Volume 44 issue 6

Sustainablity and U of T

Stand against sexual abuse

This year at Erindale Theatre

Child abuse prevention

Health benefits of proteins

News, page 2

Opinion, page 4

Arts, page 5

Features, page 8

Sports, page 11

U of T announces sustainability committee The committee comes as part of President Gertler’s compromise to not fully divest from fossil fuels FATIMA WASIF ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR The University of Toronto has announced a Committee on the Environment, Climate Change and Sustainability amid calls to divest from fossil fuel by labour unions and student group Toronto350.org.

According to John Robinson, the committee was formed as a result of the decision of U of T’s president, Meric Gertler, to not partially divest from fossil fuels last year, but instead search for alternative sustainability initiatives. The group aims to focus on implementing initiatives that emphasize sustainability through current work by the committee.

In February of this year, several labour union presidents, including Ryan Culpepper of CUPE3902 and Colleen Burke of USW1998, penned an open letter to president Gertler speaking against the university’s investment in fossil fuels.

“We forcefully object to our pensions and tuition fees being used to support an industry with a track record of ignoring First Nations treaty

MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM

The committee was formed amid calls for fossil fuel divestment. rights, contributing to global warming, and destroying our natural environment. We implore you to reverse your decision regarding divestment.

Our university should be investing in clean and sustainable technologies of

the future that will benefit society, not destructive industries of the past that seriously jeopardize future life on this planet,” read the letter.

The Medium reached out to the authors of the letter, including Cul-

pepper, Burke, Wasyl Sydorenko the president of CUPE 1230, and Mala Kashyap the president of APUS, regarding the new sustainability committee, but did not receive a response as of press time.

In Gertler’s report back in March 2016, “Beyond Divestment: Taking Decisive Action on Climate Change,” he acknowledged the request for U of T to divest from fossil fuels and the university’s response to the demand.

“On March 6, 2014, I was presented with a petition from the U of T student group Toronto350.org calling on the University of Toronto to divest fully from fossil-fuel companies within the next five years and to stop making new investments in the industry immediately. The petition was structured specifically to address the University’s Policy on Social and Political Issues With Respect to University Divestment,” the report read.

“Under the terms of that Policy, a presidential Advisory Committee on Divestment from Fossil Fuels, whose membership was approved by the Executive Committee of the University’s Governing Council, was struck in November of 2014 with a mandate to review the Petition and accompanying Brief and consider the University’s response to the call for divestment.”

Divest continued on page 3

Peterson speaks out against masculinity hate Peterson claimed that men cannot stand up to “crazy women” because they can’t resort to violence ALICIA BOATTO NEWS EDITOR In a YouTube video uploaded on October 2nd, the University of Toronto professor Jordan Peterson partook in a conversation with professor Camille Paglia from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. In this video, Peterson asserted that men are unable to “control crazy women” and stand up for themselves, due to the inability to get physical during conversations.

Peterson also discussed the increasing attack on masculinity and the inability for men to defend themselves against anti-male ideologies.

At the 37th minute of the video, Peterson claimed that men were able to solve their conflicts with each other because there is always an underlying threat of violence between two men, but could not act the same way during conflicts with women.

“Here’s the problem­—I know how to stand up to a man who’s unfairly trespassed against me. And the reason I know that is because the parameters

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According to Peterson, men cannot control women because physical altercations are prohibited. for my resistance are quite well-defined, which is: We talk, we argue, we push and then it becomes physical,” stated Peterson, adding that fighting

between men is the known pattern when civil discourse has failed.

“That’s forbidden in discourse with women and so I don’t think men can

control crazy women,” he said. “If you’re talking to a man who wouldn’t fight with you under any circumstances whatsoever, then you’re talk-

ing to someone to whom you have absolutely no respect.”

Peterson also discussed how he believes that social views of human identity have become encompassed into Canadian law and there is an imbued growing sense of anti-male ideas.

“There’s this insistence that all forms of masculine authority are nothing but tyrannical power,” Peterson stated.

“The increasing demolition of young men—and not only young men—in terms of their academic performance. They’re falling way behind in elementary school, falling way behind in junior high, and bailing out of the universities like mad.”

The U of T professor added that there are too many symbols of tyrannical male figures that show the “destructive force of masculine consciousness,” with constant positive images of female figures, which has led to the destruction of masculinity.

Peterson continued on page 2

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THE MEDIUM 10.16.2017

Tory signs agreement with U of T U of T and the city of Toronto to collaborate on future plans

October 5th, 2017 Theft A student reported to Campus Police that the permit they bought from another student was stolen from their car.

October 5th, 2017 Property Damage Campus Police received a report of a glass display case that sustained damage. The display case had a break in the bottom left corner followed by two larger cracks.

October 6th, 2017 Fraud UTMSU staff received a UPASS and TCard from MiWay Transit Enforcement. The staff member noticed that the name on the TCard and the name on the UPASS belonged to different students. The students were cautioned by Campus Police for the misuse of the upass.

October 5th, 2017 Theft A staff member reported to Campus Police that their front license plate had been stolen off their car.

October 6th, 2017 Police Assistance Campus Police and ECSpeRT attended a lab in the Davis Building for a student experiencing medical distress. The student was escorted to the Health and Counselling Centre.

October 8th, 2017 Suspicious Person Campus Police were asked to attend the RAWC for a male who entered the facility using another student’s tcard.

The male was using his brother’s TCard and was subsequently trespassed from the RAWC for 3 months.

The male was advised to contact RAWC management if he wishes to return.

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.

