Volume 46, Issue 2

THE MEDIUM

September 16, 2019

The Voice of The University of Toronto Mississauga | themedium.ca

Vol 46, No. 2

MiWay makes citywide improvements

Greek Life: An antidote to apathy

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News UTMSU ghosts The Medium

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Satire

Logics of Sense Exhibit at Blackwood Gallery

Greek Life doesn’t exist at UTM.

The Medium’s official guide to the Rawc

Read about why a frat member from UTM thinks this is a problem:

Comment

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Arts

Sports

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Orientation Crossword

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Coffee Time

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OSAP changes affecting students’ studies Students across Ontario gather for protests and consider taking a gap year to pay for their rising tuition MELISSA BARRIENTOS NEWS EDITOR The academic school year has already started, but students are still unsure of whether they can continue to afford their post-secondary studies in light of the $600 million cut to the OSAP program.

Before the Progressive Conservative government stepped in last year, the Liberal government had the OSAP program sending 76 per cent of their grants to students from families making $50,000 or less a year.

With this structure, many students from low-income families were able to have a tuition-free year.

So, when the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities announced on January 17, 2019, that they would restrict the Ontario Student Grant to students who show they have financial need, reclassify what makes an independent student, and eliminate the six-month interest-free grace period, students were understandably surprised.

When the 2019-2020 academic year drew near and OSAP balances started rolling in, students were even

more surprised to see how drastically the OSAP changes would affect them financially.

Students who qualify as needing financial aid received a combination of loans and grants, while students who were once classified as being independent students now get the same amount of loans and grants that students living with their families receive.

After the news broke, students began to protest both online and outside Queen’s Park. A plead for the government’s reconsideration of the OSAP structure was presented by political parties in the summer, including the Ontario Liberal Party.

On August 27, Michael Coteau, the MPP for Don Valley East and a member of the Ontario Liberal Party, sent an open letter to the Ontario government, specifically addressing the minister for the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, Ross Romano, asking the government to face the decline of postsecondary enrollment in Ontario.

“If enrolment decline is as drastic as is widely indicated through avail-

able evidence across the sector, this represents a catastrophic failure that will impact thousands of students, particularly low-income students,” says Coteau in the open letter.

“Thousands of students have reportedly switched to part-time studies or dropped out of school entirely. Others are searching for work—sometimes a second or third job, sometimes as a single parent already challenge d to make the arrangements needed to obtain postsecondary education—to make up the gap your cuts have caused.”

UTM is one of the many postsecondary institutions in which students are struggling to manage this new financial burden created by the government’s decision.

Alongside the Student Choice Initiative, the OSAP cuts were a big change as well,” said UTMSU President Atif Abdullah in an interview with The Medium. “We’re hearing so many heart-breaking stories of students who are not able to come back or now have to get extra jobs or go part-time because they can’t afford the new changes.”

Sharing his own struggle on pay-

ing tuition with the new OSAP restrictions and grant cut-backs, Abdullah says that “even for myself, I come from a family of having three other siblings who go to postsecondary at the same time. So, in one year we pay, collectively, quite a bit of tuition— somewhere around $50,000 a year.”

“How are our students going to adapt?” Abdullah concluded.

So, The Medium went out and asked students how they are adapting to the OSAP changes put forward by the Progressive Conservative government.

Marie Villanueva, a fourth year UTM student studying English, art, and art history, told The Medium that “the OSAP cuts are not only negatively affecting me, but my family as well.”

“There was a point where I almost decided to take time off from school and work just to save up enough to continue studying,” she continued. “However, because my parents are retiring soon, more pressure is placed on me to finish school faster.”

“When I found out that I was not getting funding from OSAP, I was

wondering how I could finish school fast enough if I wouldn’t be able to go. I decided the best thing to do for now is to work part-time while I’m still in school—now I’m worried about how to balance the two,” continued Villanueva.

“As for my parents, they’re worried about how to cover other expenses since my tuition has become an even bigger cost […] Their income is just enough to cover living expenses such as mortgage and property tax.”

While Villanueva’s situation is common among students following the OSAP cut-backs, there are students from low-income families who have benefited greatly from the OSAP changes.

For the 2019-2020 academic year she received $12,000 in total from OSAP in a combination of loans and grants. From Western university, she received a bursary of $9,400.

Whether the results of the OSAP changes is likened by students in Ontario the new OSAP structure is well under way and will likely continue until June 2022, when the 43rd Ontario general election will decide the new or renewed provincial party.

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Editor | Melissa Barrientos

MiWay makes citywide improvments MiWay buses en route to UTM have revised schedules for GO Train connections and the academic term SALEHA FARUQUE ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Students travelling to school using Mississauga transit will benefit from improved bus services and connections as part of the city’s “MiWay Five Transit Service Plan (2016-2020).”

The five-year plan aims to move Mississauga’s transit system from its current design, which relies on the City Centre as a focal point, to a grid network with more frequent and direct service along main corridor routes.

Planned improvements will revolve around revised bus routes, more frequent buses, greater service hours, and better network connectivity. The proposed changes also include improved service to colleges and universities in Mississauga.

In 2019, MiWay’s current grid network will mainly focus on creating stronger corridors by consolidating, streamlining, and extending certain routes in September and October.

The completed 2020 MiWay service envisions a grid network that

JULIA HEALY/THE MEDIUM

Mississauga’s transit system is making improvements promised in city’s five-year plan. eliminates winding trips and long wait times with frequent buses. To make this plan a reality, MiWay warns transit users that a longer walk to your stop may be required.

The MiWay Five plan will deliver these improvements through planned service changes occurring every six to

eight weeks.

UTM students can benefit from such changes like frequent service on main corridors and non-weekday rush hour service. MiWay will also roll-out increased GO Station connections and more express service between key destinations.

Another planned transit service adjustment means GO Transit will begin travelling on the east part of the transitway from Skymark Hub (Airport Corporate Centre). The route will stop at Dixie Station and then continue to the Square One GO Bus Terminal.

In a statement to InSauga news, MiWay credited the transit service improvements to the goal of creating a transit-oriented city.

“These changes continue to provide customers with better connections to transit hubs across Mississauga and will enhance the customer service experience as part of the MiWay Five Transit Service Plan,” said a MiWay media representative.

Students, faculty, and staff are also reminded of MiWay trip options to help make travel both convenient and safe.

MiWay provides customers with two types of travel services: MiExpress and MiLocal. MiExpress, for express travel, is offered on blue buses servicing limited-stop routes, while MiLocal buses offer local travel along regular routes.

UTM’s U-Pass provides students with unlimited rides on all MiWay routes during applicable academic terms, September 1 through April 30 for the Fall and Winter semesters.

MiWay continued on page 4

Cannabis retail stores banned in Sauga Mayor Crombie bans cannabis retail stores in Mississauga, Board of Trade fights the mayoral decision SALEHA FARUQUE ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

WESLEY GIBBS/UNSPLASH.COM

Marijuana is not coming to Mississauga just yet.

Mississauga residents must wait to purchase cannabis products in Mississauga until Mayor Bonnie Crombie and the City Council can approve cannabis store restrictions.

Last month, the Ford Government announced that an additional 50 cannabis retail stores will be permitted across the province, excluding those that have opted out. The city of Mississauga is one such municipality.

Currently, only provincial legislation governs the rules and regulations around cannabis stores. For example, provincial law stipulates that cannabis outlets must remain 150 metres away from public and private schools.

However, Mayor Crombie expressed the need for greater municipality control over retail cannabis locations. She would like potential stores to be established beyond the 150-metre rule.

The mayor’s feedback also included municipality ability to impose setbacks on sensitive locations, such as daycares, bus stops, and shelters.

“We like to take our time, we like to do our homework,” Mayor Crombie

said in an interview with Mississauga News. “And we’re not saying no forever, just not now.”

The Mississauga City Council voted 10-2 to opt-out of the city’s retail cannabis motion on December 2018.

At that time, 80 provincial municipalities also opted-out of retail cannabis, while 337 opted-in. The city of Brampton became the only Peel Region municipality to opt-in to allowing retail cannabis stores.

Ward 2 councillor Karen Ras explained her vote against the city’s motion to opt-out, saying, “we don’t regulate where LCBOs go. Why would we say no and take that extra step to try to dictate where the cannabis stores would go, as long as they are within those setbacks related to schools and other sensitive use?”

Ras doesn’t believe cities would be granted “absolute control” over retail cannabis stores. She added that cities can work within current parameters set by provincial legislation.

On July 4, the Mississauga Board of Trade sent an open letter to Mayor Crombie and the City Council asking them to “re-open this issue and vote in favour” of cannabis stores in Mississauga.

David Wojcik, Mississauga Board of Trade President and CEO, states that the Council’s vote to opt-out places Mississauga at a disadvantage.

“It is stifling new investment in this sector, forcing Mississauga residents to purchase cannabis in other municipalities, costing jobs and commercial property tax revenue for the city and region.”

Wojcik added that Mississauga residents who wish to obtain cannabis will do so from Brampton, Toronto, or through “illegal sources.”

The April 2019 provincial budget continues to permit the sale of cannabis by private-sector businesses under Retail Store Authorization.

Due to a shortage of legal cannabis supply from federally licensed producers, the federal government has allowed private cannabis stores to open in phases. The Cannabis Licence Act of 2018 has implemented a lottery system, run by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, to determine which businesses can apply in the initial phase.

Upon meeting the Ontario government’s requirements, 50 new retail cannabis stores will open in October of this year.

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EDITORS Editor-in-Chief Ali Taha editor@themedium.ca Managing Editor Paula Cho managing@themedium.ca News Melissa Barrientos news@themedium.ca A&E Srijan Sahu arts@themedium.ca Features Fatima Adil features@themedium.ca Sports Sarah-May Edwardo-Oldfield sports@themedium.ca Photo Julia Healy photos@themedium.ca Design Tegwen McKenzie design@themedium.ca Illustrations Tala Alkhaldi illustrations@themedium.ca Copy Jessica Cabral copy@themedium.ca Online Yasmeen Alkoka online@themedium.ca ASSOCIATES News Tanisha Kumar Harris Watkins Saleha Faruque Kayvan Aflaki A&E TBA Features TBA Sports Noorbir Bhatia Photo TBA Copy TBA GENERAL STAFF Webmaster William Pau web@themedium.ca Distribution Manager Mduduzi Mhlanga distribution@themedium.ca Ads Manager Amina Safdar ads@themedium.ca COPYRIGHTS All content printed in The Medium is the sole property of its creators, and cannot be used without written consent.

DISCLAMER Opinions expressed in the pages of The Medium are exclusively of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Medium.

Additionally, the opinions expressed in advertisements appearing in The Medium are those of advertisers and not of The Medium.

All articles published in print are also posted on our website themedium.ca LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the editor will be edited for spelling, grammar, style and coherence. Letters will not exceed 700 words in print.

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UTM Engage app unites students The new UTM Engage app aids participation and promises student engagement SALEHA FARUQUE ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Students on campus are being encouraged to download the free “UTM Engage” app.

Offering user-friendly interface and convenient functionality, the brand-new campus app will help students navigate the 2019-2020 academic year. Users can access information and engage with campus events, student organizations, and service departments through the app’s many interactive features.

The UTM Engage app launched on August 28 and in less than two weeks has approximately 3,000 downloads.

The app lets users stay informed on club activities on campus and get quick answers to questions. Its versatility also lets students RSVP to events and exports the event details to their Google or Outlook calendars.

Assistant Dean of Student & International Initiatives Dale Mullings explained that the app was designed to meet everyone’s needs.

“In 2017, we surveyed over 300 international students on campus and learned they were less likely to attend programs after the first six weeks if they didn’t know other students who were attending,” says Mullings to The Medium. “UTM Engage allows a student to see that others are attending before RSVPing to an event.”

Recognized student groups, as well as campus partners, can boost student engagement by creating and managing their activity page, events page, and discussion board.

