Volume 47, Issue 17 by The Medium

The Independent Student Newspaper of the University of Toronto Mississauga since 1974

Issue 017 Volume 47 February 8 2021

themedium.ca

U OF T CONVOCATION 2021

STUDYING HUMAN REMAINS

HEALTHCARE WORKERS

On February 2, the University of Toronto Office of Convocation announced that the Spring 2021 convocation ceremony for this year’s graduates will be held on June 23, 2021, via a virtual ceremony.

It’s a dark evening. The smell of rain is heavy in the air. She walks along a newly put-down trail behind a townhouse complex. Suddenly, she steps on something that feels distinctly brittle and dense.

We’ve connected via zoom and social media but remain more disconnected than ever before. With everything online and virtual, most of us have noticed a toll taken on our mental health.

>> CONVOCATION continued on page 03

>> REMAINS continued on page 08

>> HEALTHCARE continued on page 12

NEWS

Mayor Crombie’s office launches climate action initiative for youth Razia Saleh Contributor

he City of Mississauga is attempting to find solutions to mitigate climate change effects by getting students involved. On October 19, 2020, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie announced a challenge for high school and post-secondary students to participate in Mississauga’s climate change action. “Mission to Earth: Climate Change Youth Challenge” is an initiative for students to propose policies and ideas for the city to consider in the fight against climate change.

>> CLIMATE continued on page 02

FEATURES

COMMENT

Professor Adrien Rannaud on francophone literature and childhood reflection

The fight for human rights is continuous

May Alsaigh Associate Features Editor

ssistant Professor of Québec and Francophone Canadian Literatures Adrien Rannaud teaches in the Department of Language Studies at UTM. Professor Rannaud also partakes in numerous research endeavors that focus on the literary and cultural history of Québec within the 19th to 20th centuries, women’s writing and cultural practices, history of media culture, celebrity studies, and middlebrow culture. Yet, Professor Rannaud’s achievements extend beyond his extensive research portfolio to his everyday life. Born in Lyon, the third largest city in France, Professor Rannaud spent much of his childhood reading books on history, French culture and literature, and the early modern period of the monarchy state. Professor Rannaud contends that these subjects were most interesting to him and structured how he envisioned his future in academia. Although many individuals face the common challenge of deciding on a career or a field of study, this was

not the case for Professor Rannaud. From an early age, he envisioned himself to be a writer or historian when he grew up. Professor Rannaud was also captivated by the stories and unique experiences of women. His career today ties in these aspirations and interests as he continues to work in a field that pertains to history and literature studies as well as women’s writing and practices. He is particularly intrigued by “the relationship between print history, poetic, gender and cultural value” as well as the structure of cultural hierarchies. Professor Rannaud did not attend university immediately upon graduating high school but rather took a twoyear program that offered interdisciplinary courses—a form of higher education that is common in France. This program is known in French as “classe préparatoire aux grandes écoles,” or in translation, “preparatory classes for grandes écoles.” Typically, students enroll in these classes following their high school graduation in order to prepare for a post-secondary education. After completing these classes, Professor Rannaud entered his third year of university at the Université Lumière Lyon 2 to pursue his bachelor’s degree in a literature program. >> RANNAUD continued on page 06

Aroni Sarkar Associate Comment Editor

n February 1, Myanmar’s armed forces, the Tatmadaw, performed a coup by detaining democratically elected members of Myanmar’s ruling party, the National League for Democracy, and civil society activists. The detainees included State Counsellor and 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint. The coup occurred a day before newly elected Members of Parliament from the 2020 general elections were to be sworn in. The Tatmadaw has declared a year-long state of emergency, called for new elections to take place, cut off telecommunications, and declared Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing as leader. This has brought an end to civilian governance and put the military back in power. There are years of complicated history at play here. However, the most peculiar and significant revelation is that the Commander-in-Chief, Min Aung Hlaing, is directly and credibly implicated in the humanitarian crimes committed against the Rohingya Muslims, an ethnic cleansing that Suu Kyi stubbornly denies.

>> RIGHTS continued on page 04

NEWS

Editor | Isik Vera Senel news@themedium.ca

Mayor Crombie launches “Mission to Earth: Climate Change Youth Challenge” Razia Saleh Contributor >> CLIMATE continued from page 01 Mayor Crombie also acknowledges the importance of involving the youth. “Youth are powerful advocates for climate change action and sustainability and will be instrumental in solving some of the biggest climate concerns facing Mississauga,” said Crombie in a news release on October 20, 2020. The Medium interviewed Diana SuzukiBracewell, the supervisor of the environmental outreach team at the City of Mississauga, to discuss the significance of this step. Moreover, to involve students in this initiative and the discussions surrounding how they can help the city improve its environmental impacts and advance the Climate Change Action Plan. “The Challenge provides participants an pportunity to meet with mentors who are subject matter experts to advise and give guidance on their projects,” said SuzukiBracewell. “Registration was open to Mississauga youth ages 14-25, but we welcomed any interested youth from Peel Region or beyond.” The environmental outreach team is currently developing programs and opportunities within the Climate Change Action Plan to encourage engagement among Mississauga youth. While registrations for this year’s challenge were closed on January 31, recent discussions include the possibility of relaunching the climate challenge next year.

“Youth have been identified as a key target audience to engage in climate action,” stated Suzuki-Bracewell. Much like Mayor Crombie, Suzuki-Bracewell emphasized the importance of youth involvement in climate change initiatives. “The city recognizes that youth are powerful advocates for climate change and sustainability and play a key role in calling for action from all levels of government,” she stated. The City will also be organizing a Climate Change Youth Summit sometime around April and May. The summit will include the submitted challenges of the youth teams in two categories: secondary and post-secondary. The award recipients will then be announced after an evaluation by a panel of judges. Suzuki-Bracewell also discussed major initiatives the City of Mississauga will implement in the coming years. “This year, we will also be launching a new campaign, ‘Climate Stories’ in partnership with Mississauga Museums,” stated SuzukiBracewell. “We are super excited about this initiative, as the Mississauga community will have an opportunity to share their stories related to climate change.” Additionally, the city has been developing a Climate Change Coolkit, an online resource for Mississauga citizens to take climate action. “The city will also be kicking off our first Urban Agriculture strategy in 2021,” added Suzuki-Bracewell. “We are looking forward to engaging the community on local food and food security.” Suzuki-Bracewell went on to discuss the various programs and campaigns the environmental outreach team has planned for the near

Photo/Adobe

future such as the annual Earth Day celebrations they host in April. “We will be hosting a series of events that will feature opportunities for residents in Mississauga to engage in local climate action to protect and enhance our environment,” stated Suzuki-Bracewell. The Medium also spoke with Ahmed Azhari, director of utilities and sustainability at the University of Toronto Mississauga, who is also a mentor for the youth challenge. His role as a mentor will involve advising participants about their projects throughout the challenge. “I will share my time, expertise, experience, and knowledge with teams to provide support and advice on the team’s project,” stated Azhari. Azhari also went on to acknowledge UTM’s involvement in the fight for climate change, including the development of a new campus Sustainability Strategic Plan. A draft version of the plan was published on September 23, 2020. “Our campus has already made substantial strides,” he stated. “The Sustainability Strategic Plan builds upon university and campus-wide efforts and formalizes a strategy toward a more sustainable UTM.” Suzuki-Bracewell expressed to The Medium that although the climate challenge was targeted toward Mississauga youth, she hopes that everyone will be encouraged by their dedication to climate activism. “Everyone has a responsibility in regard to climate change, and we know youth have been a key driving force,” she stated. “Ultimately, we all have a role to play and need to get involved to transform Mississauga into a world-class green city and take action on climate change.”