Masculinity under attack, says Peterson

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Peterson addresses the hatred towards patriarchy.

Peterson continued from cover “I think that women whose relationship with men that’s been seriously pathologized cannot distinguish between male authority and competence and male tyrannical power.

Like they fail to differentiate because all they see is the oppressive male,” he said.

According to Peterson, women with “terrible personality” disorders have fractured relationships with men.

“And their experiences with men might have been rough enough so that differentiating never occurred.

And it has to occur. You have to have a lot of experience with men, and good men too, before that will occur.”

“But it seems to me that we are increasingly dominated by a view of masculinity that’s characteristic of women who have terrible personality disorders and who are unable to have healthy relationships with men,” he continued.

Peterson faced public scrutiny last year when he uploaded a YouTube video refusing to use gender-neutral pronouns in his classroom at U of T. Since then, Peterson has become known for his outspoken views and his admonishment of university institutions over freedom of expression.

The Medium could not reach Peterson for comment as of press time.

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MOU marks an agreement for future collaborations between U of T and the City of Toronto.

ALI TAHA

The University of Toronto signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City of Toronto on October 3rd, in an effort to help the city reduce greenhouse gas emissions and become more sustainable through future collaborations between the two parties.

The memorandum marks a revitalized partnership between the university and the city. The document, signed by U of T’s president Meric Gertler and Toronto city manager Peter Wallace, outlines the initiatives and projects that will be supported by both institutions, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions while also engaging the Toronto population at large.

“Toronto and its namesake university provide a perfect illustration of the ways in which the relationship between a post-secondary institution and its host city-region is fundamentally symbiotic; the idea that a strong university helps build a strong city, and vice versa—a strong host city helps a university become even stronger,” stated Gertler in an open letter regarding the MOU. Among the initiatives of the Memorandum is Future Talks, which aims to engage the city in lowering greenhouse gas emissions through widescale public engagement. It wants to focus on creating policies on climate change and sustainability.

Sara Hughes, assistant professor of political science at UTM, is one of the

leading figures on the Future Talks initiative. Her team wants to collect information from citizens to see what Torontonians would like the future of Toronto to look like.

“I support the kind of rhetoric we heard from both president Gertler and mayor [John] Tory at the signing ceremony. At a high level, there’s a mutuality between the city and the university that we can take better advantage of. A strong university is good for the city, while at the same time having a vibrant, equitable diverse city is good for the university,” stated Hughes in an interview with The Medium.

“I think what the memorandum of understanding does is, at a minimum, signal that there is a willingness to take on joint projects.”

In regards to Future Talks, Hughes’ role in the project is on the policies that will eventually be implemented. When asked about what sorts of policies are on the table, the professor said that she would like to see “an emphasis on policies that simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address social and economic inequality in the city.”

Future Talks is still in the preliminary stages of research and will be collecting more data from Torontonians before implementing any policies.

Hughes also discussed the ways through which her team hopes to engage the Toronto population through the use of tools such as Metro Quest.

Metro Quest is an online interactive tool that allows organizations to

provide the public with details of new initiatives while simultaneously allowing the users to provide feedback on the project.

“The kinds of things we’ve been talking about are exploring minor things like social media, Twitter, Facebook, but there are new, more sophisticated tools. One that we’ve been talking about a lot is Metro Quest, which allows people to play with different scenarios of the future. It can be a really powerful way for people to think about what a more sustainable, low carbon future looks like in Toronto. These can be developed in really sophisticated ways online now and people can access them en masse.”

Hughes also spoke about the role the Mississauga campus will have on the project, stating that UTM undergraduate students will have opportunities to get involved in the research, as well.

“There’s going to be opportunities to do different kinds of research both in the field, in the sense that this is focused around actual community engagement methods, as well as on the policy side,” said Hughes.

The Future Talks initiative is in the process of completing a grant application that will help them work toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

Future Talks will know if they will receive funding by April 2018.

A representative from the City of Toronto was unable to respond to The Medium’s request for comment as of press time.

Unity rally held at Queen’s Park The Unity rally was held from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on October 15 ALICIA BOATTO NEWS EDITOR On October 15th, a rally against white supremacy was held in downtown Toronto, hosted in part by Walied Khogali, the former University of Toronto Mississauga Student Union executive director.

The rally was originally organized as a counter-protest to the proposed White Nationalist Rally that was rumoured to take place on September 14th. Sunday’s rally

featured speakers from the Coalition against White Supremacy and Islamophobia including Jeewan Chanicka.

“It is not okay for white supremacists to keep showing up and making themselves seen like they are the norm and they are speaking for all of Canadians and using words and phrases like ‘Canadian values’ because they do not speak for us,” Chanicka stated in a live stream video on his Facebook. “Our presence is our resistance.”

“They will not shut us down, they will not silence us, we will continue to be here because this is our home,” he continued.

The rally was then followed by a march that led through Queen’s Park to the TTC’s Museum Station.

The group marched to chants of “Refugees, they’re welcome here,” and “Immigrants, they matter here.”

The rally ran from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. and the march continued later into the afternoon.

10.16.2017 THE MEDIUM NEWS

Collaborative relief drive held

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UTM student organizations collaborated to collect canned goods, toiletries, and essential supplies.

SHRISHTI PRASHAR

Several University of Toronto Mississauga student-led organizations organized a relief drive to assist with the devastation caused in the Caribbean Islands by Hurricane Irma, from October 2nd to October 5th.

