THE VOICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA
March 2, 2015 Volume 41, Issue 19 themedium.ca
TAs strike, Unit 3 to vote tonight
FACEBOOK.COM/CUPE.THIRTYNINEOTWO/PHOTO
Members of Unit 1 prepare for the strike that began this morning.
Sessional lecturers and others must pass tentative agreement to avoid a strike MARIA IQBAL NEWS EDITOR TAs will begin picketing today and CUPE 3902 Unit 3 members will vote on ratifying their agreement this evening. If the Unit 3 members, who include lecturers, graders, and lab assistants, vote against the agreement at tonight’s meeting, they too will join the picket lines. UNIT 1 DECLARES STRIKE On Friday, Unit 1 members voted overwhelmingly to strike down the tentative agreement, which was reached by the bargaining team in the early morning after the deadline had been extended. A video of the vote posted online shows members cheering and applauding after CUPE 3902 chair Erin Black announced that the motion to ratify the agreement had failed. Black, who chaired the meeting, said she wasn’t “particularly surprised” by the outcome. “From the start of the meeting […] it was fairly clear that there was a strong will in the room to vote it down,” she said.
Hours after the tentative settlement was announced and released to Unit 1 members, social media websites blew up with criticism of the agreement. Members expressed dissatisfaction with the failure to increase the value of the minimum funding package, which union representatives had criticized as failing to meet the poverty line in Toronto. Unit 1 represents mostly graduate students employed as TAs, course instructors, invigilators, and more. About 800 are undergraduates and 100 postdoctoral fellows, according to Tom Laughlin, the bargaining committee-steward’s council representative for Unit 1. Asked what aspects of the settlement had led the bargaining committee to agree to the deal, Laughlin said that the main points of progress were “qualitative”—for example, improvements in leave rights and the language used to describe them—rather than quantitative. Improved hiring timelines, genderless language, and grievance procedures were also among the changes in the tentative agreement. Laughlin said the agreement in-
cluded a reduction of the TA hours that can be counted in the funding package, but he said it would still leave members below the poverty line. “We need to now return to the table and get something that our members will find satisfying,” Laughlin said. He added that union representatives have expressed to the university their desire to meet “as soon as possible” to continue negotiations. As of Saturday night, Laughlin said the bargaining team had not yet been given information on when they could meet U of T representatives. UNIT 3 TO VOTE ON AGREEMENT TODAY Unit 3, representing contract employees, including sessional instructors, hired for terms of less than one year, may declare a strike if the ratification vote fails this evening. The Unit 3 bargaining team reached a tentative agreement on February 18, which members will vote on at 5 p.m. today. If the motion passes, polls will be opened up to the full membership to vote on
the agreement. Although Unit 3 is not currently in legal strike position, CUPE 3902 chair Erin Black said in a phone interview that members may choose to support Unit 1 in other ways. This can include “not having a class one week or posting notes to Blackboard in lieu of the class […] if members are feeling particularly worried about crossing the picket line,” said Black, adding that members do not have to cross the picket line if they are concerned about their safety. Black said that although it is difficult to speculate on the outcome of the vote, one of the “big differences” between Unit 1 and Unit 3 has to do with how the main concerns of members were addressed in the tentative agreements. She said that Unit 1 members struck down their agreement because they felt their main concern—the guaranteed minimum funding package for graduate students—had not been adequately addressed. “Unit 3 members’ core concern […] was the issue of job security. The tentative agreement that has been reached addresses job secu-
rity in a number of ways that have not been addressed before,” she said. “The question that Unit 3 members will have to answer for themselves […] is: are the achievements in job security enough for them?” U OF T’S RESPONSE In a memo posted online following Unit 1’s vote against the tentative agreement, Angela Hildyard, U of T’s VP human resources & equity, and Cheryl Regehr, vice-president & provost, said they were “disappointed” by the result. “The university has been bargaining intensively with CUPE 3902 Unit 1 in order to reach a fair and reasonable renewal collective agreement. We believe that our latest offer meets those criteria,” the memo reads. Hildyard and Regehr reiterated that U of T would respect the decision of Unit 1 members who wish to strike and those who continue working, saying that “the university will not lock out CUPE 3902 Unit 1 members as long as this remains operationally feasible”. Strike continued on page 2
Religion and the media
Failure to communicate
Come a long way
Fad diet = bad diet
In OCAA, on top of it
After a hard year, Islam
The bargaining team for
The UTM Film Festival is
Paleo, gluten-free, juice.
UTM’s soccer team’s first
Awareness Week hoped to
Unit 1 approved the offer,
worlds better than the last
None of them is really what
season in the association?
dispel misconceptions.
but members hated it. Huh?
time I went, two years ago.
your body needs.
Easy. They won the title.
Medium News, page 2
Medium Opinion, page 4
Medium Arts, page 5
Medium Features, page 8
Medium Sports, page 11
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THE MEDIUM 03.02.2015
TAs back to bargaining Strike continued from Cover
February 19, 8:00 a.m. Mischief Campus Police investigated a mischief occurrence in the Davis building. Graffiti was found inside the building in several areas. February 19, 1:35 p.m. Mischief Mischief was reported in the CCT building. Graffiti was found in a stairwell. February 19, 1:45 p.m. Bylaw Offences Two males were investigated for smoking in the garage of the CCT building. The matter was referred to Peel Public Health. February 19, 1:51 p.m. Trespass to Property Campus Police arrested and charged a male trespasser for refusing to leave campus when directed. February 19, 4:30 p.m. Trespass to Property A trespasser in the RAWC was questioned. The male trespasser
was asked to leave. February 20, 10:00 a.m. Mischief Campus Police investigated a mischief occurrence in the CCT building. Graffiti was located in a parking garage staircase. February 22, 4:50 p.m. Medical Call Campus Police responded to a medical call in the RAWC. Ambulance transported a male to hospital. February 23, 11:07 a.m. Medical Call Campus Police responded to a trip and fall accident near the CCT building. ECSPERT attended and the male was escorted to UTM Health and Counselling. February 25, 9:45 p.m. Noise Complaint Campus Police responded to a noise complaint in the Student Centre. The student group was asked to leave and complied.
These reports are those that have been released to The Medium and do not necessarily constitute an exhaustive list. Students can contact the UTM Campus Police at 905 828 5200, Peel Regional Police at 905 453 3311, or Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222 8477.
According to the university’s strike FAQ, all employees who are not part of Unit 1 are expected to continue working. The university also said that Unit 1 members who continue to work would be paid according to their original contracts if they signed declarations. As of Saturday afternoon, U of T media spokesperson Althea Blackburn-Evans had no news to offer on future meetings with Unit 1. STRIKE-BREAKING Following the strike announcement, concerns circulated on social media about “strike-breaking”. An update to the U of T FAQ on Saturday afternoon mentioned the possibility of Unit 1 members effectively being financially punished by the union if they continue to work during the strike. “It is the university’s position that access to any funds covered by a collective agreement between the university and CUPE 3902 must be available to all eligible employees and that no employee shall have access to such funds reduced or eliminated on the basis of exercising their legal right to continue to work during a strike called by CUPE 3902,” it said. According to CUPE 3902’s website, since Unit 1’s expired collective agreement is no longer in effect due to the strike, “if someone
chooses to work […], s/he would need to sign a new, individual contract outside the purview of the union”. Such employees would not benefit from the union’s collective agreement, including health and safety guarantees, overwork protections, entitlement to leaves and sick days, a grievance process for workplace disputes, protection against layoffs, and more, says the website. Further, CUPE 3902’s constitution says that someone who “fails to respect the local union’s picket line, or works for the employer during a legal strike or a labour dispute, or engages in any strikebreaking activities” is guilty of an offence, which can result in fines or the loss of membership. On Facebook, union comments included those by Ryan Culpepper, vice-chair for Units 1 and 2, who wrote that the university doesn’t “get to have a position on the matter” on how the union responds to those who cross the picket lines. Asked about these consequences, Laughlin said the union’s position is that members should not cross the picket lines or perform work that the unit is withholding. Laughlin said that the union has not yet decided to employ the procedure for limiting union-administered funds for members who choose not to strike. He clarified that the CUPE 3902 can employ
the procedure “if the union goes in that direction”. “Currently, that is not at stake,” he said. UTSU’S POSITION Following the declaration of Unit 1’s strike, UTSU posted the position of its executive team on Facebook. “We want to see the strike end as soon as possible. We implore the university to negotiate in good faith with CUPE 3902 and offer reasonable compensation for the work its members do,” the post reads. The statement also compared graduate students’ funding packages to the $100,000+ salaries of over 3,000 U of T administrators and professors and noted of the university’s projected surplus of $200 million for the current year. UTSU representatives also called for better communication from the university. “We appreciate that CUPE 3902 has been forthcoming with information,” they wrote. “They have been attempting to communicate with undergraduate students for weeks, via town halls, social media and email. We only received an update from the university a few days ago.” According to CUPE 3902’s website, the last time Unit 1 went on strike was in 2000. Unit 3 has never gone on strike since unionizing in 2003.
