The Independent Student Newspaper of the University of Toronto Mississauga since 1974
Issue 021 Volume 47 March 15 2021
themedium.ca
FORD ON VACCINES
FEMINIST PEDAGOGY
STARS OF HUDSON & REX
The month of March is jam-packed with virtual workshops and networking events organized by the University of Toronto Mississauga’s Career Centre. The Career Centre’s new networking events aim to help students establish connections...
As a teenager, Nicole Laliberté went on a two-week human rights delegation trip to Guatemala. Although she didn’t know it at the time, this trip would have a lasting influence on her—one that she would carry on to her future academic and career decisions.
With the dog days of summer steadily approaching, the beloved Canadian series Hudson & Rex premiered its third season on January 5, 2021 for tail-wagging, crime-fighting police procedural fun.
>> VACCINES continued on page 02
>> FEMINIST continued on page 06
>> REX continued on page 10
NEWS
UTMSU election features only one slate again Sheryl Gurajada Associate News Editor
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he University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) is holding its annual elections to seat new members onto the union’s executive team and Board of Directors for oneyear terms. There are a total of 19 positions available, five executive positions and 14 on the board. Similar to previous years, the 2021 Spring election features one slate and minimal opposition with two independent candidates running for a Vice-President position, which is one more than last year.
>> ELECTIONS continued on page 02
SPORTS
FEATURES
UTM athletes speak on canceled games, mental health, and future seasons
The rise of anti-Asian attacks in Canada
Rachel Lord Contributor
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s a student athlete at UTM, managing both the academic workload and competing at the Varsity level requires a significant time commitment. Prior to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, a typical day in the life of a student athlete would usually include attending classes, going to daily practice, studying, workouts in the High-Performance Centre (HPC), and travelling to games or competitions. However, once the Covid-19 pandemic hit Canada last March, student athletes at UTM faced a halt in their day-to-day routines. The pandemic has affected everyone in various ways, but particularly for athletes, the pandemic has taken a silent toll. The effects of the lockdowns in Southern Ontario have massively affected countless athletes’ mental health. This is especially concerning given that exercise is widely known to help with mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Dr. Shady Ashmalla, head of surgery at Sunny Brook Hospital, told the Toronto Star that for high performance athletes, being told that you can no longer train
at your sport takes away a large part of who you are. Dr. Ashmalla says that this is dangerous: when an athlete’s opportunity to train every day is suddenly compromised, it creates a massive hole in their life. Then, the risk of that hole being filled with depression and anxiety skyrockets. Throughout the lockdowns ordered in Ontario, UTM’s student athletes faced the challenge of finding unique ways to keep up with their training, while enduring the uncertainty of future games and competitions. When asked about how the lockdown affected her mental health, Mackenzie Kieswetter, goalie of the Varsity women’s soccer team, said that “mentally [the lockdown} sucked. I had been playing this sport for years, then all of a sudden, I couldn’t. Emotionally, it was the hardest part for me.” Yet, many people are afraid to discuss the negative implications of the lockdown, because people are afraid that they are going to come across as if they are not in support of the lockdown. This is extremely problematic because talking about and realizing that others are going through similar disappointment and frustration is beneficial. >> ATHLETES continued on page 12
May Alsaigh Associate Features Editor
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he Covid-19 pandemic has taken a toll on people around the world, but lately, the impacts have been greater and more hostile towards the Asian community. Conspiracy theories and misinformation have led people to believe that Asians are to blame for the virus and the resulting pandemic. As a result, the Asian community has been combating violence and racism in all parts of the world, including Canada. Since the onset of the pandemic, authorities in Vancouver have reported an upward trend of hate-related incidents in Asian communities. Vancouver police data from February 2021 reveals that anti-Asian hate crimes are showing a significant 717 per cent increase within a year. In Ottawa, a similar trend has occurred as hate crime cases had risen from two in 2019 to 15 in 2020. Another report reveals a surge of violence in American cities as well. New York has displayed an 833 per cent increase of anti-Asian hate crimes. As Covid-19 cases rise, so do the incidents of targeted xenophobic attacks. Surprisingly, Canada has a higher number of reported hate crimes per capita than the U.S. >> ATTACKS continued on page 05
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NEWS
Editor | Isik Vera Senel news@themedium.ca
Career Centre launches March networking series Students can connect with industry professionals and learn more about their prospective careers through the new networking series. Isik Vera Senel News Editor >> VACCINES continued from page 01 ...in their prospective fields and create employment opportunities. These events are available for all U of T students and recent graduates. On March 3, the Career Centre, in collaboration with the Institute of Communication, Culture, Information, and Technology (ICCIT) and the Digital Enterprise Management Association (DEMA), hosted the Careers in Communication Marketing event. The following week, on March 10, the Career Centre partnered with the UTM Women in Science and Computing club to organize the networking event, Careers in Math and Computer Science.
The final event in the Career Centre’s networking series, Careers in Applied Health Care, is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, March 17. This event will be hosted in collaboration with the Psychology Association of Undergraduate Students at Erindale (P.A.U.S.E.). The Careers in Applied Health Care event will feature a panel of five industry professionals from different sectors within the health care industry. The panelists, who are all U of T alumni, will discuss their professions and how they were able to advance in their field. “This event will feature U of T alumni and industry professionals who attended professional school after their undergraduate degree and are now working in areas such as audiology, speech-language therapy, radiation technology, physiotherapy, nursing, and more,” reads the events announcement on the Career and Co-Curricular Learning Network website. Students who are interested in learning how to get admitted into the higher education programs, follow a similar career path, or succeed in the health care industry are encouraged to participate in the event. The Career Centre is also hosting Employer Information Sessions throughout the semester. These sessions will connect
students with employers who are currently hiring. The companies participating include Amazon, Bell, Canada Revenue Agency, and Service Canada.
“Students who would like to explore their further education and career options are encouraged to check out the online resources available online and attend the many workshops offered by the UTM Career Centre.” Moreover, students looking for summer employment opportunities can take advantage of the Ontario Public Service Summer Employment Program. The program offers students more than 70 job opportunities in 17 different fields of employment, with both temporary and fulltime options. “Every year, the Ontario Public Service, related agencies, and community groups provide up to 5,000 students with jobs across the province,” reads the program’s
UTMSU election features only one slate— again Sheryl Gurajada Associate News Editor >> ELECTIONS continued from page 01 Current UTMSU President Mitra Yakubi announced that she is running for re-election for the 2021-2022 academic year alongside the Build Back Better UTM slate. Yakubi highlighted her campaign platform on Reddit, a community networking website, allowing for interaction with the student body through the comment section. Yakubi laid out 10 achievements from her 2020-2021 presidential term as part of her campaign, including the Peer Support Program, $95 U-Pass rebate for eligible students, laptop rental service for students requiring one during virtual classes, and the learning and unlearning seminar series hosted by UTMSU throughout the year. Upon re-election, Yakubi plans to work further with Mississauga’s transit provider MiWay to construct an opt-out feature for students who do not use the U-Pass. This feat will include a comprehensive, comparative cost-analysis of U-Pass programs across Ontario, which can then be taken to MiWay for negotiation.
