Vol 45 Issue 16

THE VOICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA

January 28, 201 9 Volume 45, Issue 16 themedium.c a

UTMSU Pres. new CFS Chair

Ford vs OSAP: Let’s discuss

Blithe Spirit: a haunting love

UTM’s lends a global hand

Roberts has his eye on the ball

News, page 3

Opinion, page 4

Arts, page 5

Features, page 8

Sports, page 11

PC government OSAP announcement The provincial government has announced prospective changes to post-secondary tuition and fees MELISSA BARRIENTOS ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR On January 17, the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities announced a 10 per cent tuition rate cut on all publicly-assisted college and universities in Ontario for the 20192020 academic year.

“By lowering tuition across the entire province,” Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities said in a CBC interview, “our government is ensuring that all qualified Ontario students will have more affordable access to high quality skills, training and education.”

In the same day, Fullerton also announced several changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), following Ontario’s Auditor General’s report on the provincial program.

The OSAP changes for the 20192020 academic year will include a lower family income threshold for loans and grants eligibility, the elimination of free tuition for low family income students, the elimination of the non-needs-based portion of the grants, and the elimination of the interest-free six-month grace period.

Fullerton also announced a Student Choice Initiative which allows students in Ontario to choose which student or external organizations they wish to support and receive its services from and which organization they would prefer to opt out from.

“Student fees in Ontario can range as high as $2,000 per year and, too often, force students to pay for services they do not use and organizations they do not support,” said Fullerton in a government media release, “We will ensure students have transparency and freedom of choice regarding the campus services and organizations which get access to their money.”

Who will be affected?

The decisions made by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities will only affect students in Ontario.

International students’ tuition fees are decided by individual post-secondary institutions. International students are also not eligible for OSAP loans or grants as OSAP is for Ontario residents who are Canadian Citizens or permanent residents.

The Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities also took to twitter to reaffirm how they will help international students: “At colleges, we’ve ensured fee increases for Int[ernational] students are capped at

20% a year!”

How did the government changes come about?

On December 5, 2018, the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario released Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk’s 2018 Annual Report. In the report, Lysyk noted that when OSAP eligibility and non-refundable grants expanded in the 2017-18 academic year, by the previous government, the number of students receiving aid rose by 25 per cent while enrolment rose

increase from the 2016-17 cost.

Additionally, Lysyk noted that the Ministry’s limited data on OSAP recipients made it difficult to determine if the previous government’s changes actually helped under-represented groups gain access to post-secondary education.

“The fact that 27 per cent of mature students already attending postsecondary institutions last year only qualified for grants in the 2017/18 academic year helps explain why the higher number of recipients is not re-

semester (5.0 credits per academic year), tuition per year costs $6,780, excluding incidental fees. With the 10 per cent tuition cut the same student will see their tuition come down to $6,102, saving $678 per academic year.

The 10 per cent tuition cut will also affect colleges and universities, since a portion of their income will be reduced.

During an interview with Matt Galloway on CBC Radio’s Metro Morning, Fullerton stated that the

DESIGN BY ALEXA NEVES-HUA/THE MEDIUM

The decisions made will only affect students in Ontario. by only 2 per cent.

“We concluded that a large portion of new OSAP recipients were already attending college or university — and paying for it by themselves or with loans — even before they qualified for the new aid,” said Lysyk after tabling her report in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. “As this was the first year for the new eligibility rules, it may not yet be possible to draw long-term conclusions, but it certainly bears watching.”

Under the 2017-18 changes the government projected in the 2018 Budget that OSAP would cost the province $2 billion annually by the 2020-21 fiscal year, a 50 per cent net

flected in the more modest enrolment increase,” Lysyk continued.

“We noted that the number of students who had been out of high school for at least four years and who received OSAP increased 33 per cent from the 2016/17 to 2017/18 academic years, and that close to 30 per cent of them said on their applications that they were living with their parents.

The Ministry did not know whether the students actually needed OSAP support.”

10 per cent tuition cut For a full-time domestic student at UTM going for an Honours Bachelor of Arts and taking five courses per

tuition cut will not result in a 10 per cent reduced revenue for post-secondary institutions.

“The tuition reduction of 10 per cent across the board is there for all students,” stated Fullerton, “and I think that’s an important point. It’s going to only translate to a 2 per cent to 4 per cent reduction for the institution.”

“There are some institutions that we have set up a fund to make sure that, if they have issues […] they will communicate with us and we will find a way forward,” Fuller added.

“But universities, many of them, have multiple sources of revenue and this should not be disregarded. This is a

very important point. Some have surpluses every year.”

The Ministry also reaffirmed that, “the government will administer a fund to help smaller, Northern institutions adjust to the tuition rate reduction.”

The “Student Choice Initiative” Students will have the option to opt out of student and external organizations in the upcoming 2019-20 academic year. As previously reported by The Medium, incidental fees for full time undergraduate UTM students total up to $827.67 per academic year.

The incidental fees UTM students pay for include UTMSU services, the Health and Dental plan, the Recreation, Athletics and Wellness Centre (RAWC), Hart House, the UTM Radio CFRE, St. George’s newspaper The Varsity, and UTM’s Athletic Council.

On January 21, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations expressed their discontent with the initiative, arguing it threatened to reduce or eliminate the student services that students have voted for previously in referendums.

“Without enough buy-in from students, who now also have to deal with the pressures of reduced financial aid, the services available on post-secondary campuses will suffer cuts or disappear entirely”, CASA stated.

“It’s more important than ever that students be informed about the services provided by their student associations on campus, and that they stand up for them,” said Adam Brown, CASA Chair and University of Alberta Students’ Union VP External. “This includes non-partisan advocacy work, which is critical for keeping governments and school administrations accountable, and for making sure there are consequences when students’ needs are ignored.”

Emily Arboleda, a second year political science student and volunteer for UTM’s Sexual Education Center (SEC), told The Medium, “Taking the perspective of a volunteer here, if not enough students are paying for them, then the organizations aren’t being funded, and it’s taking away from all the students […]”

“In my opinion, it takes away from the student experience […] of getting to know people and to participate in organizations like this,” Arboleda continued. “[Student organizations] benefit the students and the school in some way.”

OSAP continued on page 2

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THE MEDIUM 01.28.2019

Initiative raises concerns OSAP continued from page 1

January 17th , 2019 Towed Vehicle A vehicle was towed off campus for parking in an unauthorized area.

January 17th , 2019 Police Assisstance Campus Police attended the CCT building for a staff member experiencing medical distress. The staff member was transported to hospital.

January 18th , 2019 Police Assisstance Campus Police attended CCT for a student experiencing medical distress. The student was gone on arrival.

January 19th , 2019 Trespass to Property RAWC staff contacted Campus Police for a student wrongfully entering the gym facilities. The student used another student’s tcard to enter the RAWC. Both students were trespassing from the gym until they spoke with the RAWC manager.

January 21st , 2019 Suspicious Person Campus Police received a report of a male yelling at students by the bus stop. Campus Police searched the area but the male was gone on arrival.

January 22nd , 2019 Suspicious Person Students reported to Campus Police that a male was on campus with signs declaring the end of the world and political propaganda.

Campus Police located the male and trespassed him from campus. The male left campus without incident.

January 23rd , 2019 Police Assisstance Campus Police and EMS attended Deerfield Hall for a student experiencing medical distress.

The student declined transport to hospital.

January 17th , 2019 Theft A student reported the theft of their beats solo headphones.

January 18th , 2019 Police Assisstance Campus Police and ECSpeRT attended the RAWC for a student experiencing medical distress.

January 18th , 2019 Theft A student reported the theft of their laptop from a lecture hall in Kaneff.

January 21st , 2019 Police Assisstance Campus Police and EMS attended Deerfield Hall for a student experiencing medical distress.

The student declined transport to hospital.

January 21st , 2019 Theft A student reported the theft of their laptop from the TFC. The student put their laptop down to grab utensils and when they went to pick their laptop up, it was no longer there.

January 22nd , 2019 Theft A student left their wallet in Starbucks. When the student went to retrieve their wallet, it was no longer there.

January 23rd , 2019 Police Assisstance Campus Police attended the RAWC for a male experiencing medical distress. EMS attended and the male was transported to hospital.

These reports are those that have been released to The Medium and do not necessarily constitute an exhaustive list.

Students can contact the UTM Campus Police at 905 828 5200, Peel Regional Police at 905 453 3311, or Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222 8477.

Anyone with information regarding any of these incidents, or any other incident, is requested to contact the UTM Campus Police at 905828-5200, Peel Regional Police at 905-453-3311, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

“I can imagine people wouldn’t want to choose to pay for [SEC services], especially for a lot of the conservative students around,” said Minah Tariq, the SEC’s co-head executive. “That would be pretty bad for the SEC and students, and for all the resident kids that need these things because they can’t afford […] these sexuality resources.”

“We are concerned with how our funding will be gathered given the implementation of the Student Choice Initiative, as well as how it will impact how we operate as an office,” added Aalam Virk, SEC’s cohead executive. “Our funding is used to provide costly resources such as condoms, insertive condoms, dental dams, and pregnancy tests.”

“With funding being jeopardized, our ability to provide these resources to the student body is also jeopardized. Our peer support service is made possible by the large volunteer base we have at UTM SEC. Without adequate funding we see providing resources for a large volunteer base another issue SEC could face in the wake of the Student Choice Initiative.”

How the changes will affect you The Ministry has lowered the family income threshold for the OSAP loans and grants for the 2019-20 academic year.