Photo/Adobe

Spring 2021 convocation ceremony will be virtual This year’s ceremony will be pre-recorded, and diplomas will be mailed out in the following weeks. Isik Vera Senel News Editor >> CONVOCATION continued from page 01 On February 2, the University of Toronto Office of Convocation announced that the Spring 2021 convocation ceremony for this year’s graduates will be held on June 23, 2021, via a virtual ceremony. Other post-secondary institutions in the Greater Toronto Area, such as Ryerson University, Humber College, and Sheridan College, have also opted to celebrate their convocation ceremonies virtually, rather than in-person. Following the World Health Organization declaration of Covid-19 as a global pandemic in March 2020, widespread shutdowns were established in Canada. This forced many businesses to move their services online and conduct their operations virtually. Universities all across the globe had to adapt to pandemic regulations and began offering courses online via video communication platforms such as Zoom and Google Hangouts. As the number of confirmed cases in Canada continued to increase in May, U of T decided to hold its Spring 2020 convocation ceremony virtually. This year will be no different due to the persistent danger of the pandemic. According to the university’s announcement, the Spring 2021 virtual ceremony will be pre-recorded and will not be an interactive graduation celebration. “If for any reason you’re unable to watch the ceremony on June 23, the link [to the video] will remain available for several weeks afterwards,” reads the Office of Convocation’s website. Since there will be no interactive element to the graduation ceremony, participants are not required to rent out gowns and other regalia. However, graduates who would like to rent convocation robes to take photographs and celebrate at-home can do so through Gaspard & Sons Ontario. Additionally, U of T’s Office of Convocation states that once pandemic regulations are lifted, and large gatherings are deemed safe, faculties will coordinate their own graduation ceremonies in-person. As provincial guidelines remain strict for the time being, U of T encourages all graduates to attend the upcoming virtual convocation in June. “The ceremony video will contain many elements of a traditional convocation to make your day memorable, including the Chancellor, President, Chair of Governing Council, a Convocation Speaker, and special congratulations messages,” read the announcement. “We hope that you, along with your family and friends, will gather online to celebrate the Class of 2021—no matter where you might be joining from.”

Reddit users target GameStop stocks in Wall Street bet Can people like you and I hang on through the volatility?” asks UTM professor. Sheryl Gurajada Associate News Editor

embers of the “WallStreetBets” forum on Reddit, a social discourse website, created a bubble on the stocks of GameStop, a retail company for video games and electronics. This was done in an effort to get back at wealthy hedge funds that were shorting the company’s shares. Shorting a stock refers to the practice of investors selling their shares at high prices with plans to buy them back at lower prices in the future, essentially betting on the stock to decrease in value.

“What happened in January was a collective effort of identifying certain stocks, which were being targeted by prominent hedge funds, and a mass purchase of shares by retail investors.” The WallStreetBets forum has been active on Reddit for eight years, ballooning in popularity only as recently as 2020, collecting close to two million subscribers. Members of the group would identify certain stocks, such as Blackberry or American Multi-Cinema (AMC), which were being shorted by prominent hedge funds and investors on Wall Street, and decided it was time to flip the script. Professor Leonard Brooks, director of the Master of Forensic Accounting program at the University of Toronto Mississauga, spoke to The Medium about how hedge funds make money through shorting stocks. “Hedge funds, and others, had been in the habit of selling shares short, and doing it in a way that sometimes manipulated the price to the disadvantage of the retail investors out in the market,” stated Brooks. Essentially, hedge funds would sell their borrowed shares at a shortened price to incoming retail investors. Brooks went on to explain how hedge funds drove down the share prices for retail investors by selling shares short. “The hedge funds, quite understandably, chose companies that could effectively drive the price down,” he continued. “By selling high and buying low, they give the stock back to the people they borrow it from.” This strategy is not new in the market and has been going on for decades. The problem, also identified by the subscribers of the WallStreetBets forum, is the sometimes-artificial driving down of the stocks by these investment titans. “A stock can fall off because the business is over-valued, or because there is some negative news or rumours that come

out,” explained Brooks. “Some hedge funds sometimes place stories that cause the stock to decrease…the retail investor would come cruising along and see these guys driving the price down.” What happened in January was a collective effort of identifying certain stocks, which were being targeted by prominent hedge funds, and a mass purchase of shares by retail investors. This caused the stock price to increase and forced the hedge funds to purchase their borrowed stocks at higher prices, losing money on their short. One of the prominent players, Melvin Capital, reported a 53 per cent loss on their investments in January. Both Melvin Capital and Citron Research officially closed their short position on January 27. On January 28, in response to the dramatic rise in GameStop share price, some trading platforms, including Robinhood, had announced restrictions on purchases of certain shares. “Robinhood got a call around 3 a.m. from their clearinghouse, saying they had to put up enough money [to] do the transactions if these traders don’t follow through,” stated Brooks. “That request was over one to two billion dollars.” Following increased pushback and concern on such limitations on trading, Robinhood had to lift the restrictions the very next day, allowing for the purchase of a limited number of the target stocks’ securities, still closely monitoring the situation. The aftermath of the ordeal has resulted in more than an 80 per cent decrease in GameStop stock price. After closing at an all-time high of USD $33.7 billion on January 28, GameStop’s market value fell to USD $4.4 billion on February 5. While the rollercoaster ride may be winding down for GameStop, the next big thing may be right around the corner for these players. But what does this kind of volatility mean for the average retail investor? “If you were a retail investor who owned shares for quite a while, you would see that hedge funds selling shares would push the price down, and you wouldn’t know why,” stated Brooks. “But then you see that these other retail investors who came in, bought shares, and pushed the price up—which would be good for you. You again wouldn’t know why it [was] rising.” Brooks argued that if a retail investor reviews the stock and is unable to come up with a reasonable explanation for its performance, they should probably sell their investment and get out. “If the upward and downward pressure dissipates, it may come back to a reasonable level. For the person who wants to hold on for a reasonable investment, the volatility may be disturbing, but if they can hold on long enough, it’ll probably come back to where it should be,” continued Brooks. “Then the question is: can people like you and I hang on through the volatility?”

MASTHEAD EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief Paula Cho editor@themedium.ca Managing Editor Ali Taha managing@themedium.ca

COMMENT

Editor | Aya Yafaoui comment@themedium.ca

It is not power that corrupts but feAR.

