Volume 48, Issue 7 by The Medium

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

Issue 7 Volume 48

October 25 2021

themedium.ca

OZONE LAYER HEALING

FACULTY FEATURE

SQUID GAME REVIEW

According to scientists, the ozone layer is on track to be healed to the state it was at almost half a century ago. Finally, some hopeful news about climate change. Better yet, this healing process is likely to complete within the next thirty years.

Professor Cherki chose to wear the hijab while working in France before she moved to Quebec. Amidst the rise in Islamophobia and Bill 21 (a Quebec law that restricts its residents from wearing religious symbols), Professor Cherki states that the extent of her experience in Quebec was the public staring.

If you have had access to the internet in the last month, there is a good chance you heard about Squid Game—a South Korean Netflix series by director Hwang Dong-hyuk. Squid Game is a modern dystopia under the “death game” genre and is the most popular show Netflix has ever released.

>> read more on page 07

>> read more on page 08

>> read more on page 11

NEWS

The four-day work week and what this will mean for Ontario

Razia Saleh Associate News Editor

arlier this o m nth, Ontario’s Liberal a P rty announced that it will launch a pilot project to exhibit the benets of a four-day work week in u J ne 20. Some Canadian companies, lie k u J no Colege of Technology, have already announced they will be testing this out or have already implee m nted it. e four-day work week has always been a controversial topic in terms of whether it will actually be successful for the eciency of students and workers.

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OPINION

FEATURES

Terrifying and tedious takes from the crypt of the soulless student body

Do language and conversational interactions vary by gender? Dalainey Gervais Associate Features Editor

Erin Delaney Satirist

here’s nothing quite like fall at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM). The smell of the crisp colourful leaves, the sound of feral geese, the cries from ghosts of students who were murdered on campus decades before, and the familiar looming dread of having nothing to do on Halloween except a midterm. To prepare for the upcoming spooky season, we asked some students to share some of their most terrifying Halloween experiences. “One time, I caught the bus from St. George at like 11:30 p.m. after studying at the library there,” shared Samantha Hyde, a U of T St. George commuter. “I must’ve been dead tired, because I was practically falling asleep at the bus stop. As the bus pulled up, I could’ve sworn it was a ghost driving. But when I got on, I realized the driver was just super old. I was still scared; you know how old people drive.” “I went to Halloween Haunt with this girl when I was in grade 10,” said Jason Mayer, a second-year computer science major. “It was great, one time she got spooked and jumped into my arms and I got to feel her boob for like three seconds. But then she ghosted me like a week later. >> SOULLESS STUDENT continues on page 06

hen communicating with each other, we unconsciously relay aspects of our gender and identity. It’s impossible to focus purely on the content of what we’re saying without also experiencing and feeling the social meanings behind the things we say. The study of this interaction between language and society is known as sociolinguistics. Professor Derek Denis, a sociolinguist at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), began teaching JAL355: Language and Gender in 2017. The course was one of his first at the campus. “I have a long history with U of T,” says Professor Denis. He completed his undergraduate, masters, and PhD in linguistics at the St. George campus. “In a lot of ways, sociolinguistics is the subfield of linguistics that very clearly connects to everyday life,” he explains. “It’s so relevant because we do so much with language.” Societal structures rely on interactions, and those interactions make up our understanding of identity in our culture.

Originally planning on pursuing studies in history, the Introduction to Linguistics course at U of T sparked Professor Denis’s interest in the field. “I had a great teacher in high school that suggested I take a linguistics course and I loved it,” he reflects. Having a brother who had just recently entered graduate school for sociology, the intersection between sociological studies and linguistics felt like a good fit for him. In the second year of his undergraduate studies, Professor Denis joined a research opportunity that solidified his interest in sociolinguistics. He worked closely with Dr. Sali Tagliamonte, the active chair of the Linguistics Department at U of T. Dr. Tagliamonte is also a world renown sociolinguist, having written multiple foundational books on the area of study. “It was an amazing opportunity at an early time in my career as a linguist,” recounts Denis. JAL355 touches on a variety of sociolinguistic topics such as the linguistic analysis of interactions, turn-taking in conversations, and interrupting. Professor Denis typically begins the course by looking at some of the foundational work in the field such as Robin Lakoff ’s Language and Woman’s Place. >> LANGUAGE continues on page 09

NEWS

Editor | May Alsaigh news@themedium.ca

The four-day work week and what this will mean for Ontario Liberal Party of Ontario to launch a pilot project for Canadian schools and workplaces in June 2022. Razia Saleh Associate News Editor

>> WORK WEEK continued from page 01 Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, work-life has changed for many prompting companies, and the municipal and federal governments, to take this idea into consideration. Rather than eight hours of work a day for five days, the four-day workweek will consist of a ten-hour workday for four days. In the upcoming months, Ontario’s municipal election will be held, and Ontario Liberal party has plans to implement this idea within the province Countries like New Zealand, Spain, Scotland, and Iceland have taken on the pilot project and significant results were shown. “The trials led unions to renegotiate working patterns, and now 86 per cent of Iceland’s workforce have either moved to shorter hours for the same pay, or will gain the right to,” stated BBC News. An Angus Reid poll published in 2020 suggested that “more than half (53 per cent) of

those polled said that a 30-hour workweek, or a four-day work week, would be a good idea—up from 47 per cent in 2018.” In addition, Zorra Township, located just east of London, Ontario, has been testing the four-day workweek for eight months and employers are seeing positive results. The length of the program was from September to December 2020, and the program is now being extended. Don MacLeod, Zorra’s chief administrative officer, told Global News that, so far, employers have had no complaints about this new system and that it has given them more opportunities to spend time with friends and family. In addition to this example, Ontario company The Leadership Agency’s CEO and founder Jamie Savage implemented the fourday workweek in October 2021, and told CTV News in an interview that the impact of the four-day workweek was significant to her employees’ wellbeing. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also raises questions on this matter. “I think there are a lot of people thinking creatively about what the post-Covid world could look like,” he says. “And I look forward to hearing a wide range of suggestions. But right now, we’re

very much focused on getting through this particular crisis.” Furthermore, the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in many changes to the Ontario School District, and Nicole Albisu, superintendent for the Ontario school district, wants to take this opportunity to see whether this will positively impact her student body. “Teachers need time to collaborate as well as time for professional development around

4 DAY

serious topics,” Albisu said to Idaho News. Albisu continued to say that “roughly 80 per cent of parents agreed with the fifth day being asynchronous.” Parents are seeing this as a positive step to their child’s success in their academics. Though the four-day work week may seem beneficial to students and workers, feedback from Ontarians is critical if this change is to happen in the next year.

WORK WEEK! WEEK !

