My legacy is my students
The sincToofStudentIndependentNewspapertheUniversityofrontoMississaugae1974 themedium.ca Issue 3 Volume 49 September202219
When Gillespie was a child, she wanted to be a writer. Now, she hates writing—de spite it being an integral part of her job. She finds the focus and dedication needed diffi cult to achieve as a mother of three, insisting on maintaining a healthy work-life balance while prioritizing her endless duties as Prin
“I really care about kindness.”
cipal and as a parent. But also, she finds that writing limits narratives. “When you [pub lish writing], it pretends to be finished, right? I’m very uncomfortable with that because I think that the ideas are still alive,” she ex plains. When writing, there is a point where a line is drawn—when the article, book, or press release is submitted for publication. From then on, the writing exists as “a little impression, a little moment in time.” Rather, she is interested in the evolution of ideas, how knowledge is a process, and maintaining con tinuous conversations. She believes that there should always be an extension of the written work since creativity and innovation extend beyond the period at the end of the sentence. This is why she became a leader—to build on what was previously established.
Principal Gillespie’s team consists of a range of individuals of varying backgrounds. She admires their smarts and cherishes the intellectual traditions they contribute to how she manages the campus. But most impor tantly, “I really care about kindness,” she says. She values working in an environment where people are good to one another, acknowledg ing that this doesn’t mean they don’t disagree or argue. Gillespie emphasizes that her team and those she has entrusted with positions of power are communicative and lead with a de sire to arrive at decisions in the best interest of all students. She knows that “it’s my team that produces the legacy, [it’s not] just me.”
The notion of legacy is often reserved for leaders, but Principal Gillespie argues against this. Each student at UTM has a story of their own, filled with hopes and legacies that are unique in nature. Establishing a legacy is not dependent on how much you do, but on the quality of your work, and how you utilize the resources provided by institutions like UTM. We all have a legacy to pursue, and a drive to fulfill, as future healthcare professionals, en gineers, politicians, writers, journalists, art ists, and principals.
“You have longer to do good in the world than I do,” says Gillespie, beaming with hope as she instills a sense of determination within us. Emphasizing her necessity for kindness in the workplace, she extends its importance to the UTM community by insisting that “giv ing people hope, enthusiasm, and courage [helps them] enjoy things that we know will help them to do good. [...] That’s one of our jobs. And if we manage to do that, then that’s definitely [my] legacy.”
Elizabeth Provost and Aia Jaber Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor
Whetherfrom.”or not one begins a leadership position with the intention of creating a great legacy, the notion of what we’ll be known for long after we leave is a discussion—both
In 2020, Gillespie joined what she describes as an “even bigger process,” and her biggest adventure yet—becoming Principal. “I didn’t want to be agonized [with writing] anymore, I wanted to be full of joy and energy.” She ac knowledges that although the bigger conver sation is what she is part of, the overwhelm ing nature of thinking about the larger ideas related to the world, politics, climate change, and even our home front, “can be hard.”
“We are only here because of the people who came before.”
With a can of Coca-Cola in hand to revive her spirits, Principal Gillespie illustrates her hopes for students and UTM as an institution. Gillespie feels that “studying at the University of Toronto [means being] historically, and in global terms, [in] a privileged position.” Gil lespie hopes for the establishment of an en gineering department, as well as a nursing program to combat the increasing shortage of healthcare workers across Canada, especially in Indigenous communities.
The lush greenery, kind faces, and excep tional innovation of the University of Toronto Mississauga leave a lasting impression on ev eryone on the campus. Much of it is due to the hard work of administrators and leaders, such as Gillespie and her team. “I am very lucky and in fact, I would consider it part of my legacy to have recruited, retained—I hope, empowered—enthused, [and] livened, some really wonderful people here at UTM,” she shares. Her team enriches and challenges her thinking. They define diversity as one of the important pillars of the campus, and one she holds to be true of the leadership across UTM. However, she adds, “the degree of rep resentation is not enough, but I’m proud of what we’ve done.”
“It’s my team that produces the legacy, [it’s not] just me.”
“What he did was extraordinary, [...] but we remember some legacies and we don’t remem ber others,” says University of Toronto Missis sauga (UTM) Principal Alexandra Gillespie as we sit across from her at the oval wooden desk in her bright office on the third floor of the William G. Davis Building. She’s cur rently writing a paper on why the first printer wasn’t the famed Francysk Skaryna, Johannes Gutenberg, or William Caxton, but rather, an empress in China in the seventh and eighth centuries who mass produced Buddhist texts. “She produced a million copies of woodblock xylographies,” continues Gillespie.
As a historian of technology and of the book, Principal Gillespie studies “the things folks have left behind,” she explains. “We are only here because of the people who came before. [There are] such gifts in the past and, sometimes, we don’t even know we have them. Everything we think, every word that we speak, we have because someone has given it to us.” Throughout our conversation, it’s ev ident that Gillespie’s research and knowledge have influenced how she leads this campus. She calls it “giving forward,” telling us it’s not just a source of joy, but also “where it all comes
In 1522, Belarusian scholar Francysk Skary na established the first printing press. This feat came shortly after printing the Bible and Psalter in 1517 in the Ruthenian language— a language once used in today’s Belarus, Ukraine, and the Eastern Slavic region. To many, he is known as the first book printer in Eastern Europe, having created an epoch in the history of printing.
“She?!” we inquire, both surprised by the silenced story of Empress Wu (AD 625-705), who revolutionized printing during her rule. Sometimes, we do wrong to adhere to pre defined societal narratives of what it means to be a leader and who can be a great one. It should not come as a surprise to hear of a woman in power, but yet, we found awe in Empress Wu’s legacy. As two women hoping to create a legacy of our own at The Medium, it’s inspiring to know that the space in which we exist is pioneered by a woman.
internal and external—that presents itself throughout our time as leaders. Students come to UTM from diverse backgrounds, carrying their own histories and their own legacies. “What they then go out and contrib ute to the world, that’s actually a legacy,” says Gillespie. This expansive web containing the unique footprints of our community is what she hopes students remember of their time at the university. “I hope no student leaves this institution thinking about me,” she shares to be her biggest wish.
Determined to inspire hope, Principal Alexandra Gillespie shares how legacies are forged every day.
Mariliah Pimenta, a first-year English student, believes that the mandate should be enforced on campus: “In a class
Kiara Senanayake Contributor
The Ukrainian war has seen back-and-forth developments in past few months. After the
Recognizing the importance of masking, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 3902 (CUPE3902)—a labour union representing lecturers, researchers, and teach ing assistants at U of T—has been pushing for the reinstate ment of masking mandates. As part of this call for action, the
the Russian advance towards Kramatorsk and Slovyansk.Facingincreasing international alienation, President Putin met with President Xi Jin ping of the People’s Republic of China in Uz bekistan on September 15, acknowledging the possibility that Beijing harboured doubts about Russian actions in Ukraine. Notably, President Xi did not explicitly comment on the situation in Ukraine, instead reinforcing that “China is ready to work with Russia in ex tending strong support to each other on issues concerning their respective core interests.”
Data compiled by the United Nations, dat ed September 12, 2022, states that there have been over 5,827 civilian deaths and 8,421 peo ple injured, totalling to 14,248 civilian casual ties. The conflict has resulted in the displace ment of over 13 million Ukrainians.
Yet, the administration’s decision has garnered contro versy, especially as other Ontario universities have contin ued enforcing masks indoor spaces, such as the University of Western Ontario and Wilfrid Laurier University.