The cut-off for OSAP grants will be at $130,000 annual family income, meaning annual income equal or above $130,000 will not receive any OSAP grants. According to the calculator on OSAP’s official website, students whose annual family income is $110,000 are eligible to receive up to $300 in grants, at $90,000 eligible students can receive up to $1,400 in grants, at $70,000 eligible students can receive up to $4,400 in grants, and at $50,000 or under eligible students can receive up to $4,800 in grants.

Last year, low-income students received a full grant to cover all their tuition fees. In the 2019-20 academic year, low-income students will receive a mix of grants and loans to cover their tuition fees.

In the Ministry’s report of the OSAP changes they ensure grants will primarily go to low-income students so that they may have access to post-secondary education. The report states that the changes will “ensure 82 per cent of grants will go to students with a family income of less than $50,000, up from 76 per cent under the previous government.”

The Ministry has also changed the definition of an ‘independent student’, meaning students who live independently and earn less than $50,000 a year might not cut the threshold in the upcoming year since their family income will also be taken into consideration.

The Ministry stated that OSAP will

“change the definition of independent student for Ontario aid to a student who has been out of school for six years, up from four years, with parental income factored into the OSAP needs assessment for students up to six years out of high school, to address concerns outlines in the recent Auditor general’s report.”

“I’m part of the first generation in my family who’s going to college.” Arboleda said to The Medium, “There’s the pressure of ‘okay you live in this country now, you have to go to school,’ and OSAP had allowed that to be real for a lot of people.”

For the first time since OSAP was established the Ministry has removed the six-month interest-free grace period for the 2019-20 academic year.

This means interest on OSAP loans will begin to accumulate as soon as a student graduates.

In response to the removal of the grace period, Fullerton told CBC news, “It’s very important to understand that OSAP is an integrated program. It’s got a federal component and a provincial component. Now, what’s happened is a lot of people think that they have to start paying right away and they don’t. The interest starts accruing right away. And that’s aligning with the federal portion.”

Four online petitions protesting the Ford government’s OSAP changes have gathered more than 223,000 signatures as of Friday afternoon.

Tensions high at QSS Student services up in the air after government announcement MDUDUZI MHLANGA

The Quality Service to Students council (QSS) meeting took place this past Monday. This organization is responsible for primarily offering recommendations regarding the operation and funding of UTM and centralized student services.

The meeting focused largely on the university’s reaction to the Doug Ford Government’s announcement which will affect the QSS fees to be discussed.

Dean of Student Affairs Mark Overton, as well as former UTMSU President and current CFS-O Chairperson Nour Alideeb, discussed a technical briefing of what the Ford government’s reforms entail. Overton stated, “everyone that I know of who works in this area […] is disturbed and distressed about what this could mean, because it has the potential to have an impact on every service we discussed here […] and probably an even greater impact on student government, student societies, [and] student councils.”

“We recognize the impact this could have, and the university and the campus certainly want to help as best as we can when we’re supposed to be non-political, but we also have the ability to position services and to align with student groups and organizations in different ways,” Overton further remarked.

“This is the biggest thing probably that’s happened to student services impact-wise in twenty years […] A lot of us have not slept well this week

and part of it is just the mystery […] it seems it’s going to be bad.”

Regardless of the provincial government’s actions, Overton stated that the university is “dedicated to providing as much service as we can to our students.”

Speaking on behalf of the students’ union, Executive Director of the UTMSU Munib Sajjad stated, “We’re really scared and really upset about this announcement.” Sajjad went onto highlight that the government’s announcement might affect negotiations related to the dental plan, U-Pass and what services could be declared as an “essential” service.

“Everything we do, we believe, is essential to the healthy, good functioning of the university and the students.”

“We should have a united stance when it comes to how we react,” stated Sajjad.

When asked what discretion the university might have in declaring which services are “essential,” Overton stated that the university would try to argue that “all services that we provide are essential […] everything we do, we believe, is essential to the healthy, good functioning of the university and the students.”

UTMSU President Felipe Negata sympathized with QSS attendees in regard to the government’s actions

regarding student services, and further expressed his concerns about the overall rising costs of education with the government’s proposed changes to OSAP and grants.

Nagata called on students to come together at this time: “Let’s unite and make sure the government’s hearing our voices because this is actually really scary. Future generations are doomed if we don’t take action right now.”

The QSS needs formal motions by members before fees to go to the Campus Affairs committee. With regard to the health services fee, the QSS voted for the sessional fee of all full-time students at UTM to be increased to $50.57, and $10.11 for part-time students, a year over year increase of $4.51 and $.90 respectively.

With regard to the recreation and athletics fees (RAWC), the QSS voted to increase the sessional fee for full-time students at UTM to $203.84 and $40.77 for part-time students, a year over year increase of $6.55 and $1.31 respectively.

With respect to the Student services fee, the QSS voted to increase the sessional fee for full-time students at the UTM campus to $193.28 and $38.66 for part-time students, a year over year increase of $3.38 and $.68 respectively.

On February 11th and March 5th, Alideeb will be reporting this information to the Campus affairs committee, the Campus Council, as well as the University Affairs Board and they will have the final vote on these aforementioned budget proposals.

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Nagata elected to CFS-O

01.28.2019 THE MEDIUM NEWS

UTMSU President Felipe Nagata recently became CFS- Chairperson

HUMANS OF UTM

JULIA HEALY/THE MEDIUM

Nagata plans on creating an action plan around education and mobilization.

MIHAIL CUBATA

UTMSU President Felipe Nagata recently became the newly elected Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students Ontario (CFS-O).

Nagata’s election comes in the wake of the Ontario government announcing major changes to post-secondary funding.

“It’s a scary time to be a student in Ontario,” Nagata told The Medium over email correspondence.

“Unfortunately, the provincial government has made significant changes that will negatively affect students across Ontario,” said Nagata, referring to several new policies imposed by the Ontario Progressive Conserva-

tive party, including a guaranteed four per cent cut to institutional funding and the reduction of non-repayable grants. He worries that these changes could make a university degree unrealistic for low-income students. “I believe education is a right,” Nagata stated. “Post-secondary education should not only be accessible to those who can afford it.”

Nagata says he plans on reaching out to student groups and unions across the province to create an action plan around education and mobilization. “Their involvement can be with petition collection, direct action, outreach, canvassing and so much more,” he says.

Nagata also hopes more UTM students will get involved, and encour-

ages anyone interested to visit the UTMSU office to find out how they can help.

Despite the challenges he faces, Nagata remains optimistic about his new position. “I decided, not very long ago, that I wanted to continue my time helping people across the globe to access post-secondary education, regardless of their income, ability or identity,” he stated. “I hope to unite student voices across the province and take this opportunity to educate people on what a post-secondary education could actually be: free and accessible for all.”

Negata will start his transition as CFS-O chairperson in May, and will officially begin the position on June 1, 2019.

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I feel like there are three things that help. One is having a good support system; having your friends and people that will help you stay positive when things aren’t going all that well. The second is taking care of yourself and realizing that your healthand your sanity are more important than any of your commitments. The third is having good time management skills and doing things like writing down a list of all the tasks you have to do, and making sure that you are prioritizing and sitting down at the beginning of the day and planning everything that needs to get done, and then accepting that some of it won’t get done and understanding which tasks are okay to push off for later.

OSAP protests Students marched against OSAP changes

Student coalition created APARNA GOPALAKRISHNAN In an emergency motion presented during the board of directors meeting on January 23, 2019, the UTMSU discussed plans to form a coalition of students aimed at creating an action plan against the Ontario government’s announced changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP).

The agenda for the meeting also included motions to increase fees for the UTMSU’s academic societies, the ECSpert food bank, the student refugee program, and the Mi-Way UPass Program. The agenda also motioned for the appointment of directors from Divisions 1 and 2 to join an ad-hoc committee for the selection of a new Health and Dental Insurance Plan for the 2019-20 Fall/Winter session onwards, following the separation of the UTMSU and the UTSU. This ad-hoc committee will be tasked with meeting providers and brokers, conducting an in-depth study on the various plans put forward, as well as shortlisting two to three providers that would produce the most optimum benefits for UTM students. One of the providers will then be picked as the main health and dental plan provider come the 201920 academic year.

The meeting proceeded to vote on the fee increases of student societies and other levy groups. The student society fee was increased by 2.3 per cent from $14.86 to $15.20 per session per full-time student and from $1.10 to $1.13 per session per parttime student.

The academic society fee was in-

creased from $1.08 to $1.10 per student, the food bank fee from $0.59 to $0.60 per student, the student refugee program fee from $1.16 to $1.19 per student, and the fee for the studentrun emergency response team, ECSpert, from $0.56 to $0.57 per student.

The fees for the UPass program, arranged by way of a contract with the city of Mississauga, were increased by 7.5 per cent, from $116.40 to $125.13 per session per student, for the Fall/ Winter term and increased by 6.5 per cent, from $154.50 to $164.54 per session per student, for the Summer term. This motion was passed unanimously after the members were informed if they didn’t do so, the UTMSU would have to bear the cost of the increase.

Finally, a presentation was given

by VP External Atif Abdullah on the Ford government’s announcement on January 17. He explained how the proposed 10 per cent reduction in tuition, not applicable to international students, would not be compensated by a government subsidy, implying that the university would essentially face a cut in its funding from the provincial government. To compensate for this reduction, an increase in international student tuition and conversion of more programs into the “deregulated fees” model may be considered.

Abdullah further emphasized how this announcement would affect every student in either a direct or indirect manner. Students from lower income families of less than $50,000 per year would not be given a 100 per cent grant, and would be forced

to take a loan. The 6-month grace period for interest on student loans will also be eliminated, and the $500 technology allowance, previously granted annually, will now only be given once for a student’s entire period of study.