UTM Athletic Council, Caribbean Connections, Latin America Students Association, and the OCAA women’s basketball team collaborated to collect canned goods, toiletries, and essential supplies for the victims of the hurricane.

“People were incredibly generous. Especially with short notice. As a community we came together and quickly reacted. I think its great that

a small campus, a small community like UTM can do their part in helping the Caribbean Islands,” stated Andres Posada, the president of LASA in an email to The Medium.

The group collected over a dozen sacks of donations in one week, which were then taken to a drop-off spot in Brampton by members of Caribbean Connections. Posada did not specify if the drop-off spot is run by an outside organization or what communities will be receiving the donations.

LASA is planning on holding a relief drive for the victims of the destructive earthquake that took place in Mexico last month.

“We want to send them our support and help. We have many Mexicans in our community and we all

sympathize and want to help,” Posada stated.

LASA’s VP of marketing, Cesar Lozano, said that “people were very interested in helping out with the cause, their donations will help a lot of folks down in the Caribbean. It’s these things that make you have faith in humanity, and I feel grateful with all of those who contributed.”

The Medium was unable to reach representatives from Caribbean Connections, the OCAA women’s basketball team, and UTMAC as of press time.

LASA is currently looking for volunteers to assist with their relief efforts. Collection dates for the next drive are yet to be announced.

New sustainability committee U of T aims to become more sustainable through a new committee

Rebecca Tunney 4th year, Anthropology

Olivia Mlinaric 3rd year, Criminology

“A novel based on Indian folklore.”

“The Snapchat discovery page.”

Jonathan Abraham 4th year, Chemistry

Enrico Padilla 1st year, Life Sciences

“Articles on soft tissue fossilization.”

“Women and gender studies readings.”

UTSU executive lawsuit settled ALICIA BOATTO NEWS EDITOR

UTORONTO.CA/PHOTO

Robinson wants to increase student involvement with sustainability efforts.

Divest continued from cover The Advisory Committee reviewed the policy in light of the petition from Toronto350.org and determined that a full divestment from fossil fuels would be “unprincipled and inappropriate”.

Gertler’s report continued to read, “In considering the request in the Petition, the Committee rejected the idea of blanket divestment from fossil-fuel producing firms. It argues that many members of this industry engage in activities that ‘offer society indispensable benefits that currently cannot reasonably be gained in any other way’”.

The Advisory Committee recommended to only leave investments that show “blatant disregard” for environmental practices.

As a result of the recommendation, the Committee on the Environment, Climate Change and Sustainability was formed to create more sustainability policies and projects and will be chaired by Munk School of Global Affairs professor, John

Robinson.

“U of T has huge strengths in sustainability. There is a ton of people already teaching it and studying it and doing it operationally, but they’re not connected. They don’t necessarily know about each other, they’re off in their own disciplines, perhaps in a course doing sustainability,” Robinson stated in an interview with The Medium. “What we’re doing as a committee is identifying that.”

Robinson intends to concentrate on student engagement through sustainability projects for course credit, or through internships, if granted funding. Included in these are plans to have students involved in initiatives off-campus, working with public, private, and civic sector partners.

Some of the projects include establishing green roofs, learning about waste behaviour, urban agriculture, and installing water bottle refill station mapping.

Implementing sustainability pathways through student curriculums is also being discussed.

“It used to be enough for univer-

sities just to teach and do research, and I think the social contract is changing, and we have to take a bigger role in addressing society’s problems. So, that’s the context in which I see the work of the committee,” said Robinson.

According to Robinson, U of T’s decision to remain an investor in fossil fuels has not yet impacted decisions by potential partners to collaborate with the university.

Robinson also explained that Dr. Shashi Kant, the director of the Master of Science in Sustainability Management program, will be hosting workshops in the spring at UTM to discuss the concept of campus living labs, which will increase student engagement in sustainability efforts.

The dates for these workshops are yet to be announced.

Plans are currently underway to incorporate sustainability into curriculum at the department of Arts and Science and the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the St. George campus.

On October 10, UTSU approved an undisclosed settlement with Sandra Hudson, former UTSU executive director, for improperly paid overtime hours.

The lawsuit, filed in 2015, included former president Yolen BolloKamara and former vice-president internal and services Cameron Wathey in the allegations. The lawsuit called for $200,000 in payments due to a breach of fiduciary duty.

Hudson was terminated from the UTSU without cause in April 2014.

Bollo-Kamara and Wathey were both involved in the decision. As previously reported by The Medium in September 2015, Hudson received six weeks’ salary after her termination notice, five weeks’ vacation, eight weeks in benefit coverage, and $97,026.93 claimed in overtime hours.

Hudson was also served with fraud allegations, which included the deletion of confidential information off the executive director’s hard drive.

“On October 10, 2017, the University of Toronto Students’ Union Board of Directors approved a settlement with former UTSU Executive Director Sandra Hudson of the various claims made by the parties

against each other in the two lawsuits,” read a public statement released by the UTSU. “Ms. Hudson has voluntarily agreed to repay a portion of the overtime payments which were approved by members of a prior executive committee.”

The amount of payments being repaid was undisclosed in the statement.

The Black Liberations Collective previously alleged that the UTSU harbours anti-black sentiments and urged the UTSU to drop their lawsuit against Hudson, suggesting the lawsuit was motivated by race.

“UTSU acknowledges that the allegations of fraud and theft against Ms. Hudson were not proven. Hudson acknowledges that UTSU believes that it had a reasonable basis to start a lawsuit. All parties believe that the lawsuit was not racially motivated. All parties regret the acrimonious nature of these proceedings and inflammatory public comments made in and about them,” concluded the UTSU’s statement.

