FIRST Robotics Competition that took place at Humber College North.

SANTIAGO HELOU QUINTERO

The theme of this year’s challenge was to integrate arts into science.

Federal minimum wage increases by 65 cents

Kritika

Senior Reporter

Minimum wage workers in federal sectors are set to get an increase in their wages starting April 1.

Canada’s federal minimum wage is getting a bump of 65 cents to $17.30 per hour starting in April.

The increase aligns with the Liberal government’s commitment to tie minimum wage adjustments to inflation, ensuring workers’ wages keep pace with the rising cost of living.

The change will have an impact on people working in federally regulated sectors such as international and interprovincial transportation, telecommunications, banking, postal and courier services, radio and television broadcasting.

Astha Bhatnagar, 22, working at a beauty lounge said federal minimum wage is something which should apply to all regardless of what the person’s job is.

“I strongly believe that the federal minimum wage should be considered for all jobs as this way every individual gets a fair shot at a decent living, regardless of where they work,” Bhatnagar said.

This increase in federal wages does not affect the minimum wage rates in each province or territory.

Many provinces are also increasing their hourly minimum wages starting April 1, including New Brunswick to $15.30, Yukon to $17.59, Newfoundland and Labrador to $15.60 and Nova Scotia at $15.20.

Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan will also increase their minimum wage from Oct. 1 to $16 and $15 respectively. B.C. will see a change on June 1 to $17.40 from $16.75 an hour.

If a provincial government has

set a minimum wage for its province higher than the federal minimum wage then the workers will be paid what the provincial government has set.

The changes also apply to federally regulated employees who are under 18 and interns.

This increase is based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the previous year.

The annual average CPI for 2023 stood at 3.9 per cent.

The federal government aims to adjust the minimum wage annually to help keep pace with the rising cost of living.

Anvi Sanan, 20, working at Humber residence, said the federal minimum wage should apply to all jobs and not just federal sectors, as it is unfair for people like her who work as hard.

“I think the federal minimum wage should be applied to all jobs. It’s about fairness and making sure everyone gets a decent wage for their work, regardless of the industry they’re in and also everyone puts the same amount of effort in their work,” Sanan said.

In 2021, the Canada Labour Code was updated to set a federal minimum wage of $15 per hour, with annual increases tied to inflation.

Every year on April 1 the federal minimum wage is adjusted based on the previous year’s CPI.

Provinces in Canada set their timelines for changes in minimum wage every year but these changes typically take place alongside fluctuations in inflation and the CPI.

Girl power at FIRST Robotics competition

Isabelle Ferrante

Krysti Jaglal Senior Reporter Senior Reporter

The Humber gym became a battling ground for the 29 groups to show off their robotic creations as they participated in the 2024 FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) and, among the participants was Alectrona, the only all-girls team.

The team from Aurora, Ont. is competing for the first time, and while they were ready for match time, it wasn’t always smooth sailing.

Sisley Tao, member of Alectrona, said the journey to get to where they are was long but worth it.“It was a mix of fun and sleepless nights,” she said.

“It’s really fun to get to just see your creation move and compete against other creations from other teams. And it’s just like, it’s just you get a sudden sense of pride.”

Along with the team members being new to the competition scene, Alectrona had to start from the ground up because, unlike the other teams in the competition,

they had to raise funds to secure their spot at FIRST.

They initially put together a GoFundMe but didn’t reach their goal of $30,000 to cover the Team Registration fee and minimum parts cost.

So, with the help of parents and some small sponsors, they got on their feet but unfortunately it was

already two weeks into the season. But they overcame that obstacle, and Min Liu, the mom of a team member, can’t help but feel proud of their achievements so far.

“Everything here is so different, it’s not like other games, and the process is different, and everything,” she said. “We’re new so, you’re going to get lots of experi-

ence with your new team and just overcoming the challenges gave us another piece of the learning process,” Liu said. As mentioned in their GoFundMe, their mission is to inspire and empower young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

By participating in the FRC,

they provide their members with hands-on experience in designing, building, and competing with a robot, fostering valuable skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership.

Vivienne Quin, the coach of the girls’ team, said it’s important to have more women in STEM. “It’s always seen as a boys’ game,” she said.

“Parents always think it’s not for girls. ‘She won’t be interested because they’re all boys. So we think it’s very important to enforce an environment for the girls to join and once they step in, they will see it’s not something where girls can’t do it or girls won’t be interested,” Quin said.

After Humber, the team will travel to McMaster University from March 28 to 30 to try to earn points and secure their spot at the Provincial Championship in Mississauga from April 3 to 6.

Sisley Tao knows it’s going to be difficult but despite what happens, she’s happy where she’s at.

“I got awesome teammates, and we got an awesome robot.”

BRANDON HARRIS

Canada’s federal minimum wage is getting a bump of 65 cents to $17.30 per hour starting April 1.

Various groups show off their robotic creations as they participated in the 2024 FIRST Robotics Competition.

ISABELLE FERRANTE

TikTok could face time out in Canada

Aarjavee Raaj Culture

The U.S. House of Representatives voted in favour of a bill on March 13 that said TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance Ltd. must divest its U.S. assets or be banned in around six months.

The issues cited for the bill are alleged concerns regarding the risks to national security and the young generation of users.

A majority vote must approve the bill in the U.S. Senate and be signed by current President Joe Biden to qualify as a law, according to Congress.

The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversaries Controlled Applications Act states that it is “To protect the national security of the United States from the threat posed by foreign adversary controlled applications, such as TikTok and any successor application or service and any other application or service developed or provided by ByteDance Ltd. or an entity under the control of ByteDance Ltd.”

Similarly, the same national security concerns resulted in the removal of the application from all federal and government-issued phones in Canada in Feb -

ruary 2023.

Premier Doug Ford’s government followed suit in March 2023.

Mona Fortier, president of the Treasury Board of Canada, issued a statement that said the Chief Information Officer of Canada determined that it presents a risk to privacy and security.

Canada launched a joint federal and provincial investigation into the social media application in September 2023, which was revealed on March 14, the day after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill.

Around a fourth of young Canadians use the platform, according to a 2022 survey from Toronto Metropolitan University’s Social Media Lab.

Matthew Gupta, a Canadian social media influencer and content creator, said the fallout from the proposed ban in the U.S. will have an enormous impact on the influencer community in Canada.