News Isik Vera Senel news@themedium.ca Comment Aya Yafaoui comment@themedium.ca Features Elizabeth Provost features@themedium.ca A&E Chris Berberian arts@themedium.ca Sports Sarah-May Edwardo-Oldfield sports@themedium.ca Photo Julia Healy photos@themedium.ca Design Tegwen McKenzie design@themedium.ca Copy Melissa Barrientos melissa@themedium.ca Alexis Whelan alexis@themedium.ca Online Yasmeen Alkoka online@themedium.ca

ASSOCIATES Sheryl Gurajada, News Aroni Sarkar, Comment Danica Teng, Arts Paige France, Arts Pearla Hariri, Features May Alsaigh, Features Hayden Mak, Photos

STAFF Webmaster Vladyslava Diachenko web@themedium.ca Videographer Gabriel Saavedra videographer@themedium.ca To CONTRIBUTE, email editor@themedium.ca @TheMediumUTM

losing power corrupts those who wield it.

Fear of

Aung San Suu Kyi is a reminder that the fight for rights is continuous Aroni Sarkar Associate Comment Editor >> RIGHTS continued from page 01 How does Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, a global symbol of democracy, human rights, and non-violence, become a silent partner in one of the world’s biggest humanitarian crises? Is she a non-violent freedom fighter or a war crime apologist? In 2018, the UN released a report claiming that the military’s action against the Rohingya fits the legal definition of genocide, which is when violent acts are taken with the “intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.” Within the span of four months after the militarization of the state of Rakhine in August 2017, where unarmed Rohingya civilians were targeted, the military and police forces reportedly killed hundreds, gang-raped women and girls, and forced roughly 700,000 people to flee to Bangladesh, making it the largest group of stateless people. Aung San Suu Kyi, daughter of Myanmar’s independence hero General Aung San, became an international symbol of peace by spending decades fighting the military-controlled government for democracy. She spent nearly fifteen years in house arrest as a political prisoner between 1989 and 2010 and founded the National League of Democracy party (NLD). The party won its first parliamentary election in 1990 by a landslide despite Suu Kyi’s arrest, which shocked the military government. It refused to recognize the victory and cracked down on the NLD. It was her stubborn dedication to non-violence during her fight for democracy that earned her the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. After being awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the European Parliament in 1990, Suu Kyi wrote, “It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it.” Little did we know

that she herself would be haunted by these words and become the very leader that she fought against. In 2000, she was placed under her second house arrest. This time, however, negotiations took place between her and the government. Two years later, she was released and government officials stated that Myanmar would enter a new era where the people could participate freely in politics. Her third and longest time served under house arrest was in 2003 after a pro-government attack on her that resulted in the death of four NLD bodyguards. After her release in 2010, the NLD worked hard for the upcoming elections, and they won in a landslide victory by securing 43 of the 45 open seats in parliament in 2012. The 2015 election was the first openly contested general election in Myanmar in over twentyfive years, and again, they won with a landslide and became the ruling party. Suu Kyi became the de facto leader of the country. After an attack on her motorcade in 1996 by nearly two hundred men in Yangon, the security forces did nothing to aid or stop the attack as it occurred. In response, Suu Kyi said, “It is surprising that they should ask [Suu Kyi and the NLD] to make concessions when it is the military regime that has arrested our people, and which is continuing to arrest our people illegally outside of the law, torturing them, imprisoning them and subjecting their families to much harassment and oppression.” This situation is exactly what the military has been doing to the Rohingya population. In the country’s 2008 constitution, the military became entitled to twenty-five percent of seats in parliament, regardless of the outcome of democratic elections. This makes it impossible to change the constitution or major systems of governance without the military’s approval. The military is not controlled by the executive and essentially operates independently. Only military officials can lead the Defense, Home Affairs, and Border Affairs

ministries, evading them from executive and legislative scrutiny. Suu Kyi continues to defend the military’s violent actions against the Rohingya. The international community has looked to the Nobel Peace Prize winner to defend human rights in her country, even if she is unable to control the actions of the military, just like she has been for decades. Instead, she criticizes the international response. In an exclusive interview with the BBC, she refused to acknowledge that ethnic cleansing is taking place and pushed back against the international criticism of her handling the crisis as the head of the civilian government. She said that she is “just a politician.” She was taken to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) for an investigation into the textbook ethnic cleansing and genocide, yet violation of international law is not readily enforceable. Why is a human rights advocate so vehemently denying the human rights violations taking place in her own country? One main reason is that, contrary to international criticism, the Buddhist majority within Myanmar hold little to no sympathy for the Rohingya and increased Suu Kyi’s popularity domestically for her stern response to other countries and the UN. The same woman that was arrested by the military and stated explicitly that they were violent against the NLD, called the generals in her cabinet “rather sweet.” She has also faced criticism for prosecuting independent journalists and activists, that she herself was once a victim too. Aung San Suu Kyi has become the embodiment of the warning she wrote in 1990. Fear of losing power corrupts. She has turned her back on the very rights and principles she fought for and protected. Her example is a grim reminder of how the fight for liberty and freedom is constant and ongoing, and that no one—not even those with Nobel Peace Prizes—are above being corrupted.

In honour of Eating Disorder Awareness week Zeina Beidas Contributor

ears ago, I was in an emergency care unit, on the brink of death. Today, I can look back, grateful I had been given another chance at life. I reflect on my rough past on this special day: February 2nd, 2021, as it marks the release of my film GAIN, a story on the effects of suffering with anorexia nervosa. There were many reasons I chose to take on a project and share my experience with anorexia to the world. Many of them are obvious: I, along with my friend Tegan Duncan, wished to spread awareness on the true nature of anorexia nervosa, a disease with the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. We wanted to address the misconceptions, one of them being that anorexia nervosa is a frivolous disease that only inflicts women concerned with their appearance and weight. In fact, the main characters of the film GAIN come from starkly different upbringings and backgrounds. One, Duncan, 23, lived in Canada and played hockey. Another, Beidas, 20, lived in Saudi Arabia and fasted

Ramadan every year with her family. But the less obvious reason I took on this film comes from my own unique experience. I suffered several misdiagnoses (e.g., colon cancer). Doctors believed there was a physical abnormality to my gastrointestinal complications when there was not. My physical complications were a direct result of starvation. I knew that. They did not. Anorexia was seen as nothing more than girls trying to look a certain way. According to the doctors I consulted, anorexia was not and could not be a legitimate disorder in the clinical realm. On top of that, I was shamed and stigmatized for my refusal to eat, scolded by my psychiatrist for “bringing myself to death,” and later dismissed from her office with a smile and a “just eat a jar of nutella, and you will be fine” statement. Added to the pain of living with an eating disorder was the pain of suffering from shame, stigma, and the lack of a support system. I do not wish the former kind of pain, let alone the latter, on any human being. But I thought maybe, when presented in light of what it truly is, anorexia nervosa will no longer be viewed as a choice, but rather as a

serious, biologically-based illness. Perhaps by making this documentary, I can help sufferers avoid the two-fold painful experience that I went through. Anorexia is painful enough. If anything, sufferers need compassion, support, and understanding. The film GAIN may either be something that hits home for you, either because you or someone you love suffered this illness, or it could be simply be an informative watch—the latter is what I hope for most of you. Maybe you are a teacher, clinician, parent, older sibling— responsible for raising, treating, or mentoring young children. But regardless of whether you can relate to this film, regardless of who you are, this film could take you on a beautiful journey of realization into the lives of individuals suffering with anorexia nervosa. A story of suffering—raw and heartfelt—and imbued with science, the antidote to the present era of misinformation and stigma. Together, we can learn the etiology, nature, and symptomatology of the disease. Together, we can learn, grow, and, most importantly, expand our compassion to others in hope of making this world a better place.