The comment section of Yakubi’s post on Reddit contained many questions and concerns from the UTM community regarding her re-election campaign. One user brought up the UTMSU’s opposition towards implementing online voting at UTM during their 2018 Annual General Meeting. The commenter emphasized how this year’s elections will be held online due to pandemic regulations and asked Yakubi if she thought the campus should adopt online voting procedures in the following years. “I think there are pros and cons to online voting, but at the end of the day, it’s up to students and what they prefer,” stated Yakubi. “As a candidate though, I’ve found online campaigning a little dry compared to in-person elections.” Yakubi stated that she would be interested in getting feedback from UTM students regarding online voting procedures after this year’s election. She also went on to say that students “can always resubmit a motion about online voting at future general meetings.” Another point highlighted by Yakubi’s campaign is a Covid-19 academic accommodation policy. This initiative is outlined in detail on the “Build Back Better” campaign website, buildbackbetterutm.com.
The initiative includes a call for the reduction of tuition and ancillary fees, expansion of mental health services, removal of subscription-based learning programs, affordable housing programs for students, and more, all in response to the changes brought by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Build Back Better UTM slate, front lined by final-year Biology specialist Mitra Yakubi, includes third-year Sociology specialist Ryan Tomlinson (VP Equity), fourthyear Commerce-Finance specialist Lai Wei (VP Internal), second-year Astronomical Sciences specialist Maëlis Barre (VP External), and fourth-year Communication, Culture, Information, and Technology major Merica Joy Carlos (VP University Affairs). The election roster also includes secondyear Criminology student Laiba Khan and third-year student Maryam Yousefipournigjeh. Both Khan and Yousefipournigjeh are running for the position of VP Equity as independent candidates, alongside Build Back Better UTM’s Tomlinson. Due to Covid-19 pandemic regulations and provincial limitations, the Spring 2021 elections will be held virtually. All UTM students are eligible to submit their votes between March 16-18 at the UTMSU Elections website.
website. “These jobs help Ontario students with limited work experience develop transferable skills, support their career goals, and learn more about the Ontario Public Service!” The Career Centre also offers students both live and on-demand virtual workshops to provide them with more information regarding career planning, smart job hunting, further education, exploring careers, and professionalism in the workplace. The Know Yourself workshop is available for asynchronous access over Quercus, U of T’s academic portal. It is aimed at students who require some assistance in planning their academic and professional careers. “[Know Yourself is] designed by the Career Centre to help you with questions about what to do after you graduate,” reads the centre’s website. “This course is a starting point to help you articulate who you are, what you want in a career, and helps you begin to develop.” Students who would like to explore their further education and career options are encouraged to check out the online resources available online and attend the many workshops offered by the UTM Career Centre.
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Premier Ford announces provincial updates on pandemic guidelines While case counts of Covid-19 appear to be decreasing, cases involving variant viruses are increasing throughout the province.
Razia Saleh Contributor
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n the morning of March 14, the Ontario Premier Doug Ford spoke at a press conference at Queen’s Park to update the public on the province’s vaccination program and Covid-19 cases in the region. Premier Ford stated 1,747 new cases of Covid-19 and 15 new deaths had been reported in the province. However, on March 8, a data issue resulted in a higher case count than expected, making the count invalid. The province has also administered 1,158,355 doses of Covid-19 vaccines as of 8 p.m. on March 13 and will continue to ensure priority will be given to individuals 80 years and older. If the vaccination rollout goes as expected, residents over the age of 75 will be able to get their vaccines in early April. Premier Ford also announced a new $115 million investment plan which will go toward training 8,200 additional Personal Support Workers (PSW). “This is part of our government’s longterm care staffing strategy, one of the largest PSW recruitment and training drives ever
in this country’s history,” stated Premier Ford. “This represents the biggest increase in PSW training capacity in a generation.” The new PSW training program will be able to train 6,000 students, free of any tuition costs. Moreover, due to the accelerated structure of the new program, students will be able to complete the eight-month-long program in just six months. A report by the Ontario Covid-19 Science Advisory Table suspects a 42 per cent jump in new Covid-19 variant cases. Thus, while cases of the original strain of coronavirus are decreasing, cases of new variants of the virus are increasing. However, the province is taking precautionary measures to address this new concern and how it will affect residents in Ontario. The advisory table’s slide deck, which was presented during a press conference on March 11, stated that while progress appears to have currently stalled, the province’s vaccination efforts have been successful within long-term care communities. “Our behaviour over the next few weeks is critical in determining the quality of our summer,” stated the report. “Controlling cases, increasing vaccinations where they will have the greatest impact, and accelerating vaccinations overall are how we beat the pandemic.”
According to the graphs shown by the Ontario Covid-19 Science Advisory Table, new variant cases have been rising since mid-February, while cases of the original virus have been dropping since the middle of January. The advisory table’s Scientific Director Dr.Peter Juni, who is also a University of Toronto professor and director of the Applied Health Research Centre at the St. Michaels Hospital, told CTV News that “people should still be taking precautionary measures until everyone is vaccinated.” The vaccination program is currently at full speed as the province has placed vaccination centers across the province. Here at the University of Toronto Mississauga, the clinic will be overseen by Peel Public Health, and vaccines will be administered by Trillium Health Partners. Masks are required to enter the clinic, and it will take at least 35 minutes of your timed schedule to complete the vaccination process. As stated on the UTMs’ Covid-19 Vaccination Clinic website, “You can expect to spend five minutes in the screening area; five to 10 minutes at the registration desk; five minutes receiving the vaccine itself; and 15 minutes in the post-vaccination monitoring area.”
Vaccinations will be given to the most vulnerable and at-risk residents. “The provincial government is leading the vaccine rollout, guided by a framework that gives priority to those that are most vulnerable, such as long-term care residents, First Nations communities, frontline healthcare workers, and people aged 80 and older,” reads the website. “Decisions about when someone is offered a vaccine are determined by the provincial framework.” Community members will be grouped and prioritized in accordance with the Ontario Vaccine Framework guidelines, and all individuals, UTM affiliated or not, will be processed in the same manner. “Members of the U of T community—faculty, librarians, students, and staff—will be prioritized in the same way as other members of the public, as outlined in the province’s vaccine roll-out plan,” read the clinic’s website. Dr. Peter Juni, director of the Ontario Covid-19 Science Advisory Table, said to CTV News that if the vaccination rollout goes according to plan, he can guarantee that if the province were to enter a third lockdown, it would be the last one. “For now, the key to keeping the third wave at bay is to stay alert, tighten restrictions, vaccinate as quickly as possible, and keep the curve flat,” stated Juni.
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COMMENT
Editor | Aya Yafaoui comment@themedium.ca
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The implications of the CANZUK proposal for Canada-Britain relations Although some scholars are hesitant of the CANZUK proposal, this union would undoubtedly be advantageous for all of its members.