Gupta began his career as a content creator during the pandemic and has amassed a following of around four million on TikTok.

“A lot of creators from Canada are going to lose out because a lot of our following is in the U.S. A lot of our viewership comes from the U.S. because it’s a much bigger market,” he said.

Gupta said it would have huge business implications for creators like him who do a lot of work with U.S.-based brands.

“For a lot of the content creators in Canada, it doesn’t even matter if it gets banned in Canada or not,” he said.

“It being banned in the U.S. has the same effect on us creators as it would if it was banned in all of North America.”

However, it is notable that security controls and community guidelines are stricter on TikTok than on platforms like Instagram or Facebook, Gupta said.

TikTok has faced the barrel of the ban in several countries across continents over cyber security and privacy concerns with ByteDance Ltd. and its connection with the Chinese government.

Nadia Marques, a digital planner for Dentsu Aegis Network Canada Inc., said TikTok has quickly become a part of their standard marketing strategy

because of its effectiveness.

“There will be more ad competition across other social media platforms as companies will be competing for less ad space. Banning TikTok will mean companies will have to re-strategize,” Marques said. “TikTok has a very high user engagement which benefitted many different brands, and now being able to reach the same consumers will impact brands significantly.”

With TikTok, advertising and marketing companies can customize their target audiences in various ways for brand-specific content, she said.

International organizations, including NATO and the European Commission, have banned staff from using it on their official devices.

India banned TikTok and other Chinese applications nationwide in 2020 alleging privacy and data security concerns.

Other countries to follow and enforce a partial or total ban on the application include Afghanistan, Australia, Belgium, Estonia, France, Denmark, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Somalia, Taiwan and the U.K.

Editor Canada launched a joint federal and provincial investigation on TikTok in September 2023, which was revealed on March 14, the day after the U.S. House of Representatives passed bill.

AARJAVEE RAAJ

PEXELS/ COTTONBRO STUDIO

Chinese owner ByteDance Ltd. must divest its U.S. assets or be banned.

St. Patrick’s day weekend rally for Palestine

Anusha Siddiqui Senior Reporter

About 200 people gathered in downtown Toronto on March 16 in support of Palestine and to hold the Canadian government accountable.

It was the 22nd weekend protest organized by Palestinians and allies of Palestine, including the group, Irish 4 Palestine.

The media spokesperson for the Palestinian Youth Movement, Mohammed William, said Canada is playing a part in “what the ICJ has called, plausibly a genocide” by funding and arming Israel.

“Since October, Canada has sent over $28.5 million in arms to Israel. We’re here to demand a ceasefire, an arms embargo and a lifting of the siege on the Gaza Strip,” William said.

He said his family in the West Bank was also facing the brunt of “colonial violence, settler terrorism, dispossession, home demolitions, checkpoints and so forth.”

Irish solidarity flags, Jewish solidarity flags, and Palestinian flags waved in the air as people chanted slogans such as, “Justin Trudeau

pick a side, justice or genocide” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” to the beats of drums that echoed in the air.

The gathering increased throughout the day and reached more than 800 protestors.

The march began at Union Station through an undisclosed route. There was a heavy police presence.

Sarah Ovens, a Jewish woman, attended the protest with her sister and two young children.

She said certain Jewish communities emphasized the connection between Judaism and Israel, but she was now unlearning it.

“It wasn’t until I was older that I started learning more about the history of Israel and what’s happening now with the occupation,”

Ovens said. She said her grandfather was a Holocaust survivor and taught her to support the oppressed and those fighting for their freedom.

“I’m here because I’m Jewish, not despite the fact that I’m Jewish in some ways,” Ovens said.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed in a recent analysis that

famine is imminent in Gaza.

The IPC is a collaboration between governments, NGOs, and UN agencies to assess hunger and malnutrition.

Half of Gaza, more than a million people, are experiencing a critical food shortage and are at risk of starvation, the IPC report said.

A report from Oxfam International, a global human rights organization, said Israel was actively stopping the delivery of international aid to Palestinians in at least seven deliberate ways.

Mohammed William said the atrocities on Palestinians were unprecedented, but the pressure on governments around the world was mounting.

“Our recent demand that Canada reinstates its funding to UNRWA has been met,” he said.

William said the prospects of on-ground change were unfortunately in the hands of leaders like Trudeau, Netanyahu, and Biden.

“They have the power to make this go away overnight. Just by lifting the siege, allowing aid and imposing an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip,” he said.

Conservatives to call vote of non-confidence

Aanchal Nigam Senior Reporter

Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre is today leading his party in a non-confidence debate in the House of Commons over the carbon tax increase slated for April 1.

The procedural manoeuvre to force the government to fall in a matter of confidence is not expected to succeed.

Canada’s carbon tax, part of the federal carbon pricing strategy, is set to increase on April 1, 2024. The carbon tax in Ottawa will rise three cents to 17 cents for each litre of gasoline.

An opposition motion to cancel the tax failed on Wednesday, March 20, with a 205-119 vote. Following this, Poilievre proposed a carbon tax election.

Before the Parliament session, the Conservative Party organized “Axe The Tax” rallies in Toronto through social media, with thousands of supporters demanding the federal government “spike the hike.”

The carbon pricing is designed to incentivize the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and is a key component of Canada’s commitment to addressing climate change.

Canada said its goal is to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Poilievre has been calling out Trudeau’s government over the carbon tax hike and has said “It is the last thing Canadians need.”

“Trudeau’s inflationary spending and taxes have taken more and more money out of Canadians’ pockets, leaving a record number of people using food banks, while families must choose between

heating their home or filling up their car,” the Conservative Party said in a press release on March 20. According to the Government of Canada’s website, the carbon tax in Canada works by placing a price

on the carbon emissions associated with the consumption of fossil fuels. This means the more fossil fuels consumed, such as gasoline, diesel, natural gas, and propane, the higher the carbon tax.

The Conservative Party said in a statement on Wednesday that Trudeau and the NDP coalition partners won’t listen to people.

That’s why (on March 21), Conservatives will call a vote of non-confidence in Trudeau’s Liberal Government so Canadians can vote in a Carbon Tax Election.”

According to Statistics Canada’s Social Policy Simulation Database and Model, 94 per cent of households with incomes below $50,000 receive rebates that exceed their carbon-tax costs in 2023.

