Vol 43 issue 3

Future plans of UTM

Creative Freedom

News, page 2

Opinion, page 5

Opening show packs a punch Arts, page 8

The growth of SciLit week

New president, new vision.

Features, page 11

Sports, page 14

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09.19.2016

New ways to handle assault reports Campus Affairs Committee meeting discusses expanding jurisdiction for sexual violence ALICIA BOATTO ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR The Campus Affairs Committee convened last Thursday to discuss the future goals and project plans for UTM. Among the topics discussed were details in the draft of the new Sexual Violence Action Plan and the 2016-2017 operating budget.

Students received an email at the beginning of the semester, detailing the university’s commitment to supporting victims of sexual violence.

According to Cheryl Regehr, U of T’s vice president and provost, the federal government requires all post-secondary institutions to draft a similar plan and have these procedures in effect as of January 1, 2017.

The plan, having been in development since 2014, ensures all students, staff, and faculty will receive support and resources against harassment, and that all disclosure will be confidential, according to Regehr.

One point in the draft that Regehr brought attention to was the expansion of the university’s jurisdiction when involved in assault reports. Previously, the school had no control if an attack occurred off campus, but this new draft gives the university the ability to act if the parties concerned are all commu-

MAYDA ALKHALDI/THE MEDIUM

The university plans on expanding its jurisdiction to deal with assault reports. nity members of U of T. Additionally, any online harassment can also be dealt with by the school, permitted that those involved are tied to the university.

Regehr did explain that if a victim came forward and was a student, but the accuser had no ties to the school, then the university would have no jurisdiction to pend an investigation.

Support will be given to all victims, but cases that require investi-

gation can only be pursued if both parties involved belong to the U of T community.

Also present in the meeting was Nour Alideeb, president of UMTSU. She raised the issue of having a diverse group of support workers for students who belong to a wide variety of backgrounds and have experienced any sexual violence.

Regehr said that providing diversity is a priority, and is being taken into consideration. While there will

be staff members hired to help students, volunteer positions will also be available to help provide a better representation for students in need.

Alideeb mentioned that UMSTU would be holding their own student-led consultation on September 27 in the Council Chambers in Davis Building, regarding the Sexual Violence Act. Disclosure and reporting of an incident will be viewed as two separate entities. Disclosing the details

of an incident of harassment or assault can be done to any member of the community, but that does not warrant a report.

Individuals are not required to proceed with a report or investigation in order to receive the services of the school if they wish to.

A sexual violence centre will also be established across all three campuses in order to promote a unified presence across the University of Toronto.

The committee also focused on goals for the school year and what upcoming projects UTM will be undergoing in the coming weeks. A main component of the discussion was the breakdown of the 20162017 operating budget.

Of the $2 billion allotted to U of T this year, $257 million is designated towards UTM. The budget, based on the $257 million and designed last April, centered around the growth of UTM with regards to the intake of students as well as an increase in staff.

UTM experiences a growth in undergraduates every year, and so far, this year is expected to have an estimated 14,000 undergraduate students, according to a chart presented by Regehr in the meeting.

Budget continued on page 4

English department addresses sexism Series of events and lectures to be held by the English and Drama Student Society KASSANDRA HANGDAAN NEWS ASSISTANT

Following sexism issues in an English class raised last January in an Academic Affairs Committee meeting, the chair of the English and drama department, Alexandra Gillespie, told The Medium that she is addressing these concerns. “[…] concerns were expressed by a number of faculty members, including me, and also by some students. The students had more specific complaints where they talked about incidents of sexism occurring in the classroom,” said Gillespie.

Gillespie also cited other issues regarding equity and diversity within the department. Some faculty members expressed concerns over the difficulties of retention and recruitment of women and minorities within the faculty.

“UTM generally doesn’t have many Indigenous faculty members

DELANEY ROMBOUGH/THE MEDIUM

Following sexism issues in classrooms last January, the English department takes action. [who are] permanent faculty,” said Gillespie.

Besides meeting with both staff and students to discuss solutions to incidents of sexism and gender inequity, Gillespie plans on creating

a new academic and social events committee.

According to a Quality Assurance Review, released by the Office of the Vice-Provost of Academic Programs in 2015 and updated in July

2016, this committee will execute a series of lectures and events with “representation from all levels of faculty and from the English and Drama Student Society.”

The review also states that at least

one “well-known outside speaker” will be invited each term to help build a stronger sense of community between faculty and students in the department.

Significant changes are also being made in the hiring and training process within the English department. According to Gillespie, these changes follow recommendations found in the guidebook Searching for Excellence & Diversity, published by the University of WisconsinMadison.

“We hope to have gender parity in our teaching. […] It is a number one priority for our department to improve the diversity within our faculty. We will make sure that our way of hiring makes it more likely that we hire diverse candidates,” said Gillespire.

A tentative townhall is being set

by Gillespie, the date of which is yet to be announced.

09.19.2016 THE MEDIUM NEWS

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3

U of T calls for CFS referendum The last CFS membership referendum was held in 2002

Theft Under $5,000 A student reported the theft of headphones from a lecture room in Kaneff Centre.

Fraud Campus Police investigated the online resale of parking permits at inflated prices. Investigation is continuing.

Theft Under $5,000 A student reported the theft of sunglasses from the Instructional Building.

Fraud Campus Police investigated the online resale of parking permits at inflated prices. Investigation is continuing.

Theft Under $5,000 A student reported the theft of

a U-Pass from the gym.

Theft Under $5,000 A student reported the theft of a cell phone from a room in the Davis Building.

Driving Offenses Campus Police received a complaint of aggressive driving and are investigating.

Theft Under $5,000 A student reported the theft of a cell phone from a room in the Davis Building.

Noise Complaint Campus Police investigated a noise complaint from outside a residence.

The individuals were requested to keep the noise level down and they complied.

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).

Legal battle continues

UTMSFL.NCLN.CA/PHOTO

FACEBOOK.COM/YOUDECIDEUOFT/PHOTO

You Decide U of T campaign aims at giving students the chance to decide on what they want.

MENNA ELNAKA NEWS EDITOR

A students’ campaign has been launched at the University of Toronto, calling for a referendum on the continuation of University of Toronto Students’ Union’s membership with the Canadian Federation of Students.

According to the campaign’s Facebook page, You Decide U of T, they are working on two petitions on continuing membership with both the CFS national executives and the CFS Ontario provincial executives.

The CFS was founded in 1981, and is considered Canada’s largest student advocacy group.

Over 80 student unions are members within the CFS, including UTMSU, the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union, and the Association of Part-Time Undergraduate Students.

In order to exit the CFS, a petition must be signed by 20 percent of students to be able to hold a referendum on whether or not to leave the organization.

In an interview with The Medium,

Court hearing is pending similar case in Ryerson University.

KASSANDRA HANGDAAN NEWS ASSISTANT An ongoing legal case between UTM Students for Life and UTMSU regarding UTMSFL’s stance on abortion and its status as a recognized club has not yet been resolved.

UTMSFL had previously stated on their website that last January, UTMSU denied to renew their club status for the year 2015-2016.

UTMSFL had also mentioned that they were unable to utilize the student union resources and campus resources, such as the Student Center, and were barred from participating during Clubs Week in September 2015.

Although a court date was expected to be set last June, Diane Zettel, an applicant in the case and former president of UTMSFL, told The Medium in an email that the case has not yet reached a hearing, and is currently pending amidst a similar case between a pro-life student club at Ryerson University and Ryerson University’s Students’

Union, of which the court has not yet made a decision.

“The court is waiting for this decision to be released before going to a hearing for the UTMSFL and UTMSU case,” said Zettel.

Zettel also mentioned that two executives from UTMSU, which she chose to keep undisclosed, were questioned on their affidavits, but no new developments have arisen since the case’s opening last March.

UTMSFL previously stated that last January, UTMSU denied to renew their club status for the year.

When asked for comment, Jackie Zhao, UTMSU’s VP internal stated to The Medium that he could not provide any information because he will need to speak to UTMSU’s lawyer first.

Zhao has not responded back to The Medium, as of press time.

Daman Singh, who speaks on behalf of You Decide U of T, stated that the last CFS membership referendum was held in 2002, when the UTSU first joined the CFS. “Since it’s been 14 years since the last referendum, everyone who was excited to join the CFS has now graduated,” said Singh.

“Students at the UTSU deserve to have a democratic vote on whether or not they still want to be part of the organization. Regardless of how effective CFS is as an organization, students should be able to vote periodically on whether or not to remain members of the CFS,” he added.

In 2014, the UTGSU had attempted to exit the CFS, but did not succeed, as the union’s referendum missed the quorum by seven votes.

In an email to The Medium, Bilan Arte, the national chairperson of CFS, stated, “There is so much strength and power in the size of our [CFS] membership, but there is also an imperative to responsibly and effectively represent the diversity of voices that make up our membership.”

“This is why we go to great lengths to open up spaces and channels for

debate and dialogue with and for our members to accurately reflect not only diversity of opinions and ideas, but also of lived experiences.”

Arte also highlighted some of the services that CFS has helped take part in and bring to students, including the Ontario Student Grant, which will ease “the financial burden of going to higher education in a province known as the most expensive place to study in Canada.”

“When students can see and feel the real change we can achieve together, they see value in that togetherness,” said Arte.

UTSU has denied its involvement in the campaign.

“The bylaws of the CFS state that any petition must be initiated by students, not by the students’ union. As such, the UTSU takes no position on the petition at this time. We are forbidden from doing so, and intend to respect the rules,” stated UTSU’s president Jasmine Wonk Denike in an email to The Medium.

UTM students will not be eligible to vote, as UTMSU is separate from the UTSU’s membership within CFS.

Academic center offers new programs New support programs include online grammar sessions GIANG TRAN

The Academic Affairs Committee meeting held last Wednesday highlighted new learning programs offered to UTM students.

Tyler Evans-Tokaryk, the director of the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre, stated in the meeting that the RGASC will introduce new student support programs and initiatives, including an English Language Learning program, Numeracy Support, and Promoting Academic Skills for Success.

The English Language Learning will offer one-on-one appointment sessions that aim at improving referencing, speaking, and the writing skills of students.