features

Editor | Elizabeth Provost features@themedium.ca

Faculty Feature

Photo/Atwood Photographie

Professor Adrien Rannaud on francophone literature and childhood reflection May Alsaigh, Associate Features Editor

>> RANNAUD continued from page 01 Professor Rannaud explains it was difficult to decide which program to pursue. “I was hesitating whether I wanted to be a history teacher or a literature teacher [so] one day I took a coin and [it landed] on literature,” he admits with a chuckle. Following his education in France, he moved to Québec as part of a student exchange program and later obtained a job in the province. Next, he returned to France to complete his Master’s in literature at the Université Lumière Lyon 2, and traveled to Québec to earn his Ph.D. at the Université Laval in Literary Studies. Professor Rannaud recalls one of his favourite—yet nerve-wracking—days to be the day he defended his Ph.D. dissertation. “This is the only moment when you can go deeper into your own research and have fun telling others about what you like to do the most,” says Professor Rannaud. Ultimately, his hard work paid off, and today Professor Rannaud resides in Toronto and is a junior faculty member at UTM since July 2019. Currently, Professor Rannaud teaches a seminar on women’s writing in Québec between 1830 and 1960 at U of T’s St. George’s campus, as well as both French and Franco-

phone Literatures courses at UTM. In terms of his method of teaching, Professor Rannaud describes that it has changed considerably following the pandemic with adjustments to an online style of education. “I would say that my teaching approach is [focused] on giving students the best way to develop their competence and attitudes as scholars,” he says. Professor Rannaud recognizes how difficult it is for students to live their full potential when they must focus on details such as dates of certain events or names of historical figures. As such, he prefers to focus on how students can learn best in a comfortable environment. Professor Rannaud asserts that in his classes, he assigns workshops where students are asked to reflect on questions asked about the material applied in the course. As he explains, it is more important to focus on their “experiences” as scholars and students than on strict learning induced by memorizing facts. Regarding his current research, Professor Rannaud is focused on examining celebrity culture and press culture in Québec. He is in the final stages of publishing his monography entitled La Révolution du magazine. Poétique historique de La Revue moderne (1919-1960). This manuscript studies the “development of one of the first magazines in Quebec, “La Re-

vue Moderne,” and the influence it exerted in the literary and public spheres.” His project is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) as well as the University of Toronto. Among many different topics and resources, he draws on novels, magazines, chronicles, and newspapers as part of his research. “What I want to work on is to [answer] what it means being middlebrow in terms of writing practices,” Professor Rannaud adds that he is looking to “explore the link between women’s writing and middlebrow literary culture.” Prior to the pandemic, Professor Rannaud spent approximately eight months at the UTM campus as a professor and was still fairly new to the school. He explains that, like many other new faculty members, he spent a lot of his time becoming familiar with the campus environment and being accustomed to an anglophone atmosphere. “My everyday life is shared between teaching and doing research,” he explains. Undoubtedly, it is difficult for any individual to adapt to an unfamiliar climate. Regardless, Professor Rannaud continues to work diligently and applies all his efforts towards ensuring a smooth transition in his professional career as well as in his teaching.

Professor Rannaud has many goals careerwise but also for his life outside of being a researcher and professor. He explains that although he is not an expert in Indigenous studies, he is committed to pursuing an additional course at UTM in the near future. Professor Rennaud says, “I’m really eager to learn more about Francophone Indigenous literature.” He hopes to take on this area of study and educate others about these experiences, informing students of Indigenous history. Looking beyond his professional life, Professor Rannaud plans to travel across North America one day and visit popular landmarks while also admiring new territory. However, his passion for his research transcends in his everyday life. Many of his aspirations, even those revolving around travel and leisure, are in the context of his research and work towards objectives he has yet to attain. In speaking with Professor Rannaud, it is evident that his warm, compassionate, and ambitious personality makes him approachable and easy to communicate with. His constant drive for learning and relentless search for ways to fuel his knowledge is remarkably motivating and inspiring to his students. Professor Rennaud sincerely cares for his students’ well-being and the prosperity of the individuals around him.

How expectations of productivity influence our perception of time Prisha (Maneka) Nuckchady Contributor

o you ever feel like you’ve been wasting your time by watching Netflix instead of studying? We often perceive that our lives, and our time, are going at a faster pace than normal and that we are expected to complete tasks in an unattainably short amount of time. This feeling is often the result of an “accelerated culture” and can be linked to our desire to be productive. Professor Sarah Sharma is an associate professor at UTM’s Institute of Communication, Culture and Technology program and the Director of the McLuhan Centre for Culture and Technology at U of T’s St George Campus. She argues against this concept of “accelerated culture” in her book, In the Meantime, published in 2014. In the book, she offers an in-depth explanation of the “recalibration of time,” an alternative way of thinking of this phenomenon. When conducting her research for her book, Professor Sharma noted that there was a very generalized way of thinking about time and culture. General society and even literature emphasized the speeding up of everyday life. However, through her work, Professor Sharma realized that there is this expectation of our use of time that we’re always trying to attain. “When I started looking around the social world I inhabit, I did not see this uniform speed. Instead, what I saw was that people and their sense of their bodies and lives would recalibrate to a dominant idea of time,” explains Professor Sharma. Many of us feel like we are constantly running a race against the clock, trying to optimize our time by constructing the narrative that our time is precious. As such, we feel like time is going at a faster rate and we struggle to keep up. Professor Sharma