The Medium spoke to several students about their opin ions on Saarahmasking.Ali,afirst-year Life Sciences student, believes that masking should be optional: “If you want to wear masks, that’s totally up to you,” says Ali. Wearing masks in densely trafficked areas such as crowded malls is still something Ali does. “But because campus is spaced out, I don’t mind [not wearing masks],” explains Ali.
In a statement on July 28, U of T announced the removal of mask requirements for students, staff, and faculty in in door facilities on campus. This decision was made as wide spread vaccination has greatly reduced the severity of Co vid-19 and the transmission of the illness.
Classes commence with no mask mandate at U of T
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with 1,400 people, seats are so close together and strangers are literally breathing on you, it’s kind of crazy they don’t mandate masks,” says Pimenta.
Russians launched a “special military opera tion” in the Donbas region in February 2022, the war escalated rapidly, with key territories in Kharkiv being ceded to Russian troops amid heavy Ukrainian losses.
Ukraine’s stand against Russia continues
After an extended stalemate in the Ukrainian war, tides turn as Ukraine launches counter-offensives against Russian-annexed regions.
In his 2019 speech given in Toronto, Zelen skyy likened his country’s hopes for advance ment and prosperity to the Raptors’ path to the NBA championship. Stating that the Rap tors “reflect the task facing Ukraine—to win when you’re the underdog and achieve the impossible.”Additionally, in his address, Zelenskyy re sponded to the question of what students in Canada could ask their political representa tives to do, emphasizing the “need [for] weap ons, financial support, humanitarian support, [and] permanent 24/7 sanction pressure.”
Likewise, Jingxuan Lin, a first-year Communication, Cul ture, Information & Technology student believes that wear ing masks is vitally important, and they would feel safer studying at UTM if masking was required. She recalls that some of her friends were infected with Covid-19 despite wearing masks, solely because other students around them who contracted the virus did not wear masks. “One of my friends in Scarborough [has] four to five people who [tested] positive [for Covid-19], and they were wearing their mask but [other students] weren’t,” she explains.
02 NEWS Editor | Larry news@themedium.caLau
flect the precarious nature of his country’s situation. Russia has faced severe losses on the battlefield and is suffering from crippling economic sanctions. Chinese imports of Rus sian crude oil increased by 55 per cent since the previous year, suggesting a strong relation ship between the two regional superpowers and Russia’s increasing commercial reliance onInChina.apress statement released on Septem ber 8, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken conveyed that a further US$2.2 billion dol lars would be made available to Ukraine and 17 other neighbouring states to bolster se curity in the region, particularly in the case of increased Russian aggression, subject to Congress approval. This would bring the total financial aid provided by the Biden adminis tration to US$15.2 billion.
There is a scientific basis for arguments advocating for the continued use of masks. After all, masks will always help reduce transmission of Covid-19 since they prevent respira tory droplets from passing through. This is especially im portant considering the close quarters required in lectures.
On June 22, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed a stu dent audience at the University of Toronto Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Pol icy via live video. The event, hosted by U of T president, Meric Gertler, involved represen tatives from University of Montréal, Queen’s University, and Western University among many others. The address is the latest in a se ries of speeches given by President Zelenskyy at international forums, governmental bodies, and public institutions to garner support for Ukraine.Inhis speech, Zelenskyy reminisced about his visit to Toronto in 2019, where he had spo ken of his “dream country: a state where the highest value will be the human being.” Alas, in 2022, Ukraine is forced to fend off an ag gressor “whose highest value is [the] weapon.”
Putin’s diplomatic efforts with China re
However, in a sudden turn of events, Ukrai nian forces launched a successful counter-of fensive attack on September 5, 2022, retaking the region of Kharkiv, including the towns of Izyum and Kupyansk, which are key supply hubs for Russian forces. President Zelenskyy stated that since the start of the offensive, Ukraine has regained 6,000 square kilome tres of territory from Russian control, halting
Students have mixed opinions about university administration terminating one of the few remaining protocols safeguarding public health.
Razia Saleh Contributor
Years of mistreatment and neglect of the Earth’s ecosys tem has caused horrific crises, extreme weather, and natu ral disasters. With the upcoming 2022 United Nations Cli mate Change Conference, set to take place from November 6 to November 18 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, it is vital that world leaders properly define the effects of climate change and take concrete actions.
Dams and dikes were overwhelmed as persistent rainfall led to a dramatic rise in river levels. As the infrastructure fell apart, billowing tides inundated a third of the South Asian country. Numerous Pakistani cities were engulfed
UTM itself will also be looking for po tential hires at the fair, with representatives from the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union, the International Education Centre, the Centre for Student Engagement, and several more.
Pakistanis,” says Professor Daniere as she points out the inequity faced by Pakistanis in regard to the consequences of climate change.
in contaminated water, including Karachi, Pakistan’s most populous city. The city is now facing an outbreak of Dengue fever as a result of the flooding.
Most developing countries across the globe, such as Pak istan, are far more vulnerable to natural disasters than their developed counterparts. Such countries have limited access to methods that increase their climate resilience, which is defined by a country’s ability to prepare for, react to, and recover from various natural disasters.
This is especially concerning for students looking to join the workforce instead of con tinuing their education, as the path to se
UTM Career Centre’s Get Hired Fair to assist students in kick-starting their professional adventures
University of Toronto Mississauga’s Geography, Geomat ics, and Environment professor, Amrita Daniere, explains that the lack of fiscal resources is a critical reason as to why
Daniere believes that well-off countries such as Canada should offer financial assistance to developing countries to progress their climate resilience—considering that such wealthy countries are also the most responsible for disrupt ing the Earth’s ecosystem.
A ccording to a blog written by Stanford University Professor Michael W. Kirst, employers are looking for more than just grades when evaluating new employees— previous work experience is one of the most important factors that impacts the chances of getting
Humanitarian crisis unfolds as millions of people are affected by floods in Pakistan
and alumni a chance to meet with recruiters from a variety of fields and industries.
According to data compiled by the World Bank, in 2019, Canada’s carbon dioxide emissions reached 15.4 tonnes per person, compared to Pakistan’s 0.88 tonnes per person.
population with university degrees rises: “There are so many people now with good degrees, it’ll be difficult for employers to select the people who actually do have the highest level of skills,” says business lecturer Ray Bachan in an interview with the BBC
Food and water are both pressing concerns in the crisis. The flood has contaminated around 30 per cent of freshwa ter sources in affected regions. In addition, an estimated 70 per cent of staple crops have been destroyed by the flood, creating a risk of widespread food shortage.
“I’m excited to be able to talk to employers in person,” says Bursac. “I want companies to know who I am, and that I’m worth getting to know. Because I’ve got the skills and the knowledge, and I’m ready to work.”
curing employment opportunities involves building connections with recruiters.
Deanna Pathak, Global Head of Talent Attraction at Klick Health, spoke with The Medium through email about the Get Hired Fair: “We’re excited to partner with the Uni versity of Toronto and meet with students at the fair. We know that investing in junior tal ent will help us expand our business and set us up for continued success. We work in life sciences, an industry we know will be new to many students—but one that provides a di versity of exciting career pathways for junior candidates.”Theimportance of networking with indus try professionals is becoming all the more important as the percentage of the working
Bursac hopes that the face-to-face nature of the Get Hired Fair will provide oppor tunities for students like her to build those much-needed connections that would allow for a successful career.
developing countries may have limited climate resilience. Professor Daniere states, “Having very low incomes would make [the country] more vulnerable because a lot of the kinds of strategies people come up with for investing in creating resilient places, like protecting people, building structures that are above a certain water level, and investing in lots of nature-based infrastructure […] cost[s] money.”
