THE VOICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA
February 11, 201 9 Volume 45, Issue 1 8 themedium.ca
APUS brings out more bursaries
Our AGM: You’re invited!
U of T honours the arts
Ellapen talks gender & media
Eagles bend the knee to Knights
News, page 3
Opinion, page 4
Arts, page 5
Features, page 8
Sports, page 11
UTMSU equity centre now operational The equity centre will provide a safe and inclusive space for marginalized and minority students MELISSA BARRIENTOS ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
On January 25, the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union’s Equity Centre became open to all UTM students. The planned opening had been postponed due to the recent provincial government changes, but the UTMSU hopes to host an official unveiling event for the Centre in the upcoming weeks. The centre was created with the intention of providing a safe and inclusive space for students to share their concerns with an attending coordinator or to simply unwind in an open environment. “I think it was so important for us to make sure that it was an inviting space because we wanted it to act as a decompression space so folks can actually come in here and feel comfortable […] We wanted folks to say, ‘wow, I can just sit here and talk to people or just sit in silence if I needed to,’” Said UTMSU’s VP Equity Leena Arbaji during a tour of the space. While the Equity Centre has yet to officiate all its services, the centre is open from Monday to Friday. A trained coordinator can be found
JULIA HEALY/THE MEDIUM
The equity centre was created with the intention of providing an inclusive space for students. in the centre to provide support and guidance to students. The coordinators holding office hours include the UTMSU’s Queer and Trans Coordinator, Racialized Coordinator, VP Equity Associate and Sustainability
Coordinator. The coordinators are versed in the main foundations of equity and can talk with students concerned about issues regarding equity, sexuality, diversity, sexual violence, mental
health and race. The Centre is also decked with resources to Peel Health clinics where further help can be obtained. “We wanted this room to not only be a de-stressing room but also a
room for equity groups, clubs, and societies to be present in. [There are also] resources for external groups or local institutions that advocate on equity matters,” Said UTMSU President Felipe Negata. “[The Equity Centre is] a space where folks can come and meet, or use as a space to decompress,” continued Negata. “Recently we had the sexual violence policy consultation, and this was acting as a decompression space. In case an event is a little too heavy for folks, they can come here and chill.” Located on the second floor of the Student Centre, Room 240K, UTMSU’s Equity Centre is the third room to the right, beside the UTMSU’s Academic Integrity Centre and the Sustainability room. At this moment, the Equity Centre’s office hours vary from day to day, and will be subject to change. A time schedule will be posted online and on the entrance to the Equity hall for students to see. The UTMSU has also expressed interest in turning their sustainability room, where sustainable products and tools are currently stored, into a Green Centre. Equity continued on page 2
U of T consults students on sexual violence The consultation gave students an opportunity to provide feedback on the current sexual harassment policy MDUDUZI MHLANGA
This past Thursday, the University of Toronto held a consultation with students regarding the University’s policy on sexual violence and sexual harassment. The goal for this sexual harassment policy (SVP) consultation was to collect feedback from students on the report in hopes of locating its shortcomings and recommending adequate changes to the current policy. The host of the meeting highlighted the priority of reforming the policy to make it a “survivor-centred policy, and not a bureaucratic-centred policy.” The attendants of the consultation session emphasized that the policy needs to be understandable and written in simple language. Attendants brought up suggestions, to include in the policy the acknowledgement that the process can stop at any time should a survivor of sexual violence become uncomfortable.
NOOR AL-KAABI/THE MEDIUM
Attendants suggested sexual violence survivors be treated with emotional support first. Attendants also suggested ensuring that when a survivor of sexual violence come forward with a complaint, they not be faced with the
bureaucratic red tape of listing times and dates but instead is ensured emotional support first and foremost. Attendants brought up the dis-
comfort a survivor of sexual harassment or violence might feel due to the policy’s terminology in referring to the survivor as a “complainant.”
Additionally, attendants expressed disappointment and confusion at the fact that, according to the hosts, the university will not publish policies like this in other languages because U of T is considered an English-speaking university. This means that the university assumes that students have the requisite linguistic knowledge to read documents such as this policy. One attendant highlighted that this kind of mentality can alienate international students and put them in harm’s way. One host highlighted that “this policy needs to acknowledge, understand, and attend to the fact that rape culture is alive and real on the University of Toronto campuses.” In terms of intersectionality, one of the hosts wished to emphasize that power dynamics “deeply affect who experiences sexual violence and what that looks like,” as well as the process survivors go through to advocate for themselves through the process of achieving justice. Consult continued on page 2