TALA ALKHALDI/THE MEDIUM

The UTM Engage app is trying to bring innovation to campus.

Student groups can also track event attendees and even send their members surveys.

To be added to UTM Engage’s “Groups” list, student organizations must go to the UTM Engage App webpage and fill out the sign-up forms.

Student Engagement Coordinator Sako Khederlarian stressed to The Medium the opportunity student groups have to grow their organization and membership through the app.

“The functions of the app are there—it is up to club and group offi-

cers to utilize all the functions within the app to benefit from them.”

“For example,” Khederlarian continues, “each group has an officer who can monitor the group message board, update events, view the RSVP list, and post important files and documents which may entice more members to join.”

“The more active a group is on the app, the more members may want to join the group.”

The UTM Engage app also concentrates on shared user experience.

At the press of a button, students can connect with friends through the

“Messages” feature and keep up to date with their upcoming events with the “Dashboard” feature.

Finding used textbooks or study groups can also be done through the “Dashboard” feature under “Campus Discussions,” a central discussion forum for posts and feedback.

To complement UTM’s expanding campus, the app aims to provide all needed resources in one location.

You can find the UTM Shuttle Bus schedule, the varsity game schedule, and RAWC’s fitness schedule without opening multiple tabs on your phone.

Extra helpful features include GPSsupported directions to buildings and event locations, and information on departmental activities, services, and contact details.

UTM Engage is available for download through Google Play and the App Store. To use the app, students, faculty, and staff must first set up their profile and answer a few questions.

The Engage App functions under a secure platform so personal information is only viewable to the UTM community. A desktop version of the app can also be accessed through the Centre of Student Engagement website.

Khederlarian also reminds students that if they download the UTM Engage App before September 30, they are automatically entered to win a pair of Apple AirPods.

The winner of the Apple Airpods giveaway contest will receive a message on the UTM Engage app on October 1.

Campus Affairs covers capital projects & SCI results at UTM UTM Campus Affairs Committee meeting discusses new buildings & economic stability HARRIS WATKINS ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR In recent years, UTM has been known for its ambitious expansion projects and growing student body.

The inaugural meeting of the UTM Campus Affairs Committee this past Thursday proved to be a continuation of the administrative business which underpins these dramatic changes occurring on campus.

A major item that members of the committee contemplated was UTM’s capital projects. A presentation showed an overview of completed and upcoming capital projects, such as the newly renovated Meeting Place in the W.G. Davis Building, which began its construction in the summer of 2018.

In terms of upcoming projects, the committee reiterated the university’s intention to build a new building dedicated to our science faculties— with ground breaking this fall and an anticipated completion date in the year 2023.

A building dedicated to the facul-

ties of arts, culture, and technology, dubbed the ACT building, is under consideration. ACT, if approved for construction, will house ICCIT, Computer Science & Robotics, Blackwood Gallery, and the UTM Indigenous Centre.

Of course, discussions of ambitious plans to build new buildings on the UTM campus—and also plans of retrofitting existing ones—are underpinned by a massively important component of the university: money.

Finances of the university became an important topic at the meeting, in large part due to changes made by the Ontario government regarding both tuition cuts for undergraduate students and the controversial Student Choice Initiative.

Following the conclusion of the Committee meeting, Chief Administrative Officer for UTM Saher Fazilat spoke to The Medium about the prospective building proposals and changes in the university’s finances stemming from legislation passed this year by the Ontario government.

Fazilat noted that plans for new buildings such as the science building and the ACT building are “a step in the right direction” in order to meet the continually growing student population at the university.

However, the Ontario government’s move to slash undergraduate tuition by ten per cent has cast some uncertainty over the university’s long-term finances and future capital projects, with Fazilat noting that the Ontario government has left the university to make up for this revenue shortfall.

Among the discussions regarding the Student Choice Initiative, Mark Overton, the Dean of Student Affairs, briefed the Committee on its potential impact on the university campus and student life.

One of the primary matters considered regarding the SCI was the potential barring of service to the students who opted-out from the respective student society fees.

Overton made it clear that prohibiting usage or discounts for students

who had opted out from a particular fee, like the optional fee to subsidize the UTMSU-run Blind Duck Pub, would be decided by respective clubs following the opt-out period deadline and with a clearer picture of their finances in mind.

For some student organizations, Overton noted, the potential loss in revenue may be minuscule, and would thus not warrant such a prohibition, but in other cases the funding shortfall may be so notable that prohibition would be something that is seriously considered.

How student organizations, who desire to prohibit non-paying students from using their services, will detect which students payed the incidental fee or not is yet to be determined.

The true effect of the SCI on UTM’s student life is something that is anticipated to be a major topic of discussion at the next UTM Campus Affairs meeting, which will take place on October 29, 2019, at 4:10 p.m.

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THE MEDIUM 09.16.2019

MiWay bus schedules revised for school year MiWay continued from page 2 Under the Ontario government’s Student Choice Initiative (SCI), students do not currently have the option of opting-out of the MiWay transit UPass.

The five bus routes available to and from U of T Mississauga using MiWay are: 1C Dundas-Collegeway, 44 Mississauga Road, 101-Dundas Express, 101A Dundas Express, and 110 University Express.

MiWay’s service changes, effective September 2, that concern UTM transit users include: revised weekday schedules for 44 Mississauga Road (northbound and southbound) to improve GO Train connections, and revised weekday schedules for buses 101 Dundas Express (eastbound and westbound) and 110 University Ex-

press (northbound and southbound) for the academic term.

Students can plan their trip, find stop schedules, and obtain up-to-theminute schedule information using MiWay’s online Trip Planner.

The MiWay Trip Planner is now also accessible through the new UTM Engage app, an interactive application where all UTM services and student organizations’ information is gathered.

Students are encouraged to prevent fraud by refraining from sharing or selling U-Passes, and reporting fraud to UTM Campus Police or calling MiWay Transit Enforcement at 905896-5040.

UTM is the only post-secondary institution in Mississauga offering its students a U-Pass. In 2007, the UTMSU collaborated with MiWay to

launch the transit pass as an economical option for students. The UTM Summer U-Pass was created in 2011 for students taking courses during the summer, May 1 through August 31.

MiWay Transit is operated by Metrolinx, a provincially run transportation organization that works with federal, provincial, municipal, and private sector partners to run an integrated transportation system supporting yearly expansions and a healthy environment.

Stops along Mississauga’s transitway will also be included in Metrolinx’s Light-Rail Transit (LRT) plan.

The 2022 plan boasts an 18-km route that will run from Port Credit GO in the south, to Brampton Gateway Terminal in the north.

Conservatives lead Liberals in 2019 election Poll: Conservatives lead Liberals by less than one per cent

The 43rd Canadian Federal election has been officially called by Justin Trudeau.

KAYVAN AFLAKI ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Prime Minister Justin Trudeau officially announced the beginning of Canada’s 43rd federal election at Rideau Hall in Ottawa last Wednesday. Trudeau formally asked Governor General Julie Payette to dissolve Parliament, setting the stage for the general election on October 21.

The various party leaders have been holding campaign-style events for several weeks leading up to the announcement, but the official start on Wednesday means strict rules around spending and advertising are now enforced.

Trudeau, leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, will be vying for a second majority government after winning 184 seats in the 2015 general election, replacing the Conservative Party of Canada under then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The Conservatives won only 99 seats. Harper resigned as leader of the Conservative Party of Canada days after the election.

Rona Ambrose was appointed as interim leader until Andrew Scheer, former speaker of the House of Commons, was elected as Harper’s successor.

At the time of writing, the CBC’s Poll Tracker reports that the Conservatives have a 0.3 per cent lead over the Liberals, who are sitting at 33.7 per cent support. The New Democratic Party (NDP) under Jagmeet Singh sits at under 13 per cent. The Green Party of Canada, headed by Elizabeth May since 2006, rests at 10.8 per cent support. The poll predicts that there is a 42 per cent likelihood of the Liberal Party of Canada winning a majority. Comparatively, the poll estimates only a nine per cent probability of a Conservative majority.

At least 170 seats must be won for a majority government to be declared.

The Bloc Quebecois, under the leadership of Yves-Francois Blanchet, is polling at 4.4 per cent, while the People’s Party of Canada, founded by former Conservative Maxime Bernier, has secured 3.3 per cent support.

The poll findings further explain that the Conservatives are ahead in Western Canada while the Liberals lead in Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada.

The first debate between multiple party leaders took place September 12. The event was hosted by Maclean’s magazine and City TV. Scheer, Singh, and May were in attendance. Trudeau

PHOTO/CHATELAINE.COM

declined his invitation.

Trudeau, however, is expected to participate in upcoming party leaders’ debates. Two official events are expected to be hosted by the newly created Leaders’ Debates Commission (LDC). The Commission was founded in October 2018 by the Government of Canada as “an independent commission to organize leaders’ debates.”

An English language debate is scheduled to take place on October 7, while a French debate is slated for October 10. Both events will take place at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec.

As part of Canada’s first-past-thepost electoral voting system, there are 338 ridings across the country, each represented by a Member of Parliament. Mississauga-Erin Mills, the riding under which the University of Toronto Mississauga is a part of, is currently represented by MP Iqra Khalid. Other candidates for the area include Hani Tawfilis of the Conservative Party, Hazar Alsabagh of the People’s Party of Canada, and Remo Boscarino-Gaetano of the Greens.

Voters can determine which riding they reside in on the Elections Canada website.

HUMANS OF UTM

“I got into university, and I realized that you can’t op-out of the UTM gym membership. I was like, ‘I have a membership, why not use it’. I first started to go to the group classes and later found out that there is an all-girls hour in the weight area. I saw girls working around me and I was like ‘I can come on my own and do my own workouts’. After I got comfortable with different exercises, I started coming into the gym at any time that worked with my schedule. I treated working out as another course of mine. Once I got comfortable with different work outs, I didn’t [care] about what guys thought.

I started not to care who was there, and I started focusing on what I was doing. I would listen to music and now I love it.

I love the energy when working out in the gym. If you look at it, everyone is working on their own thing. No one really cares about what you’re doing, unless I am doing something crazy and they want to know what exercise I am doing. I do this sometimes and get inspired to add that workout into my routine next time. My advice to people who want to start going to the gym is to get into working out slowly. Take baby sets. Maybe start with the treadmill. Try new machines every time you go to the gym. Over time, you will get used to it and become focused. You will soon realize that you will zone out other people.”

September 5, 2019 Police Information Campus Police attended multiple buildings and lecture halls for a report of people handing out flyers.

September 5, 2019 Police Assistance Campus Police attended a residence for a student experiencing medical distress.

September 9, 2019 Theft A student reported the theft of their bike from one of the bike racks on campus.

September 9, 2019 Police Assistance Campus Police attended the MN building for a student experiencing medical distress. The student refused medical treatment and was escorted to P9.

September 10, 2019 Police Assistance Campus Police attended the 5 minute walk for a student experiencing medical distress. The student was escorted to the Health and Counselling Centre for further assessment.

September 10, 2019 Theft A wallet was turned in to the lost and found. Upon the student retrieving it, $590 was missing.

These reports are those that have been released to The Medium from Campus Police 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-TIPS (8477).

09.16.2019

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Ali Taha

Editorial

The Young Voter Whenever political leaders or pundits talk about how low voter turnout is among young people, they usually criticize political parties for not being relatable or accessible enough. But how many Canadians know anything about how our voting system works, or the policies that define our political parties?

Many Canadians, especially young Canadians, have limited knowledge about our political system. This, coupled with their lack of interest in public affairs, leaves them alienated from the political process.

According to many western political scholars, the liberal democratic order is the ideal, the endgame, and non-liberal democratic states are seen as merely behind in this mission. But when you live in a democracy, especially one like Canada, it leaves little to be desired.

The word itself has been used to signify the standard of freedom states should strive for, leaving those who subscribe to its principles complacent.