Bollo-Kamra, one of the three defendants in the lawsuit had previously settled with UTSU in January 2016, while Cameron Wathey, the second defendant, settled in May 2016.

The Medium was unable to reach Matthias Memmel, UTSU president, for comment as of press time.

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10.16.2017

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Sexual abuse needs to end now Whether it be in Hollywood or to your closest friend, sexual abuse happens daily While I was away in Ottawa this past reading week visiting my friends, I, like many, read the news about Harvey Weinstein.

If you don’t know who Harvey Weinstein is, he’s the co-founder of the film studio The Weinstein Company, alongside his brother Bob Weinstein. His name is everywhere in the news now because of an article by The New York Times, “Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accusers for Decades.” This article began a slew of reactions from celebrities, activists, and people I know closely. Many offered their support to the women Weinstein violated, and many began to reveal more horrific stories of Weinstein’s sexual abuse.

Men and women alike began to tell their personal sexual harassment stories, including people I know.

Reading about this news made me ache—it upset me and hurt me. However, this news about Weinstein didn’t surprise me. Was I appalled and disgusted at the fact that this is happening? Of course. But it didn’t surprise me because yet again, here we are, reading about a man who has all the power and money—who uses their position in their profession to abuse those vulnerable to him in such a disgusting and demeaning manner.

Reading the article, there was one common theme that stuck with me— the women he abused were mostly women who were at the beginning of their careers. What makes this worse is that this had been ongoing for many years and still it took this long to finally get the story out. Why does this only matter now?

Emma Thompson, a famous British actress, made a very important point on BBC2’s Newsnight when she said: “Does it only count if you have done it to loads and loads of women, or does it count if you have done it to

one woman, once. I think the latter.”

This seems to be the trend, doesn’t it?

It shouldn’t be considered a problem once it has become a reoccurring situation. It’s a problem the minute it happens the first time.

It’s ridiculous that it has taken this long to finally bring down a man who uses his power and authority as a powerful executive in Hollywood to appease his own sexual desires, while his victims suffer life-long consequences. It upsets me. Though this may seem as if it’s a Hollywood problem, this also is a problem right here at home.

Women and men close to all of us are subjected to individuals who believe that behavior like Weinstein’s is acceptable toward others. Well guess what? It isn’t.

This past weekend in Ottawa, I walked around the market late at night with a good friend of mine.

Men walked past us and they openly checked her out with absolutely no shame. She even told me a few stories of men walking by her and making some comment about her appearance in a sexually explicit manner.

Enough is enough. There are far too many people I know, and people everywhere, who are subjected to this behaviour and it needs to stop. Sexual assault of any kind, whether it be verbal, mental, or physical, is unacceptable and needs to be fought against.

This kind of behaviour needs to be spoken about more publicly.

Like I said, I’m not surprised about Weinstein’s story, I’m more appalled at the fact that it took this long for it to be discussed and brought to light.

We’ve gotten to a point in our lives where disgusting sexual behaviour such as Weinstein’s is so commonplace that women and men must create defense mechanisms for themselves, or believe it as normal and

don’t know what else to do. This is not okay. It should not be considered “normal” behaviour at all.

Normalizing this behaviour will only further allow it to continue, and it is time that we stand up to those who engage in it. Though it may happen constantly, it shouldn’t.

Sexual abuse is and always has been a problem. Women are suffering because of it, and though it may not seem commonplace, so are men.

Every day, there is someone who lives their life knowing that some hot-headed moron decided it would be a good idea to force themselves onto someone else for their own desire, without understanding or being aware of their actions. And this is not okay.

I commend the courage of those victims who brought their stories out.

I am with the victims of anyone who is subjugated to sexual abuse. Those who come out about their horrific experiences are not doing it to gain attention. It is their way of ensuring that we are aware of this reoccurring problem. It is important for them to talk about the problem and bring it to light, otherwise they suffer through it on their own when they shouldn’t. If anyone you know has gone through a terrible experience, listen to them, believe them, and be there for them. Being an ear for someone who has gone through this is so much more important to them than you may think. Being there and listening through it is one thing, experiencing it is another.

The best you can do is help them and support them.

The normalcy and the consistency of this kind of behaviour in the film industry is appalling. This is an industry that has many individuals, myself included, hoping to work in it and make a difference in it. The film industry is difficult enough for many to

make a living off of and sexual abuse embedded within the industry is not acceptable.

Weinstein’s case is one of many sexual abuse cases that happens everywhere all the time. One man with a lot of power abuses his position in society to ruin the lives of his victims.

What we can learn about this is that it’s time for men and women to speak up against this. This cannot continue and we need to stand up to these predators.

When a victim reveals their story, it is important that they are not shunned or forgotten about. The reason these stories of sexual abuse with the Weinstein case took so long to be considered a problem was because the victims were young and vulnerable.

Who would believe their word over his? The power dynamic is present and we need to be aware that no matter who it is, anyone in any position in life will have consequences for their inappropriate actions, even those as rich and powerful as Weinstein.

It’s time we stop allowing this kind of behaviour to be normalized in our communities. If it can happen to someone so rich and powerful, then it is definitely happening around you.

Don’t let it happen. Stand up to it and support those who are experiencing it.

Educate yourself and others about this problem and do what you can to stop it.

It’s time for us to listen, believe, and support the victims.

Quite frankly, I am sick and tired of sexual abuse.