Many in this income category see a net gain of between $20 and $40 per month, with some even seeing a net gain of $70 per month or more.

Statistics Canada said only about 55 per cent of households with incomes above $250,000 receive more in rebates than they pay in costs.

Only Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta are the provinces covered by the federal carbon tax and rebate system.

ANUSHA SIDDIQUI

Hundreds of protesters showed up on St. Patricks Day weekend in Toronto to support Palestinian rights.

BRANDON HARRIS

The federal government’s carbon tax will increase on April 1, causing gas and other fossil fuel prices to rise.

NDP Palestinian statehood motion passed

Iqbal Alibhai Culture Editor

The New Democratic Party (NDP) tabled a motion Monday to recognize the statehood of Palestine. It passed but not before it was sanitized by Liberal and New Democrat MPs.

“Palestinians and Israelis both deserve to live in peace, with full enjoyment of their human rights and democratic freedoms,” NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said in his party’s release.

The NDP release said the party has been calling for a cease-fire for the last six months, but the fighting in Gaza continues and Justin Trudeau’s administration has done nothing against it.

NDP Foreign Affairs Critic Heather McPherson said 13,000 Palestinian children have been killed in the fighting that the International Court of Justice says might be genocide.

“The children of Gaza are traumatized and starving to death,” McPherson said. “These children are not Hamas.”

The NDP also urges Trudeau’s administration to lift the cap of 1,000 temporary resident visa applications for Palestinians.

Singh said Canadians “want their loved ones home, and they want peace and justice for Palestinians and Israelis.

“But to get there, the Liberal gov-

ernment needs to be part of the solution, not the problem,” Singh said.

The motion was passed after amendments were edited, including the weakening of the language and giving the government room to continue relations with the Israeli government.

One amendment demands the maintenance of sanctions on Hamas leaders.

Michael Bueckert, vice president of the Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME), said he was deeply disappointed by the many changes made to the motion to validate “false Israeli narratives and an acquiescence to the horrific status quo.”

“The Trudeau government must

immediately implement the democratic will of Parliament by adopting these demands,” Bueckert said. “Ignore the backlash from those who seek to vilify this motion, including the far-right Israeli government itself.”

As part of the motion, Canada has said it promises to end its exports of arms to Israel.

In Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly’s speech to the House on Monday, she said Canada ceased giving out permits to sell lethal goods in October and stopped non-lethal exports in January.

Many allies of Israel said the motion attacked Israel’s independence and questioned their ability to defend themselves from threats.

Marco Mendicino, Eglinton-Lawrence Liberal MP, said he worries voting immediately after making so many amendments to the original motion would violate the rights of MPs.

MPs have the right to a reasonable amount of time to read and form opinions before voting, he said.

“I would say that this is a point of order that should be explored and carefully studied,” Mendicino said.

However, the latest revision of the House Of Commons’ Procedure And Practice manual, said a motion needs 48 hours’ notice before it is tabled.

It does not specify whether the motion needs time allocated between the final amendment and

voting for the motion to begin.

Mendicino is part of a group of Liberals splitting the party against Trudeau and creating division within the party.

The amendments are meant to address their concerns while still giving the NDP a reason to continue to support the Liberal minority.

However, the amendments step back from realizing the NDP’s urgent need to recognize Palestinian statehood. The motion as amended said the government needs to “actively pursue the goal of ... [establishing] the State of Palestine as part of a negotiated two-state solution.”

The motion does not unequivocally recognize Palestine as a state at this moment.

Ontario on track to hit 2031 housing target

Aaliya Fatima Senior Reporter

The Ontario government set a target to build 1.5 million houses by 2031 to tackle the housing crisis.

The government said it assigned specific goals for 50 of the largest municipalities in Ontario to achieve the housing target.

Paul Anglin, a retired professor of real estate at the University of Guelph, said building extra homes is part of what is needed to solve the housing affordability problem.

Anglin said, “The more houses that cities can build in the right places is a good thing.”

He said there is demand, and the solution is on the supply side.

A three-year Building Faster Fund of $1.2 billion was set up in August 2023 as an incentive to reward municipalities that reach at least 80 per cent of their annual targets and bonus funding for those who exceed it.

Paul Calandra, minister of municipal affairs and housing,

said the funding will be important.

“The Building Faster Fund was originally and is continuously focused on shovels in the ground,” he said in a media release.

Calandra said the funding is a form of recognition for the cities that have reached their provincially set targets and should not discourage other cities that were unable to do so.

The recent housing updates in

Toronto, Brampton, Belleville, Milton and Pickering have indicated that these municipalities have exceeded their 2023 housing targets.

Ontario said Pickering received $5,200,000, Milton $8,400,000, Belleville $1,240,000 and Brampton $25.5 million as bonuses through the same funding.

Anglin said he was surprised Milton surpassed its target so

quickly. It takes years to go from a builder having an idea to building new housing to someone moving in.

“This is why demand-side initiatives are popular because they’re asked, but the supply-side initiatives are in general, more successful. They just take longer,” Anglin said.

Ontario’s housing tracker said Toronto surpassed its 2023 target

by 51 per cent and received additional funding of $114 million through the Building Faster Fund.

“Toronto just needs lots of housing,” Anglin said.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said in a recent media conference that it has become more difficult than ever for people in Toronto to find a home they can afford.

Laura Taylor, an associate professor from the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change at York University, said the demand for housing remains strong.

“Meeting a target is one thing but housing pressure, meaning the number of people who want to live in Toronto, isn’t easing,” Taylor said.

She said rent will continue to be high because of societal processes like immigration and in-country migration, and people choosing to live in Toronto has not lessened.

Taylor said the city of Toronto meeting its housing targets is an achievement but predicts that there will be continued pressure.

FLICKR/DANIEL MCLAUGHLIN

Many of Ontario’s municipalities have recieved funding as an incentive for completing their housing targets.

ANUSHA SIDDIQUI

Rallies supporting Palestinian cause have taken place for months in cities across Canada as people come together to call for a lasting ceasefire.

Humber students need cybersecurity skills

Humber College should provide training for its student body to remain cyber-safe. Currently, Humber faculty receive phishing emails every few months as a test to make sure they can avoid attracting fraudsters.

