Vol 42 issue 3

THE VOICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA

September 21, 2015 Volume 42, Issue 3 themedium.ca

Class cancellations

Discussing race

We are Family

Student refugees

No boys allowed

Last week’s online threats caused several sociology classes to close on campus.

The conversation on race should try to reduce differences, not create more.

Hart House Theatre puts on their first play of the 2015/2016 year.

The World University Service of Canada sponsors another first year student’s tuition.

UTM’s athletic department fighting to improve women’s only programs and classes.

Medium News, page 2

Medium Opinion, page 6

Medium Arts, page 8

Medium Features, page 12

Medium Sports, page 15

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09.21.2015

Classes cancelled following threats

New AV fees

New information reveals similar threats made against U of T in June

draw UTMSU

KARUNA ISRANI

criticism

Investigations are still underway after anonymous threats targeting feminists and members of U of T’s sociology and women and gender studies departments surfaced on the popular Toronto website blogTO. “Toronto Police Services have informed us that the level of risk of this anonymous, despicable threat is low,” said David Estok, U of T’s VP communications. “Having said that, we did want to take a number of steps to reassure the community that we were taking steps to make things safe.”

According to Estok, course instructors were permitted to postpone or host classes online if they felt their classroom’s security was threatened, but aside from a few cases, most classes last week continued to run as scheduled. Estok also told The Medium that if classes were cancelled, they were used as teachable moments as professors briefed their students on the situation and asked that they come prepared for a discussion in class during the following week.

Other than two sociology classes at UTM, the total number of classes that were postponed due to the threats is unknown.

MENNA ELNAKA ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM

At least two classes were cancelled following online threats made against U of T feminists.

In an email, Patricia Landolt, chair of the St. George sociology department, told The Medium that no classes were cancelled in the downtown sociology department. Landolt added that numerous events such as teach-ins and acts of solidarity had been organized in support of the faculty and students.

Shortly after the threats were post-

ed on blogTO, CBC News revealed new information, which reported U of T receiving similar online threats in June. When asked to comment on the lack of a public notice regarding the June threats, Estok told The Medium that the matter had been handed over to the Toronto police and now forms a part of their ongoing investigation.

On September 5, an unidentified user posted violent comments on blogTO.com under the alias “Kill Feminists”, encouraging the violent murders of feminists in sociology or women and gender studies classrooms at U of T. Toronto Police Services has since taken over the investigation and no word has been released on any possible suspects or leads.

A new price list for UTM’s audiovisual equipment has drawn criticism from UTMSU and student clubs renting the gear for events on campus.

Among the increases, the university will now charge $38 for a small PA system, up from $20; the cost of a large PA system has also been increased from $40 to $56.

New audiovisual packages now range from $86 to $188.

The costs will apply to all student organizations who use audiovisual equipment for events anywhere on campus except in the Student Centre. The Department of Student Life, administrators, and faculty are exempted from all audio and visual costs.

According to Ebi Agbeyegbe, UTMSU’s president, the decision to implement the new price list was not voted on, but was “very secretive”.

AV continued on page 3

Students face delays in aftermath of strike CR/NCR courses prevent biology students from entering subject POSts right away MENNA ELNAKA ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Last winter’s strike may have lasted four weeks, but for some students, its effects continue months later.

As reported last March, the Unit 1 strike ended by a vote to go to binding arbitration for a new agreement that would last for another two years.

“Last term was incredibly stressful,” said Amy Mullin, UTM’s VP academic and dean in an interview.

“Professors were affected, students were incredibly affected, and the TAs were affected, both who struck and those who didn’t.”

Mullin said the strike was the longest she had seen since 1990.

According to Mullin, six half-year courses and two full-year courses were “disrupted” during the strike, which means that due to the delays resulting from the strike, those courses had to undergo changes without a student vote. Normally, any changes that are made to courses have to be voted on by students.

Regarding the impact of the learning experience during the strike, forensics and biology courses had their labs cancelled, but Mullin said professors still managed to deliver “key concepts” to students, so they mainly

MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM

The biology department was one that was significantly affected by the strike. missed the “hands-on experience”.

While Mullin acknowledged that the learning experience was affected in courses where labs and tutorials were cancelled, she said their cancellation did not result in “any sort of a significant impact in terms of not learning what students were sup-

posed to learn”.

Additionally, one course in the Department of English and Drama was affected. Although not all of the theoretical concepts that the professors wanted students to learn were taught, the course was not a requirement, so no adjustments had to be

made for upper-year courses to make up for it.

Some courses, however, were affected more than others. ”We missed a significant chunk of content—and entire course text,” said Lindsay Sidders, the Unit 1 instructor who was teaching a fourth-

year history seminar at the time of the strike. “I think the students missed out on class dialogue that I thought was very fruitful most of the time.

“There was no time to discuss final assignments and much of the class did poorly as a result,” she added.

The history seminar was among a number of courses, including some from the PWC and language studies departments, which were suspended during the four weeks of the strike.

There were also concerns especially for first-year students to get into their subject POSts. One of the main departments that were affected was biology. For students who took the CR/NCR for enough courses that they didn’t end up with four courses with a grade, the result was a delay in their acceptance into the program.

The biology department said those students “would not yet be admitted to the subject POSt” because the department would need more information to assess students. This could mean some students would have to wait a year to enter the program and could meanwhile enter a department that doesn’t have a CGPA requirement until they get accepted.

Strike continued on page 3

09.21.2015 THE MEDIUM NEWS

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Clubs struggling to pay AV costs

September 11, 2015, 4:30 p.m.

Driving Offences Campus Police received a report of a car driving fast on Outer Circle Rd. The car almost struck pedestrians as they crossed the road. The car was identified and the investigation is ongoing.

dences.

September 11, 2015, 9:19 p.m.

General Information During a basketball game at the gym, two players got into an altercation.

Campus Police were called to intervene. Both players were reminded of the Fair Play Code and asked to leave the gym for remainder of the night.

September 12, 2015, 4:00 p.m.

Personal Safety Concern Campus Police responded to a call at Erindale Hall after a resident reported a suspicious sound. Officers checked the area and found no suspicious activity in the building.

September 12, 2015, 1:01 a.m.

Medical Call Campus Police responded to a report of an intoxicated student at the Blind Duck Pub. The Erindale College Special Response team attended to assess vital signs and assist. The student became non-responsive and EMS was dispatched. The student was transported to Credit Valley Hospital.

September 12, 2015, 1:01 a.m.

Controlled Drugs & Substances Act Campus Police investigated a male with marijuana near campus resi-

September 12, 2015, 3:37 p.m.

Alarm Campus Police responded to a report of a door alarm in the Innovation Complex. Campus Police checked the area and silenced the alarm.

September 14, 2015, 11:00 p.m.

Medical Call Campus Police responded to a report of an intoxicated student at McLuhan Court. The student was reported non-responsive. Emergency Medical Services attended and transported the student to Credit Valley Hospital.

September 15, 2015, 5:42 a.m.

Medical Call A student was experiencing severe back pain and requested to be transported to hospital. The student was transported to Credit Valley Hospital.

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

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

New contract to

ANDREEA MIHAI/THE MEDIUM

More than 100 clubs, associations, and academic societies are recognized by UTMSU. AV continued from page 2 Agbeyegbe also said that the new list had been approved by UTM’s chief administrative officer, Paul Donoghue. The Medium reached out to Donoghue for comment but did not receive a response as of press time.

“A lot of clubs and societies have already expressed displeasure of being charged money for room bookings,” added Agbeyegbe. “Some clubs with very small budgets can no longer afford to host events on campus because of the lack of financial support and the new charges applied for AV use.”

According to Agbeyegbe, there are more than 100 clubs, associations, and academic societies rec-

ognized by UTMSU and many host events outside the Student Centre due to the building’s limited space.

According to Michael Young, manager of IT Customer Service at UTM, UTM’s price list is competitive with other universities and campuses including U of T’s St. George and Scarborough campuses, Brock University, McGill University, and Seneca College. Young also told The Medium the new pricing is also competitive with third party companies.

“There’s so much variation in the actual equipment,” said Young regarding the cost of AV equipment on campus. “It all depends on the original costs. But I feel like we’re very much in line with what everyone else is charging, and in some

cases, better.”

According to Susan Senese, UTM’s director of information and instructional technology, many of the AV services offered by the university have reduced prices, including webcasting services and access to electronic classrooms.

When asked about the new price list, Young told The Medium the spreadsheets have also been edited to ensure they are understood more easily. Some of the items were moved to the front page to allow people to easily take advantage of them.

“We do have competitive pricing,” said Senese. ”On an annual basis, we will check to make sure that we remain competitive within any kinds of pricing.”

UTMSU to lobby for better transit

expire in two years Strike continued from page 2 The management department, on the other hand, had informed students beforehand that they required their prerequisite courses to have a grade rather than CR/NCR. As of September 10, Mullin said that departments hadn’t heard about any negative effects of the strike on students entering grad schools.

If Unit 1 members’ demands are not met through the new contract when the current one ends, another strike could take place.

In order to accommodate for the impact of the strike, Mullin said that the Academic Skills Centre staff increased their hours following the strike to offer support to students. The staff held oneon-one appointments to work on communication and literacy skills, especially since students weren’t

able to receive the same amount of feedback that they would normally get from their TAs. Looking forward, some professors believe that if Unit 1 members’ demands are not met through the new contract when the current one ends, another strike could take place. Linda Kohn, a biology professor who is among the bargaining team of the faculty association, which was not involved with the strike, said, “TAs are members of a union […] and were bargaining for health care and some kind of financial support.”

“We’re doing everything we can to make sure a strike doesn’t happen again,” said Mullin.

Kohn said that there are many discussions going on among faculty members regarding the aftermath of the strike. This Thursday is the first of a monthly series of faculty meetings “for people who are disturbed by the aftermath of the strike and wonder where to go”. The meeting will be held at the Tranzac Club in Toronto.

The current Unit 1 agreement is set to expire on December 31, 2017.

FACEBOOK.COM/UTMSU/PHOTO

Commissioners favoured the idea of a GTA U-Pass.

KRISTEN LADAS Transit and parking were among the main topics discussed by UTMSU at its second commission meeting held last Thursday.

UTMSU says that they will try to consult with the university, as well as with MiWay Transit, to come up with a plan to acquire more buses that stop at UTM so that students who live further away have easier access to campus. UTMSU said efforts will be made to receive more buses so that every student has easier access to transportation for

school.

UTMSU also discussed efforts to try to decrease the cost of parking.

A new parking deck is currently in

The commissioners were in favour of a GTA U-Pass, which would give students access to transit across the GTA. the works but parking fare will be increased to $14. The commission-

ers were in favour of a GTA U-Pass, which would give students access to transit across the GTA. Attendees were also informed about USkills, a program offered by UTMSU to give students the opportunity to host their own classes and teach others. Instructors are funded $200 per semester for supplies.

UTMSU also encouraged students to vote on October 19, announcing that there will be a federal election forum at UTM on September 30 in IB 120 for any students who have questions or concerns that they would like addressed.

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THE MEDIUM 09.21.2015

U-Pass queues last hours Students wait 20 minutes to two hours for U-Pass

»HOW LONG DID YOU WAIT IN LINE FOR YOUR U-PASS?

Tyler Pacheco 1st year, sciences

Emily Kim 1st year, life science

2 hours and 30 minutes. It was in the heat so it wasn’t great.

2 hours.

Ailana Sicat 3rd year, life science

Daniel Boyomo Yakana 2nd year, CCIT

20 minutes. My advice: get here early, or get it late in the day. I got it late.

1 hour and 30 minutes. It was long, hot, and tiring.

MAYDA ALKHALDI/THE MEDIUM

Over 11,000 students picked up their U-Pass.

ALICIA BOATTO Students were faced with one- to twohour wait times when collecting their U-Pass this academic year.

In an email from UTMSU on August 26, students were advised of forthcoming changes to the U-Pass pick up process to “ensure that [students] have a better experience”.

Students reported wait times ranging from 20 minutes to two hours while picking up U-Passes, which were distributed from August 28 to September 11. New this year, students were required to enter information

electronically such as their emails, city of residence, and their phone numbers on a spreadsheet. In previous years, students wrote out their contact information when picking up their U-Pass.

“We changed the way we record information from pen and paper tracking to digital tracking sheets in order to better meet our tracking requirements,” said Ebi Agbeyegbe, UTMSU president, who explained the information is used to track UPasses for both MiWay and UTMSU. “I had to wait two hours in line and I had to miss a class because I didn’t

want to wait in line the next day,” said Jaclyn Del Rosso, a third-year criminology and English student who told The Medium that her wait time was significantly longer than last year.

Nicole Bernadowitsch, a thirdyear ancient history student, also saw a significant increase in the length of time it took for her to pick up her UPass.

“Last year, I waited in line for about 20 minutes, but this year it was more like two hours,” she said.

According to Agbeyegbe, over 11,000 students have picked up their U-Pass.

U of T faces decreasing provincial funding Campus Affairs Council last Monday, student fees contributed to 57.3 percent of operating revenue while provincial support contributed 30.3 percent of revenue. Of the revenue collected from student fees, domestic students contribute to 27 percent of the revenue, and international students contribute 21 percent.

The remaining 12.5 percent of university revenue came from other unspecified sources.

Of the university’s expenses, 59.7 percent has been allocated to academic divisions, while university wide costs add up to 31.8 percent of expenses, and student aid makes up 8.5 percent of operating expenses.

According to information presented at the council, if university revenue were to increase at a steady level, it would still not be able to

keep up with the increasing expenses.

While province-wide university enrolment has decreased, U of T’s student body is expected to continue to grow. Reported at 10,942 undergraduate students in 2014, UTM’s long-term enrolment forecast expects to reach 13,044 by 2019.

According to Amy Mullin, UTM’s VP academic and dean, UTM’s ideal student to faculty ratio is 30:1, while the current ratio is 35.9:1. Mullin also reported to the council that 35 searches for new faculty members were conducted in 2014/15.

According to Mullin and Paul Donoghue, UTM’s chief administrative officer, increasing enrolment growth at UTM means expenses are focused on building new spaces and hiring new faculty and staff.

The provincial grant now represents 30 percent of U of T revenue.

Ron Lenyk, Living Arts Centre CEO, dead at age 68

Liberals leading Toronto polls as election nears

Mississauga mayor aimsto raise $5 million for Syrian refugees

Elizabeth May participates in Globe and Mail debate via Twitter

Newfoundland student to file human rights complaint against prof

Ron Lenyk, Living Arts Centre CEO and past publisher of The Mississauga News, died on September 14 at the age of 68. Lenyk was well known within the community and was declared Mississauga’s sixth most influencial person in 2013. The cause of death was attributed to heart failure.

A new poll released on Saturday has placed the Liberals leading votes in Toronto and the GTA ahead of the October 19 election. Of the 1,183 respondents in the forum research poll, 41 percent said they plan to vote for Trudeau’s Liberals on election day.

Mississauga mayor Bonnie Crombie is leading funding efforts to raise $5 million for Syrian refugees. Annouced on September 16, the fundraising efforts are led in part by LifeLine Syria and will help at least 32 families leaving Syria to settle in the GTA.

Elizabeth May used Twitter to participate in the federal leaders debate on Wednesday evening hosted by The Globe and Mail. The debate featuring the Liberal, NDP, and Conservative leaders did not invite May to attend the debate. May used Twitter to post video responses to questions posed to candidates during the debate.

A professor at Memorial University who refused to wear an assistive listening device for a student with hearing impairments will soon be the subject of a human rights complaint filed by her student. The professor cited religious reasons for her refusal to wear the equipment.

Source: Mississauga News

Source: Toronto Star

Source: Toronto Star

Source: CBC News

Source: CTV News

ANDREEA MIHAI U of T is currently experiencing a changing financial landscape as the Province of Ontario is granting less financial support to the university.

According to Cheryl Regehr, U of T’s VP and provost, Ontario’s per student operating grant funding is the lowest in the country and U of T is transitioning from a publicly funded to a publicly supported institution.

According to Trevor Rodgers, senior manager of U of T’s budget administration and planning department, the provincial operating grant used to represent the largest source of revenue 10 years ago. The grant now represents only 30 percent of operating revenue.

According to the university’s 2015/16 budget presented at UTM’s

MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM

09.21.2015 THE MEDIUM NEWS

U of T considers Brampton campus Province seeking to expand postsecondary institutions in Peel

JEANLOUIS REBELLO/THE MEDIUM

At UTM, 1,600 students commute from Brampton.

AYESHA HASSAN U of T has announced an interest in establishing a campus in the City of Brampton.

The announcement, made on September 10, follows a public invitation from the Government of Ontario to submit proposals to address a growing need for postsecondary institutions in both the Halton and Peel regions.

In a news release issued by U of T, UTM principal and U of T VP Deep Saini said U of T’s status as the largest postsecondary institution in the western GTA is capable of responding to Brampton’s needs.

“Any such proposal from the Uni-

versity of Toronto would first involve broad consultations within the university,” said Saini, who further added that the initiative is being considered in order to provide better services to students in Brampton.

According to reports from The Bramptonist, the City of Brampton’s University Blue Ribbon Panel contacted several universities, and four universities responded expressing their interest. It is currently unclear which other institutions have expressed an interest in establishing a campus in Brampton.

According to Brian Sittle, the City of Brampton’s senior media coordinator, the city is an excellent candidate to manage the province’s next post-

secondary expansion.

“The city’s University Blue Ribbon Panel is meeting with a number of institutions to discuss a vision for the future of education in Brampton and its surrounding communities,” said Sittle in an email to The Medium.

Out of the 13,100 undergraduate students at UTM, Brampton is the second largest source of enrolment, drawing approximately 1,600 students to UTM. The largest source of students is the City of Mississauga, which draws approximately 6,000 students.

When asked about the next steps, Saini told The Medium it is up to the City of Brampton to select which university they want to work with.

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MEET US AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO GRADUATE & PROFESSIONAL FAIR Mississauga Campus RAWC Gym September 30, 10am -2pm

St. George Campus OISE Library October 7, 11am -2pm CHICAGO | SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA | WASHINGTON, DC | ONLINE INTERNATIONALADMISSIONS@THECHICAGOSCHOOL.EDU THECHICAGOSCHOOL.EDU | +1 312.462.0377

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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 blog@themedium.ca online@themedium.ca ASSOCIATES News Menna Elnaka A&E TBA Features TBA Sports TBA Photo Christy Tam Copy TBA GENERAL STAFF Webmaster Luke Sawczak web@themedium.ca Distribution Manager Alex Ciesielczuk distribution@themedium.ca Ads Manager Mayank Sharma ads@themedium.ca 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.

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To contribute, email editor@themedium.ca

Discourse on racism needs review We should be talking about eliminating differences, not heightening them “All races are equal.”

No controversy in saying that, right? Well, maybe not.

One of the first times I encountered the concept of “white privilege” was a couple of summers ago, when I heard about someone claiming that it was impossible for a person of colour to be racist towards white people. I was taken aback at the comment at first, and the novelty of thinking about racism as something that occurs on an institutional level rather on a personal one. Since then, I’ve realized that these concepts were a lot more pervasive than I thought.

Take the board structure UTSU proposed for its annual general meeting last year as a good example. They proposed scrapping all of the positions for its current college directors in place of directors who represented various minorities: women, LGBTQ members, students with disabilities, and “racialized” students, among others.

It was a controversial proposal, not least because of the way it excluded white people from its board.

Last year, too, I remember people raised questions about current

UTSU president Ben Coleman’s seat on the advisory committee U of T established to address sexual violence. Why? Because being a white male, he was not the target of sexual violence, so people felt that his position on the committee was inappropriate.

Now, I’m no expert on “white privilege”, but I do not believe that simply being a white male should disqualify you from having an in-

The conversation around racial inequalities is problematic and doesn’t promote an understanding of each other on a personal level. formed opinion on certain topics, even if they concern other, less privileged groups. It’s like saying that I can only understand the plight of people belonging to my own race or gender. I don’t think that we should assume someone wouldn’t have anything valuable to say simply because he is a white

male.

And of course, there were the recent comments on UTMSU’s Facebook page about “reverse racism”, where students debated whether or not such a thing exists.

I know from conversations with my colleagues that the concept still doesn’t sit well with a lot of people. Is “white” not a race like any other? (Notice how Caucasians are now referred to as “nonracialized”.) And what happens in contexts where whites are not the majority?

This is a difficult conversation to have, yet it is one certainly worth having, especially if a university is meant to promote the free flow of ideas.

Personally, I do not believe that because white folks may not have to face the same effects of racism as people of colour do, that white students should be excluded from being in positions on UTSU’s board simply because the system allegedly already works in their favour. It’s just like what people say about racism: it occurs on an institutional level rather than a personal one, so I don’t think individ-

ual white folks should be punished for the flaws in the wider system.

And I also don’t believe it should mean that the opinion of white males should automatically be invalidated when asked to speak on a subject concerning minorities, be they sexual assault victims or anyone else.

If we agree, like many do, that race is in fact a social construct, then I think the current discourse on privilege, racism, and “reverse racism” only seeks to heighten these superficial differences that (at least I thought) we were all trying to eliminate.

I’m not trying to deny that racial inequalities exist. But the conversation around these inequalities is problematic and I can’t easily see this discourse leading to an understanding of each other on a personal level rather than on a racial level.

Whatever the technicalities of the current language on racism, I don’t think it’s doing a good job to successfully end it.

YOURS, MARIA IQBAL

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09.21.2015 THE MEDIUM OPINION

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What are you going to do with that degree?

With the tough job market, it seems unrealistic to not worry about careers after university There really isn’t any way to defend myself when people ask, “What do you plan on doing with an English degree?” The answer, “To become a famous writer living in Ireland or Greenland,” isn’t good enough apparently.

I’ve met tons of people in my life— from my mother’s friends to random customers I dealt with at my old job as a cashier at Rexall—who have told me that I should become a teacher. But of course. There’s nothing else to do with an English degree. Being a journalist is too unstable or dangerous for their liking. Writers never make it. In fact, the only person who ever supported my decision to become an author was a cab driver I had once. “Maybe one day you’ll be living in these nice houses on Mississauga Road,” he told me with a smile. That guy was the best.

When I entered university I was actually studying psychology at York (I know, I know), which is just as much a shoo-in for living at home after graduation as English is. I left after one week. I couldn’t stop thinking about English—all the books I wanted to read, all the stories I wanted to write. I left the program and asked to join the English program at UTM. I was too late and I needed to wait a year until I applied again.

So I took a year off and worked at Rexall. Ah, Rexall. Where do I begin?

Customers losing their temper because they can’t read the flyer properly, managers forcing you to come into work despite deaths in the family (that actually happened), and becoming so miserable that you wait for the sweet release of death.

I came back to UTM after a year, eager to learn. I ached for school every time a customer yelled at me because we were sold out of stamps. I was finally back in school and I couldn’t wait for all the homework and readings and writing portfolios worth 60 percent of my grade. Seriously.

But then a year passed. And a second. A third. And now, in my fourth, I’m starting to question where I’ll go after I graduate. When you’re a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed first-year, the world is your oyster. But when you’re in fourth year and every person you meet asks what your plans are after graduation, you’re back waiting for another sweet release.

I never came to school thinking I would be guaranteed a job. I just didn’t want to be handed a diploma and put a Rexall shirt back on.

However, there are a lot of people who are convinced that schooling is what you need to find a good job.

Don’t get me wrong. A ton of places out there want you to be fluent French, English, Spanish, and Latin speakers with a high GPA, 40 years of

experience, and proof of your presidency in at least three different school clubs. I hate to burst your bubble, but that’s not something we’re getting here.

Working at The Medium isn’t the easiest thing. I’m the managing editor and I’ve been here for three years.

Next year our current EIC will probably retire, which leaves me as the main contender. I want to focus on my last year of school without being bombarded with work, but EIC looks really good on a resume. School or work? What’s more important in the end? Decisions, decisions.

It’s hard to know if we’re doomed to work a job that pays the rent when we leave this place. Unless you’re a genius or come from a rich family, chances are your schooling isn’t being paid for. Your diploma is slapped into your hand with a nice cheque for $30,000 or more. Have a nice life, kid.

Why come to school then? If it doesn’t guarantee you a job afterwards what’s the point? I just spent the last 17 years of my life in school and now I need to spend another four here? What if I want a master’s? What about a PhD? You’re in your thirties before you’re done.

Also, it’s not like the universities are offering courses in how to adult.

I know “je suis” means “I am” but I don’t know how to do my taxes. I don’t

know how to balance a mortgage. But hey, I can point out the symbolism in this poem.

I have friends who are paying over $12,000 a year to pursue what they want. I’m paying about $7,000. I think it’s safe to say that a lot of us are willing to deal with the soul-crushing debt in exchange for a hopeful job. It’s easy to be cynical when nothing but debt is guaranteed.

Despite all this, I came here because this place is a stepping-stone.

I’m already up to my butt in debt but I also gained more experience here than I ever did out there. I have three years of experience working for a newspaper and I’ve been moving up the ladder since I got here. I have certificates from working with Accessibility as a note-taker and study partner. I’ve been published in Mindwaves and made connections with authors here. I’ve worked with published instructors who taught me how to write a proper story, construct a proper article, and get published. What did I get in high school? Six years of retail and a death wish. It’s up to you if your education is worth the cost.

Robert Price, a sessional instructor at UTM, was quoted in a features article this week saying universities should be a place where students “broaden [their] minds, challenge assumptions [they’ve] been carrying

around, and learn to say no to [their] parents.” He has a point. You’re here to break out of your shell. You’re here to learn. You’re here to grow into your own person as opposed to the person you thought you should be. A very Nicholas Sparks line, but it’s the truth: “You’re your own person, not your parents’ person!”

“It’s a mistake to equate the value of an education with job readiness,” Price continued. There are a lot of things you can do in school to help you get closer to a job, just like there are a lot of things you can do to ensure a raccoon doesn’t jump from a tree and bite you. Precautions and planning don’t always equate to results.

You shouldn’t be here if you don’t want to be. That’s true of anything.

I’m not saying, “Get the hell outta here,” but at the same time, if you’re here because you thought this was your next move but it’s not something you want, then don’t waste the money to be here. Take a year off to collect your thoughts and plans. Travel if you want. No one expects—or should expect—you to know what you want to do at 18. Or 23.

Sincerely, Maria Cruz Managing Editor

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Hart House gets away with murder We the Family delivers lots of laughs, smart dialogue, and plenty of quirky surprises KATE CATTELL-DANIELS A&E EDITOR I’ve been a fan of George F. Walker since high school. He writes intriguing, complex plots. He writes the kind of characters that every actor wants to play but no normal person would actually want sitting in their living room. They are just people who populate this world with their less-than-desirable characteristics.

Don’t kid yourself—you have those characteristics too.

Walker’s newest play, We the Family, which opened at Hart House Theatre last week, works like a kaleidoscope of people, events, and settings. The whole play is a series of vignettes, usually presented in twohanded scenes. All the characters pair off with each other; all interrelate as the beads in the kaleidoscope tip in ever-changing patterns.

Oddly, we never meet the play’s protagonists. The newlywed couple is off on a globetrotting honeymoon and their families—hers Chinese, his ex-Jewish/Irish—are left to deal with each other. While

SCOTT GORMAN/PHOTO

Family dynamics get increasingly complicated in We the Family. the couple gets kidnapped and held hostage, the groom’s father, David (John Cleland), is making business deals under the table and cheating on his wife; said wife Lizzie (Sarah Murphy-Dyson) develops a close

friendship with her Middle Eastern colleague Ali (Mike Vitorovich), sparking all kinds of racist comments from her mother-in-law (Connie Guccione). Meanwhile, David and Lizzie’s daughter Marnie (Lindsey

Middleton) is smoking pot with her sister-in-law Lucy (Sherman Tsang) and her grandfather (David Cairns).

And that’s just the beginning. The writing is some of the tightest I’ve heard. It made me want to buy the

script and read it a couple more times to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. It’s also hilarious due to several factors such as the actors’ instincts for jokes and director Andrea Wasserman’s indulgence in the joke behind the joke. Funny doesn’t have to have words. A look can be funny.

A breath can be funny. A death (or two) can be funny.

We the Family writes into an issue that dominates the theatre world these days: racism and blind casting.

Walker has written roles for people of specific racial backgrounds. This is a bold move because it means that fewer actors are standing around in period dramas and corsets pretending to be white. It also means that We the Family puts a humorous spin on serious topics such as racism and prejudice. There’s a fine line between funny and offensive, and Walker treads that line right down the middle. The world is not yet void of either racism or sexism, and instead of avoiding these issues, We the Family confronts them.

Family continued on page 10

Artists take advantage of natural resources Blackwood Gallery exhibit explores the dynamic that emerges between artists and nature ANDREEA MIHAI A wall of 17 industrial fans blow on the mound of sand in the middle of the Blackwood Gallery. Robert Wysocki’s installation, Postmetal, uses one hundred thousand pounds of Ancient Florida Dune Sand.

In a video by Mike Dopsa, Wysocki explains how he has always admired landscapes for the way they document the earth. “I couldn’t paint to save my life,” he says, “so I content myself with creating the landscape.”

The pen moves across the earth exhibit, curated by Christine Shaw, explores how human beings influence the planet’s biological, geological, and atmospheric processes. The viewbook for the exhibit states: “Combining raw materials and high-tech elements, each work in the exhibition makes visible the forces of composition and decomposition that are rumbling just below or flowing across the surface of the earth. Matter and matters intertwine.” This curatorial statement has a point. Everything an artist uses in the creation of their work comes from the earth. It may be processed or altered by people, but its origin is the planet we live on. It is appropriate, therefore, that art made with natural materials should also be about those materials.

Tim Knowles’ Ink on Paper Land-

ANDREEA MIHAI/ THE MEDIUM

UTM art galleries get in touch with nature, and the natural world is expressed through art. scape hangs in the corner behind the sand pile. Rivers of ink run on three differently folded and crumpled sheets of paper of various dimensions.

Knowles said his pieces were a bridge between the works he had done on paper and the interactive pieces. He described a drawing that was made by people walking—he had 20 people move as if they were water running off the land.

Knowles said the piece is about

mapping a landscape. It inspired him to make the paper and ink works. He drops the ink on the folded sheets of paper and then lets the ink collect and run on its own across the sheet’s folds.

Kara Uzelman’s Magnetic Stalactites hang from the gallery’s ceiling.

For the exhibition, Blackwood removed several panels from the ceiling and attached Uzelman’s assemblages to the metal pipes. Magnets hold together an assortment of metal objects that include cabinets, buckets, pots,

cheese graters, scissors, and spoons.

The gallery’s student staff scavenged the objects from abandoned alleyways and thrift stores.

Uzelman said she first got the idea for the Cavorist projects while she was doing a residency at the Klondike Institute of Art in Dawson City.

She’d been inspired by the character of Joseph Cavor in H. G. Wells’s 1901 novel The First Men on the Moon, in which the main character develops an antigravitational material he names

“cavorite”.

“I was also really interested in the Gold Rush, which was going on at the same time as the H. G. Wells novel,” Uzelman said. “All of these people were taken with the gold fever and made this long trek. Many of them died, but they had this faith. It was a very capitalist-driven thing of getting rich quick.”

Uzelman said she was interested in that same faith driving a search for an element that wasn’t driven by capitalist motivations. She came up with her own spin on Well’s novel and developed a project that documented the lives of the cavorists, people who searched for the antigravitational element. “[The cavorists] were on the verge of scientists, almost pseudoscientists, so there’s the idea of science versus spirituality and a real interest and respect for nature,” she said.

Another of Uzelman’s stalactites drops from the e|gallery ceiling in CCT. Black cloth hangs in front of the e|gallery’s doors. Inside, Pascal Grandmaison’s video projection La main de rêve plays across the wall.

The pen moves across the earth exhibition runs at the Blackwood Gallery and the e|gallery until November 29.

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A virtual confessional ANDREW PLUMMER

COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG/PHOTO

Anwar combines the natural world and social media in the AGM’s Tweetgarden exhibit.

SIDRA WEQAR Last night I logged onto Twitter and fessed up about how much I miss my pet fish Rainbow, who died in a tragic bathtub accident when I was 10. The exception was that this time the social media police didn’t criticize me for using social networks as a consultation office. Why? Because Twitter is the new therapist.

In reality, I was responding to the Art Gallery of Mississauga’s question: “Who do you miss and how will you tell them?” In association with Faisal Anwar’s project Tweetgarden, the AGM is hosting an exhibition in which people’s tweets will grow into a virtual tree as a form of public artwork. Anwar is encouraging people to share their private confessions, thoughts, and secrets on Twitter with the hashtag #treeconfessions to help the tree grow.

Although this project isn’t new, it is beginning a trend on Twitter. People are confessing to things like how much time they spend in front of a mirror, or family members they speak to on Skype. In fact, the question of whom you miss most is giving people the chance

to remember and connect to their loved ones.

What is interesting about Anwar’s project is that it focuses neither solely on traditional art, nor on contemporary art alone. Instead, it combines both forms with the creation of a virtual tree.

Social networks are an escape route when communicating face-to-face causes too much anxiety.

In his own words: “Trees have been sites for people to gather and connect throughout history and mythology in cultures around the world.”

At the same time, however, his aim is to turn one of our most frequent acts in the modern world into art—using social media to reach out to people and express our feelings. Social networks are an escape route when communicating face-to-face causes too much anxiety.

This digital interaction is a modern attempt to fulfill “the same mythical innate desire of ours to reach out to someone to say our piece, dialogue, and to find answers and self-validation”, Anwar says.

Anwar, an interactive news media artist from Pakistan, has completed many other projects as an artist in Canada. He aims to combine art, culture and technology in a way that highlights private versus public spaces.

The AGM will be hosting a live view of confessions turning into a virtual tree on Thursday. The project will be expanded into a virtual garden of tweets with multiple trees if the posts continue afterwards.

Tweetgarden has been featured, presented, and appreciated at the Contact Photography festival, Royal Ontario Museum, and various other locations in previous years. Some of Anwar’s other projects have also been appreciated in festivals across Canadian provinces and internationally in cities like Dubai.

More recently, Anwar has directed six short films that have been featured in various festivals across the nation.

When Professor Belinda Piercy told her class of 400 that life had no meaning, I waited for the sky to fall. After several seconds of waiting for the roof to cave in, I let several more go by just in case there would be a delayed reaction. Concluding that either God had steadied his hand or the events prophesized in Chicken Little would be saved for a later date, I felt overjoyed, but oddly disappointed too.

The text we were discussing is Thomas Nagel’s The Absurd, and Piercy had spoken from Nagel’s perspective.

Although humans search for inherent meaning in life, Nagel reasons, they will find none because reality will not match their aspirations. This discord is caused by doubt in our own actions— doubt that arises when we cannot explain even our most natural instincts.

For example, I am writing an article on The Absurd. One may ask why I am doing this. “I love to write,” I will answer. My interrogator will then inquire, “Why do you love to write?” and so this line of questioning will continue until I am forced to admit, “I have no idea. No point in life, I suppose.” This chain of justification, as philosophers call it, is the basis of Nagel’s argument.

In the following class, the students in Intro to Philosophy congregate into IB 120. Without a preamble, Piercy asks, “Is life meaningless?”

Eighty percent of the class agreed: life is meaningless.

Life is absurd.

When did humankind decide that purposelessness is synonymous with “awareness” and that “hope” and “wishful thinking” are interchangeable? Emotions are reduced to connections in the brain, imagination is a byproduct of cerebral juice, and dreams are the objects of contempt by the intellectuals among us.

Society has formed a religion around cynicism. Its sacred text is a collection of those hardships that humanity has

yet to forgive or forget. Its gods are hopelessness and what is now considered “logical thinking”.

What Nagel probably didn’t know was that a year before The Journal of Philosophy published his article, a baby girl had been born in Saint James Parish, Jamaica to Baptist parents. At 10, she saw God as her contemporaries did—a bloke too strange for one to feel comfortable with. And then, at 16, that bloke became a friend. At 18, He was a brother and now, He is a father.

I am not an evangelist. I do not mean to argue the belief that somewhere in God one may find self-actualization. What I am trying to encourage through the above parable is this: at the basis of all knowledge, there is faith.

For my mother, that faith lies in God’s existence; for Steve Jobs, it had been entrepreneurship; and for Martin Luther King Jr., it was liberty. At the root, the rationale for all of our beliefs is that they are true, just, or yes or no simply because we believe them to be so.

I love to write. I have faith that this love is just. My reasoning ends there and that is fine.

I do not mean that we cannot speculate for as long as we wish—the chain of justification is actually entertaining if used in a safe context; however, do we have to—as Nagel seems to believe—allow it to instill absurdity into our lives?

After Piercy finished her lecture, and the young philosophers meandered out of the hall, I remained at the front of the class. Strangely enough— or perhaps appropriately enough—the lecture reminded me of a precious line from Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator. The Jewish barber, who was mistaken as the dictator of Tomainia, pleads with his people. The faces that stare back at him are impersonal and yes, inhuman.

It is to these faces that this pretenddictator declares: “You are not machines.”

No, we are not.

Made in China: artwork with a history Exhibit tackles the Europe-China dynamic, unveiling the history of where goods come from and why ANDREEA MIHAI Made in China. We see the words stamped on most objects. Pencil cases, water bottles, costume jewelry, and souvenirs.

Located on the first level of the Royal Ontario Museum, the exhibit Made in China weaves through two halls in a stretched S-shape.

At the beginning of the S-shape stands the Ming tomb that housed the remains of General Zu Dashou.

A case encloses the sunflower yellow walls that run the length of the gallery. Three Judges from Hell grimace behind the glass. The glazed earthenware statues from the Henan Province date from the 16th century Ming dynasty. The Judges are part of a group of ten. In Chinese mythology, the realm of the dead had ten courts, and each Judge presided over

SAMUEL KAN/THE MEDIUM

The ROM’s new exhibit explores trade between nations and how it has evolved. a different punishment and atonement.

It’s a striking beginning.

Continuing in the glass case

are glazed earthenware models of watchtowers and mansions with miniature guards and horses that reflect Chinese architecture from

different dynasties, or for westerners, centuries. The tags throughout the exhibit describe how the architecture distinguished between Yang

and Yin houses. The ancient Chinese built Yang houses of wood for the living, and they used stone for the dead’s tombs.

The exhibit drops down into another corridor at the corner of the reconstructed Imperial Palace Hall.

Smaller Korean and Japanese exhibits bookend the row of Chinese artifacts. The row of Chinese artifacts feature coins, dishes, burial accessories, and a fleet of description tags contextualize each object in the traditions of daily life in ancient China.

Buddhist statues float on platforms in the middle of the space. Ink and colour on clay murals drape the walls around the statues. The murals represent the deities of Daoism as they pay tribute to Yuanshi Tianjun (the Primordial Celestial Excellency).

China continued on page 10

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That abstinence thing St. George production of Lysistrata redefines gender roles

REWIND MAYANK SHARMA

STEPHEN WORBOYS/PHOTO

Lysistrata delivers comedy, tragedy, and plenty of sexual innuendo.

HAILEY MASON The Woodsworth Innis New Drama Society gave a dynamic performance of Aristophanes’ classic comedy Lysistrata last week. Directed by Liz McLoughlin, Lysistrata was performed in the New College Quad at the St. George campus.

Lysistrata follows the headstrong Athenian protagonist, Lysistrata (Dorcas Chiu), as she endeavors to end the Peloponnesian War against the Spartans. Determined to put an end to the men’s senseless fighting, Lysistrata gathers the women of both nations to take an oath of abstinence from their husbands and lovers until they agree to negotiate peace. The result is a feverish battle of the sexes laden with sexual innuendos, social and political satire, and plenty of erections.

Wedged into a small courtyard between buildings, the setting of the production was informal. The audience congregated in a semi-circle on the edge of the quad’s pathway while passersby caught glimpses of the lively comedic performance. The “stage” was a crater-like area next to Wetmore Hall, flanked by two stone staircases on either side that served as makeshift balconies for the performers. The cast maximized the space to its utmost potential, arriving and departing from beyond the audience and taking advantage of the stone staircases to create various levels. In spite of its confined

location, the venue was laid-back and inviting, creating an intimate space for both the audience and performers.

The production itself was simplistic, yet beautiful. The cast relied little on props and set pieces to aid their performance. They wore modern clothing with a classical flare and their props were sparse and minimalistic. The use of simplicity was a definite strength for the performance, as it built on the play’s foundation of humour. In the opening scene, Lysistrata insisted that the women seal their oath of abstinence with the gutting of a sacrificial animal. The “animal” in question was a Jackson-Triggs box with a dangling bag of red wine hanging from its open flaps. The bag was snipped with a pair of scissors, releasing the “blood” into a bowl that the women then drank to seal their oath. Naturally, this got a laugh.

In terms of content, Lysistrata is no exception to Aristophanes’ satirical interest in social and political affairs, containing all the innuendos and suggestive criticism typical to his work.

The play takes serious issues of war and traditional male dominance and uses them for lighthearted mockery.

Lysistrata’s desire to end combat through the withholding of sex trivializes the corruptness of war and reduces it to a farce. Through this comedic interpretation, Aristophanes portrays war as a band of lusty men who fight for insignificant reasons and ultimately inconvenience all the hard-working women left at home to keep up their

domain. Is he wrong?

While Lysistrata is generally openended in its interpretation, there’s no denying that the play promotes female power through the autonomous hero Lysistrata. The heroine is the strongest character in the play, as she proposes a solution to the war and oversees its progress to the end. While the men (and occasionally women) struggle in their resolve, Lysistrata demonstrates unwavering willpower. Aristophanes was evidently centuries ahead of his time, as he mocks the tradition of male dominance with the portrayal of such a valiant female hero. Chiu gave a compelling performance in her role as the powerful heroine. She spoke with confidence and projected her presence into the crowd.

Beyond its serious subject matter, Lysistrata is refreshingly humorous in that it addresses universal issues such as war and sexuality with unfaltering vulgarity. The WINDS performance went all-out in its portrayal of the phallic humour this play requires. To emphasize the men’s insatiable arousal, they were seen walking around on stage, obviously suffering, with large strap-on erections. The demonstration was admittedly ridiculous, although it offered the characters an endless repository of erectile puns.

Lysistrata offers the perfect blend of humour and controversy. If you enjoy a good laugh, strong female characters, and an abundance of sexual innuendos, this play is worth your while.

After watching the latest installment in the Mission Impossible series, I decided to spend the remainder of my summer watching almost everything that starred Tom Cruise. A “Tom Cruise-athon”, if you will. Going through his long list of films, I came across one that I hadn’t seen in a very long time.

Risky Business (1983) is a comingof-age film introducing and starring Cruise as Joel, a high school student who lives with his wealthy parents and is nudged by his father to follow in his footsteps. This pressure causes Joel to live a mundane life, take part in extracurricular activities at his school, and do as his parents say regardless of how he feels.

The story takes a turn for the better when Joel’s parents leave for a trip, leaving Joel with the whole house to himself. His friends urge him to take advantage of his freedom and let loose a little. Joel succumbs to his friends’ pleas and ends up doing everything that he wouldn’t have done while his parents were around—driving his father’s expensive Porsche, raiding the liquor cabinet, consort-

ing with prostitutes, and getting in deep with the wrong people.

What makes this film a cinematic masterpiece—apart from the cast’s commendable performances and a well-executed storyline, is the way that it explores capitalism, lost innocence, and materialism. In the labyrinth of all the chaos, he meets Lana (Rebecca De Mornay), a prostitute who helps him undo his mistakes before his parents come home.

Although she helps him experience life in a different way, she is torn between her professional commitments and her newfound attraction to Joel This classic has had a great influence on pop culture. Yes, I am talking about the famous scene in which Tom Cruise dances to “Old Time Rock and Roll” by Bob Seger in his hallway wearing nothing but a pink shirt, briefs, and socks.

This movie also has a spectacular soundtrack that is guaranteed to give you a major throwback experience.

So if you want to see another side of Tom Cruise that does not involve him beating the living daylights out of bad guys, this film is a must-watch.

MMM1/2

Confronting capitalism China continued from page 9 On the other side of the walls, the ROM has set two small booths that display Chinese export art. The pieces include landscapes on hand-painted wallpaper and a collection of painted porcelain pieces. A variety of panels titled “Imagine China” describe how Chinese manufacturers tailored their works to reflect western trends of the time.

The hand-painted wallpaper shows a landscape in Southern China. According to the description tag, wallpaper symbolized luxury and elegance and reached the height of fashion in Britain in the 1700s.

By the early 19th century, most workingclass homes had European-printed wallpaper. This standardization led wealthier households to demand hand-painted, custom-made Chinese wallpaper.

The enormous space the ROM dedicated to the ancient Chinese artifacts is juxtaposed with the two small booths dedicated to export art. It’s interesting to

think how brief a moment export art is in the vast spread of Chinese cultural history. And yet, it’s art made for export that shaped how the western world viewed China as exotic.

In the mid-1800s, however, new technologies allowed the mass production of popular export items. It’s easy to imagine how production and trade deals expanded, overriding handmade, and therefore slower to produce, items.

Souvenirs don’t reflect the place visited as much as the visitor’s impressions of the place. The mass-produced items on a shelf in Walmart don’t reflect China’s rich cultural history or the reality of factory workers’ lives, but rather the consumer’s desire for a product at an affordable price.

The “Imagine China” section of the exhibit displays the artifacts in the context of capitalism and colonialism and leaves room for reflection about how trade shapes our world today, as well as the impact capitalism can have on art.

Bold new play takes audiences by surprise Family continued from page 8 The one thing I caught bugging me about We the Family was the set. Although the initial impact was positive, giving the actors lots of room and levels to play with, I found the outcome clunky. It was so deep, so vast and dark and complicated, that I think the play would be better served in a more intimate space.

Hart House is by no means modest—the auditorium stretches back in a cavern of red velvet, and the stage goes nearly as far back in the

opposite direction. There is so much humanity in these people, so many details and nuances, that I wanted to be on the same level as them, sharing the space with them.

Since there is so much foot traffic, with actors coming and going at breakneck speeds, costuming plays a very important role in terms of both characterization and keeping track of time. Walker enthusiastically chucked the three unities of space, time, and subject matter out the window: We the Family takes place over significantly more time

than the requisite 24 hours, in many, many locations, and concerns itself

We the Family, which opened at Hart House Theatre last week, works like a kaleidoscope of people, events, and settings. with many different plot lines. Needless to say, Aristotle would not have

been impressed. But the specific costuming helps the audience keep track of what day it is, assuming a new day for every outfit change. I imagine the wings of Hart House Theatre are covered in clothing, as many changes happen very quickly.

As well as keeping track of time, clothes also give insights into who the characters are. Marnie, for instance, wears a dress in her first scene and a pair of jeans and a plaid top in her second, showing two sides of herself. David’s mistress Sonya dresses like a stereotypical prostitute

disguised as a business woman.

Standout performances include Cleland and Murphy-Dyson, who carry through the play with punch and wit. Sonya, played by Jessica Allen, I love in spite of myself. Sonya very much takes the plot by surprise, struggling between what she wants and what she has to do to get it. Middleton also plays a sharp and poignant Marnie, pivoting between being 18 and too good for everything and showing her more sensitive side.

We the Family plays at Hart House Theatre until October 3.

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Refugee student lands at UTM Daniel Chol Yach arrived on campus from Kenya last Thursday, sponsored by the WUSC program MARYAM FAISAL WITH NOTES FROM FARAH QAISER FEATURES EDITOR The World University Service of Canada is a student refugee program dedicated to furthering access to education. WUSC opened a branch at UTM in 2007 and since then, the program has sponsored nine students to attend UTM. This year’s student, Daniel Chol Yach, a talented South Sudanese who lived at the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya, arrived at UTM on September 10. He was welcomed by UTMSU at the airport and is now adjusting to the “quiet” life on residence.

For the 2015/16 academic year, WUSC has successfully placed 86 student refugees, of which eight are from Syria, at various locations throughout Canada.

“Through UTMSU, the local UTM WUSC committee sponsors a WUSC student’s entire cost of education for the first year,” says Naveed Ahmed, who is both the VP external for UTMSU and the chair of the WUSC local committee.

MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM

Daniel Chol Yach, who lived at the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya, arrived at UTM last week.

“We also help the student secure on-campus employment, apply for OSAP, and resettle in our community. We support the student for four years by providing an allowance to each sponsored student,” he added.

When asked how he liked Cana-

da, Chol Yach chuckled.

“It’s a good country. The weather is different, but not [too bad] because winter is not here yet,” he said.

He completed his high school education in 2012.

“Windle Trust runs the [WUSC]

program in Kenya [and their] advert came out, so I took a chance,” Chol Yach said.

Unfortunately, Chol Yach’s application was denied on his first attempt. However, he chose to apply again.

“It normally takes up to 14

months for the entire [WUSC] process,” Chol Yach said. “There’s an application, a written interview to test your English, and [an] oral interview [conducted by] the WUSC coordinator.”

During the wait, he chose to spend his time wisely, teaching math and science at his high school. He also took a yearlong filmmaking course in Kenya.

Once his application was successful, Chol Yach headed to Canada alongside 25 other WUSC students on the same flight who have been placed at various locations all over the country. Four of his closest friends have been placed at the U of T St. George campus, while he is the only WUSC student here at UTM. He is currently enrolled in chemical and physical courses for his first year, but his heart lies in both geology and cinema studies.

“I’ve always had that interest in geography since high school. I really like nature [and] it is so green here,” he says. He plans to transfer majors after he meets the GPA cutoff at the end of first year.

WUSC continued on page 14

Are politicians ignoring student voters?

Only 41% of voters under 30 voted in the 2011 elections, but is it more than just youth apathy?

ANTON MYKYTENKO Elections. Politicians perk up their ears to the latest issues. News outlets scavenge the podiums for scraps of gossip.

Living in a world primarily consisting of Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and the occasional five hours of sleep, I barely noticed that it was election season. I still needed to go online and find out when the voting date was—in case you’re wondering, it’s October 19.

If you’re as indifferent as I am to the Canadian political scene, then we’re both a part of the cynical majority of youth voters who’ve been puzzling political scientists since the late 80s.

Dr. Peter Loewen, an assistant political science professor at UTM, published a report for Elections Canada detailing the problem of youth voters, where he describes our generation as educated, secular, and constantly on the move.

Perhaps that is what also makes us so elusive to political parties. Unlike our locked-down parents and grandparents, we have the power to pick up and go wherever we want

MAYDA ALKHALDI/THE MEDIUM

Voters under 30 are far less likely to be contacted by a politician or a political party. with virtually nothing stopping us.

The other powerful issue Loewen brings up in his conclusion is the “issue of new technologies”. He talks about how youth voters may be more inclined to go online to vote rather than cast ballots physically and the problems with being

able to reach us without the Internet.

Most of the students that I interviewed on campus ran away when I brought up politics—even a political science major.

“I never know what’s going on and I never cared to find out,” said

Ariba Haider, a second-year professional writing and communication major. “Maybe now that I’m 18 I should find out,” she added. “I never felt important until now.”

The common myth is that youth voters don’t vote because they don’t care. But that’s not true at all. In

fact, according to the 2015 “Message Not Delivered” study by Samara Canada (a charity dedicated to researching civic engagement), Canadian youth participate 11 percent more in 18 other forms of political action than their older counterparts.

Then why did only 41 percent of voters under 30 vote in the 2011 elections? Well, this time, the parties may be at fault. Samara Canada says that voters under 30 are far less likely to be contacted by a politician or political party. And direct contact, as it so happens, has some of the greatest impact on voters of all ages.

The last time I got any kind of message from a political party was when the Conservatives called my landline asking for the homeowner—not even considering that I might be of voting age. But hey, it’s not like Stephen Harper can shoot me a text with something along the lines of “running 4 elections lol pls vote” (although if he did, I’d probably notice).

Voting continued on page 14

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Fawning over UTM’s deer population Two students spent the summer following deer to investigate the effect of foraging on UTM’s plants FARAH QAISER FEATURES EDITOR If there’s one thing that we’re proud of here at UTM, it’s our beloved deer population. From Deerfield Hall to the crowds that appear every single time a deer-sighting occurs, it’s a wonder that there isn’t already a course dedicated to the deer on campus (although there is a Twitter account for them). However, Bansari Patel and Jonathan Branco can now say otherwise—they had the chance to follow deer and observe them around the UTM campus as a part of their summer research project. Stalking deer and doing coursework at the same time? Sign me up!

The two students investigated the effect of white-tailed deer foraging on UTM’s plant community.

This project, under the supervision of professors Monika Havelka and Christoph Richter, was the first of its kind—a pilot study dedicated to white-tailed deer. Their summer research project occurred through the Research Opportunity Program.

Patel, a third-year student with a double major in biology and envi-

JASMEEN VIRK/THE MEDIUM

UTM’s beloved deer can be spotted along the five-minute walk, IB, CCT, and towards Erindale Hall. ronmental studies, was not originally assigned to this research project. “I had applied for a ROP about swallows and sparrows,” she says. However, when her supervisor, Havelka, offered her the unique opportunity to observe deer in their natural habitat, she said yes—and never looked back.

On the other hand, Branco is an exchange student from the Brazil-

ian University of Sao Paulo. He is a third-year biology major and has been at UTM since July 2014. “My original project was to study alligators,” he says. That project was cancelled due to a few complications, but Branco was more than happy to take on a research project dedicated to deer.

For their fieldwork, the two stu-

dents would head out early in the morning three times a week to find and follow deer around the UTM campus. “We followed the deer for as long as we didn’t lose it,” says Patel. When asked how often they lost deer, Patel laughed. Clearly our deer population is stealthier than we give them credit for.

Given that these two students fol-

lowed the deer around for about four months, they have several observations to offer. According to the two deer enthusiasts, only white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are present on the UTM campus.

Branco said that the most common areas to observe deer were the five-minute walk and around the front of IB, CCT (towards the forest area), and the residence buildings around Erindale Hall.

“Deer love the cloudy and rainy days. They tried to avoid the sun,” adds Patel. “When it was gloomy or cloudy, we would see them out until 11 or 12—they’re usually not out that late. Usually 9 at the most.”

The two students observed that while male deer tend to be solitary, female deer tend to stick together, especially around their fawns.

The difference between a doe and a buck is simply the presence of antlers. Does don’t have antlers at all.

And while male deer do have antlers, they tend to shed them every alternate year and have scarring along that area.

Deer continued on page 14

Is UTM just a pit stop on the way to a career?

Students may be studying something that interests them, but to what end: to work or to learn?

KAITLYN FERNANDES When meeting someone new at UTM, three common questions are typically asked: “What’s your name? What year are you in? What are you studying?”

If you’re pursuing a more career-oriented degree, like UTM’s commerce specialist or a health sciences major, then that’s usually as far as strangers will prod.

But if it’s a different degree—for example, if you proudly proclaim yourself to be a philosophy, history, or an English major—you’ll eventually receive this follow-up question: “So… What exactly do you want to be then?”

It’s a question that exposes the idea that a university degree is merely an admission ticket to the career of your choice, an idea that has become woven into the collective student psyche.

Yes, we may be studying something that genuinely interests us, but to what end?

I asked Maria Guirguis, a first-year life sciences student, about her motivation behind coming to university.

“It was the expected thing to do,” she said. But she also added that she wanted both to study something she liked and something that would get her a job.

COST AND DEBT One of the reasons that a university degree is starting to look more like a stepping-stone to a career is simply the rising cost of tuition.

According to a 2015 graduating student survey by the Canadian University Consortium, students who borrow money to finance their degree graduate with on average $27,000 worth of debt.

SARAH YASSINE/THE MEDIUM

Is a university degree merely an admission ticket to the career of your choice?

With this much debt on their hands, it makes sense that students want to get a career out of their degree, if only to begin paying off their student loans. These days, at least in my opinion, a university degree is akin to an investment that you can capitalize on by achieving high marks and graduating with a high GPA. Guirguis believes that “if university was less expensive, people would be more likely to pursue disciplines they actually wanted instead of just jobs”.

Robert Price, a sessional instructor at UTM who is also studying higher education as a doctoral student at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, had additional thoughts on the matter.

“It’s definitely a fair question to ask: ‘Am I getting value for the money I’m putting in?’ ” he says. But he adds that “it’s a mistake to equate the value of an education with job readiness”.

GPA BOOSTERS

Most people wouldn’t argue with the fact that a high GPA is a good thing.

Maintaining a 4.0 GPA is the bragging right that many students strive for.

To get that perfect GPA, students tend to pursue “bird courses”—courses that are generally regarded as easy, with a low workload—that will boost their GPA. Such courses can easily be discovered through Facebook groups that are dedicated to this very topic.

There is even an entire website that lists so called “bird courses” at UTM with rankings, such as the St. George’s Anti-Calendar. For something that’s been put together by students trying to avoid a lot of work, the site is ironically comprehensive.

Achieving a high GPA through supposed “bird courses” can also be a sign that you aren’t really being challenged. University should be a time to step outside of your comfort zone and try new things. A part of learning something completely new is making mistakes. To truly understand a

concept involves trying and failing and trying again, but unfortunately there is no room for failure in university, where your GPA hangs over your head every day. This, in turn, ends up discouraging students from taking courses that they may be genuinely interested in, in favour of courses that they think they can do well in.

Guirguis admits that she took a women and gender studies course as a “bird course” but that it “definitely wasn’t one”. She added the common slogan that “bird courses don’t exist at UTM”.

CLUBS—FOR RECREATION? Aside from achieving the perfect GPA, building a strong resume and gaining workplace skills are also high priorities for students.

During the clubs fair, when students are attempting to recruit new members to their organizations, it’s not uncommon to hear members add that a position in their ranks will

look good on a resume. While it’s not wrong to want to gain skills that employers will be looking for, it’s beginning to seem as though everything students do in university must further our own future pursuits.

Of course this isn’t true for all clubs on campus. I genuinely think that aidbased clubs, like UTM’s World Wildlife Foundation, do care about making a difference and not just adding volunteerism to their resumes. There are certainly many social welfare clubs on campus that are trying to improve the wellbeing of others. And I doubt that those who join Quidditch do it to beef up their resume, unless the grad school they are trying to get into is Hogwarts.

“There are definitely clubs that aren’t geared in an academic way and those that haven’t been monetized or commercialized or turned into resume builders,” says Price.

Still, there is no denying the fact that for many students, holding executive positions in school organizations is an essential step to furthering their academic careers.

The idea that a career is the ultimate goal of university doesn’t seem to be contained within the walls of a classroom anymore. A driving need to succeed and advance towards material goals is working its way into several aspects of student life, and transforming the brave new relationship between students and higher education.

According to Price, universities should be a place where students “broaden [their] minds, challenge assumptions [they’ve] been carrying around, and learn to say no to [their] parents”.

Sounds like a good idea. Maybe after I get into med school.

14

«FEATURES

THE MEDIUM 09.21.2015

UTM’s deer are not fans of fern or garlic mustard Potlucks are the bane of my existence.

asked to present her summer research

Despite my love for them, I find potlucks

project before the potluck.

rather troublesome. Do I bring sandwiches

Luckily for Patel, she had a recipe hid-

or do I choose a dish that’s more lunch-

den up her sleeve to satisfy the occasion:

oriented? Can I just bring drinks or does

chocolate fudge with a nutty twist.

that make me seem too stingy? How many servings do I bring?

Worrying about what to bring to a potluck is one problem, but let’s imagine for a moment having a potluck alongside professors, right here at UTM.

Coincidentally, I was invited to the same potluck. I decided to settle on cookies— how on earth can you go wrong with chocolate chip cookies?

Patel recommends using a strong spatula for her particular recipe. While she was

While it may seem like an unrealistic

preparing her fudge, her spatula proceed-

situation to several readers, this is exactly

ed to bend at a 60-degree angle. Perhaps it

what Bansari Patel, a third-year double ma-

was her nerves regarding her presentation

jor in biology and environmental science,

and not the strength of the fudge—but just

was invited to. Not only did she have to

in case, let’s reach for stronger utensils for

decide what to bring (which is more than

this one.

enough to worry about), Patel was also Chocolate Fudge with a Nutty Twist SERVES 10 JASMEEN VIRK/THE MEDIUM

Male deer tend to be solitary while the females tend to stick together, especially around fawns.

Deer continued from page 13 “Sometimes the deer didn’t mind [that we were following them],” says Patel. “If they were fawns, we were extra careful and stayed away from them.” Patel explained that while young fawns are easily recognizable due to their smaller size, they are also distinguished by the white spots on their backs. “When they grow up, the spots go away.”

“Sometimes [the deer] did care, and we had to use binoculars to observe which plants the deer were browsing,” says Branco.

However, this pilot study wasn’t all about following deer around—the students were leading a threefold study. Their first aim was to investigate the effect of white-tailed deer browsing (i.e. feeding) on UTM’s plant community.

“At first, it was really hard to identify plants that were being browsed by the deer,” says Branco. “We took pictures and some samples [to help with identification].” They then learned how to identify the plants being eaten with the help of reference textbooks and faculty members such as biology professor Peter Kotanen.

“If deer browse on leaves, it’s been chewed off. Threads of the plant are still there,” says Patel. “But if it’s a blunt cut and it’s lower, nearer to the ground, then it’s a rabbit.” Branco added that identifying browsing signs was definitely not a precise science, but through fieldwork and ob-

serving deer, they believe that they have collected sufficient samples to carry out their project successfully.

Within a few weeks of observing deer, Patel and Branco noticed that deer don’t enjoy eating garlic mustard—in fact, the deer tended to avoid this particular plant repeatedly.

Garlic mustard is actually an invasive plant species, so it led the two to wonder: since garlic mustard is rarely eaten by deer, do plants surrounding this invasive species benefit greatly from the presence of garlic mustard?

As of right now, the two don’t have a conclusive answer to this question, but fear not—they plan to continue collecting evidence to find the answer.

Aside from the deer not enjoying garlic mustard, it seems that our favourite animals don’t enjoy fern either. On the other hand, the whitetails enjoy feeding on maples (Acer sp.), the Virginia creepers (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), and grapes (Vinus spp.).

Patel and Branco were also responsible for preparing the necessary paperwork and seeking permission to set up exclosures at the Riverwood Conservancy. Exclosures are simply a small area of land that intend to keep out browsing animals—in this case, the plan was to observe plant diversity and composition on a small area (nine square metres) in both the presence and absence of deer. One exclosure will be fenced off by a sixfoot high fence to prevent browsers—

most notably deer—from entering.

The second exclosure is to be open to all animals. “[With the exclosures], we want to see how [browsing] would affect the community, and how it would cause a shift in biodiversity and [the] composition of the plants,” says Patel.

“Right now certain plants are more dominant than the others—what effect will being browsed over and over again have [on their numbers]?”

The two students are still waiting for the paperwork to be completed before they start this phase of their project.

The exclosures will be a long-term project. “They need to be up for at least four to six years in order for them to be meaningful,” explains Branco. “We are also putting cameras up so that we can observe and identify deer [who approach the exclosures].”

Both students agree that the highlight of the research project was when they came across young fawns. “Early morning, the babies would be playing and jumping around,” says Patel.

“The best part was when we found seven deer around. They were all resting around the CCT/library link.”

According to the two students, three fawns were born this past summer.

Sadly, Branco will be returning to Brazil next week. On the other hand, Patel is excited to continue the research project and looks forward to learning (and stalking) more deer this year.

UTM can support two students WUSC continued from page 12 When asked if UTM’s reputation intimidated him, he kept his positivity and said he was going to settle in, put in the extra effort and “set his goals” to get a good standing.

WUSC will sponsor Daniel Chol Yach completely for the first year, but it is unclear how he will continue supporting himself afterwards.

He plans to focus on his courses for now and figure the rest out when the time comes.

The WUSC program is funded through a student levy. Each UTM

A proposal to sponsor a second WUSC student was rejected last year but UTMSU plans to lobby for it again. student pays $1.10 towards the program for every fall and winter

semester.

According to Ahmed, there are resources currently present to support two WUSC students.

“Unfortunately the university rejected our proposal last year without a proper explanation,” he says.

“We will continue to lobby the university administration to approve a second WUSC position at UTM.” Given the ongoing refugee crisis in Syria and other regions, UTMSU still intends to pursue the possibility to sponsor a second WUSC student for the 2016/17 year.

INGREDIENTS • 1 packet of Maria biscuits

4.Add the cocoa powder and then the chocolate powder or syrup.

• 5 tbsp cocoa powder

5.Add the condensed milk.

• 5 tbsp chocolate powder (or 4 tbsp

6.Stir well. (This is where that strong

chocolate syrup) • almonds and cashews, a handful of each

spatula comes in handy).

7.At this point, the mixture can be trans-

• 1 cup of walnuts, chopped

formed into a variety of shapes. It can be

• 1 can of condensed milk

rolled into small balls and covered with coconut shavings or shaped into square

METHOD

cubes.

1.Crush the Maria biscuits.

8.Refrigerate for about 10–15 minutes.

2.Crush the almonds and cashews. Add

9.Serve. It can also be eaten alongside

them to the crushed biscuits.

vanilla ice cream.

3.Add the walnuts.

Students find voting to be troublesome Voting continued from page 12 As far as voting at UTM goes, Student Life is hosting an event called “U of T Votes”, based on the Democracy Week hosted by Elections Canada. “It’s about creating awareness that through voting we have the power to effect change in our country, and that we should be engaged in that process,” says Marlo Young-Sponga, Student Life’s Community Engagement Activity Assistant, and a fourthyear double major in anthropology and professional writing.

“I think many students see voting as more trouble than it’s worth,” she adds. “[They] have busy lives where almost all their actions will have more immediate rewards or consequences than voting or not voting. In addition to the ambiguity around the impact of one vote, there is the issue of access to polling stations; many students aren’t sure where and when and how they should vote.”

The only political party present on campus currently is the UTM Liberals Club. In desperation, I even looked for a Communist Club, to no avail.

However, Young-Sponga doesn’t believe that politically-affiliated clubs are the solution to increasing civic engagement on the UTM campus. “We need clubs that support healthy debate and constructive conversations around impor-

tant issues, rather than clubs that focus on extolling the opinions of a particular affiliated party,” she says.

“As students, citizens, and the next generation, we have a responsibility to take an active role in directing that change,” adds Young-Sponga. “We must also acknowledge the vast privilege and opportunity we have to live in a democratic country, and we should not squander that opportunity.”

“I think many students see voting as more trouble than it’s worth.

Many students have busy lives.”

—Marlo Young-Sponga The youth vote is probably one of the most powerful demographics to take right now. The fact that parties aren’t fighting to the teeth over such a huge vote is dismaying.

Loewen suggests putting forth a variety of approaches and seeing what works. After all, this is the age of information, where both smartphone and computer use is rampant—politics shouldn’t seem all that far away from voters if most of us have a smartphone and some bus fare.

09.21.2015

»

15

Boundaries heighten female participation UTM athletic department takes strong initiative to improve women’s-only program opportunities ERIC HEWITSON SPORTS EDITOR UTM’s Department of Physical Education, Athletics, and Recreation hosts a wide variety of opportunities for female students to participate in a safe, educational, and inclusive environment. More than ever, UTM is taking charge to accommodate women, especially the expanding Muslim female population on campus, creating a respectable environment for all women no matter religion, ethnicity, or ability.

From May 2013 to April 2014, male students swiped their way into the UTM athletic facilities 202,883 times, making their way to the weights, a group fitness class, or casual recreation time. Even with the female population on campus being larger than the male population, females only swiped into the facilities 88,756 times—a third compared to men.

Louise Vanderwees, a program coordinator for the department, says, “It must be difficult for that first-year female to walk into a weight room, having never done so before, and try to lift a weight.”

To combat the intimidation factor men may bring to the facilities, the

CHRISTY TAM/THE MEDIUM

There are many female oriented programs on campus, including Body Blast, Zumba, and Nia. department understands the services need to be controlled so that women feel comfortable in the environment.

Rachele Tennant, another program coordinator, and Vanderwees claim that providing the women with women’s-only hours enables more women to participate.

“My friends feel very comfortable with the women’s-only hours. When they come in, there’s a trainer there that helps them with any questions they have—they can feel safe and comfortable in the clothes that they

wear,” says Ayah Adeidayem, UTM’s ambassador to women at the RAWC this year.

“If I were to attend the women’sonly program, I would need complete confidence that the area was isolated, and women were the only ones present,” says Dahab Faraj, a first-year life sciences student.

Luckily for female students, “During swim times the blinds come down, and there are only female lifeguards… The response has been positive from Muslim women and

women in general,” says Vanderwees.

During women’s-only hours in the other facilities, there are female staff members on hand to ensure no men come in unaware of the women’sonly program.

“We were struggling with women’s-only hours, which a lot of the times weren’t well utilized,” says Tennant. To improve numbers, they hired the ambassador to women, who is responsible for promoting and studying the programs.

“We decided to bring in a person

who would look at the times and do some statistical analysis to see how many people were using them and whether or not people were utilizing what we were offering. The challenges of the students are different every year, so we look at typical times women can participate in these programs, and we accommodate accordingly,” says Vanderwees, who is in charge of the women’s-only programs.

Ken Duncliffe, director of athletics, said that the majority of the group fitness classes target women specifically, giving them opportunities that are not overcrowded by men like pick-up soccer and basketball.

RAWC statistics show that when women participate, they’re doing it mainly through membership activities—classes that aren’t included in the $171.76 mandatory tuition fee.

More than half the memberships purchased in the past five years were by women in the male-dominated facility.

Next for Adeidayem is the Move U event happening on Friday at UTM. “Move U has two signature events that provide instructional and group fitness opportunities. Anyone can attend,” she says.

Group fitness creates friendly competition Group activities improve fitness knowledge and motivate us to consistently stay active KAITLYN FERNANDES As students, we’ve heard countless times how important it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. A big part of remaining physically fit is making the time to exercise on a regular basis.

While some students regularly hear the clanking of the weight machines and treadmills, others find it much harder to find a workout regimen they can enjoy and consistently participate in. Fortunately, group exercises save the day, combating the lack of interest in individual workouts.

After my first attempt at UTM’s drop-in boot camp class, I looked like the definition of exhaustion. Burpees, suicides, planks, squat jumps—to me the class was 50 minutes of torture.

Luckily for me, along for the ride were eight other less exhausted strangers, whose encouragement managed to keep my spirits high.

In a 2010 issue of the Globe and Mail, Alex Hutchinson reported that a study done by the University of Saskatchewan found, “Those who feel a greater sense of group-ness and cohesion within an exercise class are more punctual, have better attendance,

JUNAID IMRAN/THE MEDIUM

When you work out in a group, you’re being encouraged by others who share a common goal. and even work harder.” There have been mornings when I’d wake up and think, “I’ll pass on the gym today.”

Instead, knowing I’d miss the opportunity to work out with my peers was enough to drag me out of bed and into the gym.

If you find yourself a competitive person, a group workout can be the thing you need to not only meet but

also surpass your fitness goals. I knew I was somewhat competitive before going to the gym, but I didn’t realize the kind of power it had over me until I was running up and down flights of stairs at the boot camp. I found an inner strength I had never experienced before, refusing to be passed by anyone who tried.

Everyone is encouraged to go at

their pace, but for those who have the energy and strength to work out but find themselves at a loss for motivation, friendly competition can make an enormous difference.

Natasha Butzow, UTM alumna and a member of the RAWC staff, recalled how intimidating the gym was when she first started university.

“Group fitness is a great place to

start,” she says, adding that it makes the entire gym experience more uplifting. “Group fitness is a good place to learn new workouts and exercises that you can add to your routine when you can’t make it to class.”

Roba Elakwy, a fourth-year finance specialist, explains the kinds of workout regimens she sticks to. “I usually spend about 40 minutes on the treadmill and then move on to weights,” she says.

She prefers to work out with a partner strong enough to help her with the weights, but also enjoys the flexibility of working out alone. Elakwy explained that she hadn’t had the time to join any of the fitness classes “because the timing of the courses conflicted with [her] school work,” but she has always wanted to try them out.

Since that first class, I have returned to the boot camp on a weekly basis, gaining many new friends in the process. Drop-in group classes at the RAWC are free and range from the intense boot camp to the calm and serene Yogilates and fun Zumba workouts.

16

«SPORTS

THE MEDIUM 09.21.2015

Varsity Eagles soccer to kick it up a notch Even though men’s and women’s teams lose their first game, their future looks bright SIHAN ZHENG

UTM soccer opened its first season in the OCAA on September 13 with a doubleheader against perennial powerhouses and future rivals Sheridan College. The Eagles hoped to start their first season in the OCAA high with a pair of wins, but unfortunately, both the men and the women lost on opening day.

The UTM women played first, opening their first OCAA campaign with a crushing 7-0 loss against Sheridan. The match took place on a wet and rainy North Field; the rough conditions resulted in both sides fighting for victory in a battlefield littered with simple tactics.

Shortly after, the men took the field against their Sheridan opponents. The Bruins, reigning national champions in men’s soccer, intended to come to UTM for a healthy start to their title defence.

The Eagles threatened early, but some strong goalkeeping stopped the UTM attack. UTM was unable to turn the deficit around, losing 2-0.

The UTM Eagles will face considerable challenges while making the leap from the intramural to the varsity level. The standard of competition is much higher at the

MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM

Varsity women and men look to rebound after losses in their season opening matches. varsity level, especially in the powerhouse OCAA, which produced three out of the past five national champions in men’s soccer. Teams like Sheridan have years of experience behind them, something that UTM will need to gain rapidly to become competitive at this level.

Robert Brown, head coach of the UTM men’s team, believes having varsity teams at UTM allows players to play at a much higher level than before, without having to take the trek downtown. Despite the

slow start, Brown does believe that the team showed immense promise

“The competition is stiff and there will be growing pains, but we are excited about where we’re headed.” and talent in the indoor season last year, and that aiming for the pro-

vincials should be a realistic goal.

Along with the rest of the team, Brown is looking forward to taking his coaching to the next level.

The men’s soccer team performed strongly last season in indoor soccer, beating multiple tough opponents and placing well in their tournaments. Obviously, outdoor soccer is a greater challenge; the larger field of play and greater number of players will test a team’s depth much more than the indoor game does, and the team

will have to make major tactical changes to prepare for the difficulty.

The women suffered a tough loss on opening day to Sheridan, but despite the team’s inability to score, they were attacking nicely at certain moments, with decent wing play and the potential to cause the opponents some difficulties. In spite of being significantly outshot, the UTM women showed plenty of character and displayed a high level of defensive resilience in the first half.

Women’s soccer coach Damian Yearwood is entering his ninth year coaching at UTM; he’s looking forward to taking the UTM team to the varsity level. The varsity program will give students a chance to play at a much higher level, against some of the best student athletes in the province. Unlike the men’s team, Yearwood believes that the women’s team will need some rebuilding from scratch. This season will inevitably be a transitional season, with some younger athletes growing into the role.

The UTM Eagles will travel to Seneca on Wednesday to try to pick up the first away wins in UTM varsity history. The Eagles will then have their next home doubleheader on Sunday against Humber at North Field.

A “sweetener” for a typically quiet campus Sparks flew followed by awkward dancing at the UTMAC pub night ERIC HEWITSON SPORTS EDITOR Recently, hip-hop artist Ramriddlz sang his biggest hit “Sweeterman” at UTM. The original creator of the song was relatively unknown until superstar hip-hop artist Drake turned “Sweeterman” into a huge hit. The University of Toronto Mississauga Athletic Council thought it would be creative to play with the name and use it to promote their most recent pub event, calling it “Sweeterpub”.

Andrew Williams, director of health and wellness for UTMAC, explains, “We found that [the theme] fits in with current trends.

‘Sweeterman’ is the song we’re going off; we thought it brought a very fun-loving atmosphere to students. Also, we wanted to do a California girl setup here at the pub to keep the energy alive.”

The only thing missing from the event was Ramriddlz, the guy who inspired the pub event name.

Before students made their way through the obstacle course posed by security, they shared their inspiration for coming to the campus’s second pub night in as many weeks.

First-year students were the primary target of this event. “It looks really fun; they did a good job hyping it up,” says Caryl Delano, a

MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM

Students were ready to party it up last Thursday at the year’s second pub night. first-year political science student.

Rasha Elfeky, a UTMAC associate, said, “We wanted to do something for everyone at the beginning of the year, bring everyone together and have a great time.

We wanted to show [first-year students] who we are and what we’re capable of.”

UTMAC knows it’s a struggle bringing upper-year students to pub nights; the demanding course loads take up many evenings and the limited and lackluster events

lead students to spend their leisure time elsewhere.

“‘Sweeterman’ is the song we’re going off; we thought it brought a very fun-loving atmosphere to students” Mustapha Hashi, UTMAC’s director of public relations and

communications, claims that UTMAC sold approximately 400 tickets—tickets sold for 5, 10, or 15 dollars, depending on the time of purchase.

Unfortunately, adding up expenses, UTMAC isn’t able to tackle any specific issues happening in our athletic facilities. “With all the arrangements we purchase, including the DJ, lights, and overall setup we actually don’t gain any money—we end up losing money through ticket sales. If we do end

up making more money, we’ll put it towards future events,” says Williams.

First-year students care a lot about having a good time when it comes to pub nights at UTM. “I feel like if they don’t make the party live enough, they won’t make any money for the party in first place—those parts are critical to bringing people in,” says Delano.

Students danced the night away with strobe lights illuminating the entire dance floor. As midnight approached, males and females separated from their cliques, gathering and dancing together in front of the stage.

As a sober reporter, I observed my surroundings on the dance floor with a unique perspective, unlike any other at Sweeterpub. A young couple caught my eye; the female student seemed to desire some subtle and intimate dancing with her man, but instead of grabbing her and keeping things simple, he bobbed around awkwardly like a chicken. Mr. Casanova kept at it for the course of the entire night—you probably bumped into him. At the end of the evening, I saw the poor girl sitting alone on a pool table with a scowl, probably day-dreaming about dancing with a confident Ryan Gosling.