YOURS, MAHMOUD SAROUJI

10.16.2017

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Keeping up with Theatre Erindale Jamie Robinson and David Matheson discuss Theatre Erindale’s contemporary-based season KASSANDRA HANGDAAN A&E EDITOR KEENA AL-WAHAIDI ASSOCIATE ARTS EDITOR

The 2017-2018 season at Theatre Erindale is promising—a grand total of seven plays to boast in the upcoming year.

Jamie Robinson, one of Theatre Erindale’s play directors, is directing UTM’s graduating drama class in Suzan-Lori Parks’s 365 Plays in 365 Days. Robinson has starred in prominent television series like Saving Hope and Murdoch Mysteries, and has some extensive theatre background under his belt.

David Matheson, the artistic director of Wordsmyth Theatre, also gave insight into the new productions at Theatre Erindale.

The Medium (TM): What plays are you involved with at Theatre Erindale?

Jamie Robinson (JR): I’m directing 365 Plays in 365 Days, which goes up in November with the graduating class from U of T Erindale. It’s by Suzi-Lori Parks, and we’ve been rehears-

FACEBOOK.COM/THEATREERINDALE/PHOTO

Students and faculty honour UTM’s 50th anniversary through a contemporary lens. ing since September, so we’re right in the middle of rehearsals right now.

TM: What kind of work goes into making these plays?

JR: Well this particular play is by playwright Suzi-Lori Parks—she’s an American playwright. She decided back in 2002 to challenge herself and literally write one play a day for a year, so she did that from November

to November, 2002-2003 […] When it was finished theatre institutions across North America like schools, professional theatres and amateur theatres all did these plays one at a time throughout America. So that was 15 years ago. I read all these plays over the course of a couple of years, just slowly going through it.

When I proposed this play to the

University of Toronto they took it right away because it was a great opportunity to compile several of these scripts together […] I compiled 32 of the scripts together, plus three other scripts. Some of them are only one page long, some of them are a half page long, some of them are just stage directions, some of them are a little bit more in length with text, but the

reason I wanted to do it is because it gave all the students equal weight throughout the production so that everybody gets a chance to shine, everybody gets a chance to be part of the ensemble. It’s a really unique project.

TM: What’s the most significant thing UTM students can look forward to this season?

JR: Well, this is the first time I’ve worked at U of T—from my perspective, the graduating class is extremely exciting, and I think that anybody who comes to see any of their shows, you’re going to get passion, you’re going to get bigger, you’re going to get a kind of conservatory. Well, they are a conservatory, they’ve all been through this program together but it’s like a repertoire company, like a Stratford or a Shaw, for example.

These company of actors who know each other so well that they stick up for each other […] their chemistry is fabulous together, so you’re always guaranteed a great acting show. If not on top of that the production staff is fantastic and they’re really helpful, both students and professionals.

Theatre continued on page 7

Happy days at the Isabel Badel Theatre Department of Language Studies brings Italian actors Andrea Renzi and Nicoletta Braschi to campus PAULA CHO In celebration of the University of Toronto Mississauga’s 50th Anniversary, the campus’ Department of Language Studies hosted a performance of the play Happy Days, or Giorni Felici in Italian, to recognize the diversity and culture on campus and within the program. The event was held in the Isabel Bader Theatre and introduced by the chair of the language studies department, Emmanuel Nikiema. The play was performed in Italian with English subtitles, featuring actors Andrea Renzi and U of T alumna Nicoletta Braschi.

Written by avant-garde playwright and novelist Samuel Beckett, Happy Days is a piece in the tradition of the ‘Theatre of the Absurd.’ Absurdist works focus largely on ideas of existentialism and life without meaning or purpose, giving way to illogical speech and stretches of silence. Irrational monologue and long pauses is exactly what audience members experience from Winnie, the protagonist.

The lights of the theatre come up to reveal Winnie lying over a mound of presumably sand, which she is buried in up to the waist for the du-

CHEN GONG/THE MEDIUM

Throughout the play, Winnie’s existential crisis is relatable to the modern-day audience. ration of the play. She is awoken by the sound of two piercing alarms, prompting her to begin her day with a prayer. At this moment, I notice the contrast between Winnie’s appearance and her surrounding. She has platinum blonde hair and is dressed in a sparkly, crisp white dress, while the two props onstage appear dirty and disheveled. Willie, her husband, is also remarkably different in appearance and mannerism. He is a brutish man wearing a tank top and

straw hat, constantly coughing and scratching his back. Compared to Winnie’s outlandish speech and inability to move, Willie only utters out single words and crawls to get further away from her.

Winnie speaks continuously, despite no one listening to her. She constantly hums the refrain “Oh, this is a happy day,” to remind herself to never complain and always be thankful and in positive spirits. When she finds that her lipstick is running out,

she becomes disappointed for a second only to brush it off as she will not allow herself to sadden. Winnie is the eternal optimist but the sources of her optimism, such as her lipstick, tonic, and old pearl necklace, are being used up. She has to work harder to keep up her positive front.

By the end of the first act, she admits that the “sorrow keeps breaking in.”

In regard to Winnie and the play’s relevance to real-life, Aly Slater, a fourth year Italian and political sci-

ence double major, says, “I think Winnie is overly dramatic but the play overall still represents reality for a lot of people. This is what their heightened moments and existential crises look like.”

As mentioned above, in marked comparison to Winnie’s lengthy speech, Willie is laconic to a point where he functions mainly as something for her to talk at. Winnie enjoys asking simple tasks of Willie like wiggling his fingers or trying to sing.