If the phishing email is clicked, a separate page explains the suspicious attributes of the email and why faculty should keep an eye out for them.

Microsoft Outlook also urges users to report phishing emails by using a Phish Alert Button, or PAB, to make their internal systems aware of potential threats.

This is an important training exercise that should be made available to Humber students, not just faculty, to prepare them for attempts of data or identity theft.

Haidar Jabbar, a professor who specializes in Application Security Testing in cybersecurity at Humber’s Faculty of Applied Sciences

EDITORIAL

and Technology, said it would be beneficial to prepare students for potential cyber-attacks due to the college’s susceptibility.

“A cybersecurity attack on Humber College could manifest in several ways due to the institution’s significant digital footprint, diverse user base, and critical data repositories,” Jabbar said.

“In today’s digital age, cybersecurity threats are prevalent across various sectors, and individuals need to understand how to protect themselves and their data online,” he said.

“Providing cybersecurity training to students not only equips them with essential skills and knowledge to navigate cyberspace securely but also cultivates a culture of cybersecurity awareness and responsibility,” Jabbar said.

He said a proactive approach can significantly mitigate cybersecurity risks, foster digital resilience

and prepare students for cybersecurity challenges in their academic and professional endeavours.

Starting in 2020, Humber hosted events for Cybersecurity Awareness Month or CSAM during October, but the helpful training exercises are for faculty rather than students.

“Throughout October, ITS will provide access to training videos, infographics and activities based on the sub-themes above. The delivery format will be every week (as per sub-themes) through our training platform KnowBe4.

Employees should expect to receive training enrolment and reminder emails from IT Security,” the web page read.

CSAM will start its fourth year this fall. It needs to be expanded and made available to students and faculty to ensure that all members of the college’s community are prepared for potential threats.

Jabbar said cybersecurity training for students could involve covering basic principles to hands-on learning.

This includes identifying phishing attempts, data and Wi-Fi backup, understanding cyber laws, and case studies to understand the real effects of breaches and ransomware attempts.

“This comprehensive training equips students with essential cybersecurity knowledge, skills, and ethical considerations for navigating the digital landscape securely,” he said.

One Fare is a fair one for Humber students

Finally, residents in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) have some semblance of financial respite in the form of the Toronto Transit Commission’s (TTC) One Fare program. Launched on Feb. 26, the program allows free transfer on TTC and GO transit services in and around Toronto.

At the launch of the program, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said it will eliminate double fares.

“One Fare will save transit riders an average of $1,600 each and every year. It will be a massive savings for transit riders,” Ford said.

From Brampton in the west to Oshawa in the east, the program

serves to make commuting easy on the pockets of riders.

Between a TTC and GO transfer, only the TTC part of the trip will become free.

The second part of trips from a TTC service to local transit operators of Brampton Transit, Durham Region Transit, MiWay and York Region Transit will become free.

The transfers are valid for three hours on GO and two hours on local transit systems.

“It will provide people with more transit options and more convenience,” Ford said.

Many students at Humber who use these inter-region services are reaping the benefits of the program.

This integrated system has helped them by cutting travel costs by up to a half.

The program has also provided better mobility to students. If there was a reluctance to travel in the GTHA before, the program offers relief by requiring them to pay only once.

Toronto ranks in the 100 most expensive cities to live in around the world. Students employed in part-time work making minimum wage do not think it’s enough to cover the cost of living in Toronto.

This program allows them to plan their finances better.

Among these students is Saiyam Shah, a student of graphic design at

Humber. He lives in Etobicoke and works part-time at a Mark’s Work Warehouse store in Vaughan.

“I don’t have to tap repeatedly for different transit systems,” Shah said. “I don’t have the headache of remembering different fares and transfers. The One Fare initiative has improved my general transit experience by making public transportation more accessible and affordable.”

It is not the first time a subsidized transfer plan has been offered to riders. In January 2018, then-premier Kathleen Wynne and Mayor John Tory reduced the transfer fares between the TTC and GO services by $1.50, a year before the 43rd fed-

eral election.

The program was discontinued by Ford.

Ford launched the One Fare program in 2024, a year before the 44th federal election. The current provincial plan is to fund the program until 2026.

The loss incurred by the TTC on free transfers will be compensated for by the province.

It will be noteworthy to see if the One Fare program sustains itself, or will face the same fate as its predecessor.

Whether it’s boosted by a political motive or has the good of the public at its core, it’s nonetheless a win-win for riders.

PEXELS/PIXABAY

Humber’s cybersecurity training needs to be extended to students.

Residents of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) now have access to free transfer services on TTC and GO Transit, with average estimated savings of $1,600 per year.

Mommy vloggers exploiting minors for fame

Ciara Lalor-Lindo Senior Reporter

As a society, we have an odd fascination with watching the lives of others.

Whether watching others do daily chores or reaching milestones, this content allows viewers to engage with people they may never meet by liking, sharing, and following the poster.

The public’s interest in reality-based content is not new, with Candid Camera, the first reality show airing in 1948 showcasing pranks to unsuspecting civilians.

But as reality programs outgrew television, making its way onto forums like YouTube and later TikTok, so have the creators.

From conception, creators are using their children to step into a different tax bracket, without understanding, caring, and about the repercussions that follow.

TikTok influencer, Jacquelyn, going by @wren.eleanor, has amassed 17 million followers documenting her young daughter, Wren.

While the content was seemingly harmless with Wren wearing children’s clothing and making faces on camera, viewers began to notice that the thumbnails and content were getting increasingly inappropriate.

The alleged fetish-bait content showed the three-year-old in dresses sitting on whoopie cushions and consuming various phallically shaped food items.

Each video has hundreds of thousands of saves and has been reposted on Reddit, X, Facebook, and Tumblr, expanding its predatory reach.

Jacquelyn posted a video on Oct. 5, 2023, stating images of Wren’s likeness were not found on any adult websites, nor was her intention to exploit her daughter to predators. Jacquelyn continues to post questionable content about

Wren, only now with the comments turned off, ensuring whistleblowers are silenced.

I understand not all family vloggers are like this, but the insidious nature of filming your child knowing that a large number of their followers may have ulterior motives is vile.

As creators post videos of them through their pregnancy to birth, the audience develops a parasocial relationship with both them and the unborn child.