UTM student wins Governing Council seat Official election results released on Friday for seats on U of T’s highest decision-making body NICOLE DANESI ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
BILAL RAFAI/THE MEDIUM
Ridwan Olow has been elected to Governing Council.
A UTM student has won a seat on U of T’s highest decision-making body for the upcoming academic year. According to the official results released on Friday, third-year student Ridwan Olow was named one of two governors representing full-time undergraduate students on the council. Of the 2,589 ballots cast to elect two full-time undergraduate students from UTM, UTSC, and the St. George Faculty of Arts and Science, Olow attained 335 votes, or 12.9% of the ballots cast. Olow came second only to New College student Lawrence Zhang, who attained the highest number of votes with a total of 555 (21% of the total votes), securing the position three votes ahead of runner-up Victoria Wicks, a student from Trinity College. In total, 10 students ran for the position. “I feel very humbled,” said Olow. A Division 3 director on UTMSU’s board and a student in sociolegal studies and criminology, in an interview with The Medium Olow stressed the need to make changes to the way in which sexual violence on campus is handled. Olow also said there was a need to address the 1.0 Drop Credit policy is-
sue from past years. The student seats on Governing Council represent U of T’s 68,114 undergraduate students and 16,442 graduate students. When asked how this chalks up, Olow said that there should be more student seats on Governing Council, but did not offer specifics. Currently, eight out of 49 positions are designated for part-time, fulltime, and graduate students across various faculties. Zhang, a third-year student studying political science and international relations, focused his campaign on issues related to international students, specifically international tuition and restrictions barring international students from running for Governing Council. In an interview with The Medium, Zhang explained that his intent to run for Governing Council was inspired by a friend who withdrew from U of T due to international student tuition fees he could no longer afford. “The very fact that tuition did increase to the point where somebody’s parents basically had to pull the plug on [their child’s] education was ridiculous to me,” said Zhang. Among other issues included in his campaign, Zhang focused on current opportunities for undergraduate research, available mental health support, and general tuition fees.
Zhang and Olow teamed up while campaigning for the seats, although they ran on different platforms. Among other student representatives elected to Governing Council, UTM’s Ray Khan and Susan Froom from Trinity College claimed the two part-time undergraduate seats as the two sole candidates. This will be Froom’s second term representing part-time undergraduate students on Governing Council and Khan’s first. “I plan to work with the administration as opposed to against the administration,” said Khan, a fourthyear digital enterprise management student and president of ICCIT Council. Khan is also interested in advocating for sustainable energy sources at the university. “One of the first things I plan to tackle is figuring out how we can reduce energy costs,” he said. The issue was also addressed by Zhang, who called on the university to end its investment in fossil fuels as part of his platform. Governing Council is the senior governing body that oversees the academic, business, and student affairs of the university, according to its website. The first Governing Council meeting of the 2015/16 school year will be held on September 10.
03.02.2015 THE MEDIUM NEWS
Responding to Charlie Awareness Week addresses Islam’s image in the media
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»WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT
MCCALLION’S NEW APPOINTMENT?
Siddharth Singh 3rd year, poli sci & English
Mohamed Mansour 3rd year, psych
I feel it should have been given to someone younger and more qualified.
Hazel would be good for this university.
Assia Messaoudi 2nd year, PWC & English
Christine DeSilva 4th year, psych & history
I think she would be a good advisor for us because of all her experience as mayor.
We have a building named after her so it’s good to see her contributing.
FACEBOOK.COM/UTMMSA/PHOTO
Henna was available for free at tables during the week. MARIUM FAISAL The CCT atrium was strewn with roses and carnations on Monday morning to signal the start of Islam Awareness Week hosted by the Muslim Students’ Association. This year’s theme was “Unity through Diversity” and was chosen partly due to global events relating to Islam and Muslims, such as the rise of ISIS, the Charlie Hebdo shooting, the release of American Sniper, and the Chapel Hill shooting, among others. When asked how IAW helped tackle these issues, MSA president Maha Khan said the week is “an attempt to debunk myths, clear misconceptions, raise awareness, and strengthen the ties of the community”, adding that “the media has depicted Islam to be a religion of hate and violence when this is not actually the case”. The MSA advertised that all events of the week were open to people of all religious backgrounds and none.
The biggest event took place on Friday. Inspired by TED Talks, “Muslim Talks” was a four-hour event organized by MSA senior advisor and UTMSU board member Belal Rifai. The MSA collaborated with the new Islamic Relief chapter at UTM and the Muslim Chaplaincy at U of T “[to bring to life] this large-scale event [that] incorporated different influential Muslim speakers to enlighten the audience on various topics,” Rifai told The Medium. The speakers at the event included Zaid Al Rawni, CEO of Islamic Relief, psychologist Omar Mahmood, and Rabia Khedr, a candidate for Mississauga city councillor in Ward 4. Throughout the week, the atrium was filled with booths with activities including henna, a “Dawah” booth to provide information about Islam, and a table where female students could try on a hijab. On Monday, flowers were given to
passersby with sayings of the Prophet Muhammad and his companions attached to the stems. Hot chocolate was also given out in the Student Centre during the week. “Our aim isn’t to convert anyone,” said MSA community service director Lara Gamgoum. “It’s to [spread] kindness and get across the real message of Islam, even if it’s just a sentence. And who doesn’t like flowers?” Tuesday’s “convert panel” featured five Muslim converts who spoke about the experiences and incidents that led them to Islam. The evening was well-attended and had an emotional impact on some of the audience. Other events included a Q&A with a prominent leader in the Muslim community, Shaykh Abdalla Idris, and a presentation of the third-most sacred mosque for Muslims, Masjid al Aqsa in Jerusalem. IAW takes place annually in universities across Canada.
Going gentle in the good night This year’s Light the Night open to the whole campus MENNA ELNAKA ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Students marched around campus last Thursday during the annual “Light the Night” event hosted by Student Housing and Residence Life in partnership with Student Life, WalkSafer, and the women’s shelter Interim Place. Although “Light the Night” has been an annual event for residence students for many years, this was the first time the event was opened to off-residence students as well. According to SHRL community partner assistant Kristen Schaper, the purpose of the event was to spread awareness of “power-based personal violence”. Students were handed bags with lights, which they carried around the residences and the Student Centre. After the march, students fingerpainted on billboards to symbolize
that their hands would never be involved in any violent action. Farheen Khan, manager of development at Interim Place, spoke at the event. Interim Place is a local shelter that provides support for women and children who have been affected by violence.
After the march, students finger-painted on billboards to symbolize that their hands would never be involved in violence. Khan expressed satisfaction with the turnout, saying that it was greater than in previous years. She said that Interim Place will continue to support UTM for this cause. Some performances organized by
Fatima Ghafoori, Student Life community engagement programming assistant, ended the event. “The cause is really important; I don’t think people know enough about it, so when I saw it, I thought, ‘I really want to do this,’ ” said Noor Rahmeh, a first-year commerce student living on residence. “I thought it was fun—I liked the idea, I liked the hand paint, meeting people, and also supporting the cause.” Campus Police provided refreshments. Flyers distributed at the event noted that there are more than 3,300 women forced to sleep in emergency shelters to escape domestic violence and that every six days in Canada, a woman is killed by an intimate partner. They also pointed out that one of every six boys experiences sexual abuse before the age of 16 and that 36% of domestic violence is carried out against men.
McCallion named advisor to Saini SIDRA WEQAR Hurricane Hazel is about to hit UTM. Former Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion was appointed as yearlong special advisor to vice-president of U of T and principal of UTM Professor Deep Saini on February 9. After retiring from her position as one of Canada’s longest-serving mayors, the 94-year-old will continue to contribute to Mississauga. When asked about the areas in which McCallion is expected to advise, Saini said that her help in developing a master’s program in urban innovation will “primarily be advisory”, adding that her “36 years of experience in fostering innovation” in Mississauga suit her to the role. Saini added that McCallion would also provide advice to UTM’s senior administration on ways to further develop the campus in the changing political and economic environment. McCallion is also expected to “help open doors through her network of connections, create new courses, and assist us in our Boundless fundraising campaign,” he said. The former mayor’s other duties will include helping to develop a new non-credit training course for students interested in entering politics. The course is expected to help students to prepare for and participate in running for a public office. “A lot of times [people say], ‘How do I get elected? I want to get into public office, I want to run for office, what advice could you give me?’ I’m
constantly being asked that,” McCallion told The Globe and Mail. McCallion, who will also serve as an occasional guest lecturer at UTM, will provide advice to students who have similar concerns. “A small honorary sum is expected to be paid to Ms. McCallion for her contribution as advisor to UTM,” said the university’s communications and marketing advisor Blake Eligh. The Toronto Star reported that a university spokesperson had said that the position of a special advisor was created especially for McCallion. “She is a close friend of and an ar-
Advisory role involves creating new courses, guest lectures, and assisting in the Boundless campaign dent advocate for the university and has played a pivotal role in helping transform UTM into the mid-size comprehensive university campus that it is today,” said Saini in a press release. In an interview with The Toronto Star, McCallion said she has seen the campus grow “from a little acorn to a big oak” and said it had “very much been a part of [her] life”. Upon McCallion’s retirement, UTM celebrated her time as mayor with a musical play, She Shoots, She Scores.