And that is what young voters are: complacent. Being raised in a democratic society has lulled us into a false sense of security. We believe that our political system is incorruptible, and therefore our vote doesn’t matter, but it is this ignorance that allows transgressions to happen in our government.

We try to balance two values: one being the hope that our political system can sufficiently function without our close attention; the other being a continued reverence for democratic participation to decide who runs that system.

A democracy is a government by the people. We have the ability to affect change in our government in-so-far as we vote for and elect individuals who represent our interests in the legislature. Without democracy, many of the liberal principles we take for granted, such as freedom of expression and association, the free press, and the right to privacy, would all suffer. We are free, but we should not take that freedom for granted. Do not squander the opportunity to vote in the upcoming federal election on October 21, 2019.

What issues matter to you? Take the necessary time to research each party’s respective platform. Go a step further and learn about the individuals running in your riding or district.

The veil of indifference is thin, and a poor excuse not to vote.

Letter to the Editor In his article, “North’s new name ignores reality” (September 9, 2019), Michael Lo Giudice argues that “Maanjiwe Nendamowinan” is a bad name for the new building on campus. His main point is that the name is unpronounceable by most students, and so they won’t use the name.

Michael writes that people have already started to call it “MN” rather than the full name or have kept calling it “the New North Building.” He ignores the fact that students do this with multiple other buildings as well.

Rather than call it the “William G. Davis Building,” students call it “DV” or “Davis.” Rather than “Instructional Centre,” students say “IB.” Rather than “Oscar Peterson Hall,” students say “OPH.” These are common shorthand ways of saying names. Not because they’re “unpronounceable” but because we, as students, are lazy.

Rather than Maanjiwe Nendamowinan, Michael suggests naming the building after Harry Smith LaForme. He bases this suggestion on LaForme’s First Nations background and history as the head of the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission (and, of course, his more “pronounceable” name).

However, exchanging a First Nations name for a white name doesn’t honor anyone; it just reminds us of what white people have done to Indigenous cultures.

This suggestion is so aptly metaphorical for colonialism I had to reread the article to make sure I understood correctly. I’m sure it seems very typical of a Liberal to bring up colonialism in conversations like these, but it does seem impossible to avoid.

Think about the names that you’ve found to be more fitting: they’re all white names. Replacing Indigenous names with white names is a form of erasure regardless of whether the owner of the name is white or not.

How many opportunities do we get daily to interact with the Indigenous language? Let’s cherish them. If the Indigenous language were normalized instead of pushed back against, maybe we’d have less difficulty pronouncing it.

The next time you need a solution to a problem involving something you don’t know or understand, follow this advice: “You’re in university.

Learn.”

Santiago Morán

Greek life: An antidote to apathy

UOFT SORORITIES/FACEBOOK

Greek Life can be a great opportunity for UTM students who want to get more from their degree.

ETHAN BRYANT CONTRIBUTOR Greek Life doesn’t exist at UTM. At UTM, we have no houses, and you can count the number of students that are members of Greek Life on your hand.

I’d like to make the case for why this a problem and why we need more involvement from the UTM community in Greek Life.

I’m not talking about how we should all shuttle downtown and get drunk at more frat parties (even though that would be fun). I’m talking about why you (yes, you) should join a fraternity or sorority and why it would be great for the UTM community.

I was initiated into the Sigma Chi fraternity in March of 2017. I joined because I felt it would be a great means of networking and because I felt I needed a solid community during my university experience. I come from a small town where little to no people choose to go to UTM, so I found myself starting university without any real friends or community.

During the early years of my undergraduate career, I discovered that many of my fellow students were experiencing the same thing.

I wasn’t a fan of the idea that so many students came to UTM to simply go to class, leave, and eventually get a degree. I honestly don’t think anyone likes this, not even the people who follow this lifestyle.

When I learned that fraternities in downtown Toronto accepted students from UTM, I decided to give it a try.

I went to the recruitment events, realized I liked the brothers (members), and low and behold I’ve been a brother for nearly three years. I personally believe it was one of the best choices I’ve made in my undergraduate career and I’ll explain why: A fraternity or sorority is truly an organization where you get from it what you put in.

And there’s a lot to get. I said earlier that one thing that motivated me to join a fraternity was the network-

ing opportunities, and that is exactly what I found. My fraternity’s alumni in Canada alone include business moguls, government ministers, and leaders in various industries, some of whom offered me summer jobs (which I graciously accepted).

As well, I’ve been able to attend leadership workshops across North America free of charge to gain skills and experience that I can use today and put on my resume for a future job.

I’ve been able to get cheap housing and have received bursaries and grants which have helped me afford my education. And of course, my social life is significantly more interesting with the opportunity to interact with such a vast downtown community and all the things that come with being a part of a U of T fraternity.

Most importantly though, I’ve found a stable and supportive community in my fraternity. My fraternity house is somewhere I can always feel at home and can always find someone to speak with about whatever is on my mind.

It’s a group of people who inspire me, support me, and are always there for me. I’ve never found it cliché calling these men my brothers. I genuinely see them all as my family.

Like any other family, I want to see it grow— not only my chapter but the entire Greek Life community. And where do I think there’s a large pool of students who could greatly benefit from being a part of a Greek Life organization? Right here at UTM. Now then, enough about me. This is about you, the students of UTM. Students that I’ve spoken with have time and time again voiced their disappointment in the social life that UTM has to offer.

Other than club meetings and the occasional coffee with a friend, there is a visible lack of that quintessential university social life. I’m not saying we should be having a collective campus party every week (even if that would be really fun), but we as a campus lack those things that make Laurier and Western such enjoyable

places to be a student: community and involvement. I believe Greek Life can be the solution.

Though each fraternity and sorority is different, they all follow certain criteria. All of them believe their members should be community leaders dedicated to a set of moral values, their respective organizations, and their campus.

Imagine a UTM where there is a large portion of students dedicated to involving themselves and being leaders on campus. Imagine a UTM where that strong sense of community offered by Greek Life is folded into the campus culture.

There are organizations on campus trying to make that happen and they certainly deserve credit. The UTMSU, for example, goes to great efforts to create an enjoyable and positive campus culture, but I don’t think they should be doing it alone.

We don’t all need to hop on the shuttle bus and join a fraternity or sorority, but we should all definitely think about it. If you want personal development, networking opportunities, and a great community behind you, consider joining a fraternity or sorority. Even if you don’t want to join one, consider the benefits of having more people do so and tell your friends about it.

Greek life members are the sorts of people who become club presidents and student representatives. If you want more of those sorts of students on campus, you should support more students joining Greek Life. Believe it or not, it’d be much more than a bunch of dude-bros walking around campus telling you to join their “sick frat.”

It’d be more like engaged students trying to improve their campus community, maybe through a simple newspaper comment piece, and then telling you to join their frat. Rush Sig. Ethan is the VP Recruitment of the Inter-fraternity Council of Toronto and is the Magister of Sigma Chi – Beta Omega

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THE MEDIUM 09.16.2019

The gun epidemic: Mass violence in North America Reflecting on mass violence in Toronto, the Second Amendment, and the gun control debate PAULA CHO MANAGING EDITOR We know them all by name: Columbine, Newtown, and El Paso are just a few. Last Civic Holiday weekend, another place closer to home endured its own mass shooting—Toronto. The gun violence in the Greater Toronto Area spanning from August 2 to August 4 saw 17 people shot during 13 separate incidents.

Canada has complicated but stringent gun laws compared to our neighbors to the south. Our federal regulation divides firearms into categories with requirements including registration, permits, training courses, and exams. First-time owners must fill out a survey detailing their mental health and criminal record. There is a background check and mandatory 28-day waiting period before they receive their license. Canada also has no constitutional provision underwriting the right to bear arms.

All of this, however, was not enough to prevent our own version of mass violence. Although on a smaller scale to the cases seen in the United States, the series of shootings last month in the GTA demonstrated the need for continued reform on how we distribute and allow the usage of firearms.

Yet, we must also recognize the strong political will in this country by both the citizenry and government to eliminate gun violence. One week after the shootings, Toronto mayor John Tory proposed a city-wide handgun ban and police chief Mark Saunders announced that all three levels of government committed a total of $4.5 million in additional

MATT COHEN/WASHINGTON CITY PAPER

It is time for gun reform, even if not everyone is ready for it. funding solely to fight gun violence.

The 11-week project is aimed at targeting gangs in the GTA, focusing on the prevention of firearms-related offenses and enforcement of standing gun laws. Saunders says that Toronto needs a “collective and holistic approach to combat gun crime” and the results of this “intelligence-led” strategy will be made public this November.

This governmental response to a gun-related tragedy widely differs from the actions of Congress in the United States. After every mass shooting, public officials will express their condolences and accept the #NeverAgain movement fueled by their constituents. They will call for legislative action and then, they will

not follow through.

I went to high school in California and although the state is comparatively strict with its gun regulation, gun culture and the reality of mass shootings becoming characteristic of America still stands in stark contrast to the political and social climate here in Canada. In Congress, any legislation tightening the accessibility to purchase a gun through extensive background checks and a universal licensing system is halted by outdated Republican ideologies of protecting the Second Amendment at all costs and relegating the causes of mass violence to video games and mental illness.

Hiding behind the Second Amendment and the National Rifle Associa-

tion (NRA), a powerful and wealthy organization dedicated to advancing the agenda of gun owners, is often the response of Republican representatives to any argument in favor of gun control. The NRA’s injection of money into politics stalls action on gun reform, and moreover, its mindless defense of the Second Amendment perpetuates gun culture.

The U.S. was vastly different when the Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791—assault weapons and firearms have no place in our streets today.

I’m not calling to ban all guns and violate the amendment. However, the amendment is not absolute and sensible gun reform can focus on a variety of other measures from eliminating military-grade weapons to

challenging pro-gun lobbying.

Contrary to what anti-gun control supporters believe, nearly all the perpetrators are homegrown rather than terrorists from abroad, and the access to buy their weapons, the lack of resources for those at risk of violent behavior, and the inadequate policies to keep guns from dangerous people are the primary causes of mass shootings. Insisting that white supremacy and racial tension is not involved is getting old, and dangerous. The convergence of mass shootings and hate crimes is clear and was brutally exemplified in the shootings at Christchurch mosque in New Zealand and just last month at a Walmart in El Paso. Both gunmen subscribed to anti-immigrant manifestos, targeting ethnic populations in their crimes.

After watching the devastation from the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School and then at Pulse nightclub in Orlando as a high school student, I, along with so many, distinctly remember thinking these had to be the tragedies that finally pushed federal gun reform through. Instead, more states have legalized and incentivized arming employees at schools with military weaponry, and the total number of mass shootings is continuing to steadily skyrocket.

When both sides of the debate on gun control recognize that giving uncomplicated access to these weapons and the militarization of society is the problem, we can enact meaningful policy change. Mass shootings can no longer be the norm of American life. They demand action and we the people need it now.

The reality of stress: It’s your best friend How stress and anxiety should drive, not hinder, an individual in their pursuit of success MEHRSHAD BABAEI CONTRIBUTOR Stress is a big part of our lives. A vast majority of people experience high levels of stress (and consequent anxiety) at some point. For many, their stress may stem from work, school, or even their home life.

We often find ourselves in a sort of fight-or-flight response mode, incomparable to that of a life-threatening situation, of course. However, our body recognizes that we are faced with adversity, and similarly, changes gears in order to “survive.”

Over the years, the notion that being stressed is simply no good and should just be avoided has become a consensus among many. The idea that stress is a weakness has polluted our youthful minds and made them fragile.

Here’s something you don’t hear every day: stress is your best friend—no really. You see, the problem is that so many of us get overwhelmed from the slightest bit of stress because of how we view the idea of stress.

BEN WHITE/UNSPLASH.COM

The perception of stress makes all the difference.

But what if you worked to reconstruct your idea of stress? With positive reappraisal, we can eliminate any physiological harm that would otherwise come with stress. According to the National Library of Medicine, a study conducted in 2012 to understand the correlation between health and stress found that individuals who believed that stress affects their health and reported high

levels of stress had an increased risk of premature death by 43 per cent.