As a result, the children on these pages are born into the public

watching, judging, and commenting on their every move like a new-age version of The Truman Show.

Being filmed constantly also comes with serious privacy issues.

With no child labour laws for children working in social media in Canada or the U.S., children work as many hours as their parents permit.

This lack of government-mandated protection allows parents to overwork, and often underpay, their children simply because they can.

In The Dark Side of YouTube Family Vlogging by Rachel

Dunphy, former child vlogger “Allie” recounts her mother forcing her to film and edit into the early hours of the day to provide for her family.

This lack of protection allows for children to be exploited by not only their parents but also the public as the images live on the internet forever.

U.S. House Bill 1627 hopes to ensure that children filmed and/or starring in online content are properly compensated and maintain privacy upon legal age.

The bill is the first attempt in the United States legislation to provide safeguarding for minor children presented predominately on social media sites.

It’s something Canada should follow suit on.

While I think adults should be able to post whatever content they want on their page, I feel the moment a child is involved, boundaries need to be in place.

Parents using their children for fame and fortune is, unfortunately, not a new concept, but how they do so, passively encouraging predatory behaviour has become increasingly concerning.

Pulitzer’s historic nod to AI in journalism

Aanchal Nigam Senior Reporter

For the first time, five of this year’s 45 finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for journalism utilized artificial intelligence (AI) for research, reporting, or presenting their stories.

Finally, one of the most prestigious writing awards is open to the use of AI.

This is historic as the Pulitzer Prize is one of the most recognizable awards in journalism and marks a shift in how we should approach journalism.

This is part of a wider acceptance of AI since OpenAI’s ChatGPT

was released in November 2022.

Technological advancements are here to stay, and its infiltration in journalism and creative writing has already begun.

Further, several companies are earning revenue from AI-generated content.

Open AI struck a deal with the Associated Press in July 2023 and penned a $5 million partnership with the American Journalism Project as well as the German publisher Axel Springer.

The Pulitzer Board’s acceptance of entries with AI disclosure in journalism is a clear indication that the integration of AI tools in newsrooms is not just inevitable but also beneficial.

Marjorie Miller, who sits on the 18-person Pulitzer board, told Harvard’s Nieman Foundation that the board started discussing AI policies in late 2023 due to the rising popularity of generative AI and received training from an expert.

Initially, she said the AI tools had an unfavourable image, but the board was interested in

learning about AI’s capabilities and its dangers.

These fears about the dangers of AI have made many writers and other creative industry specialists reluctant to accept the technology, especially worries over plagiarism.

Instead of fearing AI, they should learn how to use it for their craft.

Zat Astha, Editor-in-Chief at The Peak Singapore, agrees.

“If ChatGPT was around four years ago, my stories would have

been 10 times more impactful,” he said.

“Every day I keep being impressed by the amount of time I’ve saved in harnessing the technology on offer.”

AI technology like ChatGPT raises different concerns for different individuals but the future is going to see even more advancements in artificial intelligence.

A study published on Springer Link compared three scientific articles written by humans,

AI-only (ChatGPT 4.0), and AI-assisted (AI with human-supplied references) concluded that each style of writing presents its own unique set of challenges and advantages.

However, AI might not be a viable alternative to traditional scientific writing for several years.

With only two rounds of updates, ChatGPT has impacted the writing world, but it is going to take a long time before AI can replace human intervention.

PEXELS/JULIA M. CAMERON

Family vlogging allows millions of viewers to judge the lives of minors.

THIS IMAGE WAS AI GENERATED/COURTESY OF CHATGPT-4

Artificial intelligence is considered a threat to journalism by many, but they should be leveraging it fully.

Comicon fosters creativity among cosplayers

Gabriel Noda General Reporter

Larry Houston looked into the multitude of people at Toronto Comicon at the Metro Convention Centre and stretched out his right arm.

“It’s the first time I’ve been back in about 27 years because I recorded the original voices here in Toronto,” said Houston, the producer and director of the X-Men and the X-Men ‘97 animated series. The latter debuts on Disney+ this week.

Thousands attended last weekend’s annual three-day event where Houston was but one of numerous celebrity guests.

The show was also an open-air exhibition of cosplayers, demonstrating their artistic abilities in

making costumes.

The show was also an open market of vendors selling art, comics, nerdy apparel and toys.

Matthew San Miguel, a Humber Game Programming student, was anticipating meeting Anson Mount, one of his favourite actors.

“I liked his portrayal of Blackbolt in Inhumans and Dr. Strange: Multiverse of Madness,” he said.

San Miguel said he was also cosplaying at the event.

“I’ll be cosplaying as Wanderer from the game Genshin Impact and I’m just excited to see other people’s cosplay and just celebrating the art of cosplay,” he said.

Teddy Chadmichaelidis, who works for Gotham Central Comics in Mississauga, Ont., said he was impressed by the cosplayers.

“It’s always cool to see how creative people get (for) Comicon,” he said. “People really go all out.”

Chadmichaelidis, who is also a Film and Television program student at Humber, said he was excited, and a bit nervous, because he knew it was going to be a busy weekend.

“But I’m excited to see everyone come together to celebrate comics and these fandoms,” he said. “I’m excited to gain experience and be able to see the convention from a different perspective, rather than always just as an attendee.”

Andrew Moyes, vice president of Fan Expo, said he loves to share the experience of Toronto Comicon with people who may not know anything about it.

“We love helping everyone understand that they’re all welcome to come and celebrate,” he said.

Moyes said there were changes to this year’s show.

“You’ll see a little bit of a change with a few more boosts and a bit of an adjustment on the food court, just to create a more comfortable and seamless experience,” he said.

Moyes said a larger theatre was also set up on the 100 level of the centre.

“The show is living and breathing a little bit differently.” He said Among the guests this year were

actors Gordan Cormier and Ian Ousley from the Netflix adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, the cast and producer/director of X-Men: The Animated Series and Ethan Peck, Christina Chong and Anson Mount from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Larry Houston said artists have fun attending conventions, in part to see and meet other comic book artists who helped make these characters that fans cosplay as, iconic.

“Oh man, it’s so much fun! You’re around people who like the same thing as you do, they dress up, and you got all the costumes,” he said.

Houston said fans who aspire to be comic book artists get to pick at

the brains of their favourite illustrators.

