Volume 49, Issue 12

EDITORIAL SHE SAID FLAG FOOTBALL

In the remaining days of the year, we look forward to reflect ing upon what we can learn from the last 12 months, remem bering and letting go of any lingering penitence as the clock strikes midnight and marks the start of a new chapter.

>> read more on page 05

Often, when I watch most films, I find it difficult to sit still and remain engaged. But during the two hours and nine min utes that She Said was playing, I was unable to move, fidget, or pick up my phone.

>> read more on page 09

No previous UTM flag football team has ever won a game in its history, and U of T Law has remained undefeated for years. Beating U of T Law was the biggest challenge of the season for UTM.

>> read more on page 12

Students

Aidan Thompson and River Knott Copy Editors

On November 30, 2022, students protested U of T’s inaction after an external in vestigation substantiated allegations of sexual harassment, racial microaggres sions, and supervisory misconduct against Robert Reisz, a professor of Biology at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM).

The investigation, which was made public by The Varsity in a recent article, began in 2020, after Bryan Gee and Yara Haridy, two former students of Reisz, submitted a 72-page document to U of T’s Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology con cerning Reisz’s misconduct towards them.

According to The Varsity, when the investigation concluded in January 2022, U of T administration admitted that Reisz’ behaviour breached U of T’s policies on sexual harassment, adding that there would be corrective action, but due to privacy concerns, refused to detail what this “action” resulted in. >> PROTEST continues on page 03

NEWS

U of T receives $35 million investment to study high-risk pathogens

Zitong Chen Contributor

Cristina Pincente Contributor

As hospitals face overcrowding, long wait times, and staffing short ages, Ontario’s most vulnerable patients, such as people struggling with mental health and young children, suffer the consequences of the province’s failing healthcare system.

In October 2022, the Liberal Party released an Ontario Health docu ment that outlines data for “executives and emergency department chiefs” on a year-by-year basis.

According to CTV News, the report shows that “approximately nine out of 10 Ontario residents seeking hospital treatment in an emergency room waited up to 33.4 hours for an inpatient bed in August 2022, which officials say is a 54 per cent increase compared to August 2021.” Accord ing to the report, ambulance offload times increased by “40.7 per cent” before even entering the hospital patients waited “up to 83 minutes.” Finally, their time spent in the emergency department was “up to 11.7 hours (or a 15.8 per cent increase).”

Recently, U of T’s Emerging & Pandemic Infections Consortium (EPIC)—a partnership of several GTA public health institutions—announced that the univer sity received a $35 million investment from the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund. The investment, approved on Octo ber 4, 2022, contributes to the renovation of the Toronto High Containment Facility (THCF)—a 20-year-old, con tainment level three research laboratory that allows re searchers to study high-risk pathogens—which is in need of modernization.

To gain insight on the THCF, The Medium spoke with U of T Temerty Faculty of Medicine molecular genetics professor, Scott Gray-Owen, who is also the academic di rector of the THCF and EPIC.

The THCF played a role in isolating the SARS-CoV-2 virus from the first Canadian patients during the Cov id-19 outbreak. “This represented one of the first isola tions of [SARS-CoV-2] in the world, and definitely the

first in Canada. […] It provided us with the seed stock or with the stalk of virus that we could use for research on developing vaccines and immunotherapies and disinfec tant technologies,” states Professor Gray-Owen.

“Since [the THCF’s] inception, it’s mostly been focused on pathogens such as HIV and tuberculosis, but also has been involved in response to the first SARS outbreak in 2003, [the] West Nile Virus, and other pathogens that represent a great risk to humans,” explains Professor Gray-Owen, going over the THCF’s research initiatives. He continues, “[The THCF] supports academic research, clinicians, scientific research by government agencies, and [industry] research on high-risk pathogens that we have to keep secure, both for the person working with [them] and for the public and the environment.”

Currently, the THCF is a containment level three facil ity, thus providing researchers with a laboratory to study high-risk pathogens in the GTA. However, for the THCF to operate safely and securely, strict procedures and regu lations must be followed. “The regulatory requirements and the physical requirements of working in this facility are difficult,” says Professor Gray-Owen.

Ontario’s provincial healthcare system is failing its most vulnerable patients

protest the continued employment of UTM professor found guilty of sexual harassment

LEXEY BURNS/THE VARSITY

The Credit Valley Conservation highlights alarming climate data in the City of Mississauga

Experts discuss the adverse effects of climate change and affirm the importance of collective actions and unity when implementing solutions and initiatives.

Angelina Jaya Siew Staff Writer

On November 22, 2022, as part of U of T’s Adam Sustainabil ity Celebration, the Credit Valley Conservation (CVC), an organization focused on protecting and restoring the environ ment, presented a story map that highlighted what climate data tells us about ecosystem health in the Credit River Watershed.

Yvette Roy, Senior Specialist of the Landscape Science Divi sion at the CVC, commenced the presentation of the story map by reporting that “average annual temperatures have increased by 1.8 degrees Celsius.” While these increases are consistent with warming trends identified in Canada, they are double the rate of global trends. The warming trend in the watershed start ed in the 1980s. Roy noted that all seasons have seen increased temperatures, but winter has warmed the quickest—the average minimum temperature has increased by 2.5 degrees Celsius.

Additionally, Roy highlighted the alarming rise in precipita tion levels in the Credit River Watershed, declaring that “annual precipitation has increased by six per cent in Toronto Station and by 23 percent in Orangeville [an Ontario town northwest of Toronto].” Additionally, the story map reported that 13 per cent more precipitation during the winter season is falling as rain instead of snow.

Roy then explained the negative impacts of these climate trends on ecosystems. She put forth that the average daily maximum stream temperature has increased by 5 degrees and stream flows have increased by 67 per cent. These increasing temperatures are a concern for sensitive cold water fish in the Credit River Watershed, as these rises are expected to exceed

the lethal tolerance of certain species, such as the brook trout.

Roy also explains that lower amounts of snow accumulation, an ongoing issue, will become problematic—spring snow plays an integral role in fleshing out the nutrients from the streams and removing sediments.

Roy contended that while climate change has not caused an upsurge of invasive species, it can exacerbate such species’ effects on ecosystems. The lack of cold winters is beneficial to pests, which usually die when winter temperatures dip below negative 25 degrees Celsius.

To adapt natural ecosystems to climate change, the CVC is actively engaging in the restoration of plants, streams, and for ests. The CVC has also offered assistance to neighbourhoods vulnerable to extreme heat through the Peel Climate Change Partnership.

During the panel discussion, Dianne Zimmerman, Environ ment Manager of the City of Mississauga, elaborated on the ur gency to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the city to avoid the worst of global warming. She stated that “time is of the es sence,” and discussed “how we budget for and pay for the abso lute transformational requirements that we need from both the transportation perspective as well as buildings.”

Zimmerman believes that in the City of Mississauga, “there is a huge opportunity as residents to take action.” She postulated that residents of Mississauga possess a lot of decision-making power regarding their modes of transportation. Utilizing tran sit, cycling, walking, or purchasing an electric vehicle can make a difference. She encouraged households in the city to become more energy efficient and reduce dependence on natural gas.

Tenley Conway—a professor from the University of Toronto Mississauga’s Department of Geography, Geomatics and Envi ronment—delved into the most sizable environmental opportu

nities in urban Mississauga. More extensive research in climate change, with involvement from all academic disciplines, is para mount. She discussed nature-based solutions, which refer to the use of nature in helping society adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change.

Examples of nature-based solutions include trees, raingar dens, and bio soils. Professor Conway revealed that these are “spatially disaggregated [solutions].” For example, trees need to be planted throughout the city, by both private and public land owners, to reap the benefits of their cooling effects and their ability to help manage stormwater.

In addition, Professor Conway emphasized that “there is a lot of research opportunity, and [we] need to try to understand how we switch from what is primarily a centralized system to be a decentralized or disaggregated [system],” referencing how nature-based solutions must be implemented.