They concluded that perception of stress makes all the difference. It’s important to note that we may actually experience very little stress but still believe it to be significant and have a great impact on our health.

And so, from now on, I want you to carefully consider what it really means when you are “stressed out”

(Twenty One Pilots anyone?).

We also begin to benefit greatly from stress enhancing our performance, where we’re better able to focus, get things done, and become resilient, allowing us to get better at dealing with adversity over time, as opposed to constantly paralyzing ourselves mentally and physically.

Another study in 2012 by Jeremy Jamieson, a professor of psychol-

ogy at the University of Rochester, found that reappraising stress improves cardiovascular and cognitive responses that come with stress.

They found that a positive perception correlated with lower TPR (Total Peripheral Resistance), also known as vascular resistance, or the resistance that must be overcome to push blood through the circulatory system and create flow. Positively reappraising stress also led to greater cardiac output (CO), the amount of blood pumped by the heart per minute, as well as decreased attentional bias when performing the Stroop task, a psychological demonstration of one’s reaction time used to illustrate the nature of automatic processing versus conscious visual control.

This is a turning point, and a crucial one at that: we’re effectively improving our physical and mental health every time we embrace stress. But what about performance?

Doesn’t stress, and the anxiety that comes with it, hinder our ability to do well with our studies?

Stress continued on page 7

09.16.2019 THE MEDIUM COMMENT» 7

The case for personal responsibility When improving their mental health, a person should focus on what they can do to help themselves SONIA ROMERO JOHNSON CONTRIBUTOR After the second student death by suicide at Bahen Centre late last year, UTSG students have pushed for greater mental health resources and dialogue on campus.

In response to the silent protest at Bahen in March, U of T President Meric Gertler announced an action plan for better mental health support.

The main goal of the task force is to review the current services available to students and try to improve them.

A National College Health Assessment survey from 2018 reports a three-to-four per cent increase in students who experience anxiety and depression compared to the reports from 2016.

The explanation for the rise in mental health issues is complex. Arguably, the internet has made it easier for individuals to teach themselves about emotional distress and how to label it.

A heavy course load is another problem worth acknowledging. With a timetable that leaves little to no time for hobbies, social interaction with friends, or catching up on a television series, it is natural for students to live with chronic stress and imbalanced emotions.

In his essay “The Coddling of the American Mind,” Jonathan Haidt, an American social psychologist, also gives a plausible explanation for the

TOM PUMFORD/UNSPLASH.COM

Improving mental health starts with you, and the work you put in to getting better. rise in mental health issues on campus. Haidt argues that there is an increased hypersensitivity to words and content that could potentially offend students. Being loyal to negativity and perceiving words and subject matter as emotional attacks solidifies the neuropathways in the brain that signal anger, sadness, and fear.

Let’s not forget the role that nutrition and exercise play in mental wellbeing.

Dr. Rhonda Patrick explains in her podcast, “Found My Fitness,” that chronic inflammation (over-activity of the immune system) is a major

cause of depression. Inflammation is a consequence of poor nutrition, sedentary lifestyle, poor sleep, and social stress.

According to Patrick, systemic inflammation has a causal relation to depression.

Fitness is an old, but true, antidote to anxiety and depression. When exercising, the body releases endorphins which relieve stress and pain.

A clear head goes a long way.

It’s often said that students don’t have the luxury of a healthy diet while in university because affordable meals are not always the healthiest.

But there are blogs, cookbooks, and YouTube videos dedicated to eating healthy on a budget—all you have to do is look it up.

You can also download an app on your phone called Flipp where you can search for any ingredient or product you need, and instantly browse through the most recent flyers for discounts.

A suicide on campus is not just the result of a lack of resources—the resources are there. Life circumstances, childhood trauma, and genetics also play a role in the risk of suicide.

This is not to say that resources

on U of T campuses should not be improved. Improvement is always encouraged. But to blame a student’s suicide on U of T eliminates the biggest factor in improving mental health: personal responsibility.

Here at UTM, the Health and Counselling Centre (HCC) is located in the Davis building, room 1123A, around the corner from the bookstore. Social workers, nurses, and nutritional counsellors are available to you, but an appointment wait-time can take up to a month.

The HCC also provides group counselling, a program focused on overcoming social anxiety which is highly connected to depression on campus. But it is the student’s responsibility to attend these meetings.

Personal responsibility implies that improving your mood, confidence, and overall happiness starts with yourself.

Make an appointment at the HCC, and in the meantime, try dedicating at least one hour a week to exercise while reducing the amount of caffeine and sugar intake in your diet.

There are many small habits you can start practicing to better your overall mental health, and all these choices start with you.

One small gesture you can make to better improve your daily mental health is to wake up every morning and think of one thing to be grateful for, because gratitude is the foundation of a strong mind.

Stress is part of a The virtues of humanity Why an education in the humanities should not be undervalued resilent character TOMASZ GLOD CONTRIBUTOR

Stress continued from page 6 In 2010, before he went on to research the physiological effects of reappraising stress, Jeremy Jamieson also gathered together college students preparing for their Graduate Record Exam and split them into two groups (a control group and an experimental group). Members in the experimental group were told about the positives of stress, while the control group were left to their own devices. Not only did members from the experimental group outperform those in the control group in the practice test, they also achieved higher scores on the GRE months later.

They were found to have had higher levels of stress but reported feeling much less anxious about the exam.

Gregory Walton, a professor of psychology at Stanford University, further solidified this idea through mindset intervention with regards to social anxiety and stress in 2011.

Over a three-year observation period, he found the intervention boosted academic performance and raised African American students’ GPA relative to multiple control groups, cutting in half the minority achievement gap, as well as improved self-reported physical health and general happiness.

Here’s a fun fact: the more stressed you are, the better you are at dealing with it. The same study that found a correlation between mortality and negative perception of stress also noted that resilient individuals— those who have experienced a decent amount of stress in the past—often don’t even think about recent stress affecting their health, even when dealing with high amounts of it.

So, what should we take away from all of this? There’s no denying that a good way to effectively deal with stress is by actively changing your mindset. We always feel the need to put ourselves down when under pressure because it’s just so much easier to blame ourselves and circumstance, and because we can’t help but expect everything to be pleasant and easy.

The reality is that our negative— indeed subjective—sense of stress can simply be overcome by a new and positive perspective. You’re at your best when you’re stressed.

So, I want you to keep in mind the next time you’re writing a midterm or working on a paper that you’re stressed about: let the stress drive you to succeed.

With the decline in the number of post-secondary students pursuing an education in the humanities, the importance of identifying the root cause of this issue is crucial if professors want to invoke newfound passion and energy for the field in their students.

Although this may be a daunting task even for those who love to philosophize over the intricacies of human meaning and purpose, we ought to consider why students in recent years have been choosing other fields of study when choosing a post-secondary stream.

To begin, the general consensus among many in the modern age is that almost all of the humanities are not seen as practical or useful fields of study. “What are you planning on doing?” is a question that I’m sure many of my peers are all too familiar with. The question, one that is typically meant as a prompt to reconsider choosing the field, indicates an all too familiar narrative that individuals pursuing an arts degree will exit university with a useless piece of paper.

This stems from the fact that, today, university is seen as a place to obtain practical job training. Stu-

dents (and the people paying for their studies) want to see a direct link between obtaining a university degree and a well-paying job.

The humanities do not provide this assurance to students.

Today, universities are believed to be factories from which high school students enter and emerge four years later as employable candidates, ready to begin the well-paying jobs that await them. In other words, there exists this idea that with a “practical” degree students will be able to attain their long awaited success.

However, universities should be an opportunity for people to learn and grow on an individual level. They should be places where students go to grapple with ideas, learn about history, art and politics, and debate in an academic setting. The humanities force students to seek out information, think critically, and contend with difficult questions. Monetary success and job opportunities should be understood as by-products of the university experience, not their explicit objectives.

Unfortunately, we cannot escape the fact that we need to be able to have something to show for after completing our programs, but why isn’t it understood that, empirically, students in the humanities and social sciences have more career stability,

and many employers value soft skills over technical knowledge.

Although I recognize that the ability to state on a resume that one possesses a degree in whichever field holds a lot of weight, is that all that one should be looking to reap from university? When leaving university, people should be able to say that they actually learned something about the world that they live in, that they have ideas on how to make it a better place, and that they have obtained a greater understanding of themselves.

Critics would argue that the humanities are too ambiguous a field to be able to apply the skills or lessons learnt to a specific career. This lack of direct path may be understood as a vice, but for many it can be seen as a great virtue. Within a world where many people will change jobs more than 10 times before they retire, soft skills that can be applied in different ways are critical to success. It is imperative that these skills are developed and that students know how to effectively apply them. This is something that the humanities offer.

Ultimately, as I understand it, this conversation begins to point toward a larger issue that is present within society: how we define success. For many, monetary success appears to be an easy indicator. I, however, would argue that knowledge is wealth.

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09.16.2019

SATIRE To relate to students, UTMSU ghosts Gertler chooses depression The Medium

UTMSU ghosts The Medium, but is still her sugar daddy.

GORDON CORK CONTRIBUTOR

CHRISTOPHER WAHL/UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

Meric Gertler tries to relate to students but is employed and has money.

GORDON CORK CONTRIBUTOR After realizing that joining the quidditch team and model UN wasn’t cool enough to befriend UTM students, U of T President Meric Gertler has begun sitting alone in the lunch room in Davis with headphones in, arriving late to lectures, and skipping tutorials to smoke legalized marijuana in the

forest near OPH. “I’m a first year student, double majoring in philosophy and poli-sci, but I took a gap year to understand myself, so I really should be in second year. But you gotta take your own path in life, not the path your parents force you to take,” Gertler said before starting another game of Hearthstone.

“Lil Peep, Gunna, Juice WRLD, RIP X,” Gertler blurted out abruptly.

With six of six covered counselling sessions exhausted in the HCC, Gertler has joined the student movement and can be found standing outside of Queens Park demanding the Ontario government give him free post-secondary education, better mental health services, and Hearthstone card packs from the Saviour of Uldum Expansion.

Top 5: The Mediocre

After months of intimately texting back and forth, the UTMSU has ghosted The Medium.

“I thought things were going good. I thought this could’ve been more than a one-time thing,” said a very dissatisfied The Medium.

“Come downstairs, I have pizza and MiWay passes,” the UTMSU sent in an e-mail, to which The Medium responded, “Okay, but only for the pizza and MiWay passes ;)” From reading the numerous flirty texts, one would think that the UTMSU was interested in The Medium and he would reply to her e-mails. As it stands, The Medium has reported that they have not received any flowers, chocolates, or even an e-mail

UTM introduces new font GORDON CORK CONTRIBUTOR

JULIA HEALY/THE MEDIUM

If you put The Medium in the trash, Meric Gertler still has your money.

GORDON CORK CONTRIBUTOR We asked the one person who actively reads The Medium what else they can accomplish with a school paper.

Here’s what the Editor-in-Chief ’s mother had to say: #5: Recycle! When you feel bad about the environment, recycling is a great way to save the planet. I grab a stack of The Medium and chuck them in the recycling! It only takes two sec-

onds to walk over to the recycling bin and do something good for the campus environment. #4: Pretend to read it to seem informed! What’s easier than reading?

Pretending to read! #3: Scratch and Sniff! Did you know? Just between you and me, The Medium doesn’t tell anyone, but they cover up their paper with the scent of fresh honey fields! Just like how the CIA covered up Jeffrey Epstein’s murder.

#2: Wrap your fish and chips in it.

Fun fact: In the 1940s, fish and chips used to be wrapped in newspaper!

Why not keep the tradition alive and put a wrapper ‘round your red snapper! #1: Don’t be the silly goose on campus! How can you stay informed on the events in your community if you don’t read The Medium? Read The Medium!

back.

