PSLA hosts journalist panel
U of T isn’t everything
Top Girls in UTM theatre
Senator Omidvar at UTM
Deciding to do HIIT or LISS?
News, page 3
Opinion, page 4
Arts, page 5
Features, page 8
Sports, page 11
One UTM slate running unopposed One UTM supports platform points such as free tuition, a new transit pass, and removing school fees ALICIA BOATTO NEWS EDITOR FATIMA WASIF ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR The University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union’s Candidates Forum was held on March 15th in anticipation of the upcoming union elections and saw the introduction of the slate One UTM. The slate is running unopposed for every position and is comprised of Felipe Nagata for president, Andres Posada for vice president university Affairs, Yan Li for vice president internal, Atif Abdullah for vice president external, and Leena Arbaji for vice president equity. President Running unopposed for president is Felipe Nagata, a third-year political science student, who served this 2017-2018 academic year as UTMSU’s vice president of campus life. During the forum, Nagata spoke about his intent to expand the free breakfast program currently run by the UTMSU to include free dinners
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One UTM consists of five candidates. during midterm and exam seasons, as well as introducing a food market on campus. He will also focus on instituting an increase in space for printing and copying services in the student centre.
VP university affairs The candidate for vice president of university affairs, Luis Andres Posada, is the current president of the Latin American Student Association and marketing director for
the Student Management Association. Posada discussed his plans to keep mental health initiatives at the forefront, enacting mental health support suited to varying student needs. Posada also hopes to increase
the current two-week window for courses must be dropped in order to receive a full refund. Posada also expressed an intent to eliminate the $55 system access fee for ACORN. VP internal Yan Li’s plans for the position include relaunching the UTMSU app, making it more user-friendly and incorporating within it an events calendar to keep students updated on campus. Li also plans to introduce a mentorship program for incoming students. The program will see firstyear students paired up with upper students in similar programs and would run in collaboration with the academic societies present at UTM. VP external Atif Abdullah, a second-year student in computer science, previously worked as the associate to the vice president university affairs on initiatives leading to an extension in the credit/no-credit deadline. He aims to prioritize the Fight the Fees campaign as VP external. Slate continued on page 2
PSLA talks future of political journalism Political Science and Pre-Law Association hosts panelists to discuss the decline of political journalism ALI TAHA STAFF WRITER The University of Toronto Mississauga’s Political Science and Pre-Law Association hosted a panel on March 15th, discussing the objective of political journalism to the matter of “fake news” and the impact of the internet on journalism today. Featured on the panel was producer for CBC News The National, Tarannum Kamlani, Canadian journalist Steven Zhou, and managing editor of The Medium, and U.S. HuffPost contributor Menna Elnaka. Associate for the PSLA, Mannie Adjei moderated the discussion with the three journalists. Asking what the job is of a political journalist, all three panelists shared the same sentiment. “The main job of a journalist, if we’re talking politics, is to hold politicians and the government accountable,” said Elnaka. Kamlani also spoke about the necessity of having the right facts. “When you’re going after people to hold them accountable you need to make sure you have your facts cor-
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Panelists discussed the main objective of political journalism. rect. The last thing you want is to have a good argument but be proven wrong over a small detail, which could undermine everything else that you’ve presented.”
Another issue brought to the panel’s attention was on controversial stories and how they have dealt with them in the past. Elnaka detailed her time as an intern at Al Jazeera Media
Network in Qatar, and her investigative journalism on prisoners of conscience in Egypt. “Investigating anything in the Middle East that’s political is very
risky,” she said. “Are the people you are interviewing telling the truth? Do prisoners of conscience really do what they’re accused of? Trying to find the truth and the facts in these stories is difficult.” Elnaka recommended speaking to a multitude of people when searching for the truth, especially when relying on individual accounts. In regard to the trend of fake news spreading throughout North America, Tarranum said, “People’s trust in journalists and the media has never been worse.” Zhou made a distinction between fake news and flawed news saying, “Journalism is a human endeavour. Once in a while, it’s likely that you’ll get something wrong.” Zhou went on to explain a study on the spread of true and false news online, which analyzed every major news story in English across the span of Twitter’s existence. The study concluded that fake news reached more people and spread much faster than accurate stories. PSLA continued on page 3
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THE MEDIUM 03.19.2018
Slate reviews platform goals
March 9th, 2018 Theft A student reported their laptop stolen from the 4th floor of the library. The laptop was left unattended and when the student returned to the cubicle, the laptop was gone. March 9th, 2018 Theft A student reported the theft of their laptop from the library while it was left unattended. March 10th, 2018 Police Assistance Residence staff contacted Campus Police for assistance in shutting down a large gathering. March 10th, 2018 Police Assistance Campus Police attended residence for a student experiencing medical distress. EMS was also called and the student was transported to hospital. March 11th, 2018 Theft A student locked his belongings in a locker in the RAWC men’s change room. When the student returned to the locker, the lock had been picked and his shoes were missing. March 11th, 2018 Theft A student left his laptop unattended on the 4th floor of the library to use the restroom. When the student returned, his laptop was no longer there. March 12th, 2018 Mischief A student swiped in to the RAWC and then slipped his TCard to his friend. RAWC staff observed this and contacted Campus Police. Campus Police spoke to the males and advised their RAWC privileges revoked until they speak with the facilities manager. March 13th, 2018 Theft A student reported to Campus Police a theft of his laptop from a third floor cubicle in the library. The laptop was left unattended, and when the student returned, the laptop was gone. March 14th, 2018 Theft A student put a load of laundry on and left the area. Upon returning to the washing machine, his clothes were missing.
March 9th, 2018 Fire A staff member reported that a garbage can was on fire in front of the library. It appeared to be from a cigarette thrown into the garbage. March 9th, 2018 Theft A non-community member reported the theft of their laptop from the fourth floor of the library March 10th, 2018 Police Assistance Campus Police attended a residence for a party that was out of hand. Upon arrival, the area cleared, however a large mess was left behind. March 11th, 2018 Police Assistance Campus Police attended a residence unit for a student experiencing medical distress. EMS and MFD attended. The student was transported to the hospital. March 11th, 2018 Trespass to Property A student got a temporary pass for the RAWC. The student then gave the pass to his friend, a non-student. This is against RAWC policies and procedures. Campus Police attended and the student’s RAWC privileges were revoked. The non-student was trespassed from UTM.
March 12th, 2018 Theft A student left her laptop unattended on the 4th floor of the library. When the student returned to her cubicle, her laptop was gone. March 13th, 2018 Mischief A student reported that his car had been spray painted while parked at UTM. March 13th, 2018 Theft A student reported to Campus Police the theft of their laptop after it was left unattended in the library. March 14th, 2018 Police Assistance Campus Police attended the Health and Counselling Centre for a student experiencing an allergic reaction. The rapid response unit, MFD and EMS attended. The student was transported to hospital.
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.
JEANLOUIS REBELLO/THE MEDIUM
One UTM reviewed their platform points such as waste management and a new transit pass. Slate continued from cover Abdullah also plans to advocate for fees coverage for international students, students from families earning more than $50,000 a year, and part-time students among others. Additionally, he pledged to continue to work on increasing the transit systems encompassed by the UPASS, with a particular focus on the Brampton and Oakville regions. VP Equity Leena Arbaji is a fourth-year student and current sustainability coordinator. Her plans for the position of VP equity include the development of an environmental justice campaign situated within the local context of UTM. Arbaji aims to minimize the campus carbon footprint while maximizing sustainability. She also highlighted a continuation of efforts to dismantle sexual violence at UTM by supporting survivors through support groups and formalizing consent culture training for UTMSU staff, as well as clubs and other groups on campus. One UTM In an interview with The Medium, One UTM further explained some of their major platform points and goals for their positions if elected. Nagata stated that their platform points mainly focus on creating a closer community as UTM Mentorship program This program would seek to match up first-year students with upperyear students from various academic societies based on the program students are enrolled in. The goal of the program is to give students more insight and assistance in their initial programs in order to help them acclimate to university life. The program would feature “any academic society who would be interested in providing guidance to any first-year students who have not yet decided a program, and allow academic societies to build that connection from the beginning with first year students,” stated Andres Posada. “The idea is that the mentors will be connected to the academic societies and represent that program. And then act as a student advisor to those students,” he continued. Posada said the slate would work with the academic societies to determine the mentors for the program. According to Nagata, the program would run on a volunteer basis, with
academic societies choosing if they would like to participate. The choice to provide payment to any mentors would be determined by the academic societies participating. Nagata stated that the UTMSU would function more as an overseer of the program, and the societies would be responsible for their mentors. The GTA U-Pass One UTM has stated their intent to continue to lobby on expanding the current U-PASS to incorporate other local transit, in addition to Miway. Obtaining a U-PASS applicable to more than Mississauga, has been a UTMSU goal for several years. One UTM stated they would focus primarily on incorporating Brampton and Oakville transit into a pass. “We have been doing a lot of working in terms of the surveys we have been doing, data collection, we had conversations with Metrolinx. We said focusing on Brampton and Oakville because they are smaller transit companies, so lobbying them would be a lot easier, now that we have the data,” Nagata stated. “In terms of actual points moving forward, I feel that conversations, now that we have statistical data pretty much need to happen, in terms of Metrolinx, as well as the other transit authorities.” Nagata also stated that the possibility of an opt-out option would depend on the demand of people who would use the pass versus the number of students who wouldn’t. Currently, the TTC has approved a proposal by the St. George student union, in collaboration with other universities to move forward with a transit pass for Toronto university students. Free tuition One of the slate’s platform points is continuing to lobby the provincial government for free tuition. One UTM acknowledged that this goal probably won’t happen in one term, but want to continue to raise the issue to the provincial governments, particularly in light of Ontario’s upcoming provincial elections. “How do we make the system that currently exists better in anyway possible with the eventual goal of free tuition, but at the same time, working towards one project at a time, keeping the campaign in place and keeping the pressure to say that we need to make our system better,” stated Abdullah.
