Vol 41 issue 13 (update 2017-06-21)

THE VOICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA

Search begins for food provider

Januaru 12, 2015 Volume 41, Issue 13 themedium.ca

Student

RFP calls on contractors to apply to succeed Chartwells for UTM food service

battles over

MENNA ELNAKA ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

UTAPS aid

UTM has officially launched its search for a new campus food services provider, to begin its operations after the current agreement with Chartwells expires this year.

Last Monday, UTM posted a Request for Proposal on MERX, a website designed to connect businesses to contract opportunities. Candidates are to submit proposals for the future management and operation of campus food services at UTM. The RFP outlines the conditions that UTM requires its future food services operator to meet, and includes requirements based on feedback on current food service collected from various campus stakeholders.

Earlier this year, UTM gathered feedback on its food services through town halls, focus groups, and surveys.

Among the item described in the RFP are the hours of operation of the food services on campus.

The RFP requires a minimum hours

MARIA IQBAL NEWS EDITOR

ZARA RIZWAN/THE MEDIUM

UTM food services are currently run by Chartwells. of operation that “adequately meet student and client needs”, including those of residence students, commuters from Sheridan, and others.

The minimum hours of operation on residence means that the dining kitchen at Colman Commons will

be open daily from 7:30 a.m. to midnight.

Students have also complained about the lack of variety of food. According to the RFP, the operator will have to “develop and implement programs that offer variety in menu of-

fering and price point, ensure a wide range of healthy options are available and address the needs for ethnic diversity”, including halal, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and other needs.

RFP continued on page 2

A UTM student is in the middle of a battle with administration to obtain more financial aid for her education.

H.P.A.* moved to Toronto from Vancouver to pursue postsecondary studies at UTM in 2012. Having to support herself but ineligible for OSAP— which requires her to have lived in Ontario for a year not studying full-time in a postsecondary school—H.P.A. applied for assistance through the British Columbia student loan program, StudentAidBC. However, H.P.A. explains that the $15,000 she receives annually from StudentAidBC is used up quickly with rising tuition costs, monthly rent, and a number of “extenuating circumstances”. *Sept. 2016: Name initialized and certain details omittted due to privacy concerns.

Aid continued on page 2

Parking deck and fees approved Expansion to lot 8 deck recommended along with increases to ancillary fees MAHNOOR AYUB UTM has approved a recommendation to build a new parking deck on campus along with an increase in permit prices and other ancillary fees, in the face of opposition from UTMSU. Funding for new projects and for upgrading existing ones was a major focus of the Campus Affairs Committee meeting last Thursday, held in Council Chambers.

The meeting, which was attended

by UTMSU president Hassan Havili and VP external Ebi Agbeyegbe, was the first time this year that the CAC considered approval for a capital project.

Chief administrative officer Paul Donoghue spoke in depth about the proposal for a parking deck expansion, which is part of a long-term expansion plan that involved the con-

Principal’s term near done Advisory committee examines the priorities of the role; reappointment or new search on the table.

Medium News, page 2

Helpful or unhelpful?

While the world is chanting “Je suis Charlie”, we should make sure we know where we stand.

Medium Opinion, page 4

The killer’s point of view New EDSS TV film explores horror from a different angle, according to writer and director Singh.

Medium Arts, page 5

I’ve hoard enough CHIRSTY TAM/THE MEDIUM

The Campus Affairs Committee approved a proposal to build an expanded parking deck on campus. struction of the first parking deck in 2010/11. The second parking deck was originally set to be built in 2016, but Donoghue said that the plan has

been brought forward by a year because of the population increase in the UTM community and because Parking Lot 1 will temporarily be go-

ing out of service due to construction in the North Building.

Parking continued on page 3

Is it stuff you haven’t dealt with for three years? It should probably not be on your floor.

Medium Features, page 8

Trinh for the win Award-winning past Humber coach comes to bring UTM badminton into OCAA viability.

Medium Sports, page 11

2

«NEWS

THE MEDIUM 01.12.2015

Saini to complete term in June Priorities for the roles and possible reappointment under review

December 28, 12:33 p.m.

Mischief under $5,000 Person(s) unknown had spray painted graffiti on a wooden fence. UTM Housing Department was contacted to have graffiti removed.

January 6, 1:30 p.m.

Theft under $5,000 A student reported the theft of his wallet and cash that he inadvertently left on top of an ATM machine located inside the Davis Building.

December 28, 3:50 p.m.

Harassment A student was cautioned by Campus Police for making inappropriate comments to patrons inside the RAWC.

January 7, 10:05 a.m.

Indecent Act Two separate incidents occurred on campus. A male non-community member was arrested by Peel Regional Police and charged with committing an indecent act by exposing himself.

January 5, 6:20 a.m.

Suspicious person Campus Police were contacted in regards to a male possibly trying to gain access into vehicles in lot 8. The male had departed prior to the arrival of Campus Police.

January 5, 7:50 p.m.

Motor vehicle accident A student reported that her parked vehicle in upper lot 8 had been struck by another vehicle. The driver of the second vehicle did not report the accident.

January 7, 3:44 p.m.

Fraud Campus Police were contacted to investigate a transit pass that had been alerted by another student to fraudulently obtain transportation.

January 7, 4:01 p.m.

Harassment A student reported receiving inappropriate text messages from an unknown person on her cellular phone.

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.

Proposal to provide food requires diverse offering RFP continued from Cover Other changes mentioned in the proposal include the permanent food court that is to be built in Davis in the future, replacing the TFC. The university would have the right to select the branded venues in the new permanent food court.

Although the RFP calls for a “nonexclusive contract” with the successful food provider, UTM is looking to enter into an agreement with only one supplier.

“Because we currently have the Blind Duck and vending services, and we will be opening the market to new catering providers in a separate RFP, we can’t call this RFP exclusive,” said Vicky Jezierski, director of Hospitality & Retail Services at UTM. “We also want to make sure that the Food Truck program is ongoing and, although the program is organized by the provider, food trucks are not operated by the food services provider but by independent operators.”

Other objectives included highquality food, high standards of nutrition, having the price of branded food reflect “street-level pricing”, and the ability to provide financial return to the food provider and the university.

The proposal must also seek to increase “customer satisfaction” at UTM. As for catering, UTM will choose “preferred suppliers”, which Jezierski said would be done through a sepa-

rate RFP but was not specific about when.

“Our selected food supplier will have the rights to provide catering services without submitting a second RFP proposal but will be one of possibly many providers of this service, depending on the outcome of the RFP,” she said.

The new food service provider will also be responsible for its own losses.

Last year, a heavily redacted copy of UTM’s contract with Chartwells revealed that the food service provider was receiving financial assistance from the university due to “financial difficulties”.

The RFP also states that the agreement between UTM and the successful proponent would be made into a public document.

Once proposals have been submitted and evaluated, the university will interview at least the top two candidates. UTM said it will not consider proposals that would require significant changes to campus infrastructure or construction.

The term of the agreement with the proponent will be for five years, like the current one, and the university will have the option to extend the agreement on the same terms and conditions for an additional three one-year terms based on the provider’s performance and other requirements.

Prospective candidates are to visit UTM on January 16.

MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM

UTM principal Deep Saini, who is also vice-president of U of T, was appointed to the roles in 2010.

NICOLE DANESI ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR With UTM principal and U of T VP Deep Saini’s first term to end in June, an advisory committee has been established to review priorities for the vice-president and principal and to consider Saini’s potential reappointment.

Originally appointed in 2010, Saini will complete his five-year term this June. The advisory committee will provide its recommendations to committee co-chairs U of T president Meric Gertler and vice-president and provost Cheryl Regehr.

Members of the advisory committee were first nominated following a call for nominations in November, and then selected by Gertler and Regehr.

According to U of T’s “Policy on Appointment of Academic Administrators”, teaching and administrative staff at UTM will be invited to suggest names for the position. The committee will then review the nominations along with suggestions from outside consultation and make its recommendation to the co-chairs.

Gertler and Regehr will report committee recommendations to

the university’s Governing Council, which is responsible for producing the final decision on the appointment of U of T’s vice-president. The decision regarding the appointment of UTM’s principal will be made by the Agenda Committee, a commission under the Governing Council’s academic board.

Because Saini’s term is eligible for renewal, the advisory committee will also make recommendations on whether to reappoint Saini. If deliberations result in the decision to reject Saini’s reappointment, a search will be undertaken to appoint another individual to the role.

According to a memorandum circulated by the Office of the President, the advisory committee will also review “priorities that should be considered for the vice president and principal”.

The advisory committee includes 15 representatives from various positions on- and off-campus. Included on the committee are the chairs of UTM’s departments of geography and historical studies and chief librarian Ian Whyte. Other members of the committee include various professors from all three U of T campuses, the president of the UTM Alumni Asso-

ciation, and fourth-year undergraduate student Arjan Banerjee.

“I feel a sense of responsibility and hope that I will be a rational, aware, and representative voice for the undergraduate student population on the committee,” says Banerjee, a biology specialist and classics minor.

The full membership list of the advisory committee is available through the Office of the Vice President and Provost’s website.

Prior to the end of the fall term, students, staff, faculty, and other stakeholder groups were invited to participate in Saini’s review process through the submission of feedback to the advisory committee for consideration.

When asked to comment on his first term as principal and vice-president, and whether he would like to be reappointed for another term, a spokesperson for Saini informed The Medium that Saini would defer all comments until after the procedure is concluded.

Due to the confidential nature of the process, it is not yet known when deliberations will close and a decision regarding the next term will be made known to the public.

U of T accused of failing mandate Aid continued from Cover Although she says she received a “very generous” grant of “$4,500 to $5,000” in her first year as a UTM Undergraduate Grant, H.P.A. says the following year she was forced to pay her fees through credit cards. “[The UTM Grant assessment] just came back saying that I didn’t get anything. It didn’t go into detail,” said H.P.A. She was later told that her application was missing a notice of assessment.

“We had to go through all these hoops of getting contact from somebody to only tell us that my notice of assessment was missing,” she said.

“So then I handed it in and there were some complications […] because at this time it was past the due date.”

In the end, H.P.A. says she received “a whopping $300”.

That year, she claims she was also fined over $800 in interest for her late tuition payment.

She then approached university officials to discuss her situation and was

directed to Mark Overton, UTM’s dean of student affairs, and Helen Slade of Student Retention Services at St. George.

In September, H.P.A., accompanied by UTMSU VP part-time Amir Moazzami, had a meeting with Overton and Slade to discuss her situation.

“Nothing was done,” she said of the outcome.

Neither H.P.A. nor Moazzami could go into specifics because both said they had agreed to confidentiality, with H.A. saying she signed an agreement to that effect. “[Overton] told me it was for my benefit when really it was for [Overton and Slade’s] or they would have signed it, too,” she said. “Basically they were rushing me to sign it before Amir arrived.”

“They told me it was for my benefit so that nobody would disclose information from that meeting. […] Why is it [that] I was the only one that had to sign it?” she added.

When asked to comment, Overton said he could not speak publicly

about individual student aid cases.

U of T media spokesperson Althea Blackburn-Evans also did not respond to specific questions on H.P.A.’s case, but said that the university has put “significant resources” towards its Policy on Student Financial Support, which stipulates, “No student offered admission to a program at the University of Toronto should be unable to enter or complete the program due to lack of financial means.”

At the UTMSU annual general meeting in November, H.P.A. accused the university of failing to meet its policy.

UTMSU executive director Walied Khogali commented at the time that H.P.A.’s situation is “one of many” that UTMSU has dealt with.

Khogali, Moazzami, and VP equity Melissa Theodore have all been involved in H.P.A.’s case, including providing her with support through UTMSU grants.

Aid continued on page 3

01.12.2015 THE MEDIUM NEWS

$160M given in annual aid

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»WHICH FOOD BRAND DO YOU NOT WANT TO SEE ON CAMPUS?

Amna Haleem 2nd year, comp sci

Johnny Wong Master’s, theology

I’m not a fan of Pizza Pizza; late at night, it’s frozen cold and really hard.

Pizza Pizza. Canada has the worst pizza in the world; I’ve had better in Uganda.

Roberto Bertorelli 4th year, psych

Praveena Jay 1st year, crim

Honestly, I have no preference; I bring my own food.

Taco Bell. I think they’re gross.

UTORONTO.CA/PHOTO

H.P.A. applied for aid through the UTM Undergraduate Grant program and UTAPS. Aid continued from page 2 Khogali added that almost 100 students have benefited this year from UTMSU’s bursary program.

“It’s really unfortunate that the university is not fulfilling its mandate by providing enough financial resources to support students,” he commented at the meeting.

“U of T provides over $160 million in financial support to students each year, equivalent to the entire budget of some Ontario universities,” said Blackburn-Evans, who added that the U of T Advance Planning for Stu-

dents (UTAPS) program also covers living expenses in addition to tuition and textbooks, “making it the most generous university student financial assistance program in Ontario”.

H.P.A. said she was almost unable to continue her studies this year and had to borrow money to do so. Although she has applied for the UTM Undergraduate Grant again this year, as of press time H.P.A. had not received notice of how much funding she is eligible for.

In the meantime, she has requested a meeting with Slade to continue to discuss her situation.

“It should not be this difficult for somebody to get help […] I can see a lot of students giving up at this point,” she said.

UTM Undergraduate Grants are given to students based on their financial need as assessed by OSAP, or in the case of out-of-province students, UTAPS. UTAPS provides non-repayable grants to students whose financial need is not covered fully through OSAP or other government assistance programs.

The UTAPS assessment is based on OSAP methodology for evaluating student need.

UTMSU voices opposition to fee increases “I am asked, ‘Why didn’t you just make the deck the first time?’ […],” said Donoghue. “It would’ve caused an increase in costs and resulted in excess capacity. The plan was to sequentially increase.”

Donoghue explained that the cost amounts to an increase of 6–8¢ per day for a 12-month permit.

The project will include about 300 new parking spots, though relatively fewer accessible spots, and is expected to be in service by this August.

In his presentation, Donoghue also described how the parking deck—to be built at the south end of the UTM campus—would keep with “environment sensitivity” concerns

expressed by UTM principal Deep Saini, and will not be “aesthetically offensive” because it would not expand “hard landscape”.

Parking fees were a major topic at the UTM Town Hall held last semester, with multiple UTMSU representatives speaking against the high cost of parking on campus.

The motion was passed, with objections from UTMSU president and VP external, who were attending as guests.

Donoghue also explained that revenue from the fees is not aimed at maximizing surplus, and that any surplus generated would only contribute to the capital reserve for parking, which also funds projects such as these.

The yearly increase of 3% in park-

ing permit prices was also approved.

The proposed increase in the ancillary fees is to be presented to the UTM Campus Council on February 5 for further approval, as will the parking deck proposal for recommendation, before both proposals go to the Executive Committee for confirmation in March.

The meeting also included presentations by Chad Nuttall, director of Student Housing & Residence Life, who explained that the department currently faces a $400,000 deficit due to an unexpected $1.3 million cost of repairs at Erindale Hall.

Nuttall assured the committee that the deficit would be resolved by the 2016/17 academic year.

He went on to propose a 5.5% increase in residence rates, which was

approved by the committee.

Vicky Jezierski, the director of Hospitality and Retail Services, described the investments being made in food services at UTM. She said the Food Services Advisory Committee had met with two designers to discus the construction of a new food court in the Davis Building, along with an addition of a Tim Hortons to the North Side Bistro.

Jezierski also said that fewer residence rooms had caused a decline in Conference Services’ revenue.

Jezierski said that the loss of 100 rooms in Erindale Hall—which have been turned into offices for UTM departments that were relocated for the second phase of construction in the North Building—meant the loss

of 100 meal plans.

Her presentation also pointed to fewer rooms being available in OPH because of more students renting rooms over the summer, along with international students participating in the ACE@UTM program, as causes for the shortfall in the budget.

Jezierski proposed a 2.8% increase in retail food prices, and a 1.5% increase in meal plan prices.

The vote for this motion was also in favour and was passed.

Financial aid and other topics were also discussed at the meeting, which was followed by an in-camera session discussing the report of the Project Planning Committee on the costs and funding for the parking deck expansion.

Canada announces $9m to support U of T digital access project

Canadian man released from Cairo hospital following detention

CFS member found guilty of violating rights in McGill referendum

Cosby heckled by anti-rape protestors in final Ontario show

Conservatives criticized over “Donate Now” button on webpage

The federal government will support a project launched by U of T’s Munk School of Global Affairs to increase digital access to information for people ruled by oppressive governments.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said that Canada would give up to $9 million towards the Digital Public Square Project. The announcement was made on Tuesday.

A Canadian engineer and human rights activist who was arrested during a military coup in Cairo has been released from hospital after spending over a year in prison. Khaled Al-Qazzaz, whose Mississauga family has campaigned for his release since his imprisonment in July 2013, has been hospitalized for medical problems resulting from his detention.

A CRO for the Canadian Federation of Students has been found guilty of violating the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedom for including rules to limit campaigning against the McGill student union’s continued membership in CFS. The rules included a requirement that campaign materials not include mention to legal actions related to the referendum.

Bill Cosby’s last show in Ontario was interrupted on Friday by a group of protestors in his audience who began reciting anti-rape chants during the show. The protestors, who wore Tshirts saying “We believe the women”, were taken out of the show by police and security. Over two dozen women have recently accused the 77-year-old comedian of sexual assault.

The federal Conservative party has taken off a “Donate Now” button from its webpage featuring Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s response to the recent attacks in Paris. The webpage condemned the attacks and promised to protect Canadian rights.

The button, which allowed readers to donate to the party, was removed following complaints that it was “crass”.

Source: U of T News

Source: Mississauga News

Source: StudentUnion.ca

Source: Canoe.ca

Source: Toronto Star

Parking continued from Cover

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01.12.2015

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Human violence takes many forms We always have to condemn atrocities, but should make the right generalizations Any and every religion can be and has been used to destroy or to build up. The determining factors are the people using them and the context.

I can’t say this as a completely neutral observer; I say it as an Anabaptist Christian. I certainly don’t believe that all religions describe the world equally truthfully. But I do believe that they all provide bases for good or evil action. Putting aside the good for a minute, many of the most awful evils in history have been carried out by people using the name of Jesus (albeit in clear defiance of his actual words). If I were to do as some commentators have done and cite the recent attacks in Peshawar, Nigeria, and especially Paris as proof that one name incites hatred, I’d be opening the door for the same strong but misguided criticisms against followers of my religion. And the opinions among believers in the religions often accused of promoting violence is so divided that we can rarely even reliably generalize about our counterparts.

Sometimes all we can say is: My community and I read the words of this or that teacher and have made a decision about what to believe.

Part of why I bring this up to open this editorial is having watched the Ben Affleck vs. Bill Maher et al debate, a sharply divisive video (judging by the saddening comments!) that many of us will find relevant for a long time.

The basic paradox is: We must tolerate everyone, but what about those we deem intolerant...?

My answer to this question falls, if not quite in line with Affleck’s poorly argued points, more on his side than on the other. The whole of humanity is riddled with intolerance. Any ideology can be set up as an excuse to perpetrate violence. Yesterday the worst killers in our society used one hyperbolized adage to justify their actions, and today they use another.

And we never grow up. Consider an article in The Star during the Toronto mayoral elections about the disturbing number of sexist and racist comments made on Olivia Chow’s Facebook page. These are Torontonians—us and our not-too-distant family friends. We don’t need any particular faith to create hatred. We will always invent it again. So rather than say, “This is what comes of Islam” or “This is what comes of Christianity” or “This is what comes of Hinduism”—all of which, when uprooted from a particular place, leave a void that is filled in an instant—we should say, “Here are people doing loving things, and here are ones doing hateful things; let’s encourage the former and discourage the latter on a policy level, imitate the one and avoid the other in our personal lives.”

So much for the violent tendencies of religion. But there is also the opposite, the side that incites good. On the one hand the same argument applies: that many people are naturally willing to do good and religion just provides a pretext, and hence is not an important factor in their decision.

But there’s also the consideration that many people are compelled by religious convictions the same way they’re compelled by law, that is, feeling a duty to do good. We sometimes look to a religious text to reinforce a bad inclination or prejudice we already have; but we are often surprised, on reading it, to discover that it encourages a good inclination we had put out of mind but are reminded to follow. The evil done in the name of religion originates with the person more often than does the good.

Any ideology can be set up as an excuse to perpetrate violence.

This brings me to an admission I must reluctantly make as a journalist here at The Medium, who is strongly in favour of free speech: je ne suis pas vraiment Charlie. They ought to be able to print what they do without being shut down, and above all without being brutally slaughtered in a horrifying flash of extremism. But I don’t agree with their message. If Charlie Hebdo was to have been argued against (not that I would have bothered), it should have been with gentle, reasoned, carefully considered words, not guns. But recognizing the horror of the crime and sympathizing with the victim doesn’t mean we should endorse the victim’s ideas, which in this case include the crass vilification

of many legitimate ways of life.

A CBC spokesperson said something just after the attacks, and for my part—despite the tone this editorial might have overall—I’m a little torn about it. They said they would not reprint Charlie Hebdo comics, as many other media outlets had done, since said comics are offensive to the beliefs of a large swathe of Canadians. This is a fairly liberal news outlet, and it’s interesting to note how differently they acted than Bill Maher, who in the infamous video I brought up earlier was starting to say that liberals ought to oppose Islam (and other religions).

Yes, CBC could be accused of people-pleasing and not sticking to their guns. But the other side will say they were respectful. For my part, I’m not in agreement with much of the religion. But my natural tendency is to avoid causing offence if it doesn’t serve a constructive end. Conversations should be had; criticisms can be made; murderous extremism should be thrown down; but mockery advances no cause. Most of the time it seems very clear to me that the person gibing doesn’t realize the sincerity and, on the whole, peaceability with which the average person of faith believes what they do, or understand how they come to believe it. And ignorance of that sort helps very little.

YOURS, LUKE SAWCZAK

01.12.2015

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Does the punishment fit the crime?

Restorative justice at Dalhousie isn’t really enough; students are demanding expulsions Over the past month there has been a flurry of protest, concern, and outrage regarding misogynistic comments made on a Facebook group by male fourth-year Dalhousie dentistry students. The Facebook group, known as “Class of DDS Gentlemen”, talked about women they wanted to have “hate sex” with and joked about using chloroform on women, while another post showed a picture of a women in a bikini commenting “bang until stress relieved or unconscious”. The university was made aware of the posts on December 8 and the story was revealed to the public on December 15. Since then, there has been an outcry from both the Dalhousie student body and the public about the allegations and the repercussions for the students.

The initial punishment deemed fit by Dalhousie was a restorative justice program. This is defined as a system of criminal justice that focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with the victims and the community to work out their difference.

When this decision was made, it was followed by outrage from within the student body and the wider community at large; there were protests by Dalhousie students and anger expressed via social media demanding a harsher punishment.

Third-year Dalhousie University commerce student Madeline Martin says, “I’m really ashamed that this has happened at my school.

I believe that being in an educational institution is a privilege and if you cannot treat your fellow students and staff with respect, equality, and kindness, then there should not be a place for you at Dalhousie. I would like to see the members of the Facebook group expelled but if they’re not, their names released. I don’t want them anywhere near my teeth.”

The hashtag #dalhousiehateswomen was trending as students voiced their anger that the administration of their university clearly had no real concern for female students if they were going to treat these hate crimes so casually.

“Forget the mouthwash; remove the rot, expel now,” was another common sign students used when protesting their university’s decision, and rightfully so. When an individual is found guilty of rape, do we have them sit down with the women they sexually assaulted to work out their differences and talk? Of course not—we throw the rapist in jail for life and assume the victim never wants to lay eyes on the attacker again. But when students in the dentistry faculty joke about using their position of authority to “put out” women to sexually abuse them, we just sit

them down to have a good talk?

These type of offences need to be taken more seriously, especially when these men will graduate with a position of authority where their patients are vulnerable and under their control and guidance.

For this reason, students have demanded expulsion, and they aren’t alone. The licensing agency for Ontario has asked Dalhousie University for the identities of the 13 students involved in the comments. So far, Dalhousie has not released the students’ names.

This pro-rape culture at university campuses is not as rare and shocking as one might suppose; take UBC and St. Mary’s last year.

Irwin Fefergrad, registrar of Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario, comments that due to this lack of transparency, students from this graduating class will have to prove they are not one of the 13 offenders. Fefergrad explains that universities can grant degrees in dentistry, but they cannot issue the licences that make it legal to practise. He stresses there is zero tolerance in the healthcare

Including everyone is hard

Dear Editor, I write this letter as a concerned UTM student, not an employee of this newspaper. Just before the holidays, The Medium published a frontpage article about UTMSU’s Pee in Peace campaign. The campaign is calling to transform the current male and female washrooms in the Meeting Place in Davis into all-gender washrooms. This would mean that anyone who identifies with any gender would be able use either of those two washrooms, which are currently designated as male- or female-only. I have some concerns about the proposal that I wanted to raise.

Let me begin by clarifying that I am not opposed to building all-gender washrooms on campus, especially for students who do not feel comfortable or safe using the gender-segregated ones. But the proposed washrooms are being advertised on their posters as “for everyone”. This fails to take into account the students who in their own right would not feel safe or comfortable in an all-gender setting.

If the current washrooms were con-

verted into all-gender washrooms, those students would no longer have an accessible washroom that they could use in the Meeting Place.

To be clear, the campaign does call for renovations to the existing washrooms to increase privacy. Besides having stronger locks and smaller gaps under the stalls, UTMSU representatives said they’d also like to have mirrors placed inside the stalls, saying for example that they might be used by students who would like to adjust their hijabs. With all due respect, I do not think these measures are enough to ensure that every student would be comfortable using the washrooms. I wear a hijab and while I appreciate the gesture, I wouldn’t feel comfortable using an all-gender washroom with or without those mirrors. The meaning of “privacy” varies significantly from person to person and culture to culture, and that deserves equal respect.

Someone could argue that individuals who are uncomfortable using all-gender washrooms have the option to use a facility on another floor, while there are fewer options

available to users of all-gender washrooms. While this may be true, I don’t believe that the solution lies in replacing the gender-specific washrooms in the Meeting Place, mainly because the Meeting Place is such a populated area and the washrooms there should be accessible to all. To address the needs of students who require all-gender washrooms, perhaps the campaign can call for a new washroom to be built in the same location.

The right to safe, accessible washroom facilities belongs to all of us.

With that in mind, we should respect the needs of both the students who require all-gender washrooms as well as those who need gender-specific ones. To have all-gender washrooms in the Meeting Place at the expense of gender-specific ones will exclude some people and I don’t believe that’s appropriate or necessary. Why not ask for a third washroom and include all of us?

Sincerely, Maria Iqbal News Editor

system for the type of behaviour the students displayed.

This type of pro-rape culture among university campuses is not as rare and shocking as one might suppose. Just last year, pro-rape frosh chants were heard at both UBC and Saint Mary’s.

Louis Birta, a professor emeritus in the school of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of Ottawa, says, “It’s hard to believe that these supposedly ‘well-educated’ individuals would be so far out of sync with prevailing attitudes—what they reflected is the kind of attitude that might have been simply frowned upon 50 years ago, but in 2015 it is totally unacceptable.”

This story is unfolding with new developments every day. As of last Monday, a seemingly more aggressive approach has been taken to reprehend the 13 students involved. The men have been suspended from their clinical work and potentially will not return to classes starting January 12. The reason given by the administration for the delay in suspension was that they wanted the students to be back on campus and have full access to support as some of the accused were said to be at risk of self-harm.

“These are people you look up to in the dentistry world, and with doctor-patient interaction, pa-

tients look to them with valuable knowledge and as someone to help them. It was just very disappointing,” said aspiring dentist and current Dalhousie student Meghan McAlary. “But I don’t think people should look down on Dalhousie’s dental school. These were the actions of individuals. I’m sure it could have happened to any dental school. It was poor choice by individuals. But you would think they would know better once they step into a professional world.”

As a dentist, you take responsibility for your patients, have control over their well-being, and in some cases perform anaesthesia, making patients vulnerable.

Men with this type of mentality are not suitable for the profession and should certainly not graduate.

Their names should be released for public safety, and it can be up to the discretion of other dentistry schools and licencing bodies to accept these men to their faculty or the profession. For now, the only thing these men should be cleaning out is their desk, because Dalhousie should not have a place for students with this code of conduct.

When asked, UTM staff declined to comment because the events had taken place at another university.

Amanda Havey CCIT

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THE MEDIUM 01.12.2015

The psychology of a serial murderer EDSS TV’s latest project, Shattered, brings a different kind of horror to the small screen MARIA CRUZ A&E EDITOR Currently in the production phase, EDSS TV’s latest film, Shattered, differs greatly from Dry on a Sunday, which they premiered in the Student Centre just a few months ago. Siddharth Singh, who wrote and directed Shattered, describes the film as “a young man who experiences a series of violent episodes wherein he brutally stabs young women. The short film delves into the mind of this young man and analyses why he experiences these violent and horrifying episodes.”

The inspiration for the 30-minute psychological horror came from classics like The Shining, Psycho, and contemporary works like Black Swan, Singh says. But this time the focus will be from the point of view of the perpetrator, Roy. “My aim for this short film is to show the audience that violence is not always perpetrated arbitrarily,” says Singh. “At times,

MAHMOUD SAROUJU/THE MEDIUM

EDSS TV films their last film of 2014, Shattered. there are quite serious psychological reasons behind a person’s behaviour that are lost amidst the blood and the gore.”

Fourth-year theatre and drama

major Tom Ketchum plays Roy. “Finding an actor for this role was extremely difficult. This character is quite disturbed and suffers from a number of psychological is-

sues. I needed an actor who could project the inner anger and pain of this character through the use of minimal dialogue […],” Singh says. “Tom fell into the charac-

ter’s headspace so effortlessly. In a matter of seconds he becomes so aloof, so distant, and yet so ominous.”

Singh hopes to bring a slightly new take on the horror genre, saying horror films have “become obsessed with the slashing and gashing […] plot holes are brushed over by sex scenes in graveyards”.

He hopes to add more character development to this entry in the genre, and says his inspirations are what he calls “non-supernatural human horrors” that “frighten the audience because they show us how vulnerable we really are”.

Shattered also plans on incorporating techniques that EDSS TV hasn’t used yet, such as black and white scenes and slow motion.

Drawing on inspiration from Alexander Payne’s Nebraska, Singh believes that the black and white effect will create a specific atmosphere and highlight different shades of personality in the characters.

Beloved Disney characters come to life Disney Infinity lets gamers plug in as their favourite childhood characters from Disney and Marvel MARIA CRUZ A&E EDITOR Disney Infinity, brought to us by Avalanche Software, is easily one of the most fun children’s games I’ve played in quite some time. Giving the player the chance to see some of their favourite Disney and Marvel characters in their own universes is not only unique but also endearing. The characters come in the form of toys in your own personal toy box and you get to watch them come to life as you play with them in their own universe playsets or free roam in the toy box.

There are two main modes: Playset and Toy Box. Playset is where you (or more than one of you in multiplayer) plug into a world and embark on missions to level up your character, complete the story, and unlock things for the toy box. What makes the playset so interesting is that there are several different ones to choose from in order for you to live as all your favourite characters; my brother and I purchased the Asgard playset, where he and I were made to stop Loki’s frost giants from taking over New York.

The playsets that you purchase also come with an array of characters to plug into the console. Ours came

COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG/PHOTO

The Lone Ranger and Tonto are just two of the characters you can play as in Disney Infinity. with Avengers Black Widow, Thor, and Iron Man, but we had to purchase Hawkeye, Captain America, and the Hulk on our own. Now, keep in mind that these six characters are really only for one playset. There’s an arsenal of characters to choose from, not only from the predetermined playsets but also sold separately; you can buy characters recognized from

all over the Disney and Marvel map, including the Incredibles, Loki, Captain Jack Sparrow, Stitch, Maleficent, Tinkerbell, Aladdin, and even Mickey Mouse.

Once you plug in the playset, you can compete in challenges with your friends or join them to take on missions scattered all over the map. In doing these things, you build up your

characters’ rankings and can even start at a more advanced rank should you choose to start the playset from the beginning. There really isn’t too much game time, but it all depends on how long you sit in front of the screen to finish off the missions. Plus, with challenges to complete and special coins to find all over the city, there are plenty of things to keep you

occupied.

In Playset mode, you also unlock characters and types of brick or foundation for Toy Box mode. Now, here is where the game lets your imagination run free. You start with an indescribably giant blank space and you are essentially the creator of your own universe. You build everything from the ground your characters walk on to buildings for cities, trees, and different types of grasses for parks, and you can even incorporate Cinderella’s castle. It’s amazing to spend the time to build an entire universe for your characters to be happy in, a little like Minecraft.

Now, when it comes to gameplay, there are some really great things.

The controls are easy; it’s essentially button-mashing for melee fighting and the A button for building things in Toy Box mode. The graphics are relatively decent for a kid’s game and I like how authentic the game is to the concept. Because your characters come in the form of toys, they can fall from skyscrapers without winding up a broken mess on the floor, and each character captures the likeness of the real character beautifully.

DIsney continued on page 8

01.12.2015 THE MEDIUM ARTS» 7

REWIND MAYANK SHARMA When I first saw Tim Burton’s Batman, I was convinced that Jack Nicholson, when given a decent script, could act circles around anybody. Since then, I have aimed to watch almost every film starring Nicholson, and after 10 years of tracking down almost every Nicholson film ever, I think it is safe to call myself a fan of his work. Over the winter break, I came across a film that is heartwarming, one of his finest performances, and possibly one of the best romantic comedies to date.

Heartburn is a 1980s romantic film starring Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep. The plot revolves around Rachel (Streep) and Mark’s (Nicholson) marriage, the obstacles they face, and their attempts to overcome them.

The film branches out to elements such as infidelity, reconciliation, and marital conflicts. Rachel catches Mark cheating on her, provoking her to move to New York with her child, where she tries to make ends meet while getting over her failed marriage. As Rachel endeavours to get her life back on track, Mark attempts to win her back.

Heartburn is a feel-good movie and has a few humorous moments.

There is an endless list of jokes and innuendos in this film that range

from jokes between couples at a dinner table to Rachel’s father convincing her to give away her children.

One of the more amusing scenes in the film is a peculiar interaction between Rachel and an apologetic thief (played by Kevin Spacey).

The thief robs Rachel and other members of a group therapy session in the most careful and nicest way possible, which makes you appreciate the humour and the acting in the scene. This particular scene is pretty iconic as well, as it was Spacey’s first role in a motion picture—and a well-performed one, to say the least.

This film also boosted the career of Carly Simon, the theme song“Coming Round Again” becoming one of Billboard’s top hits.

This film was based on a novel by Nora Ephron, and is partially based on her marriage. Her anger and disappointment merged with humour makes the dialogue a delight. That and the directorial skills of the late Mike Nichols, along with acting by the cast, makes this a commendable film.

This film may not be as popular nor as critically acclaimed as Defending Your Life or As Good As It Gets, but it’s one of my personal favourites. So, get your Netflix ready, warm up a cup of hot chocolate, and indulge yourself in a movie filled with emotion and comic relief.

A whole lot of nothing The Interview’s lame jokes and humour fail to impress

HUFFINGTONPOST.COM/PHOTO

James Franco and Seth Rogen return with another comedy that delivers sighs, not laughs.

MAYANK SHARMA From the comical duo of James Franco and Seth Rogen comes yet another media artifact that uses generic slapstick comedy elements, satire, and bromance to entertain its audience. What was half-jokingly deemed the start of a potential third world war, The Interview falls short of expectations by simply inducing eye-rolls and sighs of exhaustion instead of laughs.

The Interview is a political satire that narrates the tale of the fictional assassination of the North Korean tyrant Kim Jong-un (Randall Park) by television host Dave Skylark

MARIA CRUZ A&E EDITOR TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT Marion Cotillard stars as Sandra, a woman who’s forced to take time off from work after suffering a nervous breakdown. However, her 16 coworkers soon discover that she is replaceable. They are given a choice: take a $1,000 bonus or let Sandra come back. Before the final decision is made on Monday, Sandra, with the help of her husband Manu (Fabrizio Rongione), visits each one of her coworkers to persuade them not to take the bonus.

This movie has been earning praise left and right from critics, even being called “a miracle”. Whether I’ll go that far is still to be seen, but if you’re into critically acclaimed films with Oscarwinning actors, you’ll like this.

Two Days, One Night is set to release on Friday, January 16.

THE BOY NEXT DOOR In this drama that you’ve probably seen before in another movie, Jennifer Lopez stars as Claire, an older woman who has a one-night stand with her younger neighbour, Noah (Ryan Guzman), and he develops an obsession with her.

When I first heard about this mov-

(James Franco) and his producer Aaron Rapoport (Seth Rogen). The plot revolves around the television show Skylark reaching their thousandth episode and hearing about Kim Jong-un’s interest in the show.

The duo aim to interview the Korean dictator to increase their show’s reputation.

However, things go awry when the CIA gets involved and instructs Skylark and Rapoport to assassinate Kim Jong-un. More chaos ensues when the duo begin to connect with Kim Jong-un on a more personal level.

The film’s storyline is shallow even for a slapstick comedy, and repeats its

jokes over and over again (especially the overused Lord of the Rings references. Ugh, we get it). The satirical nature of this film tries to poke fun at an entire nation by making a serious situation lighthearted but fails at that as well. Nevertheless, there are a handful of funny moments. Franco and Rogen’s dynamic and their nonsensical mannerisms almost reassure you that the film was worth your time and money.

So if you are interested to see what all the hype was around Sony’s hacking, or if you’re a fan of Rogen and Franco’s comedy, you might enjoy this film. But I should warn you: it’s no Pineapple Express. MM½

ie, I thought she was going to be obsessed with him, which would have been a nice change of pace, but this is just your typical movie. She’ll probably get away in the end.

The Boy Next Door is set to release on Friday, January 23.

a washed-up actor battling depression and contemplating suicide after his last performance. However, he soon begins to date a former lesbian, Pegeen Stapleford (Greta Gerwig), and tries to figure out whether her feelings for him are real.

This movie looks like a really cute film that deals with important issues, also incorporating the humour behind a failing actor dating a younger woman. Definitely going to be worth my time.

The Humbling is set to release on Friday, January 23.

THE LOFT Loaded with B-list actors, The Loft follows the lives of five married men who each have a key to an upmarket loft in which they meet their mistresses. When a woman is found murdered in the loft, they all begin to suspect one another and try to figure out who the killer is.

Starring James Marsden, Wentworth Miller, Karl Urban, and Eric Stonestreet, this movie doesn’t look particularly bad, but there is a big Pretty Little Liars vibe that I’m not fond of—women calling them and asking if they have secrets, Latin phrases written in blood, and suspicious people questioning one another. It looks like a mediocre film that might be good to see with friends.

The Loft is set to open on Friday, January 23.

THE HUMBLING Starring Al Pacino as Simon Axler and based on the novel by Philip Roth, The Humbling follows the life of

PROJECT ALMANAC Presented in found footage (ugh), this movie follows David Raskin (Jonny Weston) and his friends as they build a time machine that was left discarded for years in the basement of Raskin’s father’s workshop. Predictably, they initially use the machine to fix past mistakes but soon realize that their actions wreak havoc in the future.

This is probably just another typical film with the lovely little message of “Hey, idiot. Don’t time travel.” Not going to lie, though, the movie does look like it will deliver college-level humour and action. A good move for Cheap Night.

Project Almanac is set to release on Friday, January 30.

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THE MEDIUM 01.12.2015

Through a different lens

Grist comes and goes

Canadian novelist Joseph Boyden tackles indigenous literature

Hilary Grist’s new album just mediocre MARIA CRUZ A&E EDITOR

TORONTOSTAR.COM/PHOTO

Joseph Boyden is an award winning Canadian author.

KATE CATTELL-DANIELS ASSOCIATE A&E EDITOR The Orenda by Joseph Boyden was not exactly an easy holiday read.

Over the break, I usually opt for a less politically intricate story, one that I can power through in a few days. But I don’t by any means regret reading The Orenda. One of my favourite things about reading good Canadian literature is being able to identify with some of the book’s settings; anyone who has been to St. Marie Among the Hurons is going to know exactly what Boyden is talking about.

The story is told in three voices from three perspectives, alternating every chapter or so. The characters are all undoubtedly different people: Bird, chief of a Wendat tribe, fraught with both worries and joie-de-vivre, taking the best care he can of his people; the young girl Snow Falls, kidnapped by Bird from her Iroquois family and trying to fit in with the Wendat; and Christophe, a francophone Jesuit who has come to the New World to convert the Aboriginals.

What I love about each of these characters is their commitment to their beliefs, whatever they may be. Bird and Snow Falls both know whom their enemy is, and Christophe is sure that anyone who does not believe in his God is going to Hell. Each is prepared to make huge sacrifices for what they believe is

the truth, which I found fulfilling because when I asked myself what I would do in their place, I came up with the same answers as they did.

The topic of the imposition of Eurocentric culture on Native Americans is undeniably delicate, especially when it’s in the hands of a non-Native American writer. The last time I came up against this, I was reading The Ecstasy of Rita Joe for a drama class and I thought it was odd that a white writer had taken it upon himself to tell a story that most definitely was not his own. And yet here Boyden completely dedicates himself to the voice through which he speaks and I found myself so lost in the world he had created that I didn’t even think about who had written this novel or what his background happened to be.

Stereotypically, Canadian literature focuses on the environment in which the story takes place. Stereotypically, this is boring. I found that in The Orenda, however, the environment was essential to the story. It’s just not the same unless Bird and his right-hand man, Fox, are hunting deer while up to their thighs in snow. This is a story that takes place before “town” was a word that had a use in North America, when getting lost in the woods could mean meeting an early death.

My only critique of The Orenda comes from a somewhat selfish lack

of identification. I like to be able to latch onto a character in a novel, and it was hard for me to do that. I felt split: I am the most knowledgeable about Christophe’s point of view, but Snow Falls is the woman in this story, so in a way I was also drawn to her. But then Bird was my favourite, though I can’t really relate to the feelings of deep-seated vengeance that Bird had.

Speaking of vengeance, The Orenda is not a book for the fainthearted or soft-stomached. Usually, I’m pretty tough when it comes to gory scenes in books, but Boyden’s novel takes gruesome to a whole new level. The torture of prisoners of war is fondly called “caressing”, and is a fate that is the expected conclusion on any raid. “Caressing” is incredibly creative, involving bouts of bone-breaking, hot coals, and boiling water, to name a few.

To make matters worse, the prisoners’ lives are prolonged by rest periods, food, sleep, and people tending the wounds. I even let out a few exclamations of “eww”, much to the amusement of my family.

The word “orenda” translates roughly to “spirit” or “soul”, which I think is a highly appropriate title.

Not only does the orenda come up several times throughout the novel as something absolutely essential to Bird and Snow Falls but misunderstood by Christophe, it is also a feeling, an energy that permeates the novel.

Giving life to childhood toys Keyword continued from page 6 There are some things to look out for, though, such as the repetitiveness in enemy battles and just how easy things become once you level up your character enough. The missions themselves are fairly similar to each other: arrive and take out the frost giants. The enemies were difficult at first, but before long, taking

them out—even the harder ones— becomes pretty easy.

The only other beef I have with this game is having to purchase toys separately in order to play as them (unless, of course, they come with the playset). At around $13 a pop, it get pretty pricey to build your toy box, even if you do love all these characters.

In the end, these minor setbacks

aren’t enough to stop me from playing the game. To watch some of my favourite characters or even toys I had as a kid come to life is amazing.

The missions do differ enough for me to want to continue roaming the universe and building up my toys.

I would certainly recommend this to anyone who wants to relive their childhood for a while. MMMM½

Hilary Grist released Come and Go early last year in June. I’ve never heard of her before, but I didn’t mind this album. The album overall consists of music one would probably find in 500 Days of Summer; it was very calming and folksy, though there are definitely some songs that didn’t suit Grist’s deeper, jazzy voice.

There are moments when the instruments overpower Grist’s voice or simply don’t fuse very well with her tone. “Waltzing Matilda”, “With You”, “Damned”, and “Chemical Reaction” all clash with her voice. “Waltzing Matilda” has too much electric guitar and proves that Grist can’t really pull off the faster songs, especially on this mostly folksy album. This song is also one of my least favourites because it destroys the flow of the album. “Damned” is far too busy a song for me to focus on anything else; it’s very congested and somehow still comes off as blah. The instrumentals in “With You” really argue with Grist’s powerful voice, and while this is also true of “Chemical Reaction”, the piano here is a nice touch, not as harsh.

On the stronger side of the album were songs like “Fall to Pieces”, which is beautiful. There

is a great coupling of softer, upbeat instrumentals that go along nicely with her voice. There is an unnecessary pick-up towards the end, but overall the song is good.

“The Trade” is quite nice as well; the piano and drums go together surprisingly well. It’s a good song to listen to if you need to unwind after a long day.

The album overall consists of music one would probably find in 500 Days of Summer; it was very calming.

Easily my favourite songs on the album are “Goodbye Ghost” and “In Dreams”. “Goodbye Ghost” really shows off Grist’s voice and her ability to properly piece together a melancholy track list. The song is also on the slower side and is one of the most unique on the album.

“In Dreams” closes the album with a wonderful piano melody that goes very well with her voice and style.

The album on a whole isn’t bad and is certainly worth a listen, but I would have loved to have more of the slow stuff to show off Grist’s chops rather than have to listen to the faster songs she just couldn’t keep up with. MMM½

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01.12.2015

It’s time to make a clean sweep How to detect the difference between ordinary disorganization and real-deal hoarding JELIN PHILIP Glancing around your room, you notice your floor is concealed by piles of clothes, a mix of dirty and clean.

The bed is unmade. Old ticket stubs, trophies, and sports equipment peek out from around and under the mattress. Books and coursework from semesters ago are scattered across your desk, while stacks of video games and makeup bags layer the top of your dresser. Your closet door is barely able to close from all the junk packed behind it. Are you a hoarder, or just too busy to clean up?

Better question: what is a hoarder? A few days past January 1, is it time for a new year’s cleanup?

Lourdes Santos, a fourth-year chemistry and biology double major living on residence, didn’t think she’d need one. “One of my roommates is messy, so I learned to throw away stuff I didn’t use or need, like old clothes and shoes, at one of those donation bins on campus when available,” she advises. Santos notes that she only tends to keep things she uses repeatedly, and believes an overflowing amount of stuff can be-

MAHMOUD SAROUJI/ THE MEDIUM

The younger organization is learned, the better, says professional organizer Laura Kay. come irritating when it starts to affect other people.

A self-proclaimed collector, fourth-year political science and anthropology student Avinash Ryan Doulat doesn’t feel the need to clean up. “I never toss out anything. I

thought about cleaning up and starting a new year fresh,” he says. “But I realized that just because it is a new year doesn’t mean that I have to clean up my act just yet.”

Doulat admits that he’s a little messy, but he manages. “Growing

up, my mom was a hoarder,” he says.

“She kept an apartment she didn’t live in for years with all of our stuff inside of it that we’ve had since my brothers and I were young because she couldn’t bring herself to throw it out.”

As a professional office and home organizer, Laura Kay of Laura Kay Organizing has experienced her fair share of clutter and believes it is better to start implementing better organization as early as possible.

“As you go through life growing into adulthood, good organizational skills are essential. You have more stress on your mind and responsibilities as you get older, so the more order you can instill in your life earlier, the better it becomes in saving time and physical energy,” she says.

Kay suggests that jumping into reorganization should be taken with care. She says, “It is a process that shouldn’t be done all at once, and a person has to be really interested in wanting to change. Like adjusting to a healthier lifestyle and diet, an organized life comes with mindfulness and motivation.” Implementing tiny changes over time, such as hooks instead of hangers for those busy people, can make all the difference in minimizing clutter in the long run.

Hoard continued on page 10

Mississauga’s home on the Grange The Grange, one of our city’s oldest architectural gems, is still looking fine at almost 200 years old MANISH BHASIN Tucked into the side of Dundas Street West near Mississauga Road, the Grange serves as the headquarters of Heritage Mississauga, a local history organization, and embodies the organization’s purpose through its own history. Inside, the Grange is a museum, library, and office space all in one. There are showcases stuffed with artifacts, magazine racks packed with publications, walls draped in art, and a library stacked with books welcomed me.

Chief Justice John Beverley Robinson of Upper Canada built the Grange in 1828 in the Ontario Regency style of architecture. The building frequently changed hands after 1832, each owner adding to its structure and history. About 11 different owners preceded the Adamson family, the longest-lasting owners of the Grange. The Adamsons cultivated an orchard, stabled ponies and racehorses, and veneered the building in brick. The nickname “Robinson-Adamson House” reminds us how the Adamson family turned the Grange into a home. The Cadillac Fairview Corporation acquired and subsequently deeded the Grange to

ZARA RIZWAN/THE MEDIUM

Historian Matthew Wilkinson makes the case for the importance of knowing your local history. the City of Mississauga in 1978. The Ontario Heritage Trust named the Grange a “significant historical and architectural landmark”. In 2004, the city rented the Grange to Heritage Mississauga, who eventually renovated it into offices.

“The fireplace, the trim, the windows, and the doors are all original to the building,” said Matthew Wilkinson, Heritage Mississauga’s histo-

rian and a UTM alumnus. “In 1979, when this building was renovated […] it was renovated as modern office space. If we could move back in time, we would probably do things a little differently. So we come in now and we are trying to bring back the heritage feel.”

Heritage Mississauga primarily answers inquiries from the public or city staff. They fulfill about 500 in-

quiries every year on the subject of Mississauga’s history. The organization also hosts numerous events and publishes a book every five years, a quarterly newspaper, and journal articles. Students who are interested in volunteering with the organization can find and submit a simple form on their website, heritagemississauga. com. They already partner with UTM in a number of programs, including

guest lectures, and they founded the fourth-year internship in history course available through the Department of Historical Studies.

“They all go through me,” said Wilkinson, who supervises all student research at Heritage Mississauga. “In 2006, I was one of the people that really pushed for the student internship projects with UTM. We provide 200 hours of research time for students enrolled in the course.”

When asked about the value of studying local history for students, Wilkinson says, “My general answer is everyone, regardless of where they are in life, looks for a sense of belonging, a sense of place, a sense of understanding where they fit in time and place. Seeing built heritages around us in the landscape features […] We may not necessarily know or even want to know their story, but they become indelible parts of our understanding of the community we live in.

“If you can develop a sense of place, particularly at a young age, you can very easily translate that into a pride in that place,” he continued. “If you can develop it into a pride of a place, then now all of a sudden you’ve got a community that cares about itself.”

10

«FEATURES

THE MEDIUM 01.12.2015

Sipping away our youth Scientists have found yet another reason to avoid drinking pop I get so tired of New Year’s resolu-

have a snack in the morning as I drink

tions. Especially the ones we hear

my coffee, go through my emails, and

time and time again: eat better, hit

make my plans for my day here at

the gym, or less screen time. Let’s all

UTM. This way I am not starving by

just agree right now by approximately

the time lunch rolls around. It take

8:39 p.m. next Thursday we’ll all have

a lot of energy and brain power to

given up. I say instead of resolutions,

run all the orientation and transition

let’s aim for small goals—things we

programs I have under my portfolio,

can achieve in one single experience.

including programs like utmFYE, so I

And Jessica Silver, student develop-

need all the help I can get,” she says.

ment officer Orientation & Transition

Silver admits that while some of

and this week’s contributor, has pro-

the ingredients are obscure, they’re

vided us the perfect opportunity to

delicious and healthy. I think adven-

try something different in our normal

turous yet simple recipes like Sil-

(and perhaps not-so-good for us) rou-

ver’s are the perfect excuse to learn

tines with her raw protein bars recipe.

new cooking techniques and try out

Silver, an admittedly “big foodie

some cool ingredients. From Face-

enthusiast”, shares that it was hard

book posts to magazine articles,

to choose just one recipe. (Be sure to

I’ve certainly read a lot about hemp

check out her new blog menubored.

seeds, gogi berries, and cacao nibs,

wordpress.com). In fact she turned to

but I’ve never had a recipe I like that

her student employees for help!

uses them all. I hadn’t even heard of

“I love food, but even more so, I

maca, a Peruvian herb—Wikipedia

love not being hungry. I made these

helped me out there. So here’s to

snacks as a “treat”, one part sweet

throwing resolutions out the window

(there’s a lot of chocolate) and one

and instead making “small goals”. (I

part healthy (I mean really, who

admit it needs a better name. Let me

makes a snack with maca). I always

get back to you on that one.)

MAHMOUD SAROUJI/ THE MEDIUM

Places to avoid?

ARANIE VIJAYARATNAM STAFF WRITER

Raw Protein Bars—Crunchy Chocolate Bars INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup (60 ml) hemp seeds • ½ cup (125 ml) cacao powder

• ¼ cup (60 ml) unsweetened shredded coconut • pinch of sea salt

• 2 tbsp (30 ml) protein powder • 2 tbsp (30 ml) coconut oil

METHOD

• 3 tbsp (45 ml) honey or agave

1. Mix all the ingredients together ex-

• ¼ cup (60 ml) gogi berries

cept the coconut and roll into balls.

• 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract

2. Roll balls in coconut.

• 3 tbsp (45 ml) cacao nibs

3. Freeze for 15 minutes.

• ½ tsp (2 ml) maca

4. Enjoy!

☺

Pop, soft drinks, and soda—names associated with sugary, sweetened beverages that do more harm than good. It’s long been suggested by various scientific studies that these fizzy drinks are associated with diabetes and obesity, but a new study conducted by Cindy Leung et al. in December 2014 at the University of California tells us that there’s another consequence of pop: it may hasten cell aging.

Cell aging happens when telomeres—caps that cover the end of DNA strands—get shorter. Simply put, a telomere acts like the plastic part of a shoelace, and cell aging is when the telomere starts breaking apart. The scientists found that those who regularly drank sugarsweetened beverages, like Coca Cola, Pepsi, and Sprite put their

body at risk of aging. The scientists looked at data from 1999 to 2002 that surveyed 5,300 healthy adults between the ages of 20 to 65 who had no history of diabetes or cardiovascular disease over three years. The researchers grouped participants by those who drank sugarsweetened pop, diet drinks, fruit juices, and non-carbonated sugary drinks. In addition to the shortening of telomeres in general, the scientists also found that the amount the telomeres were shortened by was a similar length to that caused by smoking.

A shortened telomere affects different functions in the cell. One major consequence of shortened telomeres is an increased chance of getting cancer. Telomeres can also affect immunity. A shorter telomere in white blood cells—cells that fight off viruses and bacteria that make us sick—means a shorter lifespan.

With a shorter lifespan of our bodies’ illness fighters, we’re prone to getting sicker faster and more often.

On the other hand, the study showed that participants who drank fruit juices had longer telomeres— meaning that telomeres degraded at a much slower rate—than those who drank pop. The researchers also saw that participants who drank diet and noncarbonated sugary drinks saw telomeres degrade at an average rate.

For those that still consume pop on a daily basis, doctors suggest slowly weaning off the cans or bottles to prevent further health complications. Some physicians believe that replacing a can of Sprite with some freshly squeezed fruit juice or smoothies has better health effects and can curb the sugary craving our brains might be telling us to indulge. Perhaps inspiration for (dare I say it) a new year’s resolution?

Another Sophie’s choice Hoard continued from page 9 Pamela Adjei, a third-year behaviour, genetics, and neurobiology specialist and biology minor, is an organized student who sometimes has a little bit of trouble knowing what to let go of. “I tend to keep my binders and notes from past years of courses. I most likely won’t refer to them much if at all in the future, but for whatever reason I just have a hard time tossing them out. Even when moving homes, I’ve packed them up to my new location. And about once a year, I make sure to donate some of my excessive clothing to charity, but the process of choosing what to donate can be a bit unsettling,” she says.

When asked what she believed hoarding meant, Adjei answered, “Having a lot more stuff than you have a use for, and feeling uneasy letting go.”

The title of “hoarder” is often used playfully to describe a person who

has too much unnecessary stuff, but Kay suggests we approach the term with caution. “Hoarding is a symptom usually of emotional issues and/ or a compulsive disorder—many hoarders see themselves as collectors instead and don’t recognize their hoarding as a problem,” she says, adding that hoarding was originally acknowledged by medical practitioners as part of mental illness.

An article in The New York Times on the health effects of clutter backs up Kay’s point. “Compulsive hoarding is defined, in part, by clutter that so overtakes living, dining, and sleeping spaces that it harms the person’s quality of life. A compulsive hoarder finds it impossible, even painful, to part with possessions,” writes Tara Parker-Pope in an article entitled “A Clutter Too Deep for Mere Bins and Shelves”.

She describes a study done on brain scans of compulsive hoarders while they had to decide whether

they wanted to keep or throw away valued items shown to them, which found that they had increased activity in the orbitofrontal cortex—a part of the brain to do with planning and making decisions. Researchers found “that part of the brain seemed to be stressed to the max”.

Kay recommends that students visit challengingdisorganization. org to get a better understanding of chronic disorganization.

“It doesn’t have to be a new year— you can start fresh any time of the year,” says Kay. “I don’t believe in new year’s resolutions and changing all at once. Take control of one thing at a time. Use a planner if you have to budget your time with your busy schedule.”

You can learn more about Laura Kay Organizing at torontohomeorganizer.com. And read up next week for a counterpart article on minimalism.

01.12.2015

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The next step in Lam Trinh’s legacy Decorated coach Lam Trinh looks to lead a solid team as new head coach of UTM badminton JASON COELHO SPORTS EDITOR With each passing month, a new UTM team is inducted into the world of OCAA. Next on the docket is badminton, which the Eagles will participate in starting in February. With regional tournaments at Humber College less than a month away, head coach Lam Trinh is doing his best to ready his team for OCAA competition.

Unlike other Eagles coaches who have been promoted to coach UTM’s OCAA teams, Trinh is a newcomer.

Having spent his entire playing and coaching career at Humber, Trinh’s expertise in badminton is what made him a viable coaching candidate. He began coaching the Humber Hawks in 2006, starting as an assistant coach and working his way up to head coach after three years on the job. He was quick to find success as a head coach, earning the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Coach of the Year award in 2010 along with two OCAA Coach of the Year awards in 2010 and 2011.

Interestingly enough, Trinh never planned to coach as a career, nor did

MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM

Trinh is a one-time CCAA and two-time OCAA Coach of the Year. he start playing badminton with the intention of competing at the college level. He got into the sport to play with his friends at a badminton club and felt welcomed by the community.

“Playing badminton became my hobby,” says Trinh. “Not only because of all the interesting people I met

along the way, but also the satisfaction I got from a great rally.” He credits the sport with pushing his physical and mental boundaries and helping him blow off steam from schoolwork.

It was during his first year attending Humber for a post-diploma program in web development that the

Can’t stop the charge Blues’ fourth straight loss leaves them in last place in OUA East

school announced its venture into the OCAA. Trinh was interested in playing on the team and his performance was good enough that the school offered him a coaching position when his program was complete.

Although Trinh had created a legacy in the badminton program at

MARTIN BAZYL/PHOTO

ADAM PENKUL On a frosty night in downtown Toronto, things were heating up in the Goldring Centre as the Toronto Varsity Blues men’s basketball team welcomed the Ryerson Rams onto their home court. This matchup was special for both teams, being the firstever BIA Cup matchup between the two. The BIA Cup, introduced this year, honours the intercity rivalry between the two Toronto-based teams and includes all four matchups between Varsity Blues and Rams men’s and women’s basketball teams.

Toronto was coming into the game looking to improve their 2-6 record with a win over their division

rivals, who were first in the East with a 6-2 record.

The game began with Ryerson demonstrating how they topped the East Division, winning the tipoff and immediately taking the ball to the basket. The Varsity Blues were working hard on defence, but found themselves in a 0-6 deficit before Sage Usher finally opened their account with a layup and foul. The Rams kept the ball moving quickly, scoring three straight baskets off turnovers, and built up an early lead.

Toronto fought hard but struggled to keep up with the early pace set by the Rams, and the first quarter ended with Toronto trailing 21-13.

Toronto came out in the second

half ready to pick up the pace, with captain Julian Clarke shooting backto-back threes to bring the score to 21-19. The teams began exchanging baskets back and forth and both teams were working hard on defence. However, a couple of sloppy Toronto turnovers gave Ryerson a chance to build their lead back up to 25-19, and forcing the Blues to call a timeout.

Both teams then became very aggressive, committing reckless fouls, and it was clear that everyone was frustrated. Despite this, Ryerson kept up the pressure on Toronto and ended the period leading 43-32.

Blues continued on page 12

Trinh continued on page 12

Blue season for Varsity football ERIC HEWITSON ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

Blues guard Sage Usher battles against Jahmal Jones in the Rams-Blues BIA cup matchup.

Humber, he chose to come to UTM to develop a team from the ground up.

“Coaching at the early stages of development will give me the advantage of developing a program without feeling strapped into following a certain way of coaching or how the program runs,” he says. He believes that this opportunity to create goals and set core values will be beneficial to team success—if not now, then in years to come.

His first impression of UTM? “Great facility,” he says. “Staff and students are friendly and I’m proud to say that the Eagles program supports me entirely on things that I want to accomplish for the badminton program.”

In terms of the progress of the badminton team, Trinh could not be more proud. “Everyone has been putting in 110% at the practices and tournaments,” says Trinh, noting that the players are lacking in experience at the OCAA level but are determined to achieve success. “Seeing my athletes push that hard, learn, and grow under my guidance is a very rewarding experience.”

The 2014 Varsity Blues football season is regarded as the year of record-breaking individual performances, rather than the year of wins. The three-month football season, which started August 15 and ended October 18 in a game against the Waterloo Warriors, didn’t play out as coaches and teammates had expected. The Blues finishing with a record of 2-6.

Training camp in August dealt with competition and a new strategy. Luigi Costanzo, the Blues’ new offensive coordinator, and Kevin Eiben, the new defensive coordinator, were at the helm calling offensive and defensive plays for the Blues while fourth-year head coach Greg Gary evaluated the talent. He was pleased with what he saw during the first week.

“Last year [2013] felt good, but this year seems right,” Gary said at the beginning of the season. “The feeling’s different in the program.”

There were many spectacular performances and achievements

made by Blues players this year.

Fifth-year quarterback Simon Nassar broke U of T records in highest completion percentage (63.93%) and most completions (205), and led the Blues to 3,772 total offensive yards.

Aaron Gazendam broke a CIS record for longest punt (101 yards), which is the fourth-longest punt in the history of American and Canadian football.

Second-year running back Levi Noel was named to the second team all-Canadian CIS team with his outstanding accomplishments.

Noel led all players in the OUA and CIS with 126.3 yards per game and finished the season with a total of 758 yards off 49 catches.

Even though most players did very well on offence, their defensive counterparts had a difficult time withstanding the power of other CIS teams, which led to disappointing losses. The Blues’ defence allowed 40.1 PPG and was 23rd of 27 teams in yards per game allowed (518.6).

Football continued on page 12

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«SPORTS

THE MEDIUM 01.12.2015

Blues lose to Room for improvement Ryerson Rams Blues continued from page 11 After the half, the teams were clearly ready to fight for the win again, exchanging baskets for several minutes.

But Toronto seemed to get tired after that and Ryerson took advantage, not letting up their pressure at all.

The Blues called a timeout halfway through the quarter to try to muster the inspiration to overcome the 55-40 deficit, and returned with a quick basket and foul. But Ryerson kept up their intensity, pushing to end the quarter with a 23-point advantage, leading 70-47.

The crowd gave a resounding cheer at the start of the fourth quarter to support the home team, and Toronto once again showed a brief spark of brilliance, scoring three straight baskets. Ryerson responded with a couple of quick points off steals to keep their lead strong. As the game wound down, the Varsity Blues were clearly frustrated, missing several free throws and turning the ball over multiple times.

The game ended with the Ryerson Rams defeating the Toronto Varsity Blues by a score of 92-68.

After the game, the Blues were disappointed in the loss, but were aware of where they went wrong.

“Turnovers were a big issue in that game,” says Clarke, who led the Blues with 15 points. “We were giving the ball away a lot, which against a team like [Ryerson] is huge.”

He understands that there is room for improvement on the team. “We need to work on keeping the ball a little better, and then we can get better chances and keep up with teams like that,” he says.

Looking at the remainder of the season, head coach John Campbell is still optimistic. “We have some things to improve as a team, but we’re slowly getting where we need to be,” he says.

“If we keep working, we can hit our stride before playoffs and make a good run out of it.”

The Varsity Blues will look to get back to winning when they face the Algoma Thunderbirds on January 17.

Trinh set to win Trinh continued from page 11 He adds that in his eight years in the OCAA, this year sports the highest level of competition he’s ever seen.

The badminton team will compete in men’s and women’s singles, doubles, and mixed doubles during their west regional competition at Humber College, which takes place February 6 and 7. If the team performs well, there is a chance that they can go on to the OCAA championships played at the end of February.

In this new year, Trinh is happy to take on a new challenge. He admits that it was difficult to say goodbye to his home of nine years at Humber, but looks forward to creating a new legacy at UTM. “Coaching a new school and having to deal with a new atmosphere is definitely not an easy transition, especially with the journey I had at Humber,” he says. “But after taking two years off from coaching at Humber, I feel like it’s about time to make another footprint in my life and experience a new environment.”

JASMEEN VIRK/THE MEDIUM

Blues football enters training camp with hopes of returning to their winning ways in the fall of 2015.

Football continued from page 11 Reality hit hard once they finished their first two games of the year, losing to Laurier 53-17 and Guelph 50-18, games they thought they could win in training camp.

The brightest point of the season for the Blues as a unit was beating their rivals, the York Lions, 70-0 at Varsity Stadium.

After that high note, the team collapsed with a four-game losing streak to take away any hopes of making the playoffs for the first time in 20 years. Although they did finish the season with a win against the Waterloo Warriors, beating them 61-13 at Varsity, the season was disappointing for Blues players and fans.

Coach Gary believes that the team will accomplish more if everyone buys into the program.

“Instead of being the team that beats the bottom-feeders and loses to the top teams, we’re striving to become one of the most dominant

teams in the league,” he says. “We want to bring back the winning tradition.”

This offseason, the Blues are taking their poor season very seriously—if anyone is not committed each and every day, they will no longer be invited to participate

“Instead of being the team that beats the bottom-feeders, we’re striving to become one of the most dominant...

We want to bring back that winning tradition.” with the team since their attitudes and athletic abilities could hurt the team once the 2015 season begins. “Compete”, “education”, “accountability”, and “tradition” are the four words posted in the team’s locker room to remind them of

what is expected of them and what it means to be a part of the storied team and institution.

Simon Nassar believes in those four words wholeheartedly and believes his team will be extremely competitive next season. “‘Compete’ means looking at the man across from you and doing anything in your power to beat him,” says Nassar, arguably the best quarterback in the CIS. “‘Education’ means finishing your schoolwork so you can not only play during the season, but graduate from such a great school. ‘Accountability’ is taking responsibility for yourself so you can be a reliable resource to the team. And ‘tradition’ means respecting the past players and coaches who built this team into what it is today.”

The Blues will work this offseason diligently, putting in hours lifting weights and practicing in the dome at Varsity Stadium in preparation for a 2015 campaign starting in September.