Mihail Cubata Contributor
Larry Lau News Editor
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Katarina Bursac, a Biology specialist who plans to graduate from UTM in 2023, reflects on this: “There’s a big push for [Biology] students to go into master’s programs, so if you want to deviate from that, you’re in for a painful job hunt since every employer ex pects a master’s degree. It’s super restrictive.”
03 The devastating floods raise concern for climate change, inequity, and infrastructural problems in the South Asian country.
T his past summer, amid unprecedented rainfall, Paki stan, home to more than 220 million people, was struck by the most severe flood the country has seen in its recent history. As of September 13, more than 33 million people have been impacted by the flood, which ravaged the country’s infrastructure, destroyed millions of homes, and exposed the affected populations to infectious diseases. As of the same date, around 1,400 people have died.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has de clared the flooding in Pakistan a humanitarian crisis for children, with approximately 16 million children exposed to risks of drowning, deadly waterborne diseases, and mal nutrition due to the lack of supplies in the region. The dev astating effects of the flood worsen the pre-existing crisis of malnourishment that affects 40 per cent of Pakistani chil dren, as revealed in a UNICEF press release.
Recognizinghired. the importance of work ex perience, the University of Toronto Missis sauga’s (UTM) Career Centre will be hosting its Get Hired Fair, assisting students to se cure part-time and full-time jobs. The event will take place at UTM’s Recreation, Athlet ics and Wellness Centre on September 21, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. A T-Card is required for admission to ensure that oppor tunities are open only to U of T students and recentWithgraduates.representatives from over 70 hiring organizations, the fair gives UTM students
Notable sponsors of the event include life sciences marketing agency Klick Health, business software developer SOTI, and in surance provider SunLife, all of which are offering employment opportunities to UTM students. Other big names attending include the Royal Bank of Canada and the Toronto Dominion Bank.
As degree inflation and networking woes create obstacles for students, the UTM Career Centre holds the Get Hired Fair on September 21 to give students job opportunities.
Among the infrastructure swept away by the flood are 18,000 schools, rendering education an inaccessible service to many young learners in Pakistan’s most affected regions.
Canada is only one of many developed countries that are responsible for most of the world’s greenhouse gas emis sions. “And yet, who’s being kicked out of their homes?
PBS NEWS HOUR
King Leopold II of Belgium took Congo as his private property. The hunt for wealth merged with paternalistic saviourhood. AngloSaxon aesthetics met racialized science to produce racism of the most gruesome violence. Religious edict granted license to purge, cleanse, and re-forge a pagan population. So, Belgium took miner als, ivory, and rubber, while successfully committing one of history’s
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most successful genocides. As Leopold drew $1.1 billion in profits from Congo, roughly 10 million Congolese died between 1880 and 1920. But, there was a silver lining—at least for King Leopold II.
We will take Amazon’s money because we need it and because without money, people might die. And death is frightening.
Jonathan Divine Angubua Contributor
The Career Choice Program targets roles in innovation and web services, as well as robotics technology and user experience design, and the funding is only available for as long as these employees choose to stay at Amazon. It is a program made possible by Ama zon’s vast profits, and it is designed to increase its already signifi cant growth and market share. It appeals to a generation aware that wealth existing for wealth’s sake is sinful—that some of it must be shared through taxes or taken through workers’ strikes, protests, looting, and outrage. Power in the West can no longer be gained under an iron fist, so they make programs like these.
The main issue, however, is not that we are reading journals instead of stories—it is that I’m reading more for school than for myself. The Journal for Academic College Health has found that recreational reading helps reduce stress in students. Specifically, they discovered recreational reading only reduced stress if the students were motivating themselves to read.
Larry news@themedium.caLau
We should be wary of wealthy, influential corporations cosplaying ethics in an age of sensitivity and scrutiny.
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At the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885, the Congo River Ba sin was gifted to King Leopold II—a noble monarch bearing the gifts of Christianity, commerce, civilization, and education for Congo’s children. 137 years after Belgium took Congo, we saw the emergence of Amazon, Jeff Bezos’ “everything store,” which is now used nationwide. Amazon is the third-largest company in the world by revenue, the second-largest employer in the United States as of April 2022, a commerce and marketing powerhouse, and a global actor poised for conquest—just as Belgium once was.
Kareena opinion@themedium.caKailass
Editor-in-ChiefBOARD
The Congolese genocide came at a net benefit and focusing on conversations about powerful entities and the scramble for wealth entirely misses the point. The brutalities the Congolese were made to face in the name of a coveted western education from their Bel gian stewards was all that mattered.
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Most recently, Amazon started an education grant initiative to upskill its employees with “easy access to the education and train ing they need to grow their careers.” Through the Career Choice Program, Amazon now funds college students, high school diplo mas, General Educational Developments (GEDs), and English pro ficiency certifications for any of its front-line employees who are employed for at least 90 days.
In discussing Amazon and the Belgian Congo, I am wary of powerful corporations cosplaying ethics. I am hesitant of money enabling spectacular plays of goodwill in the hunt for profit and monopoly status, and of education becoming another Machiavel lian scheme to enslave the masses into further forfeiting art and literaryAmazonworks.isonly educating its employees to attract more workers.
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EDITORIAL
motivated and have reduced stress. But, let’s be real—we aren’t always piqued by every reading in class, so we feel forced and unmotivated to read. And what does that equal? Little to no pleasure from reading.
Opinion
I know. This sucks! On top of having to deal with university, relationships, and work, you have to organize your life in a way that lets you read more? I know reading is not the most interest ing hobby, especially because it is so much harder than listening to music or binging a new show, but studies show it can alleviate anxiety. Still, the university cannot force you to read, because it would not do the intended goal of filling you with tranquility.
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Elizabeth editor@themedium.caProvost
Kareem message@themedium.caAl-Sawalmeh
>> READ MORE continues on page 05 Reading in your free time helps alleviate psychological stress from coursework.SantiagoMorán Contributor Read more for pleasure, read less for school
A new problem arises when we accept this. How can the uni versity encourage recreational reading if motivation should be an automatic response, not one stirred up by professors? That’s the thing, reader! It’s up to you! The study by The Journal for Academic College Health also defines autonomous reasoning as “personal interest or meaning.” So, it comes down to this: if you have a personal interest in the content or reading, you will be
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In 2022, western civilization is burdened with competitive labor markets, increasing obsoletion of singular degrees as guarantors of progressive careers, and the efficient substitution of labor with technology. Amazon is setting out to be a hero and save western civilization from its own dark heart. The catch? Amazon is nurtur ing the same workforce that capitalist society often discards beyond the profit motive.
Over the past four years, I have read more words in academic journals than I’ve read words in works of fiction. I am certain that I am not alone.
I am wary of the Midas effect of growing corporations. Power is insatiable, and we must stay cautious of its bite. Counter programs to fund the arts, perhaps? Some way to sustain interrogations of the status quo, to keep these corporations accountable as they reap us into their payrolls and snuff out small businesses? Is this war? Peace? Who is to say?
War or Peace: Amazon’s Career Choice Program
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That is our net benefit: surviving.
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Instead, find meaning in your freedom. Discover an interest ing way to self-motivate in a way that works for you. Personally, I have taken to a new strategy: since I am more of a film person than a book person, I have decided to set a limit on myself. I can only watch a movie after I have read 50 pages of a book. That might not seem like much, but I watched 226 movies last year alone. So far this year, I have seen 155. Limiting myself to watch ing films only after reading has been rewarding for me.