The program will host online grammar sessions through a series

of 10 PowerPoint workshops, and will be available on Blackboard to students.

There will also be an online academic integrity tutorial, which is still under implementation, that highlights all aspects of integrity, in addition to plagiarism.

The Numeracy Support program, through face-to-face appointments or drop-in sessions, will give students a chance to learn more about mathematical concepts like algebraic formulation, basic statistical methods, pre-calculus, and advanced functions.

The PASS program was launched in 2015, and acts as a learning model targeted towards “at risk” students—those who are failing their courses.

The PASS program is a sevenweek, non-credit course that focuses on foundational academic

skills, including listening, notetaking, reading, writing, problem solving, research skills, and critical thinking.

PASS will also mentor in small groups and will be based on interactive sessions.

Also on the agenda of the meeting was new consultation plans.

Amrita Daniere, UTM’s vice principal, academic and dean, stated that a draft plan about an improved UTM vision and development will be posted publicly this week for students to view.

Daniere also said that there will be public consultations and meetings with students to receive input and discuss their ideas regarding what they hope UTM achieves.

The next Academic Affairs Committee meeting is set on November 23.

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«NEWS

THE MEDIUM 09.19.2016

Welcoming international students

»WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE THING

ABOUT YOURSELF?

Rana Mohamed Finance & economics

Basim Al-Hashmi Chemical & physical sci

Cheerfulness

Patience to play videogames for money

Joey Valbuena Sociology

Aureld Benavidez Linguistics

Very optimistic attitude

My hair

JEANLOUIS REBELLO/THE MEDIUM

International students raise concerns over their tuition fees.

ELLIE LEUNG

UTMSU hosted their annual International Meet and Greet event last Thursday, where students got a chance to learn more about on-campus activities and meetings, as well as taste food from different countries.

Aside from sharing similar experiences, the event also served as a way for some students to raise their concerns over unregulated international tuition fees, and the division between domestic and international students.

“International students at UTM face high tuition fees, lack OHIP coverage, deal with unfair immigration processes, and a lack of transitional supports to assist them once they’re in Canada,” stated Marise Hopkins, UTMSU’s VP external, in an email to The Medium. “[They] also face cultural discrim-

ination, and in some cases, racism, depending on where they originate from. International students are also constantly assumed to be rich, and are seen as cash cows or moneybags by not only their non-international peers, but the U of T administration as well,” Hopkins added.

Shortly after the event, an email was sent out to the students, inviting them to take part in future meetings of the Ministry of International Students.

According to Hopkins, the Ministry of International Students meetings are held to “educate, agitate, and organize students around the issues that affect international students’ access to post-secondary education.”

“It was great to interact with people who are from all over the world,” said Diana Dang, a first-year sociology student from Vietnam, in an interview with The Medium.

“One piece of advice I’ve gotten as

a freshman is to try everything that you can. The possibilities here are a luxury to me, that’s why I chose this school,” Dang also said.

Cindy Thai, a second-year history student from Netherlands, said, “There are issues that you usually don’t talk about with other students.

I like events like this where you can meet other people. It’s easy; it’s accessible. There are issues you can relate to more, like moving to another country.”

“The purpose of the [International Students’ Meet and Greet] event is to build an international community at UTM that will transpire across cultures and borders,” Hopkins also stated in her email.

UTMSU plans on hosting other events that recognize cultural diversity on campus, including UTM Foodie this Wednesday and Multicultural Week in January.

UTMSU introduces campaigns

Campus Affairs discusses future plans

SAMUEL KAN/THE MEDIUM

Budget plan includes the growth of UTM.

NICOLE SCIULLI/THE MEDIUM

UTMSU’s commission meeting discussed the National Day of Action to lower tuition fees.

MENNA ELNAKA NEWS EDITOR WITH NOTES FROM KASSANDRA HANGDAAN NEWS ASSISTANT A “Fight the Fees” campaign was discussed last Wednesday in UTMSU’s first commission meeting of this academic year.

Marise Hopkins, UTMSU’s VP external, stated that on November 2, UTMSU will be sending a letter to the government to lobby toward lowering tuition fees.

UTMSU also plans to take part in the National Day of Action, along with UTSG, Carleton University, and York University to continue

lobbying to lower the fees.

Hopkins stated that the average student debt is $26,800.

UTMSU also plans on holding events starting October 5 to raise awareness about tuition, according to Nour Alideeb, UTMSU’s president.

Students were also introduced to the different ministries at UTMSU, including the Ministry of International Students, the Ministry of Student Services, the Ministry of Education and Outreach, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Social Justice, and several others.

For almost the first half hour of the meeting, every five minutes, the students rotated between differ-

ent ministries, each represented by a UTMSU executive, and learned more about the ministry of their interest. They also got a chance to sign up and leave their available times so that they can arrange a meeting with their preferred ministry.

“The commission meeting is one of the best places for students to bring in their ideas,” said UTMSU’s president Nour Alideeb in the meeting.

She also asked the students attending to bring in whatever suggestions they had “to make this place more interactive.”

The next commission meeting will be held in October.

Budget continued from page 2 The committee reviewed how U of T has been attracting more international students, with more than half of them coming from Eastern Asian countries. The committee expressed a desire to equalize diversity with non-domestic students and try to appeal to different regions around the world.

With the large growth in student population, the committee looked at creating more spaces for them, including the construction of North Building Phase Two, as well as a new building designated towards the sciences.

Ulrich Krull, UTM’s new interim principal, emphasized the need to create a new building for the science department, explaining that the sci-

ence department at UTM requires expansion.

Many of the buildings already on campus, according to Krull, have specific purposes, such as the Innovation Complex for Business, and the Hazel McCallion Learning Center for writing, but there is no designated space for the growing scientific community.

More information regarding investments of this new project are expected to be presented soon.

Krull also mentioned that the possibility of a Brampton campus at U of T has no longer been pursued. The idea of expanding into Brampton was previously discussed last year, but since then no plans have moved forward.

The next Campus Affairs meeting is on November 21.

09.19.2016

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5

A death certificate for creativity With The Walrus’ new move to censor work, writers are getting left behind I was hoping that I wouldn’t have to write another editorial on censorship so soon after my last one, but something grabbed my attention last week.

Two days ago, I read an article in The Globe and Mail detailing how none other than Nick Mount was leaving The Walrus.

The reasoning behind his decision was that the publication was pushing for more “family-friendly” material.

Justin Giovannetti’s article, “Walrus fiction editor quits over magazine’s push for ‘family-friendly’ stories”, discussed how Mount announced on Friday morning that he would be leaving because The Walrus’ “management expressed ‘obscenity concerns’ about publishing words like ‘crap’ and ‘orgasm’ in a work of fiction planned for an upcoming issue.”

The article went on to cite Mount’s email to a list of past contributors: “‘The publisher has decided that the magazine wants more family-friendly fiction. There’s just not enough fiction in Canada that is both good and family-friendly. So I can’t be of much help to the magazine anymore.”

To me, Mount is a big deal. Well, let me clarify: Mount is a big deal to a lot of people. He teaches at U of T St. George, he’s a two-time finalist in TVO’s Best Lecturer Competition, and he won the President’s Teaching Award back in 2009. These accomplishments barely scrape the surface of his career achievements, let alone what he means to fiction editing. For The Walrus to lose him is actually a bigger loss than I think they know.

Maybe my respect for Mount makes me biased. But The Walrus has succeeded in sacrificing their credibility for the sake of putting a Band-Aid on potentially offensive material.

The article went on to discuss how this push for censorship started due to a piece from Stephen Marche. The story included a scene where a man was having sex with a Boreal owl.

I don’t work for The Walrus. With this new rule they’re implementing, it’s clear to me that we obviously have different ideas of what should be in a creative fiction piece. I have, however, read several issues of it in my life, and still my question about Marche’s piece remains the same: so what?

A character had sex with an owl?

Alert the church elders. Everyone rush to the river so we can be baptized. We

must censor all fiction now.

In Giovannetti’s piece, Marche was interviewed about the decision: “‘Do we have children flipping through the pages of The Walrus’ fiction section, looking for obscenity? I would love to believe we live in a world where that is happening. We’re not. I find it appalling,’ Mr. Marche said.”

I absolutely agree with him. I could sit here all day and write about how ridiculous it is to censor fiction. I feel like I would be repeating key points made in last week’s editorial. But, to censor fiction is to do something else entirely. The Walrus’ claim is that they want more “family-friendly” material.

Perhaps I’m missing something, but unless a nine-year-old is picking up a copy of The Walrus, I really don’t know who this new rule is meant to benefit.

This new path of theirs is doomed to lead readers to a finish line of caution tape. And for what?

I think one giant publication making a move like this sets the tone for others to follow suit, and that’s a problem. Where would the limit be? Who would these rules reach?

Take last week for example. Just last Friday, I was at the Hart House, watching their first play of the 201617 year, Tideline. Not to click-bait our own articles, but you’re more than welcome to read the full review in arts this week. For some context, Tideline follows a young man named Wilfred, as he returns to his father’s home country so he can bury him there. But I’m going to skip over a review of my own, and jump right into the mature subject matter of the play. As Wilfred arrives in his father’s unnamed home country, he is welcomed into the house of a wealthy man who describes the horrors of the war that the country faced. He then goes on to describe, in detail, how a father was murdered, stripped naked, and sodomized with a wooden stake until he become erect.

The soldiers then placed his daughter, no older than 10, on top of him as she begged them to stop.

I’ve been to many Hart House plays, and I’ll admit that that definitely isn’t something I ever expected to hear in a student production. Especially because the man telling the story had no sympathy. It was told as a funny anecdote to his dinner guests.

This is just one example of hundreds. Thousands. But pushing the

boundaries like this is something I want out of my art. Is it disgusting?

Yes. Is it disturbing? Of course. But did it serve a purpose in showing the brutality of war? Check that box, too.

It would be an unbelievable disappointment to see scripts with scenes like these be censored. These are the horrors of war being displayed to the audience. They shouldn’t be hidden away if the Hart House ever decides they want more family-friendly material for themselves. This kind of adjustment asks artists everywhere to sign a death certificate for their creativity.