“If you’re drawing your own comic book or maybe pin-up drawings, you have so much reference and so many people you can bounce your ideas off of and take a look at what they’re doing,” he said.

“The main thing is meeting a lot of people and getting to know to know the community you’re in, ‘cause it’s so much fun,” Houston said.

Houston said his comic book convention was a year or two after he finished high school and he started going to San Diego Comic-Con.

“Toronto is the first one I’ve been to here,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ll be back here next year.”

Comics and collectibles concoct magic

Nihaal Damarala Senior Reporter

Yorkgate Mall buzzed with excitement as it hosted the spectacular March Break ComiCon event, drawing in a large crowd.

The event kicked off at the Jane Street-Finch Avenue area mall on March 13, 2024, ran until March 15, 2024, and was a haven for fans of all things comic, anime, and gaming-related.

Fans and collectors were treated to a vibrant array of stalls offering a mix of merchandise and collectibles from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

At the convention, people gathered to celebrate comic culture, enjoying a variety of merchandise and fun activities.

Carlos Munoz, a vendor at the event, offered a diverse array of collectibles, including action figures and toys.

Action figures featuring characters from anime like Dragon Ball Z and Pokémon and other fictional universes lined the aisles alongside comic books and novels that catered to every taste.”It’s about collectibles, figures, [I have] a little bit of everything,” Munoz said.

video games dating back to the 1980s, providing a unique experience.

“The fact that I can see these rare cards is awesome,” Siddhartha Reddy said while looking over some Pokémon cards.

Siddartha Reddy said the chance to see and buy action figures and Pokémon cards at a free event is truly amazing.

Masks of various designs added an extra layer of excitement to the proceedings, allowing attendees to fully immerse themselves in their favourite characters’ spirit immerse themselves in the spirit of their favourite characters.

The extensive collection of Marvel comics, from the earliest issues to the latest releases, ensured that fans could indulge in their favourite superhero sagas.

“This one is $15 [Funko-Pop], these are $20 [Dragon Ball Z], and these are a little bit higher, so they are priced a bit higher. These are $35 [Hulk],” he said.

DC Comics made a prominent appearance alongside Marvel, ensuring they weren’t overshadowed, thus catering to fans of both major comic universes. Each stall offered Pokémon cards, action figures, and vintage

The March Break ComiCon at Yorkgate Mall promised something for everyone, whether you were a die-hard comic fan, an avid gamer, or simply looking for a fun day out.

Other upcoming events at the mall include a 4x6 Easter Bunny photo session, a meet-and-greet with Max and Ruby, an Easter activity book, and a kids’ Easter egg hunt which are free.

GABRIEL NODA

Group dressed up as different Doctors from Doctor Who at Comicon.

GABRIEL NODA

A cosplayer dressed as Alastor from the animated series Hazbin Hotels.

NIHAAL DAMARALA

A variety of collectible comics on display at the March Break Comicon held at Yorkgate Mall on March 13.

Lumiere illuminates Toronto’s waterfront

Niharika Nayak Senior Reporter

Lumiere 2024, the free outdoor light-based art exhibition has returned to Trillium Park, captivating visitors with an array of installations crafted by Ontario-based artists.

The event, known for its fusion of art and light, invites exploration and contemplation under the theme of Connections.

Many of the installations provide interactive experiences, such as Tree Love, where visitors can embrace the trees and Trail, where motion alters patterns and colours of lights.

Additionally, bonfires hosted on Friday and Saturday evenings enhance the ambiance and provide opportunities for communal gatherings along the waterfront.

Sadman Sadiq, a York University student, said he was excited to see the illuminated structures and for the opportunity to meet new people.

Sadiq said he particularly favoured Drawn to the Flame, citing the canoe’s symbolism and personal connection.

“So if I have to say, my personal favourite would be the structure they made with the canoe, Drawn to the Flame. Even though I’m an international student, canoeing

has been my hobby for many years. So that’s why personally, that’s my favourite part of the entire event tonight,” Sadiq said.

Operating seven nights a week from March 12 to April 20, the exhibit offers an opportunity for guests to experience its illuminating wonders from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

According to the Ontario Place website, the theme seeks to delve

into the diverse ways where light can forge connections among people, the environment, and various facets of our existence through innovation and the use of light.

Gliedeme Agir, a Centennial College student, said she found the corner installations mesmerizing but noted challenges in finding the venue.

“I came here for Lumiere last

year, and it was quite good,” Agir said. “But now it’s a different thing, because of the lack of parking space. There are a lot of people looking for which entrance to come through because it’s hard for them due to a lot of construction.”

Visitors can access the exhibition through various entrances with paid parking available at Coronation Park, Exhibition

Place, or nearby lots. Another option is to take public transit and walk a short distance to Trillium Park.

John Notten, a Toronto-based artist, showcased his work Drawn to the Flame featuring connected canoes emitting a warm flamelike glow.

Notten said the curatorial theme of connections inspired his piece, emphasizing the canoe’s role as Indigenous technology and a symbol of colonial history.

“Once it was shared, appropriated by colonial settlers, it offered a new and unprecedented access to the farthest reaches of the landscape that were, up until that point, inaccessible,” Notten said.

“What followed is a legacy of displacement, excessive resource extraction and in some cases, a dramatic reshaping of the landscape in the nation-building project of Canada,” he said.

“It is painful to think that such a beloved object, the canoe, has such a complicated history,” Notten said.

Notten said considering the exhibition’s placement by Lake Ontario, he felt that genuine canoes reconfigured into a grand campfire would aptly represent a means of uniting individuals, enticed by its comforting heat.

Beat Burnout offers solutions for stress

Thuy Trang Nguyen Senior Reporter

A workshop for students feeling burnout offered insights and knowledge of the symptoms and causes. It also provided appropriate practical solutions and strategies for coping with burnout.

Beat Burnout, a mental health support workshop, was held at Humber North Campus on March 14.

One speaker, Elyse Seravalle, a student from Wellness Coaching at Humber College and an alumnus of Guelph Humber, said the importance of self-care and stress management in a challenging academic environment.

“Burnout is something many people struggle with,” Seravalle said. “It is a significant factor that influences many parts of our lives but that we don’t always recognize.”

She said burnout is defined by physical, emotional and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress or overwhelming demands.