“It was fun for a night, but the chick’s just too innocent and impartial for a bad boy like me,” the UTMSU said during a date at Kelsey’s with the CFS. “CFS? The UTMSU is banging the CFS? I can’t believe it!” The Medium said, shocked and confused.

The UTMSU hasn’t spoken to The Medium since they hooked up in the blind duck washroom four months ago. The Medium reports feeling clingy and obsessive, as if she’s the crazy one.

On-the-record, an anonymous source has confirmed that The UTMSU still talks behind The Medium’s back and wishes they could’ve stayed friends if things had been different.

When Quercus replaced BlackBoard as the new student portal in 2018, students and faculty were unsure of how to pronounce “Quercus.” This led students and Professors to say things like Curr-cui, Choir-cuss, and QueerKiss. People were outraged with the dumb name and the dumb tree that replaced their beloved BlackBoard.

“If you can’t pronounce Quercus, then go back to your country,” the CEO of Quercus said with two-birds raised high.

Now, in 2019, the University would like to apologize on behalf of the white-trash students and faculty who stand on this land. Originally, the university wanted to apologize to the First-Nations with three-shiny beads and a mickey of fireball, but later decided to establish the North2 Naming Committee to rename the North Building and pay homage to the Mississaugas of the New Credit.

After seven months of not consulting with Indigenous groups, the frus-

trated committee members smashed their keyboards, producing the name, “” “It sounds cool and tribal,” a member said in an official press release to The Medium.

Since then, this new system for naming buildings has stuck. The University now plans on changing the Davis Building to “Ad[fg4sya,ss6adfgad Fsyue’qfwtu/yeq]wy,” which means “Boundless.”

There are also plans to rename CCIT to “Uih\[jr Fu=ihteuoi][jkt0ergdu-ojeer,” which means “Don’t Feed the Deer.”

Called the “Maanjiwe” font, the UTM administration plans to recognize it as the official font of the university. Students will now be able to smasj the fuvkiudfgihdgs shikjlhsergkluhsdguh out of their keylhkwefiuweeaw giueiuaegr igreliu greilughaeghgae iulghaewiu gewailugaewiu egra97y34 t97y34qt98 y3hq4t983pqt]03iq4[mt[5q9-=45y=.

Signed, Diffsahj+rtgja

09.16.2019

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Editor | Srijan Sahu

Logics of sense at the Blackwood Gallery The Blackwood Gallery’s current exhibition explores human sensory habits through video and audio recordings SHALOMI RANASINGHE CONTRIBUTOR

Part of human nature is our ability to sense the world around us, using the biological tools that support our survival. Humans have a tendency to overlook the gift of knowledge and our capability to use natural resources to our advantage. The Blackwood Gallery showcases the significance of visual and auditory perception in their latest exhibition, Logics of Sense 1: Investigations.

The exhibition showcased work by Ursula Biemann, Mikhail Karikis, Susan Schuppli, and Jol Thomson.

Each piece contains a different message, but all unite with a similar motif: our planet. The videos and sounds captured the tone of the Earth and how humans respond to various movements. The Blackwood Gallery set up the exhibition with large movie theatre-sized screens, stools, and three sound-proof headphones for each video essay. Each audio recording enhances the enthralment of the scenes displayed through the projector.

Biemann’s Acoustic Ocean is set in the Arctic. Opening with background information on oceanic studies and facts, the screen displays an ocean landscape resting underneath a bright blue sky. The video explores aquatic ecosystems with a female aquanaut gathering research.

JULIA HEALY/THE MEDIUM

A wonderful experience of art that reaches your ears and eyes to create a beautiful experience.

Every sound, from the preparation of the aquanaut’s equipment to ocean waves and thunderclaps, is heard.

There are moments when the aquanaut wears headphones and fiddles with her research equipment. During these periods, viewers hear what she is listening to and her adjustments with the machinery. Biemann’s film explores the study of aquatic microorganisms using sound wave technology to understand navigation and communication. The video closes with a fade of the ocean landscape

at night.

Karikis’s No Ordinary Protest focuses on young children in elementary school. The video opens with all the students squeezing their eyes shut. The children are engaged in a serious discussion regarding animals, humans, and the environment.

This scene gives a new perspective on politics—kids think so simply, so perhaps the answers to complex problems are easy solutions, in the eyes of children. One student asks, “How do we stop the world from get-

ting poisoned?” to which the screen flashes to a mob of children wearing colourful masks, behaving like a tribe. Karikis’s video showcases the children uniting to use their voices to advocate for change and justice.

Schuppli’s Atmospheric Feedback Loops begins with an elevator ride.

The screen is mainly black, demonstrating the darkness of the elevator, and shows glimpses of light coming from the windows. The sound of the elevator gears, in motion, are heard.

Schuppli’s film focuses on an open-

air laboratory near Amsterdam. Researchers analyze the complex interactions of aerosols, clouds, wind, temperatures, and atmospheric densities with terrestrial events. In doing so, the laboratory gains information about climate change. The video essay showcased the land used as a resource for technological information. Audio wise, Atmospheric Feedback Loops was accompanied with dialogue from professors and researchers who shared information regarding climate change and the open-air laboratory.

Thomson’s G24|0vßß explores different epochs of Earth using physics.

The video opens with the earliest microorganisms of life and zooms in on their habitat. This film covers various epochs, focusing on the specifics of each time period while showcasing the relationship between technology, nature, and humans. Majority of the audio consists of dramatic music, where the pace quickens when discoveries are shown. In particular, one epoch uses flashing colours of strobe lighting mixed with mumbling, unclear voices. This scene was interesting as it adds ambiguity to the video. Thomson’s film concludes with the notion that humans and nature are creators of the world.

If you want to experience a unique form of art, visit the Blackwood Gallery’s Logics of Sense 1: Investigations, running until October 19.

Valerie Blass grounds the abstract in reality Valerie Blass’ work exploring visual motifs in modern art is currently featured at the Art Gallery of Ontario KIMBERLY HUYNH NGUYEN CONTRIBUTOR A moment of confusion and suspense hits as you enter the fourth floor of the Art Gallery of Ontario. Unlike the main floors of the gallery where walls are clustered with paintings and drawings, you’re invited into a wide space with blank white walls. Sporadically arranged across the room are an array of sculptures that include Dorito bags, colourful outfits, and plastered body molds.

Valerie Blass’ art pieces are nothing short of eccentric and surreal.

Growing up in Montreal, Quebec, she creates all her artwork in her beloved city. Her wide array of sculptures that include Le mime, le modèle et le dupe, and Échapper à la psychologic, is a combination of modern and abstract styles. She utilizes everyday objects, fashionable clothing, and minimalist tools (ladders, etc.) in every sculpture she creates.

The first piece you encounter as

you enter the series of sculptures is Le mime, le modèle et le dupe. Initially, it leaves you questioning and even uneasy. Combining colourful body mold in a blue and fuchsia body suit with a Doritos bag, you get a sense of modern times and style in her sculptures.

Beside this silhouette is a body mold of stylish cargo pants bending with a pair of chunky heels. These sculptures closely resemble current Instagram posts and style of today. She brings the 2D images in abstract art found on walls and pictures on Instagram into 3D sculptures. There’s something unsettlingly realistic about the body molds Blass puts on display. The textures, the crevices, and the imperfect stitching add realism to the otherwise inanimate objects. Walking around the sculpture, it was as if it would come to life at any moment.

In another part of the room is a long thick metal chain coming down from the ceiling with the same colour scheme as the silhouette in Le mime, le modèle et le dupe. Like a missing

PHOTO/ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO

The AGO is showcasing the eccentric and abstract work of Montreal-based artist Valerie Blass. part to the body, the sculptures all together add the abstract to the realism and the realism to the lifeless. You’ll find everything from shorts floating near a chair, to a ladder holding together an Ikea shopping bag and a pair of heeled boots. The sculptures in an otherwise empty room with grey floors and white walls strangely adds a sense of life to the fourth floor of the

gallery. She uses found objects to add some flare to the minimalist objects we find in the world.

Blass’ process with each body sculpture includes taking pictures of models and once she’s found the perfect pose, she uses plaster to mold the body shape. From there, she uses old clothing to design all the outfits for her sculptures.

Even in her more abstract pieces, Échapper à la psychologi, images of people, from their arms to the back of their body, is imprinted onto the solid blob sculpture. She adds a hint of life to any piece of work she’s created, forming a concoction of two worlds—the one we can grasp and the other we can only imagine.

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THE MEDIUM 09.16.2019

TIFF 2019 film review: American Son Kerry Washington’s broadway play American Son hits the big screen at the Toronto International Film Festival DELANEY ROMBOUGH CONTRIBUTOR American Son is Netflix’s feature-film adaptation of the Broadway stage play of the same name that ran for sixteen weeks beginning in October 2018. The film and the play were both directed by Kenny Leon and feature the same cast of four characters: Kendra Ellis-Connor (Kerry Washington), Scott Connor (Steven Pasquale), Officer Larkin (Jeremy Jordan), and Officer Stokes (Eugene Lee). Kendra and Scott’s son Jamal, a character who is never seen on screen, has been missing for the past eight hours. Jamal left the previous evening and never came home. Now, Kendra and Scott wait in the waiting room of a Miami police station at 4:00 a.m. as they try to get answers about where their son is.

While Officer Larkin, who is a junior officer and new to the job, is off searching for answers, Kendra and Scott, who are recently sepa-

PHOTO/TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

TIFF showcased this stage-to-film adaptation centering around BLM, racism, and gun violence. rated, argue and shout about everything from their son’s disappearance to speaking proper English to their marriage, often citing racism and sexism as the cause of the problem.

Kendra is black and Scott is white— their biracial son was raised mostly

as a privileged white kid, going to private school with only three other black kids in the school and having been given a wealth of opportunities. Now, Jamal is eighteen and has taken to wearing baggy pants and his hair in cornrows, which greatly

upsets Scott. However, in the midst of Kendra and Scott’s intense arguing, which is most of the dialogue in the film, important themes about Black Lives Matter, racism, gun violence, and cops are brought to light.

The issues are thoroughly discussed

among the characters and the film leaves audiences to ponder the social climate we live in ourselves.

This movie watches as more of a play than a movie. Other than the occasional flashback and one brief moment down the hallway, the entire film takes place in the police station waiting room. It is also dialogue focused and the dialogue is very polished, rather than the more plainspoken English we tend to see in most movies. This isn’t a bad thing, it’s just different. In a pre-screening talk with director Kenny Leon, he said that the whole film was filmed in four-and-a-half days immediately following the Broadway run because that was the only time Kerry Washington was available and the entire show hinges on her performance.

Leon also told the audience to view it from a mother’s perspective. Washington gave a great performance and you really understood her love, fears, anxieties, and grief as both a mother and a black woman.

The reinvention of Taylor TIFF: Red Fields Taylor Swift’s latest album Lover is a departure from her previous work Hebrew film Red Fields premiered at TIFF

PHOTO/TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

A tragic love story is told through strong visuals and song.

DELANEY ROMBOUGH CONTRIBUTOR

PHOTO/VANITY FAIR

Taylor Swift trades her snakeskin and lies for pastels and good vibes.

JUSTIN SINGH CONTRIBUTOR Taylor Swift just released her seventh studio album Lover last month, and it’s a big deal. It’s the first album she’s ever owned (all her previous work belongs to Scooter Braun who owns her previous label, Big Machine Records).

Swift shows no signs of falling off the radar anytime soon. Lover debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and sold about 679,000 album units in the first week, outdoing the previous record which she also held with Reputation back in 2017.

It’s also the first album she’s released since her reputation changed from America’s sweetheart to a conniving snake. How has she lived and grown since then? Well, she explains it all in this new album.

Her sound changed from intense and bass heavy bops, to light, fun, and bubbly tunes that you can’t help but sway to. Similar to her work in 1989, this album breathes life into the pop music genre and keeps it alive (sorry, trap genre. We’re getting

bored).