Abdullah also reiterated the impact of this announcement on student unions as it would deem certain, “non-essential,” fees optional, which would allow students to opt-out of student union membership fees and fees of other student societies and clubs, thereby significantly reducing the budget of the UTMSU and other student societies like the Sexual Education Centre, ECSpert, and CFRE, as well as the part-time jobs they offer to students on campus.

Abdullah called for the board to pass a motion creating a coalition of students to create an action plan to resist and protest these changes by encouraging students of different groups to participate in weekly meetings with the UTMSU. “We want to create a plan with [students], rather than for them, to [raise] a single student voice in the province,” commented Abdullah as motivation to pass this motion.

The motion also included plans to meet with MPPs to discuss the OSAP changes, and ask why these changes were made with limited student consultation. They also hope to investigate the possibility of legally challenging these changes.

“Be excited, be angry [because] it is time to stand up [for ourselves] and deny cuts to investments in our education,” said Abdullah on the issue before the board unanimously voted in favor of creating the student coalition.

CFS ONTARIO/TWITTER.COM

Students at the rally chanted about the attack on their education.

ZAINAB UMAR

On January 25, thousands of students marched from Yonge and Dundas square to Queen’s Park to protest the announcement made by the Ontario government regarding the prospective changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP).

On Facebook, over 4,400 people said they would be going to the “March Against OSAP Cuts” protest, and another 22,000 said they were interested in attending.

“This year, the Ontario government has decided to target our right to education through the recent OSAP reform,” read the event description.

Students at the rally repeatedly chanted that they were not consulted about the changes and that they were a direct attack on their freedom and their education. Signs reading “access to education for all” and “fund our education” were carried by protestors throughout the march, and many students argued that they would be burdened with additional debt if the government makes changes to OSAP. Second year life sciences student

Natalia Espinosa told The Medium she joined the protest to remind the Ontario government that “education is important, and it is what allows for individuals to bring in valuable assets and improve the state of a country.

Education allows us to move forward […] in positive ways and it should be an option to all.”

“Personally, I rely heavily on OSAP as I come from a low-income family made up of a single parent,” Espinosa continued. “I will have to begin thinking and searching for a sustainable job at the end of my bachelors.”

Organizers of the march argued that the changes made to university fees would fail to capture the essence of the university experience. They went on to say that clubs, societies, initiatives, scholarships and research opportunities would all be effected.

Petitions have been set up to strike down the government’s plan to establish the changes, and student representatives are working to be involved in future discussions on OSAP. A second protest, the “ProvinceWide March for Students’ Rights,” is scheduled for Monday, February 4.

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01.28.2019

MASTHEAD EDITORS Editor-in-Chief Mahmoud Sarouji editor@themedium.ca Managing Editor Alicia Boatto managing@themedium.ca

It’s time for the Ford Government to clarify their stance on OSAP

News Ali Taha news@themedium.ca A&E Paula Cho arts@themedium.ca Features Jessica Cabral features@themedium.ca Sports Vanessa Cesario sports@themedium.ca — Photo Yasmeen Alkoka photos@themedium.ca Design Alexa Neves-Hua design@themedium.ca Copy Mahnoor Ayub copy@themedium.ca Online Olivia Adamczyk online@themedium.ca ASSOCIATES News Kayvon Aflaki Melissa Barrientos A&E Srijan Sahu Features Fatima Adil Liayana Jondy Kevin Kim Sports Amrish Wagle Photo Julia Healy Brittany Semplonius

MATTHEW USHERWOOD/IPOLITICS.CA

Copy TBA

Dear editor,

GENERAL STAFF

In a recent interview with CBC, Ontario’s minister of training, Colleges and Universities Merrilee Fullerton argued that the drastic changes introduced by the Ford government are hardly of any concern. Following the outcry of students regarding the wholly unjust and frankly ambivalent nature of the OSAP changes, Fullerton argued that the recent changes were meant to aid students in their postsecondary education and not hinder it. The response comes after the Ford government announced that the Ontario government would only finance low income families that make an income of less than $50,000 a year, and Fullerton further clarified that the six-month grace period still is in place, despite interest accruing on the loans. Despite the interviewer’s objection that this would no doubt raise the bar for students hoping to obtain financial aid in order to fund

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their postsecondary education, Fullerton further went on to state that the new changes are meant to empower students going into postsecondary education, or even postgraduate studies, emphasizing that the conservative government has the students’ best interests at heart.

To this end, Fullerton stated that such changes are meant to provide more “freedom of choice” for students as well.

It is unclear whether Fullerton, or in fact the Ford government has any idea of what the phrase “freedom of choice” entails. If the conservative government makes it their intention to “empower” students as they brazenly acclaim, they would do better than to make an already muddled situation all the more confusing. Fullerton’s response only serves to muddy the waters further and does not alleviate the condition of students who are hoping to complete their undergraduate degrees or have any hopes of financing their

higher education. Fullerton and the Ford government seems hell-bent in promoting the idea that the 10 per cent off tuition would be a suitable rejoinder for these changes that are currently being put in place. However, this proves small comfort to the students that will no doubt be mired in the bog of student loans that will no doubt follow them well into their later lives and careers.

What is even more infuriating is the fact that Fullerton proceeds to place the blame squarely upon the shoulders of the liberal government for subsidizing high tuition fees, extrapolating the fact that such actions would cost Ontario taxpayers almost 2 billion dollars in 2020 – 2021. However, with these recent changes it is increasingly evident that the Ford government is less interested in student futures and higher education than undoing anything that the previous liberal government, for all their faults, has established. The move by the Ford

government not only speaks volumes with regards to their view of student futures as nothing but an afterthought, but also exposes the fact that the government is more interested in simple cutbacks and increasing their coffers. More importantly, the ruling government must make it a habit to not place blame upon the previous governments for their perceived ineptitude, and instead work towards rectifying them without resorting to politicizing every single issue. These changes are set in place for September 2019, amidst vehement student protest.

It is high time, therefore, to protest these changes and to introduce legislation that would actually alleviate the burden of student loans, instead of outright cutbacks being disguised as freedoms meant to “empower” students.

ADRIAN PERIES FOURTH YEAR, ENGLISH SPECIALIST

01.28.2019

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Blithe Spirit: a lightheartedly morbid escape Theatre Erindale’s production of Blithe Spirit depicts socialite Charles Condomine as layered opportunist REBECCA FLEMISTER STAFF WRITER

Theatre Erindale’s production of Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit, directed

by Melee Hutton, invites audiences to escape into a world of 1940’s wit and glamour from the moment they enter the theatre. Audience members are greeted in the lobby with a pre-show act performed by secondyear theatre students Clara Lambert and Ilana Ben-David. The pair don 1940’s ticket taker outfits, sing period appropriate tunes, and mingle with the audience as they enter the theatre.

Described as “An Improbable Farce in Three Acts,” Blithe Spirit is full of surprises, disappearances, reappearances, and a finale act that threatens to bring the house down (literally). This World War II era comedy follows socialite and mystery novelist Charles Condomine (Lucas Blakley) and his wife Ruth (Gillian Clare), who invite medium and clairvoyant Madame Arcati (Kyra Keith) to their home

JOE TAYLOR/THEATRE ERINDALE/FACEBOOK.COM

Blithe Spirit invites audiences to escape into a world of 1940’s wit and glamour. to perform a séance as research for Charles’ next book. In the process, the ghost of Charles’ deceased first wife (Lindsay Wu) is brought back from the dead.

One of the challenges of bringing a WWII era comedy back to life is navigating the cultural changes that have taken place since it was first written. In the directors note for the show, Hutton notes that, “Through modern eyes Blithe Spirit

can certainly smack of misogyny.

Charles, out of context, can come across as some ‘poor chap’ beleaguered by insufferable women.”

Hutton and her cast actively push against this reading of the play and artfully kept all the characters on a level playing field. Coward once said of these characters, “You can’t sympathise with any of them. If there was a heart it would be a sad story.”

In this production, that’s not quite

true. Each member of the main love triangle manages to be loathsome in one moment and empathetic in the next. Although none of the characters are all together likable, the cast does a fantastic job of making them feel human.

This production avoids pitting Charles as either a victim or a total misogynist, but instead negotiates between these two positions. Charles is tactfully portrayed by Blakley as

an opportunist, naively trying to maneuver through a wholly unpredictable situation. Blakely manages to make his character lovable and hateable all at once and adds range to a character that could easily be viewed as one note.

Although Elvira’s motivations are generally questionable, Wu’s energy and talent for physical comedy allows the audience to relish in the chaos that she creates right alongside of her.

Clare dazzles in the role of Ruth.

Though Ruth is a woman who requires control and strives for perfection, Clare’s Ruth is in no way insufferable. Her eloquence, poise, and knowing glances leave the audience with no doubt that she is capable of matching wits with anyone, and though the character’s confidence often veers towards condescension, at her core she appears to be predominantly motivated by her love for her husband, which can be seen in the unmistakable chemistry between Clare and Blakely.

Blithe continued on page 7

Madeline Nixon on paranormal activity in Feathers Nixon discusses taking UTM’s Making a Book course and her experience with paranormal activity KEENA ALWAHAIDI ASSOCIATE A&E EDITOR When Madeline Nixon graduated from UTM’s Professional Writing and English programs this past June, she expected to be a working writer in due time. It wasn’t until the launch of her self-published book, Feathers, that she welcomed in prospects that shattered her writer’s block down the middle.

Feathers, as Nixon describes it, is a “collection of short stories” about her “life and experiences with paranormal things,” even mentioning a séance that occurs in one chapter of her book.