Burnout could impact various aspects of a student’s life,

including academic performance, mental well-being and overall quality of life, she said.

Seravalle said factors contributing to burnout were pressure, overwhelming workload, lack of management skills, perfectionism, poor school-life balance and sleep deprivation.

Symptoms of burnout include decreased motivation, interest, difficulty concentrating, decline in physical health, emotional distress and decreased academic per-

formance, Seravalle said.

Beat Burnout guidance demonstrated to students they can cope with burnout by practicing selfcare, self-compassion, building resilience and managing time effectively.

Emily Counti, a 3D Animation student at Humber, said she felt like she belonged in Beat Burnout.

“The workshop gave me the solutions to the struggle I have been coping with recently,” she said.

Counti said the workshop guided her to manage current mental issues and provided a better understanding of burnout.

“This workshop helps me address some of the scientists’ solutions regarding burnout,” she said.

“It helps me understand it better, recognize when I’m going a bit too far, and manage my time better,” Counti said.

Beat Burnout had activities to discuss real-life symptoms, how

to navigate them and how to find appropriate solutions.

Seravalle said Beat Burnout was a successful event, though she expected it could have promoted the topic more widely among Humber communities.

“I think the event was successfully organized,” she said. “A more significant turnout would have helped get the point across because burnout is an everyday thing many students experience that I don’t think they recognize.

“Overall, it went well. Still, I wish I could get more topics out there for the Humber communities,” Seravalle said.

She said more workshops like Beat Burnout, regarding sleep prioritizing, mindful eating, and emotional intelligence, which correlate with wellness, will be organized in the following weeks.

“Many of these wellness topics or workshops are very common themes for students,” Seravalle said. “Having better exposure for students to come up with these things will shed light on those topics.”

The installation illuminating the festival is the Drawn to the Flame feature six red canoes depicting a bonfire.

NIHARIKA NAYAK

THUY TRANG NGUYEN

Elyse Seravalle, a graduate from the University of Guelph Humber, speaks at the Beat Burnout workshop.

Hawks among Canada’s best college athletes

David Lynch Sports Reporter

The Humber Hawks winter sports teams had much to celebrate this season with four Ontario championships and a national title.

The Hawks also had five players named to an All-Canadian or tournament All-Star team.

On the way to the National Championships, the men’s curling team had two athletes named to the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) tournament all-star team.

Lead Matthew Abrams and third Kevin Genjaga were named to the second all-star team.

But, assistant coach Zack Shurtleff said the honours say more about the team than just those two players.

“It takes a whole bunch, all four players to be playing really well and have success,” he said. “It’s been fantastic to see those guys because it is not just a one-player team.”

Along with the two men’s players, women’s team lead Kyrsten Elson was named a second-team all-star on their way to the national bronze.

Shurtleff said it was a great honour for Elson, especially as a first-year player facing many talented athletes.

“Especially as a first-year athlete, knowing that we’re going to get them for multiple years, that’s going to allow them to progress their playing careers for so much longer,” he said. “She had a great week and it was against a tough field as well.”

Humber’s dominant women’s volleyball team had one player named to the All-Canadian team, for their performance all season.

Erika Dodd was named an All-Canadian and said getting recognized out of all the players was special.

“It really shows me and gives me more confidence each time that I’m playing well, and that people are noticing that,” she said.

Head coach Chris Wilkins said the team recognizes how great she is, and how much effort she puts into her play.

“Well, I think the team, they look at her as a leader, and it’s nice to see how much work she puts in.”

Dodd’s season was cut short by an ACL injury in the playoffs, but

she said she was able to act like another coach to her teammates.

“I kind of accepted the fact that I was out and tried to support my team the best I could from the sidelines,” she said.

The team made it to the CCAA bronze medal match, losing to Lionel-Groulx in four sets.

The Humber men’s basketball team, which won the OCAA title and a bronze medal at the CCAA

championships, had point guard Jalen Menzies named an All-Canadian.

Head Coach Omar Miles said Menzies earned the honour, but it wouldn’t be possible without the strong team behind him.

“I thought we won enough games and did enough good things as a team, where we were highlighted for individual success as well,” he said.

Menzies said his teammates seeing him win this award gave them more motivation to try and win it.

“I know that them seeing me win, it has encouraged them to make this one of their goals,” he said.

Menzies said he’s not stopping here.

Coming back for another season, he said he’ll work hard to get back to this spot.

“I’m gonna work hard during the summer to get better, work on my game, and hopefully I’ll be able to accomplish it again next year,” he said.

But with both Menzies and his teammates looking for the honour, he said there may be a bit of a competition forming.

But if another teammate is named to the All-Canadian team, Menzies says he’d still be excited.

“If it’s me or anyone else on the team, if we were able to win the All-Canadian award, I’d be just as happy for them as I know they are for me,” he said.

With all the winter sports over, Humber Athletics will turn its attention to the next sports season.

Hawks top Mountaineers, claim CCAA gold

Nicholas Endrizzi Sports Reporter

The Humber Hawks men’s curling team are national champions.

The Hawks defeated the Mohawk Mountaineers in the championship match held in Fredericton, N.B.

The match was a nail-biting, back-and-forth affair that saw the Hawks win by one after blowing an early three-point lead.

The score was tied heading into the end, but the Hawks used the hammer to their advantage to deliver the game-winning shot, capturing a 7-6 victory.

Head coach Sean Turriff said the victory took a whole team effort, especially against the Mountaineers team that had defeated them in three straight provincial finals.

He said the attention to detail from every player had to be there throughout the match.

“Sure, our skip had to make that final shot, but it wasn’t easy. All four players had to contribute to make that shot. And they did,” Turriff said.

He said he had plenty of faith that his team would elevate their game when it mattered most because of their extensive preparation process.

He said that goes back to last summer when the team travelled to Scotland to compete in the European Super Series. Turriff said the experience served them well, knowing they were likely to face Mohawk in the national final.

“It just seems like these guys, when it really matters, that’s when we pull it out,” Turriff said.

Matthew Abrams, a thirdyear second, said the loss against Mohawk in the provincial final was the lone point of adversity in an otherwise successful season. He said the loss left a sour taste in the team’s mouth and left them determined to ensure it wouldn’t happen again.