Editor | Kareena opinion@themedium.caKailass
Fanfiction is the new (day) dream factory.
enforce recreational reading because that’s not the point. Recreational reading is for those who are capable and free to do Motivationit. is different for each person, and frankly, it’s very hard to be motivated when you’re under a time squeeze. Between demanding course loads, personal re sponsibilities, and everything else your life may entail, recreational reading time just might not be in your books. But, setting time aside for yourself, and keeping yourself motivated to read the types of books you love might just be the quick fix for you.
Despitepeople.itspotential downsides, romantic fanfiction continues to deliver incredible literature which should be taken seriously. I do not regret my days as a romantic fanfiction enthusiast and hope future generations get to experience the pleasure of reading these beautiful tales. However, we should be careful of the time we spend dis sociating. Real life is not that bad; you just have to find the romance within your own existence—not as Y/N, but as your true self.
Elizabeth Provost Editor-in-Chief
The Love-Bomb is when your partner showers you with excessive attention and admiration to make you feel depen dent and obligated to do the same back—which is extremely manipulative. Almost like Dean building a car for Rory in Gilmore Girls
4C hair, I have a hard time picturing Regulus Black or Harry Styles caressing my afro puffs. As a matter of fact, I would even dislike that to happen at all. Nonetheless, I should not feel inadequate for not having silky hair or piercing blue eyes. Reading such a passage makes me feel unseen, which goes against the promise of romantic fanfiction. In the end, Y/N is the writer’s construct, mak ing her a separate entity from the reader. Considering romantic fanfiction is written by fans, there is an implied belief that it would be more organic and inclusive than TV shows or films. But nope, similarly to pretty much anything in society, romantic fanfic tion is structurally white.
Romantic fanfictions also exploit the reader’s loneliness and need for connection. Particularly in times of isolation, romantic fanfiction can replace reality by promoting maladaptive daydreaming. Coined by Professor Eli Somer in 2002, mal adaptive daydreaming is defined as a problematic reliance on daydreaming, which may often interfere with one’s real life. While not all fanfiction read ers are maladaptive daydreamers, the foundation of romantic fanfiction lies in the reader’s ability to vi sualize. At my worst, I could spend entire days reading romantic fanfictions. During those times, I was often tapped out of reality. Fanfiction after fanfiction, I would spend my time in bed and forget my own existence. In a way, romantic fanfiction fed my desire to escape, which led to excessive alone time. As a result, I ignored social interaction and was robbed of precious time with im portant
During the pandemic, ro mantic fanfictions became a popular form of escapism. Even I indulged in this type of literature; it allowed me to forget about the hurried civilians rushing to stock their pantries as if the apocalypse was near. Given the amount of time I had on my hands, I spent hours scouring platforms such as Wattpad, Tumblr, and Archi veofourown to find the next captivating romance—the kind that would make me feel loved, desired, and sexy as heck. Through a wide range of well-written and de lightfully romantic stories, I got the opportunity to for get my reality—I was not an anxious student stuck in a global pandemic; I was Y/N flirting with a movie star at Coachella. And yes, before you ask, Y/N is a signal to the readers to fill their names into the story to really immerse
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arnering thousands, sometimes millions of reads, romantic fanfiction is defined as a fictional nar rative that usually involves a love story between the reader and a famous male heartthrob. The main goal of romantic fanfiction is to plunge the reader into a world where the most fawned-over bach elors have eyes for them and them only. While it may seem entic ing to be in a relationship with handsome A-listers or sexy vampires, engaging with these narratives has its downsides. Please, allow me to explain.
I’m not sure if I meant it in the moment, I don’t think I did. Yes, over the next months, I started to mean it, but I do wish I had waited until it felt right.
>> READ MORE continued from page 04
so proud of you, soldier, for not falling victim to the “Love-Bomb.” Can’t say I’ve done the same…
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Why go on dates when you can marry a rockstar… in your head?
Aïssatou Odia Barry Contributor
I have to say, over the past year, I have found more pleasure in having read (and discussed) Breakfast of Champions, White Noise, Short Cuts, Love in the Time of Cholera, Runaway, and more, than in any other media I have consumed. There is a communal aspect to reading that is often overlooked. When you meet someone who has read the same book as you, it is like you have been through a journey together. The more specific or obscure the book, the stronger the connection. This happens with music and film too. “You like the Micro phones?” or “You’re a fan of Tarkovsky too?” But with books, it is like there is a shared struggle rather than a shared ex perience. You can click play on a film or an album, but with a book, you have to sit there for hours, actively using your imagination and visualizing the words in order to finish. Every time I meet someone who has read William Faulkner, Toni Morrison, or James Joyce, they know what it is like to read a text that is not only emotionally devastating but a chal lenge to However,understand.thereare people in many disciplines whose free time is already completely consumed by their course loads. How can engineering students focus more on read ing if they’re burned out from studying? They can’t. And professors cannot simply reduce their course load and assume students will use that time to read. They cannot
Being open to love and affection is a vulnerable experience, but it shouldn’t be one forced onto you. We all desire love— the kind that gives us butterflies and makes us want to throw up from excitement. The kind of love that gives you that magi cal leg pop after your first kiss, just like in The Princess Diaries But love happens at your own pace. And the right person will go at the speed that makes you feel most comfortable.
So Confused_Sad_Girl_1992, no need to be a sad girl for choosing to prioritize your truth and genuine love. This guy forcing you to say something you don’t truly feel is an attempt at stripping away your autonomy. You are your own person, meant to do things on your own time.With love,
Readingthemselves.romantic fanfiction requires a sort of un questioned dissociation from oneself. Although Y/N is meant to invite the reader to identify as the lucky girl, many fanfictions still write typical white girls as the pro tagonist. Reading passages describing Y/N (hypotheti cally me), having her long, brown hair caressed by the love interest is not endearing. As a black girl with short
In all honesty, I am not sure if there is a solution that could be applied to every single student. Here’s what I know: before sitting down and browsing the Criterion Channel for another Wim Wenders film, I’ll be grabbing my copy of Slouching Towards Bethlehem
I recently broke up with my boyfriend because he was pestering me for not being ready to say “I love you” back to him. I do like him, and he’s never been demanding before. We’ve been dating two months and I just don’t feel like saying it, but he kept bringing it up every hour we spent together. Was I too harsh in breaking up with him?
My Love-Bomb tale happened late one night—1:15 a.m.— at Exhibition Go, just as I was about to catch the last train home. We had spent the whole day together and it was noth ing short of magical, but it also felt fresh, young, and inno cent. He told me he loved me in between kisses—I panicked and said it back.
I’m
05
Dear Liz,
Don’t be a casualty to the Love-Bomb
Confused_Sad_Girl_1992Signed,
G
Dear Confused_Sad_Girl_1992,
I’m a decent cook—tacos, sweet and sour chicken, and odd salads being my best work. Social media, TV shows, and even TikTok have always shown the “it girl”—a girl with her life together, who can cook and clean for herself, dress in the trendiest clothes, and get the highest praise at school and work. I want to be an “it girl” but I’m not.
Planting one hobby at a time
The elusive 4.0, which translates to an A or A+ in most post-secondary institutions, is what everyone wants to see at the end of the semester. There’s a sense of relief in seeing your effort rewarded, but a perfect GPA is challenging to attain— sometimes incredibly difficult. Yet, the level of difficulty of this task is underestimated by many freshmen. University-level course pacing, course load, and style of instruction are entirely different in university as compared to high school. It makes adapting to a new world of learning, and consequently, new grades, all the more difficult.