When I sit down with Nixon at her home in Oakville, she’s holding her foster-sibling on her lap. When we talk about Feathers, she reveals that she originally wanted to write about the foster children her family sponsors from time to time.

“I was going to have a bunch of different chapters about each child that we’ve fostered. I was going to have five of them, but when I was writing it, one of the last ones hadn’t been settled yet, so I didn’t know how to finish it. I didn’t want to leave it open, and it presented too many challenges […] and then I started making a list of all my ghostly encounters. I came up with twenty-seven and narrowed it down to twenty-two!”

When she reveals other struggles

YASMEEN ALKOKA/THE MEDIUM

Madeline Nixon self-published Feathers through the Professional Writing program at UTM. that she encountered in the process, she cites something interesting: the actual writing of the book. She said sitting down to write was surprisingly the biggest challenge she was forced to face. “I feel like a lot of authors say this—writing is just challenging. I procrastinated so much. I started in August and I did not write all of September, and then in October I knew I had to finish it by January.”

Although sticking with her craft was an obstacle, Nixon relays that the PWC program’s Making a Book course, where she masterfully created Feathers, posed its own hardships along the way. Using Adobe InDesign, she found the software “daunting” as she began to understand its ways. She says that it was “very chal-

lenging to master at first,” and that “it’s a steep learning curve—you sit in front of the computer and you’re like, what is this?”

She describes the course itself as “heavy” and that one must selfprepare in anticipation for its load.

When we discuss the mixed feelings that students have over the program’s courses, Nixon credits the program with teaching her how to write “professionally as opposed to creatively.”

Nixon hints that if students are leaning towards writing creatively, that it’s a huge boost for the university for introducing the new creative writing program. She said she “loved” the PWC program, but wished she could have taken classes in creative writing and laments at its absence during her

undergraduate career.

Since she used the program to selfpublish Feathers, Nixon had much marketing to do on her part of the deal. In October, she launched a book signing at the local Indigo in Oakville and said that while she got to “talk to a lot of people,” she’s excited to find a larger store to maximize her moment next time.

“People from high school who I kind of knew, but that I wasn’t great friends with came and that felt pretty special. I also got to see a lot of my old teachers from Loyola, who I invited, and they were all really impressed!

One of them is in charge of the book club at the school and was like ‘you should come talk to them!’ I still haven’t done it but I appreciate the of-

fer and interest.”

However, Nixon’s biggest fan revealed herself behind the cash at a grocery store, the same day she was buying food for the book launch she threw at home. When the cashier inquired about all the items she was buying, Nixon detailed the excitement that would be surrounding her book that weekend.

“She was like, ‘I have a bunch of ghost stories too! What’s your name?

I’m going to write it down and buy your book!’”

When I ask her if that ever became a reality, she replies “Well, you can see the sales on Amazon and someone did buy it the next day, so unless someone else decided to buy it, then I don’t know. But I wanted to believe it was her.”

After her huge moment, however, Nixon is ready to conquer projects that will surpass what she has already managed to create: “I am actually working—but not on my own project—with a publisher in Oakville on a series of books about space. We’re just putting them all together and editing. I do have my own little side project and its going to be fiction this time but with still a little paranormal element in it. Scary stuff is the good stuff!”

Madeline Nixon’s short story collection Feathers is available on Amazon.ca

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THE MEDIUM 01.28.2019

Unpopular popular culture: music edition One writer discusses his contrasting and controversial opinions of popular and mainstream musicians SRIJAN SAHU ASSOCIATE A&E EDITOR

Saying Nickelback puts out solid, enjoyable rock music isn’t going to win you any friends. Music can be as divisive a topic as politics. Everyone holds some sort of polarizing opinion on either a popular or highly despised artist. However, not everyone is comfortable owning up to their feelings.

Jump on the right bandwagon and you’re accepted by society; speak your mind and it has the opposite effect.

Imagine that a popular mainstream musician has just released new music. All your friends are quick flock to it, and you find yourself agreeing with them. But deep down, you hate it. Even the thought of speaking your mind sends quivers down your throat and risks you being shunned. Instead, you resort to the backbenches of the internet where you look for people just like you to fill you with brash confidence.

Coldplay The band has experienced a bumpy love-hate relationship with the masses. It was once ‘cool’ to hate on Coldplay and now I feel the tide has turned and people dismiss critics of the band due to the fact that it is too easy to hate them. I hope I don’t land myself in troubled waters by admitting that I find the group’s music to be bland and unoriginal. I like some of their songs, especially from their earlier albums. But they continue

PHOTOS FROM IMDB.COM

Srijan Sahu discusses Bruno Mars, Coldplay, Paul McCartney, and Travis Scott. to churn out the way too many fillers with the same music progression and vocal arpeggios. Chris Martin and co. broke onto the scene as the nice guys and not much has changed since. I don’t find their lyrics appealing either. In an interview with Howard Stern, Martin said that it took him ten minutes to come up with the words for Yellow. That’s not a glowing endorsement for the band. I’ve seen people get teary while listening to their songs but who hasn’t compared a loved one to a star before. It’s just not that spectacular. In their defense, they do have plenty of good songs with more than four simple chords.

Unfortunately, they’re mostly known for their cheesy-pop ones.

Bruno Mars There’s no denying Mars is talent-

ed, suave, a great performer, and fashionable. The man has everything one needs to be a superstar; a great voice and charisma. From an early point in his career, he has been billed as the next James Brown. His songs were always catchy enough to get stuck in my head and displayed a variety of emotions and tempo. So much so that he managed to never sound the same.

Unfortunately, everything Bruno Mars has done since “Uptown Funk” is disappointing and repetitive to me.

His collaboration with Mark Ronson in 2014 proved to be his biggest hit ever and has sadly compelled him to replicate that same funk flow in “24K Magic” which is essentially “Uptown Funk 2.0.” Mars is trying really hard to follow the Mark Ronson track that the two songs share almost similar

instrumentation and verse themes.

I always saw Bruno Mars as cool with a laid-back demeanor, but now he’s playing that image too close to heart. He has lost that ingenuity and fallen prey to making safe, catchy, but predictable music. The “Lazy Song” would be an accurate description of where he is headed.

Paul McCartney I respect the Beatles. I just don’t rate Paul’s solo career highly. McCartney is a lot like Joey from Friends; great in a group but doesn’t sit well on his own. Although I must give credit where its deserved. Paul is still touring and selling out huge crowds, working with trendy artists such as Kanye West and Foo Fighters and making rather well received records. He must clearly be doing

something right, and not just riding past fame. But truth be told, I find most of his work hit or miss. While new single “Get Enough” and album “Egypt Station” (2018) bring a breath of fresh air with undertones of past beloved Beatles themes, his previous “New” (2013) was disappointing at best. Paul has nearly forty postBeatles albums to his name—an accomplishment in itself. However, he would fare much better if he hadn’t released some of them. I think Paul’s biggest issue is that he has no one to tell him “nah that’s not good enough.”

He comes out with so many songs and is compelled to release them all.

Result being, we have a “Mary Had a Little Lamb” for every “Maybe I’m Amazed.”

Travis Scott “ASTROWORLD” is arguably 2018’s most popular album, so this might be my most unpopular opinion so far. I’ve listened to it three or four times by now, but I only like three of the songs. I enjoyed the Tame Impala inspired psychedelics but the long wait for the release and overhyped demand has let me down. “Sicko Mode” had a one minute long intro with a four key instrumentation on repeat and a Drake feature which was not needed. Waiting three years for a sequel to Rodeo that was claimed to be ‘spectacular’ did not live up to expectations. I’m not afraid to say Travis Scott exudes a vibe that I don’t buy into.

VCDS’ Confessions of a Female Disorder The Victoria College Drama Society’s production follows Ronnie’s struggles toward accepting her sexuality SHALOMI RANASINGHE

Following the life of a lesbian who struggles to accept her sexuality is the premise of Victoria College Drama Society’s production of Confessions of a Female Disorder. Performed at the Cat’s Eye Theatre, the production exhibited the hardships a young woman named Ronnie (Summeta Farrukh) faces regarding her sexual orientation. The play is directed by Molly Simpson and produced

by Marie Song and Sonny Nightingale. Throughout the show, the audience observes Ronnie’s experiences with menstruation, college, therapy, and sexual intercourse through a jumping timeline of flashbacks between the past, present, and future.

The play opened with enthusiastic cheerleaders and witty football players who comedically informed the audience of sexual intercourse. As Act I progressed, Ronnie’s early life, living with her mother, and her experience in college were shown. Due to her hesitation with her sexuality, Ronnie struggles with depression.

As the timeline jumps to the future, Ronnie has a husband, David (River Oliveira). It is evident that Ronnie has suppressed her sexuality, to adhere towards societal norms, since

VICTORIA COLLEGE DRAMA SOCIETY/FACEBOOK.COM

Confessions of a Female Disorder followed Ronnie, played by Summeta Farrukh, and her hardships. she is not completely happy with David.

During Ronnie’s college experience, she and her friend, Coop (Emily Powers), showcase a potential for intimacy with their flirtatious body language and conversations. In Act II, Ronnie lives with David and the two have a bumpy relationship. As Ronnie’s married life proceeds, she rekindles her relationship with Coop and the spark between the characters continues to shine.

Depicting the struggles of a les-

bian and her hesitancy of accepting her sexual orientation, the play demonstrates other subject matter which is present in current society. This is seen through the pressure of losing one’s virginity, as exhibited through the character Liz (Rachel Bannerman). Her feelings regarding this topic is present in today’s society, considering how virginity can hold negative connotations and some people feel pressured to lose it.