Alexis Whelan alexis@themedium.ca
Artur Silveira Ferreira Contributor
Online Yasmeen Alkoka online@themedium.ca
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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
n the 19th century, after the Napoleonic wars, Britain distanced itself from European affairs to focus on its empire, which was the largest empire in the world, comprising roughly 25 per cent of the world. However, in the 20th century, Great Britain fought two wars in Europe and decolonized, losing most of its empire worldwide. The country also saw a decline in relative power and influence within the international system, with the U.S. taking its place as a world power. The days of Pax Britannica might be over, but Brexit became the latest British movement away from European affairs, with Britain officially leaving the European Union on December 31, 2020. This movement towards a bigger international role in world affairs had Britain looking back to its former colonies for support and alliances, especially its former dominions such as Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. This was in anticipation that Britain might be dominated by the larger European Union. Even though Britain just spent five years negotiating a deal to leave the EU—where one of the largest concerns was over fishing rights, which contributes to less than 0.1 per cent of its GDP—it might spend the next five negotiating the creation of a new union, CANZUK. The core differences between CANZUK and the EU, which might be the reason why some Eurosceptics support the creation of this new union, are that the cultures of all four CANZUK countries are extremely similar and
they share the same language, two factors that often hamper negotiations within the EU. Furthermore, the CANZUK union would also have stricter migration agreements, which would be similar to the already existent Trans-Tasman travel agreement between Australia and New Zealand, where travel between member countries is prohibited if the citizen has a criminal record, an infectious illness, or is considered a national risk.Another fundamental difference between CANZUK and the EU is that the former would not have a supranational parliament, like the European Parliament in Brussels, which means that Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the U.K. would keep their de facto sovereignty and have the independence to draft their own laws.Members of the CANZUK alliance would also keep the freedom to negotiate their own trade agreements with other nations, another core distinction from the EU, which requires all 27 member states to agree to any trade agreement. Consequently, Canada would be able to continue being a member of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA). Considering the world might be entering a new era of multipolarity—multiple superpowers—this union would benefit its four potential member states. Together they would have the economic, diplomatic, and maybe even military power to rival the EU and possibly even China and the U.S. Last year, Canada, the U.K., and Australia issued a joint statement criticizing the national security legislation China imposed on Hong Kong, with Britain and Canada also issuing
a joint statement over the war in NagornoKarabakh. The main issue concerning the logistics of the union is the large distances between CANZUK member countries, with Sidney being nearly 12.5 thousand kilometers away from Vancouver, and London being roughly 5.7 thousand kilometers from Toronto. Just within Canada, the distances between the east and west coasts are already large, with Toronto and Vancouver being nearly 3.3 thousand kilometers away from each other. The CANZUK union would entail longer distances than the 2.9 thousand kilometers distance between Athens and Dublin, two European capital cities located on the edges of the Union. Although some people might be skeptical of the CANZUK union, arguing that it is neo-imperialist behaviour from Britain, this union would undoubtedly be advantageous for all of its members. Not only would trade and movement of civilians increase between member states, but foreign policy cooperation would greatly improve as a result of having a union between those four nations. As mentioned before, Canada, Australia, the U.K., and New Zealand have already cooperated before in foreign policy, showing decisiveness and stepping up when there is a lack of decisive action from either the EU or the U.S. Ultimately, CANZUK would decrease the world’s dependency on support from the U.S. when dealing with foreign affairs like the Chinese expansion in the South China Sea or the Russian invasion of Crimea, and promote more peaceable trade and civilian relations between its member states.
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features
Editor | Elizabeth Provost features@themedium.ca
Covid-19 is fueling waves of xenophobia and anti-Asian discrimination all over the globe. ABC Photo Illustration
The rise of anti-Asian attacks in Canada and other parts of the world May Alsaigh Associate Features Editor >> ATTACKS continued from page 01 According to Statistics Canada, of the 43,000 Canadians who participated in the study titled, “Perceptions of personal safety among population groups designated as visible minorities in Canada during the Covid-19 pandemic,” citizens of Asian descent reported an increase of racially or ethnically motivated harassment towards their community. Moreover, of the participants that identified as Chinese, more than 30 per cent reported feeling a greater occurrence of discrimination for their race, colour, or ethnicity. Emerging research suggests that individuals experiencing acts of racist aggression are at risk for severe mental health illnesses. A study published in the Ethnic and Racial Studies journal indicated that Covid-19 related hate crimes towards Asians in the U.S. may lead to a mental health crisis in the long run, and has already caused a surge in anxiety and depression levels in the community. Racist attacks targeted towards elderly Asians in Canada and the U.S. have also been on the rise. In San Francisco, a 19-year-old was charged with murder and elder abuse after he shoved an 84-year-old Thai man into the pavement. The victim died two days later from a head injury. A similar incident occurred in Vancouver, where a 92-year-old elderly Asian man with dementia was assaulted in a convenience store. According to authorities, the male suspect insulted the victim by yelling racist remarks and shoving him outside the store, where he fell and injured his head. While this violent assault took place in
April of 2020, the Asian community has since been subject to the racial projections from the controversy of the Covid-19 outbreak simply due to the visible characteristics that classify them as a visible minority group from where the virus is known to have originated from. The discrimination has extended to the economy of many businesses operated by Asian Canadians that have been established within society for generations. During the initial phases of the pandemic, Chinese restaurants and food markets in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) experienced a 30 to 80 per cent decrease in sales. Harassment of Asian communities across Canada resonates from Canada’s history of anti-Asian actions. The systemic racism in Canada can be observed through policies such as The Chinese Head Tax of 1885 and the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1923, which effectively restrained and controlled immigration from China. Japanese internment camps during World War II, as well as the lack of post-war efforts to address the injustices committed within those camps, further exemplify Canada’s racist history with Asian populations. The prejudiced stereotypes of Asians being “disease-carrying individuals,” were present during the SARS outbreak of 2003 and have persisted into the novel coronavirus outbreak we are currently undergoing. UTM Sociology Professor Weiguo Zhang specializes in social demography, sociology of families, and social policy. He is currently researching discrimination within the context of Covid-19 in Ontario. Along with a group of professors from different universities, Professor Zhang is conducting a study to investigate the impacts of Covid-19 on
Chinese communities and the resulting psychological effects. Professor Zhang and his colleagues have already begun their study through two rounds of surveys, one conducted in April and the other currently ongoing within Ontario. They gather data from interviews and a cross-sectional online survey of Chinese immigrants aged 16 and older. These surveys attempt to assess the prevalence of racial discrimination against Chinese immigrants as well as any psychological distress. The results from last April’s survey revealed 11 per cent of participants had experienced discrimination. Conducting two sets of surveys over a year has enabled Professor Zhang to understand how the pandemic has affected the Chinese community directly and how the results have changed since the emergence of the virus. He states, “we are trying to understand, in addition to psychological aspects, how do [individuals] cope?” From his research, Professor Zhang discovered a shocking revelation: some individuals do not recognize they are victims of discrimination. He mentions that since forms of racism have become latent and normalized within society, it has been difficult for individuals to acknowledge that they have been victims of anti-Asian discrimination. Drawing on the data gathered so far, despite not finalizing any articles yet, Professor Zhang explains that “many Chinese [individuals] actually do not recognize some of the discrimination as discrimination.” He provides an example where an elderly immigrant Chinese participant in his study was asked by a Walmart staff to remove her mask during the early stages of the pandemic. Though this instance is not as aggressive as other hate crimes that have recently occurred, it nev-
ertheless demonstrates how individuals of Asian descent have been experiencing racism since before the coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic. However, Professor Zhang believes society can support the Asian community during these challenging conditions by raising awareness about Anti-Asian attacks, especially during Covid-19, whether through informal discussions or public campaigns. “We need to create some type of awareness so we know it happens [and] we know it is there. We shouldn’t deny these issues with the Chinese community,” says Professor Zhang. Another way individuals can support these communities is by holding online or social media meetings, which is an initiative Professor Zhang is trying to incorporate this year in his research and teachings. The city of Toronto has also launched an educational campaign in an effort to raise awareness addressing these anti-Asian attacks. The Toronto District School board (TDSB) and Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) have developed a program that introduces ways to utilize an anti-oppressive framework for education. The resource booklet introduces tips to encourage educators to address these issues in classrooms and guide students on how to dismantle this recent surge of systematic racism. Pointing fingers in a situation such as the one we face as a society is easy to do. However, doing so has drastically hurt a community, physically, mentally, and economically. Xenophobia has ravaged the Asian community and made individuals of Asian descent feel unsafe and to blame. From small remarks to blatant targeted violence, there is a need for awareness on the current xenophobia crisis. We must put an end to these hate crimes.