Swift’s albums always follow a theme musically and lyrically. Lover is no different, as she experiments with 80’s and 90’s synth pop—a drastic departure from the bass-heavy, head-banging electronic beats on Reputation.

The soft, fun, and playful sound of this album complements the moral of the album for Swift: to be known for the things she loves rather than the things she hates. Love makes you excited, giddy, and comforts you.

That’s exactly what this album does.

Miss Americana and The Heartbreak Prince is a standout track on the album. The lyrics are equally as powerful as the strong, bass drum beat. Swift transports us to a high school homecoming setting—a metaphor for America. This track shares one of many political messages on the album.

Taylor Swift has been criticized for not speaking up on political issues in the past, as she has such a huge platform. During the previous election, while many celebrities used their status to influence younger audiences to vote against Trump, Swift

stayed silent.

The song explores Miss Americana’s disillusionment with the final score of what seems to be a homecoming game. She tries to escape, however, she knows that she must fight if she wants her team to win.

Swift turns into the cheer captain as she shouts “Go! Fight! Win!” in the bridge of the song.

The album’s emotional climax comes with Soon You’ll Get Better.

Swift thrives in this acoustic setting, both vocally and lyrically. The song showcases Swift in her most vulnerable state as she explores the emotions and grief surrounding her mother’s battle with cancer. Potentially her best song to date, Swift explained on her YouTube Live that she will never be able to sing this song live because of how personal it is to her and her family.

Taylor Swift has truly grown, and showed everyone that she’s done lying and pretending. She will only surround herself with things and people she loves. And if you think any hate will bring her down, well, she already forgot that you existed.

As part of the Contemporary World Cinema program at TIFF comes the Israeli film Red Fields, directed by Keren Yedaya. This movie is based on the Israeli rock opera Mami, which deals with political topics such as the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. Mami (Neta Elkayam) was born in southern Israel and works at a gas station. She marries a soldier named Nissim (Ami Abu), who later becomes paralyzed, leaving him unable to walk, talk, or move. Unsure of what to do, Mami takes Nissim in his wheelchair to Tel Aviv. The movie takes a bizarre turn in Tel Aviv as intense and vivid events unfold including an attempted rape, professors experimenting on Mami’s brain, Mami’s campaign for Prime Minister of Israel, and the worst war the Middle East has ever seen.

This movie is a musical and like any other movie musical, the characters sing through the more emotional scenes, like the one in the hospital after Nissim’s injury, and in this case, the strange scenes, like the brain experiments. Because this film is in Hebrew and was screened with English subtitles, it’s unclear how well the songs translated into English, but it was enough for the audience to know what was going on and what the character was feeling. The other thing that

helps is that there are scenes with a band and the singer who serve as the narrator. In these scenes, the narrator tells us what has happened offscreen through song, which is different than many Hollywood movie musicals, but it worked.

Continuing on with the music and sound, there is score playing for nearly the entire movie. The low ranges of the cello, violin, and clarinet really underscore the darker tones and themes of the movie. While this was a little overbearing and maybe too loud at times, the constant music mostly worked because there were few straightforward dialogue scenes in the film. It was either all silent, physical acting, or musical numbers, so the score prevented the film from ever being completely silent.

Tonally, it was like watching two different styles of movies—the first half was pretty realistic, but then Yedaya flips the movie upside down and radically changes style to one of psychedelia and surrealism once the characters get to Tel Aviv. However, what ties the movie together and what runs through both parts is the conflict between Israel and Palestine and the characters’ desires to demilitarize Israel. Overall, this movie is a fresh take on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a topic on which many movies have been made.

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Editor | Fatima Adil

A peer support group for IBD patients U of T researcher and psychologist awarded $50,000 grant for inflammatory bowel disease research MEL RAMSAMMY CONTRIBUTOR Thanks to funding from Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, a Canadian charity dedicated to finding cures for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, eleven Canadian professionals from across the country will research new treatments for the 270,000 Canadians living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). One of these investigators is University of Toronto researcher and health psychologist Dr. Sara Ahola Kohut.

Kohut’s clinical practice at The Hospital for Sick Children involves providing support to kids, adolescents, young adults, and families who experience the various challenges associated with living with IBD. IBD encompasses Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or indeterminate colitis.

According to Kohut, Crohn’s can be defined as “inflammation anywhere from the gum to the bum,” meaning the gastrointestinal tract, whereas colitis refers to the inflammation of the large intestine. Patients often work with gastroenterologists, nurses, and dieticians to manage symptoms such as abdominal pain, fatigue, and flare-ups of about ten to twelve bathroom trips a day of bloody diarrhea. As a health psychologist, Kohut aims to help patients manage these symptoms within their day-to-day

lives. Her main goal with patients is to answer the question: “How do we live the best life possible given the circumstances of IBD?” “I think being a teenager is confusing in the best of circumstances,” says

to determine what is important to them. “I like to teach them how to use that as their North Star,” she says.

“I do also see lots of anxiety,” says Kohut. “And also, just kids who are finding themselves being pretty sad

nation for resilience: “When I was a little girl, people were reading Babysitter’s Club and I was reading first-person accounts of the Holocaust and the Underground Railroad,” says Kohut. “I was just so

ANASTASIA GEPP/PIXABAY.COM

Dr. Sara Ahola Kohut is providing support to patients suffering with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Kohut. “But when you’re chronically unwell, that makes it doubly complicated.”

IBD patients often face challenges when preparing for appointments, dealing with pain, and communicating with family and peers about their illness. One solution she advises is to encourage children and adolescents

and even having depression. [However], I do try my very best to meet kids before they get to that level of clinical depression or clinical anxiety.”

Besides working with patients in her clinical practice, Dr. Kohut spends fifty percent of her time as a researcher. Her journey through academia began with a childhood fasci-

in awe of people who show resilience in the face of just horrendous things.”

Her awe and inspiration eventually translated into Kohut’s work in a medical setting. Her graduate and Ph.D. studies focused on pediatric pain in babies. During her residency year, Kohut was matched to The Hospital for Sick Children. “I truthfully

sort of never looked back,” she remarks on her journey.

Kohut acknowledges that psychologists generally veer into the popular streams of either doing full-time research and teaching or becoming a full-time clinician. However, Kohut “wanted to have a little bit of everything.” While it was “by no means an A-B-C journey,” Kohut highly appreciates the many benefits of her unique position of being both a researcher and a clinician.

“Most of my best research ideas actually come from patients,” says Kohut. “They’re not my own. When the kids complain about something, if they complain enough then I know that I have to do something about it, and then I use my research time to try to develop that.”

Thus came the creation of Kohut’s “iPeer2Peer Program” which is also funded by Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. iPeer2Peer is an online peer-support program designed in response to several young patients who did not feel like they were meeting people who understood them. Teenagers with a chronic disease are matched with young adult mentors who have learned how to manage their disease and they discuss their experiences along with any helpful tips over Skype discussions.

IBD continued on page 13

Experience fair garners mixed opinions UTM students express thoughts on opportunities featured at annual Get Experience fair BISMAH RIZVI ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR

UTM’s Career Center hosted the annual Get Experience Fair last Wednesday. This year, over 80 organizations set up booths around the RAWC and shared opportunities available to current and recently graduated UTM students. Many booths offered brochures and flyers with more information about their organizations. Several others also gave away free items including chocolate, pens, stickers, water bottles, and more to attract students.

The Medium talked to a few students about their experience at the event.

Several students found that having well-recognized organizations such as TD Canada Trust, PepsiCo, and Raptors905 was helpful for learning the various career pathways students could take to work with those companies.

Other students felt disappointed because the organizations attending the event were not representative of the range of programs studied by

UTM students.

A fourth-year professional writing and communications programs student said that “the Instagram stories and UTM Engage event page evoked a sense of anticipation and excitement.

I had high expectations for it. I figured the fair would provide a diverse range of volunteer and job opportunities within my field or something interesting. While a few representatives stood out, I felt there were too many similar opportunities and not enough in the field I’m interested in.”

She moreover explained how “maybe reading over the company list more thoroughly [prior to attending the event] would have [lessened] the disappointment.”

A large number of organizations were community-based, non-profit, or related to education and tutoring.

Another large chunk of companies included UTM organizations that many students were already aware of.

Options for students in communications, science, and arts programs specifically were limited.

Sharon, a third-year English major, remarked that “[she] didn’t find the fair helpful. Most of the companies

and people there weren’t relevant to [her].”

She also discussed the type of opportunities available. “I didn’t see a lot of job-related booths,” she said. Most of the organizations were only offering volunteer positions and while volunteer positions may be a beneficial way to gain valuable experience, volunteering is not the same as work. For students seeking paid jobs or recent

graduates looking for direct experience working in their field, the Get Experience Fair may not have been very useful.

In contrast, several first- and second-year students found the fair informative. Alina, a first-year social science student, said that while “there weren’t many job opportunities for the first years, except [for] on-campus jobs and volunteering, going there

and looking around was a good way to help [students] be informed and prepare for later years.”

This Wednesday, the Career Center will be hosting the Graduate and Professional Schools Fair. Students interested in learning about admission requirements and the application process for various post-graduate programs are encouraged to attend the event.

SAIR KHALID/THE MEDIUM

With over 80 organizations in attendance, this year’s Get Experience Fair was an annual success.

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THE MEDIUM 09.16.2019

Learning about artificial intelligence U of T’s first 99AI challenge makes artificial intelligence education accessible for everyone LATISHA LOBBAN ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR Over the summer, University of Toronto students across all three campuses applied to U of T’s first 99AI Challenge. The challenge aims to educate as many people as possible about the fundamental concepts of artificial intelligence (AI) and is open to students without a science or technology background.

Michael Serafin, UTM Library Technologies & Liaison Librarian and the UTM Library Lead of the 99AI Challenge, states that the program focusses on covering “the basics and showing [students] how [AI] works.”

The program currently has 99 participants including undergraduate and graduate students, U of T faculty and staff, and community members.

Serafin adds that the organizers opted to select 99 people for the program because they “wanted a manageable number.” Furthermore, the number was inspired by the U of T student population in 2016. “99 is roughly 0.1% of the university’s population [of 88, 766 students] in 2016,” Serafin explains.

Serafin notes that “[the organizers] deliberately wanted a range of people from a broad background [when selecting] the people that were accepted into the program.”

The challenge was well-received and there were “well over 250 applicants.

The biggest group [of applicants] was students but there were still a lot of staff and faculty as well.”

The program itself consists of an online course that participants were instructed to complete over the summer. The course, Elements of AI, was designed by the University of Hel-

ers who are from a variety of backgrounds and technology experts.

Serafin details how they selected experts in areas such as ethics, privacy, and robotics. “The idea was not to only talk about the technical [aspects of AI] but also other implications of it [such as in] education [and] the

Serafin says that through this project, he and his fellow librarians hope to encourage participants to increase the conversation around artificial intelligence.

“Ultimately, [we] want to introduce other topics of AI so that we can start discussing AI through other

HITESH CHOUDHARY/UNSPLASH.COM

The 99AI challenge is a program aiming to educate 99 participants about artificial intelligence. sinki and is available for free online for students who are not in the 99AI program but still interested in learning about AI. Another component of the 99AI challenge is the six talks the University of Toronto librarians will be hosting throughout the year. The talks will be given by guest speak-

workplace.”

The AI challenge covers a broad spectrum of topics over the course of one school year. Participants will learn about the larger concepts of what AI is and how it is used in the real world. 99AI will also discuss the implications of using artificial intelligence.

lenses and get more people thinking about [the] different aspects of AI and its implications. [My colleagues and I] all feel [that] in the future, AI will be a big part of our lives, so we want to start the discussion to bring more attention to these [issues].”

Discussion has been at the heart of 99AI since its conception. The pro-

gram began as an interest group organized by the University of Toronto libraries. Interested librarians met up regularly to discuss issues related to AI. “One librarian in particular applied for the Chief Librarian Innovation Interest Grant. She put together the proposal and we won the grant [following which] we started planning early last year.”

