U of T to gather stats on race
Access denied to students
Double-take on Shakespeare
Two sides to the abortion debate
Posing like Superman
News, page 2
Opinion, page 6
A&E, page 8
Features, page 11
Sports, page 15
Report released on sexual violence Provostial committee recommends establishing a policy to address sexual violence NICOLE DANESI NEWS EDITOR U of T has published the findings of a 15-month, tri-campus review of the university’s dealing with sexual violence on campus. Released on Tuesday, the report lists five recommendations to be considered by the university, which includes the establishment of an institutional policy against sexual violence, the establishment of a centre for victims of sexual violence, and further education and training for students, faculty, and staff, among other recommendations made by U of T’s Provostial Committee on Prevention and Response to Sexual Violence. Among recommendations to provide further education on sexual violence, specific recommendations include educating staff, faculty, and students on the topic of consent. Also included in the report are a set of four principles to guide U
MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM
The report listed five recommendations to deal with sexual violence at U of T. of T’s treatment of sexual violence. Among the principles, the report sets out “to create an environment where staff, students, and faculty are safe to learn, work, and live”
and that U of T “recognizes that language must be sensitive to the experiences of the individual who has experienced sexual violence”. Principles also include the es-
tablishment of practices and guidelines to ensure “procedural fairness” for both the accused and the accuser. Also included in the report were
the results of consultations with 298 U of T students and staff. Results reported 39 percent of students would choose to report an incident of sexual assault to Campus Police, while 29 percent would report an incident to the police. “The recommendations of the committee seek to impact both immediate and longterm efforts to prevent and respond to sexual violence for the University of Toronto community,” wrote committee cochairs Angela Hildyard, U of T’s VP human resources and equity, and Sandy Welsh, U of T’s viceprovost, students. The committee, originally formed in November 2014 by U of T president Meric Gertler and VP and vice-provost Cheryl Regehr, is made up of university administration, students, and staff, including UTSU president Ben Coleman and recent UTM alumna Absiola Olaniyi.
Parking permit and residence costs face hike Three percent parking permit and five percent residence fee increases passed by Campus Council which students will see on their residence invoice come September. Residence fees are currently divided into components including room, laundry, and rezNET (wireless internet) fee, but will be redesigned to eliminate confusion and present a single owing sum in place of multiple line items. According to Nuttall, UTM’s older campus residences are in need of renovations and fee increases will allow for an improvement to living accommodations on campus. Nuttall also reported that the fee increase had already been presented to the Student Housing Advisory Committee through multiple meetings, ultimately endorsing the five percent fee increase.
ALICIA BOATTO Campus Council has passed a motion to increase residence and parking permit fees for the 2016/17 academic year. In the third Campus Council meeting of the academic year, held on Thursday, members discussed mental health in residence, an update on talks to establish a U of T presence in Brampton, and the costs of parking, residence, and food on campus. PARKING FEE INCREASE Parking permit rates will face a three percent increase in the 2016/17 academic year, following a vote by Campus Council. Paul Donoghue, UTM’s chief administrative officer, informed the council that UTM’s campus parking is at full capacity and a new parking deck expansion will create an additional 300 vehicle spaces. As reported in UTM’s November 2015 service ancillary report, the construction project will begin this March. Other options, such as smart parking, were discussed but deemed unbeneficial as a long-term plan.
JEANLOUIS REBELLO/THE MEDIUM
An “all-blended rate” will now be used to charge students living on residence. Smart parking would allow students to connect an app on their phone to a sensor in the UTM parking lots; the app would then locate an available spot and direct the user to the open space. Donoghue reasoned that, while innovative, the technology would not provide the additional resource
UTM needs and instead students should be encouraged to arrive early to campus to claim a parking spot for their vehicles. Council agreed that a lot expansion is a better use of funds to prepare for the growing UTM population. Pay and display rates will not be affected.
RESIDENCE RATE INCREASE Residences fees will also face an increase in the 2016/17 academic year. The five percent increase will be implemented through a new invoice structure on ACORN. Chad Nuttall, UTM’s director of student housing and residence life, introduced a new “all-blended rate”,
FOOD ON CAMPUS Vicky Jezierski, UTM’s director of hospitality and retail operations, provided an overview of prices and revenue of meal plans on campus for the 2016/17 academic year, stating that there would be no price increase from any non-branded food providers. Fees continued on page 2
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THE MEDIUM 02.08.2016
U of T to collect race statistics The method for data collection is yet to be determined
January 29, 12:15 a.m. Unauthorized activities Campus Police investigated a smell of marijuana on level 5 of the CCT garage. January 30, 10:00 p.m. Theft under $5,000 A student reported to Campus Police the theft of her Samsung Ace 2 phone and her wallet from coat check at the Blind Duck Pub while she attended an event being held there. January 30, 11:30 p.m. Theft under $5,000
A student reported to Campus Police the theft of his jacket. February 1, 11:40 a.m. By-law offences Campus Police investigated a number of cases of U-Pass misuse. February 2, 8:15 p.m. Theft under $5,000 Campus Police investigated the theft of a student’s personal belongings from an unlocked locker in the RAWC.
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.
CHRISTY TAM & MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM
Race-related data will be collected to better understand the U of T population.
Talks on Brampton presence still underway Fees continued from Cover According to UTM’s 2016/17 service ancillary operating budget, meal plan charges will not change; however, the report forecasts sale increases, as ”cafeteria sales are expected to increase 5.5 percent due to higher participation rate related to projected enrolment and an anticipated return to historical levels of non-residence students purchasing residence student meal plans”. The service ancillary report also stated that unrestricted surpluses from food services will be used towards upcoming renovations to UTM’s food services, which include the Davis cafeteria, Starbucks, North Building Phase 2, and a new transaction system in 2018. UTMSU OPPOSITION Representatives from UTMSU were present at the meeting and voiced opposition to the fee increases. UTMSU president Ebi Agbeyegbe and VP university affairs and academics Nour Alideeb did not respond to a request for comment as of press time. In an email sent to students on the day of the meeting, Agbeyegbe advised students of the proposed increases and also requested students email UTMSU with their feedback on the fee increases. “Students have overwhelmingly communicated their opposition to the proposed increases due to the impact the increases will have on their academic experience at the University of Toronto Mississauga,” read the email. “Students at the University of Toronto already pay the highest tuition fees in the country.” U OF T IN BRAMPTON UTM VP of special initiatives Ulrich Krull substituted for U of T VP and
UTM principal Deep Saini when providing Saini’s report to Campus Council, which featured discussion of U of T’s consideration to expand into the City of Brampton. As previously reported by The Medium, Saini was accompanying Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne on a trade mission to India. According to Krull, the possibility of establishing a U of T presence in Brampton remains unclear, although if U of T were to establish a presence in the City of Brampton, the facility would be home to a new set of programs that would benefit from Brampton as an economic and manufacturing source. The council also discussed the idea of locating UTM’s forensic science and criminology departments in Brampton due to the city’s correctional facilities, detention centres, and prominent social work. Also discussed, tentative negotiations with Brampton transit concerning a shuttle bus and other transit options were reportedly moving slowly and no definite information could be offered. RESIDENCE MENTAL HEALTH In the same presentation made to Campus Affairs Committee last month, Heather Burns-Shillington, a personal and student family life counsellor at the student housing and residence life, expressed concerns over long waiting times for students seeking emotional assistance and presented a new appointment procedure to improve availability. A new web form has been designed to provide students 24/7 access to book an appointment instead of waiting for business hours to call and schedule an appointment. The next Campus Council meeting is scheduled for March 3 at 4:10 p.m. in Council Chambers.