Ontario schools to distribute free menstrual products for students by late fall Shoppers Drug Mart addresses public health crises through partnership with Ministry of Education. Anjalli Becharbhai Staff Writer

fter careful negotiation, the Minister of Education, Stephen Lecce, has announced the Ontario government will provide schools with six million free menstrual products. Shoppers Drug Mart, one of Canada’s largest retailers, has partnered with Ontario to distribute feminine hygiene products to 72 school boards starting late fall. All students will be able to access free pads. These products will be made available in both female and gender-neutral bathrooms. The government is also in the process of discussing a distribution system for students to access tampons. Lecce plans to first evaluate student feedback before introducing tampons. Period poverty has been an ongoing human rights issue for many years. This issue occurs when an individual is unable to afford period products and must resort to using other resources to manage their cycle. The Plan International Canada report reveals that 83 per cent of women under the age of twenty five who did not

have access to pads experienced huge impacts on their educations. For instance, these women were not attending classes, participating in extracurricular activities, or carrying out work related responsibilities. Being deprived of basic essential hygienic care is an issue that deserves attention to allow individuals to excel and keep up with the times of a changing economy. In another survey, 41 per cent of individuals were teased for being on their period by close friends, colleagues, and relatives. Teasing and period poverty combined has led those affected to feel ostracized and unmotivated to participate in daily tasks. Essentially, the aim of this initiative is to reduce inequality by normalizing free menstrual products. As schools begin to provide free menstrual products, they implement a system that supports and understands the daily lives of those experiencing menstruation, their health, and hygiene. This initiative will also educate others and raise awareness about the importance of accessible period products to eliminate health risks. As Covid-19 led to financial distress due to unemployment

amongst individuals, many were impacted. It was discovered in a survey by Plan International Canada that 34 per cent of individuals have sacrificed something else within their budget to make ends meet and afford buying period products. There have also been instances where females use menstrual products for too long, leading to toxic shock syndrome and infections. This legislation will prevent students from worrying about an additional monthly expense, allowing them to save money and enable them to afford school supplies, food, textbooks, field trips, and a social life—all crucial for their mental wellbeing. Jasmine Abbas, a first-year student at UTM planning to study criminology, law and society, and French studies shares her thoughts on this initiative. “This marks the beginning of a revolution that will work towards the equality of all women. Now that we have managed to have access to such a powerful product, we finally feel [freer] in our own skin, and therefore we can change society’s views.” The push for free menstrual products by various organizations has changed the way society will consider those with periods. This initiative will provide free care for students in their most vulnerable ages of development and allow them to embrace periods without feeling the need to hide it.

Prospective nursing students to expect greater education and post-graduate opportunities Ontario invests $35 million to open more positions for nursing students and a chance to graduate with a bachelor’s degree. Lydia Clarke Rehman Contributor

ecently, opportunities have risen for nursing students in Ontario through the increase of available positions as well as the introduction of a degree at the college level. Ontario Minister of Colleges and Universities, Jill Dunlop, shares with the province that 2,000 new nursing opportunities within universities and colleges across Ontario will be available this year. In total, there are already about 4,000 students provincially enrolled in their first year of nursing programs, and approximately 3,800 in practical nursing. This opportunity will provide new funding and opportunities to create a new pathway for education in nursing. In addition, St. Lawrence College is one of many colleges that will now offer stand-alone four-year degrees for prospective nursing students. These students can receive a four-year Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing at the college level. A huge achievement for the nursing community, this change will reduce barriers, and provide new opportunities to access higher education at different levels. The $35-million-dollar investment will increase enrollment in nursing education, and will present 1,130 new practical nurses and 870 registered nurses into the Canadian healthcare system. This funding will expand clinical education for nursing students in long-term care placements. Universities like Western and Queens have increased the number of spots in their nursing programs following this announcement. U of T has yet to provide any more information. “Ontario’s nurses go above and beyond to provide excep-

tional care to patients, and we are grateful for their continued efforts throughout the pandemic. This investment will support and strengthen our nursing workforce and ensure patients can continue to receive high-quality care across our health system, including long-term care, home and community care, and acute care,” says Deputy Minister of Health Christine Elliot for Ontario Newsroom. However, this milestone does not come without its criticism from the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO). Various critics argue that the need in Ontario for nurses to fill the gaps is about 20,000 new nurses rather than 2,000. Currently, there is a low registered nurse-to-population ratio in Canada, which ultimately puts a major strain on the healthcare system, and the populations it serves. The strain placed on the healthcare system by Covid-19 over this past year has disproportionately affected healthcare workers like nurses, who have been on the frontlines. According to a winter 2021 “Work and Well-being survey” put forth by the RNAO, 73.2 per cent of participating nurses found that their respective institutions were at overcapacity on a regular basis, and 63.2 per cent experienced some symptoms of burnout. Given the health risks for nurses and frontline healthcare workers associated with overcapacity and understaffing, the province has been working with Mental Health and Addictions Center of Excellence at Ontario Health to develop daily support services that are accessible to frontline healthcare workers. Overall, the Province of Ontario is heading in the right direction, and will continue to work on improving the future of the nursing community through opportunities for prospective and current students.

Larry Lau Associate News Editor

U of T student acts as Toronto Maple Leaf’s back-up player Alex Bishop, a fourth year student at U of T and member of the Varsity Blues Men’s Ice Hockey team, found himself serving as a back-up goalie for the Toronto Maple Leafs in their game against the Ottawa Senators. The opportunity opened up when the Maple Leafs’ Petr Mrázek suffered a groin injury, requiring at least two weeks of recuperation. Thus, the team was short on goalies and recruited Bishop as a temporary back-up player. While Bishop never ended up leaving the bench, it was regardless a unique and memorable experience.

Indigenous artworks displayed on tree protection hoardings at U of T The Tree Protection Zone (TPZ) project was created in response to U of T’s Landmark Project, which involves large scale construction that can result in damage to nearby trees. The project will run from September 8, 2021 to August 31, 2022. Tree protection hoardings have been placed to shield trees from harm. The hoardings themselves are pieces of publicly displayed Indigenous artwork, all contributing to Hart House Commons’ new look. A total of eight artists will be featured in the TPZ, with each of their pieces focusing on life, water, and kin, showing how these elements are deeply related to tree protection.

Ontario government to require licensing for temporary work agencies Many temporary workers have received continuous unfair treatment by being paid below the minimum wage and mistreated in the workplace. It was reported that a total of around $3.3 million were owed to employees by temporary work agencies. In response to this, the Ontario Government will be introducing legislation that requires temporary work agencies to be licensed. This is aimed to weed out agencies that regularly break laws and exploit their workers, thus providing temporary workers with legitimate and law-abiding employers. The licensing system is predicted to come into action in 2024. For now, the government aims to create a task force designed to seek and rectify illegal practices.

Ontario government files regulation to pay $39 million to optometrists After discussions with the Ontario government, on September 1, 2021, optometrists province-wide stopped providing OHIP-insured optometry services as part of their protest of the lack of funding from the government. Currently, OHIP reimbursements cover about $45 of the roughly $80 eye exam cost. The Ontario Government filed a regulation on October 1, promising a $39 million one-time payment to optometrists. Apart from the payment, the government offers to increase OHIP fee reimbursement for optometrists by 8.48 per cent. Both actions aim to put an end to the month-long strike against OHIP-insured patients.

American and Canadian missionaries kidnapped in Haiti

CDC/UNSPLASH

On October 16, a missionary group of 17 people, composed of five men, seven women, and five children were kidnapped in Haiti, as reported by the Christian Aids Ministries. The nationalities of the kidnapped include 16 Americans and one Canadian. Currently, authorities suspect the culprits to be members of the “400 Mawozo” Haitian gang, which has significant presence in the region, along with a track record of performing mass kidnappings among numerous other criminal activities. It is believed that the kidnapping occurred with the intent for demanding ransom in exchange for the release of victims. This abduction is one of many coordinated kidnappings that have occurred in 2021 in Haiti reflecting an alarming trend.