When he barely obeys in wiggling “all five fingers” or dreadfully humming the song from her music box, she erupts into enthusiastic applause and merrily cheers her refrain.

The central metaphor of the play is clear: As Winnie sinks deeper into the mound of sand, she is also engulfed further into disappointment and her disillusions. Both of the characters’ existential conditions are visualized by how time becomes slower when the end is near. No matter Winnie’s attempts at staying optimistic, she grows weary of the ceaseless descent into a conclusion that never seems to come.

The next event in UTM’s Global Art50 series is a screening of Mobbing on October 16.

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Spooktastic screenings for the daring As Halloween nears, these three chilling horror flicks are not recommended for the faint-hearted VLADISLAV BOSHOER

Halloween’s approaching, and that means one thing: it’s time to binge watch horror movies. While there’s plenty of lists out there for top horror films, here we’ll focus on movies that are perfect for putting you in that October mood.

Dark grey skies, falling leaves, ghouls, blood, and Gothic castles are just some of the things in these movies that will make your Halloween truly “spooktacular.”

Horror of Dracula (1958) directed by Terence Fisher Nearly 30 years after the black and white classic starring Bela Lugosi, the vampire tale was resurrected

by Hammer Film Productions for a newer audience. Christopher Lee, known today for his roles in Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, stars as the eponymous blood-sucker.

The film pulls no punches with its heavy Gothic atmosphere or with its bloody violence.

Rolling fog, dead trees, and an old castle are just as much the stars of the show as Lee, who portrays the vampire as the snarling demon he is meant to be. Fisher wasn’t afraid to up the graphic violence either, as buckets of both human and vampire blood are shed with numerous neck biting and stakes driven through hearts.

Not taking itself too seriously,

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There’s no better way to spend the month of October than binge watching horror classics. nor going full camp, Horror of Dracula maintains a perfect balance as a bloody and spooky vampire tale. It’s great to watch wrapped in a blanket as the autumn wind howls outside the window—just remember to keep your neck covered.

The Evil Dead (1981) directed by Sam Raimi Made on a shoestring budget, The Evil Dead was a student film made by college friends. Little did they know, the movie would go on to become a cult sensation, spawning two sequels, numerous comic books, video games, a remake, and even a television show. The plot is simple— five college students go vacationing to an old cabin in the woods and

they find an ancient book of the dead. Reading it aloud awakens the demonic spirits living within, who then possess the students one-byone, leading to increasingly gory mayhem.

Raimi, who went on to become an established Hollywood director with his Spider-Man trilogy starring Tobey Maguire, utilizes creatively aggressive camera techniques that give the movie a unique feeling of pure insanity. The cheap and dirty production values also endowed the movie with a gritty and creepy atmosphere, which all but disappeared with the more comedic sequels. What makes The Evil Dead truly stand out is the gnarly gore.

Dismemberment, decapitation, and all kinds of revolting violence leaves the cabin absolutely soaked in fake blood by the end of the film.

The Evil Dead shines as a maniacal blend of campy black humor and grueling terror. It is cheesy, funny, disgusting, and horrifying all at the same time, making it a quintessential October viewing. The squeamish need not apply, but those that aren’t afraid of getting their screens splattered will find a real treat in this film.

Sleepy Hollow (1999) directed by Tim Burton In this Gothic horror comedy, Johnny Depp plays Ichabod Crane, a young constable sent to investigate

some grisly murders in the small English town of Sleepy Hollow. As he uncovers more and more clues, the body count grows higher, and the mystery spirals towards a crazy, gory conclusion.

The first thing that needs to be said about this film is that the set design is some of the best I have ever seen for any movie of any genre.

This is a movie that oozes Halloween in every single shot. Crooked trees, dark gray skies, fog, an abundance of pumpkins—it’s got it all.

The terrific atmosphere is helped in no small part by long-time composer and collaborator Danny Elfman, whose soundtrack amplifies the spooky fairy-tale like setting of the movie.

What’s also great about the movie are the performances. Johnny Depp brings a really interesting take to his character, initially being really sensitive and squeamish, but becoming braver as he is forced to confront the terrifying Headless Horseman. In the supporting roles, we have Cristina Ricci, playing the mysterious romantic interest for Ichabod, and Christopher Walken who turns in a wordless performance as the Horseman that manages to be both creepy and hilarious at the same time.

It’s unlikely that another adaptation of Sleepy Hollow will overtake the original—this one is the superbly essential Halloween viewing.

A Canadian quilt story NICOLE SCIULLI

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Artists tell stories and highlight the Canadian experience through quilting.

NICOLE SCIULLI As part of an exhibition exploring Canadian heritage, A Thread and a Story is an exhibition by Museums of Mississauga highlighting Canadian quilts from residents, artists, and private institutional collections. This exhibition presents quilts from the MoM’s collection with traditional and contemporary styles that convey shared family traditions.

In pioneer times, textiles were difficult to access and were created out of necessity than for aesthetics.

But today, quilting can be a powerful medium for artistic expression.

Quilting is a universal craft where each country and region have their own unique techniques.

There are two rooms in which the quilts are exhibited. They are suspended on wires and are lined up behind one another into beautiful tapestries of colours and designs.

One of the prominent artists of the exhibit was Carol Goddu, an artist from Mississauga. She has been teaching quilting since 1985.

One of her works is called “You Can’t Get There from Here.” This quilt is made from paper maps under a layer of organza. It is part of a series of quilts using paper products. The image of a map is broken in different pieces symbolizing the twists and turns of a journey.