Due to the gap between the difficulties of high school and university, as well as grade inflation, many freshmen are bound to find disappointment after receiving their first midterm, finding their usual studying methods insufficient for univer sity
In my mind, I associate cooking with adulthood, and adulthood with nourishing the self. When it comes to baking, I suck. I suck so badly that my mom is often tasked with saving what is sometimes a sixth batch of rock-solid cookies. There is no other way to put it. I am the absolute worst baker to have ever walked this plan et. Cheesecake? Tasted like straight-up cheese. Cook ies? I’ve never made them right. But, I do make a mean cake from a box.
amount of space that you have, each step requires focus. Despite the need for concentration and patience in the gardening process, you are able to find joy, peace, and relaxation on the journey, and forget the troubles plaguing your mind.
The TheMediumdesire for high academic performance has led to many forgotten aspects of university life that serve to enrich students’ lives. You are more than a 4.0
Hobbies are more crucial to your life than you may think.
Whether a hobby is acquired in the classroom, or outside of it, the skills and lessons learned from these bring about the greatest result of all—they bring us joy. Not all hobbies will bring you happiness, as not all jobs suit everyone, but it’s a matter of learn ing more about yourself—to find your likes and dislikes. Then, once you find what your perfect fit is, you’ll realize you’ve struck gold.
As soon as you take off your shoes and throw your keys on the counter after a busy day at work or school, there are a number of activities you can do to bring you joy.
Imagine a routine in which you are stuck simply sleeping, waking up, going to work, and repeating. The lack of variation in your day would make for a dull and meaningless life, wouldn’t it?
Not only do hobbies decrease the stress in your life, but they also increase quality of life and have the ability to teach you new skills and lessons. Having a hobby means more than just having some thing to do in your free time; it also gives you the chance to learn something. Regardless of whether the hobby is purely for pleasure or for academic purposes, trying something new always brings the opportunity to improve your overall skill set.
Aia Jaber Managing Editor
I originally planned to write this piece about how badly I make chocolate chip cookies—emphasizing how unchanged and unskilled I am about some aspects of life. But I also wanted to mention my killer scram bled eggs, and how, as fallible beings, we can “master” some parts of our day-to-day, while not being great at others. Well, today I failed at making scrambled eggs. I failed so badly that I made an omelette. Talk about misunderstanding the assignment.
Kenton Hu Contributor
Ontario suffers from grade inflation in its high schools,
Many freshmen have a pre-set list of things they plan to accomplish in their first year of university. Some hope to make friends, some choose to join interesting clubs and societ ies, while others aim to attain outstanding grade point averages (GPAs), just as they had during high school.
I still associate growing up with being able to cook for myself. Though, I’m beginning to realize that being an adult doesn’t mean being close to perfect. Being an adult, turning over a page, and watching the seasons go by isn’t a matter of being all-knowledgeable. It’s a mat ter of integrity, ownership, and willpower. My choco late chips cookies need a lot of work, and my scrambled eggs could use some more care, but part of growing up is pushing yourself back into the kitchen (not that women belong there!) and trying again. I’ll keep trying until my cookies are perfectly round, soft, and warm.
Something vitally important to keep in mind is that as a stu dent who has made it to the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), one of three campuses of the world-renowned institu tion U of T, you have already achieved something magnificent.
For example, when I first started learning how to garden, I had no patience. I merely planted a seed and expected something to grow within minutes, not weeks, nor months, nor years. I was in a rush, but not for a good reason. After gardening for a while, I found myself developing more patience. I realized that this also helped me in other aspects of life. As a student, it can be very easy to get frustrated with difficult class material, so I believe that patience is one of the most valuable skills I have learned outside of school.
Naturally, maintaining respectable grades reinforces the foundation of a successful career, but “respectable” is not de fined as having predominantly A’s, rather a collage of A’s, B’s, and even the occasional C for that one brutal course. Many freshmen scour the depths of the internet for “bird courses” in hopes of getting that A, yet essentially, the pursuit of the per fect grade blinds them to many of the creative and enjoyable opportunities found at university.
The purpose of university life is not to collect pretty letters, but to discover who you are. It is better to have some B’s and C’s and know what you want to do in the future, than to have straight A’s but not know the basics of living in our everchang ingThesociety.stories and experiences you come across in life are the ones that give it meaning, and your life is far too precious to be constrained by a mere number.
Editorial
Studentsclasses. work tirelessly on their math proofs, or writing the perfect essay, hoping to attain a degree with bold letters reading “distinction” at the end of their undergraduate studies. While caring for education is essential in ensuring a stable and proud future, school should not come at the expense of your mental health. It should not evoke severe anxiety or self-depreciation.
According to the Australian Government’s Department of Health, hobbies help with various aspects of mental health, such as reducing depression symptoms, increasing happiness, lowering stress, and more. If there was nothing you looked for ward to in your day besides your autopilot routine, you may be doing just the bare minimum to survive, but not enough to enjoy or thrive in life. Sounds tragic,That’sright?what life seemed like for me a few years ago, until I discovered the beauty of gar dening. Not only does garden ing melt my stress away, but digging into fresh soil and planting a seed feels rewarding. Surprisingly, there are a lot of active parts when it comes to gardening. From gathering the appropriate tools and ensuring they are sharp and ready to go, to deciding what the perfect layout is going to be for the
Changing
Being part of the Mindwaves and Compass team has further developed Nasir’s appreciation for the world of publishing: “Working on the administrative and technical side of editing and publishing is the most valuable thing I learned from working with [the journals].” It can help in de ciding whether writing is a hobby or a true profession for an individual. “We learn a lot in class,” explains Nasir, “but as with any job there is a difference between what you learn in school and the real-world side of things.”
To learn more about previous volumes, and keep up with publication updates, follow Mindwaves and Compass on In stagram @utm.mindwaves.
Mindwaves and Compass are annual literary magazine publications run by students in the PWC Program at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM). Mindwaves is a creative non-fiction publication whereas Compass is a research-based journal. The publications are strong repre sentations of what it is to be a PWC student at UTM: ambi tious authors of creative non-fiction and research coming together to showcase their talents. Mindwaves and Compass are true testaments to the strength and aptitude of students in the “Thisprogram.year,we set up a website to publish digital copies of the journal,” explains Nasir, “moving the journal online was a progressive step for the publication.” Creating a virtual space was a response to the pandemic.
“I knew that the [ROPs] were competitive, so I didn’t ex pect to get a reply,” says Nasir. A few weeks later, she re ceived an email congratulating her and letting her know of
Dalainey Gervais Contributor
07 features Editor | Prisha (Maneka) features@themedium.caNuckchady
the next steps to begin her position as Online Managing Editor for Mindwaves and Compass. Through this role, Na sir has worked on creating a website for the publications to be accessed virtually.
For aspiring authors of Mindwaves and Compass, or any other publication, Nasir recommends getting your work peer edited. Rather than turning to classmates, she suggests turning to your close friends, fellow authors, and professors. Relying on people that know you and your style of writing, and that have experience in the field, can add more value to your writing and help you turn a story that you are happy with into one you love. “Having the courage to go up to friends and professors to read your work is something that I encourage for all writers,” says Nasir, “I’m always flattered when people approach me to read their work.”
publications
PWC
“The publications are strong representations of what it is to be a PWC student at UTM: ambitious authors of creative non-fiction and research coming together to showcase their talents.”
While navigating through previous issues of the publica tions, Nasir was amazed by the level of creativity in students’
While filtering through emails from the Institute of Com munication, Culture, Information and Technology, and Pro fessional Writing & Communication (PWC) departments, Nasir learned of a Research Opportunity Program (ROP) to join the Mindwaves and Compass journals. “It was a role as Online Managing Editor, similar to the position I had as an editor at The Medium,” explains Nasir.