found that, although we all feel this way, the way we experience it varies vastly. “What I saw was that there was no universal experience of time that we’re all moving along in the same way, but rather that there was an order of time that was dominant, that people would be expected to recalibrate to,” says Professor Sharma. We all feel like there is this expectation of using our time to be productive, which often results in the feeling of not having enough time. Professor Sharma conducted interviews with taxi drivers as part of her research. What she found was that taxi drivers, especially those working night shifts, felt that they were out of time. They felt like they were missing the real world due to the expectation that people run on a nine-to-five clock. Professor Sharma also points out that the ways we experience time is entangled with and dependent upon how others experience time. For instance, people tend to think of “slowing down” as a treatment for this accelerated culture. However, is this really the case? “‘Slow down’ and ‘speed up’ are the same. Some people slow down because of the fast labour of others. So, slowing down implies someone else speeds up since our time is actually entangled,” Professor Sharma points out. In the end, the same normative temporal idea of time dominates. In her book, Professor Sharma illustrates the relationship between the “recalibration of time” and wealth. “How people recalibrate their time and the opportunities they have to stay in time speak to where they exist on this temporal framework of whose time is more important, who is more important, and ultimately, who has power,” she observes. The expectation that other people recalibrate to a particular person’s time, rather than the other way around, speaks to that person’s privilege. Consider managers; they are able to employ labour and rely on them to recalibrate their time to what is expected of them. However, taxi-drivers, cleaners, and other personal and protective service workers do not have such a luxury. Professor Sharma also notes that this unequal valuation of time is linked to contemporary capitalism. “This is how the social experience of time works under capitalism, where one person’s time is valued less than another, where the economic transactions or paying people for their labour hides this structure of politics of time,” explains Professor Sharma. “Capitalism depends upon an uneven relationship to time; it depends on people being drained of energy and resources.” In other words, capitalism often depends on devaluing the time of some and elevating that of others. In her book, she alludes to yoga and meditation practices offered in the workplace. She notes that even then, the reason why these are available is ultimately to increase productivity within a corporation or institution. “It is articulated to the capitalist day, not to time for the self,” she says. Ironically, during Covid-19, instead of feeling like we do not have enough time, we feel as though we have too much time at our hands. Yet, it does not feel like any good can come out of this valued resource. Instead, it feels like we are wasting our time. “People are feeling like they have too much time, but they feel this way in a world where there is not much time, so it still feels like a waste of time since we can’t fill in the gaps.” Professor Sharma also points out that this feeling can only stem from the realisation that our lives and time are finite. Even during “Covid-time,” as Professor Sharma calls it, there is this expectation that we should still use our time wisely. When there were talks of establishing a curfew, she thought that this could cause

issues relating to our perceptions of time. “Think of all the essential workers that don’t work from nine-to-five, those that don’t fit this framework, the idea to have a curfew already speaks to an imaginary view of when people are outside. Our world does not run this way, but in this dominant timeframe, there are still general conceptions,” she says. Evidently, amid Covid-19, technology has become an even more omnipresent part of our lives. Technology has amplified our feeling of not having “enough time.” Professor Sharma points out how “it is interesting to think of why we have technological devices; they are almost always marketed as time maintenance products.” One of the main uses of our phones, for instance, is as a digital agenda to keep track of our days and lives to enhance our productivity. She notes that if a technology is not marketed with time management functions, it will likely be viewed as useless. Professor Sharma thinks of technology not just as tools but also as “being a structure and force in our life.” Increasingly, technology has the capacity to shape the patterns and pace of our day-to-day life. Undoubtedly, this dominant expectation of our efficient use of time can adversely affect mental health. On the surface, we do not see the struggles many may be facing. For instance, in a coffee shop, we see many people working on their laptops, but we do not see their thought processes. Specifically, Professor Sharma outlines that “what we don’t see are those minor types of recalibrations and how the expectation and demand of productivity might feel; we can’t see how tired they are [and] we can’t see their heart racing.” Moreover, “what is hidden is the way that people’s lives are divested of meaning, divested of health, and divested of value.” This can easily make one feel unimportant, leading to a lack of self-confidence and other mental health issues. Now, while we may believe we should somehow “slow down,” this is just another temporal order, which will not truly change this dominant idea of time. “If we were to change this structure of time, it is not through time changing, the answer lies in where we value human life,” explains Professor Sharma. If we value health, then we should invest in that. At the moment, human value is rooted in productivity. To combat this, we need to think of what values we want to preach and develop technologies accordingly. Professor Sharma is currently conducting research on this for her forthcoming books Broken Machine Feminism and MsUnderstanding Media: A Feminist Medium is the Message, the latter to be released next year. While Professor Sharma’s book In the Meantime was published in 2014, it is still incredibly relevant today. Ideas on productivity widely populate the internet. On YouTube, “Study Tubers” and “productivity channels” advertise a productive lifestyle through a focus on maximizing one’s time, which perpetuates the dominant idea that time dictates our lives. Although these approaches intend to help with time management, they contribute to our feeling of not having “enough time.” Today, there is an increased demand for productivity. For some of us, taking some time for ourselves makes us feel guilty because we’re expected to constantly meet the demands for productivity. “It’s like we’re broken clocks, and we’re trying to fix our clock functions to tick properly within the social world,” says Professor Sharma, illustrating the phenomenon of our perceptions of time amid productivity expectations. Perhaps, the remedy is to simply create our own clocks and set our own expectations, instead of taking our time for granted and wishing for more of it.

Lecture Me! On Human Remains UTM Forensic Sciences Professor Tracy Rogers talks about identifying human remains and honouring the dead.

Hana Khan Staff Writer >> REMAINS continued from page 01 Curious, she looks down. With the dim light of the moon, it’s hard to tell, but she is able to discern what seems to be the remains of a human skull. This story is not a mere tale, but rather a true story retold by Professor Tracy Rogers. The image of unknowingly coming across the remains of what once used to be a living person is frightening. While we hope not to be the ones to discover human remains, it does happen.

“The reason that we study the dead is to learn from it and protect the living.” Professor Tracy Rogers is the director of Forensic Sciences at UTM. She is a forensic anthropologist and has done casework for the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service, the British Columbia Coroners Service, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and other police agencies in British Columbia and Ontario. She was also the primary forensic anthropologist in the case of Canadian serial killer Robert Pickton. On February 2, Dr. Rogers gave a Lecture Me! presentation on the process of going through human remains. Lecture Me! is a multidisciplinary series presented every month by a UTM professor from a different faculty. The events are hosted virtually by the Mississauga Library System through their Virtual Library Webex platform typically on the first Tuesday of each month from 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Each presentation features a different UTM faculty member delivering their presentation to the community about their research. During her presentation, Dr. Rogers took participants through the process of uncovering and identifying human remains. She began by explaining how remains are discovered in the first place. While there are organized searches that help find missing persons, most of these discoveries are usually accidental. As Dr. Rogers put it, “Every

time you turn around, it’s always two kids on a bike that find human remains.” Once these remains are found, the next step in the process is to determine if these remains are even human at all. Dr. Rogers explained how sometimes what we believe are human remains are actually animal bones or may not be bone at all. In her Lecture Me! event, Dr. Rogers incorporated an interactive activity in which she showed pictures, and participants had to guess whether or not the object in the photo was bone or not. Then participants predicted whether it was human or animal bone. Another important aspect of processing human remains is determining their medical-legal significance. Despite popular belief, Dr. Rogers said, “Not everything is of medical-legal concern. In some cases, bones end up in strange places by accident.” For example, in Dr. Roger’s personal story, the skull was in the dirt of the trail because that dirt was ordered from a cemetery— making the human remains of no medicallegal significance. To examine the medical-legal significance of human remains, Dr. Rogers stated that there are three thins to look for. The first thing that needs to be assessed is the context. This means forensic anthropologists must look at where and in what state the bone was found. Dr. Rogers provided the example of finding human remains close to a cemetery. If there was disturbed ground near the cemetery, then “this would be the sort of context that would leave us to believe that these remains are associated with the cemetery,” which is something that needs to be kept in mind when further analyzing the scene. The next factor in determining medicallegal significance is inspecting the condition of the bone. For example, if we carry on with the idea of a cemetery bone, then “we expect to see something that is pretty dry and brittle.” This gives forensic anthropologists a greater idea of the age and origin of a bone. The last factor that forensic anthropologists examine is the artifacts found near the bone. Dr. Rogers describes this as contextual cues “associated with these remains.” Following along with the cemetery example, this could be coffin hardware or embalming artifacts.