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Photo/ Yishai Hope
How feminist and anti-oppressive pedagogies are explored at UTM UTM Geography Assistant Professor Nicole Laliberté on redefining pedagogy in a new light.
Hana Khan Staff Writer >> FEMINIST continued from page 01 At the time of her trip, Guatemala was amid the Guatemalan Genocide—a massacre of Maya civilians during the military government’s counterinsurgency operations. She noticed that even in the worst conditions, Guatemalans around her talked of hope— they spoke about a prosperous future and imagined a life without genocide and war. However, when she returned to Guatemala more than fifteen years later, she realized that there was a change in the discourse among Guatemalans. Although the state of Guatemala was not as bad as it once was, people had less hope. They began to settle for the poor conditions of their circumstances simply because they were liveable. “I was really interested in this transition of the post-war peacebuilding period because, during the war, people imagined alternative futures. But when things came to a normalized status, there was less fight for change,” says Laliberté. Her experiences in Guatemala, and the change that she saw in people, was what led her to study post-war peacebuilding for her Ph.D. degree and inspired her to pursue feminist and anti-oppressive pedagogical studies. Laliberté is an associate professor in the department of Geography, Geomatics and Environment at UTM. With a background in feminist geopolitics, Professor Laliberté has a passion for exploring the intersecting academic area of environmental and social justice.
In particular, Laliberté teaches with feminist and anti-oppressive pedagogical approaches that consider the historical relations of power and privilege and how those influences shape the institutions from which we receive knowledge. With these approaches, Laliberté aims to challenge the institutions and social norms that perpetuate inequality and injustice. Additionally, through her experiences in Guatemala, Laliberté was influenced to lean towards collaborative-based teaching. This is one of the most important aspects of feminist and anti-oppressive pedagogical approaches because it creates conversation among people, pushing back against dominant narratives of knowledge that often prioritize the voices of white men. Laliberté aims to apply feminist and antioppressive pedagogical methods to her classes. Although there are certain constraints that Laliberté faces in bringing a truly feminist and anti-oppressive approach, she expresses that the most important aspect is awareness. “It’s all about being aware. [In class, I want to] make explicit when there are structures at play that inform [certain types of] actions that do not match with [anti-oppressive and feminist approaches].” Furthermore, Laliberté explains that there are practical strategies that can be used to apply her methods. “It starts with the syllabus,” she says. When creating a syllabus for the class, she considers whose voices are represented in the readings and topics; it is crucial that diverse types of struggles are talked about and considered from different perspectives. Unfortunately, it is challenging to explore and practice innovative strategies of antioppressive feminist pedagogical theories, especially at institutions like U of T because of
the large class sizes. Additionally, Professor Laliberté explains that there is only so much that an individual professor can do to foster an anti-oppressive feminist environment. It is important to also call our institutions to act on these issues. Universities should ensure that they are hiring and sustaining a wide diversity of faculty members to welcome more voices, cultural experiences, and perspectives.
“To fully embrace anti-oppressive and deminist approaches to discourse, not just teaching, institutions myst reflect on how knowledge is presented, and even more importantly, who is represented in that presentation of knowledge.” Aside from increasing diversity, these institutions also have a responsibility to hold themselves accountable for the systems they perpetuate. Laliberté explains, “Institutions have a responsibility not only to speak to the conditions of the world that we live in right now but also to take responsibility for historical legacies. Institutions of higher learning have historically been elitist. We as an institution have a responsibility to be thinking about this and should ultimately filter down to individual courses as well.” Professor Laliberté emphasizes that conventional lectures and class structures do not
allow for the full facilitation of anti-oppressive pedagogical theories. “I used to always joke that I would never want to teach in a classroom because I think there’s so much learning that happens outside of the classroom—that’s where people integrate the knowledge into their lives and make meaning of it,” says Laliberté. For anyone interested in pursuing antioppressive and feminist research, Laliberté advises that “you don’t have to reinvent the wheel” to study these teaching approaches. While a lot of mainstream research is done within the structures of colonial institutions, Professor Laliberté explains how there are many incredible scholarly ancestors who have laid the groundwork. Aspirational researchers and educators should look to those spaces outside of the traditional institutions and teaching methods that tent to promote the voices of white men as primary sources of scholarship. To fully embrace anti-oppressive and feminist approaches to discourse, not just teaching, institutions must reflect on how knowledge is presented and, even more importantly, who is represented in that presentation of knowledge. After such an understanding, educational establishments can become more inclusive. Professor Laliberté believes that this begins with “including the more vibrant and comprehensive aspects of knowledge.”
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Can cloning save endangered species? Amanat Kaur Contributor
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UTM Assistant Biology Professor Ted Erclik on cloning and the possibility of reintroducing extinct species.