JACOB BENTZINGER/UNSPLASH

Ontario Student party promotes misogyny through hanging of signs while violating public health guidelines Kingston police issue 150 fines including three charges following Homecoming 2021 at Queen’s University. Haya Abu Ghosh Contributor

large crowd of roughly 8,000 people gathered near Queen’s University earlier this month for an unsanctioned homecoming (Hoco) party, lasting from October 16 to October 18. Dozens of police from the Kingston Police Service issued $2,000 tickets to those attending and hosting parties. As of this month, Ontario is in Stage 3 of the reopening plan, where people can gather outdoors with a maximum capacity of 100 individuals. The gathering of 8,000 students far exceeds the limit, clearly violating Covid-19 health protocols. Queen’s University has stated that students who were partying have caused a massive influx of injuries and a chaotic mess in neighbouring areas. Patrick Deane, Principal and Vice-Chancellor at Queen’s University, released a statement prior to the event that stated Homecoming 2021 would be “entirely virtual” due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We have made the difficult decision to cease any preparations for an in-person event this fall due to concerns arising from the Covid-19 pandemic. Homecoming 2021 will be entirely virtual.” The decision was made in collaboration with healthcare partners and the City of Kingston. Additionally, Kingston police sent out a warning before the party took place targeted at those who planned on attending the unsanctioned homecoming, stating the following: “Kingston Police want any organizers or participants to be aware that anyone partaking in a gathering in excess of 100 people outdoors will each receive a $2,000 Administrative Monetary Penalty (AMP) under the City of Kingston’s aggravated nuisance party bylaw.” Regardless, students gathered for this event, leading to about 150 fines and three charges being laid by police. In the chaotic partying, Kingston police officers blocked off the Aberdeen Street and William Street area to control the crowding. A police officer suffered a minor injury from students who were throwing projectiles such as beer bottles or beer cans at the officers. The officer was sent to Kingston General Hospital for treatment. In addition, there were several misogynistic signs spotted on the external walls of student housing properties. Signs,

spray painted on white bedsheets, have been circulating on social media publicizing sexual violence against women, stating phrases such as, “Lockdown your daughters” and “Western guys wish they were Pfizer so they can get inside her.” The crude jokes about women, sex, and Covid-19 vaccines have contributed to the ‘rape culture’ that seems to be trending among Ontario universities today. Queen’s University further addressed the actions of their students by stating, “these actions will be actively pursued under our Student Code of Conduct.” The university did not specify the consequences that the students who hung those misogynistic signs will face. The aftermath of the in-person homecoming party has resulted in damage to property, injuries, and an intense clean-up among the residents and other neighbourhoods. Queen’s University posted the actions that they will be taking on their school website, including “assessing the damage” to the campus and “student volunteers to clean up.” Popular YouTube influencer Jack Denmo hosted yet another party on October 23 at the campus. Denmo referred to this event as “fake-Hoco.” This prospect raises issues on whether events like these will continue to occur throughout the year placing hundreds of individuals at risk.

If UTM hosted Squid Games

Helen Yu Comic Artist

MASTHEAD EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Provost editor@themedium.ca Managing Editor Elisa Nguyen managing@themedium.ca News May Alsaigh news@themedium.ca Opinion Aroni Sarkar opinion@themedium.ca Features Ricardo Jaroslav Valdes features@themedium.ca A&E Danica Teng arts@themedium.ca Sports Duaa Nasir sports@themedium.ca Photo Hayden Mak photos@themedium.ca Design Manjot Pabla design@themedium.ca Copy Juliana Stacey juliana@themedium.ca Miguel DaSilva miguel@themedium.ca Social Belicia Chevolleau social@themedium.ca Videographer Nikolas Towsey video@themedium.ca

ASSOCIATES & APPOINTED ROLES Larry Lau, News Razia Saleh, News Kareena Kailass, Opinion Dalainey Gervais, Features Prisha Nuckchady, Features Dellannia Segreti, Sports Gladys Lou, Photo Simrah Siddiqui, Photo Isik Vera Senel, UTMSU Correspondent Julia Skoczypiec, Theatre Erindale Correspondent Robert Bui, Campus Athletics Correspondent Erin Delaney, Satirist

OPINION

Editor | Aroni Sarkar opinion@themedium.ca

U.S. and Canada send warships to Taiwan Strait The international community’s response to China’s recent escalation to reunify heightens tensions in the region. Aroni Sarkar Opinion Editor

rom October 1 to October 4, “a mix of nearly 150 People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) fighter jets, nuclear-capable bombers, anti-submarine aircraft and airborne early warning and control planes have entered Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).” Taiwan denounced this dramatic move by deploying jets and missiles of their own. This was the highest number of warplanes China has ever sent into the area, raising international concern for a conflict, but local Taiwanese people remain unfazed. Although Taiwan’s defense minister stated in a speech that he expects China to be capable enough to invade Taiwan by 2025, analysists disagree and believe the chances to be “close to zero” even within the next year. The potential for incursions by China is not news to the Taiwanese and is practically a regular occurrence since the early 2000s. So, if the Taiwanese aren’t worried, why is the international community so tense about this recent escalation? The simple answer: maintaining power. China’s goal is to hopefully reunify with Taiwan and become ‘One China.’ But, Taiwan has grown more confident over the years and has built diplomatic relations with 15 countries, despite Chinese pressure. Countries across the world, like Australia, Lithuania, and the United States, support and defend Taiwan’s independence. Their flourishing relationship with the U.S. in particular is highly beneficial for them on the international stage to garner support and acceptance as an individual state. The U.S.’s goal is to keep China in check and continue their legacy of foreign intervention (which has always worked out so well historically). In a first ever “breakthrough” joint effort, the U.S. Navy’s USS Dewey, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, and a Canadian frigate, HMCS Winnipeg, sailed through the Taiwan Strait on October 14 and 15. The U.S. Military said that this move “demonstrates the commitment of the United States and our allies and partners to a free and open Indo-Pacific.” China has responded by condemning this move and stating that it “is not a commitment to freedom and openness, but a deliberate interference with and destruction of regional peace and stability.”

Experts have claimed that this joint effort is a “breakthrough” because it highlights a new way for the U.S. to deal with China, which is getting allies to work together militarily towards a shared threat. The U.S. routinely inspects the Taiwan Strait with their warships and so do their allies, apparently, as Britain also sent a warship in September. “The joint transit would ‘definitely’ have a negative impact on China-Canada relations, though Beijing is not likely to take any concrete action against Ottawa,” says Ding Yifan, former deputy director of the Institute of World Development. Let’s not forget that Canada-China relations are still unstable amid the Huawei saga. The most recent development was the release of Huawei’s Meng last month in Canada, and Beijing released two Canadians dubbed in response, Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig. China, the U.S., and Canada are using Taiwan for their own domestic gain. Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal party have always taken a rather ‘moderate’ approach to handling China, in comparison to the Conservatives’ more direct and rough approach. With the recent snap election that no one wanted, Trudeau wants to keep his support up, and the best way to do this is to be tough on China—or just do whatever U.S. President Joe Biden tells him to do. Biden’s approach to tackling China isn’t that different than what the U.S. has done for decades, the difference now is that he is successfully sweet talking his allies into working with him. And China wants to gain domestic support for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Right now, war may not be likely. But, if forced foreign intervention continues amid this tension, conflict will rise, and the people that will suffer most from it are the Taiwanese. The U.S. and its allies will continue to irritate China, and China will continue to respond strongly. We have seen throughout history, time and time again, whenever there is unwanted foreign intervention, especially from the U.S., bloodshed is inevitable. There is no doubt that we need to support Taiwan’s democratic government and their independence, but we should also learn from the past and innovate new diplomatic solutions rather than repeating the cycle of war. What happens if in the quest for ‘freeing’ Taiwan, it is Taiwan that ends up caged, and not the power hungry countries that forced it in there?

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OLGA KONONENKO/UNSPLASH

Terrifying and tedious takes from the crypt of the soulless student body Ghost bus drivers, vagina exorcisms, and costume delays are just a sneak peek into the horrors UTM has to offer this Halloween. Erin Delaney Satirist

: Missing out on teenage romance An attempt at understanding the repercussions of romance-free teenage years. Elizabeth Provost Editor-in-Chief

Dear Liz, A little ironic, but I require lack-thereof romantic advice. I am turning 20 and have been single my whole life—not one date, kiss, or “love you.” I have been of interest to boys, I just haven’t found “the one.” I will never have that spontaneous teenage whirlwind romance. In four months, any relationships will throw me into more adult, emotionally mature love, which is so daunting. I am worried that I am missing something that could’ve been amazing. When I tell anyone, they assure me I’m not missing much, which is almost as annoying as keeping it to myself. Single in Seattle Dear Single in Seattle,

here seems to be a pattern: me answering questions in two parts. Firstly, life is more than just teenage romance. Your teens and twenties are for finding yourself—exploring your interests and career paths, making new friends, and yes, when the time comes, relationships. So don’t let the fear of missing out keep you from your growth. Secondly, relationships, at any age, are as mature, or spontaneous, or whirlwind-y as you make them. There’s a partner for every kind of relationship—the silly or serious kind. That will always be your choice. And from personal experience, the best things come when you stop looking. So just sit back, grab a glass of rosé, and do your thing. Oh, and love yourself. No “I love you’s” will come your way if you can’t tell yourself “I love me.” With love,

>> SOULLESS STUDENT continued from page 01 That was the scariest thing ever, letting myself be vulnerable with someone. She really messed me up.” “Oh, you wanna talk about something terrifying?” Lucy Bateman, a fourth-year religion major, said to The Medium. “Picture this, Halloween 2019. The revealing baby Yoda costume I bought from Shien in the middle of September takes several weeks to ship. It arrived in Mississauga on October 26, only to spend the next week and a half inside of the most terrifying place on earth, the Mississauga Canada Post warehouse. The place where all dreams go to die.” Bateman continues, “It finally arrived on Remembrance Day, possibly the un-sexiest day of the year, aside from Good Friday, but even Jesus had rock hard abs on the cross before he died! Anyways, do you know how hard it is to find a way to repurpose a slutty baby-Yoda outfit? My mom was not happy to see it at Christmas.” We here at The Medium encourage readers to help the planet and the economy, and to shop locally for their slutty Halloween costumes. Spooky stories aside, UTM has started a whole calendar of spooky sessions for the student body. Is your ex haunting your social media, your text messages, your body, your spirit, and even your soul? UTM Sexual Education Centre is here for you this spooky season, as they will be offering vagina exorcisms in the Student Centre. Rid your-

self of all your demons! Note: Vagina exorcisms will not cure STI’s, bacterial infections, pregnancies, regret, rope burn, or pH imbalances. Dick crucifixions will be available the following week. The UTM Cinema Society for Scary Stories is proud to film some more experimental frightening films, aimed at truly hitting the fears of the modern UTM student. The film fest starts off with the highly anticipated flick, The Lecture You Never Watched (2021). This flick has sent shivers down the spines of audiences and critics alike, as they experience the pure shock and horror from the surprise pop quiz they’re given before they can leave the theatre. The movie is sure to spike your fears and make your GPA plummet. The Zoom Lecture Where You Were Unmuted and Accidentally Let Out a Fart and Everyone Laughed (2020) will be playing every day at noon until November 3. This rousing comedy banks the laugh at your expense, as there is no greater fear than making a simple human mistake. The true highlight of the frightening film fest is Your Ex’s Instagram Story (2021). Shriek in horror as he looks happy without you. Shield your eyes from his new pretty girlfriend. The true twist comes right at the end, when it’s revealed it was watched only 30 seconds after posting, leaving the audience with the frightening realization they were the first viewers. All films will be screened in CC1080 before being available to illegally download off the internet. So, whether you have Halloween plans or you’re dead inside (and out), there’s sure to be plenty of frights ahead. Whether it’s someone who ghosted you coming back for their yearly haunt, or a terrifying concept in class that keeps you up at night, be sure to enjoy a crisp breath of fall air before you blink and it’s winter, truly Canada’s most terrifying time of year.

Editorial

Editorial: Money is not enough to bring you happiness Placing an importance on the culture and values of a workplace, and your own wellbeing, is critical to job satisfaction. The Medium

“S

tudy hard, go to university, get a job, then retire.” Many of us have heard variations of the phrase since we were young, whether from our parents, teachers, or the media. However, when we start looking for jobs, there’s not a lot of advice about other aspects of our job—such as vacation time, work culture, and growth opportunities—which is also important since we’ll be working for over 40 years of our lives. It’s so easy to chase money because money can buy us what we want. And former studies have shown that higher income may lead to better life evaluations (the thoughts we have about our life). But recent studies that have been conducted with both Western and European sample sizes, and that have considered cultural nuances surrounding the definition of happiness, have found that money isn’t the only contributing factor to happiness. An increase in work-

place stability and certainty, individual contributions, and passions are more likely to lead to higher happiness levels. “The top predictor of workplace satisfaction is not pay: It is the culture and values of the organization, followed closely by the quality of senior leadership and the career opportunities at the company,” explains Andrew Chamberlain, chief economist at Glassdoor. If priorities shift and there are more bills to pay, then salaries may play a bigger role in job satisfaction. But until then, thinking only about the money and reputation linked to a job makes it easy to get burnt out. Here at The Medium, many of us are putting in more work hours than are required. We have started creative projects and spend extra time editing articles. But it’s because we believe our contributions to this campus are meaningful, and we’re not just focused on the salary. The opportunity to grow as journalists, the flexible working hours, and culture of creativity, makes this job worth it. At the end of the day, don’t look solely at salaries and monetary benefits when looking for jobs after graduation.

Facebook’s testimony reveals the challenges of whistleblowing and why we should care The lack of protection laws in the legal, corporate, and social world, pose a dangerous reality for whistleblowers. Hema Ramnarine Contributor

n October 3, Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, a former Facebook Product Manager, leaked tens of thousands of pages of internal documents that indicated that not only was Facebook aware of how potentially harmful their platforms were, they had time and again failed to act. Even as Facebook argues that there is no correlation between their social media platforms and rising social issues like depression. While the revelations of the leak may not have been news for many, these recent events have prompted a larger discussion on whistleblowing itself. Rising public perception seems to be that whistleblowers are no longer the “heroes” they once were. They are no longer perceived to be the crusaders in the dark, but rather figureheads of a hollow movement. But how much of this is because of the perceived futility of whistleblowing, rather than the fact that there is very little protection for these crusaders once the alarm is sounded?

Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, responsible for blowing the whistle on the now notorious phone call between United States President Donald Trump and the Ukraine President Volodymr Zelensky, was lauded by some as a patriot, putting everything at risk in order to fulfill his civic duty. His actions eventually led to him becoming a key witness in President Trump’s first impeachment trial. This, however, did not protect him from repercussions. Just a few days after the end of the trial, both Vindman and his twin brother, also a Lieutenant Colonel who worked in the White House, were fired in what many saw as retaliation. This from a country that was ranked among the highest in terms of whistleblower protection laws, according to a global study of whistleblower protection litigation. As some have noted, Haugen might never have blown the whistle if she were Canadian. According to the study, Canada is tied for having the world’s weakest whistleblower protection laws, possessing only one of the 20 criteria outlined. This may seem like a small barrier. In the age of social media, when one has the ability to broadcast information from the palm of their

hand, it may suggest that there has never been a safer time for whistleblowers to shed light on nefarious practices. The reality is that in countries with outdated or inadequate whistleblower protection laws, like Canada, potential whistleblowers are deterred from pointing the finger at those responsible. In a time when power has never been more concentrated in just a few hands, this only contributes to a growing culture of silence. What seems like the golden age of whistleblowing is actually one of stigmatization, demotion, and weaponized non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). In Canada, most of the body of legislation focuses on how to handle allegations, rather than whistleblower protection. In addition, whistleblowers have the almost impossible task of proving that their employer’s actions were intended as reprisals, or retaliation. Once cases are taken to the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Tribunal (if they even get there), the process is incredibly slow, and not without consequences. As of 2017, not a single person had ever completed the tribunal process. Were they to complete the process, whistleblowers are still limited; the Public Servants

Disclosure Protection Act (PDSPA) does not allow private sector participants to be investigated or sanctioned. This is to say nothing of protection for members of the Armed Forces, Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Protection for them is extremely limited or virtually nonexistent. “Gag orders” in the form of NDAs have also been on the rise. They have become the default problem-solver for institutions and organizations looking to cover up misconduct, abuse, and other violations. So why does this matter? Why is whistleblower protection so important? This has been outlined in many websites and studies, tracing back to a singular message: whistleblowing serves a legal and public service. It allows issues that might never have reached the public eye to be brought forward—issues that only someone working on the inside can know, and with proof rather than speculation from the outside. By bringing issues to public attention, it helps ensure that damage to the public by a certain party can be minimized and that future harm can be avoided by holding parties accountable.

The ozone layer is on track to completely heal within our lifetime. This news shines light on the success of climate change policies and how definitive collective action can have lasting positive effects on the environment. Kareena Kailass Associate Opinion Editor

ccording to scientists, the ozone layer is on track to be healed to the state it was at almost half a century ago. Finally, some hopeful news about climate change. Better yet, this healing process is likely to complete within the next thirty years. Throwing it back to the 80s, with the Montreal Protocol, we went through a huge elimination of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which were conducive to derivatives of dangerous chemicals such as methane, ethane, and propane—chemicals that were harming the atmosphere. CFCs were extremely widespread at the time, they were emitted by objects that people heavily relied on, such as coolants in air conditioners, cars, and refrigerators in the mid-to-early-90s. These emissions resulted in the creation of a hole in the ozone layer

of the atmosphere, which ended up exposing us to ultraviolet rays (UV). But, a global crackdown on the use of CFCs as part of the Montreal Protocol, despite criticisms from industrialists and economists, allowed the ozone layer hole to stop growing. Today, we have little to no use of CFCs worldwide, as many nations have in fact outlawed the use of CFCs, allowing the ozone layer to slowly, yet surely, recover. However, the elimination of the use of CFC’s and a recovering ozone layer is not enough to turn back the clock on the damage humans have

enacted on the planet. The reduction of fossil fuels—which are now as widespread as CFCs once were—is now one of our biggest battles. By curbing our emissions of fossil fuels, or abolishing them all together, we can draw the clock back a little more and try to save the planet as much as we can. Sounds easy, right? We just repeat the same steps we took last time and everything will end well? Unfortunately, this is not as easy as it seems. Research by various studies have shown that despite climate change being in action, many turn a blind eye, or divert responsibility, relying on external parties and sources’ perceptions of climate change to form their own ideas. This results in inaction towards innovative and productive changes. The fact is we have seen that quick and assertive government action can lead to positive change in the climate crisis. The ozone layer healing is evidence of that. It is no longer hypothetical, it is a reality. First, let’s set a target to completely eliminate the exploitation of fossil fuels and the emission of other toxins into the atmosphere. But wait, there is another catch. We all have to work together. The climate crisis won’t be solved by just one person reducing fossil fuel emissions, it takes all of us to come together to make the plan work and save the Earth. The future starts here. The first step starts with us.

features

Editor | Ricardo Jaroslav Valdes features@themedium.ca

“Focus on your goals, be consistent, and have a mission in mind”: Professor Sarah El Cherki’s recipe for success In a world where accurate Muslim representation is scarce, Professor Cherki’s ability to proudly wear her hijab has inspired many students on campus. Hamna Riaz Contributor

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on’t let anybody make you feel that you cannot [accomplish your goals] because of how you look,” says University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) Professor Sarah El Cherki. When she started her position as professor in the Institute of Communication, Culture, Information, and Technology (ICCIT) this past summer, she did not plan on becoming a role model for young Muslim women across the campus—yet here she is. Professor Cherki states that she prefers to be called a woman who wears a hijab rather than a hijabi. In her opinion, the latter title categorizes women for their choice to wear a hijab. “We are people like everybody else, we just dress differently,” she explains. According to her, religion is an extension of oneself rather than a box to be placed into. She grew up as a Muslim in Morocco along with her family. Her parents always told her and her siblings that they could pursue any career they wanted if they worked hard. Professor Cherki expresses that religion and culture were never a barrier to her future. Instead, Islam helped her attain spiritual peace and gave her the fuel to thrive. She quotes a Hadith (a saying of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH), which states “seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim.” Inspired by the women around her—especially her mother who was a teacher—and the emphasis of education in her faith, Professor Cherki eventually moved to France to complete her Master’s degree in Information Systems Engineering at Institut Mines-Télécom Business School, a business school in the suburbs of Paris. She then worked as a consultant for two years after graduating. In 2012, she moved to Quebec to complete her PhD in Information Systems, with a focus on its link to sustainability, at Laval University. Professor Cherki chose to wear the hijab while working in France before she moved to Quebec. Amidst the rise in Islamophobia and Bill 21 (a Quebec law that restricts its

SARAH EL CHERKI

residents from wearing religious symbols), Professor Cherki states that the extent of her experience in Quebec was the public staring. Regardless, she emphasizes that she felt an overall positive atmosphere from those around her. “It does not matter what religion you are or where you are from. What matters is your input in society,” Professor Cherki says regarding her experience in Canada. “[The Canadian environment] helps all talents flourish. Whether we have family support or not, being a woman in Canada is amazing.” However, while working at a consulting firm in France, Professor Cherki was once removed from a public ministry project at a client’s request due to her hijab. She notes that, while her semi-public school permitted her classmates to wear a hijab, some women in other schools were forced

to remove it. Despite these experiences, she remains positive and highlights that, for the most part, she was fortunate enough to not face many problems due to her religion. Professor Cherki also stresses the importance of a good support system and role models. While completing her PhD through a pandemic, she gave birth to two children. She believes this wouldn’t have been possible without the immense support from her parents, siblings, spouse, co-workers, and supervisors. Her supervisors, Jacqueline Corbett and Sehl Mellouli, constantly encouraged her and stood alongside her as she completed her final years of research remotely from Quebec during her pregnancies. Her support circle has played a large part in her strength, determination, and success. That support carried through to her time as a faculty member of the ICCIT department at UTM. When she first visited the campus in 2019 for a sustainability conference, she fell in love with the people, the campus, and UTM’s commitment to becoming more sustainable. Professor Cherki stresses the accepting and encouraging nature of her fellow faculty members and shares that she has felt very supported. “This is the best thing in a work environment: to feel comfortable and really wanted for who you are.” When she was working on her PhD, Professor Cherki declared her mission of finding and promoting responsible and sustainable innovation. She now aspires to continue this research which played a large part in her decision to move to UTM. The campus’s mission of sustainability is in line with her own. Professor Cherki is currently in her first year of teaching at UTM and hopes to have a positive impact on her students and constantly evolve her teaching methods. Whether you wear a hijab, are a young girl, a mother, or anyone else who feels that you can’t be successful because of who you are or what you believe, Professor Cherki’s story shows us the importance of sticking to our goals, knowing ourselves, and accepting support from those around us. “Don’t believe anybody who says that to be successful in this world you need to look [a certain way],” concludes Professor Cherki. “Choose whatever you want to be, respect that, and be consistent.”

Chronic pain and chronic illnesses are more impactful than you think Professor Loren Martin’s research aims to help patients suffering from chronic pain and chronic illness. Prisha Maneka Nuckchady Associate Features Editor

hen we’re not feeling well—perhaps with a cold or back pain—most of us simply book an appointment with our family doctor or visit a walk-in clinic, are prescribed some medications, and start feeling better within a week or two. However, this is not the

case for more than 7.6 million Canadians who suffer from chronic pain and chronic illness. Chronic pain occurs when an individual feels pain for extended periods of time. It is often regarded as a symptom or indication of an underlying condition such as an unhealed injury. Many chronic illness patients also report experiencing chronic pain. Every year, Canadians who suffer from chronic pain and illnesses spend around $56-60 billion on treatments. “You just feel lost in the healthcare system

because you’re constantly being shuffled from one doctor to another [without a solid diagnosis],” says Loren Martin, an associate psychology professor at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM). His research focuses on how pain is modulated from a biological, psychological, and sociological perspective. Some of his laboratory results offer hope to patients with chronic pain. In 2017, Professor Martin and his colleagues from McGill University and the University of North Carolina published a study

in the Journal of Clinical Investigation that explored the mechanisms behind chronic pain. To do so, they recruited around 3000 to 5000 participants and followed them over a period of five years. Professor Martin and his colleagues found that those who had developed chronic pain in that time had higher levels of epiregulin, a protein that activates the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) that is associated with pain. >> CHRONIC PAIN continues on page 09

09 >> CHRONIC PAIN continued from page 08 Professor Martin notes that lung cancer patients are prescribed EGFR-inhibiting drugs that lessen pain. As part of the same study, he and his colleagues tested the EGFR inhibitor drugs on mice with chronic pain. Though the drugs reversed chronic pain in mice, using EGFR inhibitors in humans is much trickier. “These inhibitors can have various side effects,” he explains. “When given to cancer patients, it ends up [giving them] a pretty significant and painful rash.” Medication side effects can be a patient’s worst nightmare. It isn’t enough to face difficulties from chronic pain. Now, treatment options create other issues, not to mention possible drug interactions. Some side effects can even result in personality changes linked to temper. Consequently, Professor Martin and his team have been targeting the epiregulin protein instead, which appears to have fewer side effects. It also seems to be more effective than the EGFR inhibitor. In collaboration with a pharmaceutical company, Professor Martin has developed many antibodies that keeps his research thriving. Professor Martin developed his interest in chronic pain and its interaction with memory when he was a postdoctoral student. He states that, although memory is typically viewed as a positive thing due to enhanced learning capabilities, for pain it can be a drawback. “For chronic pain, enhanced learning communication between neurons can be bad,” explains Professor Martin. “They become hyper-responsive, and the result is enhanced pain sensitivity. Something that is normally painless

now becomes perceived as painful—for instance, a touch.” Consequently, chronic pain patients develop an increased sensitivity to acute pain. Professor Martin states that brief, happy, social interactions and reunions are enough to trigger internal pain-relieving mechanisms. In fact, one of his PhD students conducted an experiment and found that pain sensitivity significantly decreased when sibling mice reunited. Since chronic pain isn’t life-threatening on its own, it tends to be pushed aside. However, it is serious, and it affects a large number of people. Professor Martin says that if someone experiences chronic pain for long enough, it can be life-threatening because it may lead to other illnesses including cardiovascular diseases. Evidently, chronic pain can have enormous impacts on mental health. Anxiety, fear, and depression are far too familiar to chronic pain and chronic illness patients. Suppose you’re experiencing shoulder pain. Moving your shoulder in any way scares you, and anxiety follows. “A lot of chronic pain [and chronic illness patients] often stop doing the things they like,” adds Professor Martin. Unfortunately, this is because they physically can no longer do certain activities. This leads to social withdrawal, which further impacts their mental health. Not to mention, patients constantly going back to the doctors without a solid diagnosis triggers mental health illnesses. “There’s this learned helplessness and hopelessness,” he continues, “Nothing’s working.” Aside from feeling lost in the healthcare system, students who suffer from chronic pain can sometimes struggle to be taken seriously.

Professor Martin explains that adults tend to advocate for themselves better than students who struggle to do so. Students advocating for themselves at school, with their doctors, or with their family can be hard—bias and stigma make it even harder. “We need to educate professors on how to accommodate students and make them realize that not every student is trying to cheat the system,” elaborates Professor Martin. “It has been my philosophy for a while now that we must assume that if someone comes to us with a problem, [then] it’s a genuine problem. It’s a genuine illness, and it needs to be taken seriously.” While the chance that some students who cheat the system exists, Professor Martin acknowledges that professors still help more students who actually need it. Moreover, accessibility services on campus do their best to accommodate students while ensuring that all requests are legitimate. Professor Martin is also on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Pain Society, which is managed by researchers and clinicians. To raise awareness, they recently invited chronic pain patients as speakers and attendees at their conference. He shares that they learned so much from those patients. “If you ask a person who has lived with chronic pain what needs to be done, they say that it’s advocacy on their behalf,” he says, advising that chronic illness patients educate themselves about any potential diagnosis while being critical consumers of information. “At the end of the day, you are the one that has your best interest at heart, and you

must fight for it,” he concludes. If you suffer from chronic pain and chronic illnesses, Professor Martin encourages you to have conversations with your doctor if you believe a particular medication works for you.

Do language and conversational interactions vary by gender? The study of sociolinguistics tells us how language differs in time and space, and how our means of communication portray self-identity. >> LANGUAGE continued from page 01

Dalainey Gervais Associate Features Editor

DEREK DENIS

ublished in 1973, Lakoff ’s research is one of the first to address language and gender from a feminist perspective. According to him, the perspective of women being below men is reflected by the way women are told to speak: through avoidance of statements and the use of uncertain expressions. Another topic discussed in the course is the emerging study of trans sociolinguistics. “A number of scholars including Lal Zimman, Lex Konnelly, Kirby Conrod, and others are doing amazing work in thinking about trans people’s relationship with language,” explains Professor Denis. “Not only [do they] use language as a means of identity expression, but also as a tool for resisting and subverting cis-normative ideologies in our society.” JAL355 also provides students with qualitative data analysis skills, where interactions are carefully studied to identify linguistic features that comment on gender and identity. This type of linguistic analysis is one of the main components of the course, with students having the opportunity to actively use these skills. Michelle Troberg, an associate professor in the Linguists department, first approached Professor Denis to teach JAL355 prior to his arrival at UTM. “I was hesitant at first because I identify as a cis-gendered, heterosexual man,” he says. “I knew that people’s lived experiences of oppression under patriarchal systems and cis-normativity would offer more value than the knowledge and ‘facts’ I had on the subject.” After reflecting with colleague and PhD candidate Lex Konnelly, Professor Denis came to an important realization: “Even though I’m a cis-gendered heterosexual man, so much of that part of my identity does depend on systems of gender ideology.” Since then, he has made an effort to defer to student’s experiences in the class who have different experiences and identities.

“We have such rich discussions with the diversity of students in the course,” adds Professor Denis. While JAL355 is a third-year course, there are only a few prerequisites (LIN256 or JAL253 or ANT204 or WGS200) to be enrolled in it. “That’s because the course is intended to be taken by students who have either a background in linguistics, anthropology, or women and gender studies,” says Professor Denis. Most students enrolled in the course tend to be linguists, however students from other departments who might not have as much background in linguistics are always present. To accommodate for those students, Professor Denis tries to stay away from heavy linguistic jargon and introduces topics with the assumption that they might not have knowledge from previous courses. Professor Denis’s current research focuses on Multicultural Toronto English. Dialect formations, such as the emerging way of speaking in Toronto, intrigues him. Similar topics of language contact are discussed in another UTM course he teaches called LIN357: English Worldwide. The course discusses variations of English around the world, and it reflects on the consequences of English as a global language. He has multiple publications in the field, from settler colonial varieties of English and social meanings of utterances in Canadian English, to instant messaging linguistics. One of Professor Denis’s most popular essays, A note on mans in Toronto discusses innovations to Toronto English made by multiethnic teens and their use of the plural noun “mans.” The study of sociolinguistics is increasing in interest. While communities address patriarchal and cis-normative societal structures, our means of communication are also being addressed, highlighting the importance of studying sociolinguistics.

Arts

Editor | Danica Teng arts@themedium.ca

Cast connection and its role of support Third-year theatre and drama students give insight into creating a world with castmates. Julia Skoczypiec Theatre Erindale Correspondent

ast connection, among many other factors, is a key element to a successful show. But what exactly is cast connection? Is it the friendships actors create during rehearsals, or their collaboration to portray meaningful characters? Maybe it is simply being in the same room as castmates. When third-year theatre and drama studies (TDS) students Devin McEachern and Sydney Scott were asked about their takes on cast connection, this concept did not seem to have a singular definition. “Creating a show is a difficult process,” McEachern said. “So many things can go in so many different directions. It is nice to know that the people you are working with are as invested as you are, work hard, and [take the show] seriously. You need a group that believes in this camaraderie and solidarity.” While TDS students are often fortunate to have friendships established before rehearsals, it is not always like this. Scott reflected on a time in high school where she was a new cast member in an established cast. She said that there was a particular “energy in the room” when walking into a rehearsal space—one that impeded the collaboration required to put together a successful show. To connect with a cast, McEachern added that “part of it is just luck. There is an old saying that goes, ‘you can be the juiciest peach in the world, but some people just don’t like peaches.’” Additionally, he noted that “you never know who you’re going to work with, but the most important thing is to be proud of the work that you bring to the table.”

Another key element to creating the world of a play is the formation of characters. Often, character embodiment is thought of as a fundamentally individual process—one that allows for personal reflection and research. However, this is not always the case as cooperation can still play a part in bringing the characters to life. “Character embodiment is very specific depending on the show that you are working on,” Scott said. “[Certain adaptations] only work if every single character makes the same bold choices. A lot of the time, character embodiment is very personal, but for [some shows] it is very collective.” To help with character development, actors also practice grounding, connecting with themselves, and centring their awareness. “Grounding is the way that acting has become sustainable,” Scott continued. “You make sure to find a presence with yourself, the earth, with your castmates, and you remember that the characters’ experiences are not your own.” Cast connection tied with character embodiment and grounding help create

Theatre Erindale’s memorable performances. McEachern reminded us that there is much excitement for the opening of Theatre Erindale’s annual season with If We Were Birds, which runs from October 28 to November 7. You can purchase tickets for the virtual staging of the show at tickets.sheridancollege.ca. Don’t miss your chance to see Theatre Erindale’s first show back inside the theatre.

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The M’s Playlist – Elisa’s Optimistic October Elisa Nguyen Managing Editor

he narratives that we believe determine our direction in life. This is something I have observed in my own life because for many years, I believed that I was worthless. This narrative existed as a silent voice. It meddled with my daily decisions and dictated what I deemed as realistic. I never carried big dreams because I did not want to set myself up for disappointment. As a 22-year-old, I am now told that life only gets harder—struggles with finances, dealing with difficult people, and experiences of life-altering tragedies. And I believe it. I have already experienced some of it. However, I do not believe that I need to keep my head hanging down in defeat. I know that the sun will rise tomorrow, that today is a new day, and that I can count on the power of heart-moving melodies, even if I endlessly fall. These 12 songs are from musicals that tell stories of hope, longing, and of new opportunities. Take a listen for some toe-tapping, head-bopping beats, and to waltz with lyrics worth remembering. Musicals are categorized as a kid-friendly form of entertainment, varnished with costume and dance, but I love that they remind us that there is more to life than we know—that there are millions of colors our eyes have yet to perceive. No—life is not all rainbows and sunshine. But you still have permission to dream big.

No Time to Die and the serialization of Hollywood Aidan Thompson Contributor

ction movies are like junk food—nutritionally devoid, enticingly marketed, always sold in combo packs in dingy convenience stores, and perhaps most appropriately, almost universally condemned by mothers everywhere. Despite the obvious deterrents, I—like others who sheepishly leave their desire for enlightenment at the door for a film that is nostalgic of TV dinners and has at least one car chase (preferably in an Aston Martin)—line up, money in hand, to buy a ticket for the new James Bond film No Time To Die. For the above reasons, and because of a poorly-timed recollection that I have not seen all of the preceding film Spectre, I do not have high expectations walking into the theatre. However, as I loosen the academic insistence that any film worthwhile must be insightful and poised, and God forbid there be any explosions, I become a little giddy. Two hours, in an air-conditioned theatre, watching Daniel Craig kick ass in the most stylish way possible? It might not be a well-balanced meal, but it is going to taste good. The film opens in Norway and immediately establishes its cinematic presence. A long shot isolates a cabin along a frozen lake. The colour palette is crisp and refined as the lighting suspends the scene in dusk or dawn. Inside, cool tones fill the cabin like a draft pouring in through an open window. The camera moves slowly, stirring up the stillness before a long shot frames a masked man who trudges toward the cabin with an assault rifle in his hands. It is this sort of atmospheric world-building that the Bond films, specifically the Craig ones, are so good at executing. Whether it is the “Hoffler Klinik” in Spectre, perched high in the Austrian Alpine; or the Skyfall Lodge, tucked deep in the Scottish Highlands; or more classically the manicured streets of

London; the films always catch the attention and imaginations of viewers with its aesthetics—the fashion, the splendor, and the excitement. Perhaps it is the atmosphere of a Bond film that is so attractive; it permeates visual sensibilities, and for many people who watch Bond films, that is all they are interested in. No one goes to see Bond tackle some malicious secret organization to gain insight into the inner workings of human nature, or in search of some existential question. They go to see car chases, beautiful women, and to see the man order a damn martini. There is little that is morally redeeming in James Bond. He is reclusive, misogynistic, a murderer in probably 82 different countries, and quite honestly the product of a Eurocentric, patriarchal imagination. I would be seriously concerned if people went to see No Time To Die in search of anything other than flying bullets and fancy watches. If it is only superficial, how potent are the series’ more outdated qualities? I am not sure myself and do not wish to reduce the issues, but only wish to provoke the question of whether or not a film can be enjoyed for one aspect while criticized for another, like eating around the rotten part of an apple. Granted it would be nicer to have a fresh one. It seems that the producers are aware of the series’ gradual extinction. One of the film’s final quotes has M, played by Ralph Fiennes, read a quote from Jack London: “The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.” While certainly a poignant quote pertaining intimately to the film’s ending (no spoilers), I could not help but smile at the irony; a quote on purpose and preservation ending the twentyseventh Bond film. I am sure this was not lost on the directors but rather it was a way of warning the audience of the subtle change in Bond’s direction. As the credits rolled, I could not help but reflect on the current serialized state of cinema that floods the Hollywood studios. Producers and directors are now gravediggers, feverishly digging

IMDb.com

The James Bond franchise continues to survive as the film industry recycles nostalgia.

for something to pawn off at the box office. Space Jam, Star Wars, Jumanji—anything with nostalgia that can be marketed. Perhaps the stoic, emotionally isolated, and heavily marketed Bond—that has been the influence for so many drink-heavy, sports-car-driving, misogynistic action “heroes” (a word I use with reservation)—has seen his life slowly turn to existence at the hand of avaricious producers determined to wring every cent from Mr. Bond. Hopefully, the producers of the following film (because there is always a film that follows) have the bravery and creative pride to make way for a new Bond. One who still drives over the speed limit and does not shy away from a martini now and again, but also one whose creation is a testament to a series that lived on rather than one simply trying to prolong its days.

Squid Game—a reflection of reality Netflix’s most popular show dives into the darkest parts of humanity. Sherene Almjawer Contributor

f you have had access to the internet in the last month, there is a good chance you heard about Squid Game—a South Korean Netflix series by director Hwang Donghyuk. No, it is not a cooking show, a marine documentary, or an animated show about an elite gamer who happens to be a squid. Released on September 17, 2021, Squid Game is a modern dystopia under the “death game” genre and is the most popular show Netflix has ever released. All the characters, like Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), are in debt and arrive at a mysterious place where they are invited to compete in six games to win a hefty cash reward. The series follows their stories of greed, capitalism, prejudice, and the inconsequentiality of life—exactly what we need when it feels like we are living in our own dystopia. Hwang winds the stories of each episode together seamlessly; each injury, interaction, and consequence is never forgotten. The themes, and how Hwang expresses them, are immaculate; each aspect is rolled into one big, twisted commentary on human nature. Each player has a reason for participating in the games, whether it be familial, medical, or personal responsibilities. The series introduces some of the characters’ origin

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stories, but even though their reasons propelled them to continue playing, those arcs do not return in significant ways. It is like the characters forget their incentives, making those stories irrelevant. Moral responsibility to family quickly turns into pure selfishness, which may be a commentary on human greed in itself, and ruins the sliver of empathy that each character embodies. It makes the characters feel disingenuous. Especially when faced with death, it is safe to assume that their original intentions would return, but they do not. Hwang strains the moral compasses of his characters to display their capacities for selfishness and what they are willing to do to forgo death. What makes Squid Game interesting is how every player’s narcissism shows

through their dialogue and interactions with other players, giving insight to their true personalities. Squid Game does a great job of portraying the human condition. From birth to death, to the dichotomy between the hunger to win and alliances with competitors, every choice matters. There are multiple amazingly gruesome scenes where characters, who may not have been exposed to an extreme level of violence outside of the games, react differently to those who live dangerous lives. It is a small detail, but it gives the characters more depth. One of the overarching themes is that the games provide equality between players. Everyone is given an equal chance to win and use whatever skills they have in this idealised structure. Meanwhile, it seems the game

master sees themself as benevolent and altruistic, with complete disregard for the Godlike role they have taken. The game master’s manipulation of the players’ indifference to death contributes to the insanity in each episode—reverse psychology. There is something sinister in the art direction of Squid Game. The sets juxtapose the innocence of childhood—interactions in a colourful oversized playground and children’s games—with the corruption of adulthood. The visual aspects are simple. The characters are dressed in the same green athletic outfits and live in a warehouse. Every aspect of their individuality is stripped, which forces the most intrinsic aspects of themselves into the light and emphasizes their humanity. This combination adds to the eerie and horrifying aspect that makes Squid Game unique. Many dystopian fictions often focus on the action—unnecessarily long fight scenes— and forget how consequences affect the characters, but Squid Game does the opposite. Any violence in the show is an accessory to the story and always has a consequence, whether it is a serious injury, impairment in other games, or even death. Squid Game gives an emotional dark drama that destroys what people think they know about empathetic characters and “bad guys.” Viewers do not know who to hate, are forced to feel sorry for the bad guys, and are faced with the selfishness, naivety, and greed intertwined in society.

sports & health

Editor | Duaa Nasir sports@themedium.ca

WEEKLY EXERCISE SERIES: Zumba Zumba provides opportunity for those at any fitness level to participate in classes that strengthen endurance, burn fat, and boost social skills. Anjalli Becharbhai Staff Writer

umba is an exercise inspired by Latin American dance and is accompanied by a range of different upbeat and energetic songs. The popularity of Zumba has increased over the past couple of years, and some of the world’s top fitness organizations have offered over 200,000 fitness classes in 180 countries. Zumba requires full body movement. It also offers an impactful workout in a fun and enjoyable way compared to other exercises. Following along with an instructor, movements resemble dancing to the beat of the music, and take place in large groups. This can help develop social skills and increase motivation. One of the added health benefits to this exercise is burning a noticeable number of calories in a short time frame.

A study found that a 39-minute Zumba class burned an average of 9.5 calories per minute, which adds up to 369 calories in total for one class. This meets the daily requirement of calories needed to be burned to promote weight loss. There are different types of Zumba classes depending on interests and whether a person has any injuries, thus making it inclusive for all to join sessions. Zumba classes also welcome individuals of any age group, with participants ranging from ages 12 to 76. To get started, there are different types of classes for those who enjoy either low intensity or high intensity workouts. Aqua Zumba classes offer a new mode of exercise as it takes place in a pool. This is perfect for those struggling with lower-extremity injuries and those who prefer low intensity workouts, yet still want to meet their daily exercise requirement to stay in shape.

Zumba Step alternatively offers Latin-inspired choreography and aerobic steps that focus on leg strengthening moves. Exercises require stepping on and off elevated surfaces for an additional challenge, increasing endurance. For optimal comfort, light, non-restrictive, breathable clothing is the recommended attire for a Zumba class. For an added touch, wearing fun vibrant colours adds festiveness to the group and the overall experience. Zumba offers a unique approach to the body and mind when exercising. The dancing and lively music combined force you to follow a beat which keeps you from feeling bored. Music uplifts your mood and adds a new meaning to working out as it motivates you to reach new goals. Also, the presence of other supportive people can help you feel your best and push you to do your best.

Healthy eating, student living, and meal ideas A student shares how you can balance your diet and stay healthy throughout your school year. Julia Skoczypiec Theatre Erindale Correspondent

s students with busy schedules, eating well-proportioned meals is not often prioritized. Studies show that many Canadians in postsecondary education develop “maladaptive” dietary choices. While it is tempting to order your favorite “Mickey D’s” dish on UberEats and get it delivered within minutes, implementing some healthier meal options within your week can lead to both academic and bodily benefits. Ordering from fast food restaurants should not be shamed; everyone does it. But, making time in your week for some healthier meals gives your body more energy, aids in cognitive functions, and leads to an overall healthier lifestyle. Although I am not a food expert or nutritionist, here are a few things that I do and meals that I enjoy that help balance my diet. Eat Breakfast: As students, most of us have been in positions where we must choose between eating breakfast or being on time for class, and we often choose the latter. But eating breakfast helps with energy intake and cognition. In a study conducted by the US National Library of Medicine, researchers found that eating breakfast is linked to greater academic performance. There are many simple breakfast foods that work well with timesensitive schedules. These include toast with avocado, oatmeal, berries, bananas with peanut butter, granola and yogurt, and trail mix. Foods high in fiber and protein are best in the morning, giving you the boost of energy you need to start the day. Avoid Eating Before Bed: Many experts suggest that you should finish your last meal around three to four hours before going to bed. As

Covid-19 has altered most of our schedules, this has become difficult for many students. A study, conducted by researchers at the University of Saskatchewan, suggests that isolation brought on by Covid-19 has led to a significant worsening of a typical university student’s eating habits, including eating late at night. As everyone’s schedules continuously adjust, making a well-balanced dinner is not often on the forefront of our minds. Personally, I sometimes prefer to enjoy a few snacks throughout the day and sustain myself for a meal at around 7 p.m. Some of my favorite dinner meals include chicken and rice, mini naan pizzas, baked salmon, roasted cauliflower with cheese, chicken burritos, and spaghetti squash pasta with pesto or tomato sauce. Whatever your schedule looks like, it is important to leave yourself with enough time to digest. Have Snacks: Many associate snacking with the unnecessary intake of food or with eating due to boredom. According to Healthline Media, “research shows that certain foods may be especially important for brain health and promoting mental performance.” Such foods include berries, dark chocolate, nuts, eggs, avocados, and citrus fruits—all super easy and enjoyable snacks. Eating healthy snacks throughout your day can boost your brain’s ability to concentrate, reduce cravings, and allow you to “eat on the go” during extra busy moments. It allows for the reduction of bloating and unwanted post-meal exhaustion. For more information on healthy eating, UTM offers free nutritional counselling with Registered Dietitians. To book an appointment, call (905) 828-5255 or visit the Health & Counselling Centre’s (HCC) website. Not only does the HCC allow students to create plans for their specific dietary needs, but they also offer some scrumptious recipes made for busy schedules to try at home!