Her quilts tell stories, such as her piece called “Dance as if no one is Watching” is an appliqué quilt that is made of hand stitching and machine. The quit depicts silhouettes of women in different dance positions. It piques an observer’s interest and gets them to wonder what the story behind the silhouettes are.

One of my favourite quilts was the “Crazy Quilt.” With its triangular patterns of yellows, blues, and purples, it reminded me of a stained-glass window that was broken and was pieced back to-

gether. The quilt was made in the late 1800s. It is made with a type of patch work using odd shaped material pieces that create a chaotic pattern. This style uses materials like velvet, satin, and silk, along with techniques like embroidery to make the design asymmetrical.

When I looked at this work, I felt it truly represented a person’s psyche. Our personalities are comprised of beliefs, experiences, and hobbies that may seem different to others and the different facets of your life may not fit on paper, but like the pieces in the quilt, you can achieve a harmonious whole. I felt very moved by this piece as I felt it spoke for the artistic vision of Canadians. I believe this exhibit can connect with the community and give historic insight into Canadian identity.

A Thread and a Story will be on display at the Bradley House until February 28.

As I worked long hours at my summer job, I experimented with different storytelling podcasts—and by far the best one I found was The New York Times’ Modern Love: The Podcast. Listening to a captivating story is a special experience, especially when the narrator draws you in with their voice and the emotion they pour into it. The podcasts open up with a signature catchphrase: “Stories of love, loss, and redemption.”

Modern Love: The Podcast is an adaptation of the Modern Love column in The New York Times where writers submit their stories about modern love. This can be romantic love, parental love, or even the love from a human and their pet. The Modern Love column is edited by Daniel Jones.

The podcast takes these stories and gets celebrities to pick a story to read.

After the story, the host, Meghna Chakrabarti, catches up with the writers behind them to get input from Jones on the significance of the stories. These podcasts are not only excellent because of the captivating voices and music score, but the stories they tell have an immersive quality. I

always feel as if I’m experiencing their story. It allows me to have insight to lives that are far different than my own.

Some stories involve finding love at different stages in life. One woman found her soulmate in her elder years while running a marathon. Another podcast titled “Groomzilla” depicts a man’s journey to creating to perfect wedding, from not choosing the right ties to rewriting invitations. Although this made me laugh, the podcast told the listener that the wedding ceremony is only a small piece of what a lifelong marriage is about.

The podcast also dealt with more serious issues. In one episode called “Maddy Just Might Work,” a transwoman tells a story about their transition and their family tries to adjust to this change. This turn of events could’ve either made or broken the family. In the end, the family became stronger, and stories like these provide a sense of hope for those going through similar experiences.

By sharing personal love stories that can bring joy, sadness, or make a small change to the world, Modern Love: The Podcast is an excellent podcast if you want to listen to a love story that doesn’t have a cliché ending.

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The evolution of slasher Inked in 7 days

MESHA GHAYUR/THE MEDIUM

UTMAC challenged students to get creative during reading week.

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In recent years, TV adaptations of slasher films have become increasingly popular.

SHARMEEN ABEDI

Slasher films were a particularly dominant film genre throughout the 1970s until 1980s. It should be noted that slasher movies are a subset of horror films, but they have their own distinctive features. What differentiates the two is that in slasher movies, the focus is on violence and gore rather than a supernatural setting.

Last year, I started watching Scream Queens on Netflix, which is a dark comedy show revolving around a sorority and a killer on a college campus who is after its students. As I watched the show, I realised there are many television shows today that are somehow modeled after the slasher movies that were popular in the late 1900s.

The serial killer in Scream Queens is called the Red Devil. In one episode, on the first day of class, the professor shows students what he

considers the greatest cinematic achievement, which he specifies as the 1974 Tobe Hooper classic, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. To me, it’s interesting to note the direct and indirect ways that the show references classic slasher films. In the same episode, they cite the same movie again as Red Devil comes out with chainsaws and attacks a group of fraternity boys.

One of my favorite slasher films is Scream (1996), which brought the slasher film genre back from the dead and has now become a cult classic.

Ghostface remains one of the most well-known fictional serial killers, and is also a popular Halloween costume choice. I was very intrigued to watch the television adaptation of the film which has the same name, Scream (2015).

Scream (2015) starts out recreating the iconic Drew Barrymore scene in Scream (1996) with actress Bella Thorne, wherein just before killing

his victims, the serial killer calls and asks, “Do you like scary movies?”. I think the show wanted to credit the preceding movie by starting out this way, and the producers knew that viewers would pick up on it without each detail having to be repeated.

Scream (2015) also points out that the slasher genre doesn’t work well in television. In a class discussion, Noah Foster, the serial killer-obsessed geek, says: “You can’t do a slasher movie as a TV series…slasher movies burn bright and fast. TV needs to stretch things out. By the time the first body is found, it’s only a matter of time until the bloodbath commences.”

There haven’t been many slasher movies in recent years, but there have been many shows that are modeled after classics. Does this mean that Hollywood is running out of ideas and recycling old ones? I think it is. It’s time for a remarkable slasher movie to come out and revive the film genre like Scream did in the 1990s.

In 2009, American illustrator and cartoonist Jake Parker created Inktober, a daily drawing challenge in the month of October with the intention of improving his own inking skills.

Eight years later, Inktober has become an international phenomenon.

The UTM Art Club has brought a piece of this creative outlet to campus in the form of the Reading Week Inktober Contest. Contestants created an original work of art every day during reading week and posted them to the art club’s Facebook page, or emailed them to the club’s executive members.