Powers delivered an outstanding performance as Coop. She was be-

lievable and held amazing chemistry towards her love-interest, Ronnie.

Powers’ body language and facial expressions stayed in tune with her character throughout the entire production. The focus she exhibited during emotional scenes was felt throughout the crowd. She held a strong connection with her character as she stepped into Coop’s shoes extremely well.

On the other hand, Farrukh presented a passionate portrayal of her character, Ronnie. Farrukh acted

with elegance as she represented a character struggling with depression and their sexuality. She showcased the hardships of females who struggle with the acceptance of coming out. Also, she represented women who have a difficult time understanding who they are as they transition through different phases in life.

However, the play struggled with their execution of the timeline and the inner consciousness. During Act I, the scenes jump between the past, present, and future. As an audience member, it was difficult to follow the storyline considering it was confusing to understand which time period the current scene occurs in. Also, it was uncertain if the cheerleaders and football players were actual characters in the world of the play, or if they were part of the inner consciousness of a character’s mind.

As the play progressed, audience members were captivated by the actors’ performances. The cheerleaders and football players provided comedic relief throughout the production, as they kept the audience energetically engaged with their witty commentary and actions.

VCDS ran Confessions of a Female Disorder from January 24 – January 26.

01.28.2019 THE MEDIUM ARTS» 7

Review: Pray for the Wicked Panic! at the Disco’s latest album highlights Urie’s incredible vocals

REWIND TRISHA CLARENCE ASUNCION

PHOTO FROM PANICATTHEDISCO.COM

Pray for the Wicked was released on June 22, 2018 and quickly topped Billboard’s alternative charts.

TRISHA CLARENCE ASUNCION

In 2017, Brendon Urie landed a role as one of the leads in Cyndi Lauper’s Broadway hit Kinky Boots. Urie’s Broadway stint lasted from May to August of that year. During this time in New York City, Urie began to write songs for a follow up to Panic! at the Disco’s 2016 album Death of a Bachelor. A year and a half later, Urie had enough material for a new album and teased his fans on social media that a new era of music was coming.

Pray for the Wicked, Panic! at the Disco’s sixth studio album, was released on June 22, 2018. Its name is a lyric taken from the second song of the album, “Say Amen (Saturday Night).” This song also served as the album’s first single. With the energetic chorus and Urie’s unbelievable falsettos, the song quickly topped Billboard’s alternative charts.

The album’s sound is similar to that of its predecessor, but this one takes it

a step further, taking full advantage of a horn and string section to sprinkle throughout the album and adopting a new lyrical theme. The horns play a prominent role in “Hey Look Ma, I Made It,” “One of the Drunks,” “Roaring 20s,” and “Dancing’s Not a Crime.”

The use of horns in these songs are reminiscent of swing and jazz music, genres that Urie has openly expressed his love for. The lyrics on this album are fun and uplifting, with the use of imagery and clever analogies.

Broadway and theatrical influences ooze out of this album, especially noticeable in “The Overpass” and “Old Fashioned,” where background vocals play a big part in the songs. But what’s being constantly praised is Urie’s amazing vocals. His voice has gone through a transformation since the band’s first album. On Panic!’s 2005 debut album, A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, Urie’s voice was strained and sounded like he relied mostly on his head voice. Over the years, Urie has learned to better control his

voice, allowing him to shift from low to high notes seamlessly. On Pray for the Wicked, Urie’s voice is dynamic and he is able to hit higher notes effortlessly as demonstrated in “High Hopes” and “King of the Clouds.”

Urie’s voice is one of the best things about this album.

The album is pretty consistent with its lively beats and medley of instruments, except for the closing track.

“Dying in LA” differs from the rest of the album in that it is a piano ballad that isolates Urie’s vocals. This stripped-down song drives the focus on Urie’s lyrics and soft, buttery smooth voice. It is the perfect way to close the album.

Overall, Pray for the Wicked is an alcoholic overachiever whose favourite book is The Great Gatsby and who loves his mama, as opposed to the weed-obsessed partying frat boy that is Death of a Bachelor.

Panic! at the Disco is currently on tour to promote Pray for the Wicked.

Imagine waking up on your sixteenth birthday, excited for the important milestone. You’ve been waiting for this day since you were twelve years old. You head downstairs to greet your family, patiently waiting for them to greet you with a cake and balloons and sing a horrible rendition of the birthday song. Except, they don’t. Your mom sends you off to school without mentioning your very important birthday. Then it hits you. Your family forgot your sweet sixteen.

That’s exactly what happens in John Hughes’ directorial debut, Sixteen Candles (1984). In the film, Sam Baker’s (Molly Ringwald) sixteenth birthday is overshadowed by her older sister Ginny’s (Blanche Baker) wedding. It’s totally Ginny’s fault for choosing to wed the day after her little sister turns sixteen.

The lack of attention from her family causes Sam to have a horrible day at school. Her day gets worse when she loses a slip of paper that includes personal information about her virginity and how she’s saving herself for the school’s most popular boy, Jake Ryan (Michael Shoeffling). Of course, Jake is the one who finds this paper. Suddenly, he’s interested in Sam and has lost interest in his girlfriend, Caroline (Haviland Morris).

That night, Sam and her best friend Randy (Liane Curtis) attend the school dance. Sam didn’t want to go, but she figured it would be better than staying home with a bunch of people that forgot her birthday. At the dance, Sam is constantly pursued

by Ted (Michael Anthony Hall), a

scrawny freshman that fits the classic “geek” stereotype. Ted stops his advances once he finds out that Sam has a thing for Jake. Soon after, Ted finds out Jake’s mutual interest in Sam when Jake sees Ted talking to her.

The rest of the night revolves around the three characters’ whereabouts after the dance. Sam returns home, still upset about her birthday, and also upset that a guy like Jake will never notice her. Meanwhile, Jake tries to contact Sam after finding her phone number through a school yearbook, but is proved unsuccessful when Sam’s grandparents constantly answer the phone. While all of this is happening, Ted is on a mission to drive a passed-out drunk Caroline home.

The next day, everything is resolved. Ted and Caroline end up together. And more importantly, Sam and Jake end up together. The movie ends with Sam finally getting to blow out her birthday candles with Jake.

It turned out to be an okay birthday after all.

This movie is notoriously known as one of the best coming-of-age movies of all time. However, it’s hard to really say that a character developed in just one night. Sam only had two problems throughout the film: lack of attention from her parents on her sixteenth birthday and wanting to be Jake’s girlfriend. Both problems are resolved by the end of the movie, but it’s hardly a resolution that’s turned her into a woman. The awkwardness of being a teenager is what seems to be the overall theme of this movie.

Sixteen Candles is still deemed as a cult classic, so John Hughes must have done something right.

A ghost from his past BELICIA CHEVOLLEAU

Student written textbooks published within my academic span are rare.

Although the writing in older textbooks is good, exceptional even, I’ve always felt a slight disconnect with the authors.

When I saw the 2018 publication date for the WRI365 - Editing: Principles and Practice required textbook, I was thrilled. Finally, a book written in a time where walking past the authors in the corridors or unknowingly sitting beside them in a class is a possibility.

Rewriting Therapy: A Handful of Lessons on Editing True Stories is a textbook written by three former WRI365 students: Andrew Fenech, Erica Rzepecki, and Jessica Cabral.

Each section focuses on an author, their story, and their editing process.

The book starts with the manuscript instructions, a vivid story by Professor Laurel Waterman recounting the manuscript launch party, and an invitation to join the authors in their therapeutic journey. The main portion of the book splits into three

sections: In Motion, In Thought, and In Sight.

In Andrew Fenech’s story, “The Same Wine,” he is at a party in a reception hall with family: self-conscious and uncomfortable with his own identity, or rather how his relatives will perceive him if he doesn’t act a certain way. Somehow, he gets thrusted with the responsibility of babysitting his cousin who exhibits toxic masculinity traits. He explores topics of masculinity and responsibility in an honest and raw way that strips down the party into something more telling. The experience is so visceral because Fenech expresses his discomfort in a tangible way through subtle gestures and relatable internal dialogue.

Erica Rzepecki wrote about friendship, a friendship that went in a different direction after a residence party in her story “Something like Merlot.” She captures her feelings and the complexity of her friendship with Jack as it shifted into something subtle but palpable. The story lulls you, pulls you up to an apex, and then sends you tumbling down in a treacherous descent. At least it did for me.

Rzepecki immerses the reader in the memory until you feel like you can smell Merlot on Jack’s breath too. In her editing process, Rzepecki details how she cut down her story to the main points that contributed to the narrative and introduced physical sensations to strengthen her piece.

In “Love Language,” a story by The Medium’s Features Editor Jessica Cabral, divulges into a story about her grandmother’s death. She explores her grief, but also her regret at never expressing her love to her grandmother before her passing. However, through flashbacks and memories, Cabral gains closure through the recognition that love has its own language that extends beyond their linguistic barriers.

After each story, the authors share some questions they had to ask themselves during their revisions and offered some tips on editing. Rewriting Therapy is a textbook example of how to edit your pieces, but also the power of writing.

Writing became their closure and editing their therapy.

You can find Rewriting Therapy: A Handful of Lessons on Editing True Stories on Amazon.

THEATRE ERINDALE/FACEBOOK.COM

Flemister notes that the women in this production “shine.”

Blithe continued from page 5 Although Blithe Spirit features strong performances from the entire cast, it’s the women in this production that really shine. Keith gave a fearless performance as Madame Acardi, cooky, unpredictable, and oddly respectable all at once. Miranda Wiseman as Edith the maid and Holly May as Mrs. Bradman could steal a scene with a single line.