Arts

Editor | Chris Berberian arts@themedium.ca

Classic sound and weirdness abound in Paul McCartney’s newest solo album Forty years after its predecessor, McCartney III marks a triumphant quarantine-inspired return for the rock legend. Once medical-legal significance is determined, forensic anthropologists must identify the body. Dr. Rogers explained that “our way of doing that is [to] first create a biological profile, […] which includes the sex of the individual, the age, and the ancestry.” Biological profiles are an essential part of the process because not everyone in the province has a DNA file on the registry. Additionally, there are more than 7,000 missing adults in Ontario, which means the process must be streamlined. This is done by formulating a biological profile. If forensic anthropologists can narrow down the sex, age, and ancestry of the individual, it helps narrow down the list of 7,000 people and to solve any new cases. Studying human remains is not always the easiest thing. It is often difficult to look at a deceased person from a clinical and objective standpoint. Studying what used to be someone’s loved one is a challenging reality for forensic pathologists. But this vital work helps bring closure to families, communities, and friends. Dr. Rogers highlighted the importance of her work perfectly by saying: “The reason that we study the dead is to learn from it and protect the living.” What is learned by forensic anthropologists and coroners offices are used to conduct research, educate the public, and establish more effective methods to deal with human remains in future cases. Dr. Rogers emphasized that it is essential that all pieces used in the examinations are treated with respect because each piece of evidence once belonged to a living person—one who cannot be forgotten.

Readers can sign up for future Lecture Me! events on the UTM Experiential learning website. These events are opened to anyone. The next presentation, “How Cooking is Art,” will occur on March 2 and will feature UTM philosophy professor Mohan Matthen.

Paige France Associate Arts Editor

aul McCartney’s solo album series began with his 1970 debut, McCartney, and presumably concluded when McCartney II released in 1980. At the time of their respective releases, both albums drew harsh criticism for either being too banal or off-the-wall, and for departing from The Beatles’ original sound. Then, on December 18, 2020, these two unique records surprisingly united with a third installment—McCartney III. Written and recorded during lockdown in a Sussex farmhouse, McCartney III is a welcome

return for the Liverpudlian rock legend, who eschews radio friendliness to explore newer, weirder, and more whimsical sonic pathways. The third album in the self-titled trilogy is genuine and fresh, and it shies away from basking in nostalgia. In the years leading up to and culminating in this release, McCartney was adapting to a modern-pop relevancy through collaborations with Mark Ronson and Rihanna. Egypt Station (2018), widely deemed his best solo record to date, became his first Billboard number one hit since Tug of War in 1982, which was the longest duration between Hot 200 albums in history. The opening track, “Long Tailed Winter Bird,” is a folk-blue record beneath rustic acoustic riffs. “The Kiss of Venus” delivers a playful lullaby in a charming folk falsetto—a standout against the album’s rockier tunes. It’s the most resonant, heartfelt moment in an album shrouded in off-kilter storytelling and production. “Pretty Boys,” a deeply personal tune, is another quarantine-cognizant piece, similar to other artists who’ve portrayed their inner di-

lemmas through familiar musical styles. This acoustic number about male models sheds cynical light on McCartney’s younger Beatles days by referencing “objects of desire” who will “set the world on fire.” The most rock-infused head-banger, “Lavatory Lil,” further cements the album with McCartney’s cynical charm. It’s a spiteful ‘50s roadhouse jam targeted at a former untrustworthy associate: “You think she’s being friendly, but she’s looking for a Bentley.” These tracks in McCartney III break-free from the more sorrowful sounds in McCartney, which was written after bandmate John Lennon acknowledged his desire to leave The Beatles in 1969. A decade later, McCartney II was a far more positive production, filled with experimentation of an electronic synth-pop oddity. Fifty years later, McCartney III embraces the solo artist’s musical journey. With his third solo album, McCartney proves that aging is like fine wine, as his musical touch has become better over time. McCartney III beautifully ties his earlier musical freedom with modern touches—a sure-fire sign that McCartney never stopped evolving.

Unraveling the wacky world of WandaVision The first Marvel TV show on Disney+ is the talk of the town.

Danica Teng Associate Arts Editor

ooking back on the legacy of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), this franchise has become a pivotal part of the entertainment industry. Fans, old and new, have fallen in love with Marvel’s iconic characters and stories that were lifted from comic book pages and given new life on the big screen. So, it was disappointing that among 2020’s many hardships, the year would be the first in a decade without an MCU film. But while movies were scarce, the rumours were whirling. In late-September 2020, Marvel finally whet fans’ appetites by dropping news surrounding “Phase Four” of its franchise. While excitement soared for upcoming TV shows such as Loki or movies such as Black Widow, no project garnered more attention or anticipation than WandaVision—which set a record for a TV series trailer with 53 million views within 24 hours of its release. Almost four months since that trailer dominated internet discourse and left fans in a frenzy for new content, on January 15, 2021, the first two episodes of WandaVision debuted on Disney+. If you’re debating on cancelling that subscription, you might want to wait just a while longer.

On the surface, WandaVision isn’t your typical MCU production. It’s a unique show, one that mixes throwback sitcom humour with occasional David Lynchian absurdism, perplexing viewers alongside its confused, meta-aware characters. The show centres around Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany), both of whom are familiar faces from previous MCU films. Instead of stymying extraterrestrial threats, as per their superhero job description, the newlyweds find themselves living in the sitcom world of Westview, where they must try to blend in amongst its townspeople. So far, only five of the series’ nine scheduled weekly episodes have been released. Starting with the 1950s Dick Van Dyke Show, each episode pits the couple into a new era of TV sitcoms. As the black-and-white 4:3 aspect ratio morphs into a full screen of colour, odd events start occurring. We notice it, and so do Wanda and Vision. While we’re pulled in by the show’s sitcom concept, we stay for all its unanswered questions. And there are a ton of questions. For instance, the show occurs chronologically after the modern-day events of Avengers: Endgame, yet it takes place in the 1950s. If Vision died in Avengers: Infinity War, then how is he alive here? Who is controlling Wanda’s actions? How is she aware of the fake audience laugh-

ter? And what’s with those eerie commercials? To compress the show into one sentence: WandaVision is absolutely bizarre. But that’s why we love it. It’s vastly different from anything Marvel has given us. We’re not entirely sure what to expect next, and this uncertainty makes the show exciting. Olsen and Bettany’s acting is strange in the best way possible. There’s so much life in their characters here that we don’t get in the main MCU films. In WandaVision, each titular character embodies a deeper comical persona alongside their existing superhero likeness, a difficult acting task that Olsen and Bettany pull off with perfection. Meanwhile, the couple’s friendly neighbours, Agnes (Kathryn Hahn) and Dottie (Emma Caulfield Ford), fit the stereotypical characters of small-town Americana, but with an unsettling twist. Combined with skillful cinematography that jets between character perspectives, visual styles, and period aesthetics, this show captures us and leaves us eager for the next episode to drop. Each week brings us a new WandaVision episode; each episode unravels another layer behind the show’s sitcom exterior. Piece by piece, the real story slowly surfaces, proving to be much darker than the illusory small-town peachiness. As WandaVision immerses us in this “visionary new age of television,” we can only sit back and watch the answers unfold to all our burning questions.