Back when I was still in my creative writing class, I told a friend of mine that I wanted writing to mess me up.

I wanted authors to shove graphic material in my face—because first, it’s the author’s right, and second, I don’t care, nor have I ever really cared, for stories that left me with a happy ending. I wanted something I could relate to. I wanted something that would shock me. I always want to read something that proved the author wasn’t writing to please an audience.

As a creative writer, I think I aim to do the same thing with my writing. I censor nothing, which of course gives me a biased opinion. But, it’s an opinion nonetheless. I don’t see the point in censoring. If you don’t write about it, someone else will. Why not be the one to do it? I don’t write so people will be happy with my message or glad I left out gory details. I write what’s important to me and what I think should be said.

To some, authors abuse these liberties. There will be characters who say something racist or sexist, and the author gets heat. It’s their creation, of course, so they should answer for what was said or done. I don’t agree with that. I think characters take on a life of their own and become their own people. If something unnecessarily cruel is said, then that’s another thing.

But if a sexist character sees a woman on the street and decides to call her a pig, I’m not really expecting anything else from him. It offends me. It angers me. The character does his job, as does the author. This is best saved for an entirely different editorial, though.

This kind of censorship is exactly what I wrote about in my first editorial. In order to keep up with clickbait, news outlets are now turning to

unimportant news that puts a smile on the faces of those reading it.

It’s bad enough that this is happening in the news, but to spread the disease of censorship to creative work is ludicrous.

I understand that not everyone will agree with me. But I don’t think that news or creative work should be censored. I admitted last week that I can’t handle some of the images being shown on the news. I also wrote that my reasoning was no excuse for censorship. Whatever anger or distaste I may feel for what is shown in the news simply stems from my inability to handle it. That doesn’t mean that every journalist should walk away from the field or their computers.

I don’t want to speak for Mount, but I think one of the biggest reasons why he walked away is because he understands the importance of artistic license. He was quoted in Giovannetti’s article as saying, “The initial cause was Marche’s story. If not that story, it would have been another.”

Marche used the perfect word to describe this change: appalling. It’s appalling to tell a fiction writer to censor his work because, all of a sudden, it doesn’t appeal to the new demographic. To make Marche the scapegoat for censoring all potentially graphic material is also insulting.

What’s even worse is that words like “crap” and “orgasm” were the ones to make this big shift. It’s actually kind of funny. Not in the “this is actually funny” way but in the “this is so ridiculous that I can’t help but laugh about it” way.

But it’s more than that. It’s degrading to the writers who have poured their time and effort into a piece that is now deemed too sensitive. It’s crap.

YOURS, MARIA CRUZ

CORRECTION NOTICE The Sept. 12 article “Syria to ‘Sauga: Nazar reaches UTM” referred to a $10,000 scholarship as $100,000.

The article “Inspiration from antiquity” contained a small error.

The Pattern Migration exhibit at the AGM ended on September 11. The Pattern Migration Satellite Exhibit at Square One has been extended until October 24.

6

«OPINION THE MEDIUM

09.19.2016

Forget the past & future, focus on the now Constant questions about the future have the tendency to make us forget about our present Agh, thinking sucks.

“What are you studying? What are you going to do after you graduate? Are you excited? What do you plan on doing with your degree? Are you going to get a job?

When do you think you’ll get married?”

I’m sure you’ve all had these questions asked before by your parents, friends, or even someone that you’ve just met.

I dread getting asked these questions. Yet, I find myself attempting to find the answers every single day.

I was driving to a friend’s house the other day, and these thoughts kept bugging me the entire drive.

The main question I had was, how am I going to make it in this life? By the time I arrived to their house, I realized that I made myself genuinely upset about a future that hasn’t even happened yet.

Do I have an answer to these questions? If I did, I wouldn’t be writing this. I barely even know what I’m going to be doing in the next 30 seconds, let alone the next 40 years. Yet, there is this expectation that I need to have a plan in place, I have to know exactly what I’m doing, or that’s it! I won’t be successful at all.

However, through my years here

at UTM, I’ve come to realize one thing: I have no idea what I’m doing, nor do I know where I’m going. And you won’t either.

I came to university thinking I was studying criminology so that I could become a cop, and then work my way up the ranks to become a detective. This was my answer whenever anyone asked me the same questions I previously mentioned. Man, did I get a huge amount of appreciation for “having my life together” and knowing exactly my plan for the future. I was golden.

Did it stress me out when I got asked these questions? Of course it did, because when I gave them that answer, I wasn’t even sure if that was what I wanted to do. I researched more and more into going into law enforcement, and the more I kept researching, the more I was nervous to realize that I didn’t really want to follow that path. Now that I’m about to graduate, I get asked these questions frequently, but now I get asked them knowing that people are expecting a legitimate long-term plan from me. It’s not so much that I’m nervous to say that I have no plan after graduation. What makes me nervous is telling them that I want to go into photography and film. The

usual response is, “Oh, that’s cool.”

And this is only because of this idea that not only do I need to have a plan, but I also need to go into something with stability, benefits, and security.

So when they respond with “Oh that’s cool,” it’s really a “How are you going to survive? That isn’t a profession.” I become fixated on figuring out this plan. I forget what I’m doing now, and begin stressing myself over creating my life-long plan for the future.

What you think might happen in the future doesn’t matter. What you do right now in this very moment is the only thing that matters.

I quickly realized that this world is not as linear as we all think it is.

We expect ourselves to know exactly what we’re doing with our lives after we graduate. And by doing so, we become stressed, depressed, and upset, all because we want to know where we’re going. We develop this dangerous mentality of needing to have a plan, otherwise we’re screwed.

However, after my first year, it took a lot in me to realize that I don’t think I’ll ever know exactly where I’m going or what I’m doing.

Do I still think about my future and try to mould it? Of course, it runs through my head every day.

But I think we constantly forget that we just need to stop thinking about the past and the future so often. We depress ourselves over mistakes we’ve made, yet we also depress ourselves about things that haven’t happened yet. But we never think about one moment in our lives­— right now.

We’re conditioned to only think about tomorrow and to reflect and memorialize the past. But why do we keep waiting for tomorrow to do something, when we have right now to do it? Even while we experience the moment now, we continue to only think about the future. Our minds wander and never allow us to situate ourselves here. I mean, I find myself doing this all the time, and I always end up worrying myself more than I should be.

Easier said than done—and I know, it’s a cliché thing to say.

However, we bring more harm to ourselves than good if we solely focus on what’s already passed or what hasn’t happened yet.

Like I said, I wanted to be a cop.

Now, I want to go into photography and film. Is this an answer most people want to hear to those questions? Probably not. Does it necessarily mean that I am going to be in that field in the next two years?

Who knows? Life likes to just keep going without telling you.

My dad always repeats John Lennon’s lyric from his song, “Beautiful Boy”, “Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans.” We get caught up in planning the future and worrying about the past, yet we never look at ourselves in the moments that we’re in right now.

Now, I’m not saying I’m the master of placing myself in the moment, but I do try. It’s all you can do. It’s easy to let yourself be drawn back to the past, and into the unknown future. However, we have to realize that life never stops for you. I think that if you learn from your past and remind yourself that what’s done is done­— it’s unchangeable—you have the ability to remember where you are now. What you think might happen in the future doesn’t matter. What you do right now in this very moment is the only thing that matters.

Mahmoud Sarouji Managing Editor

THE MEDIUM’S

Meet & Greet Tuesday, September 20 at 6:00 p.m.

The Medium office

(Student Centre, room 200)

Free food will be served.

Any UTM student is welcome to attend!

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09.19.2016

Hart House rolls in with the tide Family, war, identity, and a touch of dark comedy are among the highlights of Tideline HAILEY MASON A&E EDITOR What defines loss? Is there one, singular way to mourn, or can this act be plural? These are questions Wilfred (Danny Ghantous) must confront when he learns the news of his father’s death.

Tideline isn’t your average play about loss. In fact, Tideline isn’t your average play at all. One adjective won’t suffice, so I’ll use four: poetic, obscure, intense, and abstract. This is a play that brims with significance and urges you to confront the harsh concepts it puts forth. Wajdi Mouawad’s script is the perfect opener for Hart House’s 2016/2017 season.

Last Friday night, Tideline made its debut on the Hart House stage.

Directed by Ken Gass, Mouawad’s script involves issues of family, loss, desire, war, and abandonment. The story primarily centres around Wilfred’s state of mind. When he receives the call that his estranged father (Erik Mrakovcic) has passed away, Wilfred is thrown into a turmoil of mixed emotion and self-doubt. Above anything else, Wilfred believes his father should be buried in his unnamed homeland, where he was forced to flee at the onset of war 25 years prior.

Despite the objections of his eccentric family, Wilfred journeys to this foreign land to seek a burial spot for his

EDRIC BALA/THE MEDIUM

Tideline premiered at Hart House Theatre last Friday evening as the 2016/2017 season-opener. father. But when he arrives, he’s met with a challenge—there are no vacant graves. The play then follows Wilfred as he treks across the country, carrying his father’s rotting corpse on his back, seeking a suitable place to lay him to rest. Along the way, he meets a cast of individuals equally as adrift and traumatized as himself.

The scenes flit between moments of supposed reality and Wilfred’s imagination. I use the term “reality” loosely, as the audience can never be certain where the story is taking place; elements of Wilfred’s imagination often overlap with the physical world. Yet, this play isn’t confusing.

Oddly enough, it makes perfect sense the whole way through.

Accompanying Wilfred on his quest is his imaginary counterpart, the Knight (Angela Sun). The Knight is meant to represent a character from the stories Wilfred’s father used to tell him when he was a child. The Knight acts as Wilfred’s protector and guide. When Wilfred encounters a distressing situation, he summons the Knight, who heroically emerges wielding a sword, ready to lop off the head of the nearest antagonist. Problem solved, I suppose. These dramatic deaths are followed by the Knight’s sage advice, as she coaches Wilfred

through his conflicting feelings. The lights then brighten, the beheaded characters rise from the floor, and Wilfred returns to reality.