HIBA TRABOULSI U of T will soon be collecting information from students and employees based on race in an effort to aid the establishment of university policies. “The university has been considering the idea of collecting demographic data, including race-related data, for some time to better understand the composition of our student and employee populations and their needs,” said U of T’s director of media relations, Althea Blackburn-Evans, in an email to The Medium. “These data will help to inform policies and practices to further the university’s interest in embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion.” According to Blackburn-Evans, U of T’s vice-provost, students, Sandy Welsh; VP human resource and equity Angela Hildyard; and U of T’s anti-racism and cultural diversity officer, Sandra Carnegie-Douglas, met with the Black Liberation Collective—an organization “consisting of black students who are dedicated to transforming institutions of higher education through unity, coalition building, direct action, and political education”—in early December. “At that meeting, there was agreement that additional data about the diverse backgrounds of our faculty, staff, and students would be beneficial,” said Blackburn-Evans, who explained that the method in which data will be collected is not yet known. “The university is now exploring the best avenues for individuals to report such data should they choose to do so.” According to BLC member Yusra Khogali in an interview, U of T’s step
to collect race-based data is a “victory”. “We can still push them a bit more,” said Khogali, who commented on the importance of implementing change once the data is collected. According to Khogali, the BLC is also demanding a change to services on campus, such as mental health services and financial aid at U of T, to better serve the needs of black students, as they believe representation is not enough. “We’re navigating this institution with very poor mental health because of the fact that we have to challenge anti-black racism within this institution at large and how that impacts our lives, our family lives, and our community lives,” said Khogali. According to Khogali, the BLC has multiple chapters, including those based at U of T, Ryerson, Guelph, and uOttawa, and a new chapter that is being established at the University of British Columbia. Chapters have also formed in the United States. On its website, BLS lists a number of demands for each institution. The list for U of T includes the demand to “address the underrepresentation of black administrators”, and “intentionally address the underrepresentation of black students, especially in professional programs and graduate programs” among seven other demands. “We’re not saying this work has come out of nowhere,” said Khogali of the demands brought forward by the group. “These are things that students before us have been mobilizing and organizing for and have brought to the attention of the administration. “We’re excited because it represents the possibility for us to use the data for policy change, to impact system-
atic institutional change within U of T,” she said. According to Khogali, the BLC has faced backlash against their mission and cause. “A lot of the students were using the anonymous postings on Spotted, calling us segregationist for just having a conversation about our experiences being black in this institution,” said Khogali, who stressed the importance of resisting the unjust treatments of oppressive institutions that silence black students. “Whenever we do create a space to heal, we’re always met with violent backlash and that’s a problem because it only reifies what’s true, which is that anti-black racism exists in this institution.” Khogali also discussed what the BLC will do with the information once collected. “We’re going to have empirical evidence to prove what we’ve been saying and telling the institution and society at large, about how anti-black racism manifests in the institution,” she said. “The collective that has come together on a tri-campus level and now is developing into a nationwide movement is something that’s tremendous but it’s inevitable and I’m glad that it’s finally happened, because the power that we have is incredible. We can do a lot of work and we recognize that,” said Khogali. “It’s really great for us to be here in 2016 as a collective, fighting and honouring our ancestors and people who came before us that were able to give us the right that we have access to today for our children and for students to come after we leave.”
02.08.2016 THE MEDIUM NEWS
Health stats collected for HCC Survey collects stats on sex, drugs, alcohol, and health
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Hiba Traboulsi 5th year, psych/PWC
Shumayl Fatima Hassan 1st year, psych
I got a job this week.
I went to discover the whole campus this week.
Anthony Luisotto 2nd year, forensic/anthro
Nikhil Menon 2nd year, math/eco
I busted up my hand playing hockey.
Played air hockey. It’s midterm season, so there is nothing to do.
MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM
One in three undergraduates received the health survey. MENNA ELNAKA ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR A survey from the National College Health Assessment, sponsored and distributed by the American College Health Association, has been distributed to selected UTM students to ask questions about sexual behavior, health, drug usage, and interpersonal violence, among other inquires related to general health and wellbeing. Questions included, “Within the last 12 months, with how many partners have you had oral sex, vaginal intercourse, or anal intercourse?” and, “Did you or your partner use a method of birth control to prevent pregnancy the last time you had vaginal intercourse?” Other questions are in relation to sexual partners, birth control methods, alcohol consumption, exercise and weight, and drug usage, among others. In an email to The Medium, Chad
Jankowski, UTM’s health education coordinator, explained that the purpose of the survey, which has been sent to one in three undergraduate students in varying years, is to provide data to the UTM Health and Counselling Centre to improve the health education and the outreach to students. “We make very good use of the data to inform and improve health services, tailor programming to meet student needs, and inform institutional health promotion strategies such as U of T’s Mental Health Framework,” said Jankowski. “It is also used to advocate for student health provincially and nationally through the work of the Ontario University and College Health Association and the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services.” According to Jankowski, this is the third time UTM has participated in the NCHA survey; the first time
dates back to 2009 and second time was in 2013. Using the same questions annually in order to compare results, the data is used by the Health and Counselling Centre when training student leaders such as UTMSU Frosh leaders, Residence Life staff, and Sexual Education Centre volunteers. “Similar to 2013, we’ve coordinated the timing with many other postsecondary schools across Canada so that the data can also be pool data to provide a snapshot of student health at UTM, at U of T, in Ontario, and across the country,” said Jankowski, who accounted a 25 percent student response rate in 2013. The total numbers of participants who completed the survey this year is still in progress. Survey participants have the chance to win an iPad Mini or one of 100 $25 gift cards to a variety of retailers, including the UTM Bookstore and campus food services.
UTM rolls up its sleeve Over 100 people gave blood on campus
OLIVIA ADAMCZYK/THE MEDIUM
The blood drive was hosted in the Student Centre. WARD SUROUR Over 100 people rolled up their sleeves at a blood drive held on campus last week. Partnering with Canadian Blood Services and Stem Cell One Match to recruit students and staff to donate blood, the Lifeline—UTM Blood and Stem Society hosted a two-day blood drive in the Student Centre Presentation Room. “In terms of last year, we had 125 people come out in one semester, and that helped 318 patients,” said Lifeline co-president Sonu Solanki in an interview with The Medium. According to Sonu Solanki, students who did not participate in the blood drive last week still have the chance to give blood by making an appointment with Canadian Blood Services. Aside from donat-
ing blood, there are other ways in which students can support the cause. “One of the first times I tried to [donate blood] in my first year, I wasn’t able to donate just because I was anemic,” said Solanki. “If people can’t donate themselves, I think spreading the word and raising awareness by letting people know [about the drive] […] is helpful.” “I’ve been donating blood since 2009,” said third-year history student Kimberly Kingston, who gave blood. “Some of my family members carry leukemia, and as a child, I myself needed a blood transfusion.” According to Canadian Blood Services, “About 100,000 new donors are needed every year to meet demand”.
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MASTHEAD EDITORS Editor-in-Chief Maria Iqbal editor@themedium.ca Managing Editor Maria Cruz managing@themedium.ca News Nicole Danesi news@themedium.ca A&E Kate Cattell-Daniels arts@themedium.ca Features Farah Qaiser features@themedium.ca Sports Eric Hewitson sports@themedium.ca — Photo Mahmoud Sarouji photos@themedium.ca Design Sarah Yassine design@themedium.ca Copy Akshaya Sharma copy@themedium.ca Online & Blog Corey Belford Kimberly Johnson online@themedium.ca blog@themedium.ca ASSOCIATES News Menna Elnaka Kassandra Hangdaan A&E Hailey Mason Features Mahnoor Ayub Sports Daniel Bilyk Photo Christy Tam Olivia Adamczyk Copy Farah Khan Maleeha Iqbal GENERAL STAFF Webmaster Luke Sawczak web@themedium.ca Interim Distribution Manager Eric Hewitson distribution@themedium.ca Ads Manager Mayank Sharma ads@themedium.ca Cartoonist Corey Belford BOARD OF DIRECTORS Maryam Faisal, Jeremy Wu, Leo Jiang, Natalia Ramnarine, Rebecca Xu, Saima Khan (ex-officio), Christine Capewell (ex-officio) COPYRIGHTS All content printed in The Medium is the sole property of its creators, and cannot be used without written consent. DISCLAIMER Opinions expressed in the pages of The Medium are exclusively of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Medium. Additionally, the opinions expressed in advertisements appearing in The Medium are those of advertisers and not of The Medium. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the editor will be edited for spelling, grammar, style and coherence. Letters will not exceed 700 words in print. Letters that incite hatred or violence and letters that are racist, homophobic, sexist, or libelous will not be published. Anonymous letters will not be published. MEDIUM II PUBLICATIONS 3359 Mississauga Road, Room 200, Student Centre, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6 themedium.ca
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The cost of telling the truth With information becoming more difficult to access, truth is a lot harder to get at Let’s talk a little bit about the role of a newspaper in the rapidly changing world of information access. In some ways, we have much greater access to information these days than we’ve ever had in the past. With increased technology and nearly constant access to social media, it’s easier than ever to know what’s happening both locally and globally in a matter of a few minutes. Consider even the use of video footage taken by cellphones in court like in the Sammy Yatim trial—we now have so many ways of seeing events as they happened. And yet, perhaps because of this, there are organizations that make greater efforts to cover things up that they’d rather not have the public know. Even U of T is guilty of this—I bitterly recall how last year, the media relations department would not budge when asked certain questions (think: strike). Infuriatingly, I now see them actively reaching out to promote (and even help set up interviews for) the stories it actually wants people to hear about. It’s unfortunately the case that the increasing difficulties in obtaining information also affect the news industry. Even here at The Medium, we’ve experienced firsthand the struggles to getting at the
truth of some very serious topics. In light of this, it can be seen as a good thing that U of T has made a decision to collect data on race within the university, if we’re thinking strictly in terms of access to a greater amount of information.For the representative of the Black Liberation Collective, the move is a “victory” that will help address the needs of black students
U of T is not alone in its limitation on access to information. Even student organizations are guilty of the same. better. Of course, time will tell how relevant or helpful the information will be by the end of it. Statistics can give the deceptive impression of objectivity. It’ll be interesting to see how U of T will collect the information, considering race is such a broad and complex topic. How does one define “blackness” or “whiteness” and all the races in between? Furthermore, we learned this week that the Provostial Committee on Prevention and Response to Sexual Violence recently released
its recommendations for U of T. I wonder if now students will have greater access to data relating to the instance of sexual assault on campus. I ask because in my experience, the university hasn’t always been the most transparent when it comes to criminal activity on campus. If you’ve ever wondered, the reports we receive from Campus Police each week are not the full roster of incidents that take place on campus. And the ones we do receive are pre-approved. I wonder, what reports do we never get to know about? U of T is not alone in limiting access to information of course. Even student organizations are guilty of failing to provide information on issues that matter. And while we as a newspaper are given the role of finding out things important for our readers to know and reporting them, the limited access we have to important information can be a significant challenge for us when trying to do our job. And yet, I believe that there are a good people out there who have access to information and recognize the importance of it to become public. Unfortunately, because of the control exerted by powerful organizations, people find it hard to speak up publicly.
My message to those people is to consider this: when we don’t speak out against the wrongs and injustices being perpetrated around us, we let them continue and the perpetrators win. At the end of the day, we all came here to achieve certain goals, and those of us fortunate enough to have achieved positions of power would do well to use them to bring about positive change. Yes, organizations will try to prevent some things from ever becoming public. As a result, speaking the truth will take a lot of courage and sometimes come at a cost. But coming from a newspaper that’s determined to expose the truth in an age where information is becoming harder and harder to get, that’s a sacrifice that’s well worth making. And I have faith that the truth can’t stay hidden forever.
YOURS, MARIA IQBAL
CORRECTION NOTICE The Feb. 1 article “‘Out of our shelters! Out of our lives!’” misstated the name of the campaign Salina Abji spoke about, which is the Shelter Sanctuary Status campaign.
02.08.2016 THE MEDIUM OPINION» 7
Learning to take risks as an actress Sometimes, tough love is just what you need to realize that you can do something, and do it well I’m in second year, standing in a rehearsal hall in a far corner of the North Building, and I am taking my clothes off. My scene partner sits in a chair and watches me. I unbutton my blouse, drop my skirt on the floor, and kick my shoes to the side. It’s a funny thing—the worst part isn’t standing in a bra and underwear in front of a guy who looks at me like I’m a nice cut of beef. It’s trying to compensate for the fact that apparently I’ve forgotten how buttons work. We’re acting, or—in layman terms—faking it. I know that. But to anyone on the outside, this scene, brought to us by Judith Thompson’s play The Crackwalker, looks like sexual harassment. Another of my classmates is in the room with us, watching our rehearsal. When we’re done, he turns to me and tells me the thing I know is coming but desperately don’t want to hear. “Kate,” he says. “I’m giving you tough love here: that is the most matter-of-fact strip I have ever seen. Take a risk already.” I have never been more vulnerable than when I strip-teased in front of my classmates. I have also never been safer. And I never got tougher love than in theatre school. It’s easy to say that a degree in theatre performance is useless. It looks like a cop-out, a reason not to do a “real” undergrad. But I would argue that a theatre program is basically a factory that produces stu-
dents with more transferable skills than any other undergraduate degree anywhere. Look at any job description and here’s what you’ll find: “The ideal candidate will have exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, be highly organized, work well independently and in a group, and be punctual.” What is performance if not communication? A good theatre program will teach students to speak, listen, write, and, maybe most importantly, make eye contact. It’s about pulling your weight in a group. It’s about having 30 hours of rehearsal a week on top of regular classes and still managing to eat three meals a day, sleep six hours a night, and hand in (most of ) your assignments. Better yet, actors know how to do their work through their nerves, also known as acing a job interview. And by the way, you lose five percent of your final grade if you’re late for class. When I was in grade 12, sitting in my room with my university acceptances in front of me, it came down to two choices: either I was going to Concordia for creative writing and English, or I was headed for TDS. I rolled the dice, weighed my options, and made my decision. I was bound for Theatre and Drama Studies, and there was no looking back. I was 17. I was terrified. I had never seen a drunk
person in my life and if you mentioned weed I’d probably go on a rant about the dandelions in the field between North and IB. I’m sure if I’d gone to Concordia I’d be perfectly happy. I’d live in a safe little residence room, I might have one or two safe friends who think exactly like I do, and I’d write safe little essays about the Romantic poets. But that’s not what happened. Instead, I got to play. I played with every kind of dramatic text from Shakespeare through the Restoration, careened through real-
My real heroes are my classmates. They give me the same tough love I needed when I was shivering in a bra and underwear in rehearsal. ism and absurdism and landed in this messy thing we call the present, where someone handed me a pen and a sheet of paper and said, “Your turn.” I have played with clown noses, masks, and swords. I have been (almost) naked and, at the other end of the spectrum, corseted and clothed until I could barely breathe. I built a community with my amazing classmates, graduating not just with friends but a
Vandalism was not funny Joking about rape normalizes it at the expense of survivors Dear Editor, Over the past week I’ve spoken to a number of people regarding the pro-rape vandalism in the Student Centre’s male washroom. “Can you believe someone would do that?” I asked. And everyone I spoke to agreed it was despicable for someone to advocate for sexual violence, as if it isn’t a traumatic experience that deeply affects a person’s mental and physical state. Yet a number of people said something that didn’t sit quite right with me: “I like to hope that the vandal was merely joking.” I get it: It brings a sense of comfort to believe that the person who wrote those words didn’t truly mean them; to believe that he was just making a horrible joke in horrible taste; to believe that we are not sitting in our lectures with a rapist beside us. So, for argument’s sake, let’s assume that the vandal was just joking. What’s so bad about a rape joke if it’s just a joke? Well, for one, the fact that it normalizes rape. Let’s say in a group of five people, one person is a rap-
ist. One of the non-rapists makes a rape joke and the others join him in laughter. What does this tell the rapist? It condones the rapist’s actions. It tells the rapist that their thoughts are normal, acceptable, and that others feel the same way. Why should a rapist feel bad when the people around him perpetuate his beliefs? The same logic applies to the vandalism—a rapist could enter the washroom, see the vandal-
Why should a rapist feel bad when the people around him perpetuate his beliefs? ism, and feel validated from believing that others think his actions are normal. If the vandalism was just a joke, then let’s think about the emotional distress caused to a survivor of sexual assault that could have seen it. This mere joke could bring back
haunting memories for a survivor, or serve as a message to a survivor that if they report the assault they faced, they’ll be treated just like a rape joke—with laughs. According to CFS Ontario, less than 10 percent of sexual assaults are reported to the police. I don’t like to think that any of the people I walk past on campus are rapists. But I can’t help but recall a poster I saw in UTM’s Sexual Education Office. The poster stated that 97.25 percent of University of Toronto students claimed they would never force someone into having sex, though the poster then called attention to the remaining 2.75 percent. A small number, right? There are 13,300 students at UTM. 2.75% of that number is 365.75, rounded up to 366. I want to see that number diminish with every person that stands up against rape culture.
Zara Rizwan 3rd year English, art and art history
bank of resources to draw on in my future. Sure, it wasn’t always easy. I’ve been angry about roles I got or didn’t get. Teachers can be frustrating. Peers can be worse. Sometimes I felt like the whole world hated me and some power above was trying to tell me that being an actor was a really bad idea. But half the battle is learning to tell that voice to shut up. Saying with conviction, “I CAN DO THIS,” and then doing it better than anyone thought you could. I learned to take something that was against me and make it work in my favour. I graduated last June with an HBA in Theatre and Drama Studies from U of T and a Diploma in Acting from Sheridan College. Currently, I am enrolled at U of T’s iSchool, working on my Masters in Library and Information Science. Maybe to some people it looks like I was too scared to take the acting industry by the horns. But think about the kind of information professional I am going to be. I can improvise, and I can talk to anyone. I am an analytical, critical thinker and I’m always looking for new things to do so I don’t ever get bored. And this is not just about me. It’s about every one of the several thousand people in the GTA who call themselves actors. It’s about all the people who graduate from BA or BFA acting programs
and are out there in the world being excellent professionals in all kinds of fields. I owe a lot to my professors and coaches. These are the people who refuse to listen to “I can’t do it,” or “I don’t want to.” Their foolproof reply? “Cry me a river. Now get to work.” They pushed me hard and never gave up on me when I pushed back. And when the time was right, they gave me all the free rein I needed to make the art I wanted to make. But my real heroes are my classmates. They supported me for four years and continue to do so even though TDS is behind us. When I try to back away from something that scares me, I know my whole class will be there to call me on it. They keep me brave. They give me the same tough love I needed when I was shivering in a bra and underwear in a rehearsal hall. At the moment I’m in the throes of writing a play for the 2016 Toronto Fringe Festival. I often freak myself out about it, thinking the play won’t be good enough or my acting won’t be good enough or I’m just generally not good enough. Here’s a fact: nothing is ever good enough. And what would I have to try for if it were? “Take a risk already.” I’m on it. Kate Cattell-Daniels Arts & Entertainment Editor
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On your marks, get set, Shakespeare Two of Shakespeare’s well-worn plays get a new lease on life with third-year TDS students
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KATE CATTELL-DANIELS A&E EDITOR Last year, Theatre Erindale ran an experiment: they took two condensed Shakespeare plays (Troilus and Cressida and Romeo and Juliet) and cast both with the third-year students in the Theatre and Drama Studies program. Audience members watched a double bill, with Romeo and Juliet in the first half and Troilus and Cressida after intermission. Both were directed by TDS professor David Matheson. This year, the Blackfriars Project is back on its feet, with some alterations. Instead of being cast in both plays, the third-year class has been divided between Pericles, Prince of Tyre and The Comedy of Errors. Each play has its own run during separate performances. Along with the two casts, there are also two directors: Patrick Young and David Matheson, respectively. As with anything new, tweaking is required. The Medium sits down with both directors to hear their take on directing and teaching Shakespeare. PATRICK YOUNG The Medium: Why did you choose Pericles? Patrick Young: Well, I didn’t choose just Pericles. I chose Pericles in combination with Comedy of Errors. The pair was chosen after a long and desperate search. It was driving me nuts until I finally thought, what if the answer is in something we’ve done already? And we had done both these plays in the past—Pericles was the first Shakespeare we ever presented. And I suddenly thought, what if Comedy of Errors would fit with it because the two plays are both set in ancient Persia, they’re both the story of a family being reunited, and so there were some obvious links there.
One is from the beginning of Shakespeare’s career, one is from the end, which was another interesting link. And so I worked through the possibilities of casting the two shows and I realized that, yes, we could make Comedy of Errors possible with a dozen people. TM: You’ve been directing students, specifically at Theatre Erindale, for a very long time. What keeps you coming back to that? PY: I guess I’ve directed 21 years out of the 23. And yes, it’s exhausting, but it’s also a part of being artistic director of the program. It’s what keeps me going as an artist and is the most vital teaching and learning situation that we have to offer. It’s when you try to put the proof in the pudding and encourage people to put what they’ve learned into practice for an audience. TM: What do you think students get specifically out of acting Shakespeare? PY: A large increase in technical finesse. These guys are learning with leaps and bounds as you work with them. And they’re in third year, they’re at a fairly raw stage of their training where they’ve completed their first few foundational years. I’m speaking about them as a group; there are people among them who are reasonably sophisticated already. The other thing is the ability to invest period text, text from outside their own world, with authenticity. And so those things are probably the prime focus of working through Shakespeare with the third-year class. They are trying to up their skill with verse and a more complicated sentence structure than they are used to, and not just delivering it but also investing it, getting specific with the intentions. TM: As a director, do you find that there’s a difference between directing students and directing professionals?
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PY: Professionals need to be helped too, but they generally become professionals because they have reached a point of being able to make more of their own decisions and have a greater trust in their own instincts. So the difference with students is more often having to take the initiative in showing them the path they can work for in a particular moment or a particular character. TM: What do you want your audience to take away from Pericles? PY: The play is about surviving trials with flying colours. To be put to the test and ultimately not be found wanting so that those who survive the test of life are redeemed and even reborn. I think that is the message of Pericles. The characters go through a lot—15 years of trials and tribulations—and at the end they find each other again and the family is reborn and reunited. DAVID MATHESON The Medium: Why The Comedy of Errors? David Matheson: It has a pretty even balance of male and female characters. And some characters could be made female like the goldsmith, and we have a pirate queen instead of a pirate king. Because of the ease of turning male characters into female characters, and because of the gender balance of the company, it’s a good play for us. And it’s important for me to be able to transform it so that it’s a good play for women, with good opportunities. TM: What is it like working with students as opposed to professionals? DM: There are a couple of types of professionals, when you think about it. There’s the kind who are really talented, and they feel like they’re progressing as a professional. And there’s professionals who sometimes are a bit jaded and cynical and I find
that students are usually on the side of people who are on the rise, so you can get really good work out of them. They’re incredibly rewarding to work with, in the sense that the transformation that they undergo is obvious and permanent. It’s a transformation in their talent, not just their character. And U of T students in particular are super smart, because they’re here, and our program has a really good balance of that intelligence that they have, and they’ve also got good hearts because of the Sheridan stuff. TM: Sometimes being a smart or “heady” actor can be a setback. DM: Not this time. Here’s how we did it: we had them analyze the script for a week in November, where they were allowed to use their brains as much as they wanted to; then I forced them to memorize all of their lines over the holidays, and then since we came back, it’s been all physical all the time. And The Comedy of Errors is a physical comedy, so I’m constantly getting them to be athletes and not be academics. We were allowed one week of academics, where we could philosophize about the themes of the play, but since then it’s just been go-go-go. TM: You have a Masters in Directing from York University. Did you know while you were doing that that you wanted to teach? DM: That’s interesting. I did my masters because I actually wanted to learn about directing. It’s a funny thing, because it never even occurred to me that I could teach. Part of masters work is learning pedagogy and developing your teaching style, and mentoring with professors to find out how to train actors, and when I started doing that I realized that training actors was as—if not more—fulfilling than either my life as an actor or my life as a director. It actually combined all the things that I loved: the process work; the
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communication with smart, talented people; creating worlds in small rooms with our imaginations. I realized at that time that this was something I could do and now I combine it. I still act occasionally, I direct professionally, and now I train actors at the same time. TM: Shakespeare gets done a lot in the world. How do you make your Shakespeare different from everyone else’s? DM: Because I’m doing my Shakespeare. And I’m different from everybody else. Like any artist, it’s your own take on it that’s important. It’s got to be about things that I care about or I see to create the world that I want to carve. It’s where the artist meets the form and then you work out between the two of you how it’s all going to be. TM: What’s your process like, as director? DM: Concept-wise, I read the play many, many times. Eventually it comes down to coming up with something that you think is going to resonate with people and yourself. When you get into rehearsals, you break the play down into its components, you name the scenes, you get the actors understanding what the scenes are about, and that’s the beginning part. [The moments you want to focus on aren’t written in the script—you have to place them there. And then from there, if you’ve done that work to the level of detail that you need to, the next part, when you get up and move, is super easy. It’s all based on the amount of detailed work you put in at the beginning of a project. That’s the key. The Comedy of Errors runs February 11 to 13 and 28. Pericles, Prince of Tyre runs February 25 to 28. These interviews were edited for length and clarity.
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Snail mail sendoff with artistic liberty DVSSS gets students connected with a postcard project and meet-and-greet afterparty ANDREEA MIHAI STAFF WRITER Boxes of Valentine’s Day cards have filled the shelves of stores, harking back to a time before texting and email, when your only means of communication was either a pigeon or snail mail. While it’s unlikely anyone’s going to send their greetings by pigeon these days, it is still possible that some of the cards might find their way through snail mail. The Department of Visual Studies Student Society is once again hosting the Postcard Pen Pal Project. The event invites students and faculty from across programs to create and share art. Jenn Park, president of DVSSS, said the project reflects the student society’s constitution and goal of uniting everyone through art. “Art is one of those things that you don’t have to be in the program to appreciate. Bio, chem—you kind
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The first step in the project is to send and receive a hand-drawn postcard. of need to be in the program to understand it, but art is a lot more unique and expressive,” said Park. For the project, participants receive a cardstock postcard and envelope from DVSSS, and then they can draw, sketch, paint, or use digital
media to create their own artwork. Then participants return their postcards to the centre, where the cards are randomly exchanged. After the pen pals receive one another’s postcards, they bring them to the afterparty, where the art goes on display
and participants have a chance to meet their pen pals. If people are not able to make it to the afterparty, they can still leave their contact information. Park hopes the project will bring people together and provide them
with the opportunity to make a friend. “We make friends in the weirdest places at university,” Park said with a laugh. Last year, DVSSS held the afterparty in the Blackwood Gallery. They displayed the postcards on Adrian Blackwell’s sculpture, Furnishing Positions. “It was a really cool experience,” Park said. The Postcard Project is one of the DVSSS annual events that Park said gives people something to look forward to. With DVSSS founded in 2011, Park said she doesn’t really know the initial idea that inspired the project. “It’s an annual thing, and because our student society is so young, I feel like having annual projects like this is really pivotal in creating that foundation for us. That way people remember and [they] have something to look forward to,” said Park.
Checking in at the Chelsea Greased efforts A thin plot doesn’t stop Chelsea Hotel from making a bang
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Chelsea Hotel has been on a national tour for the past four years.
KATE CATTELL-DANIELS A&E EDITOR I’ve seen Oklahoma! one too many times. I grew up watching Oliver! and listening to the soundtrack for Les Miserables. Needless to say, I find traditional musical theatre more than a little aggravating. It’s why I find musicals like Next to Normal so darn refreshing. They don’t conform. Chelsea Hotel is like that. It’s a piece of theatre that will do what it came to do regardless of what came before. Chelsea Hotel doesn’t care that Oklahoma! came first or that it ran for umpteen years on Broadway. It’s just not relevant. Chelsea Hotel is more a song cycle than a musical. The whole is comprised of Leonard Cohen’s songs, framed in the context of Cohen himself sitting in the Chelsea Hotel trying to write poems. Almost Ebenezer Scrooge–style, he is visited and influenced by ghostly visions
to help him write. There is a plot— kind of—but it’s pretty thin. Mostly it’s just good music. The production toys with the idea that some of the ghost-muses, if you will, are people from the poet’s past. But not all of them, and certainly not exclusively. But again, the plot isn’t relevant either. What strikes me right off the bat is how smooth the production is. It flows from one lighting cue to another, one song to the next, complete with costume changes and instrument switching and I can barely tell when it happens. Furthermore, the actors constantly pull all kinds of things from their pockets: paper roses, love letters, and a pair of underwear, to name a few. But I barely see it happen. These objects and people slip in and out and even when I’m looking for it, I barely see it happen. I’ve seen enough theatre to know that if I look away from where I know the director wants me to look,
I can usually catch actors sneaking in and out with a prop clutched under their arm. But here, there is no such thing. Even with several guitars and an upright bass onstage, a cello that comes and goes, and ukuleles that evaporate into thin air, nothing is clumsy. Ever. The talent in Chelsea Hotel is astonishing. Six actors (Rachel Aberle, Sean Cronin, Christina Cuglietta, Ben Elliott, Jonathan Gould, and Tracey Power) carry the entire piece pretty much equally divided between them. And although each character is distinct, these people undoubtedly form a tight ensemble. This also marks a change from traditional musical theatre repertoire: no one is the “star”, yet at the same time everyone is. Chelsea Hotel reminds me, in more ways than one, of what I imagine ancient Greek theatre must have looked like. Hotel continued on page 10
Grease Live leaves much to be desired
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Grease Live doesn’t do the movie justice.
MARIA CRUZ MANAGING EDITOR It would be unfair of me to begin this review without mentioning my love for the original Grease. I know I was biased going into Grease Live!, but it’s hard not to be when you grew up watching the classic. John Travolta is Danny Zuko, Olivia Newton-John is Sandy, and Kenickie’s car is a “p— wagon”, not a “dragon wagon”. However, I’m all for remakes done right and despite my hesitation, I went into this one hopeful. It’s difficult to host a remake of a classic to a live audience, but this is exactly what happened on January 31. Director Alex Rudzinski combined Broadway and Hollywood in this hybrid remake of the original and well, only some of it was done right. The speed of costume and set changes is something to take note of right away. Actors were made to run
around backstage or drive around in golf carts to prep before the next scene started. Without a hint of chaos ensuing from backstage, it was impressive that the cast managed to keep up with the hectic changes. Unfortunately, this was one of the only impressive things about the entire show. The acting, though the leads were weak, was pretty strong across the board. Vanessa Hudgens and Jordan Fisher stole the show despite having less screen time. It’s a shame that Fisher, only playing minor character Doody, didn’t get more time in the limelight because he was well-rehearsed, energetic, and his singing was strong. Hudgens rocked her rendition of “There Are Worse Things I Could Do”, though her overall performance of Rizzo was much tamer than the original. Regardless, she was one of the biggest breaths of fresh air the whole night. Grease continued on page 10
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What colour are your Oscars? UC Follies confront the big scary issues with sketch comedy to lighten the load HAILEY MASON ASSOCIATE A&E EDITOR Who doesn’t enjoy a laugh at the expense of pop culture? The UC Follies Sketch Comedy Troupe provided exactly that at their sold-out show “Will a White Person Win an Oscar?” on January 30. The night was complete with stand-up comedy, sketch routines, and collective laughter as the U of T undergrad sketch troupe satirized attitudes in contemporary Western society. The UC Follies Sketch Troupe is a branch of the UC Follies, a student theatre company at U of T’s University College. UC Follies offers aspiring dramatists the opportunity to learn and develop skills in a hands-on community. The Sketch Troupe is a circle of U of T undergrads passionate about comedy and the performing arts. The show included stand-up acts and sketch comedy routines from Lucas Loizou, Kelly De Hoop, Celeste Yim, Jemima Hamilton, John Richardson, Christopher Chiasson, Haley Wiseman, Vincent Yung, and Luca Bellisario. This sketch was a parody on the Oscars controversy, which centres on the belief that awards are primarily given to white candidates, specifically males. Although Hollywood consists predominantly of white actors and actresses, those in opposition to the 88th Academy Awards view the ceremony as corrupt and unfair to black
Hotel houses big talent Hotel continued from page 9
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Are we making a mountain out of a molehill? actors working in the industry. Despite the title of the show, “Will a White Person Win an Oscar?”, the troupe’s performances extended beyond the Oscars. Throughout the show, subjects of comedy included the stigma surrounding “pre-drinking”, hookups, veganism, clubbing, religion, and, of course, Leonardo DiCaprio’s inability to win an Oscar. Essentially, this comedy show was an opportunity to bring to light all the aspects of popular culture that have grown trite, or were never really that well liked to begin with. The sketch routine on the Oscars, for instance, was a comedic reflection on just how ridiculously sensitive society is becoming.
The sketch began with two Asian women each winning an Oscar award, only to be dragged off stage and replaced with two white women who accepted the awards on their behalf. In the final sequence of the sketch, the white women were pulled off stage and replaced with two white men, accepting the Oscar awards under the names of the first two women. The mockery in the troupe’s routine was a refreshing take on the controversy, which, among other things, raises questions about the definition of racism and whether or not it exists today. It was a relief watching the sketch troupe laugh off serious subjects. In an age where everything is taken too
seriously, it’s comforting to know that comedy groups like UC Follies can appreciate the humorous side of life. The evening’s performances weren’t all critical, however. Some of the more lighthearted acts included Richardon’s hilarious stand-up routine, in which he reminisced about his youth as an overweight bully and the intensity of spin classes. Yim was also a lively addition to the night. In her sketch acts, Yim’s vibrancy, dance moves, and witty stage presence definitely won the crowd. All in all, the Follies Sketch Troupe offered an evening of quirky comedy routines that appeased the audience’s dark sense of humour.
The first reason is that mostly it’s chorus-based, but occasionally one or two performers separate themselves from the group. The second is the design. Basically, the whole set is made out of paper. This gives the whole thing a creamy-white Acropolis feel. (I know Greek theatre was not performed in the Acropolis. Cut me some slack—we’re talking aesthetics.) There are piles of scrunched-up paper everywhere, defining the problem before anyone even walks onstage. Someone has really bad writer’s block. The walls of the hotel room are also made of paper. And the actors wear poetry on their costumes. The black and white theme carries on in the costuming, and the white pieces are patched with scribbles. Things clear up a little: someone has writer’s block so bad that their imagination has created muses that wear words. Chelsea Hotel deserves the accolades it has received for the past four years of tours. It will, without a doubt, receive many more before its time in Toronto is done. Chelsea Hotel runs at Theatre Passe Muraille until February 21.
Subpar performances and glitchy tech abound Grease continued from page 9 Carly Rae Jepsen took on the role of Frenchie and for the most part she did her job well. She was given a musical number seemingly for the sole reason of “Jepsen should probably have a song.” While she did a good job, the song was an awkward, forced piece that didn’t fit well with “Beauty School Dropout”, which followed. Keke Palmer was a good choice for Marty. She brought her own spin to the character while managing to keep the original self-centered schoolgirl characteristics from the original. Palmer was another who rocked her musical performances. Now, this next part breaks my heart a little, but Aaron Tveit, who played Danny Zuko, was one of the biggest disappointments of the night. There seems to be this odd thing that takes place with musical theatre sometimes where if you take the music away from a musical theatre performer, the acting disappears with them. I’ve seen this with a few musical theatre actors and Tveit is no exception. Tveit was marvelous in Next to Normal and Catch Me If You Can but take the music away, like in Graceland, and he becomes someone else entirely. He nailed his musical numbers, in particular “Oh, Sandy”, but his acting was subpar. The charm and swagger of
Danny Zuko was lost as Tveit fell into the trap of “the overly-excited actor who finally got to play Zuko”. He also has a lot of trouble playing the bad boy, which is not a character Tveit is designed to play. Julianne Hough, who played Sandy, was no better. Her singing was strong and her dancing was fine, but these things were ultimately outweighed by her bland acting. A forced ear-to-ear smile in an attempt to portray Sandy’s innocence or a soft-spoken monotone were the only two ranges Hough could hit. Hough and Tveit also seemed to speed through their lines despite the three-hour runtime. In addition to the weak leads, there were a lot of disappointing scenes and changes made as well. “Greased Lightning” succumbed to unfortunate changes to the lyrics and choreography that omitted all classic dance moves from the original. However, the most awkward moment of the show goes to Tveit and Hough at the drive-in theatre. When Danny tries to make out with Sandy, she leaves, throws his ring back at him, and slams the car door on his genitals. Travolta’s reaction in the original was priceless. Tveit, on the other hand, seemed to only be slightly inconvenienced by this, which was noticeably bad acting. Neither had any chemistry either, which when piled on top of the
already awkward performances, only made matters worse. The live audience was something that took away from the experience as well. One of the worst things in the world is when someone tries to be funny and gets no laughs, and this is exactly what happened during a lot of funny moments in the live version. The audience either remained dead silent when they were supposed to cheer or would scream for their favourite actors in the middle of musical numbers, seemingly forgetting that they were interrupting the performances by doing so. Technical difficulties were present as well, namely with “Hopelessly Devoted to You”. Not only was the song changed from its position in the original set list, but it was accompanied by a terrible crackling throughout from Hough’s mic. Overall, the show was a bust. And, hey, I’m not the only one who thinks so. USA Today gave the show a ½ star out of 4 and Variety called the two leads “a snooze”, which indeed they were. But I can’t end this review without mentioning the only time that made me cheer out loud. Didi Conn, original Frenchie, made an appearance as Vi and seeing an original cast member made my heart grow three sizes. She was the best part of the evening.
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The abortion divide: pro-life or choice? The debate may be split into two sides, however the larger public opinion remains neutral MAHNOOR AYUB ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR The late 20th century remained a particularly active time for Canadian politics following the revival of the debate over “reproductive politics”. The debate introduced matters of pregnancy and abortion into public discourse. On opposite sides of the discussion are those who are “prolife” and those who are “pro-choice”. BACKGROUND Ultimately revolving around the law, the argument between pro-life and pro-choice is based on the extent to which people believe that abortion should be sanctioned. While the two opposing sides debate on the rights of the pregnant woman to privacy versus the right to life for the child, author Warren Tatalovich views the debate as a spectrum. In The Politics of Abortion in the United States and Canada: a comparative study, Tatalovich identifies two minorities who have polarized views on abortion, while the larger public opinion remains moderate and generally unchanged over the last 20 years. But what began in the late 1980s,
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There has been a recent wave of pro-life groups struggling for recognition on university campuses. with Pierre Trudeau’s Ominous Bill being struck down by the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision to declare all legal restrictions on abortion as unconstitutional, seems to have arisen not only in the House of Commons, but also in cities and university campuses across Canada
today. While abortion is essentially a moral issue, Tatalovich explains how the debate has increasingly adopted a political and legal front, with opposing agendas for both anti-abortion campaigners and abortion rights campaigners.
As a result, most student groups seek to initiate an active protest culture, giving opportunities and power to both sides to influence public debate. BOTH FACE STRUGGLES Although there are no federal restrictions on abortion in Canada,
pro-choice supporters believe that access to abortion remains limited. The feminist pro-choice argument is rooted in describing abortion as an intensely personal experience, as opposed to being open to public morality. Under the Conservative administration in 2013, the government refused to fund abortions for overseas war rape victims and child brides. Making abortion difficult to access fuels the pro-choice sentiment of women being deprived of the right to make their own decisions. A recent movement across Prince Edward Island used posters of a redheaded, pig-tailed woman wearing a bandana to demand more access to abortion clinics. Similarly, the Morgentaler clinic is the only private abortion facility in New Brunswick. To be able to have an abortion in a hospital, women in New Brunswick need the approval of two doctors. While the pro-choice movement struggles with varying abortion laws across states, at the university level, pro-life groups seem to be struggling for recognition, as evident in recent news coverage. Sides continued on page 17
MSA and Tarboosh unite to sponsor a family The Tarboosh Restaurant, MSA, and UTMSU together held a series of “Sandwiches for Syria”sales FARHAT AMINI WITH NOTES FROM FARAH QAISER FEATURES EDITOR As Canada welcomed its first 10,000 refugees from Syria on January 13, UTM’s MSA will soon also welcome its first sponsored Syrian refugee family. Last semester, MSA partnered up with Bassam Esbait, the owner of Mississauga’s Tarboosh Restaurant, to help raise money for the sponsorship of a Syrian family through Lifeline Syria by selling sandwiches and other food provided by the restaurant. The MSA told The Medium that roughly $17,000 of the initial $30,000 has been raised and that a family has been selected for sponsorship. The initial goal of $30,000 included the start-up costs that Lifeline Syria needs in order to hold a sponsor liable. Since Esbait is the one legally sponsoring the family, the financial matters and signing of contracts have been left to him, with MSA keeping a close eye on the process. In a phone interview with The Medium, Esbait mentioned that he is also in charge of finding a home for the incoming family and providing rent and groceries. He expressed that
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The MSA, along with several other clubs, held a series of “Sandwiches for Syria” sales. he has to help the family with everything ranging “from toothbrush[es], to toilet paper, to linen [and] pillows”. In an interview with The Medium, MSA president Maleeha Baig said that the family consists of six members: four children and two parents. According to Baig, the children are
all under the age of 12. “Since we asked for a vulnerable family, we think that at least one of the family members might have a disability,” Baig added. Baig was proud of the work that Esbait had done in raising $13,000 of the $17,000 that has been raised
so far. “[Esbait] has been reaching out to businesses and corporations so he has a wider and wealthier community to work with,” she said. The Tarboosh Restaurant has long been involved with the Mississauga community. Esbait was previously a
refugee himself, and currently hires employees who are refugees. According to Baig, Esbait also has a list of items that the family might need taped on the wall of his restaurant. Volunteers are welcome to choose an item off the list and can either buy the item or donate the money needed to buy it for the family before they arrive. “I have decided, along with my parents, my wife, and Maleeha [Baig] […] that we will give 100 percent of the proceeds of the falafel sandwich sale towards the cause,” he said, adding that he has a list on the wall of his restaurant with the names of people who purchased a food item. “It is not their contribution that we are honouring, it is the fact that they have eaten the falafel at Tarboosh and the money that I collected from them will be money that has been raised,” said Esbait. Esbait emphasized that the main reason behind why he has asked people to write their names on the lists taped to his restaurant’s walls is so that when the family arrives, they will realize that it wasn’t a single large donation, but the efforts of many.
Family continued on page 17
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The specifics of the debate Sides continued from page 16 For example, in February 2015, the Ryerson Students’ Union unanimously rejected a pro-life group’s appeal for recognition as a club on campus. In a press release, the union’s Students Groups Committee claimed to have made the decision out of opposition to misogyny and “ideologies that promote gender inequity” among other views. In September 2015, the University of Alberta’s pro-life student group and its administrators filed a suit against the University of Alberta for allegedly failing to uphold free speech on campus by not punishing those who prevented the group from carrying out its activities and for allegedly invoicing the group a security fee for an event which had the potential to be disrupted. A more recent example occurred right here at UTM, where last month, UTM Students for Life filed a lawsuit against the UTMSU for denying them registered club status. As I read about demonstrations held by pro-choice groups in downtown Toronto asking students to “honk for choice”, or U of T Students for Life organizing protests as part of a nationwide pro-life initiative called the “Choice Chain”, I realize exactly how important it is to understand the specifics behind the debate— which is what this article is about to dive into. FETAL PERSONHOOD A central argument on the pro-life side of the debate is that a fetus is equal to a human life, and is thus deserving of full legal rights and protections. Under the pro-choice argument, a right to privacy suggests that people should be free to live and make decisions about their lives without government intervention (except in cases where the decisions being made are matters of compelling state interest). RIGHT TO LIFE The pro-life side further argues that a fetus, as a legal person, is entitled to the right to life. The right to life is protected by section seven of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. “I absolutely view this issue as a feminist issue, but not in the traditional sense of the word,” says Alissa Golob, the youth coordinator for the Campaign for Life Coalition, which is a large Canadian pro-life group. “I am a pro-life feminist because the pro-life efforts we work towards are those shaped by the core feminist values of justice, non-discrimination, and non-violence,”
says Golob. However, the same section also supports the pro-choice notion, as the section also guarantees all individuals the right to security of the person—thus making it legally invalid to force a woman into any activity without her consent. Pro-choicers further view this through the concept of reproductive freedom. The Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada states that “without control of their fertility, [women and trans people] cannot have autonomy over their lives and cannot play a full and equal role in society”. Additionally, Bernstein J.L., in the Brooklyn Law Review, suggests that prohibiting abortion does not actually prevent women from terminating pregnancies, as women often resort to more expensive or dangerous alternatives. WHAT UTM THINKS One thing is clear though: as the pro-lifers and pro-choicers battle it out, several members of the population remain neutral—or confused. “This debate is so controversial, I almost have nothing to say,” says Kiran Siddiqui, a third-year biotechnology specialist. Siddiqui believes most students are not comfortable expressing their views on the matter.
“Questions [in the debate] can be answered from a variety of perspectives, but to silence them is unacceptable.” —Caroline Wojdylo “I think the demonstrations [by either side] should be educational more than anything, just so students know what options are available,” says Siddiqui. “The key question one must approach is this: what is the preborn child? Consequently, what does an abortion accomplish?” says Caroline Wojdylo, a second-year student majoring in anthropology and biology. “We will at one point or another know of someone in an unplanned pregnancy—perhaps it will be us,” says Wojdylo. She describes how every person has the potential to affect the situation in a way that may end or continue the life and development of the child in question. Father Marcin Serwin is invited for mass and proceedings at UTM by the Catholic Students’ Club, and also assists at the UN commission for the dignity of women. He believes that the topic of abortion
“has more to do with the dignity of every individual”. Serwin says, “The question isn’t religious or moral, but one that touches every area of life and our knowledge of it from science to philosophy.” The pro-life notion encourages women to seek support during pregnancy, rather than supporting a culture of avoidance. Pro-choice groups often counter this argument in the context of sexual assault. They argue that the abortion of children conceived through rape helps women regain bodily integrity when they need it most. On the other hand, the UTM Sexual Education Centre holds an impartial view on the subject. The centre claims to welcome everyone, offering confidential and non-judgmental conversation through their peer-support program. The office states that their peer supports “are trained to deal with issues relating to sexually transmitted infections, testing, pregnancy, sexual orientation, contraception, and abstinence”. While the peer supports are not experts on any of these topics, the office helps with navigating and accessing the resources available, and making appropriate referrals when required. “I think university is the time to hear different opinions and make educated decisions,” says Amna Azhar, a second-year student majoring in psychology and biology. “I like to have conversations with people I don’t agree with. We keep learning that way.” Azhar further mentions how understanding the background and context of a particular perspective makes it easier for the community to offer help and support. As for the recent controversy regarding Students for Life at UTM, Serwin believes, “Students for Life, just like pro-choice clubs or a pro-cookies clubs […] do not tell people what to do, but they express their opinion in hopes as to convince their listeners of a given topic.” The Students for Choice group at the St. George campus adopts a similar approach by providing information on sexual education, explaining abortion facts, and information on how to contact Planned Parenthood. Wojdylo refers to the debate between the pro-life and pro-life groups as being consistent of a set of questions behind the science of an unborn child. She says the premise on either side aims to address if he or she can begin to feel pain, or if each sides views them as a clump of cells or a person. “These questions can be answered from a variety of perspectives, but to silence them is unacceptable,” says Wojdylo.
Since the sports section’s Weekly Workout
For example, a 2014 study investigated
Tips is all about procrastination this week,
the effectiveness of eating breakfast to
I’ll be offering a more productive approach
reduce obesity—with trials involving about
here in the Blackboard Special. In other
300 participants—and found that there
words, it’s all about carpe diem here. With
was no significant weight loss. Similarly,
breakfast. (Pancakes to be exact.)
a 2013 review paper found that the idea
Now we’ve all heard it before: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But is it really?
that breakfast consumption affects obesity is much more a belief than a scientifically proven fact.
While it is true that eating breakfast has
Now we can argue for both sides of the
several associated benefits (such as a de-
argument, and find studies to support each
creased appetite, maintaining your body
side, but it certainly is interesting to see
weight, and providing energy to kickstart
that breakfasts may not be as sacred as
your mornings), I find it particularly inter-
we think them to be. On the other hand,
esting that there are also a large number
pancakes will always hold a special place in
of studies that indicate that breakfast be-
my heart, so let’s take a look at this week’s
ing the most important part of the day is
recipe instead.
nothing more than a strongly shared belief. Plain Pancakes SERVES 2–3
INGREDIENTS • Flour, 200 g • 1 tsp baking powder • 2 tbsp caster sugar
extract into the batter mixture until it’s thick. 4. Place large spoonfuls of the batter on the hot frying pan.
• 1 egg, beaten
5. Fry until golden.
• 50 g butter, melted
6. Flip and cook the other side of the
• 1 cup of milk • Vanilla extract, to taste • A pinch of salt METHOD
pancake. 7. Serve immediately. (Optional: add syrup!) Note: Adding extra ingredients, such
1. Heat a frying pan (preferably non-stick).
as crushed blueberries, to the batter
2. Mix the baking powder, sugar, salt, and
mixture will help add flavour.
flour. 3. Beat the eggs, butter, milk, and vanilla
Refugee family has yet to arrive Family continued from page 16 “The values of sharing, giving, helping, hard work, […] is what this whole process [is] about,” said Esbait. Esbait submitted the necessary paperwork to Lifeline Syria two weeks ago. The group has not yet confirmed the expected date of the family’s arrival, because, according to Esbait, the refugee settlement process has been experiencing delays. “What’s happening is that […] [the government] has slowed down the process a lot because of difficulty in the housing process. This is the main concern that the refugee families are having in Canada,” says Esbait. “Not that many landlords are willing to rent. As a matter of fact, in the next two days, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration will be holding meetings with these property owners to see how they can relax the rules to accommodate these kind of larger families.” Earlier last week, the MSA’s executive team participated in the Syrian Refugee Crisis Case Competition at Ryerson held by the Ryerson MSA. Participants were asked to brainstorm ideas, given a set budget, that could aid Syrian refugees living in Toronto. The MSA’s executive team won a first prize of $500, and also had the opportunity to meet with Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, John McCallum.
There will be a dinner hosted by the MSA for the family to meet the UTM community once they arrive in Canada. The dinner will take place at the Blind Duck. Baig said that the MSA will probably cover the costs of the dinner for whoever shows up. “I’m just really excited to help the family get integrated into Canadian society through UTM. I want them to feel that UTM is their family and we want to do some events with the kids so they find some relief from the trau-
“The values of sharing, giving, helping, hard work [...] is what this whole process is about.” —Bassam Esbait ma they’ve gone through,” said Baig. More fundraising events like “Sandwiches for Syria” will occur throughout the year to achieve the goal of $30,000. Once this family has been settled, Esbait hopes that the MSA and the Tarboosh Restaurant can together sponsor other vulnerable families in the future. “It doesn’t have to be Syria—it could be Africa, [or] from any other country where people are really in need,” said Esbait.
02.08.2016
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19
Body language changes who you are High-power positions like “superman” or “superwoman” may boost short term confidence AMANDA BORTHWICK STAFF WRITER Feeling nervous before a big game, public presentation, or interview? Take a few minutes and try Captain Morgan to ease that tension and summon up an extra surge of confidence. But I would recommend doing it in an inconspicuous location, like an elevator, to avoid stares. I’m not endorsing alcoholic consumption here if that’s what you’re thinking, so you can put the shot glass away. Instead, I’m proposing that your confidence doesn’t lie at the bottom of the bottle, but rather in the confident pose of the pirate on its label. What I mean is that before an evaluative situation, adopting a “Power Pose” like Captain Morgan’s puffed out chest and elevated leg can increase your level of confidence and improve your performance output. Most importantly, this confidence-boosting life hack doesn’t come at the expense of your liver and only costs a few minutes of your time. And if Captain Morgan doesn’t float your boat (pun intended),
MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM
Expansive spread-out postures can program your mind to be more confident in a tall task. then try another high-power position like the “Superman” or “Superwoman” pose. Just put your fists in the air, on your hips, or crossed behind your head, spread your feet on the ground, and try to take up as much space as possible, as ridicu-
lous as it may look—hence the elevator. These and other kinds of nonverbal expressions of assertiveness and dominance not only affect the feelings and behaviours of those around you but invariably change
how you feel about yourself. Former Varsity Blues football offensive coordinator and current Acadia Axemen football offensive coordinator Luigi Costanzo illustrates how the reaction to such body language often takes place
on the field. “When other teams witness our ability to play an entire game without showing signs of fatigue, slowing down, or negative body language, it would force them to quit playing because they couldn’t keep pace.” According to UTM psychology professor William Huggon, power and dominance are expressed through expansive spread-out postures while powerlessness is expressed through closed narrower body positions. And while powerful poses are generally only used by those confident, high-testosterone individuals—think that guy taking up way too much space on the subway—a 2010 study published in Psychological Science suggests that by simulating these power poses for two minutes, you can trick your body into feeling more confident, even if you feel quite the opposite. “Those presenting these power positions might take on some of the characteristics of those who typically strike these poses,” says Huggon. Posture continued on page 20
Stand tall, talk small, and play ball UTM Eagles men’s basketball team loses a close game to UTSC Maroons before large crowd GUSTAVO SILVA The UTM Eagles men’s basketball team lost to the UTSC Maroons last Wednesday with a final score of 66-57. The game was filled with intensity as the score kept fluctuating throughout the game. Excited fans had high energy from start to finish, creating an exuberant atmosphere with the noisemakers that were handed out at the beginning of the match. UTM’s Waleed Mushtaq started the game with a turnover in the first 30 seconds, keeping players fighting from the beginning. UTSC took advantage of mistakes, tallying up points early in the game. At the 11-minute mark, the UTM Eagles’ mascot joined the game, which increased the fans’ enthusiasm. This effect rippled out to the UTM players and there was a sudden shift in the match. The energy of the UTM players remained active; three-pointers and shots were made, creating a close game. The Maroons’ quick passing offence was a lot to handle though, and by the three-minute mark, UTM was down 16-24. With only three minutes left in the game, Coach Juan Nunez made the tough decision to
OLIVIA ADAMCZYK/THE MEDIUM
UTM gave their full effort last Wednesday, unable to come away with the win. put UTM’s Andrew Williams on the court, even though he is currently recovering from an injury. At half-time, a show was put on by UTMAC president Belal Raifai and the Eagles’ mascot. They handed out various prizes such as brand new basketballs and treats for the fans watching the game. The second half proceeded with
ups and downs. UTM had to adjust to the UTSC defence after they were outscored from a loss of focus early in the second half. The Eagles didn’t adapt to the Maroons’ defence, especially when UTSC big man came back out. He did not allow one rebound to be made by the Eagles, and he converted the rebounds into easy points in the
paint. Williams had an impressive second half, scoring seven points despite his injury; he finished with 11 points in total. The play of the game came from Williams with six minutes left in the second half. Williams made a swish midrange shot, and moments later UTSC caused a turnover. He pro-
ceeded to drive to the basket with full force. While in the air, he was hit by a UTSC player. Even with the tough play, he managed to get a layup and a foul. At this point, the crowd got up on their feet. Despite the marvelous performance by Williams, UTM was still down by seven. The Maroons had a huge impact by their rebounding efforts, which gave them easy points. UTM accumulated many fouls, which gave UTSC easy free-throw points. After the final whistle, Eagles coach Juan Nunez commented on how his players will come out and compete in their next game in order to win. “Get healthy [because] four of our players are injured. We need to work on plays and communication,” he said. He mentioned that they’re in a good position and believes his team will do well in the playoffs. “It has been hard because of an injury-riddled season. We have to adjust to the game and find comfort in one another,” says a confident Williams. The Eagles will have a threeweek break until they play another game.
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THE MEDIUM 02.08.2016
“Power posing” boosts confidence Posture continued from page 19 In other words, not only does power posing reflect power, but it can also produce it. According to a study titled “Power Posing: brief nonverbal displays affect neuroendocrine levels and risk tolerance”, twominute power poses led to hormonal changes such as significant increase in testosterone levels and a decrease in stress hormones, measured by levels of cortisol in the bloodstream. In combination, power posing increased feelings
“We emphasise standing tall, head held high, hands on your hips, and focused breathing.” —Luigi Costanzo of power and tolerance for risk which subsequently led to better performance on evaluated tasks. Huggon agrees that this strategy is something that athletes should take advantage of to improve performance. “Good coaches already do this. Big speeches, firing up their players, getting them to yell and stand up, open their chests and flex their arms, are all forms of power posing,” he says.
Costanzo notes that his athletes engage in the same time of preparatory power posing before a game and it produces positive outcomes. “We emphasize standing tall, head held high, hands on your hips, and focused breathing. We have used basic visualization techniques in the past with success,” Costanzo says. And although this super-heroic two-minute transformation may not be as spectacular as something like Peter Parker’s transformation into Spider-Man, mutant spiders are overrated anyway. So go ahead and strike some grand heroic poses, whether it’s Captain Morgan in the bathroom stall or a Superwoman in the hallway. There are less than zero reasons why you shouldn’t give this experiment a try. Whatever stressinducing situation you may be in, whether it’s a job interview, a first date, or before checking your grades on Blackboard, these two minutes of power posing can help instill some artificially induced confidence. In other words, it effectively allows you to fake it until you make it. In fact, practising power postures may even leave permanent changes on your levels of confidence and lead to more success down the road. So in other-other words, you might even fake it till you become it.
ERIC HEWITSON SPORTS EDITOR Right now you’re procrastinating until the point that it becomes more painful not to finish your assignment than it is to just do it—right now sucks, but honestly, you have to do that assignment. Same thing goes for your workouts this time of year; you have too much homework to get done— too many shows on Netflix to catch up on—so you don’t get to the gym and allow your body and mind to be more productive during this stressful time of year. Procrastination isn’t just a synonym for laziness; it’s an actual thing evolution has created for us to keep ourselves from becoming too busy— seriously, we were created to chill out. But when you procrastinate too much your stress levels spike, forming a drowsy mind and unhealthy body. According to Fuschia Sirois, Ph.D., University of Sheffield, England, if you’re a frequent procrastinator, your amygdala may keep your body on constant high alert. Your heart rate increases because your thyroid glands pump out thyroid hormones sparking your metabolism—giving you an excuse to eat some food before you study, but then you get tired and that two-hour nap comes along and then holy crap you thought you had eight hours to write your paper, but now you have four. According to Men’s Health recent article “See what happens inside your body when you procrastinate”, daily exposure to cortisol (the hormone
your body releases in response to stress) makes you less sensitive to its effect since your body doesn’t know if it’s tackling a predator or an illness. Fighting white blood cells begin circulating through your blood stream with an equal amount of cortisol to keep their numbers in check, but chronic procrastination may leave you resistant to cortisol, allowing white blood cells to cause damaging inflammation. Your adrenal glades require extra energy to keep pumping out stress hormones, so your body creates a reserve by packing visceral fat on nearby organs. These stores will soon start to release even more inflammatory molecules, which can lead to infection or disease. Now that you know how procrastination is killing you, get up tomorrow and work out so you don’t die, and then after you don’t die, go and do some homework so you don’t fail school and have to live with your parents for the rest of your life (that sounds worse than dying). Right now, you’re scared out of your mind that the world is going to end, but soon you’ll realize that not screwing up your life and doing the right thing are more important than contemplating your nonexistence. You may be worried that you’ll fail your upcoming test, so you don’t study for it. You don’t study for it because failing is something that threatens your perceived identity of yourself, and you don’t want to jeopardize that. We procrastinate and prolong doing something because we are scared to
fail; we’ve created, and others have created, these narratives for us, expectations that we have to live up to, or some gargoyle will come and eat us in the night. Drop the ridiculous story. You’re prolonging exercise because you don’t want to embarrass yourself in front of the macho guys in the gym—I get it, but you’re never going to be a macho guy and fit in with that attitude. Move to an alternate universe where steroids come in M&Ms packages and then you can call me an ignorant jerk. Choose to see yourself as the person you are; stop telling yourself these ridiculous stories that may make your ego feel good, but end up making you fail in real life. Evaluate the type of athlete you are or the condition you’re in and make a routine and expectations based on the truth. If you’re waiting for your paper to write itself magically because you’re afraid you’re not living up to the 4.0 GPA student you thought you were going to be, tell yourself who you are and what you can accomplish. That other identity is threatening you with nonsense—with threats come avoidance, and with avoidance comes people thinking you’re a procrastinator. This probably wasn’t super motivating in the sense that you’re used to, but it’ll work more than all that other crap on bookshelves. Now that reality has hit you like a ton of bricks—that you aren’t Usain Bolt, Arnold Schwarzenegger, or Gerard Bulter from 300— you can go to the gym with an easy conscience.
Women’s flag football tops tourney
ACEBOOK.COM/UOFTPOWDERPUFF/PHOTO
The powderpuff flag football team beat McMaster earlier this year before going on to win at Laurier. ERIC HEWITSON SPORTS EDITOR You won’t hear clunking helmets or shoulder pad collisions, but you will hear fans roar, coaches cheer, and pigskins thrown above a field occupied by the University of Toronto Varsity Blues powderpuff flag football team as they battle it out against other universities in this year’s annual Wilfred Laurier University tournament. This team has had an incredible season; they hosted their annual tournament on January 16 to 17, where they played seven games and won all of them, taking home the championship trophy. The women had their second tournament on January 30 at McMaster and once again they played seven games, winning all but one game to the hands of the Mac women. The losing effort turned out
to be a blessing in disguise; discouraged that they lost by a field goal, the women took a couple of hours’ break to regroup and get back into the spirit to play McMaster again in the championship game. Coming together and learning from their mistakes, the women were able to defeat Mac on their home turf and take the championship trophy yet again. It was the first time in U of T women’s flag football history that the team won not only the McMaster tournament, but the first time they won the Laurier tournament, a feat they achieved just last weekend in Waterloo. It has been their goal since the beginning of the season to come into these games with a competitive mindset and strive for victory. Ultimately, the OUA PPF championship at Laurier solidifies them as the most dominant team in Ontario. “We came together as one of the
best teams this program has ever seen and we proved that. I couldn’t have asked for a more amazing season,” says head coach Kevin Collins. Molly Woudenberg, UTM student and rookie captain of the squad, reflected on the team’s winning ways through her positive outlook and sentiments regarding her team’s performance in the recent games. “It’s been great; I’m the rookie captain, so I try to lead by example and show the first-year powderpuff players that they can contribute just as much as the veterans and that their role is important,” Woudenberg says. “We lift each other up well and everyone is supportive. Whether it’s a good play or not, there’s always someone right there to cheer them on.” The win at Wilfrid Laurier University is the team’s third consecutive tournament this season.