On the nature of self in Pixar’s Soul A brief philosophical inquiry into Pixar’s newest feature. Evangeline Yeung Contributor

hat is a soul? Is it a figment of our imagination? Is it something that arises from the billions of neurons within each human brain? Whatever it may be, if souls exist, what is their purpose? To Pete Docter, writer and director of Pixar’s Soul, our ethereal spirits exist in some liminal cloud-like space between life and the “Great Beyond.” In the film, each soul appears soft and translucent, like a floating thought bubble, which soon merges with the birth of a physical human being. It’s only after our protagonist, Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx), falls down a sewer hole and enters the Great Beyond that he realizes the nature of his soul. The film conceptualizes souls as metaphysical, which give rise to our consciousness through emotions and feelings. Joe’s elated when he’s given his shot as a nightclub jazz pianist, and then distraught when he loses his chance. He enters an existential crisis and considers his life meaningless if he cannot become a famous musician. Docter and the film seem to suggest that Joe is focusing on the wrong thing. His life—or his soul—isn’t about becoming a jazz musician or fulfilling any other type of preordained “purpose.” Instead, life is a place to find and experience joy in the moment and in the smallest of things thrown one’s way. It’s found in the savoury smell of a New York pizza shop, or the sight of a twirling maple leaf, or the connection you spark with your local barber, empathizing with his or her experiences. Soul depicts this and more, crafting a sensory overload of all we could enjoy seeing, touching, tasting, and experiencing every day yet take for granted. We can take a lesson from Joe’s story. In our waking life, some of us will become frustrated, even hostile, after we spill coffee on our suit and miss work, or get rejected on a university application, or get stood up on a date. These intangible and often uncontrollable events create conflict and cloud our ability to tackle our goals or feel gratitude for simply being alive. By fixating on purpose, we lose our sight for what matters. The film encourages us to move past this fixation and, instead, make the most of all that life has to offer. So, what’s in a soul? Whether it’s metaphysical, solely biological, or something else entirely is of less importance, as far as Docter is concerned. The film begs its protagonist, and us, to do some soul-searching—an important exercise and a resonating act for many people while the world remains closed and we remain isolated. Luckily with Soul, the answer to life is far less elusive and far more hopeful than we might believe—it’s in your sight and within your reach.

A conversation with Miranda Wiseman of Theatre Erindale’s Anna Karenina

Catch the virtu

Alexandria Ramoutar Staff Writer

o cap off her final year at the University of Toronto, Miranda Wiseman will star as Anna in Helen Edmundson’s adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. Directed by Lisa Karen Cox, this updated performance invites us into contemporary Russia, where we follow Anna, Karenin, Levin, and others as they navigate the pangs of life. As Wiseman notes, this adaptation changes how we perceive each character and the rhythm of Tolstoy’s sprawling story, while still depicting its themes of ownership, adultery, and the pursuit of happiness. We got the chance to speak with Wiseman and get a sneak-peek into Theatre Erindale’s upcoming digital production of Anna Karenina. The Medium: Thank you so much for meeting with me. What can the fans of Tolstoy’s classic expect to see in Edmundson’s adaptation? Miranda Wiseman: Edmundson’s adaptation is interesting and metatheatrical. It

tells Tolstoy’s story unconventionally and connects Anna and Levin, the two principal characters, in ways that don’t overlap in the book. It also takes place inside Anna’s mind and her memory. I watched video essays on Tolstoy, and they mentioned his ability to create compassion for characters who do deplorable things. Edmundson is great at bringing out this compassion. It’s not about bad people making bad choices to spite others, but about people making choices that don’t turn out well. It’s a human story about desire, love, death, family, and memory. TM: What distinguishes Edmundson’s Anna? MW: She’s very smart. If at any point she loses her intelligence, then we risk presenting her as the tragic woman that’s fallen from grace. There are many more intricacies to her than that. Anna’s always reasoning and trying to find meaning. She isn’t just a reckless and irresponsible person. While not always acting in the best way or with the best outcome, she continually uses reason to evaluate her desires and establish her worldview.

fo r e p al

TM: What do you love most about playing Anna? MW: My favourite moments to play are the ones in which she fakes having it all together. She’s constantly grappling for control in her life and in situations where she doesn’t have any autonomy. It’s so much fun to play somebody who’s completely breaking down and crumbling but has to pretend they’re not. In the play’s final scenes, Anna almost seems overly theatrical, like I’m ham acting. I’m embracing the emotions of feeling lost, desperate, and out of control, while trying to stop anybody from seeing those emotions. Anna puts on the “I am absolutely fine. What are you talking about? Nothing’s wrong” look. It’s really fun to play through those layers as an actor. TM: What’s it like to work with the director and crew members at a distance? MW: Our director, Lisa, is so patient and benevolent. For our first read-through, she had us read for a role we weren’t cast as, so we could read the play and not recite our part. I’ve never read a play that way before.

The M List: Most anticipated TV shows of 2021 Escape from the outside world with these soon-to-be must sees. Chakrika Burra Contributor

Mark Binks/Binks Headshots

Ph oto/ David Lee

ovid-19. That’s all anyone’s been able to talk about for more than a year. The endless quarantining and social distancing have taken a toll on everyone—and it doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. With all the schoolwork and stress piling on, TV show have helped many of us through rough patches and boring weekends, while Netflix parties have helped us miss our friends a little less. As Ontario works its way through a second state of emergency, and we extend our lockdown stays at home, we could all use a hefty dose of escapism. So, here are some must-needed TV shows that we can look forward to this year.

Fate: The Winx Saga

ormance from Februa r y 10

Lisa was also coaching the actors and communicating over emails, and at the same time, worrying about the tech and visual design. Our creative team, theatre director, and props and costume team worked tirelessly, shuttling props and costumes to our houses and hosting makeup and hair tutorials on Zoom. TM: Speaking of Zoom, how did the tech influence the production? MW: As soon as we could, we were up on our feet and trying things—there was always an element of tech to it. Oftentimes, you can work and run scenes without actually having to worry about the tech, but Zoom was ever present because it was the only way we could do this. A lot of voice work went into it too. For example, I never saw the actor I was talking to—I was looking at the fireplace [turns head], or at my lion, my stuffed animal, and I’d direct things to him. You had to rely on sound and conveying things to your partner in different ways because they can’t see you. The production is right on the intersection between film and theatre acting. It’s different to realize that you’re on camera, up close, and the audience can see every

throug

h 13.

tiny detail on your face, but also be theatre acting, and playing your objectives and your tactics, and using the text work that usually isn’t that important on camera. TM: What do you hope the audience takes away from the play? MW: I hope they recognize the medium of theatre. It’s not just film, or filming something on-stage, but theatre existing in this new space. If this helps people reflect upon how important theatre is and how much people, like me, love it and need it in their lives, that would be rewarding. TM: What encouragement do you have for theatre students? MW: You don’t have time to worry about being right or wrong, you just have to try something and do it. You have to commit to it or else you won’t succeed. Also, I’m lucky I’ve been taught this: “If you’re in a room, then you deserve to be in that room.” In the arts, you are baring your soul on stage. In live theatre, you may feel self-doubt, so always remind yourself of your worth and that you belong here.

