You Decide on CFS
An editorial response
J-Reyez’s story to fame
Intersectional identities
Benefits of Zumba fitness
News, page 2
Opinion, page 4
Arts, page 5
Features, page 8
Sports, page 11
Students call for Peterson’s dismissal The letter alleges that Peterson has broken the University’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters ALICIA BOATTO NEWS EDITOR
Over 100 university members have called for the University of Toronto to remove Jordan Peterson from the institution in an open letter addressed to the university’s vice president and vice president and provost Cheryl Regehr last week. The letter alleged that Peterson’s recent discourse is in violation with the University’s Code of Behavior, as Peterson stated intent to design a website that would highlight courses with “postmodern” and “neo-Marxist” content. The most recent letter by students and university members is a similar letter to the previous letter from U of T faculty of the Women and Gender Studies Institute, requesting that action be taken by the university against Peterson resulting in his dismissal. “The mere fact that such an aggressive and damaging initiative was proposed by a tenured University of Toronto professor is unacceptable. Prof. Peterson’s intended project would specifically target the academic integrity of and student enrolment
CARLOS OSORIO/THE STAR
The letter calls for the removal of Jordan Peterson from the University of Toronto. in Women and Gender Studies, ‘racial and ethnic groups studies,’ and the humanities in its broadest sense, contravening the University’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters, which states the University’s responsibility to ensure that ‘malevolent or even mischievous disruption’ is not permitted to threaten the educational process,” read the members’ letter.
Peterson has been a long-time advocate for free speech on university campuses and announced the launch of a website designed to highlight the ideologies of course instructors before enrolling in a class. “All these actions emphasize that such a database would constitute a serious threat to the mental and physical safety of students, faculty,
and staff at the University as well as to the broader academic and general communities. Prof. Peterson’s ongoing misconduct is damaging not only to the University’s educative function, but also to its civic role in the broader community,” the open letter also read. The letter claims that Peterson is “trying to disadvantage others”
through the use of his website and recent discourse against the humanities, alleging that those actions are against the interests of the university. Recently, the Women and Gender Studies Institute of U of T wrote to the vice-provost requesting a meeting regarding Peterson. WGSI alleged that Peterson’s intent to launch his website would jeopardize the safety of faculty and students within the department, and would allow individuals to target professors and courses through the use of the site. “Some members of our community have expressed concerns regarding Prof. Peterson’s recent statements. We are listening to these concerns, and considering them carefully,” stated Althea Blackburn-Evans, the director for U of T Media Relations, in an email to The Medium. The email also stated that the university had only become aware of the letter by students on November 29th. The university’s media team did not specify if the university has been in contact with Peterson regarding the announcement of his website or either of the open letters sent to Regehr. Letter continued on page 2
CUPE Unit 3 ratifies Tentative Agreement CUPE Unit 3 reached an agreement with U of T while Unit 1 continues to bargain with the university ALICIA BOATTO NEWS EDITOR A tentative agreement has been reached between CUPE 3902 Unit 3 and the University of Toronto bargaining team on Saturday, November 25. The two parties are currently undergoing ratification of the offer by Unit 3 members. CUPE 3902 released a brief statement on their social media pages the following day on Sunday, acknowledging that a tentative agreement had been reached after 24 hours of bargaining. According to an update on the U of T News page posted on November 28th, the tentative agreement was presented to employees during an ascension meeting that same day. CUPE 3902 posted on their website that 92.5 per cent of Unit 3 members voted in favour to send the tentative agreement to a bargaining-wide ratification vote during the ascension
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The collective agreement for CUPE 3902 Unit 1 is set to expire on December 31st. meeting. CUPE’s website also states that the results of the ascension meeting permitted a tri-campus referendum open to all Unit 3 members on whether to ratify the tentative agreement.
Polls remained open on all three campuses until December 1. The university and the bargaining team have been renegotiating contracts for sessional lecturers for several months. The university’s bar-
gaining team had offered Unit 3, which represents over 1,200 sessional lecturers, music instructors, and writing instructors at U of T, at least five different offers, according to CUPE’s fourth bargaining bulletin.
Kristin Cavoukin, a representative from the for CUPE 3902 Unit 3 bargaining team was unable to respond to The Medium’s request for comment, as of press time. A labour dispute had previously occurred in 2015 when U of T and CUPE 3902 Unit 1 failed to negotiate a tentative agreement. The strike, primarily concerned CUPE’s wish for increased wages, affected all teaching assistants across the U of T campuses and lasted four weeks. The 2015 strike came to an end after binding arbitration was decided in an emergency meeting. Unit 1 is currently still undergoing bargaining with the U of T administration with their contracts set to expire on December 31st. According to a November bulletin post, the Unit 1 bargaining team has met with the university’s administration five times in order to reach an agreement. CUPE continued on page 2
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THE MEDIUM 12.04.2017
You Decide gains 420 signatures The group needs 15 per cent of student support for a referendum
November 23rd, 2017 Suspicious Incident A suspicious note was left for a staff member. There were no threats made. Investigation continues. November 24th, 2017 Trespass to Property Act Campus Police were notified of two non-community members attempting to gain entry to the RAWC. The two persons were asked to leave and cautioned. November 24th, 2017 Police Assistance Campus Police were called to shut down a large party. The officers attended the location and the party was shut down. November 28th, 2017 Theft An electronic device was stolen from another person. The issue was resolved November 29th, 2017 Sexual Assault A sexual assault occurred on campus. The suspect was arrested. November 24th, 2017 Theft A student left his personal
belongings unattended for several hours in a classroom. An unknown person removed the belongings. November 25th, 2017 Police Assistance A community member sustained injuries while playing sports. They were transported to a local hospital for further treatment. November 26th, 2017 Traffic Complaint Campus Police were contacted regarding a vehicle driving at a high rate of speed on campus. Further investigation revealed that the driver and the passenger were not part of the UTM community. Both driver and passenger were trespassed from UTM for three years. November 28th, 2017 Towed Vehicle A vehicle was in violation of the parking rules. The vehicle was towed off UTM property. November 29th, 2017 Disturb the Peace Five people were observed on campus causing a disturbance. They were gone upon the Campus Police arrival.
These reports are those that have been released to The Medium from Campus Police 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.
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The referendum would allow students to choose if they want to remain part of the CFS. FATIMA WASIF ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR The student group You Decide U of T has recently gained 420 signatures in their petition for a referendum to decide whether the University of Toronto Students’ Union should remain a member of the Canadian Federation of Students. The group has termed the current rallying efforts as “very successful.” In a post shared on November 10th, the group announced that they gained 420 signatures from engineering students across the St. George campus. “The goal of the You Decide campaign is to submit a petition calling for a referendum on the issue of continued membership of the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) in the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS). We hope to get the referendum so that students may decide for themselves whether
to remain in or defederate from the CFS,” said a representative, Jonathan Webb from the CFS in an email to The Medium. “Our campaign has been very successful so far. Students are genuinely excited about having a referendum on the issue of CFS defederation. We hope to submit the petition by the end of the academic term in April 2018,” the email also read. A successful petition would require signatures from at least 15 per cent of members of the UTSU, equaling to around 7,000 students. Members of the union would include all undergraduate students studying full-time at the St. George campus, where the campaign is based. According to the You Decide Facebook page, “We believe that St. George students—who pay over $600,000 in annual membership fees to CFS—should be able to decide whether or not they want to
continue to remain members of this organization.” “You Decide as an organization does not take a stance on the outcome of a decertification referendum, we simply believe that students should have the opportunity to decide if they want to continue to be in the CFS themselves,” the page adds. If the required number of signatures are collected, You Decide U of T plans to turn in the petition to both provincial and national executives of the CFS, as is required by CFS bylaws, by April 2018. A possible referendum will then be held the following October. Membership of the CFS have been disputed amongst members of the UTSU, including the executive members, who approved a motion during their AGM that allows the UTSU to retain autonomy when joining organizations outside of the university.
Unit 1 bargaining continues UTSU signed off in support of the letter
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CUPE states it has been difficult to negotiate an increase in wages with the university. CUPE continued from cover DOCS.GOOGLE.COM/PHOTO
Students from Canadian universities were named in the letter. Letter continued from cover “Any allegations of behaviour that might contravene the University’s policies and guidelines are carefully considered on a case-by-case basis, with all respect for due process,” the email continued. While the UTSU was one of the organizations attributed to the letter, UTSU president Mathias Memmel did not respond on their involve-
ment in the letter. Other university students and members across North America have signed the open letter. UTMSU was not among the members that signed the letter. The union’s president Salma Fakhry also did not respond to The Medium’s request for comment if the UTMSU had any involvement in the letter.
“The employer has now responded to the majority of our nonfinancial proposals and we have had initial discussions about many of our priority areas,” the bulletin reads. “In particular, it is clear that funding increases will continue to be a major challenge. The administration’s position has remained unchanged since the strike: funding is not a matter we negotiate with CUPE. But we know that our bargaining and strike actions in the past have always led directly to long-overdue funding increases.”
Part of Unit 1’s demands are $10,000 half course rate for Course Instructors, increased financial support for unfunded students and better support for individuals on parental leave and with mentalhealth needs
Unit 1 represents Teaching Assistants, Student and Post Doctoral course instructors across all three campuses.
According to CUPE’s site, Unit 1 will be hosting a strike mandate meeting on Tuesday, December 5th at the United Steelworkers Hall on Cecil Street. The meeting will permit the union members to vote if they are willing to initiate a strike in the case that the parties fail to come to an agreement by the end of the month. The strike mandate does not guarantee a strike would occur but gives permission to the bargaining team to begin a labour dispute as a last resort.
12.04.2017 THE MEDIUM NEWS
UTM researchers get $1.4 million There are 16 researchers from the humanities and social sciences
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The grants came from the Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada. TANISHA KUMAR
The University of Toronto Mississauga’s research faculty received $1.4 million in grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada (SSHRC). The research include subjects from various fields including drama and theatre, geography, psychology, biology, management, economics, anthropology, along with several others. The faculty members present their research to the SSHRC and the amount of grants they need for funding. Then, the SSHRC gives funding to the university, who distributes the grants to the respective researchers. The researchers must use the grants provided to them in a time period of five years if they wish to apply for more funds. “I am so happy about this. These funds will help all the departments
answer questions they have been looking for. This will help them progress, encourage new ideas and explore new things. This also means that researchers will be able to bring more people onto their team—undergraduate and graduate. The student’s stipends are paid from these funds,” stated UTM’s vice president of research Bryan Stewart.
Overall, 16 researchers from the UTM faculty will be the reciepients of the $1.4 million dollar grant. Stewart highlighted the research of professor Jessamyn Schertz, who works in the Department of Language Studies, and is studying how
people comprehend speeches and adapt to new accents and speech patterns. “What is interesting is how she is studying something so common, yet what we often do not realize. As a professor in language, she is studying the human communication aspect, and as a biologist I would probably research on the neuron functioning here—that makes this so cool.” Other UTM recipients of the funding include Shelley Wall from the Department of Biology; Natalie Bau from the Department of Economics; Jasmine Rault from the CCIT department; Carrie Fulton from the Department of Historical Studies; Feng Chen from the Department of Management; Laura Derksen from the Department of Management, Emily Impett from the Department of Psychology; and Jennifer Stellar from the Department of Psychology.
UTM assault suspect arrested
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»WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE MEMORY OF 2017?
Andrew Otto 2nd year, Comp. Sci
Jonathan Leung 2nd year, Comp. Sci
“Making money from music production.”
“Professor Dan Zingaro’s rants.”
Megan Lee 2nd year, Anthro
Philomena Lancione 2nd year, Education
“Starting Dungeons and Dragons.”
“I’m happy to have moved to UTM.”
UTM Career Centre ranks fourth in Canada
The suspect has been tied to another assault in November
SHIFA SIDDIQUI/THE MEDIUM
The Career Centre hosts numerous workshops for students. MISSISSAUGA.COM/PHOTO
Police believe Sajid may be a repeat offender after linking him to a second assault in November. ALICIA BOATTO NEWS EDITOR
The University of Toronto Mississauga Campus Police has arrested the suspect involved in the sexual assault that occurred on campus last Wednesday in a stairwell at the William G. Davis Building. A female UTM student was followed into the stairwell early morning when the suspect assaulted her before fleeing the scene. Campus Police released an image and description of the suspect on the day of the assault and was able to identify the suspect with help from the public.
According to a bulletin released by the Campus Police, a similar assault that occurred on November 15th is associated the UTM incident suspect A male had approached a woman
The assailent has been apprehended by police after being linked to a second assault in Mississauga. in the area of Burnhamthorpe Road West and Hurontario Street and assaulted her before fleeing the scene.
Investigators from the Special Victims Unit made the arrest tied to both of those assaults on November 30th. “On Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, at approximately 1:20 p.m. Fardin SAJID, an 18-year-old male from the City of Mississauga was arrested for two counts of Sexual Assault. SAJID was held for a bail hearing on Friday, Dec. 1, 2017 at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton,” the post on UTM’s Campus Safety Alerts website reads. Suspecting that there might have been more incidents, the Special Victim’s Unit encouraged anyone who has had contact with the male to contact the police.
ARIBA HAIDER
The UTM Career Centre has ranked fourth among Canadian post-secondary institutions for its career-related services, according to a new study conducted early October by the Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling (CERIC). The UTM Career Centre was ranked as “Most Impressive” by the CERIC based on UTM’s workshops, events, and services, in terms of helping students find employment. “We couldn’t believe that our campus specifically was recognized. A lot of hard work gets put
into each individual workshop and event. To be listed fourth amongst all Canadian universities and college is amazing,” said Doug Lu, the UTM’s Career Centre’s development officer. This news has motivated us even more and we’re excited to be adding more events and workshops this year to help students succeed further.” The centre’s services include workshops like how to network, as well as resume and cover letter critiques. It also hosts three fairs each year, with Graduate and Professional School Fair and the Get Experience Fair being held in the fall semester, and the Get Hired Fair being held in the winter semester.
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12.04.2017
The truth is stranger than fiction
About Jordan Peterson, let’s clarify some points misunderstood as “fake news” Last week, I had the pleasure of reading a response from Russell Wu. Despite his focus on ad-hominem attacks on my character rather than the content I published, I was still glad that I got a response. Wu started off with the premise that he expects to read about some scandal in my op-ed—he already came in with presumptions. My article was not about any specific scandal. And in fact, I did not make any mention of any of the scandals that Wu mentioned, such as what happened with the teaching assistant at Wilfrid Laurier University, or how the Ryerson administration canceled a panel on restriction of free speech. But if Wu really came in to the opinion section wanting to read about a Peterson scandal so he could blurt out ad-hominems against the writer in his response, then I can at least do him the favour of discussing one recent scandal about Peterson. According to PressProgress last week, Peterson dropped ex-Rebel Media host Faith Goldy from his panel series titled “Stifling of Free Speech on University Campuses” for her neonazi rhetoric and her participation in the Charlottesville riots, protesting alongside the “alt-right.” Peterson’s reason for dropping her is that he did not want to associate himself with a neo-nazi. This comment got a bad reaction from his supporters, who are all proponents of “free speech”—even if it is associated with neo-nazis. As a result, in immense irony, Peterson’s alt-right supporters are mad at Peterson because he wants to disassociate himself from that movement. So, isn’t Peterson contradicting himself in this case? Why would Peterson devote a significant amount of his time rallying for free speech, but then drop Faith Goldy, who was just practicing her “free speech” in Charlottesvile, Virgina, according to his alt-right fans?
Now, let’s move on to the actual content of my article. Before beginning his critique, Wu stated my op-ed was a “dissembling, ill-informed, badly written attack piece” and it “stains the pages” of The Medium. This statement did not have anything to do with what I wrote—in fact, he wrote it before he divulged into any critique of my content. It’s just an attack on my character. Wu insinuated that I contradicted myself when I wrote about Peterson planning to start his own online university to teach the humanities. Wu wondered that because Peterson wants to teach humanities, how could it be that Peterson dislikes the humanities? Let’s go directly to Peterson’s Patreon page to answer that question. The Patreon description states, “My colleagues and I (who include excellent engineers, programmers, financiers and educators) want to take the humanities back from the corrupt postmodernists […]” It begs the question, why aren’t any of his colleagues a part of humanities, or even a part of any humanitarian cause? Wouldn’t it make sense to make a syllabus or curriculum about humanities using direct input from the people who have contributed to the discipline? Furthermore, he calls postmodernists “corrupt.” That’s because he does not care about the humanities or the postmodernist framework, but rather, about the person who uses postmodernism, such as academics in the humanities, which was the entire point of my op-ed—it was literally there in the title. Peterson wants to stamp out the critical theoretical frameworks that are used in the humanities and social science disciplines, such as postmodernism and Marxism. If you simply google “Peterson postmodernism,” the first result is a speech about how and why it must be destroyed. Peter-
son believes such frameworks further the cause of “political correctness,” which threaten “free speech” in a liberal society. He wants to revamp the humanities to the extent that it doesn’t resemble the humanities anymore, but rather a corporatized dilution of humanities that him and his financier colleagues have conjured up. Wu said that Peterson sees a “radical authoritarianism” that has “hijacked” the humanities. According to Collins Dictionary, “authoritarianism” is the notion that people with power, such as the state, have the right to control other people’s actions. My op-ed was about academia specifically, not the state, so I’m not sure how this “radical authoritarianism” applies in a university context. Furthermore, Wu mentioned “radical leftist activists” without recognizing that leftist activists actually work to dismantle authoritarianism, not fight for it. Wu also said I’m arguing against a strawman when he mentioned, “Nor was the issue ever centered on scientific rigor.” When Peterson tweeted about 80 per cent of humanities articles not being cited, the lack of citation is an issue of scientific rigour. So yes, his arguments are about the humanities’ scientific rigour, which is what I discussed in my op-ed. So, I’m not sure how this is a strawman since it’s from a literal Peterson tweet. If Peterson is so concerned about scientific rigour, maybe he should focus on science’s fake journal epidemic, as reported by nature.com. Why is Peterson so worried about mere humanities articles when there are entire science journals being published without any rigour? To respond to Wu about my position as a copy editor—yes, you are correct in saying that my job entails grammatical editing and factchecking, and I did all of that when I published my op-ed. But I write for a university newspaper, which means
I assume my audience of university students, such as Wu, know how to use Google and research my points before calling them “outright lies.” Wu listed some accomplishments of Peterson, such as how he is “one of the most cited academics in his fields,” but I could not find any source for this. I’m not sure what Peterson’s ranking is on a mostly cited list, but it depends on how large his specialization is. For example, being ranked #1 in a field where there are only two academics in the world who are experts in the field misses the point of a citation list. I’m not saying Peterson is like this, but I am wondering what the source for Wu’s assertion is. Only one point in Wu’s op-ed struck to me as a legitimate critique— it was when he was talking about Peterson critiquing the humanities, and then sarcastically implied I shouldn’t have a problem with that because the framework of Marxism has stood up to scrutiny. I did not have a problem with Peterson critiquing the humanities because I was allegedly afraid he will “debunk” Marxism, I was concerned because Peterson claims to want to teach and change a discipline he is not an expert in. Also, I don’t know what Peterson’s exhaustive lecture series on man and psychology on TVO has to do with critiquing the humanities, but nonetheless, even then, Peterson has yet to make any contribution to the humanities. In fact, just last week, a Google Docs petition went around asking U of T administration to remove Peterson from the institution. Wu concluded his article that he “expected better from a copy editor.” I’m so sorry if I let you down, Mr. Wu. Sometimes, the truth is stranger than fiction, and it could be easy to mistake that as “fake news.” AYESHA TAK COPY EDITOR
Unsteady atmosphere of current German politics The climate of politics in Germany has recently taken a turn for the unexpected, as coalition talks among Angela Merkel’s Conservative Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union, the Free Democrats, and the Greens have reached a point near complete breakdown. Election results in late September were not unanticipated, but they were a blow to both the CDU and center-left Social Democratic Party, a party that emphasizes progressive social policies and proliferation of the welfare state. The two parties experienced their worst performances in decades, despite retaining first and second place. The right-wing Eurosceptic Alternative for Deutschland party had a large swell in their share of the vote, going from zero seats in 2013 after failing to reach the required five per cent vote threshold, to 94 seats on elec-
tion day, surging ahead to third place. Post-election, a “Jamaican” coalition was the plan, putting the CDU/CSU, FDP, and the Greens together. It was coined with the term “Jamaican” due to the party colours being black, yellow, and green. However, the leader of the Free Democrats, Christian Linder “abruptly broke off talks,” according to an article from the National Post, after citing they would detract too much from their principles. Professor Alexander Reisenbichler, who teaches Western European Politics and the E.U. at UTM, comments: “The situation is not a deep political crisis, but presents some unforeseen challenges. It is still possible for the mainstream parties to come together and work out these challenges before holding new elections.” Indeed, there is still the SPD to consider forming a coalition with, if talks do not return to normal
with the current party options. In a recent development, Martin Schulz, the leader of the SPD, will allow party members to poll on whether they will want a grand coalition with the CDU, since talks with other parties have stalled. Previously, Schulz was steadfast against an idea of a second grand coalition with the CDU, since their election results were disappointing to say the least. However, the German president, Frank-Walter Steinmer, invites Merkel, Schulz, and the leader of the CSU for joint talks to see if a coalition between them is possible. Notwithstanding all this, the possibility of a new election hangs in the balance between the parties that were first consulted for coalition talks, and whether the SPD wishes to combine forces and form a government. Developments surrounding the current political climate in Germany are always
on the move at this point, so the end result of this impassé is yet to be seen. On a positive note, professor Reisenbichler also remarks, “The German public rewards consensus and responsibility over confrontational style of politics,” something that has arisen as a distinct phenomenon with parties butting heads over contentious issues, such as the recent migration crisis from the Middle East following the war in Syria and the role of the E.U. As we head into December, it is still unknown what the new year will bring: a stable majority coalition government, or a nation going to the polls again within several months of a previous election. JOSEPH CORAZZA 4th year political science student
CORRECTION NOTICE
The Nov. 27 Required Reading column has been corrected.
12.04.2017
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A meteoric rise to the top with J-Reyez J-Reyez, a native of Hamilton, Ontario, reflects upon musical changes since his early days on YouTube KASSANDRA HANGDAAN A&E EDITOR In the late 2000s, YouTube had taken off as a platform for sharing videos worldwide. During that time, without the support of record companies, independent musicians used this newfound medium to share their music. If you were a teenager at the time, like me, you might have been particularly conscious of the unprecedented surge of independent musicians. J-Reyez was one such musician. When YouTube emerged, J-Reyez started experimenting with and posting “Do It Yourself ” music videos online; his first YouTube hiphop track published in 2009, “That’s Okay With Me,” currently has over a million views. Since then, J-Reyez’s music has attracted fan bases in places farther than his native hometown of Hamilton, Ontario. This South Korean rapper has recently flown to Sweden, for the second time in June, to perform at Café Opera in Stockholm. The shift from performing in Canadian venues to international stages is almost surreal. Yet, this transition, as J-Reyez acknowledges, is a wel-
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J-Reyez has been posting his music on YouTube since the late 2000s. comed experience. “It’s always dope performing outside Canada and the U.S. I get to travel to parts of the world I wouldn’t normally go on vacation to, so it’s like a free trip for me,” J-Reyez said. “A lot of times I’m confused as to why I get booked in certain cities since I wouldn’t expect to have a fan base there but it’s crazy how far my music has reached.
Commenting on his recent trip to Sweden, J-Reyez stated that he did not experience a dramatic culture shock. “The only culture shock [at Sweden] was that everything closes super early and there’s no late-night food spots,” he said. J-Reyez’s first big YouTube hit occurred in March 2010. At that point, he released an English music cover
of Taeyang’s “Wedding Dress” with singer Tommy C. The cover attracted online attention at an exponential rate. Currently, the video of the cover has over five million views. Although he has continued to release music covers since then, most notably a parody of Far East Movement’s “Like a G6,” J-Reyez’s musical productions have been predominantly original releases.
When asked how his style has changed since releasing his cover on Taeyang’s beloved song, J-Reyez has emphasized his current focus on experimentation. “My style and overall sound has definitely matured since the Wedding Dress cover days,” he continued, “I’m always trying to experiment with different styles of music that I incorporate into my songs. [I hope to] improve in all aspects, which I display in the content that I’ve released following the popular cover.” The process of growing as a musician, J-Reyez admits, is closely tied to growing as a person. Specifically, he said, “To grow as a musician also plays a part in growing as a person and I’ve been able to experience a lot since then, which has been a great journey so far.” Indeed, J-Reyez’s most recent music video of the song “Grapevine,” is comparably more polished and professional than his past productions. In collaboration with $tupid Young and J-Fortune, the music video follows the trio through an expanse of urban locations. J-Reyez continued on page 6
Dancers getting up close and personal A dance performance at the Blackwood Gallery tackles issues surrounding economic injustices PAULA CHO STAFF WRITER At the Blackwood Gallery, Circo Zero performed “Turbulence”—a dance that combines improvisation and political theatre. The message of the dance is a “bodily reaction” to economic injustice as well as the crisis of care in the artistic community. “Turbulence” is part of the Blackwood’s current circuit Infrastructure and Aesthetics of Mutual Aid in its exhibition series entitled Take Care. The third circuit addresses the concept of self-care. Our time is characterized by personal anxiety, economic unpredictability, and upheaval, and so the gallery’s main message is for artists to engage in self-care by enacting new practices of mutual aid. Both the exhibition and dance performance centre on survival strategies that artists use to overcome artistic oppression. According to their performance brochure, the dancers of “Turbulence” set out to highlight how “issues of debt, precarious labour, and capitalism intersect with race, gender, class, and the ability to build resistance in the face of structural power.” The cast explains the meaning of title of the dance as “what they have learned and practiced while making
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Turbulence is a dance that combines improvisation and political theatre. a dance about the economy.” Invoking their personal experiences with the economic crisis, the performers embody their struggles through their unique and chaotic expression. When I entered the performance space, I found dancers engaged in warm-up exercises to deafening audio recordings of static noise. The space itself is like a studio, so audience members sit right onstage with the performers. As patrons are still shuffling into their seats, one performer comes around distributing little notecards. Comically, he placed a notecard on top of my head. I reached
for it and see that it read “indulge in the imagination of what your hands can do.” My interpretation of this quote is that regardless of the limitations artists face, whether it be economically or socially, the success of their work is determined by how far they’re willing to put themselves out there and how dirty they’re willing to get their hands in their craft. I strongly believe all the performers tonight achieved this. “Turbulence” is a messy and incoherent piece. Dancers roll on the floor and then transition into sporadic outbursts of song between swigs of beer.
However, I think the notion of the performance and artists themselves being so unhinged encompasses the frustration artists feel in terms of inequitable treatment. In their performer biographies, many identify themselves as “struggling artists” due to a lack of steady income and disregard by the community. A recurring symbol in the performance included gold sequin scarves of all sizes tied over their faces as they improvise partner work, wherein they create unstable and failed structures with their bodies. These structures represent unsustainable systems, as the
dancers cannot stand up on their own for long. One moment of the play that is in contention for me was when Ruairi Donovan, a female artist, completely undressed. Fully nude, she invaded the personal space of audience members, sitting on their laps. She later wrapped herself in one of the largesized sequin scarves and proceeded to run with it through the audience, draping the fabric over our heads. I still do not understand the relevance of this part of the event and instead felt that it was inappropriate, even for a performance about self-empowerment and artistic expression. It wasn’t warranted to have two people running around the studio, fully naked, and invading the personal space of audience members. I don’t think that it added artistic value to the performance even if one of the main themes was freedom of expression. At the conclusion of the show, the noisy audio abruptly stops and the performers immediately re-clothe from torn T-shirts and floral tights to regular streetwear. The dancers’ personas normalize, in that they stop playing the role of eccentric artists. In my opinion, this shift made the necessity of suppressing their true artistic selves in order to be socially accepted most abundantly clear.
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I hear ‘em talk through the grapevine J-Reyez continued from page 5 “I directed and edited the project, but also hired a production team from California who’s reached out to me prior about working together. They assisted with the video,” he said, “I usually shoot my own videos without much assistance and guerilla-style, but since this was a bigger production, and we had limited time, it made it much easier having a crew of people.” In explaining the experience of collaborating with J-Fortune and $tupid Young, J-Reyez discussed the “Grapevine” music video collaboration and said, “J-Fortune I’ve known for years and this was our first collaborative project together, as well as my first time working with $tupid Young. It’s always great working with talented people that are underrated and need more shine. I’ve always preferred collaborating with talent and skill over popularity because I just
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“Grapevine” is the most recent music video release for J-Reyez. want to make good quality music.” In the end, however, J-Reyez noted that the music video almost did not come to fruition. He explained that the day before shooting the video, there was a complication regarding the props and rentals. In addition, those involved in the creation of the music video decided to go to a party the day before the shoot.
He explained, “I stayed back to set up and we pretty much had to toss out the original storyboard and come up with a new one on the spot. Luckily everyone pulled through and eventually made it, and we were up until sunrise making sure we had all the scenes we could squeeze out in the time we had.” The song itself made lyrical ref-
erences to the idiom “through the grape vine”—a popular colloquialism that means finding out information through gossip. When I asked JReyez to expound on the significance of the song, he acknowledged that it broadly alluded to contrived people. “I based it off people who act cool with you like they support you but behind your back, they talk down
about you and gossip,” he expressed. J-Reyez has expanded his name beyond music. At the moment, he has released a hat collection by Makers Society. He described the hat collection as featuring a “signature X hammer and chisel logo.” “[This image] represents anyone who’s making something out of nothing through hard work,” he said. “The collection will be available online within the next few weeks.” In terms of what fans can expect from J-Reyez in 2018, he stated that he will be releasing a new EP. However, the release of the EP may be prolonged in that J-Reyez explained that, for the most part, when it comes the creation process, he will be independently producing the EP. “I don’t have a big team behind me and literally do everything from recording myself to shooting my own videos, but the music will always keep coming, so stay tuned.”
5 days of giving at UTM UCS henna artist Neha Naheem talks about 5 days of giving
DAGALE MOHAMMED
From the creators of Welcome to the Night Vale, Alice Isn’t Dead is a serial fictional horror podcast with a unique premise. Our unnamed narrator’s wife, Alice, suddenly goes missing. In an attempt to deal with the emotional turmoil of her wife’s disappearance, the narrator begins to work as a truck driver. What makes this podcast so unique is the delivery of the story. Our narrator talks into a truck radio, directly to Alice. Our narrator searches for Alice along her delivery routes, encountering the strange and fleeing from the sinister Thistle Man—the antagonist of the story—throughout her journey. The voice acting is mesmerizing. The narrator, voiced by Jessika Nicole, conveys a wide range of emotion through her voice. In one moment, she speaks with a soft, small voice, full of self-doubt. Then, in the next moment, she cackles in defiance. More precisely, the way the narrator details her experiences pulls the listener into her world. This is one of this podcast’s greatest strengths. During her travels, she explores Middle America and takes listeners along for the ride. Some places mentioned during her travels are rundown diners, shitty motels, ghost towns, seedy gas stations, and “A Historical McDonald’s.” The narrator gives listeners the eerie details of these lost and forgotten places. In “Part 1, Chapter 4: The Factory by the Sea,” our narrator reminisces making bread with Alice, “The yeast and gluten makes it a living thing. It moves when you poke it. It breathes into your hands,” the narrator says. This is only one example of the creepy and vivid dialogue featured through Alice Isn’t Dead. The imagery created is beautiful yet somewhat
disturbing. It’s discomforting to think of fresh bread as something that once was, or currently is, alive. Starting with smaller details, our narrator slowly builds an image of her world for listeners, though usually this image is somewhat incomplete. This is probably best showcased in the first episode, “Omelet.” During her first encounter with the Thistle Man, our narrator describes his appearance: “He was wearing a yellow hat, like, um, like a baseball hat. His fingernails were yellow, too. Not cigarette yellow or nail polish yellow; translucent yellow, just below the surface. […] Egg crusted his lips and his chin, his teeth were an impossibility of spacing and angle. […] He walked like his legs weren’t muscle and bone, but just, uh, sacks of meat attached to his torso.” This focus on the miniscule aspects of the Thistle Man without alluding to broader, clearer details forces the listener to form an incomplete image of who, or what, he is. This balance of clarity and ambiguity leaves listeners on edge, heightening the mystery of it all, as unnerving as it is. The non-linear storytelling adds to this creepiness. During one segment our narrator is happily babbling about making pizza when suddenly the radio cuts off. In the next segment, she tearfully questions her own sanity. Then in the next scene, she describes an unknown event that has already come to pass. The lack of continuity, though, may run the risk of exhausting the listener. At times, you cannot tell if the narrator is delusional. Is any of this really happening? She is obsessive and the underlying desperation in her voice may cause listeners to doubt her trustworthiness as a narrator. Alice Isn’t Dead is a thriller, a horror, and a mystery, but ultimately tells a story of someone who is searching for what she’s lost.
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Henna stations were set up in OPH and the Student Center on the third day of the event. KASSANDRA HANGDAAN A&E EDITOR In the last week of November, the Undergraduate Commerce Society hosted Five Days of Giving—an annual week-long charity event. In setting up the week’s activities, UCS collaborated with on- and off-campus organizations such as the UTM Residence Council, UTM Free the Children, the SickKids Foundation, Our Place Peel, and the Mississauga Food Bank. Each day of the event took place in a different on-campus location. The third day of the event, which took place this past Wednesday, offered henna services by UCS’ treasurer Neha Naheem and volunteer henna artists. Henna stations were set up in both the student centre and OPH. Naheem, a fourth-year accounting and economics student, was the event’s henna artist stationed at the student centre. Participants donated a minimum of five dollars to have their hand decorated with henna. Naheem explained that the plan for the henna stations was initiated by Rabeeyah Jabeen—the society’s former corporate social responsibility director. “[Jabeen] had an idea. She wanted
to do something creative. She knew that I could do henna, so she asked me if I wanted to do this. It’s nice to give back to the community.” Naheem stated that she has been involved in henna artistry since high school. At first, Naheem said that the activity was “just for fun.” “I used to do henna on myself. Then, my cousins started asking me if I could do henna on them. Through that, I started to learn and I used to experiment doing henna on my cousins’ hands,” Naheem said. In her first year at UTM, Naheem started a business offering henna services. Naheem has experience with bridal and party-event henna. She explained that henna coverage varies— bridal henna involves the decoration of the bride’s feet and ankles. For the UCS henna station, Naheem decorated only one of the participants’ hands. Naheem stated that she draws inspiration for her henna designs from Eastern clothing. “I’m from Pakistan. So there are a lot of designs with embroidery and sparkles. Through that, I get inspired,” she said. Patricia Ly, a fourth-year accounting specialist and economics major, as well as the operations and IT director
of UCS, emphasized the event’s focus on charity. “[The event] provides the University of Toronto Mississauga with the opportunity to give back to the community through non-monetary donations, monetary donations and volunteering,” Ly said. “UCS and its partners strongly believe that it is our duty to give back to the community. This five-day charity event allows for everyone on campus to learn the importance of giving back and how they can do their part for our community.” When asked about the reception of the event, Ly said that students were drawn to both the cultural and charitable aspect of the event. Ly also said that word-of-mouth attracted many students to the henna stations. “A lot of students joined later in the day after hearing from friends who had their beautiful henna done,” Ly said. Ly, who also received henna decorations for the first time at the event, said that the experience was “truly rewarding.” “It was a great experience to learn about henna while also knowing that my donation would be helping those in need,” Ly explained.
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Man in chair breaks the fourth wall SHARMEEN ABEDI STAFF WRITER The Drowsy Chaperone is a delightful musical set in the 1920s, and is a parody of earlier musical comedies. The Victoria College Drama Society (VCDS) presented an incredibly witty and aesthetically pleasing performance of the play. The Drowsy Chaperone is a play that explicitly breaks the fourth wall. This was set up in the VCDS production right from the opening scene, when the Man in Chair (Tom Fraser), sitting in pitch black darkness, drawls, “I hate theatre.” He goes on to explain that he hates it because it is often too long, and at one point you just want the “lights to come out.” Right at this moment, the lights come out, and the audience gets their first glimpse at the Man in Chair—a bespectacled man in a red sweater, sitting comfortably in an armchair, facing the audience. The Man in Chair puts on a record called “The Drowsy Chaperone” to pass the time. He remarks to the audience, “Isn’t the purpose of musical theatre to entertain?” The audience laughed in agreement. The record starts playing and the characters come to life singing and dancing, while the Man in Chair watches with the audience. We soon find out that the play is about a wed-
PHOTO COURTESY OF VICTORIA COLLEGE DRAMA SOCIETY
Dancing, song, and humour are elements all present in VCDS’ The Drowsy Chaperone. ding. Robert Martin (Michael Henley) is marrying a Broadway actress, Janet van de Graaf (Shannon Smith). The other characters soon declare that the bride and groom must not see each other before the wedding because it is bad luck. At this point, the Man in Chair pauses the record, turns to the audience, and says, “That’s it. That’s the whole plot.” One thing I really liked was the set and the use of lighting. Every time the Man in Chair interrupted to speak to the audience, the stage would become dark and the actors would freeze in the same way something on television would when you hit pause. This was done particularly well in one scene when Mrs. Tottendale (Zoi Samonas) asks for ice water after telling Under-
ling (Armon Ghaeinizadeh) that ice water was code for vodka. The play is set during the prohibition period. The problem is, she actually wants ice water. As Underling keeps giving her vodka, she keeps spitting it out. The Man in Chair remarks that he doesn’t like this scene, and tries to forward it. At this part, the two actors hand out a drink and spit it out to mimic fast forward, which I think was done exceptionally well. Another scene I liked was when it was time for the intermission. The actors all went off stage and the Man in Chair tells the audience that this would be an intermission if we were actually in a musical theatre. He then states that he hates intermissions because they ruin the mood. One min-
ute you’re in the world of the musical, and then suddenly you’re back in the real world. I completely agreed with him, yet I wondered how exactly we would get an intermission since the Man in Chair was talking directly to the audience. Sure enough, he declared that he needed “to pee” but he would be back quickly. He left the stage and the lights came up for the intermission. My favorite roles were that of Gangster #1 (Arin Klein) and Gangster #2 (Jamie Fiuza), who were both pretending to be chefs. As they tell Feldzieg (Kody McCann), the wedding must not happen since Janet has decided to quit acting after getting married, and so the show she is starring in would suffer. Feldzieg
continuously attempts to call off the wedding, while the two gangsters keep him on his toes by threatening him if he does not have the wedding canceled. The drowsy, alcoholic chaperone (Olivia Thornton-Nickerson) was an intriguing character herself, with musical numbers and witty lines of her own. When asked by the bride Janet whether she is married, she replies in the negative saying, “I drink for pleasure, not out of necessity.” The musical number I liked best was “Cold Feet” which occurs when Robert the groom is, figuratively, having cold feet before the wedding. He breaks out in tap dancing along with George (Matthew Galloway). George suggests that tap dancing is dangerous and that the groom should go roller skate instead, but blindfolds him first so that he doesn’t see the bride. Robert then roller skates blindfolded, which I think was very impressive considering how close he was to the edge of the stage. Overall the play had phenomenal performances from all actors. I appreciate how VCDS included a message about the racist and sexist stereotypes present in the play, and stated how “the show is a satire intended to ridicule the problematic works that were popular in the early 20th century.”
Can’t stop all that jazz Dior’s moment
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The Christian Dior exhibit premiered on November 25. MAJDA TALIC
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Rhythm Performing Arts held a jazz workshop with instructor Cynthia Yeung. BRIANNA LEGERE
This past Monday, the Rhythm Performing Arts club held their biweekly dance workshop, where each class showcases a different dance style. Past workshops have included salsa, hip-hop, and a Halloween special. These workshops are open to people of all of skill levels. This week, participants learned the fundamentals of jazz. Upon arrival, I was greeted by the co-presidents: Anshita Khanna, a fifth-year biology and anthropology student, and Paul Rodriguez, a fifth-year political science student. The teacher for this session was third-year psychology and anthropology student Cynthia Yeung. After stretching, we began by learning the basics of jazz, which included a few kinds of turns, feet and arm positioning, and the “jazz square.” From there, Yeung began leading us through some high en-
ergy choreography set to Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling.” Participants worked on one section at a time. The choreography was fast-paced with multiple turns, quick footwork, and a floor section.
If you’re looking for a fun way to spend a Monday evening or to mix up your workout routine, give the RPA’s dance workshop a try. I learned pretty quickly that I had made a grave error of forgetting to bring a change of clothes. There is a reason this event’s tagline is “Stretch, Sweat, Pirouette, Repeat.” To avoid making the same mistake, I highly recommend bringing workout clothes, especially comfortable pants and a wa-
ter bottle. In the case of jazz dance specifically, socks are very helpful for doing turns. I would definitely attend another dance workshop. On top of how fun and challenging the choreography was, I had a great time trying out something totally new to me and meeting some great new people. The team is clearly passionate about dance and were welcoming to people with little to no skills or experience—myself included. Even after the workshop ended, I have continued to think about this fun dance routine and I’d like to think that with continued practice, I could make this dance presentable. If you’re looking for a fun way to spend a Monday evening or to mix up your workout routine, give the Rhythm Performing Arts dance workshops a try. Rhythm Performing Arts will be continuing biweekly in the winter semester.
Christian Dior was a man who made “women feel like women again” after the Second World War. His eponymous original exhibit unveiled at Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum. The exhibit features a luxurious collection of dresses that showcases the revival of the feminine silhouette. Forty of the garments present were donated by Toronto and Montréal socialites. The senior curator of the exhibit, Alexandra Palmer, who holds a Ph.D. in design history, draws upon years of research. The exhibit’s focus spans from the opening of Dior’s couture house in 1947 to his untimely death in 1957. Sponsored by Holt Renfrew, Christian Dior coincides with the celebration of the couture house’s 70th anniversary. Less than two years after the Second World War, Dior released his first haute couture collection. In contrast to the wartime’s masculine, more practical clothing, Dior’s design brought back the soft shoulders, corset cinched waists, and long full skirts of the 19th century. While tight fitting and impractical dresses tend not to appeal to women today, or to some women of the time, Dior referred to his design as the “look of peace… [reflecting] the times.” Part of Dior’s
success came with the revival of what life was like before the war. However, Dior went a step further by taking remnants of past fashion statements and combining them with modern elements—including new designs, cuts, and materials. After a curatorial statement, viewers are greeted by an elegant evening dress. The dim lighting and calm music added to the evening’s relaxed atmosphere. Then, a stunning, red cocktail dress called “Délphine” is placed under the spotlight and catches the attention of the audience. In terms of the exhibit’s organization, the dresses are arranged from daytime to evening wear, but the open concept room allows one to see the dresses from multiple angles. Like Dior’s style, Palmer merges the traditional and modern by using interactive computer screens depicting sewing techniques. Original sketchbooks with textile samples are also shown at the exhibit. Along with dresses and suits, Palmer’s exhibit features shoes, jewelry, as well as several perfume bottles. One of the bottles had a gold bouquet of flowers incorporated into its design. The Christian Dior exhibition premiered at the ROM on November 25 and will run until March 18.
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No release: Ensnared by prejudice New UTM sociology professor, Jerry Flores, dicusses the impact of “wrap-around” incarceration JESSICA CABRAL ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR For young second- and third-generation Latina women living in segregated Mexican neighbourhoods in southern California, the cycle of incarceration and disruptions in education seems endless. The cycle may begin with drinking in public as their first criminal infraction. As punishment, the law may serve them a twomonth sentence at a juvenile detention center. Eventually, they may be released on probation and transition back to a normal high school routine. Any breach in probation, such as failing a drug test, breaking curfew, or spending time with the wrong people, will put these girls back behind bars. In his recent book Caught Up: Girls, Surveillance and Wraparound Incarceration, Jerry Flores, a new assistant professor in UTM’s sociology department, explores the factors that contribute to the incarceration of young Latina women and how their lives change after their first encounter with the criminal justice system Flores also researches the relationships between gender and crime, in-
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Jerry Flores discusses his recent book, Caught Up: Girls, Surveillance, and Wraparound Incarceration. tersectionality and crime, and most recently, strives to understand the continued disappearance of First Nations women in Canada, America, and Mexico. He speaks to The Medium about the journey behind his
academic work and what motivates him to ask these questions. After the Mexican economy collapsed in 1982, Flores’ parents immigrated to Los Angeles in pursuit of a better life. Born in Los Angeles,
California, Flores describes his journey through academia and becoming a professor as “unorthodox.” Around the age of 15, Flores dropped out of high school and later enrolled in an alternative school. With the small
class sizes offered by the alternative school, Flores focused on his grades, received one-on-one attention and assistance from teachers, and eventually graduated. In community college, Flores took a sociology class about prisons and systems of oppression that ignited his interest in investigating the relationship between incarceration and education. When asked why he decided to focus the research for his book on young incarcerated women, Flores explains that he remembers witnessing many forms of gendered violence during his youth. His community would “treat men as if they were the standard, and treat women as second class.” Often, men in the community would mistreat the women in his life, including his mother. “For me, there was something unique about doing work with young women from my community. These are all people who look like me. They’re folks I didn’t grow up with directly but they could be related to me. I’m trying to have a direct impact on some of the folks that are connected to who I am or who I was,” he says. Release continued on page 10
A turbulent odyssey towards refuge UTM Historical Student Society hosted an exclusive screening of Warehoused centered in Dadaab NICOLE SCIULLI STAFF WRITER
Immigration to a new country can be a daunting experience for any newcomer. While missing their families and homes, they must adjust to a new culture, language, and way of life. But what if the chance to immigrate is not an option and neither is the chance of going home? Instead, you live your life in limbo as you wait for the day you can embark on at least one of those options. This is what many refugees experience when they are forced to escape their home countries and find shelter elsewhere. UTM’s Historical Student Society, in collaboration with WUSC and the Somali Student Association, hosted an exclusive screening of Warehoused, with opening statements from associate professor in the Department of Historical Studies, Julie MacArthur. Warehoused is a documentary that follows a young man named Liban Mohammad, a refugee in the world’s largest refugee camp, Dada-
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Warehoused is a documentary that follows the life of refugee Liban Mohammad. ab, located on the border of Kenya and Somalia. Liban has lived in this refugee camp for over 25 years. His family relocated to Minneapolis in the U.S. while he still waits for his papers to be approved. It has been almost eight years since he has seen them. The documentary shows the daily lives of the refugees who struggle to
find a place. It is titled Warehoused because these temporary camps stock away people with little hope for resettlement. The refugees are frustrated because they are stuck in these temporary homes made from weak materials that are crowded with people praying for a chance to immigrate. Dadaab was designed to only hold 80,000 people, but since its
opening in 1991, the count has risen to 350,000, with the number growing each day. The documentary depicts how the refugees cannot return home because of the civil war in Somalia, but the chance to resettle elsewhere is slim. Developed countries have a limited number of refugee acceptance rates and Kenya wants to rid
themselves of Dadaab. The refugees are not allowed to work in Kenya and they must stay within 50 miles of the camp. Liban recounts that many people feel unproductive because their lives are spent waiting for an approval for resettlement that may or may not come in their lifetime. The slow process to approve resettlement can take decades, as the documentary presents, which can separate families from each other. Liban had to sacrifice the chance to resettle with his family because they could not get interviews together. Though he gave this up, his brother has now graduated high school, and this has enabled his family to pursue a better life. In the documentary, Kenya tries to place blame on the refugees for any terrorist crisis. Consequently, the government refuses to allow Somalians to work in Kenya. MacArthur has conducted research in these countries and has spent significant amounts of time studying Kenya’s border and mapping conflicts. Refuge continued on page 10
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Beyond conventional feminist discourse Women and gender studies at UTM host a discussion on the origins of Indo-Caribbean feminism MAHNOOR AYUB FEATURES EDITOR
What does it mean to be a woman? What do race, culture and history have to do with it? If these questions have crossed your mind, you are not alone. To discuss these ideas, women and gender studies in the historical studies department invited Dr. Lisa Outar, a researcher focusing on Anglophone and Francophone Caribbean literature, and Dr. Gabrielle Hosein, head for the Institute of Gender and Development studies at the University of West Indies, St. Augustine campus. In a discussion moderated by UTM professor Dr. Beverly Bain, Outar and Hosein discussed questions on Indo-Caribbean feminist thought in the context of the new book, for which they serve as editors, Indo Caribbean feminist thought: Genealogies, theories, enactments. “I’m really excited about this conversation. As many of you know, I’m from Trinidad and Tobago. I grew up in Trinidad and I was raised in a context where there was a fostering of discourses—that there was a distinct separation between blackness and indianness,” says Bain, “and that came with the idea of what constitutes Caribbean indianness and Caribbean blackness.” Bain thanks Dr. Outar and Dr. Hosein for their work in compiling this collection and for “opening up these spaces and understanding Caribbeanness as it should be under-
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Dr. Lisa Outar and Dr. Gabrielle Hosein discussed Indo-Caribbean feminist thought and history. stood,” and begins by asking them about their motivation behind pursuing this project. “We are situated within a tradition of Caribbean feminism where we ask what does it mean to pick up the question of Indo-Caribbean feminism,” says Outar. “First and foremost, if you come from the Caribbean, you’re in a space that is shaped by multiple bodies, multiple cultures, and multiple traditions, and in the Caribbean any conversation around feminism has to recognize the crossings and the relationalities and the common struggles that women have had, and that have
been initiated by the particular histories of the space.” Outar further emphasizes that conversations hoping to understand the dynamics of being an Indian woman in the region would have to begin with “pushing back against the stereotypes about what an Indo-Caribbean woman is, who is normally seen as somebody who is passive, docile, Hindu, Muslim, religious in some form or fashion, conservative,” says Outar. She believes that these ideas have been constructed “through a long history of colonialism in opposition to a figure of a black woman
who as seen as the unruly woman, a woman who is a disruptor or a form of action or agency that the Indian woman is seen in opposition to.” Scholars in the field have understood these stereotypes as false constructions, according to Outar, “But along with wanting to highlight that false dichotomy, we also wanted to highlight the fact that while there has been a lot of attention in Caribbean studies more broadly, or Indo-Caribbean studies to women, and its often taken the form of looking at them in terms of their cultural interventions, their bodies, their food, their dresses.”
She explains that little attention has been given to a feminist analysis, and particularly, to an analysis about women producing scholarship and thought. Specifically, this means feminist analyses drawn from the specific conditions of the lives of Indo-Caribbean women. “We wanted to look at how these spaces in the Caribbean [...] where it is important to consider their differences, as well as their similarities. How [...] feminism in these spaces is shaped by the very specific conditions of post slavery and post indentureship. These two massive economies and systems that produced cross relationalities and cross racial solidarities and spaces for women to negotiate,” says Outar. The Caribbean literature researcher also highlights that the editors are “not just thinking about Indianness as this pure category of an authentic thing, but in fact, as something that is inherently radical and impure and cross pollinated. That within those spaces, you’ve got specific forms of feminist thinking that’s derived from cosmologies that are influenced by Indian culture, but also by African culture, by Indigenous cultures, and by all of the other ethnicities that are present within the region.” Dr. Hosein mentions in addition, “It’s important to keep in mind that when you first come to being introduced to academic knowledge, you are being exposed to knowledge that has been created by others. Thought continued on page 10
Drawing hope by reading together at UTM Last Monday, the English and drama department hosted their last UTM Reading Together session ZEAHAA REHMAN
On the evening of last Monday, room 3075 of Deerfield Hall was home to the last UTM Reading Together meeting of the semester, hosted by the English and drama department of UTM. “I started thinking about doing something where faculty and students can come together, you know, from different departments at the university to talk about a common text,” explained professor Melissa Gniadek, an assistant professor in the UTM English and drama department, and the founder of this reading group. “Basically, after the U.S. elections last year, when people wanted a space to kind of come together as a community and talk about issues that were overrising” says Gniadek. The professor however wanted to keep discussions centered around “a text so that it was grounded,” she continued. Some of Gniadek’s colleagues at American universities had started similar reading groups, which gave her the idea to bring one to UTM. Some of the books the UTM Reading Together group previously
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The last UTM Reading Together session discussed Rebecca Solnit’s Hope in the Dark. focused on were James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time, Warsan Shire’s Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth, Claudia Rankine’s Citizen, and the English translation of Sinan Antoone’s The Corpse Washer. The book selected for the last ‘Reading Together’ meeting was Rebecca Solnit’s Hope in the Dark: Un-
told Histories, Wild Possibilities, an anthology of essays that discussed hope and its necessity. “I chose [this book] because it […] encapsulates a lot of the rationale, the motivation for this group [like] how do you hope and not despair? How do you work to actively change things in small ways, maybe?” said
Gniadek. “Even if it’s through getting together with smart people three times a semester and talking about a text, that’s a thing. That’s change-making—even in a small way because you’re thinking and talking. That’s the idea of the group, in a nutshell,” summarized the English professor.
The professor and the students then proceeded to pour over the book and discuss what parts they liked, disliked, and what stood out to them. They mentioned Solnit’s writing style and past work, and how the essays in Solnit’s book “didn’t feel like essays.” Ultimately, two passages in Solnit’s anthology stood out the most to all the readers: One about mushrooms, and the other one about—as expected—hope. “Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky. It is an axe you break down doors with in an emergency. Hope should shove you out the door, because it will take everything you have to steer the future away from endless war, from the annihilation of the earth’s treasures, and the grinding down of the poor and marginal,” read Gniadek from Solnit’s book. “To hope is to give yourself to the future—and that commitment to the future is what makes the present inhabitable,” Gniadek continued from book. “Hope just means another world might be possible—not promise, not guaranteed. Hope calls for action; action is impossible without hope.”
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Standing in solidarity with the youth Release continued from page 8 “I see that these young women are still suffering, and for a long time I asked myself ‘Why aren’t people doing more about this?’” The sociology professor conducted his research at two locations in southern California, “El Valle,” a detention center, and “Legacy,” an alternative school. In the book, he focuses on one particular classroom that he refers to as the “recuperation classroom.” Inside the classroom, a probation officer observes the girls’ behaviour and performs drug tests. “I’m finding that every facet of young women’s lives have been sort of permeated, or the criminal justice system has inserted itself into [their lives], at home, in detention, at school, and when they try to leave,” Flores says. According to Flores, the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services provide surveillance as a “wraparound service,” a tool to support young people at home and in the community, and prevent future transgressions with the law. However, Flores instead defines this service as “wraparound incarceration.” He adds, “Because [these women] have been incarcerated and they’re on probation, they’re connected to probation services. For every bad thing they do at school or in the community, they’re punished and end up behind bars.” This study began as a project for a research methods class. Flores began his investigation by sitting in the parking lot of the center and taking field notes. The next day, he sat at a bench in the jail, then moved to the lobby and interviewed employees who worked at the school housed
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In his book, Jerry Flores focuses on what he calls the “recuperation classroom.” within the juvenile detention center. After these preliminary steps, Flores emailed the school’s principal asking to volunteer in the classroom. Flores took field notes for a year as a volunteer where he organized workshops catered towards things like creating poetry, or discussing the transition from community college to a fouryear program. After a year, he led focus groups and one-on-one interviews with girls from the age of 13 to 19 years old to collect the data he needed for his book. “One of the key parts about doing work with young people is you can’t just show up and start asking questions. You need to be there, be a present figure, spend time, and get to know them. They were always won-
dering who this man was in the classroom,” Flores recalls. “I think it took them several months to figure out if I was a predator or who I was.” Through his research, Flores discovered that almost all of the girls in the detention center lived in poverty, suffered from sexual abuse, and had intergenerational family ties to street gangs. Flores would share his stories of being an at-risk youth, listen to them recount events of experiencing sexual abuse as children, and educate them on the resources available. “I think society has gotten better about it, but we need to teach young men not to rape women—that’s the starting point. Teach young men to respect women. I’m already having these conversations with my sons
now about what consent means,” Flores says. After being incarcerated, the young women struggled with transitioning back into the traditional school system. Behind bars, the officers enforced control. Every person had an assigned seat at the detention center and the girls only interacted with a small number of people. Compared to this, the girls felt overwhelmed in a high school of 500 students and believed that everyone would try to hurt them. Teachers targeted those on house arrest identified by their ankle monitors, and would threaten to call their probation officer for any small violation. Flores notes that “teachers would see [the girls] as criminals.” For these young women, an in-
carceration changes the way their community perceives them. After jail, they’re targeted as criminals and scrutinized under constant police surveillance. To prevent these girls from falling back into this vicious cycle, Flores suggests removing police from schools. Once pulled over at gunpoint by the police, the researcher explains that he and other men in his family have been mistreated by police their entire life. If you put a police officer in a school, Flores explains, he’ll find crimes because “that’s what he’s trained to do.” “For example, if I had police follow you around for a week, I guarantee everyday he’d find you committing a crime—speeding, jaywalking, We all commit crimes,” Flores says. In addition to this, Flores believes that the police must stop drug testing youth. He explains that it’s unfair that poor youth and youth of colour are punished for experimenting with drugs and alcohol, while rich youth have the privilege of experimenting within the safety net of their homes. Most importantly, Flores says that society must provide youth with access to education, three healthy meals a day, and a safe place to discuss their issues. “When we take care of the most marginalized people in society, that is an indicator of how much we care about ourselves and how much we care about our communities. I always tell folks: Look, I’m in solidarity with you, with all marginalized and oppressed people across the world. I have quite a bit of power and privilege as a professor at U of T, so let’s attempt to do our best to address some of these issues.”
For creating knowledge Leaving homes and surviving
Thought continued from page 9
You are also being exposed to knowledge that is theoretically grounded in the West.” Hosein reveals that there comes a point in life for an academic, an activist, or someone who comes to the Caribbean: “[They] want to create knowledge that doesn’t come from elsewhere [...], so that when you’re being introduced to histories of gender negotiations, you are not reading that which only comes from the West, but you are reading work that comes from the locations in the world [...]. Where the global economy has created vast intercontinental movements of people whose histories tell us about not just those spaces, but also about those vast global economies.” Indentureship, in Hosein’s opinion, is one of those things that can be understood in the context of local history. “It was a huge global economy and when you look at it from the sight of those places that were affected by it, you are [...] learning about their effect on inter-ethnic relations, their implications on the relationships between women and men, and the legacies
of feminist engagement.” Hosein adds, “And so for us, the work is very important because we need to see theory being produced outside of the West. And we need to be able to see that when you are studying about the history of gender negotiations, then you can draw from the locations you identify with. Or it could speak to you in the same way theoretical production from the West does.” Along with explaining the significance of knowledge production, Outar mentions that while exploring a large umbrella term as Indo-Caribbean feminism, it is important to recognize that it is “in fact not oriented around India. And one of the major interventions of this book is to reorient from a diasporic understanding of Indianness to one that is oriented around the specific conditions that are created at the moment of arrival in the region.” According to Outar, the arrival becomes the moment where Indo-Caribbeanness is born, “Shaped by the conditions it meets upon arrival.” Outar further suggests that knowledge production does not necessarily have to be in the spaces of classrooms, but can take the
forms of agency, action, and social movements. Students entering the field, as Hosein describes, “Can take up cultural concepts and move them across any culture or use [our work] as a model to see how you can take up nostalgic words and use them to explain traditions.” Hosein also emphasizes that it is important for students to “critique the idea that you understand feminist history from what you already know. For example, women came as contracted workers to the colonial government in the Caribbean and not as wives, and so it is essential to understand how that has placed them in a very different position for that time.” Outar also says to an audience of women and gender studies students, “As you take up this work, or take up any work talking about gender and feminism, there is a responsibility, also, on all of you to change the way people think of feminism, which is still considered a bad word [...]. So to change these assumptions, highlighting that women can press for issues that are important to them, but still onto multiple identities and relationships that are important to them.”
Refuge continued from page 8
“The problem is that people only see the success stories of refugees, but only 0.1 per cent of refugees are successfully resettled in a developed country from that camp, and that the camp may no longer be funded by the U.N. with a push for internal funding from the Kenyan government,” says MacArthur, adding that the problem is with how Kenya does not want to cooperate. “Kenya has claimed to have already paid their share,” explains the history professor, “There have been talks about forced resettlements. The Kenyan government wanted to close Dadaab in March of 2016, but the deadline came and went. “ As MacArthur explains, in 2011, Kenya invaded southern Somalia and rounded up refugees, sending them to these camps. Ripped from their homes, the refugees had to learn to survive on their own. MacArthur says that resources for the refugees are limited, so people must use their family and economic network to get
by. For example, since refugees cannot work, they only get limited food rations from the U.N. such as grains and oil. But to purchase meat and other necessities, some people will sell 10 per cent of their food rations in a makeshift marketplace to support themselves.
“The problem is that people only see the success stories of refugees, but only 0.1 per cent are successfully resettled” - Julie MacArthur The refugees have built a home within Dadaab and have supported the youth to have access to education, but since the approval process for resettlement may not happen for some people, the documentary portrays how these camps have only applied band-aid solutions to the issue of resettlement.
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Dance your way to better health today Zumba is known to be a very fun and effective way of exercising that promotes living a healthy lifestyle MAJDA TALIC
Zumba is to exercise what a smoothie blender is to kids that don’t like vegetables. Often described as a fun “exercise in disguise,” Zumba uses a combination of dance and aerobic exercise to create a fun and welcoming group workout. Although the loud and energetic music and dance is often compared to a party or a nightclub, Zumba allows for individuals to enjoy their time while reaping the benefits of a full body workout. The fitness program’s choreography and fast paced music is mainly inspired by various Latin American dances such as salsa and merengue, but can also take influence from hiphop, Bollywood, pop, African, and Middle Eastern dances. Choreography from any of the dances is simplified, making it easier for class members to follow the instructor, rather than learning a routine beforehand. This way, the focus shifts from learning a routine to continuous movement. Part of the philosophy that makes Zumba unique is its inclusivity to anyone and everyone. Several variations of Zumba exist to suit a variety of fitness levels and goals, as well as individuals with physical disabilities.
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Zumba can positively affect one’s mental health, in addition to being beneficial to physical health. Aside from traditional Zumba, Zumba GOLD is suited towards beginners and older adults that are unable to run or do more intense workouts. Classes can also be geared towards kids or can take place in a swimming pool. Individuals of both beginner and advanced fitness levels can also choose to take classes that focus on toning and sculpting muscles, which help to increase muscular strength and endurance. A Zumba Step class
incorporates aspects of step aerobics, which increases cardio and calorie burning while defining and sculpting the core and legs. Traditional Zumba classes help to increase aerobic capacity and endurance. A 2016 study by Cugusi et al. found that participants in a 12-week Zumba program had a decreased heart rate and systolic blood pressure when the intensity of a workout increased, indicating an increase in
endurance. Songs in a Zumba playlist alternate between high and low intensity, making it an interval workout that burns a significant number of calories in less time than a non-interval workout. The number of calories burned may range from 400-to-1,000 for an hourlong class. Exercises are modified with variations based on the intensity of a workout and the participant’s age, height, and weight. Researchers in a
2012 study found that a 39-minute class burned an average of 9.5 calories per minute which they compared to “moderately intense exercises like step aerobics or cardio kickboxing.” With its numerous physical benefits, Zumba also positively affects an individual’s mental health. Participants in an eight-week Zumba study showed improvements in their quality-of-life score by nine per cent, as well as their self-esteem score, which increased by 16 per cent. Zumba is also offered in group class—their focus on inclusivity allow for individuals to feel a sense of community. While Zumba is an effective workout for any fitness level and age, it is particularly effective for those that have a difficult time incorporating physical activity into their lives. Many people view going to the gym as a chore and tend to avoid the physical exercise crucial to good health. In comparison, one study on Zumba found that most of the participants continued to attend their classes even after the study had ended. Zumba classes offer a welcoming environment where individuals simply follow their instructors lead and focus on having fun, while overlooking the lunges or squats that are being incorporated into their routine.
Eagles dominate game against the Lions UTM beat the Lambton College Lions for the second time, making this their third win of the season AMRISH WAGLE ASSOCIATE S&H EDITOR
This past weekend on December 2nd, the UTM varsity women’s basketball team dominated the court against the Lambton College Lions. This is, in fact, the first varsity team of its kind at UTM and in this inaugural season, their established goal was to get acquainted with each other and become a team in its full form and implication. Saturday was their second time facing the Lions this season, the first of which was won 77-54. This time, the Eagles were certain of history repeating itself, and even revealed a decisive determination to win throughout the match. In fact, the Eagles maintained an impressive lead from start to finish and won 95-46. The game was full of beautiful 3-pointers and sharp layups that kept it exciting for all the fans on the bleachers. The first goal was scored by Jade Addai and there on, the Eagles never lost the lead once, ending the first quarter 10-2. In particular, Akashia Samuels was the star of the game, where she scored the majority of 3-pointers. The crowd went wild
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The varsity women’s basketball team won in a score of 95-46 against Lambton College Lions. for many of her impressive shots, especially towards the end of the game where she served as a point guard and quite easily tore through the Lion’s defense, to maintain the monstrous lead until the end. Jade Addai was point guard for the majority of the game and was wholly efficient in many of her formulaic technique to drive into the paint and conduct a quick pass to
a nearby teammate who could finish the play. This was also reflective of the entire game where the team, while on offense, spread out and focused on passing the ball around. Whereas on defense, the Eagles flocked very effectively near the net and barely allowed any of the Lambton Lions to pass through. Another player, Bianca Hatchett was especially distinguished
by her unstoppable rebounds and tips. Quite similar to Shaq O’Neal, Hatchett knew her strengths and finished her teammates’ plays multiple times by staying close to the net. Right before halftime, the game dropped to an equal struggle where there was rarely a goal scored by either side. The Lions picked up their spirits right after half time when they
were starting to close in on the score gap. Luckily, during the last quarter, a strong delivery on part of Chloe Robichaud, Ashley Beckles, Kanika Kaushik, Jaina Alnajjar, and Akashia Samuels helped maintain an impenetrable defense and relatively sharp offence that kept the ball on the Lion’s side of the court. In fact, the last half of the game saw several impressive steals and interceptions by the eagles that kept the ball out of the lion’s hands. Overall, the enthusiasm in the gym was sensational. Not only were the fans excited by the Eagles’ stunts, but the team itself cheered for the players on court with sheer bravado. Spirits for the UTM Eagles were distinctively high in the gym, induced by the striking 3-pointers, and 1-pointers, steals and aggressive layups each player made, particularly including Beckles and Samuels. The next match for the Eagles is set on January 12 at the Welland Campus Athletics Centre where they will play the Niagara College Knights. Their last match with the Knights ended in a loss of 57-77. This time the Eagles are back. They’re leaner, meaner, and looking to get even.
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THE MEDIUM 12.04.2017
A natural form of relaxation therapy Aromatherapy has been known to provide anxiety and depression relief and improve sleeping patterns HALEY WEST
According to the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy, aromatherapy can also be referred to as essential oil therapy. It is considered both an art and a science which uses naturally extracted aromatic essences from plants to balance, harmonize, and promote the health of body, mind, and spirit. The benefits are beginning to be recognized, according to Healthwise, a global provider of health information, and the Mayo Clinic. However, they acknowledge that research on aromatherapy effectiveness is still limited. According to the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy, the term “aromatherapy” first started being used in the late 1930s by a perfumer and chemist, ReneMaurice Gattefosse. He documented clinical findings about the results of the application of essential oils to a variety of physical health issues, and was attempting to demonstrate medicinal benefits derived from the application of essential oils. Since then, aromatherapy has also been recognized mainly as aiding relaxation and stress relief. The Healthwise staff has also supported essential oils in treating insomnia, burns, depression, infections, and high blood pressure. However, they also caution that evidence regarding the effectiveness of aromatherapy in
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There are many different essential oils that have various uses. curing or preventing illness has not yet been found. The purpose of aromatherapy is to improve individual healing processes by combining physiological, psychological, and spiritual aspects. According to Healthwise staff, the essential oils encounter hormones and enzymes in the body. The resulting interactions cause changes in bodily functions, such as blood pressure. Additionally, Healthwise staff explains, “Essential oils are taken from
a plant’s flowers, leaves, stalks, bark, rind, or roots,” before being mixed with oil, alcohol, or lotion, depending on the method of application. Common methods of application include massage oil, facial and body lotions, bath soaps, and various types of inhalation, including steam inhalation, aromatic spritzers, diffusion, and direct inhalation. Direct inhalation occurs by inhaling essential oils directly from the source and is commonly used when moving about throughout the day without
the time for a more elaborate application. The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy details the uses for the most popular essential oils. Clary sage is typically used to relax, relieve anxiety and stress, to relieve menstrual camps, and as an antispasmodic. Cypress is commonly used as an astringent, treats respiratory issues, edema, cellulitis, and muscle pain. Eucalyptus can be used as an expectorant, decongestant, to clear the mind, and reenergize. Ac-
cording to Dr. Brent Bauer, who represents the Mayo Clinic, smaller studies have linked lavender to the reduction of pain for osteoarthritis in the knee and reduction in pain linked to kidney stones. The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy claims that eucalyptus is indicated to have more of an effect on children with respiratory complaints due to the lower cineole content, but only in a diluted form. However, the Healthwise staff and Dr. Bauer recommend that anyone considering using essential oils talk to a licensed health professional who has experience or training in using aromatherapy, especially if dealing with a chronic condition, such as asthma allergies, or arthritis. However, there are some general rules to follow that everyone should be made aware of. Never swallow any of the essential oils as they could damage your internal organs. Do not use near the eyes or mouth; swelling or irritation could potentially occur. Lastly, children younger than fiveyears-old should not use essential oils because their sensitive skin may react to the oils. This kind of therapy however, is not fully researched upon, according to Dr. Bauer. However, it definitely has proven to be effective for dealing with anxiety and depression, improved sleep, and improved quality of life for chronic health conditions.
Why do we still avoid eating insects? Insects have a much smaller carbon footprint than other animals and provide many health benefits PETER HAM
Sometimes, when my dad is craving something salty to accompany his meal, he will grab a can of beondegi from the pantry. The small brown silkworm pupae appear like small oval pennies. My dad eats the canned insects with relish, but to me, the thought of putting one into my mouth is enough to kill my appetite. So why is it that the idea of eating insects is so unappealing? One-hundred-and-thirty of 195 countries around the globe, primarily in Africa, Asia, and South America, eat insects as part of their traditional diet. Yet here in North America, insects are rare or even absent from traditional cuisine. Instead, we rely on conventional sources of protein, such as chicken, pork, beef, or even tofu to get our daily protein. Insects also have a smaller carbon footprint than most sources of protein. Food-conversion-ratio refers to how many kilograms of feed for the livestock is necessary for one kilogram of edible weight. Pork has a food-conversation-ratio of four kilograms to produce one kilogram of pork, and beef requires 8.8 kilograms of feed to produce a single kilogram of beef. In comparison, crickets have a feed-conversion-ratio of 2.3. But if insects are nutritious and so environmentally-friendly, why haven’t we ad-
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Insects are rarely or never part of traditional North American cuisine. opted insects into our diet? One theory as to why this may be claims that it’s notoriously difficult for humans to change first impressions, and that the idea of insects as gross and “definitely not food” has been drilled into our brains since we were young. Researchers Hugo Mercier and Dan Sperber, from the France National Centre for Scientific Research, recently released a book in April 2017 called “The Enigma of Reason,” where they explored how people adopt new ideas.
They say that people adopt new ideas mainly as a form of cooperation. If one or two people decide to use a type of new social media, it’s difficult to convince their friends to join them. But once their friends are all using the new trendy app, they’re much more likely to sign up. Here in North America, we only see insects being eaten on dramatic game shows, such as Fear Factor and Survivor, where they’re shown as gross and disgusting creatures. Though in other countries, like in Mexico, eating
a roasted agave worm is just like eating potato chips. Once we are shown how gross insects are, the thought of putting one into our mouth becomes unthinkable and revolting. However, it’s not like our diet is completely unchanging. Look at sushi, a food completely foreign from traditional North American food, but now sold even in local convenience stores. Shockingly, insect-based food products are accessible even close to home. Entomo Farms raise crickets
for human consumptions in Norwood, Ontario, about three hours northeast of Toronto. They raise crickets in large cricket condos that swarm with the insects. Once they’re about six weeks old, which is about the end of their life cycle, they are harvested to be processed into food. The crickets are washed with water, roasted, and then grinded into flour to be used in energy bars and other baked products. Giovanni Sogari, from University of Parma in Italy, and his team of researchers studied the reasons why Westerners are less willing to eat insects than other countries. In his study, researchers organized an experiment with students from the university who were self-described “foodies.” They served a cookie made with ground cricket flour, and asked the students about their opinion of the cookie and their thoughts about eating insects. Most students ate the cookie because they were curious about how a “cricket cookie” might taste like. When asked afterwards if they’d be willing to try other insect food products in the future, almost three-fourths of the students surveyed agreed, and 94 per cent said they would recommend the cookie to other people. The study concluded that as long as insect-based foods are processed enough to look appetizing, people would have no problems eating them.