ptimism for endangered species rose with the successful cloning of an endangered black-footed ferret. The precious Elizabeth Ann, born on December 10, 2021, was cloned from the preserved cells of Willa, a fellow black-footed ferret who died in 1988. This remarkable feat comes 24 years after the first mammal, Dolly the Sheep, was cloned from an adult cell. Elizabeth Ann is the first endangered U.S. species to be cloned using the cells of a deceased ancestor. Media like science-fiction movies portray an inaccurate picture of cloning and impede us from admiring the incredible procedures and scientific advancements required to produce such an organism. UTM Assistant Biology Professor Ted Erclik shares some valuable insight from his expertise in genetics and molecular biology to explain the possible implications of cloning on endangered species. Cloning from adult cells first came about in 1958, when British biologist John Gurdon used skin cells from adult frogs to clone new frogs. Dolly the Sheep, an extraordinary scientific breakthrough, followed in 1997. To simplify the concept of cloning, Professor Erclik explains, “You’re taking an unfertilized egg and taking out its nucleus, so the egg does not have any genetic material. We take nucleus from another animal and plant it into the enucleated (no nucleus) egg. Remarkably, the nucleus coming from another animal, is able to redirect the development of a whole new embryo when put into the egg.” In this case, Willa’s nucleus was transplanted into the enucleated egg of a domestic ferret who, despite being from a different species, successfully gave birth to Elizabeth Ann. As a simple analogy, suppose you want to bake cookies. You prepare some dough and use some of it to bake a batch of cookies and freeze the rest. Three days later, you use the frozen dough to bake another batch of cookies. But here’s the
catch. You use another oven to bake the second batch. Doing this, you have successfully cloned the cookies. Elizabeth Ann and Willa are cookies from the same dough, just baked some time apart in different ovens. As such, Willa and Elizabeth Ann are exact genetic copies of each other. “Nothing is exact though,” clarifies Professor Erclik, “The environment plays a role in every developing animal, which means they might not be exactly the same.” The success of cloning the black-footed ferret gives hope for the sustainability of endangered species. The valuable genes of endangered species, which would inevitably be lost after their death, can be preserved by reintroducing them back into a clone. Doing so will slowly increase the gene pools of endangered species, reverting them from extinction. Not only this but clones such as Elizabeth Ann, who arise from hybrid embryos, can take away the genetic load and introduce new and much-needed diversity into the species. Yet, once the thrill from this advancement settles down, the question looms: is cloning a feasible and effective option for increasing the population of endangered species? Or is it just a grain of sand in the mountain of efforts required to protect these vulnerable organisms? Identifying the reason for endangerment is imperative to ensure the survival of reintroduced cloned populations into their native habitats. The black-footed-ferrets went extinct due to habitat loss. These ferrets prey on prairie dogs, and as ranchers tried to eliminate colonies of these prairie dogs from their farms, they indirectly killed the ferrets who relied on them as a food source. “The prairie dogs are still not as abundant as they used to be,” says Professor Erclik as he addresses the issue, “What are the ferrets going to do once they are back in the wild?” As such, simply reintroducing the lost population is not a practical solution. The cause of endangerment must be addressed first to ensure that the new population does not face the same grave risks as its predecessor.
Concerns circulating cloning also include the long-term consequences of being a clone. Cloned animals tend to have a shorter lifespan compared to their counterparts. Dolly the Sheep lived for six and a half years, which is relatively shorter than the life expectancy of a regular sheep, which is approximately 10 to 12 years. Professor Erclik explains the reason for this phenomenon, “You are taking preserved DNA from the nucleus of a deceased adult animal. That nucleus has already lived a long life. The DNA might have had UV damage, mutations from shortened telomeres and other damage.” Putting this unreliable DNA into the fresh egg of a surrogate ultimately impacts the animal’s fitness, consequently leading to health defects and an untimely premature death. The emergence of cloning as a viable option for the protection of endangered animals may also overshadow the importance of conserving endangered animals. Significant breakthroughs with animals like Elizabeth Ann might be the first few steps on the path to saving endangered species, but cloning has still to prove its reliability. Albeit, protection of endangered species must be heavily prioritized with continually increasing efforts. One might also ask, can cloning be used to bring back extinct species? “Not necessarily,” replies Professor Erclik. The unavailability of adult cells containing the genetic material of the extinct species and the trickiness of finding a compatible host egg for implantation are some of the complicated snags in the mindboggling phenomenon of de-extinction. So, you might not find yourself purchasing tickets to Jurassic Park just yet. However, the future of endangered species still holds a strong beacon of hope, in part due to the possibility of cloning. The case of Elizabeth Ann has opened many new avenues for species at risk of extinction. Ongoing research will bring forth other innovative techniques that will benefit endangered species. With a collection of efforts through diligent habitat conservation, public awareness, and ground-breaking scientific successes like cloning, the future of reintroducing endangered animals is adorned in positivity.
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Arts
Editor | Chris Berberian arts@themedium.ca
How A24 is transforming modern cinema How one indie studio carved a name for itself in a field of studio giants. Dalainey Gervais Contributor
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s the semester draws to a close, many students are looking ahead to the summer—sipping iced tea under the warm sun, floating along in a pool, cherishing the moments without midterms. Even standing in line for hours at Canada’s Wonderland doesn’t seem too bad right now. Growing up, while everyone else roasted marshmallows by the fire and lost their voices at a Taylor Swift concert, I spent my summer nights with my cousin, staying up late, watching horror movies. Over the past few summers, some of the best in horror have come from one indie studio in New York City. Its name is A24. It’s a small film production and distribution company, and it’s quickly disrupting Hollywood. Although not exclusively a horror distributor, A24 has spearheaded the genre’s renaissance, making late-night movie nights all the more memorable. Founded in 2012 by fresh-faced producers Daniel Katz, David Fenkel, and John Hodges, A24 had a humble beginning distributing lower-budget films such as Spring Breakers and The Spectacular Now.
These and other early releases drew small audience numbers and minimal box office success, but the company had something unique. Behind the scenes, A24 was developing a cult-like following for its nowtrademark colour palettes, inventive filmmaking, and surrealist storylines, opening the company’s door to Hollywood. Over the next few years, A24 had success premiering its films at the Cannes Film Festival, which helped attract Hollywood A-listers to try art-house projects. Lenny Abrahamson’s Room (2015) marked A24’s first breakthrough in the world of Academy Awards, with actress Brie Larson winning Best Actress for her role of Ma. As A24 gained recognition, in 2016, the studio became a worldwide name in the industry. That year saw the release of Moonlight, written and directed by Barry Jenkins, which took home the Golden Globe for Drama Motion Picture and the Oscar for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role. Although A24 laid the foundation for modern horror, Ari Aster’s breakthrough, Hereditary, cemented the studio’s status as genre king in 2018. The film presents the sorrow and terror of a grieving family and the family’s relationship to supernaturalism, rather than a tale of fictional monsters. Two years later, Aster directed a sophomore feature, Midsommar, which follows Florence Pugh on a horrifying adventure in a Swedish commune, drawing
inspiration from a mysterious and ancient pagan cult. Aster challenges the genre of horror, by suggesting horror can be present in our everyday life, erasing the fallaciousness often presented in other horror films. Alongside Aster’s catalogue are other modern horror gems such as Trey Edward Shults’ It Comes at Night (2017), Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017), and Robert Eggers’ The Witch (2015) and The Lighthouse (2019). It’s increasingly important for independent studios such as A24 to produce films, especially in our current Disney monoculture. One dominating voice in Hollywood is detrimental to film, where a certain formula is used repeatedly for monetary success. Minority, art-house voices should always be a priority for fresh perspectives on social commentary. A24 allows for diversity in the world of cinema, by giving smaller screenwriters the platform to express themselves and access to well-deserved recognition in media. This year is set to be an exciting one for A24 with the highly anticipated July release of the ominous King Arthurinspired, The Green Knight. Other 2021 titles include Minari, an understated immigration story of a Korean family, Zola, a movie inspired by a zany Twitter thread, and Pleasure (2021), a damning critique of the porn industry. Whatever movie piques your interest—whether horror, mystery, or surrealist genre bender—there’s plenty of fodder for your upcoming summer movie nights.