This supernatural coming-of-age story follows a group of fairies as they learn to master their powers and fight the masters that threaten their world. Having premiered on Netflix in January, Fate: The Winx Saga is sure to satisfy fans of Stranger Things and Shadowhunter, and is a stellar option to open your 2021 viewing with.

Firefly Lane Two best friends, Tully (Katherine Heigl) and Kate (Sarah Chalke), have stuck by each other through the toughest of times since their teen years. Now in their forties, the duo struggles to keep the bond alive as they lead different lives. Firefly Lane is a heartfelt, slice-of-life TV series that offers a possible glimpse into the future for young adult viewers.

Legacies, Season Three After season two’s shocking cliff-hanger, it’s safe to assume all fans of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals are eager to know what comes next. With season three already releasing weekly episodes on Amazon Prime Video, fans don’t have to wait to witness Hope Mikaelson’s (Danielle Rose) legacy. Where the show takes us in its next episodes is anyone’s guess, but we’re ready for the wicked mystery.

The Flash, Season Seven After a two-year hiatus, the fastest man in Central city is blitzing back to our screens in early March, this time on the hunt for his

WRITE FOR US

missing wife. The CW will air all episodes of season seven, which many suspect will be the last season in the series. The Flash is essential viewing for all DC fans and even for followers of Star Wars and The Avengers.

Shadow and Bone Shadow and Bone follows Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li), a soldier who unearths an extraordinary power that could unite her world after decades of villainous shadow. Based on Leigh Bardugo’s “Grishaverse” novels, the show will debut on Netflix in April and has already created quite the buzz amongst fans of the original book series. For those unfamiliar with the books, Shadow and Bone will be an edge-ofyour-seat dive into an immersive Harry Potteresque magical world.

Stranger Things, Season Four After its first season dropped from obscurity in 2016, the unique sci-fi thriller, Stranger Things, skyrocketed among Netflix’s mostwatched shows and became adored by people of all ages. While the previous season (spoiler alert) ended with heartbreak, a viral teaser for season four gives everyone hope that Hopper is still alive—somewhere. Shooting for season four was initially suspended because of Covid-19, and while details are scarce, the show will reportedly return later this year. With Millie Bobby Brown reprising the role as the telekinetic Eleven, her and her gang of friends look to face bigger and perhaps bloodier adventures in Hawkins.

You, Season Three It’s the series about a sociopathic stalker that we all know and love, and it’s set to return later this year for its third season. Fans are eager to know who Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) might stalk and, possibly, kill this season. While the release date isn’t confirmed, whenever season three arrives, it’ll certainly make you quiver in your seat.

Lucifer, Season Five, Part Two Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis) is obviously a fan favourite amongst young adults—because who wouldn’t want to see a handsome devil play a detective? Season five was only partially released due to the pandemic, with the rest expected to arrive later this year. The second half is highly anticipated considering part one left us on a biblical cliff-hanger: God himself showing up.

NEWS NEWS@THEMEDIUM.CA COMMENT COMMENT@THEMEIDUM.CA FEATURES FEATURES@THEMEDIUM.CA ARTS ARTS@THEMEDIUM.CA SPORTS SPORTS@THEMEDIUM.CA

sports & health

Editor | Sarah-May Edwardo-Oldfield sports@themedium.ca

Mulyadi/unsplash.com

Health workers most at risk for mental health problems during pandemic It appears no one is truly safe from the plethora of physical and mental strain of living in a pandemic.

Duaa Nasir Contributor

>> HEALTHCARE continued from page 01 Some people can deal with this; others struggle and may find their symptoms worsening. But one thing that unites us during this is the fact that our struggle is one that the rest of the world shares. Almost. During these periods of isolation, essential workers face a situation that differs from those around them. This means that the effects their struggles have on their mental health are also unique. A study led by Hannah Wright from the University of Utah School of Medicine examined the mental health of emergency personnel and hospital workers in the Rocky Mountain region in the United States. This study, published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, assesses 571 participants for mental health problems through a series of surveys and screeners from April 1 to May 7 in 2020. It also assessed the ef-

fects of four pandemic-related stressors on those participants’ mental health: 1. Direct contact with possibly infected people 2. Having contact with potentially infected people or managing those who have had contact with potentially infected people 3. Being immunocompromised or having a weak immune system 4. Living with someone who is immunocompromised “What health care workers are experiencing is akin to domestic combat,” Andrew Smith, the study’s corresponding author, told ScienceDaily. “Although the majority of health care professionals and emergency responders aren’t necessarily going to develop PTSD, they are working under severe duress, day after day, with a lot of unknowns. Some will be susceptible to a host of stressrelated mental health consequences. “By studying both resilient and pathological trajectories, we can build a scaffold for constructing evidence-based interventions for both individuals and public health systems.” The researchers found that 15-30 per cent of the participants scored positive for each

of the following disorders: depression, anxiety, insomnia, traumatic stress, and alcohol usage. In total, 56 per cent of the participants were at risk for one of the five disorders.

“The pandemic...offers us the opportunity to better understand the extraordinary mental stress and strains that health care providers are dealing with right now.” Immunocompromised participants were more likely to struggle with depression, anxiety and traumatic stress. Participants living with an immunocompromised person had more issues with insomnia and anxiety. Participants in contact with possible infected people, or managing those who were in contact with potentially infected people, were more likely to have problems with alcohol. Managing people in contact with potentially infected patients, or living with an immunocompromised person, was associated with insomnia and anxiety.

Surprisingly there was an inverse relationship between the number of positive Covid-19 cases and anxiety—as cases increase, anxiety decreases. “As these health care professionals heard about cases elsewhere before Covid-19 was detected in their communities, their anxiety levels likely rose in anticipation of having to confront the disease,” says Smith. “But when the disease started trickling in where they were, perhaps it grounded them back to their mission and purpose. They saw the need and they were in there fighting and working hard to make a difference with their knowledge and skills, even at risk to themselves.” Wright and colleagues note that these mental health risks are higher than previous outbreaks, such as SARS, and resemble those in disasters such as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. “This pandemic, as horrific as it is, offers us the opportunity to better understand the extraordinary mental stress and strains that health care providers are dealing with right now,” says Smith. “With that understanding, perhaps we can develop ways to mitigate these problems and help health care workers and emergency responders better cope with these sorts of challenges in the future.”