However, the dialect work was not always consistent—some British accents were more believable than others, but any flaws in elocution were more than compensated for by strong performances.

It also must be said that the set and costuming were divine. The

crew brilliantly transformed the stage into a world of heightened sophistication and glamour. The stage tricks incorporated into the show are clever and always delightfully unexpected.

Theatre Erindale’s Blithe Spirit is lightheartedly morbid, delightfully chaotic, and absolutely stunning to watch. During its original run in the 1940’s, Blithe Spirit gave audiences a reason to laugh during the second world war. With all the social and political conflict happening in our world today, I couldn’t think of a better time to offer audiences a bit of comic relief.

Blithe Spirit runs from January 24 – February 3.

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01.28.2019

Crossing borders to provide medical aid The Medium sits down with UTMGB to discuss their medical and dental brigades to the Honduras KEVIN KIM ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR

Within U of T, there are boundless opportunities for students to act on whatever passion they wish. Some students desire to help others in need, whether it be through academic assistance on campus, or across seas and borders to provide humanitarian services. UTM Global Brigades (UTMGB) helps connect students with the resources they need to fulfill the latter.

The UTMGB’s call to action is broadly described as “students empowering communities,” as noted on their official website. In more precise terms, the UTMGB, which represents a “chapter” within the Global Brigades as a whole, dispatches a handful of students and professionals to less developed communities in countries such as Honduras to provide a wide variety of services—UTM’s chapter focuses on medical and dental services.

Bismah Khalid, co-president of the UTMGB and a UTM undergraduate student, was eager to offer her insights into the organization and its inner workings. “Global Brigades is known as a holistic organization in that it doesn’t just focus on medical and dental; it has engineering, and it has water; it has microfinance, business. So, various different sectors that all come together in a holistic model,” she says. Different chapters internationally focus on different compo-

nents of this model. For example, the University of Waterloo possesses a sector in engineering.

The Global Brigades are by no means exclusive in their selection process. At UTM, the only requirement for one to participate in a brigade is to be at least eighteen years old. No prior medical experience is required.

“Each student that’s on our brigade gets to participate in the different sections,” Khalid states. “For example, I got to do optometry and general consult, and others get to do whatever they choose.” The majority of each brigade is composed of students, with a select few practitioners such as physicians and nurses as additional company.

Expanding on why UTM chose to focus on medical and dental, Khalid remarks that “what you open is basically what you think your campus is interested in. So, for example, we started in 2016 and our first two copresidents and cofounders started medical and dental because they had just come back from the first medical brigade during August—so when they came back, they were very inspired to begin a new chapter at UTM, because it had never seen global brigades before.”

Throughout the academic year, UTMGB fundraises to support their brigade to Honduras every August.

Khalid elaborated further on what exactly occurs day to day during this Honduras brigade: “We choose three communities that Global Brigades

PHOTO COURTESY OF BISMAH KHALID

UTM Global Brigades are inclusive in their selection process, only requiring a minimum age of 18. chose for us […] We build clinics in each community we go into. And at these clinics, we’ll be serving, for example, general consults, basic triage, gynecology, we do optometry, which is one of the coolest stations, and my favourite.”

This presents itself as a fantastic opportunity for those considering

PHOTO COURTESY OF BISMAH KHALID

UTMGB sends students and professionals to less developed communities to provide services.

public health as a career to observe and partake in relevant activities first hand. Khalid, for example, was able to watch a pap smear procedure performed by a trained gynecologist in person.

Perhaps not obviously implied within the scope of medical and dental assistance is the concept of prevention before inception. The Honduras brigade last year, during a day dedicated to public health, “assisted seven different families in building ecostoves, which are basically stoves that aren’t open flame—so, for example, if there’s pregnant women or children around, they are openly breathing in flames. So, what we did was build eco-stoves that are basically closed flame; like a chimney sort of deal, so that they’re not actually breathing in all the toxins that are coming out. So that’s public health, just making sure their daily hygiene is good.”

Although the UTMGB heads over to Honduras every summer, they are not the only brigades to do so. Brigades that arrive in the area during other times start up projects that are left to be completed by UTM as they come. This shows the effort that the organization invests as a whole into these communities. One such project involved the water sector of the Global Brigade. “They have a long-term project running for eight months, for example […] They were building a water pipeline for one community that used to travel long distances just

to attain water, a basic resource. What we did was dig deep trenches that were above your knee’s height and lay a pipe down so that a small community could get water on a daily basis.”

Despite the sheer determination required to partake in a brigade, the result is well worth it. In regard to the implementation of the water pipeline, Khalid recalls that in spite of the physical exhaustion caused by the project, “We knew that day that an entire community of fifty families would be able to get water. And we could actually see their homes from where we started digging, so it was pretty good motivation to continue.”

All successful applicants to the brigade are brought to the same level of knowledge through education sessions that teach cultural differences within Honduras, as well as Spanish at a rudimentary level so that communication with the citizens of the country is possible.

The trip, taking about a week overall including travel time, will cost $1275 CAD. Included within this cost are living accommodations, food, and transportation. A compound collectively houses every member of the brigade for the duration of the stay, where one can relax and absorb the natural beauty of Honduras when not tending to their communities.

Applications are currently open for their yearly August trip to Honduras and will remain so until March 1st.

01.28.2019 THE MEDIUM FEATURES» 9

Seek out opportunities and win awards Lohana Capanema Queiroz, a fourth-year student at UTM, received a Global Undergraduate Award MARYAM FAISAL

Most of us go our entire undergraduate careers without realizing that there are opportunities within our reach yet left unclaimed. Lohana Capanema Queiroz, a fourth-year student double majoring in political science and criminology with a minor in sociology, is not one of those people.

Out of 12 recipients from U of T, Capanema Queiroz was the only student from UTM to win a Global Undergraduate Award. As a recipient, she participated in a fully funded three-day conference in Ireland where she had the opportunity to

present her research paper.

“I keep telling people to seek out these opportunities; they’re not going to come to you. It was such a great experience,” Capanema Queiroz says.

She discovered the opportunity while browsing U of T’s awards’ page.

The Undergraduate Awards is a non-profit organization operating under the patronage of the President of Ireland. As one of the world’s leading undergraduate awards programs, it recognizes top undergraduate work, shares it with global audience and connects students across cultures and disciplines. Every year, the organization coordinates award programs for penultimate and final year undergraduate students enrolled in a broad

MUHAMMAD ALI/THE MEDIUM

Capanema Queiroz was the only UTM student to win the award.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LOHANA CAPANEMA QUEIROZ

Lohana Capanema Queiroz participated in a fully-funded three-day conference in Ireland. range of academic disciplines.

All submissions for the award must come from work done in a course.

Capanema Queiroz wrote the paper for a second-year Canadian politics and government course but drew inspiration for the paper from a thirdyear urban politics course that interested her. “I was the only one to go down that route because it was a difficult topic. Even my TA said I wouldn’t be able to find enough information.”

However, Capanema Queriroz did it and did it well.

I ask Capanema Queiroz whether the research she was exposed to at the conference was intimidating or inspiring. She laughs and says, “Inspired! Their research was so extensive too. People submitted their 30-page theses and others submitted multiple papers. I didn’t know that. I only submitted one!” She also had a chance to present her research at the conference which was “intimidating because the professionals take pictures and record you” but was overall

exhilarating in a room of 300 people.

A lot of times students don’t seek out opportunities or don’t submit papers for awards due to fear of failing. It’s also why so many university awards go unclaimed. Capanema Queiroz said she had the same fear at first but says without submitting anything, “there was no chance I was going to get it but if I submit, there’s at least a one per cent chance that I will and that’s enough to push me to do it.”

The three-day conference in Ireland provided students all around the world to get to know one another and their research as well as network with academics, professors and panelists.

“The networking is invaluable and there’s an alumni portal where we can all keep in touch.” They also had “brain dates which is an informational interview where you can talk to potential employers.” They also collect your resume within their database.

Capanema Queiroz got this opportunity with Ernst and Young, a “Big

Four” accounting firm, from whom she also got feedback on her resume during the session.

She emphasized the importance of seeking out your resources such as librarians and TAs. “Don’t be afraid to make your point for a grade if you know you deserve it! I did that for this paper because I know how much effort I put into the research,” she laughed.

I ask her what advice she would give to other students and she encourages students to “get out of their comfort zone and look for opportunities because no one is going to come tell you to apply to anything!”

Even if it seems hard, students should “still apply” and if they don’t get it, it should encourage them to “write a better paper, for example” instead of being disheartened, Capanema Queiroz says.

The non-profit is now accepting submissions for 2019. Students can apply up to one year after graduation.

New adaptable virtual biology textbook BIO202 students have access to UTM’s newest open access digital textbook, released this month SAFIYYA HANSLOD

While many students and families may struggle beneath the burden of expensive tuition fees, the cost of textbooks often contributes to financial stress as well. With some textbooks costing almost hundreds of dollars, students sometimes turn to borrowing textbooks from the library, renting them from the bookstore, or purchasing them from previous students at a lower cost.

For biology students enrolled in BIO202: Introductory Animal Physiology, UTM has launched their first “open access digital textbook” this month, led by assistant professor, teaching stream, Sanja Hinić-Frlog from UTM’s biology department.

Students in Hinić-Frlog’s class will get their virtual textbook for free.

Frustrated by the lack of a suitable textbook for her second-year introductory animal physiology course,

Hinić-Frlog explains to The Medium that she found a solution to her problem through an opportunity that arose during the summer of last year.

Hinić-Frlog was given an opportunity by eCampusOntario to develop and adapt an open resource PDF textbook tailored for her second-year biology course. eCampusOntario, a not-for profit corporation funded by the Government of Ontario, encourages publicly funded universities and colleges to adapt or create online resources that are open and free for educational purposes and to advance learning using technology. Professors, instructors, students, textbook developers, faculty and staff are encouraged to use their resources and explore new technologies and pedagogical practices to create an effective way to learn and teach.

Their mission is to provide free access to learning resources in various subject areas.

Hinić-Frlog was given a grant of

$15,000 dollars to help develop a tailored textbook that would be free for use for students in her BIO202 course and anyone who would be interested in reading or using the textbook. The textbook, titled Introductory Animal Physiology, was adapted over the course of five months in collaboration with eCampusOntario, UTM’s science liaison librarian Jessica Hanley, Simone Laughton from UTM library’s IT department, undergraduate students, and graduate students from the Biomedical Communications program.

The content of the textbook was mostly developed by hired undergraduate students who also integrated various videos, interesting articles, activities, learning outcomes and images. The students were paid to put together specific content of the textbook using various free scientific resources.

YASMEEN ALKOKA/THE MEDIUM

Textbook continued on page 10

The BIO202 course at UTM has an open-access textbook.

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«FEATURES

THE MEDIUM 01.28.2019

FEATURING: Meet The Editor How did you get involved with The Medium?

AT: I signed up to become a writer for the News section in my second year. I wrote on and off for the section before deciding to run for the News Editor position.

The rest is history!

Why the News section, and not any other section?

AT: Since I was already majoring in political science, I thought it was a match made in writing heaven.

YASMEEN ALKOKA/THE MEDIUM

Ali Taha, News Editor

Name: Ali Taha Position at The Medium: News Editor Year: Third year Program of Study: Specializing in Political Science, and minor in Professional Writing and Communication

A free resource Textbook continued from page 9

Large chunks of the content were taken from different textbooks created by professors in British Columbia and other universities who have developed similar open textbook resources that had a creative commons license attribution of 4.0. The UTM librarians helped ensure that all of the content used was free for use and that permission was properly obtained.

UTM has launched its first “open access digital textbook” this month, led by biology professor Sanja Hinic-Frlog.

Graduate students enrolled in the Biomedical Communications program at UTM created some of the scientific images in the textbook.

Once the textbook was developed, students taking the BIO202 course during the summer term were the first ones to test drive it and were asked to help edit and provide feedback. Currently the textbook is in full integration with BIO202 this semester. Although there is no hardcopy format alternative to the PDF textbook, students are allowed to print chapters of the textbook which may be an added cost, though very minimal compared to buying any textbook.

Hinić-Frlog has encouraged students to give feedback on the text-

book and in the end will survey students experience using this textbook.

As the textbook is a living document and under constant development, she hopes the content will be refined and get better over the years. A benefit to using this format is that students don’t have to wait 2-3 years or pay extra for a newer version of the textbook and that it allows instructors or faculty members to tailor or design a textbook that would fit the needs of their course. What’s different about this text is the unique approach it has in helping reinforce students’ memory and the way it allows students to effectively practice the content that is being taught in lectures, labs, and tutorials. In addition, the design of the textbook is aligned to fit the learning outcomes of the course and assessments.

According to Hinić-Frlog, not a lot of instructors have used these resources to develop open access free textbooks for courses being taught due to time constraints and funding.

Developing a resource like this is very demanding and is no easy task. However, Hinić-Frlog has found that her fellow peers are very curious about the logistics of developing a project like this and encourages anyone to use these resources when given the chance. She also hopes in the future that more alternatives like these are promoted and that students are given selections between a paid option and a free resource.

What’s one of your favourite classes you’ve taken at UTM thus far?

AT: Definitely the History & Writing course I took in my second year. I wrote a historical narrative on the Canadian Federation of Students, and discovered multiple scandals, gross financial mismanagement, and lots of corruption!

It was a wild ride, and I learned a lot along the way.

What TV show are you currently binge watching?

AT: I recently just finished season two of Westworld, an HBO series about a park for humans filled with A.I. that look exactly like us, where we can do anything we want. The show is absolutely fantastic. Perfect cast, heart-wrenching music, and a story that keeps you guessing. It’s produced by J.J. Abrams and written by Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan’s brother. If that hasn’t sold you, I don’t know what will?

What’s the most recent book you’ve read?

AT: Siddhartha by Hermen Hesse. The book completely blew me away. It really made me think about my place in the world, and what it means to be human.

Do you have a scar? What’s the story behind it?

AT: I don’t, I guess I’m lucky. I once smashed my face into the overhanging part of a playground slide and broke my nose.

It makes me look unique,

haha!

If you didn’t have to sleep, how would you spend your extra time?

AT: I would read, read, and read. I would also practice the piano, and give some time to my hobbies.

What skill would you like to master?

AT: I would like to master writing. Someday, I want to create a body of work that I’m proud of and will leave a signifiant impression on people.

What piece of advice would you give to people?

AT: Don’t sweat the small things, because they don’t matter in the end. Appreciate life more, and tell the people around you you love them.

What is your favorite quote?

AT: “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.”-Friedrich Nietzsche

01.28.2019

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11

Roberts always strives for greatness Gregory Roberts began playing basketball at 13 because he never wanted to play as a young kid SARAH-MAY OLDFIELD ASSOCIATE S&H EDITOR Starting point guard, Gregory Roberts, of UTM’s varsity men’s basketball team and the OCAA’s current leading scorer, was determined to never play basketball. Despite the push from his parents, Roberts was stubborn, “You can’t make me play basketball,” he remembers arguing with his parents.

For the obvious reasons, Roberts’ parents made sure he participated in

at least one sport to stay physically active and healthy. And he did. After 8 years of soccer, though he was good at it, he’d lost interest. After a season of volleyball, he realized it wasn’t the right fit. At 13 he finally caved to his parent’s insistence and went to a basketball mini-camp where he fell in love.

Despite being new to the game, Roberts was a quick study. After a couple of mini-camps, Roberts joined a house-league team, where he caught

UTM ATHLETICS/FACEBOOK

Roberts is the OCAA’s current leading scorer.

the eye of a rep coach who later recruited him. Roberts’ introduction and early success in the game didn’t end there. He became the only 7th grader at Sir John A. MacDonald Public School to make the school’s basketball team. That year his school won the city championship.

Roberts’ love of basketball carried into and throughout high school, where he continued working and perfecting his craft. His hard work paid off when he was recruited to play in Philadelphia at Rise Academy, where Kyle Kuzma, starting power forward for the L.A. Lakers, was his teammate. Roberts’ basketball story took him back home to Canada, to UTM. He didn’t think he’d stay long, looking to transfer out to join a Division 1 school. Now in his fifth year, completing a major in Psychology and a double minor in both Computer Science and Sociology, Roberts says UTM’s become a second home.

This year Roberts’ drive took him to try going professional, to try-out for the Raptor 905, the G-League affiliate of the NBA Toronto Raptors, which developed current and rising NBA players like starting forward Pascal Siakam, Jakob Poeltl, Fred Vanfleet, Norman Powell and Delon Wright. Roberts got deep into the tryout process, nearly receiving a train-

ing camp invite. Despite having his road to the professionals cut short, he’s hungrier and more focused than ever. “I knew I could have what it took to be a Div. 1 player. I knew I had the skill for it. But I also knew I wasn’t where I needed to be physically, in order to make that transition. In terms of playing university ball, for UTM, I just love basketball, and I want to play at the highest level,” he says.

Roberts leads his teammates on the court and leads the OCAA in points per game, 26.1, both of which he says isn’t always easy. But he hopes what he does off the court inspires and motivates them, just as much as what he does on the court. Especially when it comes to his work ethic and willingness to play hard each game, he inspires his teammates to do the same. Aside from their regular season scheduled games, the men’s basketball team has three practices per week and workout sessions with team Strength and Conditioning Coach, Darren Turner, but Roberts puts a lot of his own time into improving.

“I spend a lot of time in the gym. I spend a lot of the time in the weight room, getting shots up and watching [game] film. The guys know I want it, they know the level that I want to reach. They know I put in the work.

I also hold guys accountable. It’s not

easy because some guys get a little defensive, and I have to try and reiterate that I’m doing it for the betterment of the team. Just trying to get guys to understand that ‘you’ may want to do something, but that’s not going to help us win.” And it’s true his teammates look up to him. “Greg’s the best player on the team. And he’s a good leader,” says friend and teammate Shaquille David.

Not only does Roberts feel as a leader he needs to hold his teammates accountable, but he needs to encourage and praise them as well. Roberts is particularly proud of his teammates second year guard, Kyle Boorman, and first year forward, Lukas Louhikari. Roberts loves how Boorman is always working hard and sacrificing. “He plays his role real well. I can always count on him to play hard.

He’s my sniper [3-point shooter], one of them. He’s always working, always knocking down shots. He’s one guy I’ve been really impressed with, and I hope he continues to grow.” He continues, “Luk is another player who’s surprised me. I wasn’t sure what to expect with a freshman. He doesn’t try to do too much, but still remains aggressive. He’s also one of my designated snipers.”

Roberts continued on page 11

Eagles struggle at second tournament The UTM women’s varsity indoor soccer team lost three out of the four games played at Redeemer VANESSA CESARIO SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR Last Friday, January 25th, the UTM women’s varsity soccer team had their second tournament of the indoor season at Redeemer University in Ancaster. The women had a successful tournament the week before where they placed third overall and were hoping to place even higher at this tournament.

The first game of the day was against the hosting team, Redeemer Royals, who the women hadn’t played in a couple of years. With many new faces on the Redeemer team, they came out harder than expected by UTM. The game was fast paced with Redeemer taking over the middle of the pitch and not allowing for any distribution by the middle player. UTM wasn’t attacking the space when given opportunities and continuously opted to passing it off for their teammates to run onto, which Redeemer was always quick to shut down. Redeemer ended up scoring in the first half off a shot that went just under the arm of UTM goalie, Nida Zaidi. This left the score at 1-0 at halftime.

The second half was stronger for

UTM as they began making more runs and attacking the space. A beautiful threw ball was given by midfielder, Kayla Rice, to a running Vanessa Cesario down the line. A shot was taken near post that went just over the goalie’s hands, making the game tied at 1-1. Despite other chances from both teams during the second half, the scored remained 1-1 until the final whistle blew.

The second game of the tournament was against the George Brown Huskies—a rival team for UTM as they also play them in the outdoor season. UTM outplayed George Brown the entire game from their crisp passes to stellar movement on and off the ball. However, an unfortunate unmarked Huskies player was near the top of the box with a clear shot which she buried in the back of the net. UTM still continued to press, desperately needing to at least tie the game but, alas, the game was over and the women lost 1-0. Leaving them with only 1 point in two games.

The Centennial Colts were the third game of the day for UTM and an absolute must win in order to have a chance of making it out of their group. The women had beat Centen-

nial 1-0 at the tournament the week prior so the Colts were hungry for revenge. The game started off slow but began picking up as they got deeper into the first half. Towards the middle of the pitch, the Centennial player managed to flick the ball to her teammate, splitting the UTM defenders where a clear shot on net was given.

Centennial scored, marking this the first goal of the game.

The game proceeded with UTM still pressing and trying to scrape one in, but they were never able to bury it in the back of the net. Centennial managed to get another goal and ended up winning the game 2-0, crushing any chance for UTM to advance to the next round.

The fourth game of the day was essentially pointless for UTM since regardless of the score, they were not going to advance. However, the effort the women still put into the game did not go unnoticed and almost led to a win. They played the St. Clair Saints— a team they will face off against at Regionals in March. Once again, the women played well but were never able to gain the upper hand as St. Clair managed to score a goal off of a lucky deflection early on in the game.

UTM ATHLETICS/FACEBOOK.COM

UTM women lost 2-0 against Redeemer on Friday, January 25.

As the game progressed, both teams were given opportunities to score but could not bury them. Rice made a tackle on a St. Clair player near the top of the UTM box that led to a yellow card, forcing the women to play with a player down for two minutes.

UTM remained composed for most of the penalty until a 2-on-1 led to the UTM defender getting beat and a

1-on-1 with Zaidi. The St. Clair player placed the ball perfectly in the bottom right corner, making it 2-0. Although Rice managed to scrape a goal in for her team off a rebound, UTM was not able to get another goal and they lost their third game of the day.

Please note that this article was written by a member of the UTM women’s varsity soccer team.

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«SPORTS

THE MEDIUM 01.28.2019

Roberts chases Changing football culture NBA dreams Young football players are taught to “suck it up” when injured MIGUEL DASILVA

UTM ATHLETICS/FACEBOOK.COM

Roberts believes there’s so much more to school than academics.

Roberts continued from page 11 Roberts has never really considered what his legacy might be when he leaves UTM. He has ambitions to pursue his dream of maybe one day playing in the NBA, and if he has success, he hopes it inspires up and coming players about what can be achieved when you stay hungry and strive for the best in yourself. “I want my success, if I do make it to the NBA, to be an example for future players. At what can be possible if you put in the work.

If you really want something, go get it. And also, there’s so much more to school than academics. Never stop striving for greatness for yourself, in no matter what you choose to do.”

UTM’s varsity men’s basketball team are on the road this weekend, playing the St. Clair College Saints on Saturday and the Lambton College Lions Sunday. You can see him in action when the Eagles host the Conestoga Condors at home this coming Wednesday, January 30th at 8 p.m.

In 2016, an NFL executive admitted that they were aware of the connection between CTE (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy) in the brain of their athletes and the repetitive brain trauma related to the sport. This was a turning point in how the league was forced to create the rulebooks, the severity to which they carried out the rules in real-time, a stricter fining and suspension policy, and a revamping of each teams seemingly complicit and negligent medical staff. The game was supposed to change. In 2019, just one Sunday away from Superbowl 53, it’s clear that two things have happened: the game cannot fundamentally become non-collision enough to prevent repetitive brain trauma in their players and that the few rules that do prohibit head-to-head contact are simply whistles and penalties that highlight, in slow-motion replay, the brain rattling high speed collisions that occur between each and every player on any given play.

A six second play involves 22 or 24 players running full speed with the intention of making collisions while leading exclusively with their torso. With three tools to make this contact: two shoulders and one head.

This means that instances of repetitive brain trauma, moments when the brain sustains a concussion or a minor-concussion event, are not just inevitable, but the only way the game can work as it currently does.

PHOTO FROM PIXABAY.COM

Football culture often encourages players to “walk it off.”

Football needs to rethink what we can reasonably expect from these athletes. The mentality that is instilled in young football players is of the “hurt don’t mean injured” or “suck it up” variety. An insistence on toughness, walking it off, sticking it out, sacrificing your body for the team and never taking yourself out of the game because the next guy up will take your spot is instilled within young football players. And as they age, the sentiment will ossify and intensify until it eventually breaks them.

Fans play a role as well. Players are paraded in front of the crowd and given value for their ability to play the game well. Playing the game well means running faster and hitting harder. And playing the game means staying in after your bell is rung. It means not telling the truth to the trainers and the doctors. It

means failing to inform people when you wake up with intense headaches, when your speech is slurred or when you can’t seem to focus.

The game is hard to change and the passionate culture around football is even harder. It will need to start at the grass-roots level. Coaches and parents need to pay closer attention to their athletes. More information needs to be gathered and more studies need to be conducted with a focus on youth football so that people can stem the effects of concussions and brain related trauma before they become chronic and debilitating. We need to afford our youth athletes the ability to take themselves out of the game without fear of disappointing their team, without being made fun of, and with the understanding that there is a life after the game.

UTSC dominates Wednesday hockey game The UTM men’s d-league hockey team lost their second game of this semester 5-3 against UTSC AMRISH WAGLE ASSOCIATE S&H EDITOR Last Wednesday, January 23rd the UTM men’s d-league ice hockey team went toe to toe with UTSC at an exciting game, unfortunately ending 5-3 with UTSC on top. There’s no doubt that the UTM Eagles played with heart and for the novices to ice hockey, it would’ve taken a while for their eyes to adjust due to the sheer speed that the players moved at, reflecting the enthusiasm of the night. Even the audience was quite unanimous in that it was a great game.

The first period was quite reflective of the rest of the night, where UTM was being pushed past the center, and UTSC cranked the pressure all the way up in a relentless display of tenacity. Of course, the period started off rather uneventful as the puck went back and forth, and the players acclimated to the rink. The game got real when UTSC got their first goal as a player received an unacceptable breakaway and scored swiftly over UTM’s goalie.

The Eagles decided to pick up the pace and managed to go on the offensive for a while. The first valiant attempt was in the form of a breakaway but the player unfortunately lost balance and crashed and burned into the net. UTM however did get their first goal this period when a player managed to get a terrific slapshot from the defending zone.

UTM ATHLETICS/FACEBOOK.COM

UTM men’s d-league hockey team lost 5-3 against UTSC at Wednesday night’s game.

In an unfortunate turn of events, when the team lined up for faceoff, the UTSC centreman instantly got control of the puck, took it past the entire UTM team and scored within the first 7 seconds, bringing the score to 2-1. For the rest of the period, UTM kept getting stronger and maintaining possession of the puck for longer intervals. While UTSC kept close and crowded, UTM kept spread out in a circular formation and passed the puck around. The last shot of the pe-

riod was scored in an overload strategy, where UTSC players were drawn toward the corner to open up shooting lanes. Thus, a UTM player was able to swiftly score when passed the puck and left undefended in the right defensive zone. The period ended 2-2.

The second period was a godsend to UTSC as they dominated the rink.

From the get-go, UTM was being pushed way back. UTSC was hammering away and took countless shots at the net but each were too unfo-

cused, and players missed by wide margins. Interestingly, UTM players were too distracted and for the occasional seconds they got on the offense, UTSC was quicker and assembled promptly at defense to form a consistent wall the Eagles just couldn’t get past. Finally, at about 6 and a half minutes in, the UTM goalie was completely undefended and strong-armed by 3 UTSC players who took multiple shots and as the goalie sank to his bottom left, the puck ricochets to his

right and a UTSC player got a swift goal.

At about 4 minutes left in the game, another UTSC player scores from the defensive zone in a beautifully clean slapshot, raising the score 4-2. This riled up UTM to increase their resistance and bringing the period close to an equal struggle.

Period three started off with the UTM players hungry for glory. The Eagles arguably dominated the rink, taking many shots. The strategy for UTSC seemed to constitute laying low and playing defensive while the clock runs out. UTM did get painfully close to scoring, getting their puck on the goal line a few times and once even scoring at 4 minutes in but unfortunately didn’t receive the credit as a UTM player was in the crease.

UTM scored with 3 minutes left in the game. After a couple of his shots bounced harmlessly off the goalie, he deftly flicks the puck high into the net while the goalie was crouched down.

The arguably hilarious part of the game was the ending with 28 seconds left, the coach calls a time out and decides to take out the goalie to have 6 whole players up front at faceoff in the UTSC’s defensive zone, for a power play. However, UTSC quickly got control of the puck and their player bolted straight for the net, scoring in an effortless swipe of his stick. The game ended 5-3 with UTSC seizing the day.