Divya Arora—Community Engagement Organizer, Sustain able Communities at the David Suzuki Foundation—believed that the student population is increasingly prioritizing climate action, perhaps more so than other groups. She asserts, “It is a problem that we [young people] have not created but we have to solve.”

According to Arora, broader change, such as policy reforms, can only commence when people act collectively. She explained that “climate change is a societal problem,” and highlighted the importance of raising awareness about these climate issues through social media. The actions of every individual are im portant and are part of the bigger picture in mitigating the ef fects of global warming.

Both the presentation and panel discussion ultimately em phasize that tackling the issue of climate change is a shared re sponsibility and requires a collective effort.

U of T receives $35 million investment to study high-risk pathogens

Zitong Chen Contributor

>> EPIC continued from page 01

Additionally, regulatory requirements for containment facilities are different from what they were 20 years ago, and the aging THCF needs revamping to ensure compliance with current and future regulations.

Professor Gray-Owen contends that the benefits of modernizing the THCF include not only an increased capacity to work with high-containment pathogens, but the possi bility for researchers to work on more types of pathogens—many of which the facility is not

able to work with right now. He also points out that “The new facility will be double the size of the current facility, but we’ll be able to increase the capacity much more than that.” For instance, the new facility brings together different workspaces that are currently locat ed far apart, making it easier for researchers to study a variety of pathogens.

Furthermore, the new facility will allow re searchers to better understand emerging in fectious threats before they arrive in Canada or start to spread. “It will allow us to look at pathogens that are problems endemically, or in small regions in the world, which we’re afraid might become bigger problems in the future,” says Professor Gray-Owen.

In a study published November 10, 2022, on the journal of Nature Microbiology, EPIC

member Samira Mubareka, clini cian scientist at Sunnybrook Re search Institute and associate professor at U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, was part of a team of researchers who revealed a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in Canadian deer. Professor Gray-Owen states that there are res ervoirs in animal popula tions that allow for pathogens to evolve and create new variants, which can spillover into humans. He addresses the impact of Profes sor Mubareka’s research by high lighting the concept of One Health, which puts forth that human health

is intricately related to the en vironment and wildlife.

As such, Professor GrayOwen emphasizes that studying infectious diseases is difficult. “We’re study ing two biological systems, we are studying humans or animals and virus or bacteria or fungi in their different biological sys tems; we are studying them on popula tion levels—the populations of bacteria [and] viruses and populations of humans; and we are studying them from a mo lecular level or societal level.” Regard less, the modernized facility will allow researchers to work towards future pandemic prevention.

Students protest the continued employment of UTM professor found guilty of sexual harassment

Aidan Thompson and River Knott Copy Editors

>> PROTEST continued from page 01

The protest began in UTM’s student centre. The University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) president, Maëlis Barre, led the crowd towards the William G. Davis build ing—the location of Reisz’s office. Barre spoke to the crowd about her disappointment in the university’s administrative response.

“The silence is extremely loud,” Barre said.

Micah Kalisch, director of the Prevention, Empowerment, Advocacy, Response, for Survi vors Project (PEARS), a peer support program at U of T for survivors of sexual assault, also spoke, echoing Barre’s criticism of the U of T administration.

Following the speeches, members of the pro test ascended three flights of stairs to Reisz’s office, where they attached posters to his door and stretched red tape across his entry. “Blame the system not the victim,” one poster read. “We demand safety,” said another.

Reisz was not in his office during this time.

The Medium spoke with several students who attended the event.

“People like Robert Reisz are a detriment to science itself,” said Liam McFadden, a fourth-

year Linguistics major, and president of UTM’s Horror Club. “We have these brilliant young people who are dropping out of academia. [...] Because they feel like they can’t belong or they’re not safe.”

On July 22, 2022, Gee announced his deci sion to leave academia because of his mistreat ment by Reisz and the institutional inaction that followed.

McFadden expressed that “Science is for ev eryone—it should be for everyone. But people like Robert Reisz keep it to themselves. [...] Obviously you don’t belong in academia if you aren’t supporting your students,” he concluded.

Bronte Ibbotson and Carmen Meijer, two first-year humanities students at U of T’s St. George campus, also attended the protest. “As a first-year who experienced [this kind of thing]

in high school,” recalled Ibbotson, “[Starting] university, I was kind of disappointed that [things are] the same. [The people are] not be ing listened to.”

Meijer agreed, reflecting that “In a place where there are so many people, and so many power dynamics, […] I do not feel safe.”

In an interview with The Medium, Maëlis Barre said, “[Reisz] is someone who was ac cused of, and found guilty of, racial microag gressions, as well as sexual harassment and bullying of students. That’s not someone who should be in any position of power over stu dents, and he needs to be terminated.”

The PEARS Project and the UTMSU call for the immediate termination of Reisz. In an open letter published on November 20, 2020, the PEARS Project urged U of T to issue a pub lic statement condemning Reisz, and to hire an external investigative party to review the uni versity’s policies on sexual harassment.

Over 1,750 students have signed the open letter since it was published alongside The Var sity’s article.

“I think the next step would be an ac knowledgement that we are heard,” said Klark Janowski, a third-year Philosophy student and executive member at PEARS, in an interview with The Medium. “It’s not just that [U of T isn’t] complying with our demands. It’s that [they’re] not even acknowledging that we’ve made them in the first place”

Maëlis Barre shared that the UTMSU offers the Peer Support Program for students who may be victims of harassment, racism, or sexu al assault. She explained that the volunteers are trained to support survivors of sexual assault, as well as students who may be dealing with other concerns.

Another resource available to students who have been victimized by sexual assault is the PEARS Project. The group describes them selves as “a grassroots, trauma-informed coali tion that provides peer support and resources to survivors of sexual violence across U of T.”

As of December 5, 2022, Reisz is slated to teach two biology courses next semester: BIO354: Vertebrate Form and Function and BIO356: Major Features of Vertebrate Evolution His lab, the Reisz Lab, continues to facilitate re search projects for undergraduate and graduate students.

If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence or harassment:

• Contact the PEARS Project at thepe arsproject@gmail.com for support and resources.

• Contact Hope 24/7: Sexual Assault Centre of Peel at 1-800-810-0180.

• Get in touch with the Sexual Violence Pre vention and Support Centre at U of T by email svpscentre@utoronto.ca or phone 416-978-2266.

: Humanitarian crisis intensifies in war-torn Ukraine

Kiara Senanayake Contributor

The Russo-Ukrainian war has resulted in mass civilian casualties, displacements, and significant damage to the Ukrainian infrastructure. Between February 24—when Rus sian president Vladimir Putin declared “a special military op eration” in Ukraine—and November 28, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN HCR) recorded 17,023 civilian casualties, including 6,655 killed and 10,368 injured.

As the war reaches its ninth month, Ukrainian forces have retaken territory from Russian occupying forces following a successful counteroffensive launched in early September. On November 9, Russia announced a general retreat from Kher son. A blast in Przewodów, Poland, on November 16, raised global alarms of the war spilling to neighbouring states. How ever, the missile was ultimately revealed to be of Ukrainian origin.

Millions of Ukrainians have been forced to leave their homes as the conflict has steadily increased over the past few months. Refugee estimates range from between 6.54 mil lion people according to the Displacement Tracking Matrix in October 2022, and 7.89 million according to the UNHCR in November 2022. Many countries in Europe have wel comed Ukrainian refugees fleeing their home countries, with

Germany and Poland receiving a majority of the refugees, amounting to over a million each by November 22, 2022.

According to the Kyiv School of Economics’ (KSE) report, released October 21, 2022: “As of September, 2022, the to tal amount of documented damage to residential and nonresidential real estate, other infrastructure amounted to more than [US]$127 billion (at replacement cost).” The KSE notes that the most significant damages were borne by housing properties, amounting to US$50.5 billion worth of damages. Over 135,800 residential buildings were destroyed or dam aged. Public infrastructure, such as bridges and roads, came in second place, with US$35.3 billion worth of damages.