Not Really Radio: Solve lets you ask the questions Become the detective in this immersive true crime-inspired podcast. Lourdes Duah Contributor
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olve isn’t your ordinary audio-drama. Produced by iHeartRadio, each episode tells a new fictionalized story based on a true crime and has the listener try to guess the guilty party. In episode eight— Admissions—a high-school senior named Hazel has just discovered a ring of admissions fraud, and when she tries to blow the whistle, she’s silenced in the worst possible way. Admissions is immersive, well-acted, and mostly well-written (minus some occasional cliché dialogue). Like other Solve episodes, it engages us through mystery, drawing us into the narrative before asking us to solve the crime. The chosen mu-
sic enhances the overall mood, signalling the characters’ emotions without ever distracting from the dialogue. This episode has its flaws, but Solve remains an interesting way to practice some deductive reasoning. I suggest listening to this podcast in a quiet space, with headphones. Of course, you must listen carefully to spot clues in dialogue and flashbacks, especially the clues in background noise or seemingly innocuous sounds. Remember to be on the lookout. WARNING: Further plot discussion and minor spoilers below. There are five major players in Admissions. Hazel Blackwell is the star student and daughter of the town sheriff. Amy is Hazel’s best friend, who wants to attend college with her but doesn’t quite have the grades. Meanwhile, Mr. Briggs is the school’s guidance counsellor who has a unique way of helping Amy; Kiera is a popular student who refers Amy to Mr. Briggs; and Lucas is Hazel’s brother and another recipient of the guidance counsellor’s help.
After finding out Mr. Briggs’ “help” is actually admissions fraud, Hazel becomes torn. On one hand, she feels obligated to expose the guidance counsellor, while on the other, she doesn’t want to jeopardize Amy and Lucas’ futures. The guilt picks away at her, and so she decides she’ll tell her father everything first—except she never does. She’s murdered minutes before he can pick her up from school. Admissions opens strong with two intense scenes: Amy frantically calling 911 as Hazel bleeds out, followed by Hazel’s father giving an emotional speech. Whereas most Solve episodes hook the listener by starting with the victim’s death, starting with the aftermath can be just as gripping. Admissions does well in giving each suspect a motive for murder, so the culprit never becomes too obvious. While the evidence is there, I found it too subtle. The episode’s “smoking gun” goes by so quick that it’s nearly impossible to catch, which ruins the fun of solving the mystery and makes the reveal feel unsatisfying. This episode could’ve benefited from integrating more clues that subtly point
to our killer. Other Solve episodes tend to sprinkle in multiple clues or show enough events and character relationships for the listener to put together what may have happened, with or without the smoking gun. It’s a tough balance for a mystery to have clear enough clues to spot, but not be so clear that the reveal is obvious. Hazel’s characterization is another one of the episode’s weak points. She’s essentially perfect: a straight-A student and varsity athlete who’s liked by everyone and possesses an unshakeable moral compass. A golden child that’s more than bordering on cliché. Her father also seems too perfect, but he’s barely in the story. Hazel is the protagonist, which puts her unnatural, tiresome persona on display for the entire episode. The other characters are more nuanced and morally grey, so Hazel, while not unlikeable, feels flat by comparison. Despite this episode’s flaws, Solve gives you enthralling, meticulously crafted stories. Sometimes, the tales need refining, but they’re still a worthwhile listen for anyone who loves a good mystery.
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The crashing dreams of childhood stardom
The biggest Black artists of the past two decades
When early fame creates everlasting consequences.
Danica Teng Associate Arts Editor
[TW - sexual abuse]
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ig dreams often begin in childhood, and the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” so often prompts starry-eyed responses. While some lucky people fulfill their calling later in life, even fewer can make their dreams come true at a young age. The film industry offers a fasttrack ticket to that dream. Whether young or old, many people aspire to fame. It can be especially tempting for children, who identify so closely with the people they watch on TV. But while fame promises a glamourous lifestyle, it conceals a cruel reality behind the curtains. Soon, any dream quickly turns into a nightmare. Even as an adult, the challenges that come with being a celebrity can be unbearable. So, what happens when you place those burdens on a child? For former childhood stars such as Amanda Bynes, Shia LaBeouf, and Britney Spears, the consequences of early fame were psychological distress, bouts of drug and alcohol addiction, and run-ins with the law. While stardom can be cheery, these examples show that isn’t always the case. Problems tend to arise for many children when they’re forced into the life of acting against their own will, often by their parents. With no control, child actors are deprived of a quiet life and are subjected to Hollywood’s dark side. It’s hard to grow up as your own person when the world has its eyes on you. Many familiar faces who made their debut in childhood have shared their experiences about the damages of an early exposure to Hollywood and how it’s affected their mental health. Alongside drug and alcohol abuse, they face media sexualization, overwhelming work hours, a lack of privacy, and bullying, among other struggles. The list of harmful consequences is lengthy, which sadly, sometimes ends in severe breakdowns and death. For many characters that we love and grew up with—the mischievous twins, Annie and Hallie, in Parent Trap, or Kevin McCallister and his inventive traps in Home Alone, or the goofy, but tough Sam Puckett in iCarly—the industry life hurts the real children, Lindsay Lohan, Macaulay Culkin, and Jennette McCurdy, offscreen. “Productions are good at covering themselves legally,” says British casting director, Shaheen Baig, in The Guardian. “But doing the right thing needs something else—hiring people to work with kids who actually like kids should be a given, but it isn’t.” In some cases, stars such as Natalie Portman and Dakota Fanning rise from child
stardom stronger than ever. They aren’t completely unscathed from the experience, but they survive. In other cases, some child stars only come back after going through Hollywood’s hell. There are various associated factors that predict how well a person adjusts after childhood stardom. Factors such as strong parental attachment and typical social experiences. “If the parents can keep every other aspect of the child’s life controlled and normal and there are continued boundaries and rules, those are the kids that do well,” says psychologist Ginger Clark in an interview with USA Today. “If you don’t have a really stable parental unit that’s setting limits ahead of time, then the roles get flipped easily and the child becomes the parent. They’re not ready for the responsibility. And you see kids spin out a little bit.” This spinning out applies to Drew Barrymore, as her story is often the poster for the worst Hollywood has to offer. Coming from a family of actors and actresses, Barrymore debuted at four, but rose to fame at seven years old for her role as Gertie in the popular sci-fi adventure E.T. the ExtraTerrestrial.
“[Barrymore’s] childhood fame led the actress to drink at just seven years old, go to nightclibs as early as nine, and do drugs at 10, all culminating in being institutionalized at 13 years old.” “One day I was a little girl, and the next day I was being mobbed by people who wanted me to sign autographs or pose for pictures or who just wanted to touch me. It was frightening. I was this seven-year-old who was expected to be going on a mature 29,” Barrymore told People Magazine. Barrymore has been open about her downward spiral. Her childhood fame led the actress to drink at just seven years old, go to nightclubs as early as nine, and do drugs at 10, all culminating in being institutionalized at 13 years old. Barrymore credits that 18-month hospital stay to helping her when she needed it most. And like Portman and Fanning, she too survived. Among all the different worlds movies offer, there’s still the real world off-screen. Instead of children growing toward their dreams, those dreams can feed off children when there’s a lack of care in the industry. Putting an overworked and overstressed child in an environment way beyond their years can often deprive them of writing their own story, developing their self-esteem, and living a happy life.
