The Voice of the University of Toronto at Mississauga
MEDIUM THE
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2008
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 5
www.mediumonline.ca
Concert review: My Blood Valentine
A student’s life changing experience
A new era for the Leafs
Page 11
Page 7
Page 16
UTM student faces deportation MEREDITH LILLY NEWS EDITOR
Saad Alam, a Bangladeshi UTM student, is facing deportation on October 3 along with his family. The third year life sciences and psychology student hopes to continue his education in Canada, but a strict deportation order prevents him from applying for a temporary study permit. The Alams moved to Canada five years ago. In 2004, the family lost their bid for refugee status. Since then, two subsequent appeals have been rejected.
The Ontario Public Interest Research Group at the University of Toronto, along with the No One is Illegal Toronto student network are organizing a march and rally on September 30 to support Alam’s bid to continue his education in Canada. The two organizations are currently circulating a petition requesting that the minister of immigration, Diane Finley, stop the deportation. In the petition they request a suspension of the removal order and that the Alam family be granted permanent status in Canada. They appeal for the entire family, and make a special plea for Saad. According to the No One is Illegal website, Alam is a deserving student
From movement to marketing
who worked his way through university paying international tuition fees. He earned a scholarship to attend UTM, and was actively involved on campus serving as vice-president of the Bangladeshi Students’ Federation. The government is not the only institution concerned, students are lobbying; they are calling upon the University as well. Last March, York University student Sarah Leonty was granted a two- year stay in Canada to continue her studies following a student demonstration. The successful demonstration fueled an Ontario Coalition Against Poverty movement called “Don’t Ask
Photo/Matthew Filipowich
“The revenue being generated from advertisement is going towards funding campaigns and event projects to enhance the student experience at UTM,” said a student union council member. The ads are coordinated through Rouge Campus who specialize in providing access to the post-secondary market.
towards becoming a sanctuary. Broader reforms to immigration policy are forefront in the campaign. Chowdhury identifies a neo-colonial aspect of the current policy: “We exert unjust control over other societies, essentially forcing countries to displace their citizens. The highest number of immigrants come from the countries that we occupy. We destroy their resources, control their economics, and then treat them as second-class citizens.” The march and rally to support the Alams begins Tuesday, September 30 at 12 p.m. near Sidney Smith Hall. Those interested can sign the petition online at www .ipetitions.com /petition/Stop_Student_Deportations
The Honorable Bill Davis addresses UTM MEREDITH LILLY NEWS EDITOR
Students starting the school year were greeted with new advertisements in the UTMSU-owned student centre.
Don’t Tell,” referring to citizenship status. The policy changes called for by Don’t Ask Don’t Tell are intended to make essential services, such as healthcare and policing, accessible to everyone regardless of status. “As critical students, we should think about the production of illegality. Why are we criminalizing people displaced by war and poverty?” challenged Fariah Chowdhury, “The system is cracked. It doesn’t serve people. It is in the government’s interests to maintain unjust immigration policies to preserve a cheap, exploitable pool of labour.” The activists would like to see the U of T administration take steps
On Wednesday, the Honorable Bill Davis presented on the state of postsecondary education in Ontario. The presentation is part of the University of Toronto Mississauga’s Breakfast Speakers’ Series. As the Peel Region Member of Provincial Parliament, Davis served the John Robarts cabinet as the education minister beginning in 1962. Davis made many innovations to education in Ontario and was instrumental in the founding of UTM in 1967. He has been involved in the evolution of UTM since its inception. Davis began by addressing the changing vision of UTM: “The greatest thing that UTM has contributed to the U of T system, is an emphasis on the relevance of the student experience. The downtown campus is now paying more attention to the quality of life for their students.” An emphasis on partnerships with the outside community and options for increased student involvement were cited as ways that student life has been enriched on the Mississauga campus. “If you don’t have a good undergraduate program, you won’t have a good graduate program,” s aid Davis.
Athletics were emphasized as a vital part of the student experience, integral to promoting school spirit and maintaining the loyalty of alumni. D avis urged the audience to reconsider the importance of athletic scholarships: “If you are under the impression that athletic scholarships are crass and unsuitable, you should have a closer look at the s cholarsh ips offered in the Ivy leagues.” U of T has experienced difficulties in appealing across campus boundaries. Davis explained that U of T is underfunded by alumni in comparison with other universities. He attributes the underfunding partially to a lack of athletic events. “Part of the problem here is that funding has been primarily from the government. We have not received the historic support of the Alumni,” observed Davis. Davis pointed out other shortcomings in the education funding system, calling on the federal government to offer more support and make it a part of the election dialogue. “On a per capita basis, post-secondary education is underfunded. It should be made part of the federal mandate. Universities are national institutions. They should not be effected by provincial boundaries,” Davis advocated. According to the Canadian constitution, post- secondary education
is under provincial jurisdiction. A change in the funding scheme would be a significant shift in policy. “Federal leaders have to bring education into the debate. The public is not seeking it. I have great respect for our constitution, but I also feel that the federal government should take interest in postsecondary education,” said Davis. Davis cited a poll where there were significant inconsistencies in student and non-student satisfaction with the Canadian post-secondary system. Institutions reliant upon funding from outside sources face a unique challenge in communicating their needs. “I do not mean to be critical,” said Davis, “but a large part of the reputation of a university is built upon the word-of-mouth accounts of students. That is why the student experience is so important. The University of Toronto has the tendency to mark harder than other universities. Students consider this if they want to go on to graduate studies. It’s not all bad, but it needs to be understood.” Around fifty people, many alumni, attended the presentation and breakfast. “Bill Davis is one of the most important people in the history of education in Ontario,” said UTM political science professor Graham White. “It is an honour that he addressed us today.”