“I think we used that as fuel for

the fire to make us work harder and practice together more to get us prepared for that national title,” Abrams said. He said that as a result, the team grew together and began to understand the high level of play it would take to reach that point.

Jacob Dobson, a third-year skip, echoed the same sentiments

but also said the coaching staff as a whole was integral to the team’s success during the gold medal game.

He said assistant coach Zack Shurtleff worked tirelessly with the team, bringing his wealth of knowledge and experience at the Olympic level to the table.

Dobson said that because Shurtleff experienced plenty on the winning and losing sides of curling, he was able to relate to his players and serve as a great role model for them.

“He was really helpful in helping us control our emotions and have a safe focus, just making sure we were ready to go for the big game,” he said.

Turriff said the championship is another huge victory for the program, which has been very successful since he took over.

While he deflected the credit away from himself, Turriff said he felt the most happy for the players.

“For me, it’s really satisfying to see the work and sacrifices pay off for them. That’s what fulfils me,” he said.

The win gave Humber their second straight CCAA championship and their third since 2016.

CURLING CANADA/ROB BLANCHARD

Hawks men’s curling defeated Mohawk in thrilling fashion, with a 7-6 win in the CCAA Championship match.

COURTESY OF MOUNT ALLISON ATHLETICS

Hawks point guard Jalen Menzies was among the five Humber athletes named to All-Canadian or tournament all-star team this past season.

How Humber supports it’s student-athletes

Hajar Rifai Senior Reporter

It’s not uncommon for student-athletes to struggle with mental health, and Humber is doing their part to help lessen the burden.

A combination of faculty support, players holding each other accountable and students communicating with faculty when help is needed, aids student-athletes in balancing student life and personal life healthily.

Playing a sport takes a lot of time and commitment from the students. To ensure Humber athletes balance the demands of school, personal life, and athletics, the college has several measures in place to ensure Humber student-athletes stay mentally and physically well.

Like their non-athletic student counterparts, student-athletes must juggle school, personal life, and Humber’s athletic schedule. For student-athletes that balance can be hard to achieve without the proper accommodations.

Humber Men’s basketball Head

Coach Omar Miles said his role as a high school teacher helped him figure out the best ways to encourage a work-life balance.

He said, “We have academic advisors and as a head coach and as an educator…we tend to focus a lot on being student-athletes, so making sure that we are not inun-

dated with basketball. But also we have time for study hall. We have time for things away from the game as well.” That’s not a balance that’s easy to achieve, Miles said.

“We just use the services that we have, so we have strength and conditioning, and we also have therapy,” he said. Miles makes full

use of Humber’s services, and he makes sure to give his players time off so they have downtime and to not hold practices on the weekend.

For extra help, he turns to the student-athletes’ academic advisors for support to cater to the players. “I think the school accommodates them. So when they have

games or practices (and miss class work), the school makes sure that they are not (penalized) by it,” Miles said.

He says, “there’s a heads up that goes to the profs, so if extensions need to be in place, that’s put into place by our academic department.” A study called Athletic Director’s Desk Reference 2nd Edition by Donna A. Lopiano and Connee Zotos said some coaches put athletes “in untenable situations where they cannot keep up with their studies. yet there’s also pressure on them to get grades that will maintain eligibility to participate” in their sport.

Toronto Raptors are now focused on the future

Brandon Harris Politics Editor

The Toronto Raptors currently hold the longest active losing streak in the NBA with eight consecutive losses and one win across their last eleven games.

Boasting 23 wins and 46 losses with only 14 games remaining in the season, Raptors players will most likely be watching the NBA playoffs from home.

But playoffs weren’t the goal this season anyway.

A new coach, major in-season trades and a young core of players shows the Raptors are willing to look past this season and focus on the years to come.

Toronto is in a rebuild.

Head coach Darko Rajaković replaced Nick Nurse this year and has a completely new team to

work with.

The Raptors traded away a majority of its core roster and most notable players, gaining a young squad in return.

In a press conference after the NBA All-Star weekend, Rajaković said this team has “a lot of potential and [we] are just scratching the surface,” and “for development of this group, practice is even more important than the game.”

All-Star forward Scottie Barnes and newcomers RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley have shown a lot of potential in the early years

of their careers, and these are the players the Raptors will have to lean on for future success.

Barnes was having the best season of his career before being sidelined with a season-ending injury, averaging 19.9 points, 6.1 assists and 8.2 rebounds per contest. He no doubt has the talent to be one of the best in the league, but his struggles come in the form of on-court frustration.

In a blowout loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 12, Barnes left the Raptors bench before the buzzer sounded, which is frowned

upon in basketball.

Barnes acknowledged his fault the next day in a press conference where he said, “It’s a bad look, so it was a mistake on my part.”

Playing with high emotions is great, but not when it brings a bad look to the team. This is an example of how the team needs to mature.

Raptors rookie, Gradey Dick, struggled in his transition into the NBA, yet has bounced back since doing a stint in the NBA G League.

Appearing in the starting lineup

for the now injury-ridden Raptors, Dick has put on a great performance, but he still has a lot to learn about playing in the NBA.

“The biggest thing with his learning experience here is learning how to start, first of all, because he’s been starting for a couple of games now,” Rajaković said. “Second thing is how to play starters minutes.”

Allowing players to make mistakes and learn from them has been Rajaković’s strategy and has been allowing this team to mature quickly.

Toronto played the Denver Nuggets on March 14, outclassing the reigning NBA champions for the first two quarters before ultimately losing 123-119.

Although it was marked as a loss, this was a great game for the shorthanded Raptors, with RJ Barret being the only full-time starter in the lineup.

Games like this showcase the potential for the Raptors’ future.

The Raptors have a young and athletic core who are just starting their NBA careers and are willing to put in the effort.

Any player in the starting lineup is capable of leading the team. If this team can stay and grow together, Toronto basketball will surely have a bright future.

HUMBER HAWKS/DIEGO GUILLEN

Humber’s support of it’s athletes has been key in helping them also balance their student and personal lives.

AP PHOTO/DAVID ZALUBOWSKI

The Raptors have focused their future on young, bright talent like RJ Barrett, who was acquired in December.

Jalen Menzies, men’s basketball, one of five Humber students named All-Canadian with curling athletes Mathews Abram, Kevin Genjaga and Krysten Elson and volleyball’s Erika Dodd.