Some musicians revolutionized their genres, others transcended them. Robert Bui Contributor
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ince the end of the 1990s and the dawn of the new millennium, the music industry has welcomed a new wave of groundbreaking Black artists. In honour of the recent Black history month, The Medium has compiled some of the best Black musicians from the past two decades—each having revolutionized their craft, dominated the industry, and helped progress the world outside music. Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter, better known mononymously as Beyoncé, launched her solo career in 2003 with the album Dangerously in Love. Including her previous work with Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé is the most nominated woman in Grammy history with 79 nominations. Among her nods, she’s also the second-most awarded person ever, winning 24 times. Apart from music, Beyoncé has been vocal about LGBTQ+ rights and has strongly presented herself as a modernday feminist. There is no bigger name to kick-off this article than Beyoncé. Kanye West has never been afraid to speak his mind. While sometimes controversial, his influence on pushing rap to the mainstream is undeniable. Early in his career, West was best known for “sampling music”—the process of manipulating previous songs into something fresh. It’s since become a technique that today is more popular than ever. West burst onto the scene in the mid2000s, with his first three studio albums being nominated for the Grammy’s Album of the Year. Outside of music, Kanye has been in the news countless times for certain controversial comments. In 2005, he famously said that “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people.” While he’s gotten mixed reviews for his statement, the American government’s treatment of Black America remains an issue today. In 1994, Alicia Augello Cook, better known as Alicia Keys, had already begun her music career at just 13 years old, signing her first record label soon after as a 15-year-old. In 2001, she released her debut album, Songs in A Minor, which garnered immediate success and won five Grammy awards. Keys was one of the many R&B powerhouses in the 2000s. For years off-stage, she’s served as the Global Ambassador for the non-profit organization “Keep a Child Alive,” which provides healthcare and support services for people and communities affected by HIV/AIDS.
One of the biggest names across the globe right now, especially in Canada, Aubrey Drake Graham, aka Drake, has dropped the most popular albums in recent times, becoming the leading voice to a new generation of hip hop and R&B. The man who started out his career as an actor in Degrassi has since sold more than 260 million records. On March 8, he set a Billboard first by having songs ranked one and two on the top 100. Drake’s reach goes beyond music. In the music video for the song “God’s Plan,” the rapper donated money to those less fortunate, helping students, women’s shelters, and impoverished families. While original reports said Drake gave away $175,000 during the filming, it was later confirmed he donated one million dollars. Since 2013, Drake has also been the Global Ambassador for the NBA’s Toronto Raptors. Meanwhile, the previous co-owner of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, Shawn Corey Carter, also known as Jay-Z, is considered one of the greatest rappers of all time. Over his 34-year (and counting) career, Jay-Z became the first ever rapper honoured into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He’s also won 22 Grammy Awards and sold more than 100 million records. Over the years, Jay-Z has ventured deeper into the business world, embracing what he calls his “hustler mentality.” The artist has founded the clothing company, Rocawear, and the luxury sports bar chain, 40/40 club, both of which turned into multi-million-dollar corporations. In 2019, he became the first hiphop artist to become a billionaire. When it comes to philanthropy, Jay-Z has donated to fight against several issues, including student debt, water shortages, and the victims of police brutality. The newest artist on the scene, Frank Ocean started his career as a member of the rap group Odd Future in 2010 and released his solo mixtape, Nostalgia, Ultra, a year later. Since his solo release, Ocean has written songs for both Beyoncé and Alicia Keys, and has also sung on Jay-Z and Kanye West’s collaboration album, Watch the Throne. Ocean’s popularity rose to superstardom when he the released albums Channel Orange in 2012 and Blonde four years later. In 2012, Ocean wrote an open letter confessing that his first love was a man and stating that he now feels free. It was a revolutionary moment for a music genre long marred by homophobia, creating greater visibility for LGBTQ+ communities. As famed record executive Russell Simmons said, “Today is a big day for hip-hop… to go public about your sexual orientation gives hope and light to so many young people still living in fear.”
10 The work that Sherri and her team do for the show to capture what Rex is capable of is just astounding. Any show stealing is one hundred per cent deserved!” When Davis is watching the screen, she’s admittedly emotional and proud of all the dogs that take part. “They are like my kids. I am like ‘Damn, we did good, buddy!’” Diesel and his two look-alike nephews and personal stunt doubles, Izzy and Iko, give the show its heart.
“If Diesel were a person, he’d be the most annoying morning person you’ve ever met. When he goes to work, he’s the happiest creature.”
A conversation with the cast and crew of Hudson & Rex: Canada’s TV sensation about a crime-stopping German Shepherd Stars Justin Kelly and Sherri Davis reveal what makes this show so special.
Paige France Associate Arts Editor
>> REX continued from page 01 This season sees Detective Charlie Hudson (John Reardon) and his furry accomplice, Rex (Diesel vom Burgimwald) reassemble as the iconic duo, roaming the streets and sniffing out the action. Working alongside them is Tech Analyst Jesse (Justin Kelly), Dr. Sarah Truong (Mayko Nguyen), and Superintendent Joseph Donovan (Kevin Hanchard). Since its series debut in March 2019, show creators have filmed Hudson & Rex on location in St. John’s. The stunning scenery of Newfoundland and Labrador has elicited a wave of Canadian pride among engrossed viewers. As Kelly and the dog master, Sherri Davis, reveal in an exclusive interview with The Medium, the Canadian roots are what make the series so cherished by fans as well as the cast and crew. A Toronto native, Kelly claims he was drawn to Atlantic Canada’s scenic beauty and has been grateful to film there. Despite its Canadian setting, the series has been
broadcasted in more than 100 territories across the globe, including Italy, France, the Netherlands, Eastern Europe, Africa, and Latin America. “It’s always great to see when a Canadian show is recognized internationally. We really have some amazing talent here,” says Kelly. Kelly also acknowledges and thanks streaming services for promoting Canadian content on the international stage. The bigger the platform, the wider the audience. For Davis, despite working on the sets of both Canadian and American TV shows and feature films over the last 25 years, the dog master has felt a stronger intrinsic connection with the former. “It’s a real honour being part of Hudson & Rex, being the #1 Canadian content show on Citytv. Knowing that our crew was a part of that is a privilege.” Working and training canines has been a dream in the making for Davis. Her fascination with shaping animal behaviour catalyzed when she brought home every stray animal imaginable to train, from crickets to snakes to frogs. “Anything that was injured or looked lost, I wanted to fix it and train it and have it as a pet.” On Hudson & Rex, Davis has had a uniquely personal opportunity to work with Diesel, the show’s four-legged star. As
she notes, their success all comes down to training every day, maintaining learned behaviours while teaching new ones. “It is a fallacy that old dogs can’t learn new tricks.” Playing a man’s best friend doubling as a crime-fighting partner, Diesel is not unbeknownst to his stardom. Unlike in the show, where Diesel eats Jesse’s lunches, in real life, he’s a finicky eater and is given the star treatment. “He loves roast beef, boneless chicken and turkey breasts, and of course, a good ole steak,” says Davis. Diesel has become quite the little diva. If he’s called onto set a little too soon and put into position before finishing touches are made, the German Shepherd has been known to turn around, walk away, and lounge on his perch. “It’s like, ‘Excuse me, sir? Would you like to come back and join us?’” says Davis. Between takes or on his lazy days, Diesel is brought back to his trailer to curl up on his king-sized bed for a little shuteye. Diesel’s fame cannot be understated; he has a large fanbase of staunch admirers. “I find he gets swarmed wherever we go,” Davis laughs. Usually getting asked for more pictures than his human cast members, Diesel steals the show. To his co-star, Kelly, it’s for good reason. “He’s just that talented.