Environmental justice campaign One UTM pledges to keep UTM a green space and improve the sustainability on campus. According to Lena Arbaji, who’s running for VP equity, one initiative of the committee is to improve recycling on campus. “One of the big things that we want to try to tackle is the way that our waste is currently collected and sorted on campus and in campus. We have just purchased new receptacles for the student union, it collects organics, recycling and landfill. Unfortunately, most people aren’t educated on which materials belong in which receptacles, and once a receptacle is contaminated with something that does not belong, it all goes straight to the landfill and is not disposed properly.” Arbaji noted that UTM does not have an organics collection on campus, and stated that the school needs to talk about waste management and collecting methods, particularly in the UTM kitchens. Another goal for Arbaji is to reduce the amount of cigarette butts on campus and get more cigarette users to recycle after smoking. ACORN fee One UTM wants to lobby to remove the $55 ACORN fee that’s included in student’s invoices to aid in reducing student fees overall. “This $55 is an extra expense, and the first step is pointing that out to students. Then beyond that, once students say this is something we want to move towards removing, showing that and negotiating with the university,” Posada stated. “We’re already paying a lot of tuition—we should not be paying this extra unnecessary fee.” Board game café The café would be situated in the Student Centre. Students would hand over their TCard to a staff member from the UTMSU in order to borrow a game, and receive their TCard back when the game has been returned. Nagata also mentioned a possible coffee and tea bar for students in the café. According to the slate, this initiative comes as a way to provide de stressors to students all year round, while building a sense of community. “It’s pretty much a way to detress, focus on mental health, get away from anxiety,” Nagata said.
Slate continued on page 3
03.19.2018 THE MEDIUM NEWS
Canadian papers “doing terrible”
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»WHAT WOULD YOUR HOBBY BE IF YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO STUDY?
Yzabel Godawen 1st year, Bio. Chem.
Tanay Onder 4th year, Comp. Sci.
“Voice acting”
“Metal smithing”
Eri Tagawa 4th year, Chem.
Zaeem Nizami 3rd year, Molecular Bio.
“Yoga”
“Kick-boxing and chess”
MESHA GHAYUR/THE MEDIUM
Zhou discussed the decline of Canadian newpsapers, followed by a Q and A period. PSLA continued from cover “I think it’s mainly because of polarization in politics and how easy it is to use the internet,” Zhou said, “Anybody can do anything.” Elnaka also discussed the declining trust between audiences and news outlets. Suggesting a way to perhaps deal with it, she said, “Maybe news outlets have an agenda, but they should come forward with what their agenda is and make that clear. In the end, even though they do have an agenda, their articles can
still be neutral and bring you both sides of the story.” When asked whether social media has changed how political journalism works, Kamlani emphasized the permanent changes the internet has brought to journalism. “[The internet] is a fact of life. You can’t turn back the clock. You just have to adapt.” “The papers in Canada are doing terrible,” added Zhou. “I know that The Globe and Mail revenues have been declining over the past two-tothree years. The Star laid off a bunch
of people—no more internships.” The Toronto Star used to hire post-secondary students for summer internships in their newsroom. However, they announced in February of 2018 that the internship program would be put on indefinite hiatus. Following the panel discussion, panelists participated in an hour of Q and A from the audience. The panel marked the end of the PSLA’s current affairs events for the academic year.
One UTM focuses on community spaces Slate continued from page 2 “The other space issue we hear about is study space. And that is something that we do see of being tackled with the TFC renovations and the new north building,” stated Atif Abdullah, “The problem with the study spaces is being worked towards but there still is the problem of lack of community space, which is not about studying. Sometimes you just want an hour to relax with your friends and play a game of cards,” Abdullah continued. Copy centre
The team seeks to utilize storage space within the student centre in order to bring in more printers and copiers to serve more students. Although the slate stated their intent to utilize more spaces within the student center, they said that a student centre expansion is a longterm goal. Abdullah stated that before the UTMSU starts to lobby for an expansion again, they would want to consult with students to ensure there is a demand and a willingness to pay for the project. “It’s a hard campaign to make because it requires a lot of money. We are going to be working on it.
We are compiling a document to provide to the university. Nagata stated, that due to the large amount of money required, the expansion would not be a front priority of the team. Tackling racism This initiative would consist of compiling data of student experience to present to the administration, in order to demonstrate what students need on campus, such as representation. The slate stated they would be willing to collaborate with the Sexual Violence and Prevention centre to collect stories of UTM experiences.
Arbaji stated that this was not meant as appropriation but instead focused “on bringing issues to light.” Swag mall This initiative is designed to be an online centre where clubs and academic societies can purchase gear at a discounted price from outside suppliers and companies, for any of their events or promotions. “We’d be linking that company to the platform where club executives can pick and choose what they want, the amounts and the design. We would try to make it as
cheap as possible. UTMSU would not be collecting any of the funds from these sales, according to Nagata. “As a non-for-profit organization we are not looking for profit at all,” he stated. One UTM is running unopposed following last year when two slates competed against each other, and in 2015 when four slates and several independent candidates campaigned. The campaign period will end on March 22nd, with the voting period taking place from March 20th to March 22nd.
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U of T: number one at making you a number Going to U of T is not an indication of your success after graduation, you are It’s been almost a year since graduating, and there were months of all sorts of anxiety and stress, but also content. Though my feeling of content isn’t because I’m afraid or stressed of the future, it’s because I took comfort in the fact that having a degree from U of T wasn’t going to get me anywhere. An odd feeling to have, I know, but hear me out. Widely known to be Canada’s “number one university,” a lot is overlooked by the public about the real experience of this campus. Mental health is a huge issue faced by many students in university and on our campus. Personally, going through the many days of no sleep, putting together essays, researching, and more, there is an underlying belief I had to be better because I’m going to the best university in Canada. The truth is, we do go to a campus that worries more about its reputation and how it holds up to other Canadian campuses. It begs the question of what the true motivation of our university actually is. There have been many cases where students who have tried to report their mental health stresses to professors or U of T admin ended up feeling more helpless than they did before they brought it up. Collecting accolades and being known as Canada’s top university can only go so far. Students do feel pressure to outperform their own abilities, not because they have a desire to better themselves, but because they have to uphold the status quo that U of T implements. I’m not saying that pushing students to tackle difficult subjects is wrong. In fact, I do believe that healthy motivation and being pushed to work as hard as you can is essential to growing as an individual. However, the U of T way of pressing for excellence has begun to become detrimental to the health of
my fellow students. Students are being pushed to the point where they feel helpless. It’s difficult for students to open up to their parents about it because it can be tough for them to understand the situation. Going to the U of T administration, or using the available services, can also be a stressful endeavour. It is fairly common for these services to refer you to other services, so you end up being bounced around to different clinics. Sometimes, there’s a waiting list before someone gets even the slightest bit of help. Though U of T has made attempts to help students, there still is a lot missing with the help they’ve tried to give. Take the mandatory leave policy for example. It stipulates that U of T can mandate a student to take a leave of absence if their mental health is hindering their ability to continue their studies. The issue with this policy is that U of T is saying to students to go deal with their problems on their own and to come back once they’ve dealt with it, with little to no support offered from the university itself. An institution that we pay thousands of dollars to is turning their back on the students that allow them to strive. That’s a slap to the face of students who push themselves every day to get the degree from the institution that holds itself to such a high regard. It goes back to the preservation of identity. U of T consistently wants to ensure that their campus is the most professional, sleek, and accessible campus there is in Canada. Most of this is done in the attempt to appear as if they are the ultimate institution for higher learning. Receiving a degree from U of T is no different than getting a degree from any other university. You will not get a job instantly because of the degree you have, you are not on any pedestal with a degree from this uni-
versity, and this mentality needs to be addressed. The undergraduate experience is essential to the growth and understanding of society, science, English, and so on. Wherever we go after graduation will not be dependent on the fact that we carry a degree from the University of Toronto. The truth is that in the eyes of employers, your network, experience, and skills will be what separates you from the rest. The best thing an undergraduate student at UTM, St. George, or UTSC can do is use their time to gain experiences and use it to inform their futures. What defines you is not the institution that you went to, it’s the experience and the knowledge you use to push yourself in a direction of life that you want to pursue. U of T is the institution you attended, but the many experiences you embark on during your undergrad will ultimately make you stand out. It is a mentality that is hard to recognize, but I have in my personal experience heard students say that because they attend the “number one university” in Canada, it will be the reason they become successful. When I was in first year, that’s the kind of mentality that was pushed into my mind the entire year—every other university was nothing to the fact that I was at U of T. It’s unhealthy and ignorant to think that way, because at the end of the day students get an education to learn and become aware of research to help inform their own lives. The institution you attend does not make a difference. U of T is focused on ensuring the student experience at their campus is the best one in Canada. Great marketing, sleek logos, designs, and new buildings are all for attracting you. At the core of it all, you’re here to learn and to create a foundation for life, just like you did when you
were in high school. The only difference is that you didn’t pay for high school. It’s also important to note that graduate programs encourage students to complete their Masters or Ph.D. from different institutions because first and foremost, it expands your network. Going to another campus also eliminates the bias you receive by only attending one institution. This ties into the idea that many scholars and academics will agree that various schools have elements to them that are great, however, that does not mean that one school is greater than the other. Scholars and academics want people to develop a diverse set of knowledge rather than a concentrated narrow one, because in the end it allows for better discourse when discussing academics. In order to do so, we cannot believe that just going to the University of Toronto is the pinnacle of academic learning. It definitely is better if a student has a Bachelors from U of T and a Masters from Queens because it indicates that the student has taken the time to expand their horizons. Part of the ability to learn is to expand who you’re learning from. Use the opportunities that U of T does offer and be thankful for it. However, at the end of the day, define yourself with the knowledge and the experiences you’ve gained during your undergraduate years. Be you, and you’ll be okay. U of T may be number one every year, but you are not U of T. How you decide to tackle your future will be up to you. You should be excited for the future and hopeful. Do not fear it, embrace it. Don’t let U of T’s name be your only definition of who you are. YOURS, MAHMOUD SAROUJI
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Making a woman’s world in Top Girls Marlene is a focused career woman who is determined to succeed in the business world RACHAEL MASIH STAFF WRITER Top Girls opened at the Erindale Theatre this past Thursday. Melee Hutton’s rendition of the show by Caryl Churchill played with the tensions between working class women and stay-at-home wives in Margaret Thatcher’s United Kingdom. The story begins in celebration of Marlene (Amanda McPherson) on her promotion at Top Girls Employment Agency in London, England. She throws a celebratory party that is attended by famous women of history: Isabella Bird (Jillian Robinson), Lady Nijo (Lindsay Wu), Dull Gret (Hannah Termaat), Pope Joan (Kat White), and Patient Griselda (Zenia Sethna). The girls interact with one another and compete for the most heart-wrenching life story. They tend to talk over one another, but they also enjoy each other’s company as a room full of strong and empathetic women. This scene is powerful because it gathers women of many eras together so that we can see the evolution of women’s rights, respect the different kinds of strength women have, and honour the trials of women that came before us.
Top Girls marks Theatre Erindale’s last production of the contemporary season. After the abstract celebration party, we focus on the real-world events that happened in Marlene’s life. First, we see a snapshot of Marlene working at the Top Girls Employment Agency and get a sense of the work she does there. The struggles of the time inform the different struggles that women face when looking for work. The challenges of balancing family and work, wanting to break into the work force young, and watching young men out-
rank you after years of dedication to a company. As Marlene and her coworkers Win (Emily Clarke) and Nell (Zenia Sethna) juggle working class women, we visit a new location—scenic Suffolk, England. This is where Marlene’s sister Joyce (Mackenzie Connelly) and Marlene’s 15-year-old daughter Angie (Jillian Robinson) live. Angie plays with her best friend Kit (Zenia Sethna) and through their chatter, we find that
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Angie wants to kill her mother and move to London to be with Marlene, who she doesn’t know for sure is her birth mother. Angie buses to London and barges into Top Girls. She is not the only one, as the wife of Marlene’s co-worker, Mrs. Kidd (Hannah Termaat) storms in demanding that Marlene forfeit her promotion since working under a woman may be too difficult for her husband. Marlene kindly tells her to piss off.
We flashback to years earlier when Marlene visited Suffolk. The show closes on a scene featuring the two sisters who quarrel over politics, Angie, and Marlene leaving her family behind. I applaud every actor in the show first and foremost for their accents. The play is set in London and everyone delivered clear, consistent accents that all differed from the generic posh accent and truly represented different classes and regions of England. Termaat played Dull Gret and Mrs. Kidd brilliantly. Especially with Dull Gret, Termaat stayed in character, and seamlessly transitioned between cracking jokes to delivering her monologue which bursted with intensity. When she switched and played Mrs. Kidd I couldn’t even tell they were the same person—she absorbed each character so well. Another highlight was Amanda McPherson and Mackenzie Connelly in the final scene. Their sister dynamic was honest and real to the characters. The way they carried their bodies and spoke with each other reflected their rocky past and their love for each other. Top Girls is showing at Theatre Erindale until March 25.
She leads a conference for her school This year’s She Leads conference was hosted by Her Campus’ publishing chapter at U of T PAULA CHO ASSOCIATE A&E EDITOR
Her Campus, at the University of Toronto, is an online publication that aims to empower the female student demographic through conferences and editorials concerning on-campus career advice, health, love, and life. The U of T chapter is one in over 300 chapters of the organization worldwide. Its most recent event, She Leads, brought together five professional female reporters to shed light on the topic of women in journalism. The panel discussion began by addressing the complex process of reporting the #MeToo movement. Toronto-based journalist Michelle da Silva, who has covered stories regarding women’s marches and anti-feminism under the Trump administration, emphasized sensitivity when writing about delicate issues such as sexual misconduct. She says that journalists are often keen to get the riveting story and overlook that real people’s lives are involved and at stake. While protecting the identity of the survivor in these cases is imperative, staff reporter Hilary Beaumont believes that the pressure to name the
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The conference brought together five female reporters to discuss the topic of women in journalism. perpetrators and take down people in power is not at the core of what the movement is about. Recently, she wrote a piece about harassment in parliament, and her goal wasn’t to expose anyone but rather to address the structural issues with policy and culture. Another topic examined was online safety for female journalists and how the panelists deal with hateful messages. Lifestyle reporter Arti Patel conveyed how despite not covering controversial news topics, she is
continuously subject to emails and tweets containing death threats and calling her insulting names only women would receive. Oftentimes, the slurs or remarks have nothing at all to do with the story or reporting. Beaumont adds that nothing momentous is currently being done to promote safety against such threats, as no action can be done unless something physical happens. In addition, she says that newsroom press reporters to have a significant online presence with public contact infor-
mation, which maintains a certain vulnerability. The last question raised was if there is such thing as unbiased journalism. Da Silva answered no, and she believes it’s for the better. While there are impactful pieces of just bare-boned facts, most feature pieces have some lens, whether that be personal to the writer or the publication’s overarching philosophy. She says that diversity in perspective and inserting your voice into the story brings a human aspect to the piece, thus
strengthening it. Fatima Syed believes that the idea of newsrooms needing to be neutral is an old-school concept. While news stories are not technically feature pieces, they are featured stories for their importance. She asserts that traditional media hasn’t yet figured out how to cover nuance and layers in a factual way. Senior editor Haley Cunningham adds that you can still “show don’t tell” in news and it can be just as compelling. The panelists were asked to give the worst and best advice they have received in the industry. Syed and da Silva voiced that the sentiments of “don’t show weakness” and “be aggressive” are far from truth and oftentimes, the quietest listeners write the best stories. Da Silva’s best piece of advice is that you don’t have to be 100 per cent ready to do the job; you just have to confidently try. On the same note, Beaumont expresses that men in this industry are definitive, even when they don’t have all the facts, while women are far more passive and detail-oriented to the point where it can be debilitating. She says the best piece of advice she has received is to “report like women, publish like men.”