As the winter approaches in Eastern Europe, the needs of the Ukrainian people have shifted significantly. Currently, the primary goal is to address the electricity blackouts in ma jor cities. According to a BBC article, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that six million households are cut off from electricity and running water, located in areas like Odessa, Lviv, Vinnytsia, and Dnipro. This took place following missile strikes on the capital and surrounding ar eas. He further stated that “ordinary people continue to face scheduled power cuts.” NATO committed to “help fix criti cal energy infrastructure” that has been damaged by Russian shelling, as stated in another BBC article.

The international response to the humanitarian crisis has been overwhelmingly positive. Key to addressing the refu gee crisis is the Temporary Protection status for Ukrainian refugees by the European Union, ensuring accessible medical

care, employment, education, shelter, and banking services. According to the UNHCR, as of November 29, 2022, 4.78 million Ukrainians have registered with the Temporary Pro tection regime in Europe. In the UK, the Homes for Ukraine scheme has aimed to provide emergency shelter for over 100,000 Ukrainian refugees that have arrived since the con flict’s outbreak.

Militarily speaking, western states, particularly the US, have demonstrated their dedication to aiding the Ukrainian forces by pledging financial aid. According to the Centre for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), the US has provided US$68 billion in aid in three packages. A new aid request of US$37.7 billion was submitted to Congress on November 15, 2022, potentially raising the total to US$105.5 billion. The CSIS reports that US aid covers four categories: “military aid, humanitarian assistance, economic support to the Ukrainian government, and US government operations and domestic costs related to Ukraine.

The Government of Canada has committed $320 million in humanitarian aid to United Nations agencies, the Red Cross, and non-governmental organisations to provide emergency health services, essential services like shelter and food, and overall support to displaced populations in Ukraine.

With the dawn of winter, the Russo-Ukrainian war further threatens the livelihood of many Ukrainians. Back in June, President Zelenskyy addressed the U of T community, stating that “We are fighting for our future, our freedom,” a statement that still holds true to this day.

Winter’s approach brings focus to Ukraine’s damaged energy infrastructures as a humanitarian crisis worsens in the Eastern European country.

The UTMSU and PEARS Project call for the termination of UTM professor Robert Reisz’s employment, following the U of T administration’s alleged silence regarding the issue.

LEXEY BURNS/THE VARSITY

Technology giants fire employees in tidal waves

Emily Rogers Associate News Editor

For the past month, the media has been buzzing about Elon Musk’s US$44 billion buyout of the social media platform Twitter. Known for his eccentric business practices, Musk’s acquisition has spurred vast changes for the platform. While Musk stated his goal of creating a better hub for free speech, he has also captured the public’s attention by re-in stituting controversial figures such as Donald Trump, Kanye West, and Jordan Peterson.

Most recently, Musk fired around 50 per cent of Twitter’s workforce in one night, spur ring substantial backlash from fired employ ees, subsequent resignations from the unhap pily employed, and confusion from Twitter’s user base, who witnessed the mass layoff in real time. The layoffs are meant to cut costs, thus combatting the steep drop in revenue that Twitter has experienced since Musk’s ac quisition—which he explains away with the fear of recession and bankruptcy.

In a conversation with The Medium, Dr. Anil Verma, a professor at U of T’s Rotman School of Management, sheds light on other factors at play in Twitter’s deteriorating rev enue. He states that Musk is facing conse

quences of “the same problem that Twitter’s previous owners faced:” the dilemma between free speech and content moderation. The high degree of freedom provided by instantaneous global communication networks also enables “a freedom for hate speech, even as serious as death threats.” This poses an ethical issue that social media platforms, along side advertisers and users, are aware of. When Musk began his mission to increase Twit ter’s capacity for free speech, he dismantled much of old Twitter’s content moderation meant to protect users. Users and advertisers have thus been scared off the site, leading to the declined revenue.

However, the layoff may be self-defeating, creating litigation costs for the company. Sev eral former Twitter employees have banded to file a class-action lawsuit. Musk gave em ployees an ultimatum: leave Twitter with three months of pay, or prepare to work long, stren uous hours for the company. Plaintiffs claim that this action violates the US federal Worker Readjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which requires employers to give 60 days no tice of termination.

Dr. Verma points out that this claim also raises other labour concerns regarding Twit

ter. Asking employees to go “hardcore” like this, alongside reports that Musk had noti fied his employees of potential 80-hour work weeks, could also mean violations of federal work hour laws and regulations on ethical treatment of employees.

While Musk’s recent actions have appeared questionable to most of the business world and the general public, some retain faith in his Twitter venture. Mass firings, raising fears of bankruptcy, and urging work ers to go “hardcore” are all strategies Musk implemented for SpaceX and Tesla: the businesses he has made his name with.

However, Dr. Verma questions the va lidity such comparisons. He asserts, “These are different types of businesses with differ ent challenges. The only thing in common between them is Mr. Musk.” Verma further explains that Musk’s prior ventures handled cutting-edge, pioneering technology. Twitter, on the other hand, is one of the oldest social media sites. As a free platform used by mil lions, these drastic changes prompted distrust in the three groups Dr. Verma cites as most important for Twitter’s success: investors, ad vertisers, and, vitally, users.

Tech companies Amazon and Meta also

began mass layoffs recently, leading many to fear that these terminations are becoming a trend in advance of an oncoming recession. Although not unfounded, this glosses over challenges unique to each business. Amazon, as a “digital marketplace,” does face falls in revenue due to “a slowing consumer market,” says Dr. Verma. However, “they are also one of the largest employers and over-hired over the pandemic,” further incentivizing the layoffs.

Meta, on the other hand, is a project “half way done.” As the Facebook paradigm is past its prime, CEO Mark Zuckerberg is now at tempting to restructure the company into the new Metaverse. Such restructuring requires cutting-costs in any business, but as Meta and Amazon have both followed the traditional layoff strategies (such as utilizing severance packages), Zuckerberg and Amazon CEO Andy Jassy have faced substantially less back lash.

Additionally, Dr. Verma brings up tech companies Apple and Microsoft, which have also halted hiring or laid off employees but have not experienced falls in revenue. As par ticipants in a capitalist marketplace, tech com panies experience the typical rises and falls of the business cycle. “Making money isn’t as cheap in the technology sector anymore,” ex plains Dr. Verma, contending that the sector is no longer a pioneering market.

Ontario’s provincial healthcare system is failing its most vulnerable patients

Due to over-the-counter drug shortages, along with increasing RSV and flu cases, Ontario’s ICUs are operating at over capacity, leading to poor patient care.

Cristina Pincente Contributor

>> HEALTHCARE continued from page 01

The duration for admitted patients was “up to 44.1 hours (repre senting a 48.2 per cent increase).”

Member of Provincial Parliament and emergency surgeon, Dr. Adil Shamji, stated in an interview with CTV News that lon ger wait times can negatively impact the healthcare standards in these facilities, as there is more room for error among staff due to additional stress.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s “Plan to Stay Open” commits to “add thousands of healthcare workers and free up 2,500 hospital beds.” This plan includes legislation permitting senior patients to

be transferred out of hospitals to “a facility not of their choosing” while waiting for long-term care home placement.

In an interview with Toronto Life, Dr. Jason Fischer, head of emergency medicine at the Hospital for Sick Children (Sick Kids), goes over the problems faced by pediatric hospitals amid a rise in respiratory syncytial virus cases concurrent with the influenza epidemic. “Compared with 2019 we’re seeing about 25 per cent more patients for the same time frame,” leading to tripled wait times, some of 12 hours. Factors affecting the crisis, such as the shortage of nurses, make working conditions more intense for frontline healthcare workers. Besides staffing prob lems, there is also a shortage of liquid Tylenol and ibuprofen for children. As such, “parents can’t effectively manage their chil dren’s fevers at home,” says Fischer.