Anecdotes and laughs are inevitable with such a tightknit cast and crew. “The thing that warms my heart is when we go in every morning and Diesel can’t wait to get to work. He takes off into the studio and greets every single solitary person. If Diesel were a person, he’d be the most annoying morning person you’ve ever met,” says Davis. “When he goes to work, he’s the happiest creature.” For Kelly, it’s the consistent laughter between cast members that makes the shoots so memorable. Diesel completes his scenes with fewer takes than his human counterparts, “mainly because we, as a cast, have a hard time trying to keep it together! Especially in the studio where we film all the police station stuff,” says Kelly. “The consistent antics and laughter between the cast isn’t always productive, but we have a good time.” The young actor from Toronto claims the most satisfying aspect is the people. “This cast and crew are amazing. We work long hours on this show. We do 16 episodes over the course of six to seven months. Shooting out in a place like Newfoundland, the elements aren’t always on our side, but everyone works tirelessly to make the show what it is,” says Kelly. “That we can get along and laugh all the way through is pretty great. We have an awesome group!” Fans can look forward to new episodes of this fetchingly enjoyable series, where they can catch Jesse return to the field alongside Hudson and Rex, as the team picks up their usual, mischievous bantering. With this detective meets canine escapades, the fun-forall-ages show is a suspenseful police comedy that is sure to keep you on your paws. Watch all-new episodes every Tuesday at 9EST/8CT on Citytv or stream live for free at Citytv.com or the Citytv app. To learn more about Davis’ work and get answers for everything you’ve ever wanted to know about our four-legged friends, you can listen to the How 2 Dog podcast. Each week, host and world-renowned animal expert Sherri Davis draws on illuminating conversations with fellow experts and her own vast experience to get to the bottom of our listeners’ canine questions. Call her hotline to ask your question at 1-833-HOW-2-DOG. The podcast launches March 16 on the Frequency Podcast Network.
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sports & health Study finds the reward seeking behaviour of social media is similar to craving for food.
Editor | Sarah-May Edwardo-Oldfield sports@themedium.ca
Looking for Instagram likes is similar to wanting food Duaa Nasir Staff Writer
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hat really drives our behaviour on social media? Every day, people can spend several hours scrolling through content on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others, despite any negative effects. In an attempt to answer this question, a study led by Björn Lindström from the University of Amsterdam examines whether social media engagement is a form of reward learning. Reward learning is a concept which suggests that an increase in a reward decreases the amount of time between actions that precede the reward. This study was published in Nature Communications on February 26, 2021. On the importance of this study and how it can help people, Lindström told ScienceDaily, “Our findings can help lead to a better understanding of why social media dominates so many people’s daily lives and can also provide leads for ways of tackling excessive online behavior.” There have already been several studies that liken the number of likes a post receives to a reward mechanism. The number of likes a person’s post receives can affect how they feel about that post. People increase the time they spend on a social media site after posting, possibly anticipating a reward (i.e., more likes). People are also more willing to engage with other people’s posts after others engage with their posts. All these findings suggest a relationship between social media and a reward mechanism. The researchers analyzed over one million posts from over 4000 people on a variety of social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. They found a relationship between the number of likes posts received and how frequently people posted: if a person’s posts received more likes, they posted more often. If their posts received fewer likes, they posted less often. Through computational models, Lindström found that this pattern resembles reward learning, which is also a process non-human animals such as rats use to obtain the maximum amount of food in the Skinner box. The Skinner box is an experiment during which an animal has to perform an action to obtain food. “These results establish that social media engagement follows basic, cross-species principles of reward learning,” said David Amodio, one of the coauthors of the study from the University of Amsterdam and New York University. To support their findings, the researchers experimented with an online platform similar to Instagram, with 176 participants. People could post memes and like other posts. They found that on average, people who received more likes on their posts posted more frequently. In the study, the researchers note in their paper that “naturally, there are many possible reasons for posting on social media in addition to reward seeking, ranging from self-expression to relational development. While our research focused on how social rewards explain behavior, it does not preclude the potentially important roles of other motivations.” “These findings may help us understand why social media comes to dominate daily life for many people,” said Amodio, “and provide clues, borrowed from research on reward learning and addiction, to how troubling online engagement may be addressed.”
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Rachel Lord/The Medium
How UTM athletes have responded to Covid-19 UTM athletes speak up about how the Covid-19 pandemic and canceled sports games have impacted their well-being. Rachel Lord Contributor
>> ATHLETES continued from page 01 A member of UTM’s men’s soccer team reported to The Medium that “coping with the difficulty of losing my sport is a feeling that can’t be expressed in words […] knowing that the season was cancelled and that I could not play the sport I love with my teammates was extremely difficult to get over. Being able to talk to my teammates and realize that the feeling [was mutual] really helped calm me down.”
Dr. Ashmallah reported to the Toronto Star that the discussions surrounding Covid-19 are incredibly polarized. The lockdown is absolutely essential, yet people are suffering mentally and it is not being talked about. The most important thing for athletes right now is to start the conversation, recognize your emotions and feelings, and reach out to those around you. Although UTM athletes have faced negative implications due to the second-wave lockdown, they have found ways to cope with their disappointment of losing their sports season. When asked how she coped with the effects of the lockdown, Anuska Budhu reported that “I had to mentally
force myself to take a breather and look into other aspects of my life, and to enjoy the extra time I had with my family and with myself.” In terms of maintaining her athleticism, Emily Sevcik said that she managed to keep training on her own by incorporating fitness exercises into her daily routine, making use of resistance bands and weights at home. Alessia Moia, a member of the women’s soccer team, suggested that if her fellow athletes are facing frustration from not being able to compete or train, they should try their best to get outside. Moia said that she would “encourage other athletes to do
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the most that they can with the circumstances given. Even just getting outside and kicking the soccer ball around helps tremendously.” In addition, Anuska Budhu told The Medium that “there is so much to be grateful for. The time that this pandemic has given us shouldn’t be wasted. If you spend all your time mourning what we’ve lost, then you lose sight of all the gains that the lockdown has offered you.” Although student athletes have faced countless disappointments over the past year, UTM’s athletes have continued to demonstrate their resilience and ability to overcome these massive challenges.