Volume 44 issue 4

THE VOICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA

September 25, 2017 Volume 44, Issue 4 themedium.ca

CFS claims no legal obligation

Be a leader, Trump

Wa-Wa at UC’s quad

Trudeau’s mental health

Heino shares race experience

News, page 2

Opinion, page 3

Arts, page 5

Features, page 8

Sports, page 11

UTMSU’s fall by-elections underway Nine candidates are competing for first-year representatives during the UTMSU’s fall by-elections TANISHA KUMAR WITH NOTES FROM ALICIA BOATTO NEWS EDITOR The campaigning period for the 2017 fall by-elections for the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union has begun to select two Division I first-year representatives, two Division IV part-time representatives, and one representative for Division V from the Mississauga Academy of Medicine.

There are currently nine candidates running for Division I and one candidate running for Division IV. There are no current candidates running for Division V. The Medium was able to interview six of the nine candidates for Division I. English student Tania Khan intends to focus her campaign on improving student transition on campus.

Khan stated she also intends on helping international students and the LGBTQ community adjust to life at UTM. “I want everyone to be aware of everything that is happening on campus. If it’s on my calendar, it can be on theirs too. This way no one misses out on any opportunities,” stated Tania.

OLIVIA ADAMCZYK/THE MEDIUM

There are currently no candidates running for Division V. Matthew Prebeg wants to increase student involvement and engagement on campus.

He stated that students want to participate in activities and often miss out on their passions and hobbies because of lack of knowledge of the opportunities that are accessible to them on campus.

Prebeg stated that the university

experience and overall development of a student is not restricted to just academics, but expands to all extracurricular activities that they are interested in.

“I want to live by example, help people understand what they want and motivate and guide them in the right direction,” he said.

Using prior experience from

working on various student councils in high school, Prebeg wants to use that motivation to give UTM students a better experience.

Life Science student Marie Odihiamo emphasized the importance of improving mental wellbeing on campus by increasing the amount of ‘de-stressors’ that the university offers during exam time.

“I’m interested in being able to represent students and voice their interests to the student government and the faculty, and be that link between the two to make the school more comfortable for everyone in it,” said Odihiamo.

Odihiamo continued to express an interest in closing the division between students on residence and commuter students, by hosting frequent campus-wide frosh-like events.

In relation to her international background, she states that “With UTM being as international as it is, I think it’s important to have a first year rep who can relate with loads of different cultures and people and therefore be able to help them.”

Matteo Scurci stated his intent to create a closer community with firstyear students and ensure that they have their opinions heard.

“I’m more of a representative, but it’s not just my ideas, I’m representing you. If you want something and you have an idea, that’s what I’m for.”

Scurci also expressed his interest in creating pop-up food festivals to help celebrate the diversity on campus and bring first-year students together.

Elections continued on page 2

UTSU collaborating for transit pass The St. George campus has partnered with several other universities for a Toronto transit pass FATIMA WASIF

The University of Toronto Students’ Union is in the final stages of collecting data needed to move forward for the implementation of a transit UPass at the St. George campus.

The campaign for the pass, termed “U-Commute,” is a collaboration between multiple student groups including the Ryerson Student Union, Student Association of George Brown College, and the OCAD Student Union. The partnership aims to come to an agreement with the TTC and GO transit systems to offer their respective student populations unlimited rides per person at a more affordable rate than the alternative monthly Metropass.

UTSU’s vice-president external, Anne Boucher, did not confirm details about whether the U-Commute would encompass any transit sys-

DELANEY ROMBOUGH/THE MEDIUM

Talks have begun with the TTC and GO Transit to evaluate the student demand for a transit pass. tems from around the GTA in an email to The Medium.

A survey aimed at gathering in-

formation about student transit habits, as well as opinions about the proposed pass, was launched at the

end of August by the UTSU . It has since received over fifteen thousand responses, according to Boucher.

Initial consultations with community members and other sponsors have already taken place.

Negotiations with transport authorities will be scheduled once data gathering is complete. If a mutually acceptable price point can be decided upon between the TTC and GO transit companies as well as the collaborating universities, students will then approve or deny the offer by voting in a referendum.

“If the referendum passes, students would see the fee in their tuition as an ancillary fee,” stated Boucher. The pass is expected to cost the same across all represented students.

Boucher was unable to confirm if an “opting out” option will be provided to students. “We’ll do our best, but this will be a tough sell,” she said.

Transit continued on page 3

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THE MEDIUM 09.25.2017

CFS withholds forensic report The CFS will withhold the full review despite UTSU criticism

September 14th, 2017 Theft Campus Police were called to attend the library for a theft of a laptop. The item was left unattended, and when the student returned, it was gone.

September 15th, 2017 Suspicious Person Campus Police received reports of a person yelling at a bus driver and students. Upon arrival, it was learned that Mississauga Transit Enforcement that was already on scene had dealt with the issue.

September 16th, 2017 Suspicious Person Campus Police received a report of a suspicious male driving around campus. Campus Police attended and searched the area with negative results.

September 18th, 2017 Suspicious Incident Campus Police attended the RAWC for someone using another person’s TCard to gain entry with the issue.

September 15th, 2017 Police Assistance Campus Police were called to attend the Kaneff bus stop for a student experiencing medical distress. EMS was contacted and the student was picked up by a family member.

September 16th, 2017 Police Assistance Campus Police responded to a report of an intoxicated student at the student centre. EMS was called and the student was transported to Credit Valley Hospital.

September 17th, 2017 Police Information Campus Police received a report of several people inside the construction zone by Deerfield Hall. Campus Police attended and several people were located outside of the construction zone. Campus Police asked them to leave the area.

September 19th, 2017 Theft Campus Police received a report of a theft of a cell phone from CCT.

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.

ANUM SYED/THE MEDIUM

It was revealed last year that the CFS had a hidden bank account operating between 2010 and 2014.

ALICIA BOATTO NEWS EDITOR After receiving criticism for withholding the report, the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) claims no legal obligation to release the full forensic review of a hidden bank account discovered in 2014.

The CFS was reported to have a hidden bank account operating from 2010 to 2014 containing over $260,000 in funds. According to a recent report by The Varsity, the CFS has declined to release a full forensic report for their AGM in June.

“The full report on the forensic review is not a public document as it contains confidential information pertaining to human resources,” stated Peyton Veitch, the national treasurer for the CFS, in an email to The Medium. “This is equivalent to how student unions do not typically dis-

close sensitive HR matters to members at annual general meetings.”

Veitch stated that the CFS has asked their law firm, Grant Thornton, to draft a summary report encompassing the account’s transaction history. According to Veitch, the law firm’s report is expected to outline the rigorous forensic review taken by the federation’s lawyers in regard to the account.

Based on the CFS’s Bylaw IX, Seal, Documents, and Records, “notwithstanding any other provision of these Bylaws, the National Executive may at any time direct the manner in which any contract, obligation, or instrument of the Federation is executed.”

Anne Boucher the vice-president external for the UTSU claimed in an interview with The Varsity that the decision to release a summary in place of the full review is invalid, and that the CFS possess a political and moral obligation to show students the

extent of the review.

“The summary report prepared by Grant Thornton provides information to member locals about the account’s transaction history and the process undertaken by the investigators from Grant Thornton,” stated Veitch. “We have received an opinion from our legal counsel recommending against releasing the full report, as it may put the federation in a position of legal liability.”

“Members of the national executive have a fiduciary responsibility to act in the best interest of the organization and knowingly placing the federation in a position of legal liability would be acting contrary to this obligation,” he continued.

According to Vietch, the summary report was sent to all student union members prior to the general meeting in last June which was publically available for viewing.

New combined

Candidates focus on U-Pass PRESTO plan improving transition to UTM

OLIVIA ADAMCZYK/THE MEDIUM

There are plans to integrate student fares with PRESTO cards.

OLIVIA ADAMCZYK/THE MEDIUM

The campaigning period will partially extend into the voting period on September 26.

ALICIA BOATTO NEWS EDITOR

Metrolinx has announced plans to integrate post-secondary student fares with PRESTO cards in place of separate transit passes.

On September 14th Metrolinx revealed during their Board of Directors meeting, an upcoming initiative that would see the combination of existing student transit passes, such as UTM’s U-Pass, onto the company’s PRESTO cards in an effort to reduce student fares.

This initiative seeks to provide “an automated solution” for cheaper fares. This would also condense the number of passes students need to carry, by combing all transit fares onto one card.

There was no comment on how the payment for an automated U-Pass would be implemented or processed.

UTM’s current U-Pass program is automatically charged at an agreed upon rate with Miway through student’s tuition.

The Medium will be publishing more details as the story develops.

Elections continued from cover Computer science student Manik Rana stressed the importance of improving the transitioning for international students and creating an academic advocacy campaign to educate students on academic integrity and student rights.

“This is not just a task about representing, it’s more like administration and making decisions,” said Rana.

Vasil Bourak, a life sciences student, expressed his interest on the overall improvement of campus life.

Bourak stated an intent `to create more study spaces for students, expand the transit system, create more clubs and activities, and diversify the food on campus.

All candidates voiced interest in holding more campus events in an effort to improve community atmosphere.

Bourak is currently working to-

wards the creation of a club, in the field of medicine, that focuses on research and active involvement of all students.

Other students running for Division I posts include Yue Sun, Fan Wang, and Cai Yu Huang. The candidate for part-time representative, Pu Qi Zhao, did not respond to request for comment at the time of publication.

The voting period for the fall Byelections will run from September 26th to September 28th.

09.25.2017 THE MEDIUM NEWS

UTM hosts science week SLW highlighted the work of UTM faculty and U of T alumni

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FROM THE DAVIS RENOVATIONS?

Andrew Crozier 4th year, Biology

Hanna Nguyen 2nd year, Life Sciences

“More food options.”

“Better WiFi.”

Stephen Brooke 4th year, Philosophy

Nikita Coutinho 3rd year, Env. Sciences

“More charging stations.”

“Better seating arrangements.”

LIDIA TRUSZKOT/THE MEDIUM

Examples of scientific information graphics were on display in the library’s T Room.

KAYVAN AFLAKI

The University of Toronto Mississauga held its fourth annual Science Literacy Week last week, where it highlighted national scientists and science communicators across Canada.

Hosted from September 18 to September 22, this year’s SLW was coordinated by the staff at the UTM library, an assortment of UTM faculty, and student science promoters representing Let’s Talk Science, DIY Bio Toronto, and the J. Tuzo Wilson Club.

Faculty members hosted a series of nature tours called Campus Walks and Talks throughout the campus in order to give insight on their discipline of specialty within UTM’s science departments.

During the tours, the faculty held talks such as “The Science of Climate Change” hosted by Professor Kent Moore, “Fossils of UTM” hosted by

Professor Marc Laflamme, and “Bird Watching at UTM” led by Professor Sanja Hinic-Frlog.

Students had the opportunity to participate in an interactive demo in which members of DIY Bio Toronto created ice cream using liquid nitrogen, while myth-busting common misconceptions and beliefs pertaining to different branches of science.

Tutorials on DIY science experiments, fossils of soft-bodied organisms from around North America, and various precious and fine minerals were laid out for public display.

An array of information graphics, illustrations, and animations showed details of paleontological research conducted on a fossil specimen from professor Robert Reisz’s laboratory.

The display was the product of alumni, students, and faculty of UTM’s biomedical communications professional graduate program.

Jesse Hildebrand, alumnus of the

University of Toronto’s Department of Ecology and founder of Science Literacy Week, referred to the weeklong initiative as “a celebration of science,” in a statement to The Medium.

Hildebrand originally founded the initiative to encourage libraries to bring their science collections out into the limelight. He believes that his intention of disseminating knowledge to the public has sparked enthusiasm among individuals from all walks of life.

“Everyone has something to gain from science,” he said. “The response has been incredible.”

Last year, SLW included 500 events organized by over 140 partners in 60 cities across Canada. According to the library’s event page, SLW has expanded into a national program that has been accredited and supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

More shuttle buses on the way QSS announces four new shuttle buses during first meeting

UTMSU keeps focus on GTA

OLIVIA ADAMCZYK/THE MEDIUM

The buses are expected to be equipped with WiFi, a feature frequently requested by students.

DELANEY ROMBOUGH/THE MEDIUM

MAHMOUD SAROUJI EDITOR-IN-CHIEF The Quality Service to Students’ first meeting of the academic year announced four new shuttle buses running from the University of Toronto Mississauga with WiFi service. The committee also nominated student representatives on the U of T’s Council on Student Services and on UTM’s Athletic Governing Council.

As stated in the meeting, four new shuttle buses have been purchased and will be on the road by the end of the month, two of which will begin their routes next week. All four of these buses will have routers to provide WiFi, however, the WiFi is not fully accessible at this time.

The meeting also announced for the nomination of a student for the

2017/18 council on student services and for the 2017/18 UTM Athletic Governing Council. José Wilson, UTMSU’s vice-president external nominated himself for the position on the Council of Student Services, and Naomi Senwasane, UTMAC president, nominated herself for the position on the UTM Athletic Governing Council. Both Wilson and Senwasane were voted in for their respective positions.

QSS meetings are held with 11 student voting members, which consist of representatives from UTMSU, UTMAGS, UTMAC, and UTMRC. Staff voting members are also present at the meeting, which include the student affairs dean, Mark Overton, the Career Centre director, the Department of Physical Education, Athletics and Recreation director, Health and

Counselling Centre director, principal of UTM or their delegate, and the chief administrative officer or their delegate.

QSS is a council of students and administrators who meet once a month to discuss ways in which to improve various student services on campus, such as the Career Centre, child care support, Department of Physical Education, Athletics and Recreation, Health and Counselling Centre, Office of Student Life, and the student shuttle service. Any recommendations made in this meeting regarding fees and the operation of student services are passed on to the various committees that govern UTM. The next QSS meeting is expected to be held on October 18 in Spigel Hall.

UTMSU president Fakhry says “focusing on TTC is short-sighted.”

Transit continued from cover As previously reported by The Medium on September 11th, the current UTMSU president, Salma Fakhry, stated that her team has been in discussion with Metrolinx to achieve a GTA-wide U-Pass for UTM students.

“We’ve been in talks with MiWay and Brampton Transit to expand routes and develop a larger need of expanded transit services,” stated Fahkry in an email to The Medium.

“We have already met with Metrolinx and have gotten aboard the following student unions to begin our work ahead: York Federation of Students, Continuing Education Students’ at Ryerson, Association of

Part Time Students at U of T, Graduate Students Union at U of T, Scarborough Campus Students’ Union, and are building more partnerships with neighbouring colleges.”

“Our desire is to think bigger because there are students who commute from outside,” continued Fakhry. “Only focusing on TTC is short-sighted and not a solution that would help commuter communities. Provincial funding will be a necessary step to improve transit affordability and thinking for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton communities, this is the only logical step.”

Boucher did not provide an estimate of when the referendum would be taking place.

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09.25.2017

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Trump’s failure as a leader Donald Trump isn’t listening. He’s silencing and failing to represent his citizens.

Let’s talk about Trump.

He’s practically in the news every single day at this point for something ridiculous he’s said or done.

Most recently, however, has been Trump’s involvement in the sports world. On Friday, September 22, Stephen Curry, from the 2016-2017 championship team, the Golden State Warriors, stated that he would be voting no for when his team would sit down to discuss their visit to the White House. Visiting the White House for championship teams has been a custom for American sports team year after year.

When asked at a press conference what it would mean to decline going to the White House, Curry said, “That we don’t stand for basically what our president has—the things that he’s said and the things that he hasn’t said at the right times—that we won’t stand for it.” He added, “I don’t think us going to the White House will miraculously make everything better, but this is my opportunity to voice that.”

Fellow teammate Kevin Durant has confirmed that he won’t be attending the White House visit either.

Following all of this, this past weekend, many players in the NFL from various teams showed solidarity and protest by linking arms, kneeling down, or not even showing up during the anthem. For example, The New York Times reported that in the Nissan Stadium in Nashville, “the Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans both stayed in their respective locker prior to their matchup.” The Baltimore Ravens and the Jacksonville Jaguars knelt in London, England during the American national anthem in protest of Trump’s comments and then stood up during God Save the Queen.

Many more protests were happening over the course of many NFL games over the weekend, as well.

Most often, the reasons for the protests were because of the inequalities and injustices that are ongoing within America. Another motivation for the protests is one man, the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump.

How do you think Trump reacted when he started seeing all these protests?

Well, after Curry said that he was not be going to the White House, Trump tweeted, “Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team. Stephen Curry is hesitating, therefore invitation is withdrawn!” All-star NBA player, Lebron James, tweeted back,

“U bum @StephenCurry30 already said he ain’t going! So therefore ain’t no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!”

To the NFL players protesting— taking a knee or locking arms— Trump said at a rally for a Republican senator: “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired. He’s fired!’”

Trump also tweeted, “If a player wants the privilege of making millions of dollars in the NFL, or other leagues, he or she should not be allowed to disrespect our Great American Flag (or Country) and should stand for the National Anthem. If not, YOU’RE FIRED. Find something else to do!” and then further tweeted, “Roger Goodell of NFL just put out a statement trying to justify the total disrespect certain players show to our country.Tell them to stand!”

Here is another few of Trump’s tweets, “If NFL fans refuse to go to games until players stop disrespecting our Flag & Country, you will see change take place fast. Fire or suspend! ...NFL attendance and ratings are WAY DOWN. Boring games yes, but many stay away because they love our country. League should back U.S.” and “Great solidarity for our National Anthem and for our Country. Standing with locked arms is good, kneeling is not acceptable. Bad ratings!”

Have you had enough of this yet?

Great, now imagine what the people of the NFL are going through when their President is telling players to quit their job because they’re exercising their right to peaceful protest.

Trump’s primary concern at the moment is the action of these players. However, what he isn’t concerned about is the reasoning for their actions.

The protests began with Colin Kapernick back in 2016, when he knelt down during the national anthem.

His protest was in regard to the treatment of black people within the U.S. and how there are constant injustices within their own country.

What boggles my mind is that none of these players are kneeling during the national anthem because they disrespect the sacrifices made by individuals who fought for America’s freedom like Trump is accusing them of. Nor are they protesting because they don’t understand the meaning behind the national anthem. The players know full well what they’re doing, and their protests are a means

of sending an important message: injustices cannot be tolerated for any longer.

However, read Trump’s tweets again. He accuses players who kneel of disrespecting the country, that they should be fired or suspended, the games are boring any way, oh, and that kneeling and protesting will give bad ratings to the NFL. The President is worrying more about TV ratings than he is about the injustices and inequalities in his own country. Trump is calling for team managers to suspend or fire their players due to their peaceful protest to these injustices, rather than listening to his citizens. It makes you question, who does Trump actually represent? If he won’t stand by his own citizens and make the attempt to hear their message, how can these players say that President Trump represents them?

There is no attempt from Trump to understand the motivation for the protests. These players are shouting through their actions that the U.S. has problems, and there is no attempt to help fix these problems. This is a president who is encouraging his own citizens to silence the values and issues that athletes are bringing awareness to. This is the division that he continuously contributes to.

When we’ve reached the point where uttering the name Donald Trump will create a division, this is when you know that there is a problem.

Trump seems to be more worried about the presence and the image of the U.S. to the rest of the world than he is about the problems within his country. He is so set on being the superhero of the world, that he condemns all these other countries and aggravates world leaders solely to tell the world that the U.S. is strong, brave, and won’t back down. He focuses on the problems of others more than he focuses on the issues people from his country are screaming at him for.

People are fighting every day or their lives within the U.S. and Trump has made no attempt to mitigate that.

His worry is to “Make America Great Again.” What does that even mean?

What greatness are you referring to?

What I’m trying to get at is that these athletes have every right to protest and kneel down during the anthem. Their aim, when kneeling down, is to bring awareness to a much bigger issue happening within their country. It doesn’t take much to realize and understand the injustices

occurring within the country. However, the divisive rhetoric he spreads through his tweets and his speeches will fuel the hatred of certain individuals within the country—it already has. He fails to realize just how big his influence is on the people of his country.

The issue isn’t that they’re kneeling during the anthem, or refusing to visit him. The issue is that there is no representation, no attempt to help and understand the issues at hand.

This is a scary time that we live in. Living in Canada doesn’t exempt us, nor separate us, from the situation in the U.S. You, as a student, as the next generation of leaders, have every right to stand up against those who do wrong. These athletes aren’t doing anything crazy, they’re just trying to send a message to the decisionmakers, and they’re expecting the decision-makers to do what’s right.

A leader doesn’t silence the voices of the strong in order to allow the voices of the rich to come out. A leader doesn’t entice fear into their citizens, nor do they weaken the voice of those who aren’t heard. A leader doesn’t divide their country to seek more attention. A leader has to be the voice of the powerful and the powerless. A leader needs to be one with their citizens and ensure they’re represented and heard.

I believe in what these athletes are protesting, and know that what they’re doing is not deserving of condemnation from their own president.

Fear and tweets will not stop the path of the players in the NFL, NBA, or any other sports league, nor will they stop peaceful protesters in general to stop what they’re doing. People will fight and should continue to fight for their rights no matter who gets in their way, even if it’s the Oval Office.

Trump doesn’t see that, and an individual who fails to understand and inform themselves, is not someone who can lead. I definitely am not a politician nor someone who can explain specifically how to be a good politician. But I do know what it takes to be a leader, and Donald Trump is not that.

YOURS, MAHMOUD SAROUJI

CORRECTION NOTICE The Sept. 18 article, “An epic syllabic” has been corrected. The article originally had the incorrect host, haiku, and winner of the performance.

09.25.2017

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Mirror, mirror, on the wall and quad UTSG’s University College gets an artistic beautification with 130 convex mirrors made by UUfie NICOLE SCIULLI

As I walked onto the quad, surrounding me were round convex mirrors in a variety of sizes spaced strategically around the grounds. The public installation, entitled “Wa-Wa,” displays life-size mirror models, revealed at David Wilson Quad at University College this past Thursday.

“Wa-Wa,” coined from the Japanese word “Wa,” meaning harmony, was designed by local architect company UUfie. The company was founded in 2009 by Eiri Ota and Irene Gardpoit. “Wa-Wa” consists of 130 convex mirrors that transforms public areas into an immersive environment while aiming to remain harmonious to nature UUfie won the Making Models competition, which asked architectural companies to develop a 1:1 proposal model that will add an artistic dimension to the University College’s quad. Using nature as a theme in their work, UUfie experiments with experiences of transition through architecture.

“We are really happy and excited that we had this opportunity, and we want the piece to speak to people in

JULIA HEALY/THE MEDIUM

“Wa-Wa” draws public attention to UC’s quad through innovative mirror placements. different ways, we really want it to be inclusive, transformative, and just be playful in the space” says Gardpoit.

The curator-in-residence at the Art Museum, Yan Wu, led the development of Making Models over the year. In relation to UUfie’s winning work she believes “[Wa-Wa] is a subtle gesture to the environment and all

forms of life that inhabit the site.”

People milled around, looking into the mirrors to see resulting reflections. I found the art installation humble and with a subtle sophistication to it. The mirrors were displaced at varying levels on the ground resembling a trail. It had a feeling of enhancement, and I think it could

create innovative displacement of light when the sun comes out. Additionally, it would also have been interesting to see the convex mirrors placed in a more recognizable pattern, or have seen the mirrors in different geometric shapes for added interest.

Some other notable works includ-

ed “Proposal” by Terrarea, who used rearrangements and juxtaposition of current objects on site to create relationships between site features, and reveal the conflicts between obstruction and permission. Another work was “Spatial Sonic Network”

by Brady Peters and Mitchell Akiyama, that creates connectivity with sound by inserting parabolic sound reflectors that people could communicate with from far distances.

It was great to see how UUfie could transform the meeting place into an eye-catching public sphere. It also added a contemporary touch to the University of Toronto St George’s Campus historic architecture. This shows how art plays a key role in adding an extra dimension to an architectural space and accentuates a creative flair. I think it’s important to create vibrant and interactive designs for students to enjoy and to be inspired for more innovative ways for campus renovations.

“Wa-Wa” will be on display in the Sir Daniel Wilson Resident quad until November 25. The eight other models will be on display at the University of Toronto Art Museum until October 6.

Let’s talk: Life behind and on the set Former Degrassi star Andre Kim dishes out on food, academics, events, and social life on campus KASSANDRA HANGDAAN A&E EDITOR Philosophy, anthropology, and psychology are just a select few of Andre Kim’s interests. Outwardly nonchalant and cool in his demeanor, Kim unsuspectingly leads a double life. He currently features in CBS’s Salvation as Dylan Edwards, and has previously held the role of Winston Chu in Degrassi: The Next Generation. Kim’s serious interest in acting, turned a once humanities student into a theatre drama studies student. Due to the pressures of balancing his career with academics, he left UTM after the end of his second year in 2015.

The Medium spoke to Kim to get the inside scoop regarding his dual experiences as an actor and student.

The Medium: What was your experience at UTM like? What did you take away from the theatre and drama studies program?

Andre Kim: “UTM was great. I made so many good friends during my first and second-year, both in the humanities program and being in residence. I lived in OPH for a bit. It was all so much fun.

IMDB.COM/PHOTO

Kim talks about the personal value of acting and fondly remembers his time at UTM. “There were a lot of key moments for me in university that I think a lot of people go through, where they enter a new spectrum of life. I learned a lot about myself, including that, one, I love acting— I can’t do anything besides that, or else I’ll go crazy at a desk. I also learned that friendships are one of the most important things in my life, right now. I might not have made the most headway in terms of networking or educational prog-

ress. I learned a lot of new things, but not things I can apply directly to my craft—but I did make a lot of relationships that I think will last a lot of lifetime.”

TM: How did you navigate the world of acting while at the same time being a student?

AK: “It was hard. With my old agency, I was under contract while I was working on Degrassi. There [weren’t] too many auditions that I had to [attend]. But there were

days where I had to miss school for an audition, head to Toronto, and then head all the way back to UTM. My mom used to drive me to auditions, but she also worked at UTM. So when she had class, I had to take the shuttle on my own.

“It’s hard enough being a student and balancing your social life. I don’t even know how people with regular jobs even keep up. It just blows my mind. But, it’s definitely doable, if you learn to give

and take here and there. [For example, letting your TA know], and then working around assignments.

I think the key to it is compromise on both ends.

“I think acting helped with stress. I loved prepping for auditions and it would put me in a good mood. So, whenever I got stressed [out with school], I’d prep for an audition. It definitely didn’t help when I wanted to just bunker down and study for a test, [instead of ] attending an audition.”

TM: How did you peers receive your acting career? Did you find people react to you differently?

AK: “No—I think it’s funny, since the first group of friends I had were not drama majors. Two of them were studying to become lawyers [and] one was still deciding her major. We all had different majors. So they really didn’t know about the show, and they figured it out [through the course] of hanging out. I don’t think anybody was ever really starstruck. I went to a few parties and some people recognized me. I got a few shots out of it, but that was about it.

Kim continued on page 7

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THE MEDIUM 09.25.2017

Nunez makes a wish HALAH BUTT

Every year, advancements in technology are released, ranging from improved laptops to phones. At such a fast rate, it comes to question where we’ll end up in a couple of years.

Feed by M.T Anderson explores the idea of technology fully taking over the way we live. The young adult novel follows Titus, a teenager who, like the rest of the world, has a chip called the ‘feed’ implanted in his brain. With this comes a constant stream of advertisements, games, shows, chats, and everything else the Internet offers. Titus and his friends don’t give a second thought to the way the world works until a hacker causes their feed to malfunction.

Titus and friends are left alone to their own devices, unfamiliar to living without the constant feed in their heads. Suddenly, things change when Violet, a girl who decides not to let the feed control her life, arrives on scene. She introduces Titus and his friends to a new way of seeing their world, challenging all of them not to conform to society. Instead, Violet encourages them to acknowledge the wrongness of their situation, and to question authority.

Written in 2002, Feed explores an exaggerated version of a world we may be spiralling into. We depend on our phones for so much that when we somehow forget it at home, we feel a bit lost, and even desperate. Anderson also ties in this phenomenon with the issues of consumerism. In Feed, the characters are constantly bombarded with advertisements, which hinders their ability to make choices on their own.

Anderson’s writing style uses slang words and made-up terms which reflect the futuristic setting and emphasize the downgrade of intelligence. In relation to the world we live in today, it brings to question how internet slang utilized in texting becomes socially acceptable, how media is consumed, and how people communicate on a day-to-day basis. In an exaggerated way, Anderson is commenting on the value society puts on entertainment, and how this can affect daily life.

Through dark satire, M.T Anderson brings to life a story about a young man struggling with identity, within the context of a world controlled by media. While wildly dystopic, Feed looks at issues of the present, like the rise of technology, by emphasizing a prospective future where technology is at its peak.

YASMEEN ALKOKA/THE MEDIUM

Alexander Nunez surmounts initial familial disapproval and academic obstacles.

KASSANDRA HANGDAAN A&E EDITOR WITH NOTES FROM SHARMEEN ABEDI When Alexander Nunez first dabbled in theatre studies, a serendipitous announcement made by his high school improvisational coach propelled him into the world of acting. What started out as a high school hobby soon manifested into a long-term pursuit. Now in his fourth-year as a psychology and criminology student, Nunez’s latest feat is starring as high schooler Tyler Manguso in Wish Upon (2017).

Directed by John. R. Leonetti— who was involved in films such as The Conjuring and Insidious—the

premise of the horror flick follows a high school girl, who, upon discovering a contraption akin to pandora’s box, is plagued by evils resulting from the declaration of her wishes.

While on set, Nunez encountered entertainment industry moguls such as Shannon Purser—an actress who plays Barb on Netflix’s hit show Stranger Things.

Nunez discusses his introduction to acting by citing his involvement in his high school’s improvisational team as a stepping stone. Initially, his team’s first audition for a comedy sketch in Toronto seemed abysmal.

“After the first round, everyone in my team had been sent home, and after the second round, they sent me home too. I thought I was done,”

Nunez says, later recalling his father’s attempt to placate him by saying that he had at least “tried.” His father then recommended that he forget about the auditions. “To my father’s disappointment, I was ecstatic that I had just gone to my first industry audition, and made it so far. I felt compelled to go to more,” Nunez added.

His first audition was awkward.

Nobody in the room laughed, much to Nunez’s chagrin. Nunez wasn’t aware that he needed to create and practice a character prior to the audition. Despite this, Nunez performed a skit about an old man lost in an airport.

VICTORIA DANESI

speaking.

The way that Radiolab edits its episodes is also what makes it so engaging. When the reporters are talking to the various guests, the conversations are succinctly cut to leave out any pauses to keep a steady pace. Abumrad and Krulwich also occasionally interject to remind the listeners of previous information.

I think the use of additional audio clips make the episodes more captivating because it allows the listener to gain other aspects of the story. This technique is highlighted in “David and the Wire,” surrounding David Weinberg, who would record every minute of his day-to-day life with a hidden audio recorder to see how it changed his relationship with loved ones. Throughout the interview, clips of his recordings were included so the listener can grasp the magnitude of the story. It was at times uncomfortable hearing clips of private conversations between friends and the dismay certain friends would have that were aware of his activity.

Radiolab’s ability to make broad topics, like nuclear energy or black holes, accessible to the average listener is what makes it so engaging.

The inclusion of personal stories and moral dilemmas humanizes complicated subject matter and leaves the listener with a new perspective of the world.

Nunez continued on page 7

Screentime for the 50th

AIMEN ALI/THE MEDIUM

Four films will be screened in the following weeks in light of UTM’s 50th anniversary.

KASSANDRA HANGDAAN A&E EDITOR DANYAL JAVAID In the following weeks, four films will be screened in the CCT atrium in light of UTM’s 50th Anniversary Film Festival. The four films, Kearen Pang’s 29+1, Francesca Comencini’s Mi place lavorare (Mobbing), Vishal Bhardwaj’s Haider, and Jeff Barnaby’s Rhymes for Young Ghouls, were selected to represent the diversity UTM’s academic body and community.

According to UTM’s vice-principal academic and dean Amrita Daniere, the impetus behind the film festival is in light of UTM’s 50th anniversary this year. Specifically, Daniere stated that the movies reflected both the heritage of UTM and the region of Mississauga. The festival is open to the general public and UTM community.

“It started with Michael Lettieri, who was the vice-dean of academic experience. [Inspiration was drawn from] the Toronto International Film Festival,” commented Daniere on the topic of how the idea for the film fes-

tival was generated. Daniere noted Alison Syme, associate professor and chair of visual studies department, to be the main organizer of the event.

Syme said that all the films deal with the subject of “globalization.”

After viewing, each film will be followed by a question and answer period wherein a panel, comprised of differing departmental professors and film directors, will lead a discussion. Faculty members from the French, linguistics, and visual studies departments will be attending the event.

Syme examined census data surrounding the Mississauga community. From there, the advice of faculty members was taken into account when coming up with a list of potential available directors.

Describing the goals of the question period and the presence of UTM faculty members, Syme said, “We want to have a conversation that brings different perspectives together and that can engage community members, students, staff, and faculty alike.”

“Historically, the arts have not played the hugest role at UTM,” Syme

added, “I think that’s changing.”

In general, Syme and Daniere further elaborated that the objective of hosting a film festival is to highlight UTM’s diversity in terms of its student population and art community—as represented by the contrasting departments involved, as well as through the selection of films.

Syme cited the seeming invisibility of UTM’s profile, around the Mississauga community.

“UTM is sort of a hidden gem in Mississauga. Some people in the region don’t even know that it’s here.

UTM sometimes flies under the radar, even though we have great working relations with the city of Mississauga,” Syme said, mentioning chair meetings and recruitment discussions wherein the concern of UTM’s low profile was regularly raised.

The hope is that, alongside celebrating UTM’s 50th anniversary by screening films directed by reputable persons, such as Vishal Bhardwaj, the interest of Mississauga residents will be peaked, leading to an increased recognition of UTM and an incentive to visit the campus.

Radiolab is produced by WNYC Radio and hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich. It is aimed at combining science and technology with questions about morality and humanity.

Each episode begins with the hosts introducing the main topic.

However, different reporters take over and interview the featured guest about a personal experience and subsequent experts around the subject matter. I found the alternation of reporters beneficial because the reporters usually take months to prepare their stories— the connections they develop with their subjects enhances the moral questions that arise.

Topics vary greatly and by the end of each episode, the listener becomes a part of the debate. In the episode “Breaking News,” Adobe’s new program in development is highlighted. Adobe’s new program uses only a 30-minute recording of a person’s voice to create fictitious audio in the subjects voice, and other software can even augment a person’s face on video so it appears like they are actually speaking. This led to the debate whether this type of technology should be released to the public with the emergence of fake news and the ability for people to create realistic videos of world leaders

09.25.2017 THE MEDIUM ARTS» 7

Open conversation with Richie Mehta UTM alumnus and director Richie Mehta tells us about his undegraduate experiences and film Amal GIHAD NASR On Thursday, students from professor Ken Derry’s Reel Religion course shuffled into the MiST Theatre to attend the screening of Richie Mehta’s film Amal. Mehta, a writer, film director, and UTM alumnus, then hosted a Q&A session, where he shared his inspirations and experiences with the film industry.

Amal was first released as a short film in 2004. After winning the Telefilm Canada Pitch This! award at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2005, the film was readapted and released as a feature film in 2008.

“Most people are guided by money,” Mehta said.

The film tells the story of characters searching for happiness through wealth. Meanwhile, auto rickshaw driver, Amal Kumar, accepts happiness as his true wealth. Amal’s ability to find happiness in helping others inspires one old man who discovers that “sometimes the poorest of men are the richest.”

Back in the MiST Theatre, Mehta took the front to lead the Q&A session where he discusses the open-

CHEN GONG/THE MEDIUM

Students delve deeper into the film industry in a free-flowing Q&A session with Mehta. ended process of the film’s creation.

“If you’re going to address issues in film, you should do it in a manner where anyone can watch it and not necessarily feel like they’re being forced. But at the same time, raising curiosity,” Mehta said of the film.

Film allowed him to communicate his ideas and express himself in sub-

tle ways that informed the audience without overwhelming them. Mehta discovered this freedom during his undergraduate experience.

“Film brings together every form of liberal art,” Mehta said. “I learned [from] as many liberal arts [subjects] as I can to inform myself. My four years allowed me to find a way to

communicate.” Though he had always leaned towards film as his preferred medium of communication, his passion for film flourished during his final year at UTM. When asked how his undergrad experience prepared him for the working world, Mehta said “I worked for The Medium. Working for The Me-

dium, I put in 40-plus hours of work a week. It taught me work ethic, how to write, and how to communicate.”

Mehta’s filming experience involves hours of research to produce meaningful, accurate, and valid work.

“The people I meet, the things I see.

The film is based on real experiences.

Amal wouldn’t exist if I didn’t know people like him,” Mehta said. “I met with as many rickshaw wallahs as I could before filming.”

Amal displays validity by relying on real encounters and occurrences.

Filming on set had also influenced his film.

“We shot in a Muslim neighborhood and the call to prayer would go off. And everyone would just stop. It was beautiful,” Mehta said.

Despite Hinduism being the main religion of the characters in Amal, Mehta included the Islamic call to prayer in his film to display a realistic image of India’s religious tolerance.

Personally, I discovered that by relying on his experiences, Mehta gains the audience’s trust which, in turn, allows him to build a relationship with them.

The life after Degrassi The acting bug Kim continued from page 5 “I think in the drama program, a lot of people asked me questions, just because they want to go into the field [of acting]; and I was happy to answer any question. But [generally], people treated me [normally]. I never surrounded myself with anybody who was toxic. I think people at UTM are super grounded—they’re focused on not failing courses, and so they don’t [seem to care] about where you’re from.”

TM: Do you miss anything about UTM? If so, can you recall an experience or aspect of campus life?

AK: “Food wasn’t that great. The food [at Deerfield Hall] was not that bad. One thing I miss the most was probably living on residence. Every morning you’d wake up with a knock on your door, or a text [asking to hang out]. It was just super easy to be socially busy; it was easy to have people to study with [and] people to go to class with. UTM felt like this little village that was out skirted from the rest of the world. It had its own calendar and events that it [followed], like, every Thursday was a pub day. You’d be excited for those kinds of things.”

TM: What compelled you to leave?

AK: “It was just about my career and the decisions I had to make.

Again, it’s not the easiest thing trying to balance student life and an acting career. I was thinking, ‘I am in university and I am learning a lot of new things, but I’m also working right now.’ Some people learn in different ways: some people learn better in class, some learn better by doing. I felt like I was more of a doing person.

I felt like I needed a change of pace, I felt like I needed to learn in a differ-

ent environment, and, to be honest, I felt like it was too difficult to juggle both. I left with the intentions of going back, but I don’t know when that will be or if I’ll pursue the same program.”

TM: How did you know that acting was something you wanted to pursue?

AK: “I didn’t like it for a little while. When I was in [high school], I actually enjoyed acting a lot more.

It became more rigorous, more competitive, and that made it more appealing for me.”

TM: How did you get involved in Degrassi? What was the audition process like? What was your reaction when you got in?

AK: “The first audition process was an open casting call. I sent my video in and I didn’t hear back from them in a while. So I said, ‘Okay, that’s alright. You’re not going to get everything.’ I got a call while I was playing League of Legends, it was from Degrassi producers, and I thought that was amazing. I went in. I did a call back. Then, I got moved to a chemistry read with Eric Osborne, who plays Miles, and Olivia Scriven, who plays Maya. From there, I got another call.”

TM: I noticed that your role on Degrassi as Winston Chu came with, what some would say, Asian stereotypes. Although the Western acting industry is starting to recognize the need for ethnic diversity, do you still face any kind of stereotyping when it comes to auditioning for roles?

Broadly, what’s it like being an Asian actor in the context of the Western acting industry?

AK: “It is definitely difficult. I don’t want to take away from any actors’

struggle, since we all have different plights. I know many actors who are blind, or who struggle with things [a lot of people don’t struggle with]. It’s hard because you’re in an industry where the [acting roles have a specific description].

“As an Asian actor, you face a lot of discrimination. You don’t get to go to the casting calls: There are some [casting calls] that [claim to be open to ethnicities], but really, they’re looking for something specific. You come with this expectation of being judged based on your acting skill, when, really, it comes down to who fits the part best. As an Asian actor, you either [play] Asian roles or open-ethnicity roles—and these roles typically don’t push your career to the next stage.

“I’m lucky enough to play characters that are more complex than token stereotypes.”

TM: What are some challenges, whether personal or technical, that you’ve had on set?

AK: “Exhaustion. I have days when I’m working eight to ten hours. You have to stay revitalized for [important scenes]. One time I was on set, I had to do a scene with Sara Waisglass and I was just so sick I was throwing up on set.”

TM: What are some things, regarding your personality or lifestyle, that you wish fans knew about you?

AK: “I am a real big fan of these new animé stuff coming out. Personality wise, I feel like I’m a very chill guy. Everyone needs their space sometimes, but don’t ever feel afraid to get a picture. If I’m not in a rush, I’ll definitely go take that picture with you and have a nice chat as well.”

Nunez continued from page 6 A month later, in a surprising turn of events, Nunez was called for a third audition.

“A month after that, they cast me,” he says, further noting that he went on to receive his first agent.

However, Nunez’s family was initially unsupportive of his acting pursuits. Nunez’s parents had a practical mindset. They endorsed conventional ideas of financial stability and traditional career paths.

So when Nunez brought up his desire to pursue acting, it was not received well.

Nunez admits, “I tried once before I graduated high school, to admit to my parents that I would love do an acting program in university.

They laughed in my face. I took that as the universe telling me it wasn’t meant to be. It wasn’t until I got that first TV gig [on a comedy show for the Disney Channel] that my parents saw that I must be at least a little capable of making this work.”

Indeed, Nunez’s appearance on Disney’s Try it! was a personal breakthrough. He recalls the audition process as being “hectic” with hopeful actors, himself included, packed like sardines in the waiting area.

Yet, as a student pursuing acting, Nunez acknowledges the challenges that comes with living a dual identity. In his first two years of university, he did not receive any acting work. Though he describes this period as “brutal,” Nunez also says it was an “excellent distraction.” But the burnout came when he starred in Wish Upon—it was too late for Nunez to drop any of his courses,

and so he did his best to keep up with his academic workload whilst coping with the demanding schedule of filming.

“The cold was the worst,” Nunez says, referencing to his experience of shooting outdoor scenes in the middle of the Canadian winter. “We at least got to wear some warm parkas […] in between takes.”

Now, Nunez is enrolled as a part-time student. If he pursues his acting career seriously, Nunez understands that this decision may potentially enervate some of his goals: “Initially, I wanted to pursue postgraduate studies in psychology. I realized a few years ago that at least for now, that is something I am unable to do while I am trying to cultivate an acting career.”

Currently, Nunez is working on a personal series entitled Fixing Sandra Thomson—a comedy web series. Nunez says he drew inspiration from his experiences with volunteering for UTM’s Sexual Educational Centre.

“The script [is centred] around a sex/relationship counsellor. […]

One day I was introduced to someone who actually works as a life consultant. From what she explained, it’s a crazy service that doesn’t get a lot of public thought, but she helps people, and she has fun doing it.

It’s therapy with a stylish twist. I thought that would be a fun thing to write about.”

Right now, Nunez is in discussion with L.A.B. Production to produce the series’ pilot episode. The plan, according to Nunez, is to secure a full series budget and to shoot 10 episodes this coming March or April.

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09.25.2017

Margaret Trudeau: a story of fortitude This year’s Snider Lecture features the current Canadian Prime Minister’s mother, Margaret Trudeau MAHNOOR AYUB FEATURES EDITOR WITH NOTES FROM MICHELLE C. IGLESIAS

For this year’s annual Snider lecture at UTM, held in memoriam of Fletcher C. Snider, the committee hosted Margaret Trudeau, former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau’s spouse, for a talk based on her recent book, Changing My Mind.

Trudeau shared her life story, centered around her battle with mental illness and the stigma surrounding it.

“Less than 20 years ago, I had lost my mind completely, and had gone into a state of what is called psychosis, which means I wasn’t picking up an axe and murdering everyone, although maybe I wanted to—not really,” begins Trudeau, “but I had lost completely my ability to reason.”

Trudeau preambles her talk by saying: “I did everything wrong […]. Now, I had a wonderful childhood and that I got right.” She explains how her grandmother was very stern and her mother was “unflinching with three basic things, us five little girls, that we had to adhere to—bedtime was bedtime […], my

OLIVIA ADAMCZYK/THE MEDIUM

For this year’s Snider Lecture, the speaker was former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau’s spouse. mother thought sleep was the most important thing she could give to us and she was right […]. Neuroscience shows now that sleep is the most important thing that we have as humans.” Trudeau added, elaborating on how sleeplessness can have a

snowball effect one day after the next, and without it, “you cannot have the acuity and readiness to face what life has for you.”

Trudeau then goes on to mention that, “Sleep was one thing, and the other thing was food, we didn’t get

sugar in our family […] we ate plainly and well […] and I think that’s the other thing we have to realize, our brain demands good nutrition.”

Trudeau highlights how eating well keeps the brain healthy and gives it the strength it requires to cope and

rejuvenate.

“The other thing of course was that we had to go out and play,” says Trudeau, “and then we could only come back at dinner time.” She emphasizes that not only is being outdoors physically stimulating, “it’s also really good for your mental health, the great balancer of all is nature.”

Trudeau references a study that was performed to compare effects of walking in a park to walking on the pavement, and mentions how a 15% higher cognitive acuity was observed in participants who took a walk in the park.

She says, “those 3 things are the foundation of good mental health, and […] were the foundation of my childhood.”

Although Trudeau mentions how she was a very active child, she “was diagnosed with a mental illness, the one out of five because one out of five of our children and younger suffer from a mental illness.”

Trudeau explains how she wasn’t diagnosed because of her household structure, but that changed when she began postsecondary studies at Simon Fraser University.

Trudeau continued on page 10

Writing with theatrics, creativity, and grit The theme for the fourth volume of the journal With Caffeiene and Careful Thought is survival JESSICA CABRAL

The English and Drama Student Society, in collaboration with the Department of English and Drama, is set to launch the fourth volume of their undergraduate journal, With Caffeine and Careful Thought, in March 2018. With the theme of survival at the core of this project, the journal aims to expose the UTM community to experiences of physical, spiritual, and mental endurance through its collection of academic essays, poetry, and short fiction.

Shalini Nanayakkara, a fourthyear English and professional writing and communication major at UTM, and current editor-in-chief of the journal, explains in a interview with The Medium, that the Canada 150 events inspired the creation of the theme. The July 2017 celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday sparked controversy throughout the country.

Some Canadians linked the occasion to colonialist ideologies, while others criticized the country’s failure to acknowledge Indigenous communities, who have lived on Canadian soil

NATALIE NG/THE MEDIUM

The journal will include a collection of academic essays, poetry, and short fiction stories. for over 150 years. Survival, Nanayakkara notes, can serve dual purposes: the theme can offer a method of celebration or an outlet to critique current worldly issues.

“Survival is broad enough where

it’s not inhibiting for people in terms of creativity or in terms of what literature they’re focusing on in their essay. Everyone who has come to Canada has dealt with [survival], or anyone who lives here, if they’ve

emigrated recently or if they’ve been here for hundreds of generations, it’s kind of something that everyone can relate with,” Nanayakkara says.

“Canadian literature is very much engrained with survival, whether it’s

English-British, Indigenous, or Japanese-Canadian writing.”

In past years, the journal, created by professor Chester Scoville and professor Lawrence Switzky, focused primarily on publishing academic literary essays. However, the EDSS have recently introduced the opportunity for students to submit pieces of creative writing. This year, the journal will accept submissions for work, centred around multiple themes of survival. They range from physical survival, such as domestic violence, to an individual’s metaphorical survival in university, to the analysis of survival in politics, gender studies, or diaspora. Priority is given to contributions from students in the English and drama departments, but students in other faculties are allowed to submit pieces or to apply for editing positions.

For the selection process, the team consists of EDSS members and specific faculty, including professor Liza Blake, professor Jacob Ross-Gallagher, and department chair Alexandra Gillespie.

Journal continued on page 10

09.25.2017 THE MEDIUM FEATURES» 9

Lights, camera, prayers: films in religion Last week, the UTM historical studies department hosted a free screening for the movie Amal SHARMEEN ABEDI

Last Thursday, film director and UTM alumnus, Richie Mehta, visited UTM for a screening of his 2007 award winning movie Amal.

Amal tells the story of a poor rickshaw driver named Amal Kumar, whose honesty and strong morality inspires a billionaire to leave all his wealth to him. The movie is set in Delhi, India and was nominated for Best Motion Picture and Best Director at the Genie Awards.

Mehta joined the students of RLG332 (Reel Religion) for a Q&A session after the screening.

“Amal explores the idea of happiness and success being relative to each individual, and how some people may not consider money as the primary indicator of success,” Mehta explains.

“We are prone to judge others based on our own ideas about happiness, and forget that other people may not want the same things that we want.”

Mehta further mentions how the movie portrays different people running after things that they think will make them happy.

When asked about his source of inspiration, Mehta describes how his movies are based on his own personal experiences and the types of people he has met in India.

The director highlights how although movies like Amal are set in a realistic framework and follow the lives of everyday people, these movies are “still pretty fictional, and contain

CHEN GONG/THE MEDIUM

Students in the RLG332 (Reel Religion) course were joined by Richie Mehta for a Q and A. fictional elements like multiple coincidences, which are unlikely to occur in real life; this is a fable, that’s why we have the narration,” he explains.

Mehta further describes how films can have a powerful impact on people: “More so than any other visual or acoustic medium has ever done, because it combines them both. So you use this very strange language to develop ideas and convey them.”

Reel Religion explores the role of films as mediators of thought and experience concerning religious worldviews, is taught by Ken Derry, associate professor in the Department of Historical Studies, exposes students

to the idea of conveying ideas surrounding religion through film.

Derry sat down with The Medium to discuss how film and religion can intersect.

“I began studying religion and literature during my graduate studies.

Not many students were interested in the topic, but one course on religion and film was extremely popular,” says Derry, adding how he began teaching the course and noticed that teaching film was more effective than teaching literature.

“One of the reasons why it was more effective was because we were picking films that we liked and

thought were interesting, but that were also popular. If you’re teaching a work of literature, it can sometimes be intimidating for students, and so if you are trying to get them to express their views, they can be very hesitant,” explains Derry, mentioning that in his introduction to religion course, he has shown films like The Lion King, and has found that students are very engaged with thoughtful things to say about it. Derry explains how this “allowed us to teach complicated ideas and theories about religion more effectively.”

Derry describes how incorporating films to study religion gave students

a kind of “media literacy,” and gave them “the ability to understand certain aspects of [..] culture that [we] are exposed to all the time.”

When he started teaching the course, Derry wanted to know whether using films to explain religion would be beneficial for students.

He conducted a study using answers from the final exams for a term, and found that the questions concerning religion and popular culture were most often picked, and consistently demonstrated a much better understanding of the theories.

Derry explains why he selected Amal for the class viewing: “I was really drawn to Amal, I found it a very lovely film. It does certain things with religion that connects really well with Karl Marx’s theory of religion. I thought it would work well as a teaching film.”

“I’m not too familiar with Bollywood myself, and so I thought it would be good to show a film portraying a completely different culture,” Derry adds.

Derry mentions research that has shown a connection between superhero films and events like the US invasion of Iraq, where a narrative of good versus evil was constructed to get people to see the invasion as a necessary step.

Derry adds, “if this is the case, then things like superhero movies are incredibly dangerous, because if they are helping to make it easier for the U.S. to invade countries illegally, then that’s terrifying.”

A future after Cassini: to infinity and beyond?

After first launching in 1997, on Sept. 15th 2017, Cassini crashed into Saturn and ended its mission MARIUM FAISAL

Many of us won’t be able to recall where we were at the exact moment when Cassini-Huygens—commonly called Cassini—launched in 1997, reaching Saturn’s orbit in 2004. After remaining in orbit for more than 10 years, the Jet Propulsion Lab at the California Institute of Technology states how “Cassini has changed the course of planetary space exploration.”

Following 13 years of research on Saturn and it’s nearby moons, Cassini plunged to its death on September 15th in 2017. In what was referred to as “the grand finale,” Cassini dove into Saturn’s atmosphere because it was running out of fuel, sending atmospheric data back as long as its thrusters kept the antennae pointed towards Earth. They destroyed the robot intentionally to avoid crashing into and contaminating nearby moons that may hold potential to harbour life. The Jet Propulsion Lab at the California Institute of Technology stated in a mission briefing available on their website, “Operators are deliberately plunging Cassini into the planet to ensure Saturn’s moons will remain pristine for fu-

JPL.NASA.GOV/PHOTO

Cassini - Hyugens has been in orbit for more than a decade, sending back data about Saturn. ture exploration—in particular, the ice-covered, ocean-bearing moon Enceladus, but also Titan, with its intriguing pre-biotic chemistry.”

The mission briefing further describes how the mission cost $3.9 billion overall, $2.5 billion of which were contributions from the European Space Agency and the Italian

Space Agency. Cassini has traveled 6.9 billion kilometres since its launch and, as described on NASA’s solar system exploration database, discovered six of Saturn’s 52 named moons.

This 13-year mission, as CBC highlights in an article published on September 14, “Cassini turned planetary science on its head,” in the con-

text of understanding Saturn’s and its moons’ ability to host life.

Professor Murray from the Science and Technology Facilities Council in the United Kingdom stated that Cassini-Huygens has allowed them to study Saturn in “unprecedented details and see it change before [their] eyes.” While Cassini

spent 13 Earth years in orbit around Saturn, the equivalent is nearly half of a complete year in Saturn.

As described on NASA’s solar system exploration database, Cassini discovered water jets shooting from Saturn’s sixth largest moon, Enceladus’ south pole, at a speed of 400 metres per second. This discovery is particularly revolutionary because researchers had long believed the moons of giant gaseous planets to be inactive, according to the database.

After receiving pictures from the Voyager missions in 1977, researchers had cause to delve further into the moons of these outer planets.

Discovering the presence of water can be taken as an indicator of the moon being likely to host microbial life. Enceladus was initially thought to be too small to hold any potential thermal activity. However, in 2015, NASA announced that molecular hydrogen was found in hydrothermal vents which, as they describe, is largely what functions as an energy source for some microbes on Earth.

By Cassini’s measurements, there is evidence to strongly suggest that there is an underground ocean on Enceladus.

Cassini continued on page 10

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The importance of seeking help early Trudeau continued from page 8 A combination of late nights, poor dinner choices, and morning hours spent in the library or in classes, were as Trudeau describes, characteristic of her university years. This time, according to her, was also the first time she was exposed to the new Beatles record, and marijuana. “I took to marijuana like a duck to water […] and that was the beginning for me, drug use.”

A trip to Tahiti, a French water ski instructor, and an intense discussion about classical philosophical questions, led Trudeau to secretly date, and eventually marry, Pierre Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada at time of their marriage.

Subsequently, Trudeau describes, her entire way of life changed: “I was used to independence […] but now, everything was done for me […], something like Downton Abbey.”

During her first year of marriage to the former Prime Minister, she gave birth to Justin Trudeau on December 25th. Two years later, she gave birth to her second son, Alexandre Emmanuel Sacha Trudeau, on Christmas Morning, again.

“Three weeks after Sacha’s birth, and you can imagine I’m living in 24 Sussex, which I call the crown jewel of the federal penitentiary system,” Trudeau says, “I just didn’t want to wake up […]. I was so tired and I didn’t want to get involved anymore.”

“I felt as if I was not present,” says Trudeau, “and Pierre and I were very worried, and we went to a psychiatrist […] and I was thinking what happened to my mind, where had my joy gone, where had my delight gone?”

Trudeau describes how although bipolar disorder is known to become

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Margaret Trudeau shared her stories about childhood, university, and living with mental illness. triggered after birth, ”[the psychiatrist] said to me, I understand you’re having a rough time, Margaret, well it’s just baby blues. Pierre, pay more attention to Margaret […]. And I left without any medication […] or any hope of getting better, or any understanding of what was going on with my brain.” Later, Trudeau describes, her experience was that of clinical depression.

After finishing his term in opposition, Trudeau says: “In 1974 [Pierre] decided he needed me on the campaign too. It was great […] no eating, no sleeping, lots of excitement.”

Although the former Prime Minister’s wife describes how she would often be complimented for losing weight after pregnancy, she says “I didn’t realize I was already in hypomania […] which is the first stage you go into if you’re bipolar.”

Trudeau describes how the state, characterized by poor sleep, poor eating habits and a spiral into crisis—is also the most addictive state.

Referring to how all mental illness is associated with hormone level fluctuations, Trudeau says, “the mania makes you think you’re super woman […] because what’s happening is that dopamine is the hormone that gives us this extra spark.” Trudeau says where with most brains, an influx of dopamine is controlled, “in the manic mind […] the brain is flooded with dopamine […] and you lose all sense of proportion and perspective.”

After her marriage with Pierre Trudeau ended, Trudeau married again and says “oh, all that depression was because I was married to Pierre’ […] and then I had my […] daughter and I got hit with postpar-

tum depression.”

Although Canada’s former First Lady says she didn’t get help with her illness, she emphasizes how, “You can go to all the help sessions and group sessions and things offered by the mental health community, and just be doing it, to placate those who love you.”

“I did that,” she adds, “I went to the sessions, I took the drugs. I did it all […] but I didn’t really understand deeply that I had to change […]. I had to understand my mental illness and work with it very hard, proactively […], to get balance in my life.”

Trudeau describes how after experiencing fibromyalgia, being followed by death of her son, Michel Charles-Émile Trudeau, and Pierre Trudeau, she couldn’t cope with the sadness, “I was triggered immediately into trauma […] I didn’t want

to breathe anymore […] I asked the doctor to put me into a sleep coma because waking up was too painful.”

Admitting to substance abuse and masking her emotions in front of her children, Trudeau says, “I just lied […] and that was another mistake I made because we underestimate the […] kindness and compassion of those who love us.”

Describing how she completely stopped eating and functioning, she says: “I had slipped into psychosis, and had lost all connection to reality […]. My son Sacha intervened and I was taken to the hospital on a gurney, because of course I didn’t want to go […]. I ran away and the police took me to the hospital, and that changed my life, that was my turning point.”

The change came when, as Trudeau describes, the doctor told her, “you can take my hand and we can start the process of getting you well, but there’s no point in staying unless you want to get better.”

Trudeau says she went through three years of cognitive behavioral therapy, and highlights the progress in pharmacogenomics and the importance of offering help.

Speaking to The Medium about undergraduate students in particular, Trudeau explains that “it’s important to tell somebody when you’re not feeling your best self—it doesn’t have to be a manic episode or clinical depression, just tell them you’re not feeling your best.”

“Don’t forget to eat, and get some sleep,” she adds, further emphasizing how “it’s important to get help early, nip it in the bud, and you don’t have to go to a counsellor or psychiatrist—but don’t underestimate how much sharing can help you.

Survival from narratives Life elsewhere?

Journal continued from page 8 During the selection process, the team, consisting of EDSS members and specific faculty, including professor Liza Blake, professor Jacob RossGallagher, and department chair Alexandra Gillespie, will look for well-edited, high quality, and evocative pieces, and determine how each submission adheres to the theme and what role that piece can play within the collection. From there, editors will attend editing workshops and begin to work one-on-one with authors to collaboratively refine each text.

For Nanayakkara, the voice and emotionality of literary writing is what differentiates it from scientific or business writing. Ultimately, she explains that the goal of literary writing is to tell a story or ask the audience to think about their life. Nanayakkara compares an instruction manual to a poem; one serves the purpose of educational value, while the value of the other is dependent upon a reader’s interpretation of the piece.

Nanayakkara mentions how friends and family of students pursing an English degree frequently ask the same questions: why are you

studying English? What are you going to do in the “real world” with that degree? But Nanayakkara believes that the humanities in general help people to understand and think critically about current events.

“The way we perceive the world is through narrative, we each tell a story about ourselves” -Shalini Nannayakkara The rift between the sciences and humanities has frequently been debated upon. As Nanayakkara highlights the development of critical thinking, other observers have often mentioned a complementarity of perspectives between the two.

The New Yorker describes how Steve Jobs attributed the ultimate success of the Pixar animation company to this very synergy by saying, “It is in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough—it’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the results that make our heart sing.”

“If you really think about it, the way we perceive the world is through

narrative. We each tell a story about ourselves or other people, which may boil down to stereotypes, for example. And having an English degree is all about critiquing those narratives that we tell ourselves, and being self-aware of what’s going on in the world,” she explains. “The idea of literature might not be necessary for physical survival, but instead for spiritual and mental survival. It’s really important to express yourself and for people to read other’s experiences.”

Carl Kersey, a third-year English specialist and current vice-president of the EDSS, explains his perspective on the journal’s theme of survival by relating it to the longstanding history of humanities as a discipline.

“I actually connect it to the survival of humanities in a society that seems to be heading more and more towards sciences. We ask, ‘why are we studying humanities?’ but at the same time we are surviving and have been surviving for thousands of years. We are one of the oldest forms of study,” he says. “I think that’s something that needs to be celebrated. It’s all about interpretation.”

The submission deadline for With Caffeine and Careful Thought is November 3rd of 2017.

Cassini continued from page 9 The solar system exploration database goes on further to describe how similar evidence for conditions suitable for supporting life was also found on Titan, Saturn’s largest moon.

“This is the final chapter of an amazing mission, but it’s also a new beginning,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, at a press briefing. “Cassini’s discovery of ocean worlds at Titan and Enceladus changed everything, shaking our views to the core about surprising places to search for potential life beyond Earth.”

As stated in the mission briefing, after Cassini’s launch in 1997, it performed two Venus fly-bys, one EarthMoon fly-by, followed by a course through the asteroid belt, and then performed one Jupiter fly-by all on its way to Saturn.

Cassini, the Jet Propulsion Lab explains, has allowed researchers to observe giant storms on the planet, with one on the northern hemisphere, referred to as “the dragon storm.”

After a mission of recording the atmosphere moons and Saturn’s ring

system in novel detail, in April 2017, Cassini was placed on an impact course that unfolded over five months of, what the Jet Propulsion Lab mission briefing describes as, “daring dives—a series of 22 orbits that each pass between the planet and its rings.”

As we look towards the future of space exploration, NASA is waiting for conclusions of investigations into other giant planets. The spacecraft, Juno, according to NASA’s Juno Mission Briefing, has been orbiting Jupiter since last summer. Two more Jupiter missions are to launch five years from now: NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft, which will study the possibly habitable Jovian moon Europa, and the European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, which will investigate the giant planet and three of its four biggest moons, including Europa.

Although Earth has bid its goodbye to Cassini, Cassini project manager Earl Maize, of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, describes during a news conference on September 13th, how this isn’t the end for Saturn either, “We left the world informed, but still wondering, and I couldn’t ask for more […] we’ve got to go back—we know it.”

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For the love and passion of running Third year cross country runner, Kale Heino, sits down to discuss his years as an avid distance runner LABINA KHALID

Kale Heino is a third-year student completing a double major in paleontology and anthropology. He has been a member of the cross country team since his first year at UTM. He was an avid runner before coming to university, and was a member of his high school’s cross country team. During his years of running, Heino claims to never have been seriously injured during any of his races.

Heino says he no longer struggles with running as “it has almost become a lifestyle; it’s not even you have to run because you have to do well but rather it’s become a part of you.” Heino plans to keep running even after graduation to keep a habit of it.

Heino’s pre-race routine consists of not “drinking too much water” and eating “no more than 3 hours before the race.” His normal practice routine consists of alternating training—intense some days and easier the others.

He says he runs smaller distance and lightly before a race just as he does for

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Heino credits his ease with running to the fact that it has become his lifestyle. his exams— “you would study less the day before an exam to keep yourself easy.” Heino says all his races have

been successful, and the most exhilarating moment is when he reaches the finish line. He says “It is not a feeling

that can be described, it is something you have to experience to know it.”

Heino has not only been running

in high school, university, and provincial races, but he has also ran in a national race twice. His partner was Haseeb Malik, another third-year cross country runner who has been running since high school. The two were a strong team and Heino was excited to be a part of it. He claims that it was not just about running in nationals, it was the fact that they were running for their university and the other racers in their group.

Heino points out that, unfortunately, this year the team has been smaller compared to the past few years. He says the reason may be due to bigger workloads, or the stress of graduation as most of the team consists of upperyear students.

Heino also praises the women’s cross country team this year and applauds them for doing so well. He says that at their first meet, the women placed third overall as a team, which is amazing. Heino hopes that the men’s team will continue to do well despite the decrease in number of teammates.

Cracking the shell on nut-filled facts Al-Juboori examines which nuts are healthy and which are not, as well as the associated health benefits MARYAM AL-JUBOORI

Nuts are among the most healthy foods out there. Not only are they rich in antioxidants, proteins, fibre, vitamins, minerals, and unsaturated fats, but they also aid in weight loss, lower cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of heart disease, and help prevent cancer.

Nuts are fruits that are composed of seeds and non-edible shells. In nature, nuts are categorized into two types, botanical or culinary, based on whether or not they have an outer shell. Botanical nuts are nuts that have seeds and outer shells around them that harden as the nuts mature. Their seeds are not attached to their outer shells. An example of a botanical nut would be a chestnut.

Culinary nuts are nuts that have lost their shells naturally early on in their lives, such as almonds.

Nuts have many nutritional benefits. Depending on the type of nuts and the person eating them, some of the nuts are healthy, and some are not. Almonds are rich in magnesium, calcium, and contain essential oils that our body needs. They contain the highest fibre and vitamin E

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Nuts are rich in antioxidants, proteins, fibre, vitamins, minerals, and unsaturated fats. levels compared to the other nuts.

Walnuts contain the highest antioxidants, and the highest amount of omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for fighting inflammation, and they are rich in magnesium. Hazelnuts are rich in omega-9 and fibre. They

are good for both constipation and cholesterol. Pistachios are rich in iron—they are good for anemia, fatigue, and menopause. Some nuts are problematic to individuals, like peanuts, for their allergy causing properties.

There is a common misconception regarding nuts. Upon hearing that nuts contain a lot of fats, some people tend to avoid them to lose weight or to maintain the weight they have. This idea is somewhat wrong because the fats that are in

the nuts are healthy and unsaturated fats. These fats reduce cholesterol levels and decrease the risk of heart disease. However, the saturated fats that are commonly found in animal meats increase cholesterol levels and the risk of getting heart diseases. With that being said, depending on the types of nuts and the quantity eaten, one could gain or lose weight. 12 cashews contain the same number of calories as 22 almonds.

Brazil nuts are the richest nuts in selenium. Selenium improves metabolism, immunity, reproductive health, and helps the body absorb vitamin E. Studies have found that unsaturated fats reduce abdominal fat, while saturated ones create the fats around the stomach. Walnuts are one of the best nuts to eat to shed off abdominal fat.

A study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition has found that eating almonds before going to the gym can make you lose more weight during workouts.

It has also been found that almonds keep us full for longer periods of times.

Nuts continued on page 12

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Nuts: healthy The benefits of seeds or unhealthy?

The amazing benefits of eating chia, hemp, and flax seeds

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Incorporating seeds into one’s diet serves an essential role in leading a healthy lifestyle.

VANESSA CESARIO SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

ANUM SYED/THE MEDIUM

Nuts serve as a great snack to keep you feeling full.

Nuts continued from page 11 In a controlled experiment done by the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, researchers found that when pistachios were added to the diet of one group as a snack for four weeks, the group showed significant weight loss and cholesterol reduction in comparison with the group that didn’t eat pistachios. There are much more similar studies and experiments that have proven the importance of nuts for weight loss.

Not only do nuts taste good,

they are also proven to be better for your overall health.

When pistachios were added to the diet of one group as a snack for four weeks, the group showed significant weight loss.

They serve as a great snack to keep you feeling full, while also gaining important nutrients.

Chia, hemp, and flax seeds are three superfoods that have really increased in popularity over the past couple of years. All three have an abundance of nutritional benefits which is the reason why so many people are incorporating these seeds into their everyday meals.

Chia seeds are tiny black seeds from the plant ‘Salvia Hispanica’—a plant that is native to South America.

Chia seeds are filled with antioxidants and are high in fibre, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids. They can be bought either ground or whole— both are good and provide the same nutritional benefits. According to The Globe and Mail, chia seeds are high in magnesium and are an excellent source of calcium. The Globe and Mail also claims that, “when it comes to fibre, chia seeds have the edge…

[with] one tablespoon of ground chia [having] 2.5 grams of fibre.”

Hemp seeds come from the plant ‘Cannabis Sativa’—this is different from the infamous cannabis plant.

Hemp seeds are versatile. They can be turned into hemp seed oil, butter, milk, and even flour. Hemp seeds also contain all 20 amino acids, including the 9 essential amino acids that our body needs. They also contain a high number of protein and magnesium. According to The Globe and Mail, if you “blend two tablespoons into your smoothie… you’ll get one-quarter of a day’s worth of magnesium [which is] 116 mg.”

Flax seeds, or linseeds, come in two different colours—brown and golden. They can both be found in a whole form or ground. Flax seeds are high in fibre and said to contain something called “lignans”, which is a photochemical linked to breast and prostate cancer prevention, accord-

ing to The Globe and Mail. However, to get the full nutritional benefits of flax seeds they must be ground, otherwise they will pass through your digestive tract undigested. There is no real difference between brown and golden flax seeds other than the taste of them—golden flax seeds are known to taste better. Both contain an important omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid, which protects against damage to the body’s cells.

All three of these seeds contain great amounts of benefits. They are most commonly used as cereal toppers or inserted into smoothies.

Some people will even use flax seeds on the top of their bread for both decoration and added taste. Incorporating these seeds into your everyday lives will serve as an essential nutritious role in living a healthy and balanced lifestyle.