For inspiration, contestants could turn to the official Inktober prompt list, with intriguing one-word concepts like “teeming” and “shattered,” or they could create something without these concepts.

The Medium interviewed the UTM Art Club’s president Ryanne Florence, a third-year art and art history major, and event coordinator Sam Hasbum, a fourth-year comparative physiology specialist.

“My goal for UTM Art Club is to make an inclusive space for people of

all artistic levels,” said Florence. “We try to include both crafts and fine art related workshops to be able to welcome everybody.”

“This event is a continuation of our Inktober contest last year, which covered the full month[…] This year we’ve shortened it and tweaked it so that it’s easier for all students to participate,” she continued.

The club is offering three awards to participants. First, the Judge’s Choice, which will be voted on by the executive members of the UTMAC, involves having each executive member choose their favourite submission from the entire week, and the members will vote for their favourite piece overall out of the chosen. Second, a popular vote from the Art Club Hangout Facebook page, where the submission with the most likes will win.

Finally, an award is given out through a random draw where contestants are given more entries into the draw with every piece of work they submit. This award encourages participants to be consistent and to draw every day.

The winners will be announced via the club’s social media pages.

A novel season Del Toro’s diablo arrives Theatre continued from page 5 TM: What did you find most challenging while directing this play, and what do you find challenging in general with directing?

JR: For this particular play, and for I guess directing at any level, it’s that first day of rehearsal, that first week really. Making sure that everybody is all on the same page, that everyone is treated equally, that everybody has an equal say, which always can be very freighting and daunting. We did accomplish that, and as a result now we are in the mid-process of deepening the context of the whole play. But I guess the most challenging is going to be when we do actually get up on stage and adapting all of this work that we’ve done on stage and making it palatable for an audience and adding the lights and the sound and all that – which we’re just beginning that process now. A little bit freighting coming up.

TM: What is Theatre Erindale up to for the season?

David Matheson (DM): It’s an exciting season ahead. We’re doing a mostly contemporary season, and this is the first time we’ve done this before. We’re calling the season Theatre Now—and the idea is that we want to look at things from the contemporary perspective. It’s sort of a funny way of honoring the fiftieth anniversary of UTM: instead of looking back, we’re going to look

at where we are. Every show is going to examine time from a different perspective. Our program also has a new full-time faculty member and that’s Meredith Scott. Scott will be directing our production of Twelfth Night. This play will be interesting because it will have two different casts, so, they’re might be a reason to see it twice.

TM: Are you currently involved in the production or direction of a work?

DM: I’m directing a play called Clybourne Park. It’s a controversial play. There’s a famous play. There’s a famous play called A Raisin in the Sun—it’s about a black family who buys a house in Clybourne Park, which is a traditionally white area of the city. What Clybourne Park does is that it takes the perspective of the owners selling the house, and their neighbours are telling them not to sell it to the black family. It takes in 1959 in Chicago. In the second half of the show, it takes place in modern day Chicago, and it’s interesting because now the area is being gentrified, and all the yuppies are moving in. Now it’s reverse: First, the area tries to keep black people out, and in the second half, the area tries to keep [rich white] people out of the community. This play is really controversial—it talks about race. We’re hiring a former student Cameron Grant to work with us on this.

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Last week, the Art Gallery of Ontario presented Guillermo del Toro’s “The Devil’s Backbone.”

KEENA AL-WAHAIDI ASSOCIATE ARTS EDITOR

The Art Gallery of Ontario’s screening of “The Devil’s Backbone” was important to consider. This is mostly because “The Devil’s Backbone” is directed by Guillermo del Toro, whose significance in the art gallery has become more prominent with the start of his exhibit this month, At Home With Monsters.

The AGO showcased this Spanish tale on Wednesday evening. Although I wish I could tell you that it was a dark and stormy night when the screening took place. The truth was that it’s nearing Halloween season, so naturally it was in time for the showing of At Home With Monsters.

The film tells the story of a boy named Carlos, whose father is killed

during the Spanish Civil War. It’s 1939, and the tale brings us a depth of mystique. If the headmistress with the beady eyes and the kid with the knife don’t wean you away, I don’t know what will.

Before I viewed the film screening, I had to watch the trailer to make sure that I wouldn’t hide under my seat or hide under someone else’s seat. Midway through the trailer, it boasts the idea of a ghost as “a spirit trapped between two worlds.” After hearing this, I had the realization that the scariest thing about ghosts is that they can possibly exist in two places at once.

The orphanage that Carlos is sent off to isn’t horror-movie-scary. When given first glimpse of the orphanage, there’s a sense of ease. It’s quite the large facility, with a 17th century looking courtyard and fairly high

ceilings. Pretty snazzy digs if you ask me.

The snazzy digs, however, quit living up to their name as soon as paranormal activity comes to a start. This movie isn’t scary because it mimics reality, it’s scary because it could happen. What Carlos goes through could happen to anyone, perhaps anytime, if you don’t play your cards right—or even if you do.

When Carlos sneaks out one night and sees the ghost of Santi, a boy who was killed at the orphanage by murderers, the small pale figure is drenched with blood around the top of his head. Do ghosts bleed? And if they do, wouldn’t that make them seem more mortal than they appear not to be? There are too many questions to be asked, and not enough seem to be answered.

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How to respond to abuse and neglect Ontario Association of Children’s Aids Societies (OACAS) aims to raise awareness about child abuse JESSICA CABRAL

In the background paper published in November 2006 for the International Policy Forum on Family Violence, Dr. Christine Walsh, from the University of Calgary, describes how individuals often resist reