A new branch of engineering
Our addiction to technology
Students tell their stories
Volunteering overseas
Huang’s balancing act
News, page 2
Opinion, page 4
Arts, page 5
Features, page 8
Sports, page 11
Renovation plans for UTM residence UTM residence has adopted a 15-year initiative to renovate the student housing on campus ALICIA BOATTO ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
UTM Residence and Housing has announced a 15-year initiative, Focus Fifteen, to renovate and build new student housing on campus. Chad Nuttall, the director of student housing and residence, told The Medium in an interview that there are plans for small townhouses over this summer, following a two-year ongoing project. However, the plan for big townhouse renovation projects will not resume before summer 2018. Nuttall explained that because the campus expanded rapidly with the addition of the apartment complexes, OPH, Roy Ivor Hall, and Erindale Hall, the townhouses now require re-investment. “Most schools don’t have a lot of townhouses, and they wouldn’t have gone through that rapid ex-
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Townhouses are expected to be renovated beginning May of every year. pansion that we’ve gone through,” he said. “So now we need to turn our attention to those townhouses and
make sure they are in great shape. They haven’t had a lot of re-investment while we’ve been building these buildings.”
He added that the renovations will be completed one at a time, rather than shutting down all the townhouses at once.
Beginning May of every year, the project will resume after students leave the campus to allow for minimal disruption and to avoid having to displace any students. “We’ve been doing piece mail renovations [small projects one at a time] for years, one bathroom here, a kitchen here, and not only is that expensive, because those are small jobs and you don’t get economy to scale, but it will take forever to get through our whole system like that,” he said. “We need bigger, more impactful projects that take advantage of economies of scale. So that results in phases having to be offline, and they’ll have to be offline for a while to do the renovation and get them back up to speed and reopen them.” The location for a new building is intended to be near the other apartment complexes. Housing continued on page 2
New UTM forensic accounting program Students from all around the world can join the program and still interact with their instructors
MENNA ELNAKA NEWS EDITOR Beginning September 2017, UTM will have what’s considered to be one of the first online programs at U of T, a new Master’s program in forensic accounting that will feature nine online courses and one in-residence course over a duration of two years. In an interview with The Medium, Len Brooks, director of the program, said that the program will not only offer online lectures, but will be an interchange between the instructor and the students over a computer interface. “There’s, like, a virtual classroom,” said Brooks. “The instructor’s talking and [there’s the] ability for students to ask questions. There’s an ability for the instructor and students to post questions [online] and give answers that they worked on during the week.” Brooks added that the program takes a case-learning approach, where students are assigned small cases or
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The new Master’s program will feature nine online courses and one in-residence course. problems a week ahead. “They work on solutions, and as part of the sessions, they post their answers and the
instructor critiques it and provides frameworks for understanding the material,” he said.
The program is offered to students anywhere in the world, since all they would need to do is to go online at
the scheduled time of their course, where there will be a session with a live instructor. Each course will have an individual assignment and a proper invigilated examination. Students who are taking the course abroad will also be required to take an invigilated exam. According to Brooks, there are no restrictions on the background of study of the applicants, as long as they have an experience in the field of accounting or business. “Normally, we have people who have taken business or accounting. Occasionally, we have a police person or a lawyer, and we ask them to take certain courses in preparation before they enrol in the program,” he said. The new Master’s program comes as an upgrade to an existing diploma in investigative and forensic accounting. Previously, the program had eight online and two in-residence courses. Forensic continued on page 3
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THE MEDIUM 01.09.2017
Forensic engineering on its way The new course is said to be the first of its kind in Canada
January 1, 2017 1:00 AM Suspicious Person. Campus Police received a report of an unknown male attempting to gain entry into the RAWC with a temporary pass belonging to another student.
January 5th, 2017, 4:10 PM Theft under $5000. A UTM student reported the theft of his cell phone from his classroom in the Instructional Building.
January 3rd, 2017, 3:30 PM Theft under $5000. Campus Police investigated a theft of books from the UTM bookstore.
These reports are those that have been released to The Medium and do not necessarily constitute an exhaustive list. Students can contact the UTM Campus Police at 905 828 5200, Peel Regional Police at 905 453 3311, or Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222 8477.
Campus plan details residence expansion
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U of T will offer a new engineering course and certificate for the first time in Canada.
WARD SUROUR A new forensic engineering course and certificate will be offered for the first time in Canada to U of T undergraduate students beginning in 20172018. According to an article by U of T News on January 2, “First in Canada: U of T Engineering offers course and new certificate in Forensic Engineering,” following the Sunrise Propane plant explosion that killed 2 people in August 2008, forensic engineers were called after the police, fire, and ambulance were called. Doug Perovic, a U of T engineering professor who will be teaching the
course, told The Medium that forensic engineering is an example of how one can use science and engineering to help people and to help “improve safety standards, codes, and products so it [an incident forensic engineers are investigating] does not happen again.” Perovic, who has led more than 500 investigations, plans on beginning his first class on January 17. The class is said to include disturbing displays of a car crash featuring beheaded victims, which Perovic aims to use to show students what forensic engineers work with. Perovic said that he hopes to teach students how to use logic, and to fit
the framework of becoming good investigators for “out of the norm situations, and how to logically anticipate what may have happened.” He added that, “To call yourself a forensic engineer, legally you need an engineering degree to prove it,” referring to U of T’s new forensic engineering program which will facilitate certification. The catalyst towards the introduction of this course in Canada began in May 2011, when the Professional Engineers Ontario launched a committee to define what forensic engineering is through specific guidelines. The committee’s work was finished and finalized last year.
Student Centre’s new nap room JEANLOUIS REBELLO/THE MEDIUM
A new building may be constructed to guarantee more space.
Housing continued from cover “Our preference is that a new building will also be a new OPH, so that we will have a community of multilevel buildings together. We’ll have a townhouse neighborhood and then a building neighborhood,” he said. An estimated budget for the project was not permitted to be released at the time of publication. Considering how competitive UTM stands among its neighbourhood, downtown colleges, and universities, the student housing and residence life have proposed a five percent residence fee increase in their budget for the 2017/2018 academic year. According to Nuttall, this change has taken place for the past couple of years, as well. Nuttall also cited the Master Plan for the campus, a document designed to outline appropriate areas of future expansion while ensuring UTM’s green space is unaffected. “[The Master Plan] identifies ap-
propriate sites for expansion and appropriate sites for protection, and we took our guidance from that plan,” he said. “We identified sites in the campus Master Plan that would be appropriate for residence buildings,” he added.
Nuttall stated that a new building may also be constructed in the future to provide more space for first-year students. “The core of that campus Master Plan is keeping buildings to the inner circle of the ring road, but it literally identifies sites for future build.” A document detailing the plans of the construction is expected to be released on the residence webpage in the upcoming weeks.
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All eight cots are pleather for hygienic purposes. KAYVAN AFLAKI Last Monday, UTMSU announced the opening of their full-time nap room in the Student Centre, which has effectively replaced the “Forest Room” on the second floor. A soft launch was announced on the UTMSU Facebook page in early December during the exam period. According to UTMSU’s board meeting agenda on July 28, all eight cots and pillows are pleather, a material similar to the mats located in
the RAWC, and is done for hygienic purposes. Cots are regularly wiped down with disinfectant spray after each nap, and inspected on a biweekly basis. Food and drinks are not permitted. The safety of napping students is assessed on an ongoing basis, as the Info Booth staff conduct regular sweeps of the nap room. Individuals who choose to nap are encouraged to place their personal belongings in lockers and cubbies next to each cot. The UTM nap room joins a grow-
ing wave of projects undertaken by institutions across Canada to combat student exhaustion. Mount Royal University was one of the first to open the doors to its full-time campus nap room in September 2015. The University of Calgary and the British Columbia Institute of Technology followed shortly after in November 2015 and January 2016, respectively. Jackie Zhao, UTMSU’s VP internal did not respond to The Medium’s request for comment, as of press time.
01.09.2017 THE MEDIUM NEWS
Sexual violence policy approved
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»DID YOU DO ANYTHING
INTERESTING OVER THE BREAK?
Brennan Moss CCT
Myra Sohail Life sciences
I went jet-skiing in the Bahamas.
I caught up with maths.
Melissa Marchese Humanities
Stefan Sookbir Biological chemistry
I slept.
I binge-watched Game of Thrones.
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Governing Council approved U of T’s new sexual violence policy in December.
KASSANDRA HANGDAAN NEWS EDITOR ASSISTANT U of T’s new sexual violence policy was approved by the Governing Council in December. A key highlight of the policy is the establishment of a Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre by this January at all three campuses. According to an article by UTM News, “Governing Council approves policy on sexual violence and sexual harassment,” the centre will provide support for potential sexual harassment victims, will manage the process of handling sexual violence complaints, and will offer training and education. One of the main aims of the centre is to streamline a support system for faculty, students, and staff. Currently, UTM has an array of reporting
options available to the community, wherein reports may be submitted to the campus police or the Health and Wellbeing Centre.
All U of T campuses are expected to establish a Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre by this January With the arrival of the centre, all reporting of incidents, whether on or off campus, will now be handled directly by the centre. The university has also hired Angel Treglia as the new director of the centre. Treglia has previously worked at Western University as the sexual violence prevention education coordina-
tor, and will assume her new role at UTM this January. As of December 22, as reported in an article by Mississauga News, “U of T’s Mississauga campus getting a sexual violence, harassment, support centre,” a physical location for the centre at UTM has not yet been determined. The Medium reached out on Wednesday to the executive director, personal safety, high risk and sexual violence prevention and support, Terry McQuaid for comment, but did not receive a response, as of press time. The creation of the centre is born out of the university’s implementation of a sexual violence policy, as mandated with Bill 132, the Sexual Violence and Harassment Action Plan, which requires that all post-secondary institutions develop a sexual violence policy by January 2017.
Master’s program generating interest
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The Master’s program duration will be two years.
Forensic continued from cover Applications for the program opened on December 15, and according to program officer Debby Keown in an interview with The Medium, 16 applications have already been received, although the deadline is in May. Brooks stated that the target number of students to join the program is 24. “We expect our MFAcc graduates to become recognized as the foremost forensic professionals in their chosen fields, whether those are in forensic accounting practice or in compliance functions in banks, insurance companies, and brokerages; business
valuation; fraud investigation in law enforcement; securities enforcement; or in international forensic roles for the World Bank, The United Nations and its programs, and others,” wrote Brooks in a letter on the program’s website. As reported by U of T News in the article, “U of T launches graduate program in forensic accounting,” the program is expected to wrap up with a week-long, in-residence course, where students would work on cases with professional volunteers, like lawyers and judges, as a way to learn how to give evidence in a courtroom setting.
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Living without an audience Addiction to technology only adds to the problems millennials face today Over the winter break, I watched a pretty insightful video of Simon Sinek on Inside Quest talking about millennials. It’s tough to know where people land on millennials anymore. Sometimes people are on our side when it comes to finding work, affordability of living, student debt, and mental health. Others couldn’t care less about the struggles of entitled 20-somethings complaining about it not being Toonie Tuesday at KFC. But, Sinek sides with millennials. He prefaced the meat of his argument by acknowledging our entitlement, a mindset our overly-rewarding parents have been encouraging for years. “[Millennials] were told that they were special all the time. They were told that they could have anything they wanted in life, just cause they want it. Some of them got into Honours classes, not because they deserved it but because their parents complained. And some of them got As, not because they deserved them but because the teachers didn’t wanna deal with the parents,” Sinek said. I was watching this entitlement happen even in my final year of high school. Students disappointed with their grades would literally kneel before the teacher’s desk and ask for a boost in their grade. Crazier than that, it actually worked. Friends of mine would brag about their new grade to those who worked their asses off for the grades they actually earned. But, Sinek doesn’t blame millennials for this behaviour. He acknowledges that our parents praising us for every little thing we did as children convinced us that people in the real world would behave the same way. And for those who knelt down before their teachers at age 17-18, who’s there to prove this line of thinking wrong? Adults in the real world do seem to be rewarding nothing. Sinek continued, “So you take this group of people and they graduate school and they get a job, and they’re thrust into the real world, and in an instant they find out they’re not special. […] And so you have an entire generation that is growing up with lower self-esteem than previous generations.” It’s here that his argument turned to our addiction to social media. I know for a fact that we hear this all the time. I’m told that we focus too much on social media. I myself spend too much time checking emails. I take my phone with me into the bathroom and watch The Office (reserve judgement). But it’s not just this addiction to social media and our devices that curbs our self-esteem. “We’re growing up in a Facebook/ Instagram world. In other words, we’re good at putting filters on things.
We’re good at showing people that life is amazing even though I’m depressed,” Sinek said. He added that engagement in social media produces dopamine, which is why it feels so good when we receive texts from our friends. But he also added how addictive the chemical is and why it’s so dangerous for young people to have something that produces a seemingly never-ending supply of happiness. When that happiness is stripped, even for a second, we panic. I, myself, am guilty of this. How many of us remove selfies that don’t get enough likes? How many of us post selfies for the sole purpose of getting some nice compliments from friends? There’s nothing wrong with wanting to feel good but it’s what happens when we expect to feel good and don’t that a problem begins to seep in. “We have age restrictions on smoking, gambling, and alcohol, and we have no age restrictions on social media and cellphones. You have an entire generation that has access to an addicting, numbing chemical called dopamine through social media and cellphones as they’re going through the high stress of adolescence.” It’s frightening to hear someone say something you always thought you knew but weren’t really paying attention to. When I was growing up, I rarely turned to my friends for comfort. Facebook exploded when I was in high school, and it was through this platform that we all began to see each other’s highlight reel. Subconsciously, I was turning to a social media platform that inevitably made me feel worse, and I wasn’t even aware of it at the time. Reflecting on it as a 24-year-old, I now know that when I turned to Facebook and left feeling even more upset, it was merely because people were posting their best bits of the day and I was misconstruing it as their full-time reality. I was turning to Facebook because maybe seeing someone post a good thing would cheer me up. And on Facebook, I didn’t have to talk to anyone face-to-face, but all my friends were somehow there. It’s this very thing that Sinek expands on. “As [adolescents] grow older, too many kids don’t know how to form deep, meaningful relationships. Their words, not mine. […] Deep, meaningful relationships aren’t there, because they never practice skillset, and worse, they don’t have the coping mechanisms to deal with stress. So when significant stress starts to show up in their lives, they’re not turning to a person. They’re turning to a device. They’re turning to social media. They’re turning to these things that offer temporary relief. “The science is clear. We know that people who spend more time
on Facebook suffer higher rates of depression than people who spend less time on Facebook,” Sinek continued. “There’s nothing wrong with social media and cellphones. It’s the imbalance. If you’re sitting at dinner with your friends and you’re texting somebody who’s not there, that’s a problem. That’s an addiction. […] And like all addiction in time, it’ll destroy relationships, it’ll cost time, and it’ll cost money, and it’ll make your life worse.” Of course it was at this point that I stared at my phone as if it was the root cause of all my problems. But, I didn’t think of myself as addicted to my phone or social media. I had always heard about this so-called addiction to technology, and I either ignored it or kept off my phone for a few hours before returning and never again thinking about being addicted. If anything, I deserved a pat on the back because I quit my technology for a few hours. Social media doesn’t really do as much as it used to for me—if it used to do anything for me. I can scroll through Instagram or Facebook and see a cute video of a puppy barking at a lemon slice. Hilarious! But when I keep scrolling, I then see a stunning profile photo of a friend or of someone doing something I always wanted to do, and I’m right back to my sour puss. Yet, I keep scrolling in the hopes of finding another adorable dog. Sinek only added to his insight by talking about our need for instant gratification. I’m guilty of this as well. I binge watch shows on Netflix. I sometimes hold off on buying something online so I can get it when next-day delivery is free. So many of us get sucked into this mindset that we’re already rewarding ourselves with instant gratification of material things that we enter the real world thinking the same thing will happen there. This includes our need to make an “impact” and the devastation that comes when we don’t immediately achieve it. “It’s as if [millennials] are standing at the foot of a mountain,” Sinek said. “And they have this abstract concept called ‘impact’ that they wanna have on the world, which is the summit. What they don’t see is the mountain. What this young generation needs to learn is patience. Some things that really, really matter like love, or job fulfillment, joy, love of life, self-confidence, a skill set—any of these things, all of these things take time. […] The overall journey is arduous and long and difficult and if you don’t ask for help and if you don’t learn that skillset, you will fall off the mountain.” “The worst case scenario is we’re seeing an increase in suicide rates in this generation, we’re seeing an
increase in accidental death due to drug overdoses, we’re seeing more and more kids drop out of school or take leaves of absence due to depression. The best case scenario is you’ll have an entire population growing up and going through life and never really having joy. They’ll never really find deep fulfillment in work or in life. They’ll just waft through life,” he continued. Sinek’s words struck me. Two years ago, I took a leave of absence for the very reason he described. When I told some of my friends about it, the majority of them responded with, “I wish I could do that.” There seemed to be this disturbing want to be able to take time off. As if admitting that you need help or some time for yourself was unheard of. The only reason that I actually took a leave myself was because a professor of mine told me it was okay to go through these things. If she hadn’t, though, I wonder what would have happened. It’s scary to think that I (and who knows how many others) have been conditioned into thinking that taking a leave of absence somehow means failure. Graduate in four years or you’ve failed. Sinek wrapped up his interview by reminding us to remove the temptation to constantly be on our phones. We should be charging our phones in the living room, not by our beds. We shouldn’t bring our phones out to dinner with friends. It’s through these simple acts that we remove temptation and begin to enjoy life. His interview reminded me of my addiction and why it’s so beneficial to remind myself that a few hours off my phone for one day isn’t something to celebrate. It reminded me of the freedom that comes with being off my phone and living as opposed to watching others do it for me. More than anything, it reminded me of Bo Burnham’s Netflix special, Make Happy. Like Sinek, he admitted that he was raised in a generation that taught kids to perform and that they could be whatever they wanted. “Social media, it’s just the market’s answer to a generation that demanded to perform,” Burnham said. “So the market said, ‘Here, perform everything to each other all the time for no reason.’ It’s prison. It’s horrific. It is performer and audience melded together. What do we want more than to lay in our bed at the end of the day and just watch our life as a satisfied audience member? I know very little about anything, but what I do know is that if you can live your life without an audience, you should do it.” YOURS, MARIA CRUZ
01.09.2017
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An opportunity to share your story Mindwaves and Compass publish UTM’s creative nonfiction and research-based writing HAILEY MASON A&E EDITOR Every year, the professional writing and communication program at UTM offers an outlet for students to publish original, nonfiction writing. Mindwaves and Compass comprise a diverse blend of writing, ranging from stories about childhood to scientific articles. Most importantly, the two journals welcome writing from all origins. Writers are encouraged to submit their work for consideration, regardless of their field of study. While Mindwaves and Compass are a product of the PWC program, they are in no way limited to the writing of PWC students. Cody Caetano, the editor-in-chief of Mindwaves, and Amna Azhar, the editor-in-chief of Compass, advise anyone with an interest in writing to submit. Mindwaves accepts short stories written in the style of creative nonfiction. These narratives emphasize the importance of storytelling and personal reflection.
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Cody Caetano and Amna Azhar prepare for the annual release of Mindwaves and Compass. “I think the best stories are about real people,” Caetano notes. “We all have stories, they’re inherently there within us. All it takes is the tools to find that. People should be so excited that they can do this, because
so many other people can’t, or don’t know how. The chance to tell your story is unique.” Alternatively, Compass publishes pieces from a more objective background. The journal accepts all
research-based writing, including work from PWC courses. Compass welcomes work that dictates information in a manageable format, regardless of the author’s experience with research-based topics.
“It seems like science, or any research-based piece, is something that we designate only for scientists,” Azhar says. “Compass emphasizes the fact that science can be read by anyone. Science shouldn’t be limited to one sector of the population, to research students who know how to read articles. It needs to be accessible to everyone.” Combined, Mindwaves and Compass provide a full spectrum of opportunities for writers. Whether you prefer narrative writing or researchbased articles, there’s a place for you among the pages of these journals. One of the many admirable features of Mindwaves and Compass is their acceptance of new writers. The journals regularly work with new authors to help kick-start their experience in the fields of writing and publishing. “We function as a footin-the-door for first-time people getting published. And that’s a really great, wonderful role,” Caetano says. New authors continued on page 7
AGO showcases timeless masterpieces Mystical Landscapes features paintings from artistic icons, including Van Gogh and Monet
KEENA AL-WAHAIDI STAFF WRITER There are many experiences in the artistic sphere of Toronto that promise inspiration. The Art Gallery of Ontario’s Mystical Landscapes: Masterpieces from Monet, Van Gogh & More is among them. The exhibition displays artwork from some of history’s most revolutionary painters, including the works of Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, and Georgia O’Keeffe. The AGO invites art-goers to indulge in the spiritual sensation the paintings from these artists supply. The Musée d’Orsay in Paris will also showcase the works later this year. The experience of witnessing this exhibition is riveting. Some familiar names flash across the walls next to their respective paintings, such as Lawren Harris and Emily Carr. Yet, their images strikingly resemble some of their contemporaries. One distinguishable dilemma evident in the artwork is the trouble of nationalism and identity, which aroused ties between religion, art, and spiritualism. On the surface, it may seem like the artists inspire the
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Mystical Landscapes ends exhibition with van Gogh’s “Starry Night Over the Rhone.” universe around them. However, it is the manifestation of the universe’s tragedies that provoke many of their contemplative works. Certain works deeply engage the senses. It’s difficult to stand in a room full of Monet’s paintings and still find the will to subsist among them. Monet’s “Rouen Cathedral”
series hung on the wall, not too far from several of his subversive “Water Lilies”—“Rouen Cathedral” and “Water Lilies” are two mysterious works that challenge the worlds in which they are depicted. There’s a sense of impassioned overflow in the gallery. The vast amount of work by a number of
prominent artists is almost an overwhelming experience. The works are subjected to the turmoil of their times, showing how the stroke of a paintbrush can contain these crises. For Monet, “Water Lilies” is an escape from modern life. For van Gogh, the depressive episodes in his personal life translated into his
surreal impact on the art world— even if this impact was only recognized decades later. Although the exhibition only hosted two of Georgia O’Keeffe’s works, the artist fit right into the theme of Mystical Landscapes. Her scenes of floral imagery are a reminder of her exploration of natural forms and bold independence. The exhibition ends with van Gogh’s “Starry Night Over the Rhône.” This painting depicts a starry night sky and a landscape below. The stars and the lights on the shore reflect and blur in the water. One could protest that the serenity of the scene opposes Van Gogh’s later work, “The Starry Night.” “Starry Night Over the Rhône” ends the exhibition with grace. The vision for Mystical Landscapes does not lie in the gallery itself, but rather, in each painting individually. The exhibition is overshadowed with mystery. It raises important issues between the late 19th century and the early 20th century, while also depicting personal conflict in each artist’s life. Mystical Landscapes: Masterpieces from Monet, Van Gogh & More runs until January 29 at the AGO.
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THE MEDIUM 01.09.2017
Deconstructing the American Dream Noam Chomsky addresses America’s political and economic imbalance in new documentary FATIMA WASIF Do you ever wonder about the inequality of wealth and power in American society? Noam Chomsky certainly does. In his 2015 documentary, Requiem for the American Dream, Chomsky initiates a discourse on the origin, direction, and current state of inequality in the United States. He also discusses the present role of major corporations and financial institutions in the active propagation of the country’s imbalance. Requiem for the American Dream centers on a series of interviews with Chomsky that occur over the span of four years. Peter Hutchison, Kelly Nyks, and Jared P. Scott co-directed the film. Chomsky addresses the unattainability of the “American Dream”: the idea that hard work will be rewarded with wealth and respectable living. He focuses on the wealthy minority as the root from which societal inequality stems. Chomsky deconstructs the American Dream through a discussion of his 10 principles of concentration of wealth and power. The documentary primarily films
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Requiem for the American Dream contemplates the faulty wealth and power distribution in America. Chomsky alone, seated in front of a black backdrop as the camera zooms in on his face. Chomsky’s solitary discussion is intercut with scenes of seminal decisions from court cases, speeches from iconic leaders, and a discussion of works from philosophers (such as Adam Smith), which provide further context to Chomsky’s words. Chomsky introduces each of his 10 principles with an il-
lustration, demonstrating the title among American dollar bills. This display reverts back to the main theme of the film. The 10 principles, which function as the main themes of the documentary, appear connected in an almost linear system. This linear function allows Chomsky to describe exactly how a social system is designed to benefit the elite, while simultane-
ously deriding the working class. The first principle is called “Reduce Democracy.” This stage pushes for more freedom in the larger public and hopes to limit democratic control in higher sectors. Public mobilization calls for increased democracy in the majority system. It also causes backlash, leading to the entry of the second principle, “Shape Ideology.” This stage involves the consequences
of overstimulating the public with too much control. The third principle is called “Redesign the Economy.” As financial intuitions gain a higher stake in the economy, Chomsky calls for a minimized focus and a redistribution of power among these institutions to avoid elite control over the working class. “Shift the Burden,” the fourth principle, stems from this idea. By turning the economy away from its emphasis on financial institutions, the burden of taxes redistributes equally among the elite and working class. The remaining principles are, “Attack Solidarity,” “Run the Regulators,” “Engineer Elections,” “Keep the Rabble in Line,” “Manufacture Consent,” and “Marginalize the Population.” These principles continue to apply Chomsky’s ideas on a revolutionized political and social system of equality. Chomsky is interactive during the documentary. He narrates stories throughout to ease the audience into his dense discussion. Yet, he leaves room for independent thought, allowing viewers to arrive at their own conclusion on the subjects of his social criticism.
New year, new sound DAGALE MOHAMMED
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Childish Gambino shifts towards new genres in his latest album, Awaken, My Love!
KIMBERLY DAY Childish Gambino, also known as Donald Glover, is back with another hit album. His highly anticipated album Awaken, My Love! was released on December 2 by Glassnote records after two long years. If you’ve listened to Gambino in the past, you’ll notice that most of his songs include intense, witty lyrics. “Heartbeat,” “Telegraph Ave,” “Sweatpants,” and “3005” are just a few songs that illustrate this style. That being said, the genre of his new album came as a surprise to fans. Since the release of “STN MTN/Kauai,” Gambino has undergone some changes in his appearance, which seemed to signal that a change in sound was to follow. The rapper commented in 2015, “I
feel like Childish Gambino is a period that should come to a close.” Fortunately, these external changes were not the end of his music career, even if they seemed to close a part of it. Gambino’s new sound involves more funk, R&B, and soul.
Since the release of Awaken, My Love!, “Me and Your Mama” and “Redbone” have been the most popular songs. Since the release of Awaken, My Love!, “Me and Your Mama” and “Redbone” have been the most popular songs. Perhaps their popularity is
owing to their hip-hop vibe, when compared to the more traditional funk and R&B sounds of the rest of the album. Personally, I prefer these two songs over the rest. However, I’m slowly warming up to the others, such as “Boogieman” and “The Night Me and Your Mama Met.” Overall, it’s safe to say that Gambino has been quite successful in the release of Awaken, My Love!. He’s also gained some new fans since the album’s release, owing to his diversity of sound. I find myself intrigued by Gambino’s inspiration for this album. Hopefully fans will see the original Gambino once again, but for now it seems that this shift into a new sound is one that fans are welcoming into their playlists.
“Sometimes the truth is more frightening than fiction.” The tagline of Lore encapsulates the task this podcast hopes to accomplish: researching practically every superstition, old wives’ tale, and folklore out there. Lore achieves this act by exploring the historical roots of each subject. Named the “Best History Podcast 2016” by Podcast Academy, Lore is a high-quality show that works to reveal the history behind humanity’s superstitious fears. The podcast delves into real-life horror stories and exposes the truth behind them. The host, Aaron Mahnke, is a novelist with several horror thrillers under his belt, including Grave Suspicion and Consumed. His writing background gives his storytelling on Lore a breath of life. Each episode begins with a short anecdote meant to ease listeners into the story. In the episode “Off the Path,” Mahnke lightheartedly speaks of the curses that supposedly plague his hometown’s baseball team, the Boston Red Sox. By presenting the topic of curses in a relatable manner, Mahnke creates a link between our current beliefs in the supernatural and the folklores from which they blossomed. Although I’ve only listened to 15 episodes, my favourite one is “Under Construction.” This episode depicts
tales of the “little people,” who live in a world that is both parallel and hidden from our view. This episode best highlights Mahnke’s ability to find folklores from various cultures across the globe. Lore captures an all-encompassing story of the history behind the belief in “little people,” including the legends of Native American tribes, the superstitions of Iceland, and the tales of a misleading Indonesian cave. But rather than simply presenting the folklore behind superstitions, Mahnke delves into the reasons people started believing in them. Folklores often provided a way for people to cope. They arose at times when medicine was less advanced, when loved ones died of unknown illnesses, or when someone was plunged into a state of sudden sadness. Although Mahnke is critical of the reasoning behind most folklores and superstitions, he is not dismissive of their validity. He analyzes their histories, but leaves just enough room for wonder. Not to say that changelings, vampires, or any other mythical topic of discussion might be real; rather, Mahnke poses the idea that not everything is what it seems. Lore contains 52 episodes to date. They’re free for listening on the podcast’s website. Overall, Lore will captivate your imagination and lead you to question the deeper meanings behind the tales you hold to be true.
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REWIND VICTORIA DANESI
What are you going to do with your future? This is a question that can make any university student quiver with anxiety. In The Graduate (1967), Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) is faced with this inquiry at his graduation party. As he secludes himself in his bedroom, worrying about his lack of future plans, he meets the mysterious Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), the wife of his father’s business partner. Mrs. Robinson seduces Benjamin into having an affair, and he lets it happen as a result of his impulsive state. Trouble arises when Benjamin’s oblivious parents arrange for him a date with Elaine (Katharine Ross), Mrs. Robinson’s daughter, and he develops feelings for her. This crossroad causes him to continue his rash decision-making throughout the film as he searches for a sense of purpose. As a recent university graduate, the theme of finding one’s identity is evident in Benjamin’s life. However, Mrs. Robinson also struggles with her identity. It’s difficult not to feel sympathy towards an unhappily-married, alcohol-dependent housewife who pursues an affair to find herself. This act raises an important issue of the time. The burgeoning 1960s can be considered a turning point, wherein housewives questioned their role in society and searched for their independence. It’s fascinating to witness Mrs. Robinson’s search for liberation alongside Benjamin’s journey through
the unknown. Although the film’s premise may seem slightly introspective and dramatic, its comedic presence is wholly felt and welcomed. You cannot help but laugh at Benjamin’s bumbling first interaction with Mrs. Robinson in his bedroom, or his nervous attempt to order a hotel room to continue the affair (he blabbers to the concierge about how his only piece of luggage is a toothbrush). Even when Benjamin is on his first date with Elaine, his reckless driving and skittish behaviour feels like something out of a dark comedy show. The Graduate has been, and will forever be, affiliated with the songs of Simon and Garfunkel. The ominous opening riff of “The Sound of Silence” repeats throughout the film, reducing the tone of the film to a more contemplative nature. Meanwhile, the upbeat “Mrs. Robinson” shifts the tone completely. The cultural significance of The Graduate is what makes it so iconic. The notion of a “Mrs. Robinson” has transcended everyday language. Her character is now synonymous with an older woman who has similar intentions as Bancroft’s role. Without spoiling anything, the closing scene is also extremely well-known; even if you have never watched The Graduate, it may seem familiar because it is so entrenched in film history. The Graduate is an ageless classic that depicts the experience of a young adult trying to find his place in the world. This sentiment can feel familiar to any graduate (give or take the affair), no matter the decade.
Storytelling on campus New authors continued from page 5
Robert Price, a course instructor for the PWC program, acts as the faculty advisor for Mindwaves and Compass. He’s been involved since the 2013/2014 academic year. “The journals give students an outlet to learn. They are a first time for many students—a first time to publish, or a first time to work on an editorial team.” Price collaborates with the members of each journal, including Caetano, Azhar, the associate editors, and authors. He advises them throughout the editing process, ensuring a strong final product. Price emphasizes the importance of student decision-making: “Students make the decisions, and by making decisions, they learn about the publishing process.” The Mindwaves and Compass teams host a book launch at the end of the semester, following the publication of the journals. The launch offers authors and editors an opportunity to share their work with their families and friends. During the
event, select authors read their pieces to the audience, sharing the diversity of writing within each anthology. “It’s a really proud moment,” Azhar says. “The perfect end to everyone’s hard work.” Mindwaves and Compass foster the importance of writing at UTM. “The journals make public the writing of people in our community—writing that might not otherwise be heard,” Price says. “Each year we publish— Mindwaves in its eleventh year—we add to our campus history.” Community is essential to the journals. Mindwaves and Compass not only provide a platform to publish student writing, but they also offer an opportunity for authors to reciprocate with their peers on campus. “Students should take advantage of the many opportunities on campus to apply what they learn in classrooms to public life of [the university],” Price adds. “The opportunities are golden. Grab them.” Submissions for Mindwaves and Compass ends on January 13. Judging is blind.
Understanding loss Claire in Motion embarks on an emotional journey HAILEY MASON A&E EDITOR If you’re looking for a missing-person film with a gripping plot, a mindbending conclusion, and plenty of action thrown into the mix, Claire in Motion isn’t for you. Directed by Annie J. Howell and Lisa Robinson, Claire in Motion follows the emotional journey of Claire Hunger (Betsy Brandt) after her husband, Paul Hunger (Chris Beetem), disappears on a survivalist camping trip in the woods. The premise sounds interesting enough, but trust me when I say this is no Gone Girl. The police find Paul’s car outside the forest and scour the woods. But after several weeks without any new leads, they close the investigation. Although the police have given up, Claire continues to pursue the case. Every day, she staples missing person flyers around town with her young son, Connor. They also venture into the woods to conduct their own search for Paul. Eventually, Connor refuses to participate in the two activities, leaving Claire to investigate alone. Her efforts lead her to Allison Lorn (Anna Margaret Hollyman), a visual arts graduate student who collaborated with Paul on a project
before his disappearance. Claire, who knew nothing of Paul’s work with Allison, is puzzled by this new mystery. As Claire digs deeper into Paul’s secret life, she grows increasingly resentful towards Allison and her manipulative attempts at friendliness. Claire in Motion creeps forward with little progress on the mystery of Paul’s disappearance. Instead, the film immerses us in Claire’s emotions—or lack thereof—as she copes with her loss. Claire is a solipsistic character. She appears callous on the surface, yet you can see the wheels turning in her mind. We never actually see Paul in the movie, only during short video clips. The film never delves into flashbacks, where we can gain a sense of Paul’s character. Rather, we only see Claire and her present state. Claire in Motion is subtly suspenseful, which is a refreshing change from the constant spoonfeeding of information in current films. It prompts us to read between the lines. For example, time passes quickly throughout the film. Claire visits different venues to staple flyers. One moment features Claire tearing down a weathered Paul poster and replacing it with a new copy. She also she waves “hello” to people
as she staples flyers, suggesting she’s become a regular installment at those locations. From an artistic perspective, I see the merit in Claire in Motion. But from an entertainment perspective, the film is dull. The plot moves slowly, and the conclusion is unsatisfying. But if you’re in the mood to analyze its intricacies, Claire in Motion is worth the watch. The cinematography is beautiful, the scenes are laden with symbolism and metaphors, and the characters are rich with meaning. Most notably, Claire in Motion is emotionally real. It offers a realistic depiction of love and loss. It also conveys a fair portrayal of missing person cases. More often than not, the families of missing people are not given a conclusion. Eventually, they must learn to cope with their loss, in whatever way they can. Claire is arguably an emotionless character, yet she continues to pursue the investigation of Paul’s disappearance. Perhaps she’s only interested in the enigma of Paul’s disappearance. However, everyone grieves differently. Trying to unpack Claire’s motivation is senseless, because how can we truly examine the complexity of loss? Claire in Motion opens in theatres on January 13.
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A better world, one Brigade at a time Global Brigades is a non-profit which builds sustainable communities in under-resourced locations MANPREET MINHAS WITH NOTES FROM FARAH QAISER FEATURES EDITOR For many, a relaxing holiday involves getting away and heading towards a warmer location. Others enjoy volunteering and giving back to the community, as a reminder to share their skills and time with those in need. But what if you combine those two together to volunteer abroad? This is where Global Brigades comes in. Global Brigades is a large, student-led non-profit organization, which aims to build sustainable communities in under-resourced countries such as Honduras, Panama, Ghana, and Nicaragua. Global Brigades has a holistic model in place, involving the development of eight skill-based programs within the community. These include business, environmental, human rights, dental, public health, water, medical, and engineering. Health projects include patient referral programs, pharmacy programs, and Community Health Workers train-
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The University of Toronto Mississauga Global Brigades was officially recognized last September. ing programs. A key feature is the medical brigade, where student volunteers have the chance to join healthcare workers and various other professionals to help develop underprivileged communities. The programs are
meant to foster communal strength and prosperity in these fields. In fact, UTM has its own local chapter, named the University of Toronto Mississauga Global Brigades, which is a non-profit student club contributing to the same glob-
al cause, through either fundraisers or by volunteering in the Brigades. The club was officially recognized on September 19, 2016, and currently has 88 members. Jordan Sam (a third-year molecular biology specialist) and An-
gela Roldan are the co-presidents of the Global Brigades at UTM. Sam is also a committee member of the National Education Committee for Global Brigades Canada, while Roldan is a fourth-year double major (in biology and psychology), with a minor in biomedical communication, and is also working towards a third major in professional writing and communication. Last August, UTMGB members, along with 30 U of T students, 10 Carleton University students, and a team of occupational and physiotherapists, traveled to Honduras. Sam was a part of this brigade, which set up a mobile health clinic within an elementary school in El Tablón. “In over four days, we were able to provide free healthcare to over a 1000 patients,” said Sam. “I fell in love with the humanitarian community,” he said, and elaborated that it was a life-changing experience that motivated him to continue with humanitarian work—especially at an international level. UTMGB continued on page 9
Will an AI-composed carol top the charts? A U of T based research project, Sound from Pi, involves music generation using artificial intelligence
JESSICA CABRAL ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR Although January provides us with the opportunity to embrace the New Year and toss the events of 2016 behind us, we’re still savouring the remaining traces of the holiday season and our festive spirits before they’re gone for good. A key feature of the holiday season are the carols. While you may picture a choir singing, a research group at U of T has a very different idea in mind. Hang Chu, a first-year Ph.D. student in the Machine Learning Group at U of T’s computer science department, in collaboration with his advisors, professors Sanja Fidler and Raquel Urtasun, initially worked to train neural networks to produce generic songs from an input image. They soon discovered that their creation could be applied to holiday carols. The project, called Sound from Pi, involves music generation using artificial intelligence. In layman terms, Chu explains that the team is working to generate music using different tracks of melody, chord, and drum.
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Using a neural network, Chu and professors Fidler and Urtasun can generate songs from an image. The team realized that they could apply this method of music generation to create “neural story singing.” “The goal is to generate a song from just an image. It is using a series of different deep learning neural network technologies and it is analyzing the contents in the image, then using the automatically-recognized im-
age content to generate lyrics. [The next step is to] generate music that accompanies the lyrics and string everything together,” Chu says. A neural network is a popular algorithm that is used for many tasks, such as image and speech recognition, as well as applying rhythm to music generation.
The researchers began their project by simply crawling the internet for symbolic music sheets. They searched about 100 hours of music, and used that as their training data for the music generation. But what’s music without a little dancing? Another part of the team’s project
includes generating a stickman that will dance along with music. Chu explains that for this application, the team utilized the game Just Dance to train the robot with one hour of dancing data. To train the neural network to create these computer-generated holiday jingles, the team worked through multiple stages. “First of all, we have the input image. Then we have a neural network that analyzes the content of the image. So it takes something like a Christmas tree in the middle of your living room, and it generates captions,” Chu explains. “The captions will be phrases such as ‘Christmas tree’, or maybe ‘flowers,’ ‘gifts,’ and it generates a passage of captions. This is the first stage.” In the second stage, another neural network transfers the output of the first stage, the passage of captions, to generate lyrics. And given the lyrics, in the third stage, a different neural network takes those lyrics as its input and generates a music melody, drum, and chord that go along well with the lyrics. Carols continued on page 10
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What makes Global Brigades different?
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In August 2016, a medical brigade, including 30 U of T students, 10 Carleton University students, and a team of Occupational & Physiotherapists, travelled to Honduras.
UTMGB continued from page 8 “They lack knowledge in proper health and hygiene, and thus student volunteers have the power to educate them with this essential knowledge,” said Sam. After visiting Honduras, Sam was more aware of the idea that not everyone receives equal chances in this world. After living in Canada, a privileged country, for his entire life, this experience impacted his future goals. “Everyone who has been on our trip has come back and definitely tried to get more involved in some way,” he said. Similarly, Simran Araich travelled with Global Brigades to volunteer on a medical/dental Brigade in 2014, and found the experience to be “humbling and uplifting.” She has been a committed volunteer for three years now, and is currently the UTMGB VP of External Affairs. “The brigade was an incredibly humbling experience that put into perspective the discrepancy in
healthcare availability between what I had grown accustomed to in Toronto and the communities we service in Honduras,” said Araich. “Healthcare is often taken for granted in the GTA: we show up to our doctor’s office and wait in [a] cozy room and get our prescription from a nearby pharmacist. The patients we served, however, would talk to us about health concerns from a month ago, current health experiences [and] worries they have about the future, because they [meet] health care practitioners once every few months.” What makes Global Brigades stand out from other non-profit organizations would be its commitment to the societies they work with. Global Brigades does not simply invest their funding and move on, but ensures that they leave a lasting effect. Its aim is to continuously work with under-resourced countries until they no longer need Global Brigade’s assistance. Another key feature of the Global Brigades is that the projects are
sustainable. According to Roldan, the health care professionals (such as doctors and dentists) and other workers (such as translators, cooks, and drivers) are all hired locally. “Therefore, Global Brigades currently strives to not only give services to underserved communities, but to also provide jobs to the local
“Healthcare is often taken for granted in the GTA: we show up to our doctor’s office and wait in [a] cozy room.” —Simran Araich citizens of the countries Global Brigades is currently established in,” said Roldan. According to Roldan, the first step behind a Global Brigades project is to pick a community in need. “We then come in with a medical and dental brigade to gain the trust of the members of the community. We
also provide medical and dental services to that community every three months for a year. We also train health community workers who know basic first-aid to check up on long-term care patients every week,” said Roldan. “Afterwards, we introduce a water/engineering brigade, where we aim to provide easy access to water at their homes. Most communities in Honduras have to fetch water from a river far from their houses with the help of donkeys. Lastly, we come in with a business/finance brigade, where we teach them to finance and plan their own businesses, and avoid depending on big companies to maximize their profit. The big companies will either charge them with a ton of fees or buy their products (coffee, bread, etc.) at a much lower cost than they are sold for.” UTMGB specifically runs a medical and public health brigade. Sam stated that students would mainly assist health care professionals in their tasks by acting as mediators between the doctor and patient. This itself is
a great learning experience, as students have an opportunity to shadow their potential career role models in action. As UTMGB has just started its endeavours, they are currently looking to expand their organization within campus and hope to expose the student population to the humanitarian work UTMGB does for under-privileged countries. For example, the UTMGB fundraisers’ proceeds head towards the Global Brigades Sustainable Health Fund, which allows for medical aid throughout the year when a brigade is not present within the countries they work with. UTMGB will be holding a weeklong Fair Trade coffee sale on January 23, which is intended to support underpaid coffee farmers in South America. As for the summer, UTMGB will be heading on another medical brigade on August 22, 2017. This nineday brigade will be a chance for any interested student volunteers to set up a free mobile health clinic in rural Honduras.
“Dress to Impress” with the ICCIT Council Recently, the ICCIT Council collaborated with Le Chateau and The Relatable Co. for a clothing line AISHA MALIK
UTM’s ICCIT Council recently collaborated with Le Chateau for a series called “Dress to Impress,” which aims to showcase different ways that students can dress both fashionably and professionally. Sara Ammari, a fourth-year digital enterprise management student and the VP marketing executive of the ICCIT Council, says that the goal of the collaboration was to “showcase looks from an established retailer that incorporated a unique take on the professional look.” She explained that students are often unsure of how to dress for professional events, and that this collaboration could share some tips. According to Ammari, the ICCIT Council drafted and proposed
One segment of the “Dress to Impress” series focuses on bowties. the idea for “Dress to Impress” to Le Chateau, and once the idea was approved, they went ahead with the project.
Ammari explained that “by collaborating with the ICCIT Council, Le Chateau has created a presence for itself in the UTM community,
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while allowing the ICCIT Council to provide a few tips on how to ‘Dress to Impress’ for students.” The series, which is advertised
through ICCIT’s social media pages, features several ICCIT Council executives dressed in a variety of different outfit ideas all over the UTM campus. Previously, the ICCIT Council collaborated with The Relatable Co., which was co-founded by ICCIT Council alum, Patrick Ryder. The series featured hoodies that read “U of Tears,” and aimed to bring hoodies just in time for the midterm season. Ammari said that the collaboration with Le Chateau was an exciting project, and that the ICCIT Council hopes to continue to work with them to produce more work. “ICCIT Council is open to working with other clubs/societies on campus and external groups,” and is “always looking to bring incentives to students within the UTM community,” Ammari says.
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It’s beginning again. No, I’m not talking about the start of another semester or another set of ambitious New Year’s resolutions. It’s another wave of the seasonal flu—and it’s about to get worse. Interestingly, the government has a webpage dedicated to influenza surveillance. According to the latest FluWatch report, published last Friday, 1,948 positive influenza detections were reported in the last week of December. The most dominant influenza strain this season is the H3N2, which is associated with increased hospitalizations and deaths (especially in the elderly population). According to multiple news outlets (such as The Globe and Mail), while the number of influenza cases
The Anti-Calendar returns
have risen dramatically across the country, the worst is apparently yet to come. And yes, dear readers, I have also contracted the sniffles. I’m an unwilling member of the walking dead, who are currently coughing, sniffing, and sneezing into their tissues as they trudge through the cold to attend class. But one thing is clear: this calls for a whole different cuisine to stay warm and get better in this rough flu season. Crack out the fresh fruit juices, stay hydrated, and increase your protein intake (such as eggs) if necessary. Personally, I stick to warm milk (with a drop of honey), and if it does get worse, it’s a bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup.
Chicken Noodle Soup for The Soul SERVES 4-6
INGREDIENTS
• 1 bay leaf • Thyme sprigs • 1 onion, chopped • 2 celery stalks, sliced • 2 tablespoons of butter • Fresh chopped parsley • Salt and pepper to taste • 2 carrots, peeled, sliced • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced • 2 cups of dry egg noodles • 1 cup of sliced mushrooms • 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice CHICKEN BROTH INGREDIENTS • Whole chicken, rinsed, cut into pieces • 2 carrots, cut into large pieces • 2 onions, chopped • 1 garlic clove, minced • Fresh thyme • 2 bay leaves METHOD
1. Combine chicken and cold water in a large pot. Add in the thyme and bay leaves. Note: pour in just enough water to cover the chicken. Too much water will weaken the broth’s taste. 2. Add in the vegetables needed for the chicken broth. 3. Bring the mixture to boil. 4. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer the mixture until the chicken is cooked through. (This may take 1 to 1 ½ hours). 5. There will be fat and impurities floating along the top (appearing as a foam layer). Remove this layer.
6. Allow both the chicken and broth to cool. Once it is cool enough to handle, remove the chicken from the mixture. 7. Discard the skin and bones from chicken. Shred the remaining chicken into smaller, bite-size pieces. 8. Strain the broth through a sieve to remove the vegetables. 9. Return the chicken broth to simmer. 10. Add the onion, carrots garlic, and celery to the broth. 11. Simmer the mixture until the vegetables have softened. Avoid browning the vegetables. 12. Melt the butter using medium-high heat. 13. Add mushrooms and sauté in the butter. As the mushrooms are being sautéed, add in the lemon juice. 14. Once the mushrooms are appropriately sautéed, add them to the broth. 15. Stir in the dried egg noodles, parsley, and the previously shredded chicken. Note: you may want to use all the shredded chicken if there is an excessive amount of broth. 16. Simmer the mixture for another 5-10 minutes until the noodles are cooked. 17. Pour out soup into an appropriately sized bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish the final bowl with fresh parsley before serving.
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The Anti-Calendar is a collection of course evaluations completed by previous students.
FARAH QAISER FEATURES EDITOR 2017 has its first reboot: The AntiCalendar. The Anti-Calendar is a collection of course evaluations completed by previously-enrolled students. By aggregating data from completed course evaluations, the Anti-Calendar provides useful numbers, which include: the number of students enrolled in the class, the number of survey respondents, and whether students would want to retake the course. There are also eight available categories, such as whether the material was stimulating, difficult, what the atmosphere was like, and so on. Using the data present in the AntiCalendar, it’s easy for students to assess how difficult a course may be, and thus decide whether they want to go ahead with it or not. For some students, taking a course isn’t a choice, as it may be a mandatory requirement for their program. In cases such as these, students can at least be better informed of what they’re walking into, and can plan to dedicate time accordingly, or even take the course during a lighter term, or in the summer. Students may even go a step further and evaluate whether they would like to take a course with a certain professor—or avoid them at all costs. Last week, UTMSU’s Facebook page announced that archives starting from 2014 will be made available. While the release of these AntiCalendars may not be of any help to students currently enrolled in courses for this semester, it will hopefully help guide students through future course selections. According to a 2008 article (titled “Anti-Calendar returns to UTM”) in The Medium, the Anti-Calendar was first introduced to UTM in 1987. While the calendar is generally expected to be published every year, it has had an inconsistent track record. For example, following a publication in 2005, the Anti-Calendar was not
published again until 2008, where two batches (2007/2008 and 2008/2009) were to be released in the same year. (However, it is unclear whether these two batches were even released.) It is understandable why it would take time: there are hundreds of course evaluations for simply one course, and every academic department has multiple courses. All data must be aggregated, and then the Anti-Calendar itself must be compiled. As UTM continues to add more courses, this task certainly gets harder every year. While the Anti-Calendar is an honest account of what students felt about their courses, there are a few potential loopholes present in the use of this resource. Similar to the RateMyProfessor website or a “Bird Courses” group on Facebook, students should not rely on Anti-Calendar as a primary source in making decisions about which courses to pick for the next year. Firstly, the fraction of students who have responded to the course evaluation survey is quite variable, and is generally on the low end (i.e. less than 40 percent). Secondly, it should be kept in mind that it is the most vocal students who are more likely to fill in course evaluations, i.e. those who have enjoyed the course/instructor’s style, or alternatively, hated the course. The survey is not an accurate representation of the course—simply because some students thought the course was fine (thus didn’t have any strong opinions to share), and therefore may not have been motivated enough to fill the survey, or didn’t believe that their opinion would make a difference. For example, according to the newly released 2014 Anti-Calendar, DRE121H5F (Traditions of Theatre & Drama) had a total enrolment of 43 students, but a response rate of only 39 percent (i.e. approximately 16 students filled in the course evaluation). Out of these 16 students, 76 percent recommended retaking the class. Is this class a good learning experi-
ence—or did those students enjoy the class so much that they happily filled in the course evaluation to show their appreciation for the instructor? It’s hard to tell. Alternatively, ENG461H5F (Advanced Studies in British Literature to the 19th Century) had a total enrolment of 13 students, with a 100 percent response rate, where 96 percent of students recommended retaking the class. This would be an ideal course to select—based entirely on the Anti-Calendar’s data. Interestingly, some professors constantly remind students to fill in their course evaluations and may even tempt students to fill them in with the promise of a small bonus to the final grade. On the other hand, others do not even mention course evaluations, leaving it up to the students to fill in. Both occurrences can affect the total number of course evaluation responses. It should be kept in mind that what works for one student may not work for another. Certain instructors’ teaching methods may cater to a variety of learning styles. Similarly, what may seem like a bird course to one student may not be one for you. Another key thing to keep in mind is that course evaluations are anonymous. While this anonymity may grant students a safe space to share thoughts they may not be comfortable with sharing with their name attached to it, it can also tempt students to fill in the survey randomly, or even provide a “revenge rating,” i.e. choose the “worst” options to get payback for a course that’s going poorly. The Anti-Calendar is a resource meant to complement future course selection. On the bright side, if the Anti-Calendar is consistently compiled for the next few years, it could increase the number of course evaluation responses, allowing for a more accurate representation from the student population, and even spark a change in courses.
Will AIs replace songwriters in the future? Carols continued from page 8 “We are currently working on making this a lab demo, so it can become an app or a webpage so that everyone can upload their own photo and get a song mixed with that photo,” Chu says. Research on this “neural story singing” motivates the team to take
the technology into many future directions. The demo is one immediate application, but they hope to potentially use this technology as an intelligent assistant to musicians. Sometimes the composition of chord or drum within music becomes tedious, so Chu believes this can be used as a future application to reduce their workload.
“For the future directions, we were actually thinking of making the music even better. Music has different emotions, so we were thinking of if we can even incorporate that concept into our music generation. So, generating more rich emotions in that. “For a second direction, we were thinking to make the dancing com-
ponent better. We only have one hour of dancing, and that’s definitely not enough data for a robot to learn what dancing is, so we are thinking of improving that,” Chu says. Interestingly, Chu played the accordion during childhood, and learned to play the guitar and piano later in life. “I have been playing music basi-
cally my entire life. So this is also my passion: to do something in the machine learning scale that also involves music.” It certainly shows that you never know what combining your passions may lead to—maybe even something as interesting as computer-generated Christmas carols.
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Huang’s unbroken perseverance Shuya Huang tells The Medium about her journey through academia while pursuing badminton KAITLYN FERNANDES Shuya Huang is a first-year Ph.D. student in chemistry from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Before joining UTM, she completed her undergrad at Dalhousie University, where she gained invaluable experience on the badminton team, which she brought with her to UTM. Since joining the team, Huang has practiced continuously to improve before the team’s upcoming tournaments. Along the way, her coaches and teammates have provided constant support, teaching her how to add more power to her smash while reducing her risk of injury, as well as strategies to help her get across the court at a quicker pace. While Huang has never been professionally trained in badminton, her involvement at Dalhousie, where she helped to co-run the university’s badminton club for three years, has given her plenty of exposure and experience within the sport. Huang calls herself a strategic player. Where she may lack in technical skill, she makes up for in a heightened sense of awareness and
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Huang, a Ph.D. student in chemistry, plays badminton for the UTM team. observational skills on the court. Huang’s strategy consists of taking the time to observe her opponents during warm-up rallies and the first few points of the game to note their strengths and weaknesses. She then tailors her shots to target her opponent’s weak spots, and avoids giving
them any advantages over her. Huang believes that her observational skills help close the gap between her and her competitor’s level of skill. Her primary objective in playing badminton has always been to enjoy the game. She was first introduced to the sport as a young adult, and con-
tinued with it after discovering that she not only enjoyed it, but was also able to see her skills progress and improve with practice. While she believes in competition and trying her best to defeat her opponent, her continuous improvement and love of the game are what she values most.
Huang overcomes the tendency to become overly competitive during tournaments by acknowledging that too much of a competitive mentality can hinder her ability to “play with a clear head,” as well as compromise her overall enjoyment. Given her skill set, Huang is predominantly a singles player. Although she “likes the feeling of taking control of the court” that comes with one-on-one play, she also enjoys the fast pace and complexity of doubles. Although badminton is played in singles and doubles, team chemistry is still an integral part of the sport. Huang believes that there is “a strong sense of comraderie, both during practices and tournaments” among her teammates. As is commonly the case for team sports, Huang describes her team as a family. An essential part of that family are coaches who Huang credits as “extremely kind and considerate” people who care about her teammates’ well-being and academics just as much as the team’s athletic performance. Huang continued on page 12
Motivating yourself to keep an active life Professor Innocente talks about Aikido and the importance of keeping yourself disciplined AMANDA BORTHWICK Professor Nathan Innocente has accrued many accomplishments during his time in academia, including the recent completion of his Ph.D. in sociology. However, few are aware that, beyond the walls of UTM, his students call him Sensei. For 20 years now, Innocente has been dedicated to the martial art of Aikido, a traditional Japanese form of self-defence where opponent aggression is controlled and redirected without inflicting serious injury. I recently spoke with Innocente, who is the guest speaker for the annual MoveU Motivator event on January 20, to discuss his experiences with maintaining physical fitness and mental wellbeing during undergraduate studies and the advice he has to offer students. Innocente recalls how his interest in Aikido began at the age of 14 as the result of his disinterest in team sports, a preference he blames on his introverted disposition. He was drawn to the traditional Yoshinkan style of Aikido in particular, because of its emphasis on throwing, locking, restraining, and the strong founda-
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Innocente has practiced Aikido for 20 years. tions and techniques it fostered. Later in life, he found that his commitment to the sport also helped him develop the degree of physical fitness required during his time in the military and as a bouncer throughout his undergraduate studies. “I think that dedication to master a particular physical activity, it doesn’t really matter which one it is, leads to
many physical rewards,” Innocente says. For him, time on the mat not only served as an object of focus for physical growth and technical mastery, but also provided much needed stress relief when faced with the responsibilities of school, work, and balancing a social life. Throughout his undergraduate career, Innocente made time to go to the
gym five days a week, while also training at the dojo seven to eight times a week in two different locations. It was this hard work that forced him to develop time management skills. However, his passion for the sport meant that countless hours spent training didn’t feel like a sacrifice of his time. In fact, he recalls how Aikido acted as his “anchor” during these stressful
periods in his life. The advice he gives to students balancing school, a social life, health, and other commitments is to find an activity that they truly enjoy doing and just commit to it. “Being interested in the activity is an excellent motivator in addition to keeping and maintaining long term health goals,” he says. Moreover, Innocente adds that making the time to balance priorities and health comes down to effective time management and having the discipline to follow through. At the upcoming MoveU Motivator event, he wants students to think about developing better time management strategies and discipline for the new year. In the face of midterms and final assignments, when students often make sacrifices with their time, physical fitness commitments shouldn’t be placed on the back burner. “I hope students find ways to maintain discipline and motivation, because at the end of the day, the payoff for physical and mental wellbeing is so much greater than deciding you have to cut it in favor of something else,” he says.
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«SPORTS
THE MEDIUM 01.09.2017
Point guard dominates basketball court Gregory Roberts uses his leadership to push himself and his team to championship success ERIC HEWITSON SPORTS EDITOR Toronto native Gregory Roberts is a fourth-year psychology student at UTM and the men’s Division 1 basketball team’s standout point guard. Roberts has been a tremendous source of offense for the championship-calibre squad, having his name all over the score sheet game after game. “My main responsibilities on the court are to lead the team and help win basketball games,” says Roberts. However, he wouldn’t classify himself as a scoring point guard. Despite his ability to get the ball in the basket, at the same time, he holds an unselfish attitude, enabling him to set his teammates up for open shots. He can set players up, like his teammate Alessandro Tanzi, who is another prolific scorer. Roberts credits a couple of key factors for his outstanding success at UTM. “Preparation and improvement are crucial. Not just in the short term for an upcoming game, but also in the long run, trying to be the best version of yourself.” “Personally, I’m in the gym every
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Roberts is a point guard for the UTM men’s Division 1 basketball team. day, either playing, lifting, or both,” Roberts adds. “I also love watching basketball on my down time, whether it be professional or a personal game tape. That helps me not only be ready for the physical demands, but allows me to learn and be able to outthink future opponents.” Like any athlete, Roberts has had
Badminton: more than just a hobby
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHUYA HUANG
Huang is predominantly a singles badminton player.
Huang continued from page 11 Off the court, Huang is passionate about the research that brought her to UTM. She studies a class of membrane cells called G-protein coupled receptors. Her friends and family are aware of this passion, as on many nights Huang can be found working late at night in the UTM labs. Her research has also helped her to develop a strong sense of perseverance. She’s faced many obstacles as a researcher, including failed first attempts at experiments and the frustrations of unexpected lab results. Huang credits her success as a researcher to her patience and ability to keep an open mind. During her time at UTM, Huang
hopes to grow as both a scientist and an athlete. After completing her Ph.D., she hopes to pursue her love of science in academia or industry. She dreams of one day seeing her research applied in the field. Huang’s commitment to improving on the court is mirrored by her continuous efforts to build on her research and complete her Ph.D. The enjoyment she gets from both sports and academics fuels her perseverance in both fields. This year, the UTM badminton team attended the Fanshawe OCAA tournament, making it to the semifinals and finals in several categories. With Huang on board, the team is set to face their fierce rivals, the Humber Hawks.
to face a few obstacles in his career. He recalls a time when he was playing basketball at a prep school in the U.S. The experience didn’t pan out the way he would have liked, but he didn’t let it get to his psyche. “I had to persevere and find another path to achieve my goals,” he says. He also recently recovered from a broken an-
kle that occurred in November 2015. Despite the setback, he was able to recover in a little over two months and help lead last year’s men’s team to a championship trophy. Now Roberts showcases his raw ability, but also understands how quickly he’s able to lose this mentality if he isn’t prepared and focused.
Outside of basketball, Roberts is relaxed and makes friends easily. Being a dominant force on the basketball court makes you a polarizing figure—just ask the best athletes in the world; they’re either loved or hated. But his “low-key” confident demeanour inevitably lead him to being appreciated. “I’m really active, and like to laugh and mess around with friends. I’m also a huge nerd, which is something that you would never guess when looking at me,” he says. Once he’s finished at UTM, Roberts hopes to play basketball professionally at the highest level he’s able to reach. Whenever he can land himself on a team, he’s there, ready to compete for any open opportunities. “I know I can score at a high rate and have the ability to get teammates involved, so just being able to do that more efficiently and at a higher level while improving on my weaknesses,” Roberts says. “Looking at the team, the only expectation is to repeat as back-to-back champions. We have the pieces to do so, and we’re the best in our league right now. As long as we keep improving as a team and take care of business, we’re poised to make a good run.”