Serafin adds that the other organizers and himself hope to make 99AI an annual project. “There’s certainly interest. The program is at capacity this year. We’ll have to assess the program after its first year and [various factors such as] funding.”

Lastly, Serafin stresses that 99AI was very much a collaborative project.

The following librarians from the University of Toronto St. George campus contributed to this project: Lise Doucette, the Data and Statistics Librarian at the Map & Data Library; Christina Kim, the Liaison Librarian; Carey Toane, the Entrepreneurship Librarian at the Gerstein Science Information Centre; and Michelle Spence, the Engineering and Computer Science Librarian at the Engineering & Computer Science Library.

Additionally, Pauline Rousseau, the Acting Coordinator of collection development and Liaison Librarian of Arts, Media & Culture at the U of T Scarborough campus was also involved in the organization of the program and the selection of entrants.

Sanctions complicating U.S.-Iran relations UTM professor discusses possibility of crippling U.S.-inflicted economic sanctions being lifted CHAKRIKA BURRA CONTRIBUTOR

On Saturday September 14, 2019, Yemen’s Houthi rebels carried out drone attacks on two large Saudi oil facilities, disrupting about half of Saudi Arabia’s oil capacity. BBC reports that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blamed Iran for the damaging attacks with Iran responding by condemning U.S. “deceit.” In this article, The Medium examines the factors complicating U.S. and Iran’s relationship.

While there has always been tension between the U.S. and Iran, the situation was further exacerbated in 2018 when President Donald Trump withdrew from the Iranian nuclear deal. According to the BBC, the nuclear deal—which is officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action—entailed Iran agreeing to limit its nuclear activities and allow international inspections in exchange for the economic sanctions placed upon Iran being lifted. When Trump declared that the U.S. would no longer abide to the deal’s agreements, there were diplomatic consequences and Iran was once again under crippling U.S. economic sanctions.

This year however signaled a change as Trump told reporters at the G7 meeting that he would be willing

to meet with Iranian president Hassan Rouhani and discuss easing sanctions if the “conditions were right.”

In response, Rouhani stated that the U.S. has to first lift the sanctions on Iran, otherwise any meeting would

tions. Tavakoli-Targhi acknowledged that this is the beginning of a very tough negotiation and highlighted how the nuclear agreement in 2015 took nearly twelve years of negotiation.

tion.” Tavakoli-Targhi believes that the Iranians need to overcome their misgivings and “build trust” for the negotiations to work.

To build trust, Rouhani has stated that the Trump administration has

PHOTO/FOXNEWS.COM

U of T’s Dr. Mohamad Tavakoli-Targhi discusses the tensions running between the U.S. and Iran.

just be a photo opportunity.

Dr. Mohamad Tavakoli-Targhi, professor of History and Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations at the University of Toronto, was recently interviewed by CTV News regarding the discussion around easing sanc-

He furthermore noted that there is a lot of mistrust in Iran because “Iranians view the U.S. withdrawal from the deal as an irrational and unjustified move” and they perceive “the sanctions as a form of economic terrorism against the Iranian popula-

to take certain steps and that there needs to be expression of remorse for the negotiations to be successful or even possible. Tavakoli-Targhi agrees with Rouhani in that the Trump administration needs to take a step forward and make an effort.

Tavakoli-Targhi strongly believes that it will take a certain amount of charm for the negotiations to work.

He is confident that French president Emmanuel Macron is the right person to facilitate the talks between the U.S. and Iran even though the Japanese prime minister was unsuccessful prior to the G20 summit.

He noted that negotiations are “very important as the sanctions are not only hurting Iran but the secondary sanctions are a form of weaponizing the economic interdependence which is the legacy of the post-World War international system.” TavakoliTarghi further emphasized that the European nations have an equal interest in the issue as they are also “hurting economically” due to the U.S. sanctions and “[the European nations’] interdependence that they have with the U.S. economy.” According to the European Council on Foreign Relations, the “secondary sanctions have become a critical challenge for Europe due to the Trump administration’s maximalist policy on Iran and its aggressive economic statecraft.”

To conclude, Tavakoli-Targhi explains that if Trump wishes to leave office with a positive legacy, “he needs to overcome [labelling] Iran as an enemy.” While Tavakoli-Targhi acknowledges that “the challenge [of negotiations] is big,” he remains optimistic.

09.16.2019 THE MEDIUM FEATURES» 13

Using jointless robots for precise surgeries Inspired by nature, tiny continuum robots to be favourable for minimally invasive surgeries FATIMA ADIL FEATURES EDITOR

Passionate about her work and highly accomplished, Dr. Jessica BurgnerKahrs, Associate Professor and Director of the Continuum Robotics Laboratory, joined UTM this spring.

The Medium sat down with her to discuss the unique field of continuum robotics, her academic journey, and her lab’s research.

Burgner-Kahrs explains how “continuum robotics is very different from what [one] commonly know[s] as a robot. Continuum robots are inspired by nature, for example, like elephant trunks, tongues, and worms.

[They] don’t have any rigid links or joints [and] are actually continuous in shape.”

Their design allows them to “sneak around and have individual curvilinear shapes,” which, coupled with the fact that it is possible to build tiny versions, “makes [continuum robots] favorable for all sorts of applications [where] reaching out into areas” is required. An important example would be medicine where continuum robotics can be utilized to reach within the human body for surgical purposes.

During the interview, BurgnerKahrs shows me a few of the robots her lab is working on. She explains how “continuum robots are very compliant so they are very safe to use close to the human or even within the human [as] they cannot do a lot of harm.” While the robots “cannot lift heavy objects like a regular robot, they can exert small forces.” This ability is helpful in “grasp[ing] tissue to bring a laser source or deliver a drug to a certain location [and] even do some small resections.”

Burgner-Kahrs tells me that “these robots could be very useful in minimally invasive surgery” and that neurosurgeons are already excited about a tiny, tentacle-like robot which can be used to precisely deliver laser

treatments to tumours without having to open up the skull.

The continuum robots can also benefit industrial applications. BurgnerKahrs says that for the “maintenance and repair [of] object[s] such as aircraft engines, the robots could sneak in and observe if all the turbines are still intact. These robots could help automate this process to make it less tedious for technicians.”

When asked about what inspired her to pursue this field, BurgnerKahrs credits “different things [such as how] robotics is a mixture [of] computer science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and mechatronics.” Viewing how “all these fields come together was always [tremendously] exciting for [her].”

Furthermore, even though she “loved robots when [she] was a kid,” Burgner-Kahrs “always thought [she] would go into medicine.” However, one incident in her life prompted her to consider other pathways. As Burgner-Kahrs recounts, one of her uncles passed away as a result of a brain tumour. Before his death, he received irradiation therapy. “In this therapy, the machine has to be oriented and positioned so that the radiation goes to the tumour.” However, when applied to Burgner-Kahr’s uncle, the machine “was slightly off and so [the machine] radiated [part of the brain] but not the tumour, [and therefore] the tumour [kept growing].”

The incident prompted BurgnerKahrs to ponder about how she “could help surgeons and physicians to do their job better.” Already passionate about computer science and technology, Burgner-Kahrs was confident that computer science could be utilized to “help surgeons [administer] more reliable treatment.”

During her undergraduate degree at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany, Burgner-Kahrs took “all the courses possible on robotics.” Burgner-Kahrs was also a

CHEN GONG/THE MEDIUM

Dr. Jessica-Burgner Kahrs, new to UTM, is developing robots that have very practical applications. student researcher in a “big research project on robotic-assisted surgery” at KIT and thought that she would continue working with conventional robots. However, during her Ph.D. at KIT, she attended a talk on continuum robotics given by Dr. Robert J. Webster III who would then become her post-doctoral supervisor. She was instantly mesmerized and knew that she needed to work on what she strongly believed would “be the next generation of robotics.”

Burgner-Kahrs then successfully applied to work for Webster and moved to Nashville, Tennessee to work with him at Vanderbilt University, following which her journey as a professor and researcher commenced. She worked at Leibniz University Hannover in Germany for six years before her appointment at U of T where she “loves working with students” and building robots in her

continuum robotics lab.

In her lab, Burgner-Kahrs and her team conduct research on and build continuum robots. She describes how they “do fundamental research by thinking about new robot designs, the mathematical modelling of the robot, human-robot interaction, and application-driven research where [they] interact a lot with surgeons to [determine] potential applications.”

Her lab is composed of students from various disciplines including computer science, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering.

Her advice to students who are interested in continuum robotics is to firstly “take the Introduction to Robotics course.” Moreover, she says that she is “always taking on students as volunteers [and] personally convinced that everyone can contribute no matter what their experience level is.” Though she acknowledges that

“continuum robotics itself is a little bit more advanced [type of] robotics,” she is a very strong mentor and appreciates everyone’s contributions.

Burgner-Kahrs assures students that “[she] will make sure that [those who work with her] will have a good experience and will learn something.” On top of regularly meeting with students, she “always assign[s] a graduate student as a mentor [to undergraduate students] as well.” She highly encourages getting involved in research and believes that if “[one is] motivated and really into the topic, that’s when [they] will perform the best.”

Her hobbies include cooking, travelling, and walking outdoors. However, Burgner-Kahr’s main interest and favorite past-time is her work.

She states that she “really love[s] what [she’s] doing and [doesn’t] see it as work” at all.

Supporting teens with IBD IBD continued from page 11

PHOTO/CONTINUUM ROBOTICS LABORATORY

Burgner-Kahrs is passionate about her work in robotics and assures students will enjoy it as well.

The response to the program has led Kohut on a new research path. When parents came to Kohut praising iPeer2Peer, they also wanted to be included. Kohut started wondering about “how [they were] going to get parents engaged and be able to support parents when they’re quite busy.”

With the award of $50,000 from Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, Dr. Kohut can now search for answers to these questions. Kohut believes parents “are a critical member of the health care team,” in that “research has shown that when parents take care of their own stress levels and their own mental health, it improves their child’s health outcomes.” The grant will contribute to creating an online workshop series specifically for parents of kids with IBD, in the hope that parents can learn how to

best support their child while also learning ways to manage their own mental health.

Receiving a research grant from Crohn’s and Colitis Canada feels “almost sweeter” for Kohut as “[she] can see that the tides are changing, so to speak, and people are recognizing the mental health piece.” From a research standpoint, Kohut appreciates the “live feedback from patients that shows me that my research is actually really helpful and [is] actually impacting the families directly.” Kohut says that the greatest reward, however, comes from working with families.

“When I see families and kids when they’re looking really well and healthy and they tell me about getting into school or getting into a play and just doing life and doing the things that are important to them, that’s number one.”

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09.16.2019

Editor | Sarah-May Edwardo Oldfield

New to UTM? RAWC your first year with the gym At no extra cost, UTM students have access to several services at the Recreational Athletic Wellness Center SARAH-MAY OLDFIELD S & H EDITOR

Most students at UTM know that we have a gym, the RAWC (Recreation, Athletics, Wellness Centre). UTM’s fitness centre houses state of the art features and amenities: a high-performance center (HPC) for strength conditioning programs, a three-lane 200 m running track, two multisport grass fields (North Field by the Instructional Building, and South Field behind the P8 parking lot), a 25 m, eight-lane pool, a fitness studio, a dance studio, and a large multiple purpose room that can be divided into two.

Students at other universities, like Western for example, have to pay a separate fee for access to their campus athletic facilities and programs.

Most students at UTM know that the RAWC exists, having walked through it on their way from the parking lot.

But most don’t know that they don’t have to pay an additional fee for the gym membership, or the numerous additional services that are free for members and students.

The RAWC offers a variety of athletic services and programs to its members. As a registered UTM student, you have access to most of these services for free, or at a membership discount. They offer several programs and certifications, of which you as a student get at discount.