UTM land bright careers for students
NATALIE NG/THE MEDIUM
Initially considering a specialist in Biology at the start of her undergraduate journey, Duaa Nasir hadn’t imagined a potential future in publication. That was until she took a writing course out of personal interest. “I was able to share my ideas in a way I never thought possible,” says Nasir. With a background in both arts and sciences, Nasir has curated a diverse skill set to prepare for a future full of opportunities.
Online Managing Editor of Mindwaves and Compass Duaa Nasir shares how she is preparing for a new publication season.
Writing is not always an easy feat, and for those strug gling, Nasir shares this advice: “[Learn] to be okay with your thoughts not coming out perfect. Try not to overthink.”
submissions. “I was surprised at the types of stories that cre ative people were able to come up with through the smallest experiences,” says Nasir, “something that can only last a few seconds can be captured in a way that would never occur to me.” Seeing students’ thought processes through describing such events is inspiring for editors.
“It was a great experience, I got the opportunity to work with incredible people.”
“I was surprised at the types of stories that creative people were able to come up with through the smallest experiences.”
Beginning her journalistic career as a Staff Writer, Nasir aimed to gain writing experience in a fast-paced environ ment. Through regular submissions to the paper, she as sumed the position of Associate Sports & Health Editor for The Medium. Pursuing the position of Section Editor for the Sports & Health section was a natural progression—a role which she held through Volume 48 of the publication. “It was a great experience, I got the opportunity to work with incredible people,” exclaims Nasir. “I learned about the practical work involved in the writing and editing field like coming up with article pitches.”
“There is a difference between what you learn in school and the real-world side of things.”
“I have chosen to direct my focus on a rare liver cancer which primarily affects patients in their 20s to 30s.”
One of Allan’s main on-campus involvements
Although research and SciVance consume much of her time, Allan makes sure to reserve time for extracurriculars on and off campus.
“Chemistry is both qualitative quantitativeandin its theory, serving as a middle ground between literature,mathematics,anddesign.”
Throughout her secondary education, Al lan found that although chemistry was not her strongest subject, it was the most fascinat ing. To her, chemistry is both qualitative and quantitative in its theory, serving as a middle ground between mathematics, literature, and design. This infusion of different disciplines is what fueled Allan’s passion for chemistry. Designing small molecules every day pro vides her with a creative outlet alongside the ability to exercise her problem-solving. Allan completed a four-year combined
academic year. Allan has helped organized different events within Max’s Big Ride, in cluding IDEAthon IDEAthon is an annual interdisciplinary event that works to raise awareness for DMD by challenging students to find innovative methods to improve pa tients’ quality of life.
Allan advises undergraduate students to “always try to be involved with as many op portunities as possible.” In addition, Allan explains that mentorship plays a prominent role in experiential learning. Although they may be challenging to find, mentors in vari ous fields related to one’s desired subject will help guide an individual to their destined ca reer path. “I don’t know what I would have done [without] mentors as they help you ra tionalize many steps along the process and are instrumental when deciding your career direction,” explains Allan.
For fellow graduate students, Allan en courages students to think outside of the box and creatively about entrepreneurship. There are many amazing resources, accelerators, and pitch competitions that help expedite any business ideas one already has. There is no better time to run with an idea than as a stu dent full of energy, passion, time, and a sup port system. Allan finishes, “When I asked a mentor recently when the best time to start a business is, they replied yesterday.”
In 2017, Allan worked as an exchange stu dent at the Gunning Group at UTM. During this time, Allan expanded her knowledge in the medicinal chemistry field by working through the entire process of drug discovery. She enjoyed her work so much that she began her PhD in the same laboratory a year later.
includes Max’s Big Ride—a charity focused on raising awareness for Duchenne Muscu lar Dystrophy (DMD). DMD is a rare, fatal condition most common in boys, that results in severe muscle weakness. Max’s Big Ride— founded by UTM staff member Andrew Sedmihradsky—raises money for research focusing on treatments for DMD, the disease that Sedmihradsky’s son Max suffers from. This also happens to be a prominent research project in the Gunning Group. Their research has been supported by Max’s Big Ride for the past five Annually,years.one graduate student is as signed the Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Fellowship—“Max’s Big Fellowship”—of which Rebecca held the title for the 2021-22
Allan is also involved in the UTM Associa tion for Graduate Students (UTMAGS) and attends many of their events alongside those hosted by the Chemical and Physical Scienc es Graduate Student Association (CPSGSA).
Graduate student Rebecca Allan shares her entrepreneurial passion and her involvement with “Max’s Big Fellowship.”
Rebecca Allan on the art behind the chemistry
08 BILAL SAQIB
Allan explains that there are many other venture capital-related career paths, such as venture creation, which consists of working for a venture capital company to help design business ideas. She shares that an opportu nity to explore her ideas alongside working in venture capital and creation would be the ideal situation for her in terms of a longterm plan.
Allan has been the Social Director for UT MAGS for a few years. She vouches for in volvement in CPSGSA on campus, as they provide great opportunities for meeting new people and connecting with students both in side and outside of one’s discipline.
“A toms are building blocks which we connect to make molecules. Mol ecules can then be designed to fit into certain shapes that provide a greater purpose in dif ferent systems,” says Rebecca Allan. As a PhD student in the Chemistry Department at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), her research focuses on medicinal chemistry and drug discovery.
Currently, Allan works alongside other students in the Gunning Group to identify a library of ligands. Their project has been successful, which has led to the development of an extension company named SciVance, its name being a combination of the words “science” and “advance.” The main goal of SciVance is to secure sufficient funding to file a patent for the foundation of the work cre ated. Allan explains that “SciVance has been a fantastic learning experience for gaining knowledge in business fundamentals.” The company provides her with a large network of connections in the start-up and venture capital industries within Canada.
Pearla Hariri Contributor
Off-campus, Allan is involved in Front Row Ventures—a student-run venture capital company that invests in student-led startups. “This has been a fantastic experience for learning what venture capital is like, and un derstanding what to look for in a company,” says Allan. Venture capital allows and en courages individuals to keep up to date with start-ups in their desired discipline. Meeting other entrepreneurs allows for further navi gation and inspiration for the development of one’s own company.
Allan works in Professor Patrick Gun ning’s laboratory: The Gunning Group. Her project consists of designing, synthesizing, and analyzing potential new small molecule ligands—molecules that bind to other pro tein molecules—to combat fusion proteins implicated in rare diseases. “I have chosen to direct my focus on a rare liver cancer which primarily affects patients in their 20s to 30s,” explains Allan. “Unfortunately, these patients have a terrible prognosis partly due to a high risk of reoccurrence of the tumor.”
“Always try to be involved with as many opportunities as possible.”
Master’s in Chemistry at Cardiff University in the UK. During her third year, she was exposed to laboratory research experience. She worked full-time in a lab at Cardiff while simultaneously completing other coursework in the evenings.
Concocting a joyous synergy between science and art, De Cari seeks equilibrium by amalgamating her two interests in this 75-minute production. This one-actor play touches on the obstacles that professional female scientists face in a male-dominated field. De Cari’s inspiration comes from her time as a mathematics PhD student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Having written the script as a writing exercise, Truth Values places importance on con versations about equality and underrepresented people in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
JOHN OLSON
“Truth Values places importance on conversations about equality and underrepresented people in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs.”
“I was interested in what happens if you put something between “true” and “false,” such as “maybe,” or even a whole continuum between the two.”
the play’s title takes on a beautiful allegoric meaning. “Truth Values is a mathematical concept,” De Cari explains. “During my graduate studies in math, my research interest was in log
Paige France Contributor
A live merging of arts and science hits the stage with the one-woman play Truth Values.
09 Arts Editor | Julia arts@themedium.caSkoczypiec
Originally from Berkeley, California, De Cari splits her time between Boston and New York as she brings more than 30 characters to life through her one-woman performance. On September 20, 2022, De Cari will perform in front of a Canadian audience for the first time.
“It’s a very American play—I hope Canadians will like it!” De Cari said in an interview with The Medium.
Mathematics meets performative theatre in award-winning play coming to Theatre Erindale
programs.Thetrue story offers an insightful look into life at MIT as a force-to-be-reckoned-with woman navigates the murky wa ters of graduate education and—what she coins to be—the “Male Math Maze.” At its world premiere in 2009, ues was the winner of the Overall Excellence Award for Best Solo Show at the New York International Fringe Festival.
American mathematicians at NASA who assisted in win ning the space race against the rivaling Soviet Union. With this same support, De Cari was able to construct a more
The principles of mathematics are at the forefront of the production, acting as an artistic metaphor. The root, no pun intended, behind
Through the play, De Cari unfolds stories that are often untold. Her energetic performances speak louder than any abundance of props ever could and her soulful, yet humours, energy transcends to the masses. By labelling herself a “recov ering mathematician,” De Cari explains that she used to hide her mathematic past. “I felt in the arts I wouldn’t be taken seriously if I had such a background, and then I realized, it isn’t something to hide,” she says. “Let’s just work on find ing a way to make audiences smile.”
Speaker, writer, performer, and singer, Gioia De Cari, will be taking center stage with her play University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) and the University of Toronto Saint George (UTSG) campuses.
Aurora Picciottoli
Sonnet for You
10 ;
Under clear purple skies I feel the rush of butterflies floating and bubbling toward the surface. Their technicolour wings flapping as I inhale, exhale the sweet September air.
TW: Suicidal ideation
Appendicitis
This poem was written for Suicide Prevention Month.
There were nights where you couldn’t fall asleep. You would get up and fold the map so that Australia met Argentina, or something like that. You watched as both ends of the Pacific consumed everything, each and every country you wanted to see but had never visited. The only place you had ever truly known was one that you invented with neon green skies and navy blue grass and clouds that were formed by magic. It’s funny. You always thought of yourself as a magician. How you wanted to make the oceans disappear.
AURORA PICCIOTTOLI/THE MEDIUM
JULENTTO PHOTOGRAPHY/UNSPLASH
Ottavia Paluch
I feel them converge when I look into your eyes, beating their wings against the walls of my abdomen until I can’t sit still any longer, trying to detangle the words from my head to describe the pleasant ache of your presence in my mind, the soft feeling of your warm embrace, the way my stomach flutters when you’re around— and perhaps you think about me too.
Madison Ireland
stormy waters
i’m writing now to tell you that we make it back alive. i’m not going to lie and say that it’s going to be easy, / or pretty, / or even that it won’t hurt that much. / ‘cause the truth is / the sun’s gonna fall clean out of the sky and kiss the air empty of heat. / the ocean upends itself, slithers onto the shore / and devours you whole; / a hungry, gaping maw of thrashing waves / and teeth / and a cold so vacant it pulls the iron from your blood— / freezes your tongue to the roof of your mouth.
i know what you’re thinking: why resist? / why not submit to the amnesia of a heavy current? / why not plummet like the sun? / [maybe salt water alone can flush the grief from your body] and sure, it might be easier to sink. / to stop kicking your feet and let the undertow take you. but since when have you turned down a fight? / you, with your knuckles pure scarlet / and lightning in the back of your throat. / you, with so many people waiting to pull you back to dry land, / echoing your name across the beach. and so I’m writing now to say that you’re going to come back— / you’re going to claw your way out of the surf, / dry heaving briny water, / spitting blood, / and so incredibly, breathtakingly alive. / [oxygen like a rebirth]
;
Since the 1970s, video games have been a popular form of entertainment among children, teens, and young adults. While typically more popular with men, recently, video games have seen an increase in popularity among both men and women. With the rise of social media and stars like Vinnie Hacker who live stream themselves playing video games on platforms like Twitch, gaming has become widely accepted in popular culture.
Video games are an extremely accessible form of entertain ment. Whether you are looking to kill time, or to spend a few hours connecting with friends, there is no shortage of options. Most video games are also relatively inexpensive, with many games being available for free. Websites such as Steam are ex cellent for gaming—with a wide variety of games available for download, the website serves as a perfect platform for experi enced and inexperienced gamers alike.
The rise of video games and their influence on modern pop culture has created new communities and channeled unforgettable characters.
While Elvis wasn’t my favourite musical biopic, it is one that I would recommend for Austin Butler’s impressions and costumes alone. Butler’s interpretation of Presley’s southern drawl through his rendition of the song “Trouble” is unmistakably Presley’s soul reincarnated. Although not a complete ly accurate description of Elvis’ life, the film is a great lens into the world of Hollywood and the downfall of the limelight.
The film highlighted the highs and lows of Presley’s career—from his rise to fame to the whirlwind of conflicts he faced with his manager. The biopic dove into Presley’s home life with Priscilla and his daughter Lisa Marie, as it illustrated how his drug ad
Video games: A whole new level of pop culture
While scrolling on TikTok a few months ago, a particular song took over my “For You Page.” Doja Cat and Shonka Du kureh’s voices radiated through my head phones. I’m not complaining, the song “Ve gas,” an original song from Baz Luhrmann’s biopic Elvis (2022), was stuck in my head for weeks. It was also my first introduction to the movie. Elvis Presley had been a big part of my childhood. His songs still play faintly in the back of some of my fondest memories.
Packed with Hollywood stars, Elvis was a highly anticipated film with Austin Butler starring as the King of Rock himself. Tom Hanks joined the cast as Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, and up and coming ac tress Olivia DeJonge played the love interest Priscilla Presley. Fresh off his Stranger Things fame, Dacre Montgomery portrayed the iconic producer Steve Binder, an influential personality in Presley’s life.
IMDb com
Bling! Bling! Zap! Zap! Pew pew pew! Sound familiar?
11
While the film was an entertaining imag ining of the life of Elvis Presley, it was not en tirely accurate in its telling, however, that is not uncommon in the genre of biopics. The representations come down to the creative freedom of the film’s director. Although, I am a fan of historically accurate depictions, I can appreciate some well-intended devia tions in the name of entertainment.
The importance of good audio and visual design can be ap preciated in games such as Hades—one of my favourite video games. In Hades, the gamer plays the role of Zagreus, the son of Hades, on his quest to escape the Underworld with the help of Olympians such as Aphrodite, Zeus, Poseidon, and Athena. The game features detailed graphics of the characters and land scapes, and the soundtrack creates a more immersive gaming experience. Hades has won several awards for its design, includ ing the 2021 BAFTA Games Award for ‘Best Game’, and the 2021 New York Game Awards’ prizes for ‘Game of the Year,’ ‘Best Mu sic,’ ‘Best Writing,’ and ‘Best Acting.’
With video games being such a critical part of pop culture, there is no shortage of video game communities and gaming content on social media. Whether your game of choice is Tet ris or Call of Duty, it’s easy to connect over one of today’s most popular and entertaining pastimes.
Madison Ireland Contributor
The competitive nature of video games adds to their popu larity. Games such as Tetris (1984) or Pac-Man (1980) display high scores in bold and captivating numbers. The listing of these achievements appeals to competitive gamers looking to improve their gaming skills, attain the highest score on their console, and engage in some friendly competition with fellow gamers.
“Some major points in the movie have been identified as completely curated.”
VideoPeach.games with unforgettable characters and plots are in fluential in pop culture as people can easily identify common references and phrases. For example, the ability for players and non-players alike to recognize Pokémon allows people to become part of in-person and online communities, purchase branded merchandise, and to connect over shared interests brought on by its title.
Memorable characters and storylines are important for a video game’s popularity. When there is a well-written storyline, it keeps the player more engaged and motivated to achieve the game’s main objective and to seek the end of its story. Addition ally, well-curated characters make the game more recognizable and help to drive the game’s plot line. A perfect example of this is the Mario video game franchise—characters such as Mario and Luigi are easily recognizable in their quest to rescue Prin cess
Dalainey Gervais Contributor
first-person shooter games such as Doom or Call of Duty, qual ity audio design is crucial for gamers to get into the perspective of the character that they are playing as and to feel like they are actually in the game.
Another criticism of the film relates to Presley’s love interest, Priscilla. Many feel as though their true relationship was poorly portrayed. The film misrepresented key fac tors of the alleged abuse Priscilla faced dur ing the marriage—such as Presley prohibit ing Priscilla to have a career of her own. Such details were not thoroughly included and this left audiences wondering what more of Presley’s life was omitted from the film. The age gap in the relationship was also a topic quickly skimmed over, with Presley being 24-years-old when he first started courting 14-year-old Priscilla.
The quality of art, graphics, sound effects, and music are also critical. Video games with better graphics and art are more enjoyable. A game with captivating sound effects and a catchy soundtrack keeps the gamer more focused and engaged. For
The popularity of video games inspires many other forms of art and media. Many people create and share fan-art of their fa vourite video games on Instagram and TikTok. Die-hard fans will sometimes dress up as their favourite characters for meet ups, conventions, or just for fun.
Elvis: a not-so-accurate biopic
NATALIE NG/THE MEDIUM
Is Austin Butler’s charm enough? Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis sparks mixed reviews.
“The misrepresentedfilm key factors of the alleged abuse Priscilla faced during the marriage.”
diction and unparalleled fame affected his personalAustinlife.Butler embodied Presley’s charac ter with nuance and intent, taking the time to study his mannerisms, his movements, and his piercing vocals. Produced over the course of two years, Butler perfected his per formance of Presley to such a point that the actor commented on feeling as though he had lost his own voice.
The main criticism of the film is its reli ability. While nobody expected Elvis to be completely accurate, some major points in the movie have been identified as completely curated. A prime example was in the scene that depicted the announcement of Rob ert F. Kennedy’s death. In the film Presley is recording his ’68 Christmas Comeback Special directed by Steve Binder. In scene, Presley, along with the rest of the produc tion crew, watched in shock as news anchors announced the assassination of Kennedy. However, in true historical accordance, the US Attorney General was assassinated a few weeks prior to the production of the Christ mas special.
The team’s best players, Auston Mat thews, Mitch Marner, and William Nyl ander, are all young and will only get bet ter. Their captain, John Tavares, is still an extremely effective player, and manage ment has given those core players a sup porting roster with dynamic skill sets for the best chance at success.
“The Oura Ring measures REM sleep, non-REM sleep, and blood oxygen lev els,” says Dr. Samson. “They’re like super Fitbits called actigraphs.” Actigraphs re cord and monitor sleep activities.
Lack of sleep weakens students’ abil ity to remember, limits their atten tion spans, and slows down processing speed. Better sleep means better cogni tive function. Better cognitive function means better grades.
In addition to improving your sleep environment, routines psycho logically prepare the body for sleep.
Professor David Samson’s sleep expertise is here to save the day, or rather, night.
It is almost good luck to be up against the Leafs in the first round. Three out of the past six teams that have eliminated the Leafs went on to the Stanley Cup finals. The most recent team being the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tampa is a dynasty team that won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021 and reached the finals this past year.
As training camp started on September 14, and with the pre-season starting on September 28, general manager Kyle Dubas still has many unanswered questions he needs to ad dress. Perhaps most pressing is the goaltending situation.
The Leafs are facing an overabundance of for wards, especially in the bottom six—an area of the roster typically held by weaker players. Cur rently, ten players are fighting for six spots. Hope fully, the competition will bring out the absolute best in these Regardlessplayers.ofhow and when these issues get solved, the big test for this team will come in the spring when they look to take on whatever team stands in the
12 sports & health Editor | Alisa sports@themedium.caSamuel
By: Reid Fournier
If insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result, then being a Toronto Maple Leafs fan is insane. The definition of insanity
of defense, or letting external pressure affect their game, but this year it just wasn’t meant to be.
Perhaps this year the Leafs will finally make us feel a little less insane for sticking by them all these years. Or maybe it’ll be another quiet May in the Scotiabank Area.
Other years it was their inexperience, lack of maturity, lack
Toronto played their best playoff series of the past six years against Tampa. Over the course of the series they scored more total goals than Tampa; on paper, they were a better team. But their efforts were still not enough.
Through ANT402: Wild Nights, a course that Dr. Samson has developed and will be teaching this fall at UTM, Dr. Samson offers students a bio-hack to improve mental and physical perfor mance: the Oura Ring.
Switching off the lights, brushing your teeth before bed, and turning electronic devices off at least one hour before go ing to bed improves sleep hygiene.
Another big question is the availability of star rookie defensemen Rasmus Sandin, who has yet to sign an NHL contract and is in jeop ardy of missing the beginning of training camp or worse, the beginning of the season.
To maintain sleep hygiene, avoid eat ing at least three hours before bed. “Our metabolisms work according to our cir cadian rhythms,” says Dr. Samson. “Eat ing [before bed] can have an exponen tial effect.” Why?
“Our circadian rhythms work as sinusoidal curves, or waves; there is no baseline. So, they have peaks and troughs,” explains Dr. Samson. If we eat when our metabolism is at a trough, or
Having trouble sleeping?
to metabolize food into energy—all of which prevents sleep.
For the past six consecutive years, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. They have not won a series since 2004—losing in 2013 and every year between 2017 to 2022. The organization has not won the Stanley Cup since 1967.
The pineal gland detects sleep and wake up times based on the level of blue light in the environment. “Blue light inhibits melatonin,” says David Samson, a professor of Anthropology at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) and Director of the Sleep and Human Evolution Lab. Your body’s in ternal clock, when aligned with the daynight cycle, directs timings (circadian rhythms) for biological processes, like hormonal activity, to healthily take place. Melatonin is a hormone that “regulates sleep wavelength timing.”
Melody Yang Contributor
After losing his starting goaltender Jack Campbell to free agency, Dubas is putting his hopes in former back-to-back
Dr. Samson’s course “lets students be citizen scientists” in the way that it asks
Stanley Cup champion Matt Murray, who has recently seen a noticeable decline in his play.
Omar Khan Columnist
SAMIRA KARIMOVA/THE MEDIUM
Some fans think the team is cursed and no matter what, they will never win the Stanley Cup again. The more opti mistic fans will point out that management has learned from each loss, and that maybe the future isn’t so grim.
In terms of physical health, continu ous sleep deprivation raises the risk for several chronic health problems, includ ing obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.Oneeasy way to sleep better for your mind and body is to get blackout cur tains. Blackout curtains provide enough darkness to signal to the brain’s pineal gland that it’s nighttime.
