Volume 45 Issue 19

THE VOICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA

February 25, 2019 Volume 45, Issue 19 themedium.ca

Scarbrough’s union elections

Ford and gun vioence: discuss.

Toronto’s new lights

From acting to teaching Italiano

No TV before bedtime!

News, page 2

Opinion, page 4

Arts, page 5

Features, page 8

Sports, page 11

UTMSU holds emergency meeting The emergency meeting discussed possible options to combat the provincial governments changes MDUDZI MHLANGA

On February 14, the UTMSU held an emergency assembly for students to discuss possible options to combat the provincial government’s changes to OSAP, and the new student-choice initiative.

UTMSU VP External Atif Abdullah gave a presentation on the government-lead changes, which he said would impact each and every student.

He also denounced an idea put forth by U of T President Meric Gertler to bring in more international students to act as a “buffer” for the government’s 10% tuition cut. “Bringing in students without providing ample resources just to use them as a buffer to cover up revenue losses is pretty heartbreaking and a shameful thing to do for the university.” Abdullah made a note on the lack of resources the school would have if they enrolled more international students.

The VP external also spoke about the importance of having an interestfree grace period after graduation to act as an aid for students. He ac-

PHOTO OF DOUG FORD FROM TVO.ORG, UTMSU LOGO FROM UTMSU.CA

The UTMSU’s emergency assembly discussed options to combat the government’s recent changes. knowledged that “OSAP itself is not a perfect program, but it went a long way to helping those that needed access to post-secondary education.”

Abdullah spent a substantial amount of time explaining the student choice initiative, which would allow students to opt-out or opt-in to certain services such as The Medium,

the International Education Centre, and the Centre for Student Engagement, among others.

The student-choice initiative has been seen in New Zealand, however the only way student unions can exist is as for-profit organizers, meaning they act more as a business than student unions here do. However,

Abdullah stated that the UTMSU believes “none of the services offered by [the] student union should be making more off [students]” because of the “already-high” tuition costs.

Abdullah stated in the meeting: “The goal of being here today is recognizing that our student life […] will take a hit next year […] we are going

to lose a lot as students, as a community on our campus. We want to pose the question today, how are we going to work together? How is your student union going to work for you?”

In terms of Action items and what can be done, the assembly brought up numerous ideas on how to protest the prospective changes. A popular idea among those at the meeting was to send mass emails and call local members of provincial parliament (MPP) to voice dissent. Going on strike, silent protests, and planning sit-ins at governmental offices were also suggested by multiple students. Temporarily shutting down some of the services which students will be able to opt-out of in order to show their importance was another proposal.

Another batch of proposals centred on doing research and understanding which services students cared about.

That way, the UTMSU could focus on promoting the services that students deemed essential.

The UTMSU will be hosting another meeting in the coming weeks to discuss the implementation of the presented ideas.

Freedom of expression discussed at UTM Mark Mercer, president of SAFS, held the mini-symposium and discussed freedom of expression on campus MELISSA BARRIENTOS ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

On Thursday 21, Professor Mark Mercer, the president of the Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship (SAFS) and professor of philosophy at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia held a minisymposium at the UTM campus to talk about issues surrounding freedom of expression on campus.

The SAFS was formed in 1992 with the intention of maintaining academic freedom in research, teaching, and institutional decisions regarding students and faculty. From the restriction of academic job searches in universities and colleges around Canada, to criticisms of U of T’s psychology Professor Jordan Peterson’s comments in 2016, the SAFS has striven to protect students and faculty’s academic freedom and freedom of expression.

Recently, freedom of speech has been a point of conversation for universities since the Ontario government’s mandate on August 2018, that required post-secondary institu-

PHOTO FROM YOUTUBE.COM

Professor Mark Mercer discussed popular reasons for why people might oppose free expression. tions implement a freedom of speech policy by January 1st, 2019, or risk funding cuts.

During the mini-symposium, Mercer examined freedom of expression and popular reasons for why people might oppose expression on campus.

“One of the reasons people are

hostile towards [forms of] expression is because talking about it publicly or openly puts the laws, practices, and institutions at risk,” said Professor Mercer, “[but] this shuts down intelligent discussions.”

“People who are hostile toward freedom of expression see what people say or how they say it as promot-

ing racist or sexist attitudes, thereby making work, housing, health care, and the rest more difficult for members of marginalized or historically oppressed groups to obtain.“They also think it can make research and learning more difficult, particularly for people from marginalized or historically oppressed groups, creat-

ing a leaky pipeline or delaying their entrance into the management and professional classes.”

Mercer explained that unpleasant or hostile learning environments, where people can be distracted by comments or reminded of racist and sexist attitudes, is seen as the reason post-secondary programs (especially STEM programs) have a low rate of female students.

“People argue that [what someone says or how they say] can lower the campus tone,” continued Mercer, “making the university less special and impressive, harming its reputation, and detracting from its mission as an institution of significant research.”

According to Mercer, hostility toward freedom of expression on campus commonly manifests in the pressure to disinvite speakers for an event or forum, in the threat of vandalism, in the refusal to join panel discussions—leading to unbalanced debates on politics and philosophy— and in defunding groups and publications that “offend.”

Mercer continued on page 2

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THE MEDIUM 02.25.2019

February 8th, 2019 Police Assistance A student reported to Campus Police that they slipped and fell walking in to the Davis building.

February 10th, 2019 Police Assistance Campus Police were called to attend the library for a student vaping. The student was gone on arrival.

February 11th, 2019 Police Information A student reported to Campus Police that another student poured coffee on their laptop.

February 13th, 2019 Police Assistance Campus Police attended Deerfield for a student experiencing medical distress. The student was transported to hospital for further assessment.

Expression on campus

February 14th, 2019 Suspicious Person Campus Police received a report of a suspicious male in the Kaneff building.

February 14th, 2019 Police Assistance Campus Police attended Deerfield Hall for a student experiencing medical distress.

February 16th, 2019 Theft A student reported the theft of their backpack after leaving it unattended at the Kaneff bus stop.

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

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

YASMEEN ALKOKA/THE MEDIUM

Mercer discussed how a university’s image is raised by being a place of free expression.

Mercer continued from page 1 Mercer then outlined six arguments against the hostility freedom of expression faces on campus: 1) Valued laws, practices, and institutions are not put at much risk by what people say.

2) Going after obnoxious speech brings it more publicity, and attempts to regulate speech discredits support for the valued laws, practices, and institutions.

3) Many of the impugned ideas and arguments are not particularly bad and don’t merit the vehemence of those opposed to them (accusations of dehumanization, charges of racism and sexism).

4) A university’s image is raised by it being a place of the free and open

exchange of ideas, free from censorship.

5) The cure is worse than the disease: the problems that a university will face from oversight and control are more debilitating and spiritcrushing than the problems it will face due to freedom of expression.

6) The results of university research will not be trusted if people think researchers must toe a party line and be politically partisan.

Professor Mercer linked the last response to the sensitive research regarding the Indigenous population and the high school education gap. “If one cannot cross the party line, people cannot trust [the results of university research].”

The discussion then turned to ideas of the traditional university,

where the purpose of the university was to train students for managerial or professional careers and to align students’ studies with the promotion of the general good.

“In liberal study, one is concerned not only with understanding things as they are, but to understand them for one’s own reasons, reasons of evidence and argument,” said Mercer. “[One is] guided by curiosity and intrinsic interest, not only by the problems of the day.”

“The culture of liberal study is marked by a willingness to risk offending those opposed to robust freedom of expression. [Yet] even a university of liberal study needs quality control if it is to be a serious place, [where] no time [is] wasted on stupid ideas or ideas that lack support.”

Governing council results Eight students have been elected to sit on the council

YASMEEN ALKOKA/THE MEDIUM

There were 39 candidates running to represent students on U of T’s highest administrative body.

ALI TAHA NEWS EDITOR Eight students have been elected to sit on Governing Council after 39 candidates vied to represent students on U of T’s highest administrative body.

Out of the Governing Council’s 50 members, eight seats are available to students, which are spread across five different constituencies.

Apefa Adijvon and Yining (Elin) Gu will represent full-time undergraduate students of the Faculty of Arts & Science, UTM, and UTSC. With twenty-one candidates run-

ning from this constituency, Gu, a UTSC student, received 371 votes while Adjivon, a University College student, received 303 votes.

Pharmacy student Andrew Girgis and Medicine student Mallory Estelle Jackman were elected to represent the Professional Faculties. Girgis received 97 votes while Jackman received 104.

Five candidates ran from this constituency.

L-P Veuilleux, a student from the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, won the seat to represent Constituency I of graduate stu-

dents for the Humanities and Social Sciences, with 159 votes.

Amin Kamaleddin, a biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering student, won the seat to represent Constituency II of graduate students for the Physical Sciences and Life Sciences with 338 votes.

The seat for the Part-time Undergraduate Students representative was claimed by Susan Froom of Trinity College.

The next Governing Council meeting will be hosted at UTM on February 28, 2019.

Honourable Michael Wilson passes away Wilson served as U of T chancellor from July 1, 2012 - June 30, 2018

PHOTO FROM UTM.UTORONTO.CA

Michael Wilson was a proud and accomplished Commerce alumnus and a Trinity college grad.

ALI TAHA NEWS EDITOR Michael Wilson, the University of Toronto’s 33rd chancellor—who served as Canada’s minister of finance and ambassador to the United States—has passed away at 81 years old.

In a public statement U of T President Meric Gertler said, “The University of Toronto deeply mourns the loss of our Chancellor Emeritus, the Honourable Michael Wilson. A proud and accomplished Commerce alumnus and a trinity grad, he was our tireless advocate and our global

ambassador.”

As a Trinity College alumnus, Wilson graduated in 1959 with a degree in commerce. He was elected to Parliament in the late 1970s and, beginning in 1984, served seven years as finance minister. He was named Canada’s ambassador to the United States in 2006.

“A ‘triathlete’ par excellence—in public office, business, and volunteer work, he was a great Canadian who improved the lives of so many,” continued Gertler. “From spearheading public policy of the highest significance to publicly confronting the

02.25.2019 THE MEDIUM NEWS

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HUMANS OF UTM

I got into plants because of my mom. I like cute little plants. What’s great is that each one is different. You’ll never find the exact same plant because each one will have something different about it. It’s like its own individual, which is why they’re kind of cool because then you can find which one you like more, just like a relationship or friendship. Unfortunately, I didn’t really have much time to do things that I liked with them while I’ve been doing my undergrad degree, but now that I’m graduating, I want to get more into this stuff. In general, I’m looking for more ways to do things that I didn’t have time to do before.

challenge of mental illness, Michael Wilson was a true champion.”

In 2015, Wilson became the chair of the Mental Health Commission of Canada. His advocacy efforts increased when his son, Cameron, took his own life after suffering from depression.

“On behalf of the entire University of Toronto community, I extend heartfelt condolences to Michael’s beloved wife, Margie, and their family at this sad and difficult time. Thank you for sharing your husband, father and grandfather with us so generously.”

SCSU election results released Following the election, the results show a split between both major slates, SCSYou and Bright UTSC ALI TAHA NEWS EDITOR

Next year’s executive team for the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU) will be split between the two major slates that ran in the election.

Current SCSU Vice-President Equity Chemi Lhamo of the Shine Bright UTSC slate will be the next president, winning with 837 votes.

SCSYou’s presidential candidate Anup Atwal was disqualified from the race after receiving too many demerit points before the voting period began on February 5. According to the Elections Appeals Committee, Atwal had been disqualified for three separate violations of the Elections Procedure code (EPC), accumulating 45 demerits overall. An executive candidate with more than 35 demerit points is automatically disqualified.

On January 25, Atwal received 25 points for a “Gross Misrepresentation of Facts” after posting “Unapproved Material” on social media. The social media post “contained an unreported

PHOTO FROM SCSU.CA

The Scarborough Campus Students’ Union executive team will be split between two slates. incident which contained broad accusations.” Atwal appealed the decision, removing five demerit points from the violation.

On February 1, Atwal received another 25 demerit points for “Malicious or Intentional Violation of this Code” after he uploaded another unapproved social media post and said

a “direct and misleading” comment toward another candidate during the executive candidates debate.

SCSYou’s Carly Sahagian was elected Vice-President Academics & University affairs, besting Shine Bright UTSC candidate Raymond Dang, who currently sits on the student union’s board as Director of Political

Science. The vote count was 837-594, with 82 spoiled ballots.

Also from SCSYou, co-president of the Pakistani Students’ Association Chaman Bukhari will be the next Vice-President External. Bukhari bested Shine Bright UTSC’s Kalkidan Alemayehu. The vote count was 790602, with 61 spoiled ballots.

Shine Bright UTSC candidate Sarah Mohamed was elected as VicePresident Campus Life over independent Shehtabbanu Shaikh. SCSYou did not put up a candidate for the position. The vote count was 950-407, with 111 spoiled ballots.

After a close race for the positions of Vice-President Operations and Vice-President Equity, with a difference of less than five per cent between each candidate, an automatic recount was done. Rayyan Alibux of SCSYou won over Shone Bright UTSC’s Kevin Turingan for the position of VicePresident Operations. The final count was 711-671, with 107 spoiled ballots.

Tebat Kadhem, the SCSYou candidate for Vice-President Equity, won by a twelve votes over Shine Bright UTSC’s Leon Tsai for the position of Vice-President Equity. The final count was 708-696, with 90 spoiled ballots.

Of the 16 seats available on the Board of Directors, Shine Bright UTSC won nine, SCSYou won six, and an independent candidate won one.

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02.25.2019

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Ford on gun violence: shoots himself in the foot Dear editor, Ford on Gun Violence: Shoots Himself in the Foot In August of 2018, Doug Ford spoke on gun violence in Toronto.

He used rhetorical techniques to hide the fact that the speech was to justify $25-million in funding on top of Toronto Police’s already $71-million funding. Ford throws the families of gun violence under the bus by using them as a sentiment (an emotional appeal) to pursue his audience. Ford criticizes other politicians and policymakers of using families and children to create more bureaucracy, even though he uses the same sneaky rhetorical techniques.

As simple his speech is, it is effective for a live crowd. However, it only took minimal research to find that, ‘coincidentally,’ at the same time $25-million was funded for Toronto police, $25-million was taken away from EPO (Education ProgramsOther). EPO refers to specialized education including providing jobs for students in low-income neighbourhoods, daily physical activity programs, after school tutors, and more education programs that young students rely on for their success. The $25-million taken from EPO also includes the money for student grants on OSAP. To appeal to his audience, Ford uses a combination of ethos and pathos to create an image of credibility and concern for victims of gun violence. He opens his speech by stating who stands behind him, Michael Tibollo, and Caroline Mulrony. This is an ethos approach to insinuate that the Minister of Community safety and the Attorney general agree with Ford’s decisions.

Ford then immediately uses pathos, “Many families have lost loved ones to gang and gun violence. Too many people, too many neighbourhoods are living in fear and too many of our police officers are frustrated, frustrated that their hands are tied.”

Ford ties in the victims of gun violence with the police. This creates a close relationship between the victims of gun violence and the frustration of the police. This is effective because the audience associates the victims with the supposed solution.

The $25-million raise in police funding now seems justified.

With Ford’s Progressive Conservative party winning the 2018 election with a majority government (76 seats and 40.63 per cent of the votes) and Wynn’s Liberal government party

losing (7 seats and 19.30 per cent), Ford needs minimal effort to criticize his rival party. “The liberals decided that fighting guns and gangs wasn’t a priority. They actually cut the funding to police who were fighting guns and gangs, and they cut it in half. It’s unbelievable, and, sadly, we are seeing the results of their funding cuts on our streets today.”

Ford appeals to his followers by blaming the rival Liberals, and even implying that the rise of gun violence is due to their budget cuts. “How many shootings could have been stopped if the Liberals didn’t cut this funding?” Information that Ford evades is the fact that although more funding has gone to police, funding has been cut from social services and education. Coincidentally, the police force received an extra $25-million in funding, but the EPO (Education Program-Other), received a $25-million cut in funding. This cut is part of the OSAP changes.

Without some investigative work after the speech, the audience members are led to believe that Ford is cutting funding from “city counselors, activists, and special-interest who use each shooting as an excuse to campaign for more spending, more layers of bureaucracy, and more handouts, and more pet projects. Throwing money at programs that have nothing to do with community safety.” With Wynn’s reputation of funding useless programs, and the failed TAVIS program (a program funded for 10-years to stop gun crime), Ford is in a position where he can omit information on where funding is being reallocated.

The audience member is led to believe that “handouts” and “programs that have nothing to do with community safety” refers to Wynn’s failed budgeting and the failed TAVIS program. What Ford evades is information on the whole picture, and the fact that funding is being removed from Ontarian education programs.

Education that can ultimately prevent poverty and indirectly stop gun violence. The audience would have a negative reaction if Ford explained that he is taking $25-millions in funding from EPO and reallocating it on top of the $76-million funding for the Toronto police.

Ford’s examples and evidence are half-logical. It is logos that appeals only to support his police funding.

Ford addresses a problem: “far too many criminals convicted of gun crimes out on bail and back on the streets.” Ford later addresses a solution to that problem: “a dedicated

legal SWAT team. Each provincial courthouse. Each team will be led by a Crown attorney and each team will have only one mission, keeping violent gun criminals behind bars and away from bail.” This is a strategic argument using both ethos and logos.

Ford uses an example of the problem in his solution. He insists that criminals are leaving the prison system on bail, and back into Toronto to commit more crimes. He assumes that criminals of gun crimes are even let out on bail.

According to a CBC interview with Toronto criminal defence lawyer, Shane Martinez, “In addition, Crown lawyers already have a directive to seek a detention order in firearms cases, except in exceptional circumstances, so it’s not entirely clear what will change with the province’s announcement on Thursday. ‘That basically means that this will likely end up being rhetorical fluff that doesn’t amount to much when [Justices of the Peace] and judges apply the necessary tests to determine if a person will be granted release,’ Martinez said.” Martinez can only criticise the Premier’s decision after it has taken affect. It turns out that Ford’s special SWAT will do nothing to add to the Justice system against gun crime. Criminal defence lawyers also criticize Ford because criminals guilty of gun violence do not receive bail.

Bail is used to scare the audience.

The audience thinks that our Justice system is failing by allowing people who commit gun violence back into the streets of Toronto. That is not the fact. Ford’s logos to support his funding is used only when the proof justifies his police funding.

Ford uses challenges his colleagues in the federal and municipal governments—both left-leaning parties that rival his right-wing policy—by saying: “we are calling on the municipal and federal governments to match this unprecedented funding. We are calling on them to step up and do their part. The feds must do more, and the city must step forward, starting with following through on their commitment to hire more officers.” Ford confronts the Trudeau government and the Tory municipality by standing himself on a pedestal demanding that they match the $25-million funding for Toronto police.

In Canada’s political climate, Justin Trudeau has been relentlessly criticized for being too hard on gun owners and too relaxed on violent criminals. Mayor John Tory has been scrutinized by Ford followers due to

Tory’s hand-gun ban.

“I wouldn’t support a ban on handguns,” Ford says confidently. This short sentence spoken from Premier Doug ford resonated through every headline in every news station.

Ford diverted attention away from the $25-million police funding and directed it to the controversial and polarizing hand-gun ban. This small sentence appealed to his politicallyright followers and gun owners. Ford demonstrates strong individualism by keeping his opinions, even in the pressure of his left-leaning colleagues.

Ford sacrifices facts for emotional appeal. He keeps saying that he wants to leave the Police Chief up to fixing the problem. This may seem like the all sacrificing, humble Premier Ford bowing down to the professionals.

However, this is just a way to remove responsibility from himself and place it onto the Toronto Police. Ford is the one who gave the Toronto Police $25-million! How are you not responsible for gun violence when you are: one, the Premier of Ontario, and two, moving $25-million from student grants to police officers.

Ironically enough, Ford says he wants the new police funding to go towards better technology for police officers to crack down on gun violence. However, Ford scrapped Toronto’s plans to open the first ever French university that planned to open in 2020. The university was going to focus on technology.

Whether we want this money in the hands of police officers or young students is up for debate. There are legitimate reasons for increased Toronto Police funding. However, there is no excuse for Ford to lie in front of a podium by criticizing his opposition for spouting the same sneaky rhetorical techniques that he himself uses.

What we learn about Ontario politics is Wynn’s liberals borrow money, putting future generations in debt.

And, Ford’s conservatives shuffle money around like a street-hustler shuffling three cups around for us tax payers to guess where our money will end up. One of those cups holding $25-million.

SINCERELY, GORDON CORK

CORRECTION NOTICE The February 11 article “UofT and student unions consult students on sexual violence” was corrected

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Retreat: four college grads vie for one job Retreat director Claire Burns and actor Tony Tran discuss rehearsing for the Hart House Theatre production PAULA CHO A&E EDITOR

This March, Hart House Theatre presents Kat Sandler’s Retreat, a satirical look into the lives of four recent college graduates entering the workforce and battling it out for one coveted internship. The ninetyminute production is non-stop action and dark comedy, illustrating the experiences young adults face when maneuvering the real world for the first time. The Medium sat down with director Claire Burns and actor Tony Tran to discuss rehearsing for the show and reflecting the classic millennial struggle onstage.

Coming back to Hart House Theatre for her third production, only this time as a director, Burns has enjoyed working with familiar staff members but also feels the weight of her new role. “Working on the project as a director is different in terms of timeline - I’ve gotten to be in the building and around the campus again for a longer period of time. Also, the stage is bigger—the Hart House stage has always been big—but to conceive of it from the outside as opposed to being inside

PHOTO FROM HARTHOUSE.CA

Tony Tran (Actor) and Claire Burns (Director) discussed Retreat with The Medium. and moved around as an actor, it’s a different job,” she says.

For Tran, Retreat is his debut performance at Hart House and he is hoping to portray his character Paul as honestly as he can. As one of the candidates vying for the job, Tran’s character is “your office guy, hunched over a keyboard, working as hard as he can and journeying through all his quirks. He thinks he’s a super smart guy. He uses his intel-

lect as kind of a weapon—if he’s not strong, at least he’s smart enough so that’s why he should get the job. He’s a pen over the sword kind of shenanigan,” he says.

As a millennial himself, Tran relates to the characters’ challenges and mentality in terms of finding a job. “The idea that any millennial who doesn’t work a lot, like doing ten different jobs at a time, isn’t working enough. If you’re not dying, starving

yourself, or sweating from 10 a.m. to 3 a.m., then you’re not a hard worker.

And if you’re not a hard worker, then why should you deserve this job?”

Burns graduated from university ten years ago and has been building her name and body of work ever since. Working in a creative industry specifically has posed its unique challenges as well. She says, “As an artist, you’re often competing, even though I don’t want to think of it as compet-

ing because everyone has their own form that they’re doing and every artist is individual, but you’re often putting in a lot of time that doesn’t get financially rewarded. I feel that and I feel that for these characters too—we’re all just trying to make it.”

Retreat promises to deliver a nonstop narrative with a quick pace reflective of the competitive employment market, especially for young adults. The one act play should feel like a ride that straps you in and accelerates from there—much like real life. Tran says, “It’s fast, it’s fun, it’s an action movie onstage. I think the fast-pace speaks to the nature of millennials and how fast we’re working but also speaks to the rhythm that Claire is going for. The energy keeps going and going—there’s no time to breathe and stop in this environment.”

Burns concludes, “you know how they say, art imitates life or art holds a mirror up to life—this should do that but to an extent. I just hope this gives people opportunity for pause to think, maybe I don’t need to be doing ten projects at once or maybe the job isn’t everything.”

Retreat will run at Hart House Theatre from March 1st to 9th.

In the Next Room: a frank portrayal of female sexuality Theatre Erindale’s In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play is both comedic and nuanced in presenting complex subject matter REBECCA FLEMISTER STAFF WRITER

Theatre Erindale appropriately opened their third mainstage show of the season on Valentine’s Day. In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play, written by Sarah Ruhl and directed

by Samantha Wilson, is a show that explores a slew of sexual and romantic experiences in all their complexity. The show concerns the early history of the vibrator—when doctors allegedly used it as a clinical device to bring women to orgasm as treatment for hysteria. Hysteria was believed to be a disorder that almost exclusively affected women. Women experiencing symptoms of anxiety, insomnia, depression, irritability, fainting etc. were diagnosed with the disorder.

Although many of these symptoms were caused by societal pressures, social and physical constrictions, and trauma or mistreatment, women’s bodies alone were blamed for these maladies. The show is set in the home and operating theatre of Dr. Givings. As Givings treats patients who express symptoms of hysteria, his wife, Mrs. Givings, who is struggling to deal with her inability to breast feed, becomes more curious about her husband’s practice and questions whether his “machine” might help her as well.

A show about the supposed history of the vibrator sounds risqué, and in a way, it is. It deals very frankly with the experiences women have with their bodies socially, sexually and maternally, and as the title suggests, the audience witnesses multiple characters having orgasms with help from an old-fashioned vibrator. However, this production is in no way vulgar.

Instead, it draws attention to the limits society has placed on women to understand and control their own bodies. Mrs. Givings (Karen Scora) and Mrs. Daldry (Marissa Orjalo) are portrayed with innocence and naivete. Although both are married women who have had sex, neither recognize that sexual pleasure is possible until they are introduced to Dr. Givings’ “machine.” Though the scenes are sexual, they aren’t erotic.

Instead, they end up being moving, often humorous and in some moments, heartbreaking. Orjalo’s performance was brave and venerable, and truly embodied the journey of discovering one’s self and one’s sexuality. Scora showed range in both her expressions of desperation and curiosity, breaking down both the pains and joys of being a mother and a wife.

One of the strengths of this production is its dedicated portrayal of such varied and contrasting experiences among its characters. As much as the play is about woman exploring

THEATRE ERINDALE/FACEBOOK

In the Next Room explores sexual and romantic experiences in all their complexity. their own bodies and sexualities, Jacobe Rutigliano’s portrayal of Dr. Givings draws attention to male sexual insecurity. Although the other male characters in the play have no qualms about discussing emotional passion or sexual desire, Givings is just as, if not more, sexually repressed as the women he treats. His sincerity and naivete contrasts Myles Bottens’ boldly bombastic Mr. Daldry, and the expressiveness and wit of Mackenzie Burton’s Leo. Elizabeth, played by Aria Sharma, is a woman of color placed in service of the Givings’ as a wet nurse.

Sharma’s portrayal of Elizabeth complicates the oppression Mrs. Givings and Mrs. Daldry experience, for al-

though the two women are existing under societal restraints, they carry more status and agency but less maturity than Elizabeth. Dr. Givings, who is very conscientious about giving white women privacy, denies Elizabeth the same courtesy. Her body is treated as a tool, and the loss of her child is used to convenience those who dehumanize her. Sharma plays Elizabeth with stoic dignity, but she keeps her character’s pain and frustration tucked just below the surface. Her performance is a constant reminder of the varied experiences of women across race and class lines.

Saskia Muller gave a beautiful performance as Annie, an educated, unmarried, working woman who

assists Dr. Givings with his medical work. At first, she comes across as practical and dry but as the play progresses she slowly reveals the passion that is hiding below the surface. Her performance was subtle yet impactful.

The Vibrator Play is as hysterical as it is moving. The cast portrayed the complexity of the subject matter with heart, conviction and depth, while also offering levity and humour when needed. It’s a show that pushes boundaries in an incisive way and opens up opportunities for frank open discussion about sexuality.

In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play runs at the MiST Theatre from February 14 to March 3.

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THE MEDIUM 02.25.2019

Toronto Light Festival: bright lights & cold nights The third annual Toronto Light Festival showcased artwork by both local and international light artists KIMBERLY HUYNH NGUYEN

Winter in Canada is the time when people prefer to stay indoors and lay in bed rather than withstand the chilly winds and somber weather outside. The annual Toronto Light Festival has encouraged and challenged people to do otherwise.

From January 18 to March 3, the Light Festival draws in hundreds of thousands of visitors to view local and international light artworks at the Historic Distillery District in Toronto. This year, 35 light artworks lit up the cobblestone alleyways of the Distillery District, for its third running year. The enchanting vibrant hues and fluorescent light sculptures prompt swarms of people to gaze and take pictures of all the intricate art pieces.

With friends, family, and loved ones, the Light Festival brings together everybody to capture precious moments with entertaining and captivating artwork. At the Distillery District, there’s more to offer than just scenic imagery; walking along the collection of artworks, you’re exposed to the famous El Catrin Mexican restau-

MUHAMMAD ALI/THE MEDIUM

The Toronto Light Festival runs from January 18 to March 3 in the historic Distillery District. rant and café’s serving spiked apple cider and hot chocolate. In addition, when the cold air hits, there’s several massive fire pits across the district to warm up with. It’s an entire experience on its own. For a moment, you forget you’re standing in negative degree weather with the visuals and sounds of laughter.

This year’s Light festival is bigger and better than last year’s, with many new art pieces added to the festival.

You’ll encounter a fluorescent rainbow coloured arch, a light display of

a floating woman’s face, and a disco ball dispersing 20 different lights on the canvas of old brick buildings. This only accounts for a small fraction of the light artwork visible.

With the growing popularity of the Light Festival, companies have used the opportunity to display artwork for advertisements of products. For example, Michael Buble’s kinetic heart to promote his album or the oval orange and yellow walkthrough to promote Reese’s cups. This form of marketing wasn’t readily seen in previous

Album review: thank u, next Ariana Grande’s latest album differs in sound and theme from her past works

years where art was solely showcased by artists specializing in light work displays. In addition to the new, The Light Festival also brought back a few popular showcases, including the lock love wall where visitors write the name of their loved ones on a lock and attach it to the wall spelling out L-O-V-E. In addition, the timeless yellow stringed light alley, setting a romantic atmosphere, brings people to capture selfies.

Every piece of light artwork sets a distinct ambiance from the other.

REWIND ABEER BAIG

PHOTO FROM IMDB.COM

“thank u, next” is a fun song that drops names of Ariana Grande’s exes and thanks them.

TRISHA CLARENCE ASUNCION

Ariana Grande released her anticipated fourth studio album Sweetener on August 17, 2018. A few months later, after ex-boyfriend Mac Miller died of an overdose and after calling off her engagement to Pete Davidson, she released the first single from her fifth studio album.

“Thank U, Next” was received with high praise. The fun song name-drops Grande’s exes, declaring she’s grateful for all of them no matter the outcome. Following the release of the single, she announced that her new album was named after the song.

Grande released two more singles prior the release of the album.

“Imagine” was released on December 14, 2018. A soulful ballad, the song showcases her sweet whistle tones.

Fans speculate the song is about Mac Miller, with lyrics similar to his 2016 song “Cinderella,” which was written about Grande.

The final single released was “7 Rings,” a song written with Grande’s friends about a drunken night at Tiffany’s, where her and six of her friends purchased engagement rings.

The song samples from “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music.

Grande raps on this song, shying away from her earlier albums which were more bubblegum pop and R&B. Thank U, Next was released on February 8. She released the album less than six months after the release of Sweetener. The album’s lyrics mostly consist of dealing with heartbreak, moving on, accepting and acknowledging her flaws, and enjoying life. She wrote the album while she was going through a lot of personal matters.

The album consists of twelve songs, all mostly written by Grande.

It’s the only album of hers without any guest features. She carries the album all by herself and does it well.

The album has broken many records, including some of her own. The album broke the record for the larg-

est streaming week ever for a pop album. All twelve songs appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.

Grande experiments a lot on this album, with no two songs sounding alike. It’s a nice contrast to Sweetener, which is happier and more upbeat in sound and in the lyrics. Thank U, Next is toned down, making it the perfect album to listen to after a long, stressful day.

R&B seems to be a powerful influence in this album. On songs like “Bloodline” and “NASA,” the beats are memorable. They’re the most upbeat songs on the album. The rest of the album is softer, with Grande’s voice matching the mood. There are very little vocal runs on these songs, unlike on some of her previous albums. Grande relies mostly on the lyrics and the beats of the songs.

Ariana Grande will be going on a world tour later this year to promote both Sweetener and Thank U, Next.

There will be two stops in Toronto, on April 3 and June 26.

From soft golden hues to eccentric shades, visitors get feelings of tranquility and peace or fascination and excitement depending on which artwork they stumble upon.

An art piece that towers over when you enter the festival is a 32-foot polar bear, with an ocean full of sea creatures projected on its entire frame.

The artist behind the exquisite work, Don Kennel, used car parts to build the sculpture. He communicates how automobiles contribute to the negative effects on ecological ecosystems.

You’ll notice every artist adds their own touch and expression through their light art with a description written beside every piece. All the light displays ignite a spark of curiosity and wonder and a sense of adventure during the cold days ahead.

The Light Festival serves what it’s meant for. It gets people to come out from the winter blues and immerse themselves within an atmosphere of lights and entertainment, from music to a cascade of lights. The festival brings people out of the warmth of their home to the warmth sparked by social gatherings, enchanting light artwork, and enjoying a cup of hot chocolate outdoors.

Anyone who has watched The Princess Bride even once will forever remember its iconic lines such as “Inconceivable!” “As you wish” and “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father. Prepare to die.” The Princess Bride is a true cult classic in every sense of the phrase. Don’t be discouraged by the flowery title because this movie has everything including satire, sword fights, wit, revenge, and romance. This is a movie that just keeps getting better and better every time you watch it. The Princess Bride has so many elements and layers to it that make it so special, brilliant, and the classic family-film.

This movie is a story within a story—a boy (Fred Savage) who is feeling ill is visited by his grandpa (Peter Falk), who tries to cheer him up by reading him a story, the story of the Princess Bride. The beautiful Buttercup (Robin Wright) has lost faith in love after losing her fiancé Wesley (Cary Elwes) when he went to earn money for their marriage and lives.

She is betrothed to the evil and pompous Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon), who searches for her in vain when she is kidnapped by rebels who wish to start a war with him. The rebels, Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), Fezzik (André the Giant), and Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin) are pursued by a masked pirate intent on saving Buttercup. This movie has a sense of self-awareness, which shines through

the character of the grandson. His initial reluctance and criticism of his grandfather’s love story is representative of how the audience feels are the start of this seemingly typical romcom. And yet, like the boy, we too are soon desperate to listen and see how the adventure unfolds, not caring if we look and sound goofy.

My personal favourite scene would be the sword fight between Inigo Montoya and the Man in Black/ Masked Pirate. The fight had me on the edge of my seat but with an amused smile on my face at the same time. The good-natured yet competitive atmosphere is truly epic. According to reports, Patinkin and Elwes trained intensively to perfect each move, and in both, right- and lefthanded ways.

William Goldman, author and screenplay writer of The Princess Bride asked his two daughters what he should write his story about. One little girl replied ‘a princess’ and the other said ‘a bride,’ and so Goldman titled his book “The Princess Bride” for both his daughters. This sweet anecdote sums up the overall concept of the movie—it is a movie made especially for families to enjoy throughout the years, as it is ageless and iconic.

I would say that The Princess Bride brings out a sense of nostalgia in people, and perhaps that is why we love it so much. It makes us feel like kids and reminds us of the simple values and morals in life. To not enjoy this movie would be, well, inconceivable!

02.25.2019 THE MEDIUM ARTS» 7

The party that never happened Netflix’s documentary on the Fyre Festival traces the festival’s downfall

SAHIBA SHAH STAFF WRITER

PHOTO FROM IMDB.COM

The Netflix original documentary, Fyre, explores the downfall of the 2017 Fyre Festival.

KEENA ALWAHAIDI ASSOCIATE A&E EDITOR Netflix recently rolled in with their take on the Fyre Festival—subtitled “The Greatest Party That Never Happened.” It really could have been, but it never was.

Fyre competes with the Hulu production Fyre Fraud, which most viewers are comparing and contrasting together. However, Netflix’s Fyre prides itself on telling the story and relaying the facts instead of solely stringing together what happened on screen.

In 2017, entrepreneur Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule orchestrated what they thought would be the best music festival that has ever hit the industry: the Fyre Festival.

The team hired Instagram influencers to market their campaign for the festival, including models like Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, and Emily Ratajkowski.

The only catch? The festival wasn’t real. Maybe it was real when they had started from scratch, but as their money drained, so did their ideas. Af-

APRIL JOY ABIT

What does the man on the radio say to you? Welcome to Night Vale is a podcast created in 2012 by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor. The bimonthly radio show centres around the fictional desert town of Night Vale, in which host Cecil Gershwin Palmer reports on the news and strange events that have occurred.

From mysterious hooded figures, a stationary floating cat, books that don’t work, and a whispering forest that murmurs sweet nothings into your ear, Night Vale has it all. Cecil makes sure listeners don’t miss a second of it. Bound by a strong sense of responsibility to deliver the truth to his audience, he goes above and beyond his duties as a show host, going so far as to anger Station Management by discussing things that are not supposed to be discussed, like the Shape in Grove Park.

If not for Cecil, how else would the citizens of Night Vale know what colour of unmarked helicopters to look

ter shooting their commercial on the island they had purchased in the Bahamas, better known as being owned by drug pin Pablo Escobar, the festival spread on social media.

Essentially, ticket buyers were purchasing a vacation. Better yet, they were buying a concept, one that spun out so large that its organizers panicked—from start to finish. Why buy tickets to a festival like Coachella or Osheaga when you can be accommodated with music, a villa, and your own personal crew?

These were the things that Fyre employees were promising to the public. The idea of the festival became illusionistic, and, quite frankly, it was too good to be true. This is exactly why millennials emptied their bank accounts to go—because why not buy into a good thing while you can?

The interesting concept that emerges from the documentary is how quickly influencer culture is spreading, and how fast it can get to normal, everyday consumers. To be honest, why not buy your tickets to this festival where sun-soaked models were promising to be on the

beach? On Instagram, they’re pretty and boundless, and if you go, maybe you will be too.

By the time organizers realized they were running out of money, the event was not shut down. Although McFarland was a business tycoon, he proved to be difficult to work for. He was pulling funds from all over the place until he couldn’t any longer, but refused to shut the festival down before it started.

The first night, festival goers quickly turned into an angry mob when it turned dark. Being alone on an unknown island, with only disaster tents and barely enough food to make it for the weekend, did not equate to the lifestyle they were promised.

There is a lesson to be learned through watching wealthy kids travel far and wide for this experience.

However, Netflix does not zoom in on this. The documentary highlights the worst place that millennials can find themselves in. It asks the questions: how entitled to their money are they, and can they be expected to be scammed by people even richer than they are next time?

out for when sending their children out to play? (The blue helicopters of the Sheriff ’s Secret Police are the safest since they hardly ever take children).

How else would they keep track of the drama that is the whirlwind romance between Cecil and Carlos, the scientist with beautiful hair? Without Cecil, they certainly would not be able to keep track of the intern death toll (currently at sixteen).

Not all is exciting in Night Vale, however. They report mundane things as well, such as the weather through the original music compositions of independent artists, comment on traffic, and, from time to time, describe the shade of the sky (a midday night sky that had grown cancerous with blinking stars). All very important information for citizens who are planning on spending a day away from the dog park where humans and dogs are not allowed.

The podcast also informs us about the popular food spots around Night Vale. The Moonlite-All-Nite Diner is a must-try. They have visible and invisible food options. If you’re looking

for a more refined experience, Gino’s Italian Dining Experience and Grill and Bar would be a better bet. It’s the fanciest restaurant in town. Cecil recommends it.

Other than that, the community radio is ideal for sharing news with the listeners. This is how listeners find out about the adoptable kittens that wander around the community radio’s bathroom. It’s also a way to remind citizens that the government is always listening and watching. They are encouraged to enunciate their plans and intentions loud and clear so as not to cause confusion. Otherwise, they might meet their untimely demise through the government, or even worse, the faceless figure wandering the Night Vale Public Library.

A podcast rich in world building and coated in dark humour, Welcome to Night Vale combines paranormal activity, mystery, and satire, and is a podcast staple. At Night Vale, you don’t have to worry about any conspiracies because all conspiracies are true. All hail the glow cloud.

Published in 2017, The Marrow Thieves is a bestselling Young-Adult novel by Métis writer Cherie Dimaline. The novel is set in a dystopian future where everyone besides the Indigenous people of North America have lost the ability to dream. A fatal cure is found in stealing the marrow of Indigenous people, who are hunted and kidnapped by government-enabled Recruiters. The story follows 16-year-old Frenchie, and his companions who struggle to hide from the Recruiters and try to survive in the wilderness.

The novel begins with Frenchie’s “coming-to” story, how his brother, Mitch, sacrifices himself to save Frenchie from the Recruiters, and how Frenchie finds his way into a group trying to survive together. The group ranges widely in age, from seven-year-old RiRi to the group’s Elder, Minerva. Miigwaans, or Miig, leads the group. His coming-to story involves losing his husband Isaac to the Recruiters. Together, the group travels on, trying to evade capture, moving further and further North.

Throughout the novel, the themes of identity, heritage, and community are closely linked together. Miig offers parts of “Story,” an account of how the world came to be in the state that it is today, the history of “The Water Wars” and “The Melt,” linking man-made destruction and climate change. Minerva, the Elder, stores language within her, decades of history, shared in bits and regarded by others in the group as precious and sacred. Minerva holds the secret to resisting the Recruiters’ marrow-ex-

tracting machines set up in factories or “residential schools.”

A key theme in the novel is the treatment of Indigenous bodies as commodities, as a means of acquiring dreams by stealing people, actual physical beings. It is not enough that their lands are seized; this harrowing dystopia depicts the lengths to which Indigenous communities are targeted, robbed of place, body, and any semblance of safety. The novel also presents moral complexities through the characters and their actions, the sacrifices that are made in the process of survival. For instance, Frenchie’s loss of innocence is not simply a result of being forced apart from his family at a young age, but also by surviving in the wild, protecting his group against Recruiters and meeting violence with violence when circumstance calls for it—but never unnecessarily cruel.

The Marrow Thieves also weaves in the story of a gay couple—Miig and Isaac—within the narrative, without making it some sort of a spectacle, providing positive representation and normalizing queer relationships. The novel ends on an uplifting note, signifying the power of language, history, community, and the threads that bind people together. The Marrow Thieves offers a cast of fleshed out characters, provides historical and political parallels within our world, and is required reading for anyone who is anxious about the near future of our planet.

The Marrow Thieves won the 2017 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature, the 2017 Governor General’s Literary Award for Young People’s Literature and was a 2018 selection for CBC’s Canada Reads competition.

february 28

UTM EDSS “Slam & Chill”

march 2

Ad Summit: Well-Fed Artist Conference 2019

march 2-3

UTM Italian Studies “Ciao, Professoressa!”

march 4

Her Campus “Her Story, Our Story”

march 6

UTMSU “Scarlit Slam” 2019

march 8

UTM Film Fest 2019

march 14

Theatre Erindale “Three Sisters”

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02.25.2019

From acting to Italian and awards The Medium sits down with Dr. Teresa Lobalsamo to discuss her journey to academia and her award APARNA GOPALAKRISHNAN Dr. Teresa Lobalsamo, assistant professor in the Department of Language Studies, was selected as the recipient of the UTM Teaching Excellence Award for Junior Faculty in 2018.

Lobalsamo was nominated by her colleague, Dr. Adriana Grimaldi, a part-time lecturer in the Department of Language Studies, and helped put together Lobalsamo’s application package with letters of support from her former and current students, faculty, and staff.

Lobalsamo was informed of her win in the summer of 2018, she explains, “UTM is a hub for exceptional teaching and research, and I know that I am one of many who are doing what they do because they love it.” She was surprised by her win, yet humbled, and she admitted that she cried on learning of her win.

Lobalsamo’s journey to academia began with a dream of being an actress that brought her to university, but her love for learning and academia made her stay. As a first-year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, her courses mainly consisted of Theatre and Drama Studies courses, with English, French, and Italian as her electives. She was drawn to Italian Studies by her first-year Italian course, as she realised that “there was so much more to it” which inspired her to continue taking Italian courses well into her upper years.

YASMEEN ALKOKA/THE MEDIUM

Dr. Teresa Lobalsamo is an assistant professor in the Department of Language Studies.

She also says that this experience allowed her “to reconnect with her Italian roots” and “made her fall in love with Italian culture all over again.”

She knew she wanted to remain in academia even after her undergraduate degree to pursue Italian Studies at a higher level. Lobalsamo recounts that it was positive feedback from one of her instructors, Professor Gianrenzo Clivio, who said that her essay was “grad school worthy” which motivated her to pursue graduate studies.

Following this, she focused on Italian cinema for her Ph.D., and was offered a Course Instructor position at UTM

as part of her Ph.D. During her time in this position, she gained appreciation for the student culture at UTM. After she finished her PhD in 2013, she chose to continue as an instructor after an opening in the Department of Language Studies in Italian was posted in September 2013.

She mentions three particular mentors, Professor Michael Lettieri, Professor Salvatore Bancheri, and Professor Charles Elkabas who “shaped [her] confidence but also [her] teaching practices.”

Lobalsamo says about her mentors, “My journey really began because

[my mentors] saw something in me which needed to be taken out of me and brought to light and they showed me that I could [pursue] my passion at a higher level. I wasn’t sure where academia would lead me, but it was the best thing that could ever happen to me.” As a result, Lobalsamo always tells her students, “If you love what you do, you will be successful at it.

Doors will open up if you love what you do.”

Her teaching style can be best described as “student-centered” as she “meets the students halfway [by adjusting] her teaching style to the

class at hand.” Lobalsamo praises the “crème de la crème [of] students at UTM” which allows her to mould and develop the analytical and critical thinking skills of her students and apply them to Italian.

Regardless of the large class sizes of her first-year introductory Italian course ITA100, she has a “communicative approach” to her classes with an aim of “[getting] to know [my] students, their interests, strengths, areas of pressure and difficulty.” She encourages her students to inculcate the habit of repetition, to “get over the fear of making mistakes, [and become] more comfortable applying” the concepts learned in class through homework, and in-class and online activities. For students in her Italian Culture course, this means even analysing any movie—Italian or otherwise—through the lenses put forward

by Lobalsamo during class.

When asked if she has any words of advice for students looking towards a career in academia or teaching in any capacity, Lobalsamo emphasised the value of experience. She further motivates these students to “get experience in the classroom through TAing, experiential learning internships, shadowing, practicum, volunteer work, or Saturday school to be prepared for all eventualities” before attending Teachers College. “You will have a frame of reference [before learning] the theoretical lessons in Teachers College.”

Reading week: Less reading, more helping Michelle Atkinson, Community Engagement Coordinator, explains what ARW is and the events it included FATIMA ADIL ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR

During reading week, the Center for Student Engagement (CSE) offered their Alternative Reading Week (ARW) program, an exciting opportunity for students to tackle community challenges in the Region of Peel. The Medium sat down with Michelle Atkinson, CSE’s Community Engagement Coordinator at UTM, to discuss what ARW is, its origin, and the events it includes.

Atkinson begins by explaining that ARW is “a tri-campus opportunity where students from UTM, UTSC, and St. George participate in a three-day program over Reading Week.” ARW ran from February 19th to February 21st this year and was “an opportunity for students to use their reading week to

contribute to their community”.

ARW was launched in 2010 when The Learning Enrichment Foundation—a community organization UTM was working with— provided a grant to the university to participate in this type of programming. As Atkinson details, “it was really interesting for the university to participate in this type of co-curricular programming for the learning of our students, [and] so [the university] absorbed the program from there and it [has] grown every year.”

Activities that occur at ARW vary. While some opportunities are located onsite at the community organization, most occur on campus at UTM. Students receive the chance to “create something that meets a challenge of the community organization and [complete] some of the work on their behalf.”

Essentially, students are tasked

with “coming up with innovative solutions for complex community problems.”

Community organizations that students worked alongside this year included: City of Mississauga (South Common Community Centre), The DAM Youth Drop-in Centre, Caledon-Dufferin Victim Services, Eden Food for Change, Halton-Peel Community Aphasia Programs, Max’s Big Ride, Let’s Get Together, Peel HIV/AIDS Network, Safe City Mississauga, and St. Rose of Lima School.

One of the numerous and diverse ARW projects entailed creating an aphasia advocacy and awareness video for Halton-Peel Community Aphasia Programs while another involved formulating a marketing plan for Eden Food for Change’s Fresh Produce Box program.

ARW continued on page 10

UTM CENTRE FOR STUDENT ENGAGEMENT/FACEBOOK

CSE hosted Alternative Reading Week from February 19th to 21st.

02.25.2019 THE MEDIUM FEATURES» 9

Video games & fanfiction as literature?

Siobhan O’Flynn teaches two English courses that take a crucial look at unconventional literary models LIAYANA JONDY ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR

Two courses offered at UTM, ENG279 and ENG276, take a crucial look at two unconventional literary models: Video Games and Fanfiction. While UTM started offering Video Games in the summer of 2017, the campus began offering Fanfiction more recently in the 2018 winter term. Siobhan O’Flynn, an undergraduate instructor in U of T Mississauga’s Department of English and Drama, taught ENG279: Video Games in the fall and is currently teaching ENG276: Fanfiction this term.

The Video Games course focuses on studying narratively rich games in which players, either in second or third-person perspective, are essentially dropped right in the middle of the story. “You can view games as holistic systems that are designed to communicate something highly immersive,” O’Flynn states. Games are designed to be highly immersive to the extent that the player of the game is not only immersed in the effect (in the sense of what they do in the game) but also affect (in the sense of emotional resonance) of the game.

As the course syllabus reads: “This course will introduce students to

FRANCE-VICTORIA DRYSDALE/THE MEDIUM

Video games are one of two unconventional literary models the new courses will focus on. seminal arguments across a range of critical models: narratology, ludology or game studies, game theory, and emerging inter- and trans-disciplinary approaches to the study of video games.”

Not only do students learn the theoretical aspects of video games

but they also learn to critique games by playing them, designing their own games, and having those games critiqued by fellow students. “The assessments will look at how games are designed to que you through mental models,” O’Flynn remarks. “Students will have group discussions where

they will think about game designs and about how games are not like stories but do, in a way, use narrative elements.” Students even have an option to design a second game in the place of a final examination.

The Fanfiction course concerns reading fanfiction critically from a

variety of different frameworks. Students not only read fanfiction but also study the impact that story worlds have on the devotees of those texts.

“This course,” notes O’Flynn, “integrates the history of fanfics and fandoms as well as course studies.” Students will write a short critique, test, and final essay in addition to writing their own fanfiction. Both courses are exceptionally hands on, with students not only learning how to read fanfiction and study video games critically but also how to write “good” fanfiction and design their own games.

When asked why it is important to study such unconventional literary models as video games and fanfiction, O’Flynn responded, “Why aren’t we studying video games? It’s the largest revenue generating industry and almost everybody plays some kind of game. So, the fact that we’re not studying these things is kind of crazy. Fanfiction is also one of these supposedly niche areas of production and yet it is highly participatory and includes very important interactions.

Individuals find fandoms that change their lives, lots of fans start gaining all kinds of online and digital skills by being a part of fandom communities and find ways to creatively express themselves online.”

Study analyses preferred accents & kids The new study shows that children tend to have a preference for other children with similar accents KEVIN KIM ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR

The field of developmental psychology is a complex one, where new and insightful breakthroughs are still being made today. It is no wonder that many have taken particular interest in the field and its inner workings.

One such individual includes Dr. Elizabeth Johnson, Associate Professor in UTM’s department Psychology and Canada Research Chair in Spoken Language Acquisition. Johnson directs a lab titled Child Language and Speech Studies (C.L.A.S.S) right in UTM’s own CCIT building.

Johnson recently published a study in collaboration with one of her former Ph.D. students, Melissa PaquetteSmith, concerning accent preference in certain areas of the Greater Toronto Area. In an email to The Medium, Johnson explains a bit about the study. “Past studies have suggested that when given a choice, American 5 to 6-year-olds living in major cities like Boston and Chicago show a preference to associate with children who speak with a native American English accent over children who speak English with a foreign French accent.”

Elaborating further, she explains that the children participating in the study were exposed to pictures of two children, accompanied by recordings of native and foreign English accents.

Johnson and Paquette-Smith were

curious as to whether similar results would surface in the Greater Toronto Area. They hypothesized, children would be more accepting of various accents due to the large amount of cultural and lingual diversity that exists in the GTA. Johnson states that “we were interested in whether the findings reported with American children would generalize to children living in the neighborhoods surrounding UTM.” Recording of children with British and Korean accents were provided by Dr. Buckler, a faculty member of Nottingham University in the UK, and Dr. Choi, a professor of Social Psychology at Sookmyung Women’s University in South Korea, respectively.

Buckler and Choi were additional associates to the study.

When asked about the experimental design of the study, Johnson elaborated, “We used a very similar procedure as previous studies with American children. We presented GTA 5 and 6-year-olds with images of two children, and then played recordings of two children’s voices and told them that one voice belonged to Child A, and the other voice belonged to Child B. In our first experiment, children completed eight trials—on each they heard the voice of one child speaking with a local Canadian English accent and one child speaking with a British accent. On every trial, the children had to choose who they would prefer to be friends with, and

PHOTO FROM PEXELS.COM

The results of the new study on children and accent preference were surprising to many. place a star sticker above that child’s picture.”

The subsequent results of the study may be somewhat surprising—comparing the local English accent to the British accent, children chose to be friends with the local speaker about 58 per cent of the time. When the experiment was repeated utilising the Korean accented speaker instead, children chose the local speaker about 85 per cent of the time.

Children subjected to the experiment were separated into three categories of daily exposure to different accents, high, medium, and low, to

further test Johnson’s hypothesis. She notes that “Interestingly, however, we found no evidence that amount of accent exposure at home affected how much children preferred a speaker who spoke with a local Canadian accent. In other words, even children who had parents who spoke English with a non-local accent still preferred to be friends with kids who spoke English with a local Canadian accent over kids who spoke English with a British or Korean accent. This really surprised us.”

Although these results may be concerning to some, considering cultural

diversity and acceptance is a highly quoted strength of the GTA, Johnson concludes by warning that “[…] these findings need to be taken with a grain of salt. The 5 to 6-year-olds we tested demonstrated a preference for peers who spoke in the locally dominant accent, but this does not mean that children this age feel any ill-will towards children who speak another variety of English, like Korean or British accented English. And in the real world, children have a lot more information to base their peer preferences on besides accent.”

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THE MEDIUM 02.25.2019

FEATURING: Meet The Editor How did you get involved with The Medium?

PC: I knew going into university that I wanted to write for the student newspaper, so I signed myself up the first week of school.

Why the A&E section, and not any other section?

PC: I have a background in the arts and I thought that the section would allow me to write a variety of types of article from actor interviews to theatre reviews.

YASMEEN ALKOKA/THE MEDIUM

Paula Cho, Arts and Entertainment Editor

Name: Paula Cho

What is your background in art?

PC: I started dancing ballet when I was five and continued dancing throughout high school on the dance team. I also play the piano.

Position at The Medium: Arts and Entertainment What’s one of your favourite articles that you’ve Editor Year: Second year Program of Study: Double major in Political Science and Communication, Culture, Information and Technology

Helping Peel Region ARW continued from page 8 For Caledon Dufferin Victim Services, students were asked to research frauds which target older adults and brainstorm ideas to educate the older adult population on fraud prevention strategies.

For the duration of the program, some students worked directly with the organization while others worked alongside project leaders who have been preparing for ARW since November. Project leaders “convey[ed] the community organization’s message as they [had] an

During the reading week, UTM’s CSE offered their Alternative Reading Week program to help students tackle community challenges. idea of what the project is going to be;” however, “once students came, [the participating students were free] to take the project in different directions based on their experience, their interest areas, and [the] different things they want to do for that partner.”

To be eligible for ARW, students were required to attend a mandatory training. Training sessions were scheduled during the weeks leading

up to ARW. In order to accommodate for the recent harsh weather, the training session was also offered the morning of the first day of ARW, so “a student could wake up the morning of ARW, show up to the training, and then be able to participate.”

In addition to this, students engaged with aging populations for Peel HIV/AIDS Network, prepared a day for grade 6-8 students in STEM areas for St. Rose of Lima School, and developed 60-90 second vlogs targeted towards educating parents on their children’s schooling for Let’s Get Together among many other activities.

Atkinson remarks that this year, there has been “room for over a hundred students to participate and that [they have] work[ed] with 10 great community organizations on 15 different well-thought-out projects.” One of the new and primary areas of focus has been “how students can, by participating [in ARW], not only see what they’ve accomplished through their participation but also the larger impact on the community.” Students will be brought together at the beginning of the program, separate and work on their different objects, and then reconvene at the end to reflect on “the larger impact that the whole group of students have made through this program.”

written so far?

PC: My favourite article I’ve written has to be my interview with Akash Sherman.

He’s only 23 and directed a major feature film and getting to chat with him was inspiring.

What’s something you miss the most about your home in California?

PC: My family, the sun, and being near the ocean.

Who was your favourite subject in highschool?

Why? PC: I took a class in psychology and found it very interesting and different from the conventional classes offered.

What is your favorite TV show?

PC: Friends is always on in my apartment but right now, I’m watching The Blacklist and would highly recommend.

If you could shop for free at one store, what would it be?

PC: I would say Free People –I love their high-quality clothes but they’re all so expensive.

What was your dream job growing up?

PC: I wanted to be an in-

terior designer growing up because I enjoyed decorating.

Do you still want to be an interior designer?

PC: No, I’d like to pursue political journalism and work at either a newspaper or broadcast station—but I’m keeping my options open!

Do you have a sweet tooth or a savory tooth?

PC: Definitely sweet. I love all flavours of ice cream.

What is your star sign?

PC: My sun is in Leo, my moon sign is Scorpio, and I’m a Virgo rising.

What is a skill you would like to master?

PC: Definitely writing!

What is your favourite quote?

PC: “In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.” -Buddha

02.25.2019

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Do you have bad bedtime behaviour?

Watching Netflix before bed will not only result in poor sleep, it will also affect next day alertness LEEN BLAIBLEH

Ever since Netflix hit the scene, the phrase “just one more episode” has been used a lot more frequently, simply because Netflix provides that luxury. Before the emergence of media service providers like Netflix or Hulu, viewers were forced to wait a week for a new episode. Binge watching was a non-existent concept.

“I can’t fall asleep without watching an episode of Friends,” is another expression that is rather popular among students. Watching our favourite shows before bed has quickly become part of our nightly routine.

Although many believe that Netflix tends to help our minds and bodies unwind, that couldn’t be further from the truth. We unconsciously gravitate to the idea of falling asleep to familiar voices, whether that be the theme song from your favourite sitcom or drifting away submerged in your dream genre.

What usually slips our mind as we continue to gawk at our laptops is the morning after. Netflix not only affects sleep quality during the night, it is a recipe for disaster the morning after, as it affects next day alertness. According to a study published in the

JULIA HEALY/THE MEDIUM

A study shows that over one-third of binge watchers experience poor sleep.

Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, “over one third of binge watchers experience poor sleep.”

Binge watching is a new phenomenon referring to the practice of watching multiple episodes in one sitting.

Although that might not necessarily sound like a bad idea, binge watching is a form of addiction. Watching TV

shows is an investment. Every night we press play and invest a few hours at the very least in hope of feeling enticed and engaged. Our heart starts to rhythmically beat as the storyline of the protagonist is at its climax causing the mind and body to become more alert. The brain then releases more dopamine which simulates a certain

type of high.

Content is a determining factor in how much dopamine your brain releases. Netflix recently came out with a binge scale displaying that genres like thriller and drama result in longer binging hours, as opposed to some comedies such as Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers.

Blue Light is another major contributor to binge watching. Unknowingly, as we semi-focus our attention on the new flavour of the month, our phones, laptops and tablets are emitting a light that our brains perceive to be the equivalent of sunlight. The more blue light our brain receives, the higher our dopamine levels rise forcing us unwittingly into a trance like state.

According to Dr. Gayani DeSilva, a psychiatrist at Laguna Family Health Centre in California, “we continue to immerse ourselves in the stories we feel more attached because our brain interprets these signals as real memories.” We often gravitate towards plot lines and characters we identify with and unconsciously develop feelings of empathy.

Admitting that Netflix is the secret passageway to our escapist pleasures is a sure-fire way to identify our insistent need to be entertained, whether it be to our benefit or not. While it is unrealistic to propose that viewers stop watching all together, we should rather, approach binge watching with an air of caution. Possibly set a predetermined amount of time, perhaps only watch at a particular time of the day and always consider that moderation can be the key to your freedom.

Meal replacements: the liquid truth Liquid meal replacements can be great for those crunched for time, but are not a long-term solution YASMEEN ALKOKA PHOTO EDITOR Liquid meal replacements have been around for over 50 years, but most recently, there has been a growing popularity and interest spread by celebrities and fitness gurus. The bottles are convenient to take around, don’t require preparation or cleanup, and some products don’t need refrigeration either. For students, a liquid alternative to a full meal can seem like an appealing concept, especially if they have feelings related to lost appetite.

As Kim Green, UTM’s dietitian, says in her “UTM EatWell” document, a loss of appetite can be a cause of either “stress, sadness, anxiety, depression or a lingering flu.” No matter what the cause is, it is important to provide your body with the energy it requires throughout the day. Green suggests that if “you feel like you can’t eat breakfast or lunch, try sipping on a meal replacement beverage like ‘Boost’ or ‘Ensure’, or ‘Carnation Breakfast Essentials’ (available in a powder you mix with milk, or readyto-drink).” Liquids are often easier

PHOTO FROM WALMART.CA

Boost is an example of a liquid meal replacement that could be used to replace breakfast or lunch. to digest than solids, and so it could be an ideal option for a student with little or no appetite.

Dr. Densie Webb from Today’s Dietician says that liquid meal replacements “offer clients and patients a

premeasured amount of food with specific calorie, protein, and nutrient levels, eliminating the need to weigh, measure, or estimate portion sizes.”

She continues by stating that they are often “short on fiber and don’t pro-

vide all of the phytochemicals found in plant-based foods.” Some types of meal replacements have sugar alcohols that can cause bloating and diarrhea, and other types contain artificial sweeteners which could be a “deal-

breaker” for certain people.

These products do supply a defined amount of energy and nutrients with a decent number of calories too— anywhere from 150-400 kcal each.

This could work well for some people but leave others unsatisfied and can lead to overeating unhealthy food later.

On top of that, they take away the worries of deciding on what to eat, but if an individual relies on liquid meal replacements alone, it may be extremely difficult to transition back to regular food after a while. Liquid meal replacements are not intended to be a long-term solution and could potentially cause problems in the future. Webb recommends that “each client must decide whether it’s better to counsel him or her on healthful eating and lifestyle habits from the start or whether a liquid meal replacement will work well in the beginning.”

Green emphasizes that it is important to try to eat at least one “solid” meal each day. Liquid meal replacements once or twice a day can provide a temporary solution to lost appetite or lack of time in a busy schedule, but they are not a long-term solution.

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THE MEDIUM 02.25.2019

The positive health effects of probiotics Probiotics fall under the “good” bacteria category and help in protecting our immune system AMRISH WAGLE ASSOCIATE S&H EDITOR

Humans are made up of a larger quantity of bacteria than cells. These bacteria can be both good or bad and a delicate balance between both is crucial to sustainable health. Probiotics fall in the “good” category and are defined by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics as “live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.” Nevertheless there is still considerable research required to understand and assess these relatively mysterious microorganisms.

The microorganisms considered “probiotic” consist of several strains that have very specific effects including combatting respiratory illness or promoting bowel movements. The jury is still out on crucial questions such as which probiotic bacteria are beneficial in what situations, how many are needed for adequate consumption or even how they fend off the bad bacteria in the human body.

These questions however haven’t held back food manufacturers from marketing probiotics and raising an industry projected to reach a magnitude of $50 billion globally by 2022.

As such, Health Canada has established several regulations that limit

PHOTO FROM UNSPLASH.COM

Probiotics are found primarily in dairy and fermented products, like milk, yogurt, and cheese. corporate health claims to simply state that probiotics maintain good gut health. As well, companies are required to have at least a billion bacteria per serving for a product to be considered probiotic.

Research on Probiotics has been aggressive and churning out health benefits constantly, especially with companies like Danone funneling $313 million to its cause. A major advantage to probiotics includes their ability to replenish good bac-

teria in the body. This is important when taking medications such as antibiotics that tend to eradicate much of the beneficial bacteria along with the bad. This decrease largely causes digestive side effects such as diarrhea, constipation, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, etc. Probiotics can treat much of these symptoms by maintaining the necessary balance of good and bad bacteria.

Another paramount facet to Probiotics is their ability to protect the

immune system. According to Jamieson Vitamins, they help control immune response, increase antibody activity and inhibit growth of bad bacteria and yeast such as salmonella. According to WebMD, they have a collectively beneficial affect on the human gut, especially through their ability to affect nerves that control gut movement in order to smoothly transport food through the digestive tract. In addition to these well-established advantages, Probiotics do

have some growing support for being useful in a wide range of health benefits including oral health, preventing allergies and colds, as well as urinary and vaginal health.

Probiotics are found primarily in dairy and fermented products such as yogurt, milk and cheese, including some supplements. The most researched probiotics that have been considerably proven to have health benefits include Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. The former is quite common and helps with diarrhea while the latter is commonly used for Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

It is not yet fully clear the number of probiotics an individual should consume, although a regular and long-term use is recommended for a healthy balance of bacteria in the digestive system. It is also quite safe to consume probiotics for most individuals although research has been scarce for infants or young babies, individuals with weak immune systems and elderly individuals. Probiotics already resemble much of the bacteria in the digestive system and have been used extensively through history, especially in Paris where sour milk was used as treatment to prevent aging. Nevertheless, it is not strictly compulsory to consume probiotics as one can still have a healthy digestive system by following a normal healthy diet.

No gym membership? Not a problem Associate Sports & Health Editor, Sarah-May Oldfield, creates an at-home workout for students SARAH-MAY OLDFIELD ASSOCIATE S&H EDITOR

It might not look or feel like it right now, but hot days and short sleeve shirts are almost here. You want to look and feel your best, but getting ready to be comfortable in your own skin when it’s time to ditch the sweaters can feel an arduous task. Especially if you don’t have access to a facility, or a gym membership. Even if you do have a gym membership, it can be hard to find the motivation to go if you have to fight through ice, snow, and icky slush.

Thankfully, there’s plenty of exercises you can do at home, that don’t require any special machines or equipment. And there are plenty of fun exercises, beyond the basic pushups and sit-ups. All you need is a little bit of space, your body weight, and a little drive, and you can feel a lot less guilty about skipping the gym and staying home. You can check out these exercises, and much more, that target one or multiple muscle groups at self.com Target Area: Abs and Core If you’re looking to target that midsection, these exercises will both work those muscles and get that heart rate up.

Plank Hop This is a variation of the basic plank. Like the plank, you’ll need to begin with your hands flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart, and your

PHOTO FROM UNSPLASH.COM

Sarah-May Oldfield writes about why you don’t need access to a gym facility to get a workout. legs straight and toes pressed to the ground. Unlike your usual plank, you’ll need to start with your hips slightly higher. Make sure you engage your core and quads. Keeping your legs together, your feet are going to jump forward, bringing your knees toward your left elbow. Jump your feet back to start, jump forward toward your right elbow, and then jump back to the start.

Bird Dog Crunch This is another variation on the basic crunch. Start on your hands and knees, like a tabletop with your wrists just blow your shoulders. Extend your one arm forward and op-

posite leg back. Be sure to keep your back flat and hips lined with the floor.

Tightening your core, draw your elbow and opposite knee inward so they meet near the middle of your body. Repeat with the opposite elbow and knee.

Do 3 sets of 12 reps for a good burn.

Target Area: Arms and Upper Body Decline Push-up Try this push-up variation if you want something more challenging than your basic push-up. To begin, place your toes on a raised surface, like a box or a step. Like your normal

push-up, keep your hands flat and shoulder-width apart. Your shoulders should be above your wrists. Bend your elbows to lower your chest to the floor. Be sure to engage your core and glutes. And push through your hands to raise yourself back up.

Bodyweight Triceps Dip No weights needed here. This is an interesting and fun variation on the triceps dip. You begin on the floor. Rest your legs in front of you, heels pressed to the floor and knees bent. Place your hands on the floor, under your shoulders, flared out to the side, with your palms facing outward behind you. Bend your elbows

to lower your butt to the ground and straighten your arms to raise yourself up again.

Perform these exercises 10 times for 3-4 sets.

Target Area: Legs and Glutes Pilé Squat Calf Raises This is another fun twist on a familiar exercise. To do a Pilé Squat Calf Raise, you’ll need to stand with your legs spread, wider than shoulder width. Point your toes outward resting your hands on your hips. Squat, lowering your butt so your thighs become parallel with the floor. While in the squat, lift your heels off the floor.

Hold that position and lower yourself back down.

Curtsy Lunges Another fun variant of a basic exercise is the curtsy lunge. You begin this exercise like you would a typical lunge, standing tall, feet slightly apart.

Step one leg behind the opposite leg diagonally to the side, lowering yourself into the lunge position, so your knee just touches the floor. Pushing through the heel of that leg, bring yourself back up to the starting position. Repeat this on the other side.

Do 3-4 sets of 10 reps.

Whether you’re a complete beginner, or a fitness fanatic, you don’t have to leave your house or even your bedroom to get in a workout. Without spending anything, you can have yourself a challenging and fun workout routine using just your bodyweight.