On November 17, 2022, CTV News reported that a two-yearold patient with respiratory syncytial virus was nearly sent to a hospital in Buffalo, US, due to the pediatric Intensive Care Unit (ICU) bed shortage. A month ago, his mother, Keri Graham, took her son Tyler to Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital be cause he struggled to breathe, and his case escalated. Doctors were left with minimal solutions, as the only available bed they could find was at a hospital in Buffalo.

Eventually, an ICU bed opened up “150 km away at the Chil dren’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre,” where Tyler was hooked up to a ventilator for the next two weeks.

Ontario health minister Sylvia Jones said the “province has recently increased paediatric ICU capacity by 30 per cent.” How ever, SickKids reported that on November 11, 2022, the hospi tal’s ICU was operating at more than 127 per cent of its capacity.

However, not every parent is lucky enough to call their story a close call. On November 19, 2022, a CTV News article reported on the tragic story of Ezra Amos, a 22-year-old queer individual living between Toronto and Hamilton. On March 31, 2022, af ter 8 p.m., witnesses at Bathurst and Bloor “reported hearing a crash, followed by glass raining down from a construction site above. Then, a body hit the sidewalk.”

The last five months of Amos’ life were unfortunately charac terized with troubling stories: frequent interactions with police, lack of a steady home, and even reportedly a miscarriage days before their death.

On March 30, 2022, one day prior to Amos’ death, TTC se curity footage supposedly showed Amos on the subway tracks in an attempt to take their own life. When police arrived at the scene, they allegedly became aggressive, and Amos was arrested and transported to Toronto Western’s emergency department, then to a psychiatric unit after being restrained and sedated. De spite repeatedly expressing a desire to end their life during a psy chiatrist’s evaluation, Amos was discharged 12 hours later after they claimed an obligation to attend a court date—they were not due in court until months later.

The discharge documents showed no plans for their crisis and no follow-up. No phone calls were made to any close loved ones. Amos’ mother, Brandy Schlemko, says, “they could have saved [Amos’] life with one phone call—to me, a friend, to somebody.”

Many are dissatisfied with the government’s proposed plans to address issues faced by the healthcare sector. However, for some, the damage is irreversible, and their only hope is to spread awareness of these patients’ stories.

While Musk alleges the causal factors for layoffs as an oncoming recession and slowing consumerism in the aging tech sector, experts provide alternate perspectives on the waves of employment termination.

05 OPINION

EDITORIAL BOARD

Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Provost editor@themedium.ca

Managing Editor Juliana Stacey managing@themedium.ca

News Larry Lau news@themedium.ca

Opinion Kareena Kailass opinion@themedium.ca

Features

Prisha (Maneka) Nuckchady features@themedium.ca

A&E Julia Skoczypiec arts@themedium.ca

Sports Alisa Samuel sports@themedium.ca

Photo Samira Karimova photos@themedium.ca

Design Manjot Pabla design@themedium.ca

Copy Aidan Thompson aidan@themedium.ca

River Knott river@themedium.ca

Social Belicia Chevolleau social@themedium.ca

Podcast Kareem Al-Sawalmeh message@themedium.ca

ASSOCIATES

Emily Rogers, News Mihail Cubata, News Dalainey Gervais, Features Olga Fedossenko, Features Melody Yang, Sports Radhia Rameez, Sports Beatriz Simas, Photos & Design Natalie Ng, Photos & Design Sabrina Mutuc, Photos & Design

TO CO NTRI BU TE & CONNECT: themedium.ca/contact

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Editorial

A year of highs, lows, and going with the flow

Elizabeth Provost and Juliana Stacey Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor

In our final editorial of the year, you’ll notice a change in our roles. Or maybe you have never heard of us, and this is your first time reading an Editorial!

Hi, we’re Liz and Juliana, The Medium’s Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor for the remainder of the publication’s 49th volume.

The Medium had a tumultuous start to its publishing year. We proudly continued publishing beautiful stories and curating gorgeous weekly issues (and even one magazine). However, as our editorial team returned to working on campus, we’ve felt the post-pandemic weight of returning to in-person learning and have desperately tried to find some normalcy in a not-sonormal world. We’re not scared to admit “failure” because we’ve learned (sometimes the hard way) that through upset and change, there is growth. This fall semester, in the weight of this unprec edented experience, we just didn’t find our groove. Instead, we spent these last four months tiptoeing and leaping over adversities with great care.

Now that we’ve begun to find our footing, we’re excited to venture into this next year with fresh ideas, perspectives, and hopes. We’re looking forward to collaborating with more of University of Toronto Mississauga’s students and alumni to publish inspiring stories about our campus and com

Editor | Kareena Kailass opinion@themedium.ca

munity. We’re thrilled to bring you another magazine—one that looks towards the future and doesn’t dwell on the past.

Leading The Medium has taught us that there is no time to worry about what once was; change is constant, and if we don’t adapt quickly, we’ll get left behind. In the remaining days of the year, we look forward to reflecting upon what we can learn from the last 12 months, remembering and letting go of any lingering penitence as the clock strikes midnight and marks the start of a new chapter.

Our time at The Medium has also taught us that we can’t move forward without readers like you. For the next semester, we want to know what you want to see from us. We have plans to pick up on projects that we’ve lost track of, like our Talk ing Heads series, our writing and art competition (for which submissions are open until December 14, 2022), and perhaps create a video or two featuring students like you. With a strong focus on themed issues in Volume 49, you have our Black His tory Month, Women’s Day, and Valentine’s Day issues to look forward to. If you have a story for us you can always reach us at editor@themedium.ca and managing@themedium.ca, or pitch online, even anonymously, at www.themedium.ca/pitch. We want to hear from you.

Finally, thank you to all the writers, photographers, and il lustrators who have contributed to the paper this semester. We are so grateful to share this space with you. And to our readers, The Medium would like to wish you Happy Holidays. We hope that the winter break provides you with respite and reflection in preparation for the year to come. Let 2023 bring us closer to each other, and let us accept change and trust that it will lead us to where we belong.

Yes, I have a small business and no, it’s not all glamour

Hannah Grace Wang Staff Writer

My name is Hannah. I’m a third-year student at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) and a small business owner. I own The Aesthetics Studio, an online shop where I sell stickers and stationery products featuring my designs. I’ve been running my small business for over two years now, and it’s a great part-time job. But it’s just that though—a part-time job.

Being a small business owner while trying to find the worklife balance as a full-time university student isn’t all glamour and money. It’s a lot of work without clear direction. You don’t have a supervisor telling you what you do or how to fix something if you screw up a task. You’re on your own. Of course, this means you get all the freedom to make decisions, but this comes with ramifications people don’t realize.

When I wanted to use my business as a cli ent for a group project in CCT356: Online Advertising and Marketing, my professor asked me, “It seems like your business is doing quite well, […] why do you think The Aesthetics Studio should be your group’s client?” Too often, when people see my

business’ follower count, they immediately think I’m doing well. They assume I must be getting hundreds of sales. My business does make a steady income, but it’s not enough to make a living. It’s just some extra pocket money, and sometimes I wish others knew that. I’m not trying to dissuade anyone from starting a business. I love being a small business owner and I love making stationery. It’s great for those that want to try out being business owners. There’s so much to learn from entrepreneurship and there are fantastic programs out there like ICUBE at UTM, which offers resources on how you can get started with your business.

I just want people to realize that there are many types of small businesses—from seasonal artists who only participate in a few vendor events a year, to people with a dozen employees who have their own storefronts. You can think of “small business” as an umbrella term that incorporates a wide range of businesses. No two small businesses are alike, and we shouldn’t be forming assumptions about them either.

I recently attended UTM’s Digital Enterprise Manage ment’s Small Business Market event on November 24, 2022. It was the first time I tabled at a vendor event. It was a great event but there was so much I didn’t prepare for and so much I could’ve done differently. That’s the thing with be ing a small business owner though: there are always new things to learn.