The RAWC offers registered instruction classes, like self-defence, Wen-Do, hip hop and Latin dance classes, and martial arts like Aikido, Judo, and Tai-Chi. If you’re looking for certifications for work or school, or if you’re looking to take your career in fitness to the next level, you can take one of the RAWC’s certification programs. They have a UTM Personal Trainer Mentorship Program, First Aid and CPR certification courses, as well as the Canfitpro personal trainer specialist course and Canfitpro fitness instructor specialist course.

YASMEEN ALKOKA/THE MEDIUM

Welcome to the RAWC, where there is a gym, a pool, a track, and much, much more.

The RAWC has a ton of fitness and recreational activities, which are available on a drop-in basis, perfect for busy students with busy or unpredictable schedules. The RAWC also offers group fitness classes featuring dynamic fitness instructors. You can hop in on a cardio class, like Cardio Sculpt, Aqua Dance or the Barre Boot Camp. You can take a strength class, or one of their many mind and body classes like Pilates fit, yogalates, TaiChi and Yoga.

The RAWC also provides dropin sports hours—no commitment, informal gym times where you can grab a couple friends and just play.

The drop-in schedule is up on their website with various hours for dropin basketball, volleyball, soccer, badminton, cricket and squash—all subject to change with upcoming events.

And if you don’t have a ball, or a racquet, or even a towel, there’s no need to stress because you can sign one out with your t-card for free! The RAWC also features women’s only hours, open recreational lanes in the pool, child and adult swimming les-

What’s going on at the RAWC?

sons, Olympic weightlifting, and a locker rental service.

You can get personal training at the RAWC as well, but for a fee. You can pay for a few sessions of one-on-one personal training, or maybe a small group with you and a friend. They offer personal training for weight management, functional training, Olympic weightlifting, strength training, sports conditioning, and nutritional counselling. They also offer a few complimentary services, free services like fitness orientations, fitness consultations, fitness assessments, and fitness demos. Interested in some personal training? Go to the Trainers Welcome Desk at the RAWC, or Membership Services.

If none of the above interest you, you can try one of their Wellness Routes, guided walks free to members and the community that are programmed to engage you in activities that promote well-being. They’re health, wellness, or nature-themed walks through campus that are held almost weekly. Past routes include Seasonal Eating and Mindful Eating

UTM Tri-Campus Tryouts

Habits, Exam Break De-Stress Walk, and Find Motivation and Set Your Goal.

UTM’s RAWC, like most schools and campuses, offer different levels of competitive sport. At the lowest level are drop-in sports, and at the highest are Varsity sports. In addition to its drop-in sport hours, UTM students can compete at three levels: Intramurals, Tri-Campus, and Varsity. Intramurals is the UTM campus recreational league, which offers Open and Coed Basketball, Open and Coed Indoor soccer, Outdoor Soccer, Coed Volleyball, Open Cricket, Open Outdoor Ultimate Frisbee, and Coed Dodgeball.

In addition to these leagues, the RAWC will occasionally host Intramural tournaments like Badminton, Table Tennis and, new this year, Innertube Water Basketball. You can join the fun for free, all you need to do is sign-up online at IMleagues with your utoronto email and register a team, or just yourself as a free-agent, in any of the leagues you’re interested in. This level of sport is perfect for

Men’s Basketball Sept. 17 | Gym C | 9:30-11 p.m.

Women’s Hockey Sept. 18 | Clarkson Arena 10-11 p.m.

Women’s Basketball Sept. 18 | Gym A/B | 8-9:30 p.m.

Men’s Flag Football Sept. 17 | North Field | 7-8 p.m.

Men’s and Women’s Volleyball Sept. 18 | Gym A/B | 6-7:30 p.m.

Women’s Flag Football Sept. 17 | North Field | 6-7 p.m.

Men’s Hockey Sept. 22 | Huron Park Arena 8:45-9:45 p.m.

Men’s Cricket Sept. 17 | Gym C | 5-6:30 p.m.

students who a want a little more structure and competition, or for those that are trying something new for the first time.

The next highest level of competition above UTM Intramurals is the U of T Tri-Campus league. The TriCampus league is a higher level of intramural sport in which you represent your campus, in this case UTM. As a Tri-Campus athlete, you have a coach, one practice per week, and one game per week in which you compete against U of T’s other campuses (UTSC, and the two St. George teams, Black and Red). You can enter the competition by showing up at one of the tryouts or by emailing the coach of the team you want to be a part of.

The Tri-Campus program is perfect for students that want a little more competition than UTM Intramurals but aren’t interested in making the large commitment to Varsity. And yes, this is also free.

The highest level of competition is UTM’s Varsity Eagle program which, unlike the Varsity Blues that represent the whole of U of T, competes in the OCAA (Ontario Colleges Athletic Association) and represents just UTM. The Varsity Eagles athletic program is one of the youngest in the OCAA, but it’s steadily becoming more competitive with representation at the provincial and national levels.

UTM athletes and coaches have received numerous awards and high recognition by the OCAA. Last year, UTM hosted its first Provincials tournament (Badminton) and they’re set to host their first Nationals as well in 2020. The UTM Varsity Eagle sports include Badminton, Cross Country, Women’s and Men’s Soccer, and Women’s and Men’s Basketball.

There’s something for everyone at the RAWC, and you only have to be a registered student.

Did we mention most of these are free?

Coed Ultimate Frisbee Sept. 17 | North Field | 5-6 p.m.

Varsity Eagles Tryouts Badminton Sept. 17 | Gym A | 7-9 p.m.

Sept. 19 | Gym C | 7-9 p.m.

UTM Intramurals Deadline to register a team or as a free agent for indoor sports: Sept. 18

09.16.2019 THE MEDIUM SPORTS» 15

St. Clair Saints steal UTM Eagles home opener UTM men’s soccer takes tough loss in first home game of season, and first of a weekend double-header SARAH-MAY OLDIELD S & H EDITOR

The UTM Varsity Men’s Soccer team played their first home game of the 2019-2020 season, and the first of a double-header weekend against Windsor’s St. Clair Saints. Our Eagles looked to follow up their win over the Mohawk Mountaineers last weekend, a 2-0 victory. However, they fell 1-3 in a hard-fought fight to the visiting St. Clair Saints.

UTM conceded a goal earlier in the match, with a quick assisted goal in the left corner by St. Clair’s Matt Montaleone at the four-minute mark. Despite the early concession, UTM stayed composed and aggressive, and answered with a goal of their own. Just two minutes in, UTM’s number six, Jaiman Rehal, hit a sniper of a shot in the high right upper corner, tying the match at 1-1.

The match intensified with our Eagles playing with great physicality and aggressiveness, which St. Clair matched. They played a little too physical, picking up early fouls leading to multiple free kicks to the Saints and a yellow card for number

JULIA HEALY/THE MEDIUM

UTM’s very own Varsity Men’s Soccer Team had their first game and first loss of the season. five Jasjack Bharma.

Despite multiple opportunities from free kicks and attempts at goal, defender Andre Pinto made critical defensive plays down the stretch to keep the Saints from taking over.

Unlike the Women’s team who played just before, the Men’s team

matched St. Clair shot-for-shot in shots on goal. In the winding minutes of the first half of the match, at the 39-minute mark St. Clair’s Evan Mendonca scored another goal in the bottom right corner through the fingers of goalkeeper Andrey Volkov. The Saints entered half-time

with a 1-2 lead over the UTM Eagles.

The Eagles started their second half of the match with the same aggressiveness and physicality they began the game with, once again forcing St. Clair to match them blow for blow. Despite a few good opportunities to score, with shots on goal

by number six Jaiman Rehal and number nine Mohammad Golmakani being shot too wide off target or being stopped by the visiting goalkeeper.

A defensive lapse lead to St. Clair’s Bastien Aguilera shooting and scoring a shot in the bottom corner with ten minutes left to play in the match.

Despite their efforts, the Eagles weren’t able to close the gap and lost to the Saints, 1-3.

Following the defeat, Assistant Coach Corey Baker encouraged his players to take the loss as a learning experience, by taking responsibility for their mistakes and looking at ways to avoid making them again.

This was just the second game in the Eagles season, and the first home game.

They hope to build on their success from last season where they made it to the OCAA provincials for the first time in the program’s history, in which they placed sixth overall in the province.

The Varsity Men’s Soccer team hopes to bounce back in the second game of a back-to-back against the visiting Lambton Lions, from Sarnia Ontario.

The health effects of recreational cannabis use After nearly a year since its legalization, marijuana research is still inconclusive as to the drug’s health effects NOORBIR BHATIA ASSOCIATE S & H EDITOR

Cannabis, or marijuana as we all know it, has been legal for almost a year. The drug was legalised across Canada on October 17, 2018, with the federal government providing clearly stated rules and regulations to buy, sell, grow, and use.

As for the health and social effects that cannabis poses, young adults are most affected and they are the ones responsible for the majority of the drug’s consumption.

There are both short-term and long-term impacts caused by the use of cannabis. The most common immediate health dangers imposed by the drug include cyclic vomiting syndrome and burns, as found by Fiona Clement and her team at the University of Calgary in their research on human cannabis consumption.

Other health concerns include risk of stroke, testicular cancer, and brain changes affecting efficient learning and/or causing impairment in memory (short-term and long-term). It has also been discovered that there

KIMZY NANNEY/UNSPLASH.COM

Research is being done concerning cannabis and its health effects almost a year since legalization. is a consistent link between cannabis consumption and mental illness. Although these are not immediate effects of consuming the drug in large amounts, these risks can still be considered harmful to one’s health over

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UTM Athletics Game Scores & Updates

longer periods of time.

Another adverse effect this drug has on your mental health is impaired decision-making. Cannabis consumption slows your decision-making abilities, making you more prone

to accidents and injury.

Impaired driving is one of the major risks of cannabis consumption.

Although the research has identified all these detrimental health effects of consuming the drug, the mental

health effects have been found to be the most powerful compared to the risks of cancer and stroke.

Nevertheless, there is still a long way to go for research on cannabis and its health effects. Currently, there are only weak links associated with cannabis use and an individual’s mental and physical health.

For example, there is an associative, but not a causal, connection between a highly potent form of cannabis, THC, which is the main mindaltering ingredient in cannabis, and the chances of developing psychotic disorders.

In the largest study of cannabis consumption, about 900 people from 11 psychiatric-service sites across Europe and Brazil were treated for their first episode of psychosis. It is very important to note that despite the research conducted, only associative evidence is available, meaning that all the results are reported to the researchers by the clinics or service centres. This means that the data is secondary, and moreover it is not peer-reviewed, so the conclusion of these findings has yet to be tested and verified.

Varsity Eagles Men’s and Women’s Soccer vs St. Clair Saints Sat. Sept. 14 Women’s - UTM: 0 St. Clair: 6

Men’s - UTM: 1 St. Clair 3

Next Game: Fri. Sept. 20 at Redeemer Royals

Varsity Eagles Cross Country Women’s 6k : UTM places 1st overall

Men’s 6k: UTM places 6th overall

16

«COFFEE TIME

THE MEDIUM 09.16.2019

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Down: 1. allegedly the "best" catering company on campus 2. the longest line can be found here 3. what students buy from the bookstore 4. UTM's mascot 10. the oldest building on campus 12. the most crowded place to study on campus 14. the student representatives of UTM 15. the U of T portal 16. the colour of the CFRE radio walls

COME OUT T O T H E M E D I U M ' S ®A N N U A L

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Meet & Greet MEET THE TEAM & LEARN ABOUT THE MEDIUM

Across: 5. the animal UTM is most famous for 6. everyone's favourite economics professor 7. where you can buy bubble tea 8. what does RAWC stand for 9. UTM's first name 11. the new North Building's name 13. principal's name 17. the University of Toronto's student information service 18. the number of majors at UTM 19. who supplies the bus pass 20. the cheapest place to buy food on campus

25 E Pcustom T E Mworksheet B E R 2at0education.com/worksheet-generator 19 Build yourSown F I V E I N T H E E V E N I N G© 2007 - 2019 Education.com

THE MEDIUM OFFICE STUDENT CENTRE ROOM 200