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MASTHEAD EDITORS Editor-in-Chief Luke Sawczak editor@themedium.ca News Maria Iqbal news@themedium.ca A&E Maria Cruz arts@themedium.ca Features Madeleine Brown features@themedium.ca Sports Jason Coelho sports@themedium.ca — Photo Mahmoud Sarouji photos@themedium.ca Design Mubashir Baweja design@themedium.ca Copy Akshaya Sharma copy@themedium.ca Online & Blog Michelle Bonsu Safia Amin blog@themedium.ca online@themedium.ca Video Russell Wu videos@themedium.ca ASSOCIATES News Nicole Danesi Menna Elnaka A&E Kathelene Cattell-Daniels Features Andreea Mihai Sports Eric Hewitson Sihan Zheng Photo Christy Tam Zara Rizwan Nicole Raquinio Copy Tanya Decarie GENERAL STAFF Distribution Manager Ifunanya Paulinus distribution@themedium.ca Comic Artist Corey Belford BOARD OF DIRECTORS Christine Capewell, Larissa Ho, Saima Khan, Denio Lourenco, Jaime Pokhoy, Obaid Said, Ajay Sharma, Luke Sawczak
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Thoughts on why it broke down U of T’s tactics might explain why members threw out an offer reps accepted So. After several close calls over the last 15 years, we finally have a real live strike on our hands. It’s big, but for that reason comment on it will mostly be obvious. My words on it will be few—also because I happen to be a TA and hence have a stake. Heck, TAs could potentially lose union membership and other benefits if they cross picket lines, says their FAQ, let alone write editorials... But my opinion isn’t the majority one. When CUPE 3902 Unit 1 asked us to authorize the strike, I said no, as one of so few they didn’t tally us up. I mostly did that because I’ll be out soon anyhow, and I didn’t bother to learn about the issues. (Honestly, I’d probably lead labs for free.) Those issues are now easily looked up; the main line is wages, and the oftcited argument for getting more is that graduate TAs have a funding package of $15,000 per year, but the poverty line in Toronto is now over $23,000. (I’m also not part of the cohort whose rights are mainly being discussed, as a non-grad student TA.) In response to the strike, last night featured a university press release that skimmed very briefly over the issues,
in which provost Cheryl Regehr says they offered what they did “because of the importance we place on TAs”. Aha. But only so much, it seems. What interests me more than the issues themselves is the bargaining phenomena that led to the strike. First of all, the tentative agreement for Unit 1 was made a few hours after midnight and the strike deadline was originally midnight, before being extended. A senior professor predicted this playing out at events a few weeks ago, remarking that U of T’s labour division has an unwritten policy of waiting till the very last second before putting anything serious on the table. They also gave very few dates for bargaining to the union. In both Unit 3 and Unit 1’s cases, the bargaining team accepted the offer made at this late hour. Unit 3, who also settled in the wee hours at 2:30 a.m. did so before their deadline; they’ve had almost two weeks to think about the offer before the members’ vote today that will determine whether they accept it—and if they don’t, the strike will instantly get far more severe. Meanwhile, Unit 1 only had about 12 hours to decide. The vote, which took place on Friday, was very inter-
esting. The vice-chair of the unit, Ryan Culpepper, estimated that 90% of the members voted not to ratify. In a video of the vote, the room is obviously heated and eager to strike it down. This despite an email from Culpepper to the members in which he says, “All seven bargaining team members believe that this is an agreement we can be proud of, with many significant gains for our members.” So... what happened between then and the vote? Did the bargaining team sign the agreement cluelessly, out of desperation, insincerely, or what? When we asked the steward of the team, Tom Laughlin, why they had approved it but the members hadn’t, he said that they had made “qualitative” rather than “quantitative”, “financial” gains. He didn’t elaborate on why npot making financial gains seemed all right to them. Maybe the deadline pressured the resolution, and it’s really bargaining tactics like that from the university that are being protested now. After all, as I look through the agreement they reached, I do in fact see some financial gains—both directly to wages and indirectly to health and how the funding package is calculated.
Well, speaking of the university playing fair, the ball’s in their court. Union reps say they’ve asked for dates to resume talks as soon as possible, even today, but haven’t heard back. The university’s stance, judging by the memos and FAQs, seems to be that they’ll just work around it while keeping the door wide open for individual TAs who want to break ranks and keep working. Meanwhile, no state of disruption has been declared, which would let students and faculty off the hook for some responsibilities that will be harder to fulfill now. The union says “#weareuoft”; the university has other ideas. YOURS, LUKE SAWCZAK
CORRECTION NOTICE Last week’s cover photo was not cited by mistake; it was taken by Kayle Tremblett. As well, the photo caption for last week’s article “Four days to strike deadline” referenced a debate it said was held by CUPE3902, but it was hosted by APUS, UTSU, GSU, and ASSU.
03.02.2015
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Film Festival doesn’t disappoint A number of student societies banded together to bring the 2015 UTM Film Festival to life MARIA CRUZ A&E EDITOR When I went to the UTM Film Festival two years ago, technical difficulties failed to impress the crowd of about 10. This time around, a little less than half of the massive IB 120 was filled, perhaps because the event was a bigger collaboration between DVSSS, UTMSU, UTMTV, and the ICCIT Council. Friday night began with ICCIT member Ray Khan and UTMSU board member Amir Moazzami as hosts who would walk the audience through each film. The first film was called The Mistake by Mike Dopsa and Maria Magovskaia, which is about a girlfriend who has just revealed to her boyfriend that she cheated on him. The film goes through various hypothetical postbreakup scenarios set to sombre music. The audience is then brought back to the main scene in which the girlfriend asks the boyfriend if he is okay. After a small pause he says, “Are you?” and walks out as the credits roll. The acting wasn’t the best and neither was the plot. Filled with cliché scenes like the boyfriend stalking his girlfriend while she’s on a date and fantasizing about a rebound, this movie didn’t push any new boundaries.
ZARA RIZWAN/THE MEDIUM
A combination of scripted films and video art made an appearance at the festival. The next film was Knifemaker, a documentary about Peter Lorimer and his dying craft. Directed by Pierre Roquet and Arthur Chen, the film is short but to the point and includes interesting segments about Lorimer’s work and his thoughts on it. It was fresh and exciting to delve into such an overlooked craft. The only detractor was the audio—Lorimer’s heavy accent coupled with background noise
made him incomprehensible at times. That piece was followed by I Wish by Sherry Yu. This was one of my favourites of the evening. Blessed with great acting and a well-told story, the plot revolves around a young man who celebrates his 17th birthday alone, all the while believing his sister, who died in an accident with their parents, is there to celebrate with him. The concept isn’t completely origi-
nal but I appreciated the little details in the film that made it stand out. Some photos on the boy’s camera at the end and the wish he makes before blowing out his candle made the film beautiful. The next piece was the comedy Lone Wolf by Jordan Goddard, a stopmotion film using Lego minifigs. A man faces his enemy and triumphs in battle. I loved the idea of filming this in stop motion. The sound effects are
funny and well-chosen. Dry on a Sunday by Adeel Shamsi played next. I’ve written an in-depth review for this before, so we already know how much I love this film, but I’ll say it again: I love this film. Shamsi’s film led the audience into intermission where we were served drinks and snacks. During this small break, video art played inside and outside the class. Coming back from intermission, we were shown Reciprocity by Ben Lee and Ameet Kang. The story follows a young man who kidnaps and beats his girlfriend and her lover after catching them at a coffee shop together. In a short amount of time, the film manages to show all the little insights into the main character; he follows her around and stays quiet in the back so he can watch her, and he sits outside the room where he keeps them prisoner and contemplates his choices. There is a great shot that shows him going to open the door to beat the lover, and then it cuts into a scene of his girlfriend opening the door to the coffee shop. I only wish this film had been a little longer so I could have more insight into their relationship before it all went to hell.
Festival continued on page 7
Poets plough through Pump & Patio noise EDSS’s Poetry Night Live provided entertaining performances, free food, and a whole lot of chatter MARIA CRUZ A&E EDITOR UTM students eagerly piled into the Erindale Pump and Patio last Thursday for EDSS’s Poetry Night Live. Students sang, recited slam, danced, and stuffed their faces full of nachos and chicken. The night began with Tobi Ogude and Dragan Marcic introducing all the performers to the audience before Ogude and Erin Foley recited a slam poetry piece about people on social media who only care about world problems that are “trending” or popular. It drew attention to the lack of real change happening on social media and the lacklustre attitude of those who use it. Following was Andrew Lie, who performed an acoustic version of “She Will be Loved” by Maroon 5. Lie’s performance was the first to draw attention to two massive problems: the noise and the servers. It was extremely distracting to see people order food before per-
MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM
Despite a noisy venue, the performers soldiered on. formances only to have their meals brought to them as students were performing. And hosting an event
in a pub is a good idea for a relaxing time, but the noise completely drowned out their performances.
Nancie Jona, an audience member from the Poetry Masterclass, was one of the poets who lost out.
Sadly, her incredible piece, “The Queen”, was nearly incomprehensible due to the surrounding chatter and some of her best lines went unheard. Marcic came up again to perform a song he said he wrote in 12 hours. His song was the last one performed before the audience indulged in chips and dip during first intermission. Amina Abdel Wahab was first to sing after the break. She performed two original songs, one about her battle with anorexia and the other about a breakup, but was drowned out by clanging of silverware as the staff cleared the food table. Zara Rizwan followed Wahab to recite poetry. Corey Belford, a performer among those easy to hear, recited his poem “1,000 Years From Now”, which he confessed was written an hour before he arrived.
Poetry continued on page 7
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THE MEDIUM 03.02.2015
A new ambassador for suicide prevention Author Wendy Parmley discusses her mother’s suicide and how she’s now helping others MARIA CRUZ A&E EDITOR Hope after Suicide: One Woman’s Journey from Darkness to Light is a novel by Wendy Parmley about her mother’s traumatic suicide when Parmley was just 12. After a bicycle accident prevented her from returning to work, Parmley spent nearly three and a half years writing this story of hope and readying herself to share it with readers. The Medium sat down with Parmley to further discuss her novel and her journey to the light at the end of the tunnel. TM: What were some of the techniques you used in writing this novel? WP: Before my bike accident I had begun a journey of discovery and discovering my mom, and I actually sought out some therapy to help me. I visited with [my therapist] for about a year and we worked on the death of my mum. I had this anger that I was kind of able to control, but it would come out when I was stressed, mostly on my children and my family. But I didn’t want to feel that anymore. I was going through a particularly difficult time with my family. The therapist just said, “Oh, gosh. Four or five visits, we’ll nip this in the bud and you can be on your way,” and on the fourth or fifth visit I realized that, underneath all that, was the death of my mom. And I hadn’t properly looked at that or processed that trauma that had happened when
WENDY PARMLEY/PHOTO
Author Wendy Parmley shares her story with The Medium. I was such a young girl. I wrote about all of the experiences through therapy and that became the platform for me to go back to as I started writing this story down. And my childhood experiences I was very fortunate to have written in a little diary when I was 12 because I didn’t have a ton of memories. Of course, that day and those few weeks surrounding that event were very seared in my memory and I was able to go back to that little diary and fill in those little pieces. Writing was my therapy as a kid when I didn’t have the access to mental healthcare at that time. I was able to look back and forth from those journals and the experience I had interviewing my mom’s
sister and church leader and my dad. TM: Do you still consider writing a tool of therapy for you now? WP: Oh, absolutely. I need to write more and write daily to capture our day, whether good or bad. And then to be able to look back and leave that legacy for children or for friends. And those things that we learned along the way—our memories are tricky things and it’s nice to fill in the things with writing. TM: Where did you find the courage to write something so personal? WP: The first thing that pops into my head is really from God. When I
wasn’t able to return to work, I knew what my new work was and it was to write the story of my angel[ic] mom. I felt her right next to me. My mom as well, I gained that courage from her. I had these wonderful, magnificent experiences where I felt her near me, saying, “It’s time to share the story.” And certainly you’re exposing your inner heart and the healing process as an individual and I hope others can gain courage, too, from the courage of my own story and they can share their paths. TM: How does it feel to try to bring people out of a place that’s hard to escape from?
WP: It’s the best thing that I can do. I feel so blessed to be able to play a teeny little role in the whole big puzzle of suicide prevention and healing after tragedy. There’s so many voices that are needed but it’s that one-onone interaction that I find so meaningful. For example, in December I had a book signing about an hour from my home. It was a few weeks before Christmas and I wasn’t really looking forward to it because there’s so much to do before Christmas. A gentleman walked into the store, just stared at the banner for my book, and when nobody was around, said, “You know? I just came from picking a headstone for my son who took his life.” And I knew right then in my heart this is why I was supposed to be there. He had the opportunity to share from his heart that he hadn’t known why he would be there in that bookstore. It wasn’t in his path that day but he knew right then that that was why he was supposed to be there. If we’re not afraid to say the word “suicide”, we can save a life. If we’re not afraid to ask our friend who might be very depressed, “Are you thinking of ending your life?”, that question alone gives them the opportunity to say yes. It’s not an easy conversation to have but it allows them that freedom to say yes and then the next step is to get them help and refer them to some help. This is my calling right now. It’s very fulfilling.
Parmley continued on page 7
REWIND LUKE SAWCZAK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF The year was 1922. The widow of Bram Stoker, who had written the seminal vampire book Nosferatu, was still alive and still held the copyright. So when F.W. Murnau decided to make the very first film about—and many people’s first introduction to— Count Dracula, he had to change the name to Count Orlok. And he was still sued and the production company went bankrupt. A few other details were changed, but on the whole Nosferatu is a close and entertaining rendition of the story. The most glaring aspect of it is, of course, the fact that it was made in an entirely different era—it’s the oldest movie we’ve yet looked at in this column. It’s black and white and looks like faux-black-and-white movies, as if it were mocking itself in every frame with exaggerated motions and the occasional shot of a carriage rolling away down a hill sped up five or six times, almost hilariously. It’s also silent except for a score, but the original score was lost and the one we have now is a reconstruction. A lot of composers have made their own scores for the movie for that reason. The one I heard when I watched it
was a kind of annoying series of flutes and trumpets that only added to the carnival-like quality of some scenes. Dialogue is in written titles. Time of day is in tints of the film (at least one scene seems like it’s implied to be night by the fact that it’s blue, but the shadows make it look more like day). Expressions are grotesque. But for that, there is enough in the movie to draw you in and make you believe in it, even if just a little. I found nothing at all scary in Nosferatu himself, who opens the conversation with the poor real estate agent who visits him in his castle by licking some blood from his cut, until one scene when the agent opens his bedroom door in the night and only sees the pale face of the vampire peering out at him behind it. At the same moment his wife back in Germany is rising in a trance out of her bed to walk on her railing in her flowing white dress, arms outstretched. Very creepy. A bit of magic accompanies Nosferatu as well, but it’s of the unconvincing type again. In one scene he rises out of a trapdoor in a ship’s deck. A covering is invisibly pulled off of it in six or seven steps, like very bad stop motion. It made me laugh. But on the whole, a pretty good introduction of vampires to the world.
MARIA CRUZ A&E EDITOR CHAPPIE Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce to you to yet another movie in which a thinking, feeling robot is just a misunderstood being rather than a creature who can completely destroy its creator and probably a good chunk of mankind. Welcome CHAPPiE, an adorable robot who fist-bumps and pets dogs and tries to prove constantly that he’s not like other robots. Created by Deon Wilson (Dev Patel), he learns all about our human ways but must inevitably learn to defend himself against those trying to destroy him. Sigourney Weaver, Hugh Jackman, and Sharlto Copley as CHAPPiE also star. There are scenes too similar to that of the likes of I, Robot in just the trailer alone, which leads me to believe this won’t be anything new or exciting. Chappie is set to be released on Friday. UNFINISHED BUSINESS Follow Vince Vaughn and his lovable team of underdogs as they go up against a team better than them
in just about every way in Dodgeball… I mean, in Unfinished Business. After telling off his boss and starting his own company the next day, Daniel Trunkman (Vaughn) and his only two employees, Mike Pancake (Dave Franco) and Tom Wilkinson, embark on a business trip to Europe and inevitable hilarity ensues. A recycled plot with recycled jokes clogged the trailer and—I can only assume—will also infest the movie. It looks like it’ll have some funny parts but not enough for the price of a movie ticket nowadays. Unfinished Business is set to be released on Friday. RUN ALL NIGHT Run All Night tells the story of aging hitman Jimmy Conlon (Liam Neeson), who murders the son of his former boss, Shawn Maguire (Ed Harris). After Maguire’s son tries to kill Conlon’s son, he had no choice but to step in and save his own. But now he must protect his family against the man seeking revenge. This movie doesn’t seem halfbad. There’s enough decent star power in it to render the characters
convincing, and Lord knows this isn’t Neeson’s first rodeo. I also like how the story backs away from the hitman-versus-hitman plotline to focus on something that makes neither man the bad guy. I’m excited to see how this goes. Run All Night is set to be released on Friday, March 13. THE GUNMAN Based on international bestseller The Prone Gunman by Jean-Patrick Manchette, The Gunman stars Martin Terrier (Sean Penn) as an operative who wants out of the business, but the organization he works for targets him after he threatens to reveal all their secrets. The typical action movie cocktail is present here with one part obligatory sex scene and two parts gunfire. There are also kidnappings, cutting down guys with machetes, and snarky remarks between good guy and bad guy. Basically everything action lovers need. I will say that it doesn’t look like it’ll be a total flop, especially not with the perfect Javier Bardem starring in it. Plus Idris Elba? I’m sure it’ll do just fine. The Gunman is set to be released on Friday, March 20.
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Cons and stop motion Lego Night of music
and slam poetry
ZARA RIZWAN/THE MEDIUM
The Medium’s comic artist, Corey Belford, and Matthew Household went home with Best Screenplay. Festival continued from page 5 The Story of Bill by Sina Dolati came next. The story follows a young woman’s journey after she runs away from home. The story is told from the perspective of a dollar bill. It was an interesting take on a runaway story. I loved hearing a speech from money that was oddly relatable. There are little things I would have liked to see done a little better, such as the main character battling the cold weather or even being more unkempt after living on the street for an undisclosed period of time. The next film was Kinsey Zhang’s Mama, a wonderful documentary about her mother as she goes through bits and pieces of her daily routine and talks about her family. This film had such potential to be great—her mother is so funny and interesting and such a great choice for an interviewee. In the end the direction was too undefined. It seemed to be torn between a documentary and a scripted film. Regardless, I loved the content, and it was easily one of my favourites of the evening. Blood Brothers by Tyrell Subban followed. A tribute to fallen soldiers, this animated film tells the story of two friends who have each other’s backs both in and out of wartime. It is a beautiful story about the impact
of war and how everyone, even the “enemy”, is affected. The only thing that took away from it was the subpar animation, though I can commend Subban for taking the risk of going down that route. The next film was The Recipient by Emad Arshad. Through scenes similar to The Matrix and Inception, it tells the story of a device that can transfer one person’s time left on Earth to another. The only catch for the protagonist is that he’s dying and needs to find a way to sucker someone into exchanging their time with his. This film had the best cinematography of the evening and was loaded with incredible actors. Everything about it worked and there was never a dull moment. The following film was Gentle Giant, which was directed by Faten AlFaraj and produced by Tanya Hoshi. This story follows the lives of a family left devastated after the husband and father commits suicide. It begins with narration as the wife writes a letter to her husband and then transitions into interviews with the family. They discuss the rollercoaster of emotions, and how the children weren’t told right away what had happened for fear they wouldn’t be able to handle it. The film ends with them visiting his
grave as his wife finishes reading her letter. This was another one of my favourites. The story was well-told and well-captured. I loved the private moment of the letter intertwined with the interviews of the family. It was a heartbreaking documentary. The festival was concluded with Cold Day for Summer by Corey Belford and Matthew Household. This comedy tells the tale of two convincing stories used to con people out of money. The plot was interesting and humorous and—though this may just be for me because I have seen the actors on campus and in my classes before—I believed in the story, which made it much more enjoyable. The audience was escorted to the Blind Duck for the awards ceremony. Eight awards were distributed. Best Animation went to Blood Brothers and Best Audio to Reciprocity, while 1980 by Lucille Kim took home the award for Best Video Art. Dry on a Sunday went home with Viewers’ Choice and Best Documentary went to Knifemaker. Best Screenplay was awarded to Cold Day for Summer and The Recipient cleaned up nicely after taking home both Best Cinematography and Best Film. All in all, I think this festival is going somewhere.
MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM
Audience members from the Poetry Masterclass attended. Poetry continued from page 5 Tanya Decarie, who went by her stage name Twiggy Starblade, followed with her slam piece. Decarie had also been at the masterclass and was quiet that day in a small room, let alone a huge space full of people talking. I was sitting very close to the stage and couldn’t hear a word she said, which was very unfortunate. And due to lack of space, people were soon standing around, blocking the view of those who had a seat, which made it even harder to pay attention…
Those on stage began to work their way around the room as they performed, giving everyone a chance to hear them. The good news is that those on stage began to work their way around the room as they performed, giving everyone a chance to hear them. This was what Ogude did when he came back up to recite the piece he did at the masterclass,
“Black Man’s Culture”. Twiggy returned with another poem before audiences were given another intermission. The UTM Dance Club performed next and completely rocked the small space given them for their routine. Dance Club member Melissa Rosati got up later in the evening to recite a poem. Foley returned to recite her poem “Some Unholy War”, which was written about Amy Winehouse. Jona also returned after Foley to recite a poem about gender inequality. Professor Brent Wood of the English department, who teaches “Reading Poetry” and other courses, sang a Leonard Cohen cover. Marcic returned and also sang, covering “Where is My Mind?” by the Pixies. He was another one of those who could actually be heard. Towards the end of the night the audience began texting and munching on leftovers, ready to go home. After an intermission that lasted over half an hour, it was obvious that the audience saw the event as more of a social gathering than a performance. The event was a success on the whole—people seemed to be into the performances and enjoyed the free food—but I miss the quieter venues.
Using past tragedies to better the future Parmley continued from page 6 TM: Why do you think there’s such a stigma on mental illness, particularly suicide? WP: I think because we’re afraid. We’re afraid of what it means and there’s a lot of shame involved. I know when my mom ended her life, my dad didn’t talk about it for 10 years. I think that there’s the guilt and the shame and the fear all surrounding that. We can’t see inside a brain and so we sometimes have this notion of, “Go put some positive quotes on your mirror and look at those every day and you’ll get better.” That could help to a certain extent for everyday life,
but someone with a mental illness needs appropriate care. It’s crucial that we take mental illness every bit as seriously and we break down that stigma. We need to treat people with mental illness with respect and compassion, just like we would someone with cancer. I remember hearing from a friend that she had read how cancer was viewed with such stigma a century ago and over the course of this past century and talking about it and being able to dedicate research to prevention, it no longer has that stigma and we reach out with compassion and love and we see these patients with no hair who are going through che-
motherapy as heroes. I think, as we continue to research and reach out, we will see these folks battling mental illness every single day of their lives with that same level of compassion and being treated with respect rather than judgement. TM: Do you see yourself focusing more on volunteering or do you have another book? WP: All of the above. I feel like I have more stories to share related to my past, related to my experiences as a child, related to the whole healing journey, and so I’m trying to home in on what that message will be. For now my work is focused on sharing this story and
giving courage to others to share their story so I have the opportunity a couple times a month to share that message of hope. I’m just following the path wherever it leads. I don’t have a big grand vision but one step at a time I’m sharing that story. I do have a blog and I try to post a couple times a month on that blog—information that hopefully is helpful for those who are looking for a positive direction for their own mental health struggles. TM: What is the one thing you want to say to anyone that’s suffering who may not have the chance to read your book?
WP: It’s okay to reach out. It’s okay to call a suicide prevention hotline. It’s okay to seek help and please do and know that there is light beyond the darkness. Whether that takes one week or one year, there is light. Seek that and hope for that and pray for that. You’ll be glad and you’ll be guided. For those of us who have the opportunity to reach out and help someone, reach out and love. Open your heart without judgement and love and embrace people who are struggling without judgement. Wendy Parmley’s novel is available on amazon.com and her website is wendyparmley.com.
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03.02.2015
Fad diets that fizzle nutritionally Despite the chatter in the lunchroom, three popular fad diets don’t live up to the hype KAITLYN FERNANDES STAFF WRITER
much more valuable and safe than a weight-loss approach.
Learning how to navigate the jungle of food and nutrition can be a struggle for university students. Whether you’re living on your own for the first time or just trying to take more responsibility for your eating habits, it can be difficult to find reliable nutritional information. Among the abundance of misinformation floating around the Internet, there are today three commonly praised fad diets: the paleo diet, the gluten-free diet, and the juice diet. They each involve a similar strategy: to eliminate one or more food groups from one’s diet. I looked into whether these fad diets actually work, and more importantly, if they are safe or realistic to follow. Helping me along the way to offer clarification was Kimberly Green, UTM’s registered dietician.
GLUTEN-FREE “There is absolutely no value that can come from eliminating gluten from the diet,” opines first-year philosophy student Joseph Corazza. It’s an opinion that many people share, but one that is often contested by people who claim to have achieved weight-loss success simply by eliminating gluten. With all the gluten-free talk that’s been spreading on health and wellness blogs, it’s easy to believe that gluten is out to get us, but Green says giving up gluten is just another way to reduce carbohydrate intake, which causes some people to experience weight loss. Green advises that the elimination of carbohydrates from the diet is a highly restrictive and unnecessary step to achieving a more nutritional diet. “I tried out the gluten-free diet for one day, but the food wasn’t very satisfying so I switched back,” says first-year linguistics student Brianna Ansara.
PALEOLITHIC (PALEO) The basic premise of the paleo diet is to eat “modern foods that mimic the food groups of our hunter-gatherer ancestors”, according to the official paleo diet website. Put simply,
MAYDA ALKHALDI/THE MEDIUM
Would a caveman eat that? people who follow the paleo diet eat meals mainly consisting of large portions of protein, such as lean meats, and dramatically reduced portions of carbohydrates. One aspect of the diet that often raises controversy is that it does not support the consumption of legumes, which are described as a
valuable source of protein by nutritionists. Green suggests that the elimination of legumes from the diet can be traced back to an aversion to carbohydrates. She says that people often experience success in weight loss by eliminating carbohydrates because it forces the body into a ketogenic state, during which
the body obtains energy from fats rather than carbohydrates, a survival strategy of sorts enacted by our body in situations where only protein is available to us. The main drawback to this diet is that it’s easy to miss out on valuable nutrients. All in all, a balanced, nutritional approach to one’s diet is
Fad continued on page 9
Professor questions prostitution laws Canada’s new legislation, the topic of the heated last feminist lunch hour of the year ASSIA MESSAOUDI Seats filled up quickly last week at UTM’s final feminist lunch hour on Canada’s new prostitution laws. The lunch, presented jointly by the WGS department and the Equity and Diversity Office, focused on the laws that went into effect in December, with a talk led by Professor Mariana Valverde from the Centre for Criminology and Sociology at St. George. Valverde began by saying that she does not support the new laws and finds them just as outdated as those struck down in 2013. The foundation for these laws is the premise that criminalizing the sale or purchase of sex work will eliminate it, said Valverde, who added that this is not true. For over 20 years the Supreme Court has been rewriting laws that do not adhere to the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, but can only rewrite or strike down a law if there is substantial proof that the current law in place creates harm. Valverde argued that the new laws
ASSIA MESSAOUDI/PHOTO
According to Valverde, Canada’s new prostitution laws do not increase sex workers’ safety. in fact make it more difficult for sex workers. The Supreme Court argued that sex work presents harm according to the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons
Act—in which, said Valverde, the communities come first and the exploited persons come second. The Supreme Court claimed to be looking out for the “quality of all
Canadians” but the language of the act is de-gendered, using phrases such as the “objectification of the human body and the commodification of sexual activity”, said Val-
verde, which she says marginalize sex workers. The laws criminalize those who purchase sex, but Valverde argued that they do not assume the innocence of sex workers. Moreover, she said, the result of the new focus is that customers will most likely be paranoid and hence refuse to give their names and only agree to meet the women in secluded areas that are more dangerous for the women. “I have been interested in this issue for 25 years because positive reform and legal change was taking place in many other areas aside from prostitution,” said Valverde in an interview after the talk. Since Valverde is a tenured professor, she says she wants to use her academic freedom to speak without repercussion. She believes the consequences for escort services, which are harder-hit because the laws stipulate that sex workers can now only work alone, were calculated to please anti-prostitution groups.
Law continued on page 9
03.02.2015 THE MEDIUM FEATURES» 9
Don’t quit your day job Hanging up the For some, studying part-time is the one and only option hangover hat AMANDA HAVEY
MAYDA ALKHALDI/THE MEDIUM
Part-timers have a less traditional university experience.
DANA BRITTON The thought of completing an undergraduate degree in more than four or five years sounds ludicrous to the majority of us. Every year we resume our countdown to the time when we finally either enter the workforce or continue to a postgraduate program. As a result, we don’t typically consider part-time studies as an option. Why would someone choose to take more time to complete their degree? In fact, most part-time students begin their degree as a full-time student. They start university in the hope of finishing in the same amount of time it took to get through high school— that is, until they’re faced with unexpected obstacles. “I began as a full-time student,” says Andrew Nablo, a fifth-year history and religion major and part-time student. “I didn’t have the discipline for it. Part-time is the only way I can handle it. I take three courses at a time and I can’t do a proper job doing more than that. “This way it also gives me more time to do things,” he adds. “I work two full days a week. It’s a matter of necessity.” For some other part-timers, it’s a matter of affordability. They realize that they can’t survive financially by just working in the summer and/or taking OSAP and that they need to work during the school year as well. “I work part-time to cover the cost of my studies. Even though I work in
residence and this covers my housing, I still need multiple jobs off campus to cover the cost of tuition, even with OSAP,” says Emily Tabbert, a fourthyear part-time linguistics major. Some part-time students also have children to support, the subject of another feature published a few weeks ago (“The secret life of student parents”). Others have to pay for rent and that, along with school, proves too costly for them to work a manageable number of hours along with school. Amir Moazzami, UTMSU’s VP part-time studies, points out that many part-time students are mature students who have a variety of reasons for coming back to school. “That includes recent immigrants attempting to integrate university studies with life in a new country, single- and two-parent families balancing employment, study, and childcare, and students with disabilities taking on a new challenge,” he says. The official definition of a parttime student is someone who’s enrolled in 2.5 or fewer credits over the fall and winter terms or 1.0 over the summer terms. With midterms upon us, 2.5 credits sounds pretty ideal right now. But there are downsides of studying part-time, too. Part-time students receive less OSAP funding and often have fewer course options and office hour opportunities because of their other obligations. “The selection is absolutely awful,” Nablo agrees. “You take an interest-
ing course once a year because the others don’t fit in your schedule. Or maybe you have to take it at 8 a.m. on a Monday.” The experience that full-time students might take for granted can be diminished for part-timers. “Being part-time is a pain in the ass,” says Nablo. “With this campus especially, it’s socially dead. Unless you’re here all the time, it’s easy to be alienated. I’ve been here six to seven years and no improvement so far.” Moazzami believes these factors mean that part-time students are at a disadvantage in their university education. “There are some limitations to access to services,” he says. “Students face a constant struggle getting through university. Increased fees, insufficient child and family care, reduced numbers of evening and summer courses, offices that close at 5 p.m. and the lack of student aid are making it more difficult to get a degree part-time.” Part-time students only recently got access to the U-Pass. Chances are many full-time students don’t realize the struggle that many part-time students face in order to attend school. In some cases it’s an option that just allows you to slow down and take university at a more leisurely pace—but many part-time students are hardly doing it by choice, and face at least as much pressure as full-time students.
Premier to revisit laws Law continued from page 8 A supporting paper published by the Department of Justice had a bias against sex workers, she claims, and “cites someone who has been proven to not be credible, that shows ideology and propaganda”. That said, Valverde said there will
only be backlash if police officers actively enforce the new laws. If officers continue to do what they’re doing now, Valverde doesn’t see any reason for a protest. Her ideal version of the law excludes the section with limits on those who “derive material benefit” from sex work and would give prostitutes
more freedom to advertise their services. “Customers would still be liable,” she says. In December, Premier Kathleen Wynne asked the attorney general to review Canada’s new prostitution law after voicing her concern that “this legislation will not make sex workers safer”.
Sloppy makeouts, sticky floors, stained clothing, expensive cab rides, and too many rounds of three-dollar tequila. Is this what all university students dream of? The GTA has a variety of nightclubs for undergrad students to dance away the stress of last week’s failed exam or relax after finally finishing that 20-page paper. Clubbing has become a monumental rite of passage for all undergrad students to partake in. Clearly, hitting the bars for cheap drinks, stupid mistakes, and sweaty dancing isn’t the most respectable pastime for supposedly well-educated and respectable university students. But I speak from personal experience when saying some of my best memories from my undergrad were at nightclubs. This may sound odd, but a wild night out with someone and reliving the experience the
next morning over eggs benedict is a terrific way of bonding with new people. It wasn’t the awkward frosh dances or meet-and-greets that helped me make friends in residence in first year—it was doing stupid things with my roommate at nightclubs and laughing about them the next morning. Nightclubs do have their merits. Brunswick House is a well-known student pub for varsity athletes and kinesiology students on Bloor Street in downtown Toronto. Susan Tung, its general manager, offers her opinion: “Some of the best blurry, epic memories I have are with my closest friends at the Brunny. We know what it’s like to be a student, so we keep our prices reasonable for the average student who counts down the days until their next OSAP instalment. Club continued on page 10
Give in to gluten Fad continued from page 8 Green jokes that many people who can’t consume gluten for health reasons would be shocked that anyone would give up gluten voluntarily, given the inconvenience of finding gluten-free foods and their generally unappealling nature. Many experts also suggest that since eating gluten-free restricts one’s food choices, people generally tend to consume less. The restriction, rather than the actual elimination of gluten, causes them to lose weight. JUICE DIETS Praised as a convenient source of valuable nutrients, smoothies and cold-pressed juices are becoming more and more popular. While researching this topic, I decided to try my hand at making a nutritional banana-blueberry breakfast smoothie. I blended up blueberries, milk, and a banana. The result was a lumpy smoothie that had me wishing I’d just eaten a banana and a bowl of blueberries instead of trying to get all fancy. Aside from finding the right recipe, it’s also important to mix smoothies that incorporate different food groups, says Green. She gives the example of an addition of oats and Greek yogurt to a plain vegetable or fruit smoothie. Another factor to watch out for is the loss of fibre that occurs in juicing rather than blending. As long as one makes up for the lost fibre at another meal, cold-pressed juices can be a great way to supplement more fruits and vegetables into one’s diet, but aren’t much of a meal replacement. FINDING A BALANCE
While walking in CCT this week I was handed Canada’s Food Guide, which reminded me of a simpler view of nutrition. Green says the guide is still a valuable resource for health and wellness, and although one doesn’t need to track every meal and count servings, the advice on how to structure one’s meals is helpful. Green says a good technique is to fill half of one’s plate with fruit and vegetables and to divide the rest equally between grains and starches on the one hand, and meat and meat alternatives on the other. Green says her own diet is based on the principle of finding basic foods with ingredients she can recognize. She eats both foods she likes and foods that are nutritional. (She admits that even she doesn’t like the taste of kale, a highly acclaimed superfood, and gets the same nutrients from the bettertasting broccoli instead.) Her observations have made me think differently about nutrition. As someone who has for the past year been sucked into trying several different “superfoods”, including kale, I’ve found that each either tasted horrible or was too troublesome to prepare. Since my idea of a dietician was someone who ate nothing but superfoods, it was encouraging to hear that Green eats simple, good-tasting, nutritional food and isn’t suffering on a restrictive diet. When it comes to nutrition these days, everyone seems to be an expert. Green believes that the best way to live healthier is to listen to your body and to discover what works best for your lifestyle and body type. (Bonus: UTM offers some nutrition tips and student-friendly recipes at utm.utoronto.ca/health.)
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«FEATURES
THE MEDIUM 03.02.2015
Our hidden treasure Drop the beat Archives house everything and anything UTM EBUNAILO ORAKWUSI In a rarely visited corner of the library on its highest floor, you’ll find a space dedicated to all materials related to UTM’s staff, student, and faculty activities. This room is known as the unofficial UTM archives. Years ago, when the campus was still known as Erindale College, the library began to store the graduating class’s composite photographs, minutes of meetings, and general reports. Acting associate librarian Shelley Hawrychuk remarks just how unorthodox the origins of the archives are: “Over time people began to give things that discussed or represented Erindale College to the library based solely on an assumption they should. Now we also actively search for things to store.” But the archives aren’t currently taking donations from students— most items come from faculty and departments. The official U of T archives are located at St. George, and the items there must usually be related to all three campuses. Those that are strictly related to only UTM are stored right here at UTM, and they include a black-and-white photograph of the 1970/71 UTM male lacrosse team and the pile of essentially every edition of The Medium
ever published. The vast variety of items stored in the archives ranges from an old ad for the university on VHS to the key used in the 1973 opening ceremony of the Erindale College. Some items in the archives were donated by past alumni, such as a recently donated collection of audio recordings of Ursula Franklin, a research physicist, feminist, and recent inductee into the Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of Fame.
The Medium’s back catalogue is currently in the process of being digitalized for the online archive by the library. The tapes are Hawrychuk’s favourite. “They are interesting to listen to because they seem more real than the written word,” she observes. “You can hear the history in the reader’s voice and get the nuances and subtleties of what they are saying when you actually hear their voices.” There is an online index and complete inventory for the archives. Some items in the archives such as general reports, portraits of
past U of T principals, and student surveys have been digitalized to ensure that a copy exists in case of damage to the original items. While digitalizing data is arguably a safer way to store such valuable items, there’s a limit to what can be digitalized in the archives. “Every year we get the winning short story of the [Department of English and Drama’s] Sonny Ladoo Award, but we can’t digitalize it because we don’t have the rights to,” says Hawrychuk. “We try to digitalize as much as we can but sometimes we are held back by restrictions like that.” The Medium’s back catalogue is currently being digitalized for the online archive by the library. The archives are open to all students and faculty and are often consulted for research. “They may be doing a study in urban geography, for example, and wish to look at the early plans for the campus,” says Hawrychuk. Because of how valuable and unique most items are, students must first request a key at the front desk of the library. U of T graduates can also make use of the archives to find lost graduation pictures or just for the nostalgia of it—although you shouldn’t wait to graduate to see just how vast UTM’s history is.
Club continued from page 9
Unfortunately, the novelty of being legally allowed to drink begins to fade after first year. You get weary of uptight girls in line, sweaty men trying to pick you up, and listening to “Uptown Funk” on repeat. You feel sick in the morning and spend the day either curled up in bed or finding a comfortable seat beside the toilet. The option of spending Friday evening cuddled up with your friends with takeout pizza, a bottle of wine, and some good movies suddenly
doesn’t appear uncool. In fact, it’s a wonderful alternative to spending hours getting ready and dishing out endless twenties on cab, cover, coat check, drinks, and food. “Clubbing used to be something mysterious and cool,” says Sarah Glickman, a third-year semiotics and English student. “I now see nightclubs as a venue for insecure girls and guys looking for an ego boost. It’s depressing and something I need to be highly intoxicated to enjoy.” Fourth-year kinesiology student Rhys Weeden says it’s not over, but it’s not the best way to spend an evening, either. “Every once in a while clubbing can be a fun experience, but most of the time when at clubs I feel like I would have a way better time at a traditional bar setting,” he says. “You are always stuffed like a can of sardines and most time for guys, girls just think you’re creepy. Even if you want to dance, it’s not particularly fun since you can’t move so you end up just awkwardly grinding on people.” There is a time and a place to hit the clubs. Every once in a while a night of crazy, embarrassing dancing can be a great way to escape the pressures of university life (and apparently we can get away with it at this age and still reclaim our dignity). But get ready for the more relaxed bar scene and a casual drink with friends as you move into your upper years.
Whether you’re a professional or an
sugar,” she says. “I used to use sugar
amateur, every cook has her one sig-
(1/2 cup) but gradually decreased the
nature dish. For me—as embarrassing
amount to zero and no one minded.”
as it may be—it’s oatmeal. So pedes-
Her recipe is shockingly simple and
trian, right? But given that I prefer to
even healthy given the reduced sugar
try a new recipe every lunch or dinner,
and use of whole-wheat flour.
“The front of the venue is a more relaxed pub setting, whereas the back is where you let your inner Beyoncé out. I think it’s a valuable pastime in that you meet some pretty cool people at the bar,” she adds. “Our staff [are] mostly students who are fun, intelligent, and very personable. Many of our customers are students themselves, so it’s not hard to meet social people who also want to let loose every now and then.”
“Even if you want to dance, it’s not particularly fun since you can’t move so you end up just awkwardly grinding on people.”
breakfast is the only meal of the day at
I’d say that a person’s signature
which I allow myself to be a creature of
dish—no
habit. I’ve gotten my recipe for a single
naturally becomes easier over time
bowl of oatmeal down to a T—the best
and with practice. It becomes second
brand of oatmeal, the timing, the ratio
nature. You learn from those terrible
of water to oats, and the tastiest mix-
mistakes—I’ve had plenty a bowlful of
ins, like peanut butter and cocoa pow-
over-boiled oatmeal—and profit from
der or Greek yoghurt, dried figs, and
incredible innovations. Mullin has also
honey. I don’t know if I’ll ever tire of
experimented with the cooking vessel
the dish, considering I’ve been eating
itself for her banana loaf and recom-
it solidly for breakfast my entire univer-
mends in place of a loaf pan, putting
sity career.
the batter “into a muffin pan to cook
For Amy Mullin, VP academic and dean, the signature dish is classic banana bread, which she’s modified over time.
matter
how
advanced—
more quickly and have individual portions”. The best part of finding your own signature dish? The boasting rights. I
“My husband is really the chef in
know my oatmeal is top-notch and no
the family, but I regularly make banana
1,000th-time-tested recipe can com-
bread using a modification of my fa-
pete.
ther’s recipe—he uses walnuts instead of the chocolate chips and also uses
Whether that’s true or not is (potentially) up for debate.