Being a small business owner does not mean you’re a millionaire.

As we adapt to change, we strive to do the best we can.

Changing Leaves:

Procrastination is more than just a bad habit

B EATRIZ SIMAS/T H E MEDIUM

Ayear ago, I got my first paid job—special projects coordinator at the University of Toronto Missis sauga Students’ Union (UTMSU). Honestly, I enjoyed my position for the better part of the year—revelling in the new faces and names that came my way.

Before working at the UTMSU, I did volunteer work and an unpaid internship, never hearing back from any jobs I had applied for. So, when I finally became em ployed, it felt like my definitive entry into adulthood. The leaves were changing once again, and I was aging alongside the trees. I felt overwhelmingly mature.

I remember the night I applied to the vice-president internal associate position. It was a day or two before the deadline, and I faced an emotional loss in the days leading up to it. I knew I needed to find purpose and use this growing emptiness as a motive to fill it with my own endeavours and accomplishments. I applied but didn’t expect to hear back.

I was interviewed for the job shortly after and was offered an alternative position. Although I didn’t get the job I was initially hoping for, I found good friendships in my new role—I found the group of people I hang out with now. The job forced me to engage with new people and—weirdly enough—spend time in the William G. Davis building on the University of Toronto Mississau ga campus. I also learned something new about myself: I hate tabling and will never do it another day in my life (under any circumstance will you ever catch me going up to random people to advertise events).

Much has changed since this phase of my life, includ ing me becoming Managing Editor at The Medium. I’m grateful for working with the UTMSU because doing so helped create the experience needed to secure new adventures. It helped me understand that any work can be good work, and that everything that happens is meant to prepare you for the next phase of your life. Ev ery job, every hardship, every heartbreak, happens for a reason—cliché, I know. I’m curious to see what this phase of my life will prepare me for. Most importantly though, I’m hoping second semester is easier than this one. Of course, you’ll be the first to know of my emo tional stability from January to April.

It was not that I didn’t want to—it was just that I couldn’t. I lost the capac ity to get things done. While people strived to achieve the best in their lives, I lied on my bed staring at the ceiling until dusk approached and the first drop of sunlight lit up my room once again.

Feeling unable to concentrate and move forward constantly haunted me over the last two years of online school.

That stressful period, combined with an extra stressful exam season, were the “killer package” for me. I remember opening up the review material before an exam, and then an hour later, still staring at the first page. The overwhelming stress made it almost impossible for me to concentrate at all. Soon enough, I started having difficulties with basic daily tasks, like cooking, or shower ing. These were the first indications of my nervous breakdowns— I just couldn’t go about my day like I used to.

It is horrifying to look back on how the stress tore me apart and prevented me from functioning. But this year, I began healing and picking up where I left off before I was unable to keep up. As I restored my health and learned more about myself and my habits, I noticed some signs within myself before the severe breakdown.

One of the key signs that often led me down the path of a breakdown was procrastination. Once I started neglecting my responsibilities until the last minute—or until it was too late—I only fell deeper into the endless hole of procrastination. I found myself unconsciously procrastinating during stressful times. In these instances, I would avoid doing things that stressed me out, simply because they brought me negative feelings. For instance, I constantly checked my phone while studying, even though it was

not necessary or urgent for me to reply to my messages. I toxically drowned in moments of escaping the work, but when all the deadlines approached, I panicked and broke down.

Not only did I then have to carry the guilt of not getting my work done, but my pending re sponsibilities and deadlines only accumulated.

The cycle kept repeating itself, and I experi enced a sense of helplessness that led me to be lieve nothing could change my situation—a phenomenon known as learned helplessness.

This self-diagnosis was when I knew I needed to find ways to manage my issue and get back on track.

I knew I had to learn more about stress and implement solu tions that would work for me before I could get back to being productive.

There are a couple of tips I found very useful—they were the ones that helped me break out of my slump of procrastination.

First, I found it extremely helpful to divide my work into sepa rate, smaller tasks. By doing this, the amount of pressure each as signment carried was significantly reduced, and I found it much easier to be motivated. Since each task was smaller, I often fin ished them through to the end, and from each finished task, came a burst of motivation.

The other tip—the one that is often harder for most of us to enforce—was understanding that I shouldn’t push myself too hard. It’s normal to feel exhausted from being overloaded with coursework, or from pulling an all-nighter. In times like these, it’s okay to accept that you cannot be productive and should priori tize yourself over school.

For me, procrastination was more than just a habit—it was a warning sign for my nervous breakdowns. Procrastination should not be dismissed too lightly for this reason. It could lead to a seri ous situation that could be prevented if we understand why we are procrastinating, and how we can consciously cope with our stress in ways that work for us.

Aidan Thompson Copy Editor

Apetition organized by the Recreational Hunters of the Peel Region (RHPR) calls for Doug Ford and the provincial gov ernment to rezone the University of Toronto Mississauga’s (UTM) community forest to facilitate hunting. U of T President Meric Gertler’s signature was listed on the petition. While his office claimed he was unavailable for comment, The Medium staff found him at his hunting lodge in Caledon, Ontario.

“Frankly, the deer populations on campus are overwhelming,” stated Gertler. “There have been a number of students who have contracted ticks from the deer and if we could monetize their eradi cation, it could be incredibly lucrative.” Gertler declined to answer how it could turn a profit, but The Medium did notice a document on his desk titled “Cutting Costs at Coleman Commons.”

Gertler, who has spoken on numerous occasions about the health benefits of carnivore diets and steroid injec tions, was eating an unsalted, well-done, wagyu steak while watching TikToks of the Liver King when Medium contacted him.

“Do you know the health benefits of eating liver?” Gertler asked, with a particular intensi ty. “It revitalizes your primal instincts—makes

you hungry for the hunt.” Gertler growled in response to the rest of The Medium’s questions.

The petition, which began collecting signatures this fall, suggests students return to virtual lectures during hunting season to avoid potential “accidents.”

In recent weeks, the growing UTM deer population called for proper representation in institutional decisions and warned of their willingness to unionize. A Twitter user suggested that this concern might be the reason for the petition, tweeting “Here comes another ‘genocide’ to silence to political opposition. #DareToDeer.”

While the outcomes of the RHPR petition have yet to be deter mined, campus safety advised students to wear orange apparel until the end of the hunting season. Constable John Marcelious shared that “this will help to reduce the risk of any premature hunters’ mis-

Constable Marcelious additionally warned that hunting on campus is still currently illegal, and any students found stalking, snaring, or shooting deer will be arrested and appropriately

In a public statement, UTM deer spokesman John Deere, called for the Ford administration to carefully consider their decision. “An attack against any wildlife will be treated as a threat to our security, and our re sponse will carry appropriate severity.”

If you see Meric Gertler acting suspiciously towards the UTM deer, please contact campus police immediately.

Procrastination doesn’t have to be your be-all and end-all. You can fight it.

Zitong Chen Contributor

How UTM’s Ideation Lab provides funding, mentorship, and educational resources to business aspirants

Alisa Samuel Sports & Health Editor

In 2015, U of T’s first and only social impact accelerator—a program that helps develop start-ups—opened its doors at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM). ICUBE is cur rently operated by a small staff who aim to provide space and education to people with business ideas.

Former freelance psychometrist, Kayla Sousa, is the pro grams lead of ICUBE at UTM’s Institute for Management & Innovation. “While there’s nothing wrong with choosing to work in the gig economy, as I did,” Sousa says, “a place like ICUBE could’ve helped me grow things to another level.” The gig economy refers to a labour market comprised mainly of temporary, contractual, and freelance positions.

Drawing from her experience as an independent worker navigating service gaps, Sousa has worked to set up ICUBE’s latest multi-disciplinary entrepreneurship program: the Ide ation Lab

The Ideation Lab is designed for those who wish to estab lish start-ups and create positive social change in the world with their products or services. “When we talk about startups,” Sousa explains, “we’re looking at people who are often working solo as entrepreneurs or have a very small team, with no prototype. They’re building a business from the ground up, beginning from scratch essentially.”

The program supports cohorts every semester, including the summer. It welcomes UTM students (both domestic and international), alumni, and Peel Region residents of all ages. Enrollees gain access to monetary grants, mentorship from

business coaches and investors, social connections through the ICUBE community, and resources that are both internal and external to U of T. As an example, a session with a law yer would teach enrollees about corporate structures, so they might be able to incorporate their businesses later.

In combination with such in-person offerings, enrollees can also complete self-directed learning modules. These asynchro nous and virtual modules cover “a range of topics, including social impact, business sales, finance, digital marketing, mar ket research, design, thinking, and fundraising,” shares Sousa.

“I remember there was a woman with a baby, a member who joined in on a call,” Sousa recalls. “She was fussing with the baby, she felt guilty because the baby was crying, and she was struggling to keep up with the workshops—that really stuck with me.” Sousa realized the need for a choose-yourown-adventure-style program to satisfy the different lifestyles of program members.

The Ideation Lab’s predecessor—a similar program hosted collaboratively—was much more traditionally structured. At tendance at every weekly workshop was mandatory.

Though there are still certain requirements enrollees must fulfill, members of the Ideation Lab now mostly complete workshops and modules of their own choosing, according to their entrepreneurial needs, skill levels, and schedules.

“I pitched to my own bosses at ICUBE the idea of restruc turing the program to minimize barriers for people who are already facing [them], because I don’t want to take away an opportunity from a mother,” Sousa says. “As a woman in this space, it’s really important to me that we care a lot about sup porting entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds.”

In creating truly flexible and inclusive programming, Sousa

pulls from her counselling background to understand the un represented. She then helps them, using suitable strategies, make meaningful connections in the world of business: “The one thing that’s personally rewarding for me to see is ensuring the Ideation Lab members have access to competitions […] where they have an audience of people who are listening to their ideas,” shares Sousa.

At the end of each semester, members of the Ideation Lab can competitively pitch their start-up ideas to a panel of three judges for a chance to win cash prizes and additional profes sional support.

Alongside investors, the panel consists of past winners who are also former ICUBE members. On December 15, 2022, co-founder of UNfabricated and member of ICUBE’s Venture Forward program, Prabaarja Bedi will be joining to judge for the fall cohort. Anyone interested in attending the pitch com petition is encouraged to register for the Ideation Lab event.

Looking forward, the Ideation Lab is currently accepting applications for its winter 2023 cohort. The deadline to apply is January 10, 2023.

“We encourage people to apply because it’s a great opportu nity to take advantage of if they’re admitted,” says Sousa. She explains that not all applications are approved by saying, “The only reason we can’t accept everyone is because there are lim ited resources, and we want to make sure that everyone has a coach.” Once the deadline closes, all applicants will hear back from the Ideation Lab team by the end of January.

For more information on the program, you can join ICUBE for a virtual information session on December 7, 2022, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., or email Kayla Sousa with your que ries before you apply at kayla.sousa@utoronto.ca.

Kayla Sousa, ICUBE Programs Lead, discusses the mission behind the ideation lab and social barriers to entrepreneurship.

ICUBE/UTM

racism

Olga Fedossenko Associate Features Editor

In Canada, over 110,000 school-aged chil dren live on reserves. According to a re port published in 2018, only 44 per cent of First Nations who lived on reserves between the ages of 18 and 24 had completed high school. In contrast, the same metric applied to only 88 per cent of other Canadians.

“Indigenous students all across Canada were 40 to 50 per cent underfunded per student, compared to students in provincial public schools.”

After learning about the inequalities that affect schools on reserves while pursuing his Juris Doctor at U of T, Andrew Stobo Snider man, a lawyer and a Rhodes Scholar from Montreal, started researching the dispari ties that led to these systemic deficiencies. “I found out that Indigenous students all across Canada were 40 to 50 per cent underfunded per student, compared to students in provin cial public schools. As a law student, I couldn’t understand how that was legal,” recalled Sto bo Sniderman. He reached out to Associate Professor Douglas Sanderson (Amo Binashii) to collaborate on a book titled Valley of the Birdtail: An Indian Reserve, a White Town, and the Road to Reconciliation. Released in August 2022, the book is about two commu nities separated by a valley: Waywayseecappo, a reserve in Manitoba, and a neighbouring town called Rossburn.

“It’s about how this inequality developed between these two communities over the last 150 years across many domains.”

During a presentation as part of The Jack man Series at U of T’s Faculty of Law on No vember 22, 2022, the authors recounted the process of putting the book together, meet ing with residents on reserves, and hearing their stories. “It is more ambitious than just a story about the education inequality,” ex plained Stobo Sniderman. “It’s about how this inequality developed between these two com munities over the last 150 years across many domains.”

The book follows multiple generations of two families. In Rossburn, a town once settled by Ukrainian immigrants who fled poverty, family income is near the national average

and most adults have com pleted a university degree. Just across a valley, in Way wayseecappo, families live below the line of poverty.

Residential schools started opening in Canada as early as the 1880s. Indigenous children were taken from their parents and brought to schools so that nuns and priests could transform them into their definition of proper, exempla ry individuals. Later, in the 1950s and 1960s, the “integration” era happened when the federal government decided to send students from reserves to pro vincial public schools to assimilate Indigenous Peoples into the dominant so ciety’s norms.

Finally, in 1971, the Manitoba Indian Brotherhood released a manifesto

that demanded an end to in tegrated education because it had no relevance to In digenous culture and life style. Put under pressure, the government agreed to give the First Nations com munities control over their school education. This led to the current school ing systems where reserve and local schools remain separate, and reserve schools are funded by the federal govern ment, and not the provincial government.

In his interview with CBC, Evan Taypotat, Chief of the Kahkewistahaw First Nation, stated that “The First Nations schools are looked af ter by someone in Ottawa, who

[couldn’t] actually care less about what’s going on on the reserve. The average funding for a reserve kid is about $6,800. The funding for a kid in Broadview, which is about 10 minutes away, is $11,000.”

While increased funding may seem like a logical solution, Professor Sanderson believes “it’s never going to cut it,” because the in equalities go further than just the educational system.

“The First Nations schools are looked after by someone in Ottawa, who [couldn’t] actually care less about what’s going on on the reserve.”

“There’s a couple of documents that we printed out in the book that I had trouble be lieving. I had to see them for myself to believe they even exist,” continued Stobo Sniderman.

One of the documents the authors found details permission requests from a federal agent to a father that allows him to leave a reserve to go visit his son at a residential school. Another document is a permit from a government agency for someone living on reserve to sell a load of barley to someone from outside of the reserve. Documents like these had to be issued because of the restrict ing laws passed in the 19th and 20th centu ries. For instance, when the residential school system was operational, parents were often denied any contact with their children in the schools. In the late 19th century, The Indian Act banned traditional Indigenous functions including the potlatch, ghost dance, and sun dance, with police arresting Indigenous Peoples for performing ceremonies that were part of their culture. And in 1927, another law was passed forbidding Indigenous Peoples from hiring any legal representatives or seek ing legal counsel. These are only a few of the restrictions communities on reserves faced throughout the years. Even though these laws are not presently in effect, Indigenous Peoples still lack independence and equal treatment.

Both Stobo Sniderman and Professor Sanderson believe that the way to resolve many of these injustices is to provide Indig enous Peoples with governing authority over their land. Communities that live on reserves need to make decisions about funding for schools and healthcare for themselves. “We know that if Indigenous governments were empowered to raise and spend money, their child welfare system would be well-function ing,” maintained Stobo Sniderman. The au thors hope to change the way readers think about Indigenous education and understand the role of law in finding solutions.

In their new book, a U of T law graduate and an associate professor in the Faculty of Law highlight the inequalities affecting children in schools on reserves.

Valley of the Birdtail: How

changed the experiences of two communities separated by a valley

GOODREADS

She Said—empowering victims of ex-film superpower Harvey Weinstein

Aia Jaber Columnist

TW: This article contains references to sexual assault and rape Spoiler warning: This article touches on the sto ryline of She Said

Seated in the movie theatre on release day and surrounded by women close in age, I felt empowered and appalled by the true story that unravelled before my eyes. Often, when I watch most films, I find it difficult to sit still and remain engaged. But during the two hours and nine minutes that She Said was playing, I was unable to move, fidget, or pick up my phone. The theatre was silent—aside from some echoing popcorn crunches and the booming voices of the characters on screen.

In an investigation pursued by women, for women, journalists Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan), and Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan) uncovered multiple sexual assault allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein. If you’ve followed the series of allegations made against him in recent years, you’d understand the long journey it took to defeat a man of his profound power and finally put him in jail.

“I felt like I was in the room with the

They supported women, stood up to Wein stein’s consistent threats, and rewrote the nar rative that permits bullies to silence women.

My heart felt torn watching the brutal and vivid experiences of the victims. In a cliché sense, I was at the edge of my seat, wincing through every scene. I felt like I was in the room with the survivors, holding them as they recounted their intense stories. When each journalist asked why these women did not speak out, they professed their fears, stat ing that “Weinstein has eyes everywhere.” Their careers were threatened, non-disclosure agreements were signed, and these women were forced to continue with their lives while Weinstein went on to abuse so many more women. They weren’t allowed to tell their partners, families, or friends. In a painful comment made by one of the victims, “Wein stein built the silence”—an act far too com mon in sexual assault cases.

“Their careers were threatened, nondisclosure agreements were signed, and these women were forced to continue with their lives while Weinstein went on to abuse so many more women.”

Assistants that Weinstein assaulted, some as young as 23, were isolated from their dreams in the film industry. Their careers and repu tations were destroyed, and with them, their autonomy.

“

She Said is most importantly a movie about women’s resilience—consistently

empowering. My words fall short, and as a writer, that can be problematic, but the film said everything I felt, thought, and needed to know about what it means to be a woman and a journalist. As recounted in the original New York Times article—also referenced in a piece by Vox—82 women have been victim to Weinstein’s attacks—a number that is rising as women find strength in sharing their stories.

Given recent sexual harassment allegations surrounding a University of Toronto Missis sauga professor, we must understand that it is not surprising to see those with authority abuse their power. It is disappointing, pain ful, and harmful to know that there are people within our community who have fallen victim to sexual assault, but it is even more agoniz ing to know that institutions and industries choose to protect abusers, despite knowing their danger to the community. Systems pro tecting criminals hide behind piles of money and self-benefit. Weinstein is facing 23 years in prison. This is not enough for the 82 lives he’s irreversibly affected.

Being a writer, I felt empowered by the in vestigative journalistic process unfolding on screen. Twohey and Kantor made a daring partnership and brought justice to the survi vors. I found great admiration in their char acters as journalists. Despite the consistent threats and abuse they faced before, during, and after the article was published, the jour nalists chased the truth. Their duty as profes sionals overrode their own fears. Although I’m not sure I have the same strength as them, She Said left me encouraged.

I pray that all abusers are held accountable for their actions and feel immense guilt, pain, and retribution for their heinous, disgusting crimes. May they lose their positions and face the consequences of their actions. I hope that all victims receive the justice they deserve— that their voices are heard, not silenced. Abus ers build the silence, but we will work to de molish it.

“It is disappointing, painful, and harmful to know that there are people within our community who have fallen victim to sexual assault, but it is even more agonizing to know that institutions and industries choose to protect abusers, despite knowing their danger to the community.”

An eye-opening film that reveals the truths and tragedies of women in journalism and beyond.

IMDb com

A depiction of real-life family affairs in Theatre Erindale’s Tartuffe

Fourth year TDS students took audiences on a journey that truly displayed difficult emotions.

Yusuf Larizza-Ali Staff Writer

Erindale Studio Theatre has always been a great place to experience drama up close. In their most recent show, Tartuffe, fourth year Theatre and Drama Studies (TDS) stu dents used the power of live performance to showcase thematic messages, dialogue styles, and special effects.

Originally a French play written by Molière, Tartuffe has been translated into various Eng lish versions. As a mixture between comedy and drama, the play deals with some intense themes regarding familial relationships and betrayal. The titular character, played by Han nah Mitchell, created a dynamic production. As Tartuffe is portrayed as a guest and reli gious fraud, he plots to manipulate his host for his own desires.

Directed by Paolo Santalucia, the play starts off suddenly, catching the audience’s at tention straight away. The dialogue style, writ ten entirely in rhyme, also becomes appar ent early on—with characters who speak in catchy phrases such as “I could see my family die and not even blink an eye.” An early scene consists of a debate between Mariane (Chel sea Mathieu) and her father Orgon (Anthony Palermo) regarding her marriage prospects. Orgon wants Tartuffe to be her groom, even though Mariane has true feelings that lie with Valère (Stevie Hook)—another suitor. Later, Orgon debates with Mariane’s maid Dorine

(Brynne Bonne) about the potential union between Mariane and Tartuffe.

ther because she is “timid.” For such language, she is mocked. These dialogues communicate messages that connect to self-identity, how ever, through hypocritical figures like Valère, the concepts of identity become lost. With further interventions by characters like Or gon’s mother Madame Pernelle (Maïa Greco), his brother-in-law Cléante (Devin McEach ern), Orgon’s second wife Elmire (Jewell Bowry), and his son Damis (Jimmy Omino), the plot stirs notions of reason, love, manipu lation, and deceit.

scene transitions, main lights turned off, smaller ones illuminated parts of the stage, and new music played. To create suspense and foreshadow some of the unbelievable events that unfolded, the show featured a snippet from the iconic musical number “In The Hall Of The Mountain King,” composed by Edvard Grieg. As the show’s plot was fast paced—always bringing calamities to the characters—the effects helped to match and enhance this tone.

After Orgon exits the scene, Mariane and Dorine discuss their heartfelt feelings. Mari ane states that she cannot stand up to her fa

The lighting and music in the play were used to the story’s advantage. Throughout

The acting in Tartuffe was phenomenal. One casting choice that stood out to me was Madame Pernelle. Greco portrayed her char acter with perfect pacing, and I really got the sense that she was irritated with her family and close to her breaking point throughout the show’s entirety. Her dialogue delivery, facial expressions, and overall body language ultimately built up to her final meltdown—a dynamic and unforgettable exit scene.

Another great character was Tartuffe. Mitchell’s acting received a booming applause from the audience. While Tartuffe was meant to be antagonistic, Mitchell’s performance added layers of comedy to the play.

Overall, I would recommend plays like Tartuffe to anyone who is looking for an en ticing experience at the University of Toronto Mississauga campus. The show presented so cially impactful themes while keeping its tone upbeat. Be sure to keep up with more of The atre Erindale’s upcoming season on their In stagram @theatreerindale. Tickets for shows can be found at tickets.sheridancollege.ca.

“As a mixture between comedy and drama, the play deals with some intense themes regarding familial relationships and betrayal.”

How Lana Del Rey uses music to show character development

Abeera Sohail Contributor

In 2012, with the releases of songs like “Video Games” and “Blue Jeans,” Lana Del Rey was met with a lot of contro versy. She sang about drugs, sadness, and her utter devotion to a male partner. With her deep, sultry voice and an image remi niscent of 1950s golden-age America, her songs were a stark opposite to the pop hits of the time. Many people criticized her music for being anti-feminist due to the content matter. Nevertheless, Del Rey persisted. Over the course of her career, she has released eight well-received albums—all a reflection of her persona.

Born To Die (2012) featured Del Rey’s most accomplished hit, “Summertime Sadness.” The album was polarizing to the public—its style of music stuck out as being extremely differ ent, creating a “cultural reset” for listeners at the time. Artisti cally, the songs on Born To Die seem to reflect the mindset of a young girl who is vulnerable, naïve, and has a boyfriend much older than her. This description is reflective of Del Rey at the time of the album’s release. People speculated that she was only famous because of her dad’s money, or that she slept around to get her album out. Despite the gossip, Born To Die spent 300 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart.

Soon after, Del Rey released Paradise (2012) a collection of eight songs with a more summery vibe. The album included a cover of Tony Bennett’s “Blue Velvet,” a song originally re leased in 1951. While Paradise did not experience the same commercial success as Born to Die, it can be seen as a new development for her persona. Paradise comes off as more laid-back, lacking the same upbeat, bubbly flow of her earlier releases. Throughout the collection of songs, Del Rey seems to share a prominent message: she’s not going to change her style because of the public opinion.

In 2014, Del Rey released Ultraviolence (my personal fa vourite). As a total change from her 2012 albums, Ultravio

lence is pure rock. Its songs are flooded with electric guitar and manufactured melancholy—an album packed with raw emotion. Del Rey sings about violence in intimate relation

name that features The Weeknd. The album displays a pivotal turning point in Del Rey’s music. According to Apple Music, this album is “quintessentially her: gloomy, glamorous, and

The M ’s Playlist – A Danceable December with Kareena

Kareena Kailass Opinion Editor

To me, December is a lot more than just another month of the year. De cember welcomes the new year with open arms, it signals the holiday season for many, and it invites great reflection. From Spotify Wrapped to You Tube Rewind and Apple Music Replay, we all, in one way or another, look forward to media collections that help us look back on our entire year.

With this playlist, I do just that—reflect. Taking you back to some of my favourite hits from 1965 to 1999, I hope you immerse yourself in the throw back vibes that this playlist has to offer.

Beyond just reflection—these songs symbolize eternity. The Temptations’ My Girl is nearing six decades old and still invokes so many emotions that relate to listeners today. Mariah Carey’s, Whitney Houston’s, and Chaka Khan’s hits span almost three decades of listening, and still, these tracks are in many of our regular rotations. The Jackson 5—otherwise known as “The Jack sons”—continue to hold their legacy and have a special place in many of our hearts. With this eternity comes longevity, emotion, meaning, and impact. So, I welcome you to a glimpse of some my favourite impactful hits. These are the songs I always come back to, year after year.

Remember, you—like these hits, artists, and bands—are entering a new year too. A new year for you to build your legacy. With each action and footstep, you too, leave meaning and impact in not only your life, but in the lives of others’ as well.

When done right, using a discography as an artistic outlet can be quite spectacular.

12 sports & health

All hands on deck

Khan Columnist

How does an underperforming, injury-laden hockey team persevere and make themselves a top five team in the league? They collectively work together to improve their defense and consequently win games.

The Leafs defence is perhaps the most injured in the entire league. They are currently suffering from the absence of Mor gan Rielly, not only one of the best defencemen for the team but also one of the best in the league; Jake Muzzin, another one of their best defencemen; T.J. Brodie, a penalty killer and transition player; and Jordie Benn, a pleasantly surprising contributor to the Leafs’ emerging success before his injury.

When faced with a roster as depleted as this, most NHL teams would fold, but General Manager Kyle Dubas has built this organization on the strength of depth at each position, especially at defence. Players such as Victor Mete and rookie Mac Hollowell have jumped into the lineup to fill vacant roles.

Just as impressive are players who were already in the lineup. They raised their games to new levels and helped the team become one of the best in the league. Most notably, Jus tin Holl, who most Leafs fans had given up hope on after his many mistakes on the ice proved costly for the team, is the player Leafs fans fell in love with two years ago. Mark Gior dano, the oldest player in the league at 39, has also turned back the clock, playing important minutes for the Leafs and contributing both offensively and defensively.

Lastly, the two young Swedish defencemen Rasmus San din and Timothy Liljegren are growing into the high cali ber, well-rounded players that the Leafs organization wants them to be. Sandin, specifically, has played at a level previously unexpected due to his absence in training camp and lack of production to start the season.

Wins have not come in the same waves they have last season—until now. The Leafs recently came back from a long, five game road trip where, surprisingly,

Winners on and off the field

Omar Khan Columnist

For the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) men’s flag football team, perfor mance goes beyond the field. Head coach Ar maan Hayer—a third year criminology, law, and society student—measures the success of his team not only by their ability to play the sport they love, but also according to the ways in which they serve their community.

“From day one, they aimed to play their hearts out, set a good example as leaders, and make a difference in their community.”

In the pursuit of giving back to commu nities that need it the most, the flag football team participated in a donation drive hosted by Sociology Professor Jerry Flores on No vember 11, 2022. The team donated essential items, like diapers, baby food, socks, general hygiene products, and children’s toys to the Native Women’s Resource Centre of Toronto. In reflecting on the donation drive, the players acknowledged that they play on Indigenous land. They therefore strive to help the com munities to whom the land belongs to.

With this mentality at heart, the team had its first game against U of T Law on October 23, 2022. No previous UTM flag football team

has ever won a game in its history, and U of T Law has remained undefeated for years. Beat ing U of T Law was the biggest challenge of the season for UTM.

Falling by a large margin, the UTM flag football team lost, but learned that while this game was a setback for them, they could re group, improve their play, and carry that mo mentum to the semifinals.

With confidence, the UTM flag football team faced U of T Engineering (Skule). Both teams were scheduled to first face each other in the regular season but could not due to

they went undefeated.

All Star and defending MVP award winner Auston Matthews has not hit the stride he had last season when he scored 60 goals. The Leafs star is currently on pace for 37. Thankfully, though, the star centre is finally starting to heat up, scoring in back-to-back games, earning the confidence and motivation he had in his record-breaking season a year ago.

Teammates John Tavares and William Nylander are also in the midst of career years. However, Mitch Marn er has stood out from the rest. Marner, with a 17-game point streak, has become a forechecking machine, tak ing on any player that stands in his way.

Moving forward, the team’s stamina and willing ness to win will be tested. The Leafs have beat some of the best teams in the league but have also fallen to some of the worst. This inconsistency is something the team will have to rid itself of if it wants to succeed in the postseason.

poor weather conditions. The rematch took place on November 27, 2022. The UTM team waited patiently for a competitive athletic test such as this one to prove that they belong on the field and are a team to be reckoned with— and they did. UTM won 28-6, earning a spot in the finals where U of T Law, the defending champions, would be waiting for them.

UTM flag football, a team that—until this season—had never won a single game, took on U of T Law, a team that has never lost. Though U of T Law won the 2022 championship as well, UTM played their best against them.

UTM has not only earned the respect of U of T Law, but of the entire league.

While they may not have come first, the fact that UTM finished in second place is a huge accomplishment. Completing that seemingly impossible task, along with their charitable work off the field, makes the members of the UTM flag football team true winners at the end of the day.

From day one, they aimed to play their hearts out, set a good example as leaders, and make a difference in their community.

“We are all from a diverse set of back grounds, yet we are privileged enough that we can study at the greatest institution this nation offers, along with other privileges such as be ing cis-gender, heterosexual men,” Hayer says. “Recognizing such privileges brings us humil ity, allows us to widen our understanding of the world, as many players mentioned when they were shocked at how expensive menstru al and baby food products are.”

Hayer wants the UTM men’s flag football team to be more than macho football play ers or hegemonic men. He wants them to rid themselves of toxic masculinity and recognize their privilege for the greater good of margin alized communities.

The biggest challenge for the Leafs is to keep up their current level of play for more success in the postseason.

“Recognizing such privileges brings us humility, allows us to widen our understanding of the world.”

“As men, diverse men, we have privilege, and therefore an opportunity to make a difference,” says head coach of the University of Toronto Mississauga men’s flag football team.

Omar