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THE MEDIUM 03.19.2018
An infinite reflection of Yayoi Kusama Yayoi Kusama’s exhibition, Infinity Mirrors, spans five decades worth of the artist’s oeuvres DEEMA ABU NASER STAFF WRITER
Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors introduces a new dimension to the experience of visiting an art exhibition. Infinity Mirrors allows you to immerse yourself completely in the art. The feelings that the art pieces evoke are relatable to personal views on life, love, and eternity. The exhibition comprises of six infinity mirror spaces. Some of the spaces are rooms you can enter, and others are to be looked at through peep-holes. Kusama tackles the subject of space by using lights, multiple objects, and mirrors to create the illusion of an “infinite space.” Kusama refers to creating your own timeless kaleidoscopic environment filled with flashing lights and colours. Once you enter the exhibition, you are lead to each room by her iconic red polka-dots lining the walls. Each contain an instance of her life that led her to create that specific room, in chronological order. Kusama’s inspiration lies within her interests and experiences throughout her life. She once said, “I am deeply interested in trying to understand the relationship
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Kusama’s exhibit is hosted at the AGO and explores the growth of Japanese artistry. between people, society and nature, and my work is forged from accumulations of these frictions.” “Phalli’s Field” was made between 1962 and 1964. It features rows and rows of mirrors. There is a white ceiling and an innumerable amount of oval-shaped stuffed fabric. Kusama wanted to face her fear of sex, and so she created these tubers, which are modelled after penises. The exhaustive process of trying to create a hallucinatory experience taught Kusama how to create her now infamous installations. Instead of creat-
ing thousands of tubers, she realized the mirrors could help her eclipse the emotional and physical limitations within her mind and practice. “Love Forever,” created between 1966 and 1994, is a room that has two peepholes. It features Kusama’s beginning experimentation with technology. Rows of ordered lights sparkle, then turn off and flash brightly. The two peepholes allow you and other participants to view each other within infinity. This artwork is special to the artist, as she created it in order to raise awareness for civil rights and anti-war
movements. “Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity” (2009), contains flashing golden lanterns, modelled after the ones used in light festivals in Kusama’s home country of Japan. The tradition, called “Toro Nagashi” is a ceremony that guides spirits back to their resting places. Upon entering the room, you are faced with darkness. Slowly, flickering lights begin to shine, becoming brighter and brighter until they fill the enter room and infinity beyond. The themes of life, death, and eternity are poignant in this room, ready
for the participant to make their own judgements about “infinity.” Unlike the previous rooms, “Dots Obsession: Love Transformed into Dots,” created in 2007, contains three different installations within an open space. Large pink balls with black polka dots fill the space, but within it, there are two contrasting installations. One, a small room with mirrors with pink and black polka-dotted balloons hanging from the ceiling, reflecting the same pattern on every surface of the room. Two, a large ball with a small peephole. When you glance into the peephole, you see endless rows of metallic balls with the same pattern, reflecting the kaleidoscopic environment Kusama wanted to reflect. Kusama once said, “I feel how truly wonderful life is, and I tremble with undying fascination for the world of art, the only place that gives me hope and makes me feel worthwhile. And no matter how I may suffer for my art, I will have no regrets. This is the way I have lived my life, and it is the way I shall go on living.” Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors began at the AGO on March 3 and ends May 27. Check it out and immerse yourself within Kusama’s world.
When ordinary people do bad things Bek and Tyler Allen are co-hosts of The Minds of Madness—an investigative crime series KASSANDRA HANGDAAN A&E EDITOR
Married couple Bek and Tyler Allen share a macabre pursuit. As co-hosts of the popular crime podcast series The Minds of Madness, they research, produce, and record episodes of investigative criminal events. What’s unique about The Minds of Madness is each episode’s inquiry into the psychological state of the crime’s perpetrator. So far, the series has twentytwo episodes. The couple both went to school for television broadcasting. Bek has worked as a freelance T.V. and video producer for 20 years strictly for charitable organizations. Tyler edited and cut sound for T.V. and film productions. Tyler explains that his love for sound engineering, and previous professional experience, helped ease the couple’s transition into creating a podcast. He says, “My interest for true crime and sound editing made the decision to venture into starting a podcast seem somewhat doable. It was something I could do in my free time, and it didn’t require a steep learning curve.” The series’ first episode investigated the events involving the abduction of Jody Plauche. The episode begins with sombre piano music. Then, Tyler’s rich baritone voice emerges. He calls himself a “true crime podcast fan,” and he begins to list names of popular crime podcasts that he’s lis-
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The Minds of Madness, hosted by Bek and Tyler Allen, has 22 episodes, as of publication. tened to—Serial is one of them. After exhausting through these series, Tyler decides to try his own hand at starting his own. He admits, however, that the preparation needed for these podcasts require a lot of work. “In the past, we started out by trying to find as much information as we could about each case online. We would scour the news, reading through articles, and looking at any footage that was available. As we’ve grown and learned, we now try to start by contacting loved ones of the victims, and begin our research there,” Bek says. Bek adds that it’s important that the stories are told in a manner respectful of the victims. By this, she explains that the aim is to provide a conduit for family and friends of the victims to share their stories. To make the stories more interesting and captivating, Bek and Tyler have
gone beyond contacting relatives. They’ve also contacted professionals in the field of forensics and psychology. “We try to find clues as to why these horrific events happen, and how the paths of the victims and the perpetrators crossed,” Bek says. When choosing a story to cover, an important criterion is that the consent of the family members affected is given. By doing so, Bek says that it becomes easier to produce a more accurate account of the event. The focus, though, is to tell stories about everyday people—who, for some reason, experienced an unprecedented moment of psychological breakdown. The couple thus tries to stay away from cases involving individuals with a history of mental illness and criminal offenses. Currently, the series’ most popular episode involves the investigation of
Tanner Barton. Barton was a college student at Marian University, who in 2012, died after a sudden collapse. The Kokomo Tribune stated that an official report described Barton as having “fallen asleep on the floor in the basement and [later] discovered dead.” The oddity of this case is that Barton had no visible injuries. Even stranger is that Jay Price, a coroner assigned to the case, ruled the death as natural. Apparently, Barton suffered from “positional asphyxia.” An occurrence in which an individual’s sleeping position prevents adequate breathing and results in death. “This particular case has been unlike anything we’ve ever covered before. We were approached by Tanner’s mother about four months ago, and she handed over all of the case files that she had in her possession. The file included forensic photos, autopsy and toxicology reports, along
with witness statements and other police reports,” Bek says. “It provided us with the ability to look at this case in a completely different light. We found gaps in the information provided, which led us to start asking questions. For the first time ever, we decided to get in touch with law enforcement working on the case, and we started doing some investigative work on our own, in an attempt to put some of the missing pieces of the puzzle together.” Bek notes that by doing all of this, the case, which had gone cold for the past six years, began to regain traction. The most challenging part of researching this case has been reaching out to professionals. It’s been difficult, according to Bek, to make sense of the information. To add to it, the case took place in Kokomo, Indiana—adding a physical barrier for the couple, who lives in Brampton, Ontario. Despite these hurdles, Bek says that the Barton case has been the most rewarding. The Minds of Madness has been nominated for seven categories for the Canadian Podcast Awards. The podcast ended up accruing four awards. To Tyler, the accolades were a surprise. He says, “We knew we had some solid experience in the field of production, but we just hadn’t expected such an overwhelming response. We were shocked and humbled that so many of our peers felt that we had earned their vote.”
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REWIND SAHIBA SHAH
My Neighbor Totoro (1988) is a Japanese animated film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, which explores nature, imagination, and childhood. The movie follows the story of Satsuki and Mei, two sisters who move into an old, rural house with their father, Tatsuo, while their mother recovers from a long-term illness in a nearby hospital. The sisters discover soot-like dust sprites which scatter in their presence. The sprites scurry away to find another empty place to occupy.
“Many of my movies have strong female leads. [...] They’ll need a friend, or a supporter, but never a savior.” —Hayao Miyazaki When Satsuki goes off to school, Mei trots out to play in the expansive garden near the house and finds a trail of nuts dropped by a wood sprite. She discovers two tiny, long-eared creatures and follows them into a forest, where she finds a large tree. She falls down the tree’s trunk and lands in the home of a giant wood sprite. She climbs atop his tummy, wakes him up, and calls him Totoro. Mei later tries
to lead Satsuki and Tatsuo to the tree, but it’s nowhere to be found. Tatsuo assures her that she was lucky to have met the “king of the forest” because he doesn’t come out often. Instead of dismissing her, Tatsuo encourages his daughter’s imagination. The final half of the film focuses on a search for Mei, who runs off alone to find her mother at the hospital. With the help of Totoro and Catbus, Satsuki finds Mei. Catbus then takes them to the hospital, where the girls land atop a tree branch to check in on their mother. The family is reunited at the end. My Neighbor Totoro is a lighthearted film that employs an odd, inexplicable magic to portray the meaning of childhood. Its beauty, colour, and music invoke a sense of nostalgia and the spirit of imagination in the viewer. It also hints at underlying themes of life, death, and the cycle of nature. The abundance of nature, and imagery of seeds sprouting into trees signifies growth from childhood into adolescence. The film manages to encapsulate time, both at a standstill, and also as an ever-continuous journey. The film has left a lasting cultural impact all over the world. The titular character, Totoro, was adopted as a logo by its animation studio, Studio Ghibli. My Neighbor Totoro has won numerous awards, earned widespread critical acclaim, and cemented Miyazaki’s career as a brilliant animator and storyteller.
Evaluating the Oscars
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Films mentioned at the Oscars include Lady Bird and The Shape of Water. KEENA AL-WAHAIDI ASSOCIATE A&E EDITOR
This year, as always, there were a wide range of films that were nominated for several categories at the Academy Awards that become increasingly hard to win within, especially when the film industry is becoming more adaptive and innovative year in and year out. Some films, like Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water, won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Score, and Best Production Design. The film had a total of 13 nominations. So, there seems to be much inquiry about what surrounds the success of these films’ winners, and what categorizes the others as non-award winning films if they were so eloquently cinematic that they were nominated in the first place. Perhaps nothing. Sure, that doesn’t seem like a good answer, but maybe to find one out, there must be analyses of other films that were nominat-
ed for categories that were beat out by other award-sweeping movies. Take Lady Bird for example. A delightfully, ever-confusing relationship between a teenager and her mother—the tie between the two of them is typical, but in other ways it isn’t. Saoirse Ronan plays the character nicknamed Lady Bird, whose real name is Christine McPherson. Dealing with her teenage life in Sacramento, California, she can’t solve math problems but she’s a martyr to the arts. As a high school senior, she’s both sensitive about her feelings but hilariously self-confident—that mix seems like an odd combination for a girl who wants to get along with her high-strung mother, go to college, and figure out her wonderfully, coming-of-age self. Is this not at all relatable? Shouldn’t an Oscar be won based on how well people respond to it, and how much it reflects the lives that we live? Then, there were films that won one or two Oscars but not as many as hoped. This includes Jordan Peele’s
Get Out, which didn’t win as heavily, and it was thought that it could have filled a basket full of awards that night. Winning for Best Original Screenplay, the film went home that night with at least some reassurance about their work, not that they needed any in the first place. A film like Get Out, however, has some achievements within their film that they probably thought would have won them top spots within categories that night. Good social commentary, racial tensions, and an allstar cast are key aspects within most Oscar films. People like a movie that says something about the way they’re living—it triggers a sense of wanting to change their morals and values. There are films that make the cut, and there are others that don’t—and with that cut being the Oscars ceremony, there are features of certain films that make them more appealing than others. Maybe that’s the way things are, but we certainly shouldn’t tear down the ones that aren’t deemed worthy of a small golden man.
Talking dance with Kelsey Mooney Kelsey Mooney shares her dance experience and hopes for the future of the UTM Dance Team KEENA AL-WAHAIDI ASSOCIATE A&E EDITOR
As undergraduate students, some of our biggest accomplishments can range anywhere from maintaining the right GPA, to balancing our social lives with excessive studying. For Kelsey Mooney, a fourth-year psychology and criminology major, being captain of the UTM dance team is the cherry on top of a successful four years. Beginning dance training at the age of three years old was rigorous but exciting for Mooney. Surrounded by encouraging dance teachers, she started dancing at a small studio in her hometown of Watrous, Saskatchewan. That wasn’t just a phase or an after-school hobby she wanted to try out. It was a way to grow into the world in a way that she didn’t know how else to do. Mooney said, “My favourite thing about dancing is that it allows me to escape from whatever else is going on in my life and gives me a way to express myself in a way that words can’t.” Dedication to her creative practice was crucial to its outcomes.
Mooney has been dancing since the age of three years old. Mooney recalled, “I would go to the studio with a friend to practice at 6 a.m. most weekdays until school started and then normally dance or teach dance from after school until 10 p.m. most nights. I also drove about an hour on weekends to take extra exam classes at a different studio so I was normally dancing seven days a week.” Mooney is also a graduate of various dance schools, and her years of training have helped her succeed in them as well as pass their exams. “Growing up, I completed all of the levels of CDTA [Canadian Dance Teachers Association] tap exams as
well all of the CDTA jazz exams. I also completed my advanced two RAD [Royal Academy of Dance] ballet exam in my last year of high school.” She added, “I also drove about an hour on weekends to take extra exam classes at a different studio so I was normally dancing seven days a week.” For Mooney, attending school in Mississauga was a strange and sort of wonderful journey—at least in her perspective. She said, “I was initially registered to attend the University of Saskatchewan, but after attending a talent scouting event in Saskatchewan I signed with a manager and decided to try out the world of acting, danc-
PHOTO COURTESY OF KELSEY MOONEY
ing, modelling and singing in Toronto […] Coming to Mississauga was very interesting for me. I grew up in Watrous, which has a total population of 2,000 people, so moving to Mississauga with so many people was quite a shock.” Nevertheless, Mooney’s move to Mississauga didn’t only allow her to grow emotionally and mentally, but it also introduced her to the dance team at UTM: “I have been on the dance team since my first year so this is my fourth year on the team. Being on the team has taught me […] how to work with others, how to be a leader, how to support others and help them grow
both as dancers and individuals in general, and how to grow as a dancer myself, as well.” Not only is Mooney captain of her dance team, but she’s accomplished other dance-related tasks that she can check off her list. However, school tends to get in the way of furthering her ambitions: “When I was in first year, I tried to do school full-time, as well as go out for auditions and photoshoots in the GTA. I ended up being a background dancer in a music video by Kira Isabella, “Shake It If Ya Got it,” as well as doing a couple other small jobs throughout the year.” She continued, “At the end of first year, I decided that doing school full-time, as well as pursuing a career in the acting and entertainment industry was just not realistic, so I decided to focus on my schooling.” Mooney expressed that she loves all kinds of dancing, but tap and ballet are her go-to styles As for the future of the UTM Dance team, she said, “The UTM Dance Team has been consistently growing both in skill and numbers the past few years.” She also added, “I hope that they will continue to work hard and excel in whatever they do in the future, and I’m sure that they will.”
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Ideas on diversity and action for 2018 The UTM political science department hosts senator Ratna Omidvar for “Diversity 2018 and Beyond” ZEAHAA REHMAN STAFF WRITER
Last Wednesday, March 14th, the UTM political science department hosted a lecture titled “Diversity 2018 and Beyond: Five Big Ideas on Diversity and Inclusion” as part of its third annual public affairs lecture. This lecture invited senator Ratna Omidvar to share her personal story and how it influenced her work on diversity and inclusion as a lawmaker in Canada. Senator Omidvar is an internationally recognized voice on migration, diversity, and inclusion. In April 2016, she was appointed to the senate by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, where she sits as a member of the Independent Senators Group. “[The UTM political science department] would like to thank the UTM dean’s office, which funds the series through its Priorities Fund,” began Dr. Erin Trolley, the lecture’s moderator and an assistant professor of political science at UTM. “And of course, we’re grateful to senator Ratna Omidvar for agreeing to share her insights with us.” Professor Trolley followed this with land acknowl-
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Senator Omidvar presented “Five Big Ideas on Diversity and Inclusion.” edgment, stating her gratefulness to have the opportunity to work on this Indigenous land. “Senator Omidvar came to Canada in 1981 and her experiences of displacement, integration, and physical
movement have been a foundation of her work,” Trolley said. “She is a founding executive director and currently a distinguished visiting professor at the Global Diversity Exchange, which is housed at the Ted Rogers
School of Management, at Ryerson University—we won’t hold that against her,” the professor added, amidst chuckles from the audience. The senator began by saying, “Before I talk about these ideas, I want
to talk about myself, just because my story is the foundation of how I think and how I come at things.” She continued, “I also want to share my story because I believe it is not a unique story. It is a story that has been shared by millions before and by millions to come.” “As you can probably guess, I was born in India to a middle-class family. When I was 20-to-21 years old, I decided to leave home—and I hope lots of you decide to leave home, not because home is a bad place,” she rushed to explain, “[But] because adventure is a good place.” “I decided to go and learn German. One weekend, like many other students in Bavaria, I packed my knapsack […] and I went up the Alps on a hike, and when I came down, I knew I had met my life partner who had climbed the Alps with me.” She elaborated, “He was from Iran, and when we both finished our studies, we decided to go live in Iran.” The senator spoke of living through the Iranian Revolution that replaced the previously oppressive regime. Diversity continued on page 9
The true north, strong, and free for a few? This month’s Feminist Lunch Hour at UTM discussed ideas on “Policing Black Lives in Canada” MARYAM FAISAL ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR For this month’s Feminist LunchHour, the Blackwood Gallery and the women and gender studies (WGS) department at UTM hosted author Robyn Maynard, in conversation with WGS professor Beverly Bain and sculptor Sheena Hoszko, largely in celebration of Maynard’s new book, Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the Present. Bain began with a discussion and presentation of some of her most recent work, drawing from Christina Sharpe’s book, In the Wake: On blackness and being, to discuss black life and black death in the context of care. Sharpe’s book argues against the normalization of black death and how, instead, we should demand that every single black life matters and that premature deaths should not be treated as an expected occurrence. “Christina Sharpe, in her book, uses weather as a metaphor for the pervasiveness of anti-blackness, and tracks and traces phenomena that devastatingly affect black people any-
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The event invited Dr. Beverly Bain, Robyn Maynard, and Sheena Hoszko. where and everywhere,” explained Bain. She discussed living in the wake of slavery. “In the wake, the semiotics of the slave ship continue—from the forced movements of the slave to the forced movement of the migrant and the refugee, to the regulation of black folks in North America.” The wake
according to Bain, is the part of the ocean where you can see disturbance has occurred due to a ship careening through it, or due to someone jumping into the water as many slaves did. “They surrendered to the sea, unable to contemplate a breathable life in white captivity,” Bain states. “It is wake as consciousness that
Sharpe stresses, the wake as care work, care as an aspiration, as a way of keeping breath in the body, metaphorically infusing the body with air, to observe and mediate this unsurvival,” she continued. As Bain described, when Sofia Cook was shot but survived, there was surprise that she lived—her
breathing was a surprise. Sharpe’s work is “meant to create new possibilities where impossibilities exist, [the] kind of work we must do, not as a resolution to black abjection, but that one might approach black being in the wake as a form of consciousness and affirmation.” As an example of putting breath back into the body, the WGS professor brought forward the example of Sherona Hall’s death and how her life was properly memorialized. “We wouldn’t let them mute her bravery. We gave her the type of huge memorial that brought her into the room, into her full self, as a breathable human being, the kind of work that she did, her life as a queer activist feminist, the way she lived, into the room and within this world. We kept breath in her black body even though breathing in the conventional sense was no more. Life will not cease, even if metaphorically,” Bain remembered. Sheena Hoszko, also an anti-prison organizer in Montreal, talked about her art installation in CCIT at UTM. Lives continued on page 10
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Seven years of ideas with TEDxUofT Hosting 11 speakers and two performances, this year’s TEDxUofT conference aimed to “deconstruct” ZEAHAA REHMAN STAFF WRITER
On Saturday, March 10th, the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts in Toronto was home to the TEDxUofT Conference, organized by the TEDxUofT team. The conference, sponsored by U of T, UTM, and Manulife, comprised of 12 TED talks, all of which revolved around the concept of “deconstruction.” The talks were divided into four sessions with three talks per session. U of T’s Jazz Orchestra, part of the Jazz Studies program at U of T, played lively renditions of “Groove Merchant” composed by Fat Jones, “African Skies” by Michael Brecker, and Fred Stern’s “Aim High.” “Can you imagine university students being here at 8 a.m.?” joked the band’s conductor, Gordon Foot, before he thanked the crowd. Comments from David Boroto, an engineering science student at U of T and the host of this year’s TEDx conference, followed the Jazz Orchestra. He began with a land acknowledgment before explaining the format of the conference. He then divulged perhaps the most important piece of information for any individual—the WiFi password—before introducing the first speaker, UTM’s own Dr. Ul-
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UTM principal Dr. Ulrich Krull spoke about the application of nanoparticles to medicine. rich Krull. Dr. Ulrich Krull, the vice-president at the University of Toronto, principal of University of Toronto Mississauga, and a leading analytical chemist, explained that the size of a material is related to its behaviour. He spoke about beaming light into nanoparticles, the smallest part of a cell, in order to see how cells communicate and perhaps detect the onset of a disease.
“We very much look forward to contributing a new tool to personalized medicine,” Krull concluded. Krull was followed by Jeremy Wang, an engineering science student at U of T and the CTO of The Sky Guys, a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) service-providing company. Wang elaborated upon the clashes in personality that often occurred between engineers and business people
when they worked in close proximity. “We live in an innovation economy and it is diverse skills and perspectives which enable creativity. It isn’t acceptable to think that we can get by on stereotypes and that there is nothing to learn from people even when they bother us,” Wang revealed. He offered to help engineers and businesspeople bridge the gap. “There are two types of thinking, and today,
everybody needs to know a bit about building and a bit about selling to survive.” Jeremy Wang was followed by Kona Williams, who delivered an emotionally-charged TED talk on her experience as Canada’s first Indigenous forensic pathologist. “The irony is not lost on me that I am four times more likely to end up on my own autopsy table than just about anybody else,” she said. “Some of the key questions in any death investigation are: who died, where did they die, when did they die, by what means, and why?” Williams told the audience, and recounted, “The ‘why’ is something I get asked a lot in my job and I get asked a lot as a First Nations person: why don’t they just move, why don’t they get jobs, why don’t they join civilization, why don’t they take care of their kids, why don’t they stop wasting my tax dollars, why don’t they just get over it?” Williams recalled the horrific legacy of residential schools that continues today, and referenced the murder of Tina Fontaine, among numerous other Indigenous children, to explain the why she referred to previously. She said, “Imagine generations of broken families, try to imagine unimaginable loss […]. I hope now we’re beginning to understand why.” TEDx continued on page 10
Contributions, language, and the law Diversity continued from page 8 With the regime being replaced with a theocracy rather than the democracy her family hoped for, they eventually decided to flee through the Iran-Turkey land border. “The border itself is represented by a big room […], we are on one side of the room. This side of the room had a picture of [Ruhollah] Khomeini on it, and the other side, which was the side we want to get on, has a picture of [Mustafa Kemal] Atatürk on it.” “Me and my family, we were petrified […] and I remember saying to myself, wishing for God to get us over to the other side and I made a promise, ‘If you get me over to the side, I will never ask you for anything again,’” senator Omidvar recalled. “I have broken that promise many times, over and over again, because I am human, after all.” She continued, “When things go bad in life, as they tend to, then I try and remember that moment where I almost lost everything.” The senator and her family applied for immigration to Germany, and after not being accepted, Canada accepted them “after some hiccups.” “We arrived in Canada in June. I remember June 6th very clearly. It was a bright sunny day, and I thought that was going to be the metaphor for my new life,” senator Omidvar shared, “As you will have heard,
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Senator Omidvar spoke about the importance of being engaged in the community. the promise of Canada is there. It is within your grasp but it is not immediate.” “I remember very clearly the first moment that I felt that I belonged. I don’t think [belonging] has anything to do with a passport. To me, having a passport is wonderful, but it really doesn’t define how you engage,” the senator explained. “It was a Saturday morning, and my 6-year-old or 8-year-old was part of
a rhythmic gymnastics club, and we sat in someone’s kitchen and made this awful Canadian culinary confection called peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,” said senator Omidwar, “And peanut butter and jelly sticks to you. But that habit of engaging in common cause with people like me and unlike me has stuck with me.” “I want to get to five ideas […] and these are not big ideas, these are good ideas and I think good ideas
can be made better through discussion,” emphasized senator Omidvar. “My first reflection is that around contribution. I believe, very firmly, that contribution matters,” she voiced, “I know of this group of people who worked in a low-income neighbourhood in Toronto. They worked together on making sure that there was a bench where mothers and senior citizens could sit on while they waited for the bus. That
bench, for me, represents a pathway to contribution and these pathways are not big—you have to make sure you’re engaged locally [today]. We’re seeing engagement of a different kind today [like] the #MeToo movement […] there are so many movements I can’t keep track of them.” She also added, “I think there is something in the air that should give you a great deal of encouragement about raising your voice on issues that matter to you.” “My second idea is around language and the power of language,” said senator Omidwar. “A word here, or a comma there, a semi-colon there can change the interpretation of everything, including the law. The language we use, specifically the definitions we use, to label ideas or people are very, very powerful, and these labels have evolved over time. The language we use reflects our cultural norms and our biases.” “In my own work, I have worked with a wonderful group of wonderful people to change, slowly but surely and successfully the terminology around ‘foreign-trained’ to ‘internationally-trained.’ Just think about how that shifts your ideas when you say, ‘That person is foreign-trained’ versus ‘That person is internationally trained,’” the senator mused. Diversity continued on page 10
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Art as medicine Black freedom matters TEDx continued from page 9 Williams implored, “What I need everybody to understand is that there is a lot of work that needs to be done and non-Indigenous people in this country need to also answer their own whys,” She added, “I hope that from this talk, that you are beginning to think and understand and know about the why.” Williams’ talk marked the end of the first session. The second session began with Helen Kontozopoulos, co-founder and co-director of the Department of Computer Science’s Innovation Lab at U of T. Kontozopoulos spoke on the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution that is currently underway, and both its positive and negative aspects. She spoke first of AI used by corporations to track internet habits of users to detect their moods and manipulate them for profit. “If I know how you’re feeling, and how you’re doing, and I can track your patterns at data points, I can manipulate you,” explained Kontozopoulos. “Feeling sad? Shopping is the perfect therapy. Feeling angry? Donate to my political party. Vote for me.” She then switched tracks and explained that AI could also be used for good and cited Jacque—an AI one of her students was working on that would have conversations with individuals to help them speak French, as an example. “The [AI] revolution is a complicated conversation that we need to have,” Kontozopoulos admitted, “And the biggest thing that I need you to think about, is that you should be having transparent conversations with AI.” Kontozopoulos was followed by Dr. Khalid Almilaji, a U of T health informatics student. Almilaji, who led humanitarian campaigns in Syria, spoke on the power of volunteering by telling the stories of two volunteers in Syria, who he called, Dr. X and Mr. S, whose work had inspired him. “Volunteers provide service which is qualitatively different; they create a positive atmosphere and irreplaceable environment. They have a social impact which is far greater than that of those who are paid,” proclaimed Almilaji. “As Dr. X said, ‘There is nothing sweeter than volunteering’—how you volunteer is up to you.” Matt Russo was the final speaker of the second session. Russo, who holds degrees in jazz and astrophysics from U of T is the founder of SYSTEM Sounds. SYSTEM Sounds is an outreach project that translates the rhythms of the cosmos into music. The third session began with a musical interlude by U of T’s a-cappella group “Tunes. Beats. Awesome,” currently celebrating its 15th year of formation in 2018. Sasha Weiditch, a science communicator and Ph.D. candidate at UTM took the stage after TBA. Weiditch spoke about combatting the stereotypes about being a female scientist and making science more accessible through Instagram. “I, too, am learning how to be a scientist; how to communicate my work so that it is communicated with enthusiasm and accuracy. I wanted to do my work not to just live in my lab, but so it could [also] relate to people and help them,”
Weiditch told the audience. “Science isn’t defined by a certain subset of people with a certain subset of skills, but in fact encompasses everyone,” Weiditch was followed by Syrus Marcus Ware. Ware, an artist, activist, and a core member of Black Lives Matter Toronto, referenced Dr. Tiffany Kang’s concept of fungibility to explain the lens that black bodies were perceived with. Ware said, “This helps us to deconstruct why black bodies are treated the way they are on this land.” Ware talked about her two projects—activist love letters and larger-than-life activist portraits—that she began in order to support black activists. According to Ware, black activists live intersectional lives that put them at a greater risk of burnout. “If activists are soldiers,” said Ware, “Then art is a street medic, supporting people on frontlines.” Dan Dolderman, a psychologist at U of T, was the last speaker of the third session. Dolderman made use of drumming, singing, and poetry to reflect on issues prevailing our society today. “Why is Indigenous voices silenced by lies? Guantanamo’s innocence hidden inside, a billion Muslims dehumanized, Indian farmers committing suicide, native youth committing suicide, transgendered people committing suicide, sex trade workers committing suicide, famous singers committing suicide, depressed white dudes committing suicide, Hollywood committing suicide, why is humanity committing suicide?” he wondered. “The way forward, in a destabilizing world, where an individual can wield a message of mass destruction, is connection,” Dolderman concluded, “It’s dialogue, it’s trust, it’s vulnerability, it’s sharing joy, and remember how to play again. It’s humour.” Dolderman’s haunting talk was followed by Jay Pooley, a production designer and instructor at U of T, took the stage. Pooley elaborated on his need for creating things and the satisfaction that came from it. “Life is made up of the small moments, the things we make,” Pooley shared, and added, “It’s making your bed, it’s making a meal, it’s fixing your door. These things that we make, make us.” John Vervaeke, a cognitive scientist who has been an instructor at U of T since 1994, spoke about unifying the mind through cognitive science. “Cognitive science is putting into our hands the potential to put the mind back together again, and back together against, into the world.” The last speaker of the talk was Sabrina Cruz, a mathematics student at U of T, and the creator of Nerdy and Quirky—a YouTube channel that currently boasts an upwards of 184,000 subscribers. “We had something to say,” said Cruz about why she and other YouTubers decided to start a channel, you want to say?” Each session—except the fourth— was punctuated by a break during which attendees could talk to the TEDx speakers, stop by sponsor tables to enter giveaways, take pictures in the photobooth or with the “X” of TEDxUofT, lounge around on beanbag chairs, and partake in the food catered by Karine’s, Banh Mi Boys, and La Sem Patisserie.
Lives continued from page 8 The installation which ran from January 13, 2018 to February 18, 2018, depicted the real-life measurements outlined in the Correctional Service Canada Accommodation Guidelines of a Mental Healthcare Facility, which was discussed in The Medium last week. “I see my work as the beginning of conversations and not the end,” said Hoszko. She also briefly discussed the church’s role in establishing the first prisons, intrinsically linking them with slavery and colonialism. “Those with mental health problems, due to a lack of resources, are disproportionately imprisoned […]. Parallel to this, symptoms of mental illness increase when people are incarcerated, thus the notion of care in a carceral context is an oxymoron.” Robyn Maynard prefaced her discussion with one statement: “If black women were free, we would all be free.” While that phrase has been used commonly, as she said, we need to remember that it is not a catchphrase, but a statement with the kind of depth that should make us reflect on the position of black women. The premise of her talk had one strong underlying principle: that we, as society, need “to expand our lens” because it is inherently narrow when we talk about racism. According to Maynard, black women face many forms of oppression simultaneously, but it is a “tendency” of social justice movements to conceive of racism as “being quite straightforward.” She specifically mentioned the well-known issue of carding and how the crisis is framed as being around black men. Black women are expected to work within this already set-out framework, but “gender, class, ability, age and background, all influence the way black people experience anti-
black racism,” Maynard explained. Maynard reiterated that this does not mean fighting for black men’s “life over death” shouldn’t be pushed for, but that we need to “take away the surprise of black women [also] experiencing these racisms.” She continued, “There is a seamless web of state violence that impacts so many other parts of our lives, including care institutions, because they are also experienced as sites of harm for black lives.” Black women throughout history, as Maynard highlighted, have been especially vulnerable to sexual violence. This is important because Canada’s history of slavery is generally considered less violent because plantations were not as extensive but, as she said, it “allowed for a different racialized violence.” When they were made to work in white households, there was “constant scrutiny and surveillance,” said Maynard, which has continued to the present day. They were, as Maynard referred, demonized as bad mothers yet made to take care of white children and heavily observed. “We think of racialized surveillance in public spaces but never in private realms. These are the other kinds of unfreedoms for black women,” she commented. Black motherhood “has been devalued since the era of slavery,” said Maynard, and gave the example of Lydia Jackson who was tricked into signing a contract that made her indentured. As she recounted, Jackson was abused and tortured even in her last month of pregnancy. One would imagine that because motherhood is elevated constantly, it would remain constant across intersectionality, but “black women’s motherhood has never been protected or seen as something that needs to be protected,” Maynard pointed out. As Maynard emphasized, “Black women’s experiences are constantly
erased” and have been since slavery to the present day. For black men, it was carding. A September 24, 2015 article by the Toronto Star reported that black men are three times more likely to be carded by Peel Police than white men. For black women, “Prostitution laws were used for unaccounted moves in public spaces,” mentioned Maynard. During slavery, the targeting was explicit but even with the abolishment, as she explained, targeting has still very much continued. According to Maynard, in 1990, when Sara Dorsy was raped by six white men, they were simply told to “behave themselves,” demonstrating that the conviction level for white men who raped black women was extremely low. Regarding incarceration and the institutional policing of black women, Maynard described how in the 1990s, black pregnant women were not given the same quantity of supplements in custody as white pregnant women. Similarly, Maynard referenced an Ontario Human Rights Commission report published in 2003 which conveyed that black mothers are on the receiving end of continued scrutiny when advocating for their children in schools and get regular phone calls from the police checking in on them. “This demonstrates the surveillance of black women in a way that we don’t think about,” she explained. “Abolition isn’t only about removing institutions structured around black death, but structuring them around allowing black people to live, to breathe,” Maynard said, referencing Bain’s discussion on putting breath back into black lives. Maynard concluded by saying: “Memorializing them is very important. Just fighting isn’t the same as making space and making life. Memory is such a political choice and how we remember it.”
How to enable diversity Diversity continued from page 9 “Recently, in the senate, we change one word in the national anthem which was ‘sons command,’ we took out the word ‘sons’ and replaced it with the word ‘us’. We also changed, recently, the title of an act called Barbaric Cultural Practices Act. We simply took away the title and left the substance of the legislation.” She continued, “The argument was made in senate that people are barbaric, but cultures not so much.” “My third idea is around the law. I, as a senator, spend 95 per cent of my time dealing with legislation and I understand and appreciate more than ever the power of the law and its impact,” the senator shared. She elaborated that she was tasked with reversing the citizenship rules put in place by the Harper government that made citizenship harder to gain and easier to lose, and was hurt by the divisive discourse surrounding this issue, especially when it came to dual citizens. “It does not make constitutional sense to treat two citizens differently,” the senator claimed. Senator Omidvar also shared her experience with trying to introduce
legislation that would require corporate boards to either implement a diversity policy or explain why they didn’t need to implement it. Despite being met with rejection, her proposal led to a proper definition of ‘diversity’ in the law.
“Our challenge in Canada, is not why we should make diversity work, but how [we should make it work],” says Senator Ratna Omidvar “All the research has found that when you leave ‘diversity’ undefined, people will want to define it as diversity of age, diversity of experience, diversity of region, diversity of education. Whereas what the government is trying to do is get more women, more minorities, more Aboriginals,” the senator explained, “I am a huge believer in small steps going forward, even if that means sometimes it’s two forward, one backward.” “I am surprised at how much we
forget our own history. History matters. If you want to go into the future, you need to know where you came from,” said the senator, arriving at her fourth point. “The history of building Canada, in some significant way, has been built by immigration.” She further discussed this by recounting how Canada was initially settled by giving land grants to cold-weather farmers, and how our current search for ‘designer immigrants’ was at our own peril. “You give me a refugee who comes with nothing. Their loyalty to this country will be unquestioned because we gave them a shot at life,” said Omidvar. As she continued to say, “Our challenge in Canada, is not why we should make diversity work, but how,” and “My final idea is that it’s not always about what the immigrant does—it’s a great deal about what the host society does and in particular what institutions do.” The senator further highlighted what she called the wonderfulness of being able to listen to a variety of languages at any time in Toronto—of allowing the Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers to wear turbans, and of listening to hockey night in Punjabi.
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The cardio debate: HIIT versus LISS HIIT and LISS workouts are polar opposites but both aid in burning calories and improve cardio AMRISH WAGLE ASSOCIATE S&H EDITOR High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts are known to be an effective form of training and an even more popular trend in fitness. Essentially, the basic form of this exercise regime constitutes bursts of intense and unsustainable activities partitioned by recovery periods, where the body is kept in motion at a comfortable pace or at complete rest. The ratio of duration and frequency for recovery and work period vary widely based on the individual’s fitness level and the type of activity. This inevitably leads to an almost extreme strain of physical endurance where the body is able to burn calories and fat at a much faster rate than even a traditional level of workout. It is recommended that HIIT be performed no more than three times per week in order to allow time for the body to heal. Once the core concept of HIIT is implemented, the workout can be executed through various forms of exercise including cycling, sprinting, burpees, or push-ups. Its popularity, however, is credited to its vast potency to reduce weight, improve cardio, massively boost metabolism, and enhance the individual capacity
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A HIIT workout can be executed through various forms of exercise, such as push-ups. for endurance levels as well as muscle mass. In fact, due to the elevated metabolism, most of the calories and fat that is burned off, occurs within the 24 hours following the activity in an “after-burn effect.” The workouts are relatively short, averaging around 30 minutes, and produce results much sooner than a traditional level of
workout. The main point of the work periods is to work as hard as possible and achieve about 80 per cent of your maximum heart rate. The recovery periods, to recuperate as quickly as possible, usually require activity below 50 per cent of maximum heart rate. On the opposite end of the spec-
trum, there are Low Intensity SteadyState (LISS) workouts that function to provide an almost opposite experience of fitness training. Essentially, this regime involves a steady rate of exercise at about 60 per cent of the maximum heart rate, but for longer durations and without any recovery phases or periods of rest. For ex-
ample, going for a brisk walk would fall under this category of workouts. Although LISS workouts last for around an hour, their low-intensity nature allows an individual to train basically every day and as much as needed, unlike HIIT which severely limits the amount of training done in a week. As well, LISS has most of the same benefits as HIIT, including burning calories and improving cardio, especially relating to respiratory health and blood flow. Although often misconstrued for beginners, LISS can be applied to both the inexperienced and advanced individuals within the gym, as well as serve as a medium for adopting higher intensity workouts. Not to mention, LISS is much superior in terms of putting less pressure on the joints through its low impact training methods. Some of the other benefits to be considered are that LISS is much easier to stick to and has a better effect on your mind by facilitating the reduction of stress. In fact, the RAWC has also taken advantage of this recent health trend, and offers group fitness classes on high-intensity interval training workouts to get students more involved in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Who said exercising couldn’t be fun? Trampolining is a sport and form of exercise that increases cardiovascular health and muscle strength LABINA KHALID STAFF WRITER
If you have ever been on a trampoline, you know how much fun they are. Well, trampolines are also a fun way to exercise. Researchers claim there to be many benefits of trampolining. Trampolining has been part of aerobic workout routines since the 1980s and has even been an Olympic sport since 2000. According to Collin Linneweber, trampolining works on abdominal muscles, legs, thighs, and buttocks. Trampolining is considered a safe workout and it is unlikely a person will damage any joints. It can help trigger the removal of toxins and other poisonous substances in our bodies. Linneweber highlights that “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports and Medicine list jumping on a trampoline as a moderate-intensity aerobic exercise” and should be done for 30-60 minutes, five days per week. According to Morgan Johnston, trampolining is good for the heart, it helps build strong bones, it strength-
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Trampolining has multiple benefits, including strengthening of bones and joints. ens your muscles, it helps with coordination, it relieves stress and boosts the mood, it tones the body, it can assist in weight loss, it aids the lymphatic system, and it improves energy levels. Trampolining improves cardiovascular health and increases leg
strength. It is a fun sport and anyone can participate in it. It also increases metabolism and lowers the chance of heart disease. According to Health Fitness Revolution, “The increased blood flow to the brain and greater enzyme activity that result from using a trampoline are thought to heighten
mental alertness and promote faster reaction times, enhanced vision and improved balance.” Trampolining can help reduce or eliminate cellulite, a condition in which fat causes dimpling of the skin, especially around the thighs and buttocks. The skin may look bumpy
around such areas. Since trampolining strengthens the bones and joints, it also helps prevent osteoporosis. Trampolining also increases oxygen circulation in the whole body which leads to increased cell energy. The rebounding process also helps deal with varicose veins, a condition in which the veins in the legs enlarge. Carla Lourenco, Dulce Esteves, Rui Corredeira, and Andre Seabra conducted a study in 2015 that consisted of 16 children diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) who were placed in a 32-week program of trampoline training. The observations included a significant improvement in leg strength and some improvement in the upper limbs. Trampolining is a fun and easy exercise because it does not require concentrated excess pressure on any specific limbs such as legs, feet, or arms. In addition, trampolining even improves the effect of other exercises. So, if you are looking to start some kind of light workout, you should definitely try adopting a habit of trampolining 30 minutes a day and five days a week.
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«SPORTS
THE MEDIUM 03.19.2018
Is organic food really the better option? Organic fruits and vegetables are said to have a lower amount of pesticide residue and lower nitrate levels HALEY WEST STAFF WRITER Organic food is marketed as being healthier, but it is also more expensive. As a university student, it is important to keep an eye on the budget—but do the rewards outweigh the cost? The Institute of Food Technologies (IFT) claims organic foods are becoming increasingly popular, constituting two per cent of all food sales in the early 21st century. To put that in perspective, the sales of organic food within the United States was over $13.8 billion in 2005. According to the IFT’s Scientific Status Summary, there are differences between organic foods and conventional foods in regard to food safety and composition of nutritional factors. Organic fruits and vegetables are marked with less pesticide residues and low nitrate levels when compared to conventional fruits and vegetables. The IFT’s meta-analysis of recent research shows that some studies of organic products contain claims of higher amounts of plant secondary metabolites. This can result in higher levels of beneficial antioxidants but can also have potential health concerns from the naturally occurring toxins. Organic produce relies upon
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There are claims that organic products contain higher amounts of plant secondary metabolites. far fewer pesticides than conventional produce, which results in fewer pesticide residues but can also result in the increased production of natural toxins due to increased exposures to insects, weeds, and plant disease. In the case of meat products, research has shown that conventional meat products have higher incidence
of antimicrobial resistance. On the other hand, organic meat products have the potential for higher rates of bacterial contamination due to prohibitions placed on the use of antibiotics. The variations between the types of food show distinct differences between organic and conventional
foods. It is too early to conclude that one type of food is more beneficial than the other because a long-term study of the food and its effects is required. Despite this, some consumers prefer to shop for organic food over conventional. From 2008 to 2009, a study was conducted by Ulf Hjelmar to gain
insight into how and why consumers purchase organic food products. After analyzing the research, the conclusion was that convenience behaviours and reflexive practices were two factors driving the purchase of organic food. Convenience behaviours refers to the convenience of the availability of organic foods. Shoppers purchase organic food when the products are available in local supermarkets with clearly visible markings, however, the difference in price must also be minimal compared to conventional, nonorganic products. Hjelmar found that reflexive practices of consumers occur where consumers are more likely to reflect on the greater impact their purchase has, especially among politically or ethically focused shoppers. Shoppers who have concerns relating to environmentalism or animal welfare are most likely to engage in reflexive practices due to personal beliefs. Many consumers also cite taste as a leading factor in the choice to shop organic. Consumers do not always practice reflexive consumption, but in fact may be triggered by life events such as having children, a health scare, or exposure to media stories about conventional food products, which shocks shoppers into reflexive shopping practices.
Varsity Blues lose bronze medal game The Varsity Blues women’s volleyball team face the Western Mustangs in bronze medal game VANESSA CESARIO SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR
On Saturday, March 10, the University of Toronto Varsity Blues women’s volleyball team played the Western Mustangs in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) bronze medal match. The game took place at Ryerson’s Mattamy Athletic Centre. It was a five-set game where the women lost 3-2. The Blues started off the match strong with third-year outside hitter and OUA East player of the year, Alina Dormann, leading her team in points. The Blues kept a large lead ahead of the Mustangs for the majority of the set before taking it 25-14. The second set of the game was much closer in score. The Mustangs came out hard and were relentless, but the strength of the Blues defense was
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The team lost the bronze medal match to finish fourth in the OUA league. very prominent and the set resulted in another win for U of T at 25-21. With the Blues leading the game
2-0 and only needing to win one more set to take the game, the Mustangs were clearly not ready to give
up just yet. Halfway through the set, the Mustangs were leading 16-8. The Blues fell too far behind and struggled
to build their way back up. The Mustangs won their first set of the game at 25-16. The Blues, clearly struggling, fell behind once again in the fourth set of the game. The Mustangs carried their momentum from the third set to the fourth set and once again won the match 25-16. A fifth and final set was now necessary for the Blues to play. From a lead of 2-0 they now found themselves tied at 2-2. The fifth set of the game would only go up to 15 points which did not play out in the Blues favour. With the Mustangs on an obvious high, they were leading 8-2 very early on. Unfortunately, the Blues were unable to catch up and they lost the set 158. Western took the game 3-2 which meant the Blues placed fourth overall in the league.