These intermittent lapses in reality characterize Wilfred’s experience throughout the play. As I mentioned earlier, one can never be certain if Wilfred is dreaming or not. As he wanders through his father’s homeland, the corpse often stands and speaks to him, explaining hidden truths about his mother’s death and the country he fled from. We question whether or not we should believe the father’s stories, as his animation is seemingly a result of Wilfred’s imagi-

nation—are his facts true, or is Wilfred reassuring himself with his version of the truth?

Tideline blends somber, weighty subjects with an effortless dark humour. One minute you’re laughing as Mrakovcic pauses to smear green paint on his face—as he explains, he’s a rotting corpse and needs to look the part—and the next, you’re grimacing as one of the stragglers Wilfred encounters explains the graphic nature of his family’s death.

One thing this play lacks is restraint. The characters in Tideline are not ashamed to share the explicit circumstances that war brought into their lives. There’s Simone (Cassidy Sadler), whose family was ripped from their home and killed, Amé (Augusto Bitter), who murdered his father in cold blood, and Sabbé (Harrison Tanner), who couldn’t help but laugh as his father was beheaded. Despite my cringes during some of these stories, war is a heavily influential topic that shouldn’t be toned down to spare the audience. These characters need to tell their stories in the same way that war-torn individuals in the present need to share theirs. Wilfred’s father symbolizes the fathers of each character as they cope with the horrors that plague them and their country.

Tideline continued on page 9

“My name is Rose. I didn’t kill my child.”

The Secret Scripture depicts a story of love and betrayal during the final week of TIFF KIMBERLY DAY

My personal experience at the Toronto International Film Festival could be seen as nothing less than an extraordinary opportunity. It enabled me, along with many others, to view the magnificent creations of filmmakers from all over the world. Last Thursday, I had the chance to view the premier screening of The Secret Scripture, a movie directed by Jim Sheridan.

My primary impression of the event was that it was exceptionally organized, with several employees and volunteers available at every turn to help with any questions that guests might have had. After taking my seat, the screening event began promptly at 6:30 p.m. The audience was introduced to the film by Sheridan himself, who gave a humorous and concise speech about the making of the film. He also shared his appreciation of actresses Rooney Mara and Vanessa Redgrave for their outstanding

WENDELL MACAPAGAL/THE MEDIUM

The Secret Scripture is a tragic love story that aired last Thursday evening at TIFF. dedication to their roles as the main character, Rose (past and present, respectively).

The Secret Scripture depicts the struggles of Rose, a woman confined to a mental institute for over 40 years after being accused of murdering her own child. However, this was not the first time someone had been admitted to a mental hospital in Rose’s

family. Rose explains in the film that her mother was sent to be treated for going mad after losing the love of her life, Rose’s father. Similar to her mother, Rose was confined to a mental hospital for several years. But unlike her mother, Rose’s confinement was as a result of betrayal.

The story occurs in the 1940s, during World War 2, in a small city in Ire-

land. Throughout the film, Sheridan uses flashbacks to display the hidden story of Rose’s past—one filled with love and family relationships, and hardships such as loss.

Setting plays a significant role in the development of the film’s plot.

Most of the events that occur are meaningful as a result of the era in which they take place. For example,

the use of electrical shocks to “treat” Rose in the mental institute is certainly a result of the film’s time period. Evidently, the time and place in which the events take place shape the outcome of Rose’s life.

Throughout the film, there is a significant use of imagery, especially relating to Rose’s past. At the beginning, we are introduced to a small Bible that Rose has altered into “The Book of Rose,” with each page containing different memories from her past.

Finely written at the top of each page, Rose purges the truth by writing, “My name is Rose. I did not kill my child.”

In a shocking plot twist near the end of the film, a barrage of emotions flow through Rose as she remembers the passionate love she shared with her husband, Michael McNulty.

The Secret Scripture could be classified as a tragic love story. It consequently teaches us through the life and experiences of Rose. We learn that despite all, the truth always comes to light in the end.

09.19.2016 THE MEDIUM ARTS» 9

In light of a new sound NICOLE SCIULLI When I entered my graphic novel course this semester, I was looking forward to all the novels we would be reading. Graphic novels have always been one of my favourite genres; they carry a mysterious aura and leave many things unsaid. As a result, it’s up to the reader to discover their own meaning.

Seth’s ghost-like pictures tell a profound story of self-discovery and a contemplation of the past, showcased through his muted art style.

One of the first books I analyzed in class was Seth’s It’s a Good Life, If You Don’t Weaken. Seth is the pen name for Gregory Gallant, a local Canadian artist from Guelph who creates cartoons for The New Yorker. His art consists of decaying buildings, similar to the buildings found in southern Ontario, where he grew up. He uses shades of black and grey for colour. Seth’s ghostlike pictures tell a profound story of self-discovery and a contemplation of the past, showcased through his muted art style.

It’s a Good Life, If You Don’t Weaken follows Seth, a cartoon enthusiast who perpetually lives in the past— whether it’s collecting old cartoons, or returning to places from his past.

He attempts to trace the origins of an obscure Canadian cartoonist from the 1950s, named Kalo. As Seth pieces together Kalo’s story, he searches for happiness in a world that seems to get worse every year.

As Seth uncovers the story of Kalo, he learns that nostalgia and memory shouldn’t be viewed as things that need to be fixed. If he accepts his life-altering actions from the past, he can release himself from his emotional burden and move forward. As Kalo’s best friend tells Seth, “You look back and you wonder, ‘Could I have changed the course of my life?’ Maybe you could’ve... But it would have taken a tremendous force of will.” Sometimes it’s better to have no expectations, live your life, and await the small surprises life offers you.

Gallant creates a hauntingly beautiful story that draws stunning conclusions about nostalgia, memory, and fate. Overall, It’s a Good Life, If You Don’t Weaken is a terrific read that continuously makes the reader question everything they know about these topics. His novel compels readers to examine their lives critically.

REWIND AYESHA TIRMZI

La Haine is a 1995 French classic film written, co-edited, and directed by Mathieu Kassovitz. The basic story is about a trio of friends, Vinz (Vincent Cassel), Saïd (Saïd Taghmaoui) and Hubert (Hubert Koundé), who come from immigrant families living in rundown housing projects in the outskirts of Paris. The plot unfolds when Vinz finds a police gun the day after a brutal riot. The movie follows the group for 19 hours straight as they aimlessly roam through the French ghetto. They face new situations and people that they didn’t have the power to confront before their discovery.

Filmed in black and white, the movie is a raw and honest depiction of the social and political unrest present around housing projects (banlieues) in Parisian suburbs. During the 90s, La Haine became a huge, critical success in France as well as internationally; it was the first time the marginalized banlieue had been given a voice and brought forward to the mainstream audience.

Loosely based on the 1986 police beatings and student riots that resulted in the death of a student protester, Malik Oussekine, Kassovitz directly refers to Oussekine’s death in the opening

montage of the film.

The dynamics of the multi-ethnic friendship between the rage-filled, antipolice Vinz, the cheeky, foul-mouthed Saïd, and the quiet, philosophical Hubert, is what really makes this film so interesting. That, and its daring screenplay and improvisational performance that will instantly win anyone over.

What’s unusual about this unexpected coming-of-age tale is that even with such a bleak backdrop, it does not fail to provide us with a hint of hope. One can see how Kassovitz refrains from victimizing these young men. Instead, he wants us to see them as human beings trying to find meaning in their lives as they fail to integrate into French society. Beneath the hard-hitting humor and punchy veneer lies the intense racial tension and frustration from police brutality that these unemployed men of broken families and low socio-economic status have to face on a daily basis.

The reason why this movie instantly feels like a classic is because of the social phenomena that Kassovitz so accurately captured 20 years ago. La Haine was obviously created by a person who understood both sides of French culture. Due to Kassovitz’s keen cultural and timely understanding, it’s not surprising that this film’s main issues are relevant to current events.

BILLBOARD.COM/PHOTO

The Head and the Heart released their third album, Signs of Light, on September 9.

FARIDA ABDELMEGUIED The Head and the Heart always produce fantastic music, and Signs of Light is no exception. Although this album was significantly less folksy than their previous two, The Head and the Heart (2011) and Let’s Be Still (2013), it’s a big step for the band and a change in their overall vibe. Because of the diversity of sounds and genres in Signs of Light, there’s something for everyone in this album. It includes more of a pop sound than previous albums, but songs like “Rhythm and Blues” still maintain some of their older, rustic feel.

At times, the band tries to play up

their sound, exaggerating parts of the album and making them sound like many other bands. As The Head and the Heart explore new sounds, they lose that signature, acoustic feel that first defined their self-titled album.

Songs such as “Down in the Valley” from The Head and the Heart characterize them as a cozy indie band, and I felt somewhat disappointed hearing some of the new synthetic sounds in Signs of Light for the first time.

Overall, most of the songs were enjoyable. Signs of Light contains ideal music for this time of the year. The lyrics, although catchy, are meaningful and emotive.

There’s plenty of variation in the album. It begins with an acoustic sound, develops into a fast-paced rhythm, and returns to its original steady state. The album was a combination of ups and downs. Some songs like “Dreamer” and “Turn it Around” take a rock approach with a focus on vocals. Others were soothing, like, “Your Mother’s Eyes,” which lulls in a swaying acoustic melody. The album ends with their title track, a soulful, appropriate ending to the album.

Despite The Head and the Heart’s apparent fork in the road, I enjoyed every second of this album. I’m excited to see which path they choose to follow.

Anchored in the past JASON COELHO Casey Affleck turns in an award-worthy performance in writer/director Kenneth Lonergan’s captivating Manchester by the Sea, a family drama set on the shores of Massachusetts, where audiences are taken through the emotional wringer in a tale that pulls no punches as it unravels.

Manchester follows handyman Lee Chandler (Affleck) as he copes with the loss of his older brother Joe (Kyle Chandler) and struggles with accepting his new responsibility as the legal guardian of his estranged nephew, Patrick (Lucas Hedges).

This is Lee’s story, weighed down by the sins of his past and distant in every sense of the word. He is piecing together his soul and a lost relationship with his family, as the things that once defined him become torn apart by illness, alcoholism, and tragedy.

The film is anchored by an outstanding performance from Affleck, who, along with a talented ensemble including Chandler, Michelle Williams, and Hedges, delivers a raw, emotionallycharged portrayal of a damaged soul, suffering and beleaguered by existential woes.

A strong decisive vision from Lonergan, who controls every element from the opening shot till the film fades to black, unapologetically shines a light on the fragility of the human state, and tackles it with a sincerity and gentleness that invigorates the structure of the clichéd family drama.

The razor-sharp dialogue peppered with dark humour adds a brutal honesty that shades and colours his characters to make them human.

At the TIFF premiere last Tuesday night, a necessary standing ovation greeted the main cast, who were in attendance with Lonergan and produc-

ers Kimberly Steward and Matt Damon.

Damon, who was originally set to star in Affleck’s role but bowed out due to scheduling conflicts, continued to praise Lonergan for creating an honest portrayal of suffering that is universally relatable.

Toronto native Lesley Barber’s bold score elevates the film overall, but particularly captivates during the dialogue-absent scenes. It drums up emotions and sets the perfect background music for the 135 minutes we venture through the small-town Massachusetts setting.

The true maestro of this symphony, however, is Lonergan. The orchestration in each scene acts like a movement, playing with emotion and structure, creating a masterpiece that is beautiful in its tragedy.

Manchester by the Sea is in theatres November 18.

Saying a lot with a little Tideline continued from page 8

Contrasting the tumultuous circumstances that unfold on stage is the use of minimalistic props, costumes, and set pieces. The stage was void of any colour; everything was painted white.

The actors used few props, and their clothing was plain. For instance, Sun wore basic black pants and a shirt, with only the large sword tucked into her belt to indicate her character.

This simplicity certainly functioned to the cast’s advantage. The stage was comprised of moving platforms that were used in every scene. The actors used these versatile pieces to elevate themselves during monologues or to display different scenes happening in

the background. One platform jutted out to the side of the stage, allowing Ghantous to charge into the audience in the opening scene and make his appeal to a judge.

As the cast of Tideline manoeuvered through this setting, I couldn’t help but admire the choreography. The movements of the actors were intricately designed and well-rehearsed throughout the scenes. This performative element added to the depth of the script, as it created implications that would otherwise go unsaid through dialogue alone.

In one scene, Wilfred and his family are gathered at Wilfred’s apartment. They sit in a diagonal row of chairs, talking to each other while staring straight ahead. They direct their speech beyond the audience, but respond to each other

as if they were speaking face-to-face.

Only when the conversation escalates do the characters turn and face one another. This scene was beautifully synchronized and expanded on Wilfred’s family dynamic, including the detachment, hostility, and secrets that circulate their relationships.

Tideline is dense with emotion, meaning, and hidden contexts. I could talk for hours about the convoluted plot that unfolded before me, but I’m afraid that my words alone wouldn’t do it justice. Mouawad has created a script wrought with raw human experience and Gass has brought this vision to life through his direction.

Tideline runs until October 1 at Hart House Theatre.

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THE MEDIUM 09.19.2016

Telling the Tale

Students of UTM share the stories and inspiration behind their unique body ink Photos by Olivia Adamczyk ADELAIDE ATTARD Karl Quimson: I got this tattoo during a time when I had a massive creative block. I decided one day that I needed to escape the city. I bought a last-minute train ticket to Montreal. All I had was $500 in my wallet at the time.

Once I arrived, I decided to go drinking on the first night, because I didn’t have a place to stay. When I walked into this bar called The Crowbar, I saw this guy with a massive beard and no hair on his head. I went up to him, and we started talking and began drinking. The man went by Oz. I told him more about myself. As we got

deeper into conversation, I told him that my roommates and I had this silly joke, and used to call girls “birds.” For some reason, that idea stuck with him.

We started doodling birds on a napkin. He drew an owl and that seemed to stick, since we both liked the idea of wisdom, renewal and rebirth. He began to draw an owl through the lens of a kaleidoscope. It was pretty distorted.

The more he drew, the more it ended up looking like a mandala. I liked the spiritual idea behind the mandala.

The next morning, I visited him at his tattoo shop and thanked him for the talk the night before. He had kept the napkin, and based the tattoo off the

image we thought of together. We only had four hours, which is why it’s unfinished. I spent the $500 on the tattoo.

Sure, it took all my money. But I realized I didn’t need cash to survive here.

Oz told me about a friend of his staying at a hostel, so that’s where I stayed.

I had to get on with my journey, so Oz and I had to go our separate ways. He gave me a few pointers on hitchhiking, and it helped, since I wanted to hitchhike across the province. I never saw him again because he got deported back to Australia. I hope to finish [the tattoo] one day, and find a yellow brick road that leads me back to Oz.

ADELAIDE ATTARD Erin Foley: This is my most recent tattoo. I got this tattoo in the beginning of August, at a place called The OkeyDoke. This tattoo is my most significant one in a series of really dumb tattoo choices. It’s a blue heron. I just let my tattoo artist freestyle, because I love her style of doing things.

In my core group of friends, they call me “heron.” Despite the fact that the name within itself is kind of silly and annoying, this is a group of people that helped me through one of the most difficult times of my life. There was a lot of change happening. There was a lot

RHENICE BOWMAN Rhenice Bowman: My tattoo journey started at the early age of seven.

My older brother came home one Thursday night with two tattoos, one on each arm. On his left forearm in a cursive font was my name, and on his right forearm in matching font was my sister’s name. From this moment, I became obsessed with ink and started planning my future tattoos, each one being extremely personal and usually connected to my family.

Sound and music are very important in my family. With dancers, sing-

ers, producers, and more, my family lives for sound. The sound wave placed across my left rib is for my sister. At first glance, you would never know what the sound wave says. But when I was a little girl, my grandfather always said, “I love you unconditionally.” That phrase became a mantra in my family.

It is the only way to say I love you in my family, and that is exactly what the sound wave says.

One Sunday afternoon, it hit me. I ran to my sister’s house, crashed on her bed, and said, “Tell me you love me.”

Without question, she said, “I love you unconditionally”, as I simultaneously

of transition. I don’t think I could have gotten through it without their support, even if that meant I had to deal with a few really stupid heron jokes.

This group of people [has] established a home base for me. People I consider my home base definitely refer to me as “heron”. As such, this is my tribute to them and to those relationships that really transcended what I thought friendship was, and what a concept of a home was, and shifted that for me.

This is my tribute to my new home and to finding serenity through these beautiful relationships that I am lucky to have in my corner.

hit the record button on my laptop. I then repeated it again with my voice for her identical tattoo. After a week of imaging, enhancing, rendering, and colour editing, I had two perfect sound waves. We placed them on the rear side of opposite ribs: mine on the left and my sister’s on the right, matching our dominant hands. After completing the tattoos and coming together to take a picture, we realized that when we stand side by side, the two waves connect, creating a longer phrase. We love these images. They represent our family, our passion, and our love for each other.

ADELAIDE ATTARD Adelaide Attard: The first out of my two tattoos is a little triangle on my outer left ankle. I got this when I was 17, the day before prom. I wanted my first tattoo to be really versatile. I think what scares a lot of people about tattoos is the idea of permanency and the fear of commitment. That’s what I thought.

This was going to be on my body forever, and at such a young age, I didn’t want this tattoo to be too specific to who I was and what I was going through at the time.

For me, the triangle perfectly illuminates my love for the number three.

The triangle symbolizes my mother, my father, and my sister: the three most important people in my life. And no

matter what I am going through, I will always have a reminder of a trinity of my own. I also love how small it is. I love the idea of minimalism. I wanted to keep it simple and let the idea behind the tattoo speak for itself.

For my second tattoo, I have three mountain peaks on my right inner arm.

In 2015, I travelled alone to the West Coast twice. Both times I needed a release. Since I was visiting Vancouver, the home of a tattoo artist I stumbled across on social media, I wanted to have the tattoo done by her. Since she’s lived in Vancouver her whole life, I knew this would not be her first time drawing mountains.

I got this tattoo for three reasons. Like I said, I love the rule of three. Secondly, there is a quote by one of my favourite

authors, Jack Kerouac: “Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.” For me, this is a constant reminder not to become caught up in the tedious tasks of daily life and to never let go of my love for nature. Sticking with the literary theme, I loved the last page of Oh, the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss.

The page reads: “You’re off to great places, today is your day. Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way.” This tattoo is a constant reminder to get the most out of life, no matter what I’m going through—a reminder to always climb my own mountains, suspending any fear that may hold me back.

Read more people’s stories at themedium.ca

09.19.2016

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SciLit Week: not just about learning Science Literacy Week returns as Hildebrand continues to expand the event across Canada AMNA AZHAR On April 2, 2014, Jesse Hildebrand, an ecology major from the University of Toronto, wrote his last exam. Generally, on the day after our last exam as undergraduates, most of us would sleep in, go out with friends, or satisfy our binge-watching desires. Hildebrand, however, set out to start off one of Canada’s most popular science events—the Science Literacy Week.

On April 3, 2014, Hildebrand walked into the E.J. Pratt Library at Victoria College, and proposed to the librarians that for just one week, they display science literacy books instead of popular young adult fiction.

The librarians agreed.

“Librarians are the most wonderful people,” Hildebrand told The Medium. “No really, they are cooperative and always ready to help you out with anything. They just know so much.”

Hildebrand reached out to a few more libraries, and then started the Science Literacy Week with four libraries—York University Libraries, Toronto Public Library, Mississauga

SARAH YASSINE/THE MEDIUM

Activities for Science Literacy Week here at UTM include greenhouse tours and LTS demonstrations.

Public Libraries, and the University of Toronto Libraries. This year, Science Literacy Week is spanning over 60 cities across Canada and hosting

420 events.

How did a two-city plan expand so quickly? Hildebrand chalks it off to luck.

“People were tremendously excited,” said Hildebrand. “I just reached out and they agreed. Getting people involved was not at all difficult. There

was a need for improving scientific literacy, and I just happened to have an idea that could do something about it.”

UTM has been actively involved in SLW since 2014, and time has only increased UTM’s dedication.

Andrew Nicholson, a SLW Working Group member at UTM, shared with The Medium that the Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre has a lot planned for the week, which will run from September 19-25, 2016.

“The theme for this year is past, present, and future,” said Nicholson. “It was selected by the Science Literacy Week Working Group and focuses on the progression of science throughout the years.”

Activities will include tours of the new research-based greenhouse (located next to the library) by Dr. Steven Chatfield, a trip to the Credit River Valley by Dr. Dan Schulze, and a session on the 445 million-yearsold fossils of UTM by Vikram Chochinov, of the J. Tuzo Wilson Club at UTM. Literacy continued on page 12

Fitting in: what it means to be first-gen The Medium explores the support first-generation students have at UTM—and their troubles MARIUM FAISAL The transition from high school to university is a big step—and an even bigger one for first-generation students. These are students who are the first in their family to attend university, or the first to attend university here in Canada.

Given that first-generation students are the first of their family to attend university, they may not have developed the same vision or expectations of university life that others may have grasped intuitively.

However, Jennifer Lee, the student success coordinator for the REACH program, says, “First-generation students often bring a great wealth of personal experiences to their studies and to the university campus.”

“They often act as trailblazers, being the first to attend college or university here in Canada. Firstgeneration students bring diversity, a strong work ethic, and amazing resilience to their studies.”

During my first year, as a firstgeneration student myself, I had very little knowledge about the abundance of resources on campus for such students. Over the last few years, as I’ve continued to progress

JILLIAN SEGOVIA/THE MEDIUM

The OST offers a mentorship program, titled REACH, for upper-year first-generation students. through UTM, I’ve been astonished to see the Office of Student Transition emerge as a separate department to the Centre of Student Engagement. It meant that demand was high and students were reaching out for help as they entered UTM. The Office of Student Transition offers a a mentorship program, titled REACH, for upper-year firstgeneration students.

There are two parts to the program. REACH I [Fall 2016] focuses on upper-year students participating in weekly sessions, on topics such as public speaking, eventplanning, grit, and participating in co-curricular activities on campus.

During part II [Winter 2017], students are given the opportunity to extend what they have learnt and provide a helping hand to first-year

first-generation students. “[The] REACH weekly sessions [will] focus on holistic skill development […] It is catered to secondyear students and beyond, because during this stage in student development, upper-year students are developing competence and purpose in life,” says Lee. The one-on-one opportunity during REACH II will allow first-year

students to request an upper-year student to meet with and speak about any of their concerns. This, according to Lee, will “develop a sense of community amongst firstgeneration students here on campus.”

Krishna Shah, a fourth-year forensic biology student, is also one of the REACH leaders conducting a REACH seminar series that will run once a week.

Shah believes that holistic skill development is important, as it “helps [students] realize that learning is not all about textbooks and marks; it also involves personal development and growth.”

Vikram Chochinov, a REACH leader and paleontology student, says, “Students don’t often know what [it is that] they don’t know. I have often been asked, ‘What are resources that I may not have heard of [as of yet]?’”

Upper-year first-generation students’ most pressing concerns include: applying to graduate school, the most effective ways to study, financial matters regarding OSAP, and what resources are available to them on campus.

First continued on page 13

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THE MEDIUM 09.19.2016

Beginner’s guide to killing cancer cells Gunning was the first UTM faculty member to present a talk in the 2016 Lecture Me! series MAHNOOR AYUB ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR With approximately $1.1 billion awarded in research funds, U of T has been recognized as a major force in research-intensive education across the globe. But you, like me, may wonder—what kind of research is this? Who does it? How can I access it?

These were some of the questions being discussed at UTM’s Experiential Education Office last year, when they decided to launch the Lecture Me! series for 2016.

“As part of the community outreach efforts created by my office and those that we support, I identified a need and desire to bring UTM outside the walls of our campus and right into the community,” says Melissa Berger, the community outreach coordinator at the Experiential Education Office at UTM. “What better way to showcase the work that our outstanding researchers are doing than to create an event in which we as a campus can provide our community with access to the brilliant minds that make up the faculty roster at UTM?” The program, which will essentially be a series of lectures by UTM faculty, is hosted at the Mississauga Central Library. The lectures are open to all, which can include fellow faculty, students (current and prospective), alumni, and the general community within Mississauga and Region of Peel.

The series will feature multidisciplinary research by a different faculty member each month, who will host a free lecture describing the research they are conducting.

“This will also give [the] community a basis [through] which they can interact with our researchers and gain insights into the work that UTM is conducting in a more intimate setting,” says Berger.

Last Tuesday, Patrick Gunning of the chemical and physical sciences department was the first to present in the series, with his talk titled: “A

OLIVIA ADAMCZYK/THE MEDIUM

Last Tuesday, Patrick Gunning presented a talk titled, “A Beginner’s Guide to Killing Cancer Cells.”

Beginner’s Guide to Killing Cancer Cells”.

Professor Ulrich Krull, the interim vice-president at UTM, gave opening remarks at the event.

“These presentations are designed to showcase the nature and the types of forefront research happening at UTM,” says Krull.

Krull highlighted some historic contributions made by UTM faculty in a wide variety of fields, ranging from presenting original data in describing what plate tectonics were, to playing a significant role in the success of the geological expeditions of the Apollo mission.

He emphasizes, however, that, “the understanding of science is rooted in its commitment to the betterment of humanity”. He also highlights the progress being made at UTM in the areas of health care research and drug discovery.

Gunning started his talk with a discussion on the approach taken by his group to accelerate drug discovery.

He says, “This is done by combining design, computational techniques, and synthesis.”

“We, as chemists, look at the human body as a large reaction chamber,” says Gunning, when describing his approach towards understanding the mediation of biological processes by small molecules. “This is why we target specific molecules, and one such molecule, also known as the master regulator of many human cancers, is STAT3.”

Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3, or STAT3, as Gunning elaborates, has also been called an oncogene (a gene that can transform cells into tumour cells).

He mentions how in normal cells, STAT3 is transiently active, while in cancer cells it is hyper-activated.

In general, Gunning describes how cancer cells are essentially immortal, since they evade all natural processes leading to cell death.

The first step towards drug discovery, as Gunning says, is to aim for high potency and selectivity.

“With a dosage of one microgram [….] drug molecules will reach every organ in the body within four minutes,” he says. Gunning adds, “With a one in a million chance of your drug interacting with the target molecule, we need it to be selective when it sticks, and we need it to stick well.”

The next question, he says, that his group needs to ask is: does it bind to other molecules?

“We don’t want our molecule to touch healthy cells,” says Gunning, emphasizing how selectivity will allow low toxicity, not common for current cancer treatments.

After experimenting with multiple synthesis combinations to reach the drug design allowing for maximum potency, Gunning says the drug molecule will advance into pre-clinical validation with mouse models pre-engrafted with cancerous tumours.

“The liver is the Achilles heel for most medicinal chemists,” says Gunning, when stressing the impor-

tance of a balanced bioavailability of the drug in a system. “We need to test the molecule in a living system and see what the liver does—does it trash the drug?”

He mentions how the first compound that they designed, BP-1102, actually disappeared from the system within 10 minutes. He continues to say, “The solution, as it is for many things, was organic chemistry.”

Gunning describes how his team returned to the drawing board and repeated each step mentioned above with modifications, which finally allowed them to produce a molecule that was successful through the preclinical validation.

Treatment with Compound X— the identity of which Gunning holds back for now—results in the same percentage tumour shrinkage as the current Standard of Care.

“We see the same result with one drug that is non-toxic, as with three drugs that are super toxic, one of them being nitrogen mustard,” he says.

Gunning mentions how this work has recently been funded by Venture Capital. Compound X is now in advanced pre-clinical trials, and will be going into Phase 1 clinical trials for one of the most common and malignant glial tumours, Glioblastoma Multiforme.

“35% of patients are under palliative care, with a chance of [this] disease recurring,“ he says. “This tumour that is unresponsive to radiation and drugs—but our drug shuts down division and shows tumour shrinkage.”

The drug has shown similar results in metastasizing breast cancer, multiple myeloma, and acute myeloid leukemia.

“It takes years for a drug to reach clinical trials, […] and even then, we cannot predict how it will behave in the human body,” says Gunning.

For now, based on the results, repeated testing, and rigorous investigation, he remains hopeful for the drug’s success.

This is the third year for SciLit Week in CA Literacy continued from page 11 UTM is also receiving help from the Let’s Talk Science organization—specifically its Mississauga branch. LTS is a prominent national organization that focuses on promoting involvement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Arjan Banerjee, of UTM Let’s Talk Science, shared with The Medium that LTS will be conducting live scientific demonstrations similar to those that have attracted large crowds over the past two years. Last year, demonstrations included DNA extraction and 3D printing.

Banerjee stated that SLW was one of LTS’s most successful events

last year, and that it targeted more than just science students.

“That’s what outreach is about,” said Banerjee. “Science students are already indoctrinated with advancements in technology and the importance of scientific literacy.

However, Science Literacy Week reaches out to people from other disciplines, and they enjoy it.”

Banerjee’s observations of the week matched Hildebrand’s goals.

When asked about what he was trying to achieve with SLW, Hildebrand said, “I want people to come out of the week knowing that science is fun, exciting, and accessible to everyone. It would be great for everyone who isn’t a scientist to become more aware of scientific literacy. And that’s for all disci-

plines—not just science. The more well-rounded people are, the better the world will become.”

Hildebrand was modest when taking credit for the success of SLW.

“This is what outreach is about [...] Science Literacy Week reaches out to people from other disciplines, and they enjoy it.”

—Arjan Banerjee “I’m just the guy behind a computer who sends out lots of emails,” he said. “It’s the organizations and institutions involved that make this

week great.”

“For three years running,” Hildebrand added, “UTM has been one of the most participative libraries. It’s active and reaches out to its community. Last year, they got professors to name their favourite books and put them on display as recommendations. As for Let’s Talk Science, it is such an incredible organization.”

The main benefit of LTS, as Hildebrand noted, was that “it’s been around forever”. LTS has experience in promoting STEM and conducting engaging activities within classrooms and public libraries.

Outside of UTM, SLW has many events planned. An exciting addition this year is the dissection of a beaver in Vancouver and more

nature-focused events, such as capturing birds and releasing them.

For the past two years, SLW has been entirely voluntary. This year, however, the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada is paying Hildebrand.

“Their paying me has, more than anything else, enabled me to commit full-time to the week and work on making it grow,” he said. “[NSERC] helped build the website with their own staff, but the funds they’ve provided me did not, nor are they being used to help run events. They’re paying me to bring the week to life, but all the costs involved in bringing individual events to fruition are borne by the participating institutions.”

09.19.2016 THE MEDIUM FEATURES» 13

Meet Mindy: a Lil’ Healthmart for UTM My Lil’ Healthmart is a start-up launched by Tim Decker and Ryan Shelling. This project was introduced to Wilfrid Laurier University first and will be coming to UTM soon.

Decker gave credit to Andrea Devito (the assistant director for UTM’s Hospitality & Retail Operation) and Vicky Jezierski (the director of hospitality and retail operations), who “were the ones that reached out to us and got us interested in bringing My Lil’ Healthmart to UTM.” The Medium spoke to Decker about the product and what we can expect from it here at UTM.

OLAYEMI MORGAN The Medium: What exactly is My Lil’ Healthmart?

Tim Decker: My Lil’ Healthmart is a vending machine that sells a range of personal health care products. 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it sells products that you would normally go to places like Shoppers Drug Mart for. Things like a toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, tampons, condoms, shaving cream, cold medicine, allergy medicine, cough syrup—that’s all available in a My Lil’ Healthmart.

TM: Why did you decide to start My Lil’ Healthmart?

TD: Well, there’s a few reasons. For the first one, I think [that] for a lot of business ideas, it all comes down to personal frustration. One of the things that I found was that I used to go to the drugstore for something, and it would usually be just one or two things that had run out—but I would have to go even if it was raining outside. So it was for me to be able to get these products that I need in a more convenient fashion.

Another reason is [that] when you go to these big stores, they’re full of products [but] they’re also full of people [who] are working there that don’t necessarily add value to the interaction, because you don’t usually go there and spend a lot of time browsing around. You just go there and find what you need and then leave. So it just seemed like employing all these people that weren’t adding value [was] an inefficient use of resources.

YASMEEN ALKOKA/THE MEDIUM

Mindy will provide a range of personal health care products to UTM students.

So what we’re trying to do [is that] we’re trying to solve [the] problem that everyone has had, where you need these products right away, but the place you normally get it from is too far, or it’s closed.

TM: When exactly did My Lil’ Healthmart start?

TD: We were founded in 2014. We launched our first My Lil’ Healthmart, which then was called Robot Retailers, at Wilfrid Laurier University in February of this year. We have two at Laurier, so [...] [UTM will be] the second university to have it.

TM: How did you decide on the

things you wanted to put in the machine?

TD: We spoke to a lot of different retailers, and we also did a lot of online research, on things like what the top-selling products are in the health care category on Amazon and Walmart.ca.

TM: Will there be any pharmaceutical products, or is it just the basic necessities?

TD: No pharmaceutical products—just things you would be able to get over the counter, like Tylenol, DayQuil, etc.

TM: We were told that the ma-

REACH aims to help first-gen First continued from page 11

Lara Gamgoum, a first-generation UTM student who graduated in May with a degree in biology for health sciences, states that while she loved the environment at UTM, she had a lot of difficulty when it came to registering for courses.

“I wasn’t in Canada at the time, and I had absolutely no idea how and what to enroll in,” she says.

“There [were] a lot of facilities [that] I didn’t know about until later. I only found out about things like co-op and work on campus halfway through undergrad. My advice is to get involved as early as possible.”

Common advice from REACH leaders and other first-generation students is to explore the campus.

They recommend that students make use of the opportunities available to them, join any one of the student clubs that cover a huge va-

riety of interests, get to know more people, ask about what the university has to offer, talk to professors and TAs, and find a way to balance academic and social lives.

Diala Saab, a third-year psychology major and a first-generation student, explains how easy it was for her to get caught up in academics without giving herself a break.

Common advice from REACH leaders and other first-generation students is to explore the campus.

“I [have now started] to approach professors and TAs for help when [for example], asking for an extension when I absolutely need it or for clarification on the material. I [found] myself looking for a bal-

ance between [my] academic and social [life],” says Saab. “Resources are readily available for the sole purpose of helping you, so utilize them. Find things you are passionate about and it will help you find a balance.”

Saab suggests finding a way to release the pressure of academic life by asking for help and having a healthy outlet to release stress.

The REACH program is currently still accepting students, until the end of September.

REACH leaders will also aid students in building a plan to reach their destination and help them understand what it is that they might be required to do in order to achieve it. The program aims to help students build skills that give them the necessary tools upon graduation.

The goal is to transfer these tools as they enter graduate school, professional school, or the work force.

chine coming to UTM will be called Mindy, is that correct?

TD: Yes, that’s correct.

TM: Do you know exactly when she will be coming to campus?

TD: We’re hoping for the end of September. We’re not 100 percent sure, because it’s being shipped from a manufacturer.

TM: What methods of payment will UTM students be able to use for the machine?

TD: Mindy does not accept cash.

She will accept debit, credit, and your student card.

TM: Do you plan to roll it out to

any other campuses, or any of the other University of Toronto campuses?

TD: We hope to be on every university campus in North America in five years. We chose University of Toronto’s Mississauga campus because it’s in a secluded area, where it might be difficult for students to go out and buy the basic items that we have in the machines.

TM: Were the machines well received by students at the Laurier campus?

TD: The machines were very well received by the Laurier students. The amount of sales we have are increasing on a daily basis, and we’ve just moved it to a new location where even more students can access it, and that has also caused a bigger increase in sales.

TM: Thanks, Tim. Our final question is, why is the machine called Mindy?

TD: The way we name the machines is by naming them after people close to us in our personal lives. The first one was called Linda, after my mom, who passed away. We really felt it would be good luck to name it after her. The next one was named after Ryan’s dad. Mindy is the name of my partner. We choose the name because it’s cute and fun, which is what we want our brand to convey. Who knows, we might name the next one after Ryan’s partner.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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09.19.2016

The lucrative strategy of the CIS An interview with CIS President and CEO Graham Brown on the future of the CIS JASON COELHO

Ten months ago, a shift in board governance sparked a renewed vision for the future of interuniversity sport in Canada with the arrival of new CIS President and CEO, Graham Brown.

The former head of Rugby Canada entered the top role at Canada’s national governing body for university sports with the hope of increasing the overall scale and growing the business.

After his success at Rugby Canada, a 13-year tenure that stabilized the organization, increased workforce, raised the budget, and ratcheted the enterprise to the elite level it remains at today, Brown promised a similar game plan would work in elevating the quality of Canadian university sports.

After 10 months in the big chair, the seeds of those promises are starting to flower. Brown is retooling the way the CIS works for its athletes and fans to improve the athlete experience and make game day bigger than it has ever been.

“What I’ve been able to do up until now is, from a leadership per-

SPORTSNET.CA/PHOTO

Brown, the former head of Rugby Canada, is the current CIS President and CEO. spective, just get a better handle on the complexity of the CIS, its membership, structure, and how things operate,” says Brown.

He has been assessing where the opportunities lie from a commercial perspective in partnerships, sponsorships, and digital media.

“The digital platform and footprint of universities in Canada is the most sophisticated and comprehensive across any platform,” he says, “These young people in schools are tech-savvy, they’re consuming digital content more and at levels that have never been experienced

before.”

Following modern trends, Brown wants to see how the CIS can be seen and heard in a noisy digital world. The current strategy is to aggregate the mass of content and ensure it does not get lost by linking it to the right market.

Although the digital media blitz has not yet taken flight, the grassroots marketing campaigns on campuses across the country are working tirelessly to stir up school spirit.

University sports teams now have marketing staff responsible for improving the game day experience, and it seems to be working, according to the executives at the CIS. Another hurdle Brown has before him is garnering more corporate sponsorships to make national championships an event that demands national attention.

It’s a tall order, considering the small scale of Canadian interuniversity sports and the middling level of public interest. But Brown’s belief is that by raising the stakes, the level of competition will correlatively rise.

“We’ve done a better deal with Sportsnet to have more football games on national TV,” he says, “and we’re in the process of signing a deal with The Globe and Mail to be our national media partner, so that when teams win championships, we’ll be able to do a national recognition piece on them.”

CIS continued on page 15

Intense workout in RAWC is a HIIT Getting to know the High-Intensity Interval Training workout regime, and how it’ll tear you down DISHA PATEL UTM’s fitness centre has a new group fitness class to help you escape from long and boring cardio sessions.

Unlike other workout programs, such as the one I developed for myself where I run on the treadmill until I feel like my insides are dying, High-Interval Intensity Training is much less time-consuming.

The hour-long class incorporates cycling, rowing machines, circuits, core exercises, and weighted exercises.

And sprints—let’s not forget sprints.

I went into this class thinking about how tired and exhausted I would be at the end, but I was wrong. The class was tiring due to the intense routines. Even the rest periods were active rest periods. Time to rest means stop, right? Wrong—for HIIT, it means jog, or skip, or do anything, but make sure you keep moving.

At the end of the class, I felt amaz-

PRIMALEYE.UK/PHOTO

Burn an extreme amount of calories within a short 10 minutes with new fad HIIT workout. ing and energized. I was so ready to tackle my readings and keep going on with my day.

HIIT is becoming a popular workout that is designed to help indi-

viduals burn fat faster in shorter periods of time. This class is great for individuals looking to build strength, increase endurance, lose weight, or just blow off some steam.

HIIT helps benefit both aerobic and anaerobic types of endurance.

Cardio, jogging, or running marathons are all examples of aerobic exercises. These exercises are sus-

tained over long periods of time, and require oxygen and slowtwitch muscles. Slow-twitch muscles help increase endurance.

Anaerobic is the opposite. It means “without oxygen” and uses fasttwitch muscles, which are useful in intense bursts of body movements.

Sprinting is an example of this kind of movement. HIIT incorporates both fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscles, which makes it a great workout routine.

Unlike steady-state cardio, HIIT has an after-burn effect, which is also known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. The afterburn effect helps you burn more calories even after you’ve left the gym. This is one of the main reasons why HIIT is a perfect workout method for losing fat.

Anyone can benefit from a HIIT workout. Next time you’re looking for something to do, join instructor Julia Dedic on Tuesday from 11:3012:30 p.m. in the fitness center, and experience this for yourself.

09.19.2016 THE MEDIUM SPORTS» 15

CIS: the inner- Inside the lines with workings Alison Dias CIS continued from page 14 Brown believes that the level of national awareness will surely rise as the CIS gets national media coverage. “There are going to be some milestones ahead,” he teases, promoting this year’s Vanier Cup, which will be played in Hamilton at Tim Hortons Field, the home of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

In addition, his team has already started coaching schools that are hosting championship games to elevate marketing and ticketing strategies by being consistent with CIS’s branding campaign.

Increasing relevancy means having a shared vision. Since taking office, Brown and his team are working to sell this to athletic departments across the country, and so far the response seems positive.

“Collectively, there is really nobody who doesn’t want university sports to be better, and for it to have more profile and more fans and make the student athlete experience better. I haven’t found one person who is swimming against the flow,” says Brown.

Currently the CIS represents 11,500 athletes in 12 sports, and is made up of 56 universities spread across four regional conferences around the country—covering Ontario, Quebec, the Canadian West (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba), and the Atlantic (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland).

“We’re in the process of signing a deal with the Globe and Mail to be our national media partner.”

— Graham Brown The geographical distance makes cross-conference meetings rare, and in the past has resulted in more self-governance within conferences than the CIS would like.

Brown thinks the CIS can use this to their benefit, like the National League and American League, which divide the MLB standings structure. He hopes that each conference having their own individual identity but sharing in the overall vision of the CIS will only make competition in Canada more unique.

However, the road to touting Canadian university athletic programs as the world-class platform they are striving to become is a long one. Feedback from athletes, coaches, and fans is crucial to see what areas may need improvement.

“One thing I’ve done is consulted and collaborated significantly since I came on board,” says Brown. “I’d say we are in the assessment and planning phase; we

are not yet in the building phase.”

In improving their brand, the CIS hopes to take some notes from a recognized sports juggernaut down south. The NCAA is a world-famous association that attracts top talent with the incentive of earning a legacy and going pro.

Many of Canada’s top athletes move down south to enter a level of competition and spectacle that no other country in the world can compete with.

NCAA athletes are given an unprecedented level of attention, and though it’s unfair to compare it to the vastly-different athlete experience in Canada, Brown understands that refining the athlete experience will be central to the landscape of the new CIS. “I think it is important that the CIS mimic the parts of the NCAA that are relevant and realistic.” He realizes competing with the NCAA is a losing battle, stating that the top five conferences are so advanced, they’re practically professional sports.

“We want students first. We want to provide a great game day experience; we want to make the student athlete experience not just enjoyable, but we want to make it a different experience than they’ve had in the past.”

The many variables working against the CIS make achieving certain feats unrealistic, like packing a roaring crowd of 100,000 plus into The Big House for a University of Michigan football game.

There is beauty in that spectacle, but the breathtaking magnitude of this outrageous scale does not jibe with what Brown is gunning for.

“We are looking for a ‘Made in Canada’ approach to university sports, that focuses on student athletes and generating campus pride. Not to make it professional sports, because it never will be in Canada.”

A former varsity athlete at the University of Windsor, Brown played football and basketball for the Lancers, and was one of the founding members of the university’s rugby program.

The unique athlete perspective he brings to the chief office of the CIS may prove to be extremely beneficial in making Canada’s top university athletes feel like Canada’s top university athletes.

Brown’s vision will take a while to fully flourish, but he is confident in shaking up the Canadian university sports landscape and having athletes from all over the world look to the Great White North as a young athlete’s place of opportunity.

“We are not going to be the Toronto Raptors in basketball or the Leafs in hockey, but what we are going to be is more relevant.”

SHINO TSURUBUCHI/PHOTO

Alison Dias kept a keen eye on the competition in the tennis events at the Rio Olympics.

FATIMA ALVI

A member of our UTM community was representing Canada as a tennis referee in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Alison Dias, a graphic artist who has been working at the I&ITS department for about 10 years now, takes us through her journey at the Olympics this year and shares her 23-year parallel career as an official.

“It was an exciting experience. I really can’t put into words the experience. The only word that comes to mind is, ‘amazing’,” says Dias.

“When I found out I was accepted, I was numb for the rest of the day.”

There were only two Canadians who were accepted. One being Dias, and the second another local official, Jesse Greens, from Toronto.

“It’s always so nice to share that experience with another colleague, another friend. We’ve kind of grown up together in officiating. So to have that experience with him was very special,” she says of her long-time friend and colleague, Greens.

As a photography graduate of Sheridan College, she initially took part in Tennis Canada as a photographer. Tired of carrying the equipment around in the hot summer weather, she decided to test the waters and take part in the actual game happening on the court. “I looked down on the court and said, ‘It looks like they’re having fun—let me try that and see how I like it.’ It fit perfectly,” says Dias.

Continuing to embellish her then-career as an official as well as her ongoing full-time job commitments, she embarked on her experiential journey. She powered through, as she completed the introductory course, the i-court training and the following year was accepted to the Rogers cup. “I was very lucky; I had great trainers who helped me

throughout the year. Erica Gilbert was the first trainer that I had,” she says.

She has thus been officiating the Rogers cup, the Fed cup, and the Davis Cup competitions, as well as the London 2012 Paralympics. “It was probably a more special feeling—to see athletes who are in wheelchairs and be able to accomplish what they can accomplish is something special.

Whereas, if you are able-bodied, you don’t have that challenge,” says Dias.

By the time Dias applied to the Olympics, she was a White Badge Referee and a Bronze Badge Chair Umpire.

There were approximately 600 applicants for the position of one out of 85 international officials, among whom Dias would be chosen. There were also another 50 or 60 local officials that were at the Rio Olympics as well.

“As a whole, I didn’t feel the pressure. I believe it’s because of my experience of doing it for so many years,” says Dias. “I might have been challenged the most out of the officials, around seven times. You are dealing with professional tennis players, ranked 54 in the world and below, that play tennis day in and day out every week. I’ve been officiating for 23 years, so you gain some confidence in yourself. I know when I’m right and I know when I’m wrong, and I’m the first to admit it, I’ll acknowledge it. You own up to your mistakes.”

Despite Dias’ experience and confidence, there’s not much that can be done when it comes to the ground rules of the game. “You can’t say anything; you have to be emotionless till the challenge is over. I would watch [on] the TV monitor to see how close the call was. Most of the time the cameras were correct,” she says.

Dias’ passion for the sport has

taken her to this point in her athletic career. “I took it all in—the experience was center court at the Olympics in Rio. I had to keep reminding myself, ‘It’s not a tennis event, it’s the Olympics’, because I had done many tennis events. This was special, this was the Olympics that comes [every four years]; you get selected for this and you have to make the most of it.

I enjoyed every day that I was there.

I made some great friends and made international connections,” she says.

“I’ve been officiating for 23 years, so you gain confidence. I know when I’m right, and I know when I’m wrong” — Alison Dias “Seeing the top player’s facial expressions, tears, and emotions firsthand and being so close on court, that was special. Definitely a memorable moment. One doesn’t get to see it from this viewpoint very often,” Dias added. “To see Novak Djokovic waiting at the bus stop just like any another civilian for the bus back to the hotel—it felt like these are just regular human beings. It’s just like me waiting to go back to the hotel.

You see them on a human level.”

“Without UTM and without the support, Susan Senese, and at that time, Rishi Arora, who was my supervisor, the Olympics wouldn’t be possible. They were the first people to find out that I got accepted before my family knew. And they approved it right away,” she says. “UTM has always been supportive with the tennis I do. It’s a great hobby, I get to travel all over Canada, do sightseeing, or call a ball in or out, refereeing or chair umpiring. It’s the best of both worlds I have.”

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«SPORTS

THE MEDIUM 09.19.2016

A dirty dilemma Hopefully the future looks brighter for the South Field

DELANEY ROMBOUGH/THE MEDIUM

South Field should be reopened within the coming week.

YASMEEN ALKOKA

Since the start of classes this semester, the South Field has experienced some closures that left students wondering.

The UTM community was informed by email a few weeks before classes of a temporary parking shortage, being told that “Parking rearrangements will have a temporary impact on the location of UTM’s recreational, intramural and Varsity sports teams.”

Speaking with Kenneth Duncliffe, the director of physical education, athletics and recreation at UTM, the South Field’s involvement is clarified. The “parking crisis” is the reason arrangements were needed, including preparing the field to be available for parking, in the case that the shortage would not be solved before students arrived.

In order to protect the field from

being damaged, a protective mesh was put in place. Fortunately, UTM did not need to use the South Field after all, but the long process of preparing the field is what caused the extended closures. The field should be reopened within the coming week.

Cameron Walker, the program coordinator of the department of physical education, athletics and recreation, explained that students usually make this observation during the middle of the day, when the field is not used as much due to classes.

The South Field is used mostly in the evening, from about 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. There are a variety of groups who use the field extensively, including Varsity, D-leagues, campus rec leagues, and drop-in sports. Sports played at UTM include soccer, rugby, cricket, flag football, badminton, cross country, golf, squash, and many more.

Walker said that he would love to see more students using the South Field during the underused hours.

Any UTM student can sign out sports equipment and use the field when it is not booked.

When it comes to the future of the South Field, the issue of not being able to use it when it rains has been addressed. As with any field, when the weather is poor, it may become difficult to use it to its full potential. Duncliffe suggests an artificial turf being put into place, and says it is “certainly in our master plan of what we’d like to see on our South Field.”

The South Field has been lonely since the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts abandoned UTM as their primary training facility in 2014 to play on a less rigid York University artificial turf surface.

If you’re on a sport that trains on the South Field, prepare for the endless amounts of laundry.