Banana Chocolate Loaf MAKES 1 LOAF INGREDIENTS
METHOD
• 3 or 4 large ripe bananas, mashed
1. Blend everything together.
• 2 eggs, beaten
2. Pour into a greased loaf or muffin
• 1½–2 cups whole-wheat flour (depending on the size of the bananas) • 1 tsp baking powder • 1 tsp salt • 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips • 1/3 cup butter or margarine
pan. 3. Cook at 350 F for about an hour or until browned.
03.02.2015
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UTM wins first OCAA soccer title Eagles beat fall 2014 CCAA national outdoor soccer champions Sheridan 3-0 in the final SIHAN ZHENG ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR UTM’s varsity soccer program became UTM’s first ever OCAA varsity tournament champions when they defeated Sheridan in the Sheridan Bruins’ indoor soccer invitational tournament. The Eagles started the tournament drawing Conestoga College 0-0, followed by a 2-1 win against George Brown. On defence, the Eagles performed well in both matches—Conestoga College played a very intense, fast-paced game, and although we were able to match them defensively, we lacked the finishing edge. The Eagles performed much better in the second match against George Brown, scoring two goals in an exciting matchup. UTM was able to advance out of Pool B to face Redeemer University College in the semifinals, where we had a tough game. Redeemer had knocked UTM out of a previous indoor soccer tournament, and the Eagles were eager to beat them in the rematch. Despite a spirited Redeemer defence, UTM was advanced to score and held on to the finals on a goal by Zack Cassar. The Eagles faced a very strong
CALEB SIU/PHOTO
The championship is the first ever OCAA indoor soccer title in UTM’s history. Bruins side in the finals. The home team was heavily favoured to win the tournament, and were strong favourites for the match. But despite being the underdogs, UTM played a strong, fluid game and beat the Bruins confidently, winning 3-0. Andrew Kim, Eddy Dabire, and
Kojo Awuah all bagged goals during the strong play. “Indoor and outdoor are two very different games,” says coach Robert Brown on whether this success can be translated to the field in the future. Different skillsets, tactics, and playstyles are involved. But, he
says, “We are starting to lay a good foundation for the soccer program that will lead to success through the whole program.” Star midfielder Eddy Dabire believes the win is especially important because the program is off to a strong start. In his opinion, the
defence was particularly a strength for the Eagles—they “showed great incentive and hard work tracking back in defence and holding our shape as a unit”. Goalkeeper Jacob Monaco agrees, adding that he feels the play is very strong and that UTM is well-positioned for future tournaments. Defender Kojo Awuah was delighted by the strong overall performance of the team in this tournament. “Although we had some rough patches, we played well overall and I really think myself and the team found our identity,” he said. Brown praised the Eagles’s performance in their first season as a varsity program. The team had confidence uncommon in young programs, as well as a very high level of teamwork and solidarity that came through in the team goals. The Eagles never looked outmatched against powerful teams like Redeemer or Sheridan. By bringing home their first trophy, the Eagles have shown that they can go toe-to-toe against any team in the OCAA and come out on top. With this win, the Eagles will advance to regionals on Tuesday with the possibility of qualifying for provincials on March 20–21.
Cricket wins Regional loss for UTM in tri-campus SHAHRIYAR NISAR On February 27, UTM became the tri-campus cricket champions for the first time in their history, giving the team something to be proud of and hopefully signifying the beginning of a new era. On their road to the final, UTM had defeated UTSG Black and UTSC, losing only to UTSG Red by a narrow margin. The Eagles were arguably the favourite for the final, in which they faced UTSG Black for the second time. High on confidence as both their batsmen and bowlers had performed to their full potential so far and winning the opening toss, UTSG elected to field first and got off to a perfect start, dismissing UTM’s inform captain, Ehsan Sardar, in the first over. This was followed by two quick dismissals before the end of the
fourth over for Eagle’s batting mainstays, Manmeet Singh and Pavit Paul. It was at this stage that Muddasir Malik and Isuru Gamarachchi of UTM brought some muchneeded stability to the innings. Gamarachchi scored some vital runs before he was run out due to a mix-up in the middle. Perhaps it was the pressure of the final that was getting to the players. UTM needed some quick runs and it was at this moment that Saad Ahmed and Malik helped UTM amass a total of 50 runs in eight overs. Chasing 50 runs in eight overs against a quality bowling lineup was going to be a difficult hurdle for UTSG. But UTM started on the back foot with the ball, conceding nine runs of their first over.
Cricket continued on page 12
FACEBOOKUTMATHLETICS/PHOTO
Badminton’s first foray into the OCAA comes to a disappointing end. JASON COELHO SPORTS EDITOR The OCAA badminton team was assembled in October and spent the past few months practising twice a week in Gym C, competing in three OCAA invitational tournaments leading up to the OCAA West regional tournament at Humber. In The Medium’s profile on head coach Lam Trinh, conducted in early January, Trinh noted that this
year’s competition was possibly the highest level he has seen in his career at the OCAA level. Trinh’s decorated career as a player and coach spans more than a decade, and despite the outstanding record he had with the Humber Hawks, he admitted to having some reservations in terms of the Eagles finding immediate success against OCAA competition. Unfortunately for UTM, Trinh was right.
“We didn’t perform as well as we hoped,” said Trinh after his team competed in the OCAA qualifying tournament in early February. The team participated in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles events and finished an average of fifth and seventh at the bottom of both men’s and women’s scoring.
Eagles continued on page 12
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«SPORTS
THE MEDIUM 03.02.2015
Stellar year for cricket Hopeful future for badminton Eagles continued from page 11
SHAHRIYAR NISAR/PHOTO
This is the first time UTM has won a tri-campus cricket title since the sport was introduced. Cricket continued from page 11 The next two overs weren’t fruitful for the Eagles either; UTSG had raced to 21 in three overs. It was a magical spell of spin bowling by Gamarachchi that bought UTM back into the fold. The flow of runs dried up, which led to panic among the opposition causing a couple of run outs. He was complemented well by Hamza Khattak and Ahmed as both of them bowled a tight line and length from the other end. Captain Sardar was constantly motivating his players, encouraging them to realize that victory was within their grasp. At the end, 17 runs were required of the last six
balls and Sardar trusted Khattak to bowl the crucial last over. Khattak’s bowling pushed UTM over the finish line, helping the team win by seven runs to capture the championship.
“To have finally achieved this goal, this dream, and the journey to the final and victory— it felt absolutely surreal.” The captain was thrilled with his side’s performance, which came at the end of this part of his career. “This is my fourth and final year
at UTM and I’ve been playing tricampus cricket just as long,” says Sardar. “When I was appointed captain this year, it was both an honour and a heavy burden, knowing that we had never won the tournament before. To have finally achieved this goal, this dream, and the journey to the final and victory—it felt absolutely surreal.” UTM will be hosting the final tournament of the year on Friday in Gym C, with games running throughout the day against external college competition including Sheridan and Humber. The Eagles hope to finish on top and add some more accolades to an already stellar year.
The west regionals are a qualifying tournament where the top three teams move on to the provincial championship, which are played at Fanshawe College in London. Although Trinh hoped for different results, he was proud of his team. “Everyone has been working hard in preparation for regionals,” he says. “Unfortunately, some of our athletes still lack experience and are not mentally prepared.” Trinh understands what is needed in order to play at the championship level and notes that the pressure and competitiveness of a provincial championship is very different from that of a qualifier. Jenny Chou, a third-year student majoring in English and psychology, was proud of how she and her teammates performed and says the progress her team has made in their first year of OCAA competition is an achievement in itself. “Everyone fought their hardest,” says Chou. “The rankings
were tight; games were going to tie-breakers. My teammates were beating opponents they lost to only months ago. Next year will be an exciting year.” Chou felt that the practices leading up to regionals were helpful for physical and mental preparation, and echoes her coach’s sentiment of playing for experience. David Zheng was also satisfied with how his team played and was not surprised by the result. He admits that the competition was tough, and notes that for many of his teammates this was their first foray into a high-intensity playing environment. But the progress he’s seen from his team over the few short months they’ve been together has given him the hope of a bright future for UTM badminton. “There is work to be done, but we will get there,” says the fourthyear geography and psychology major. “All we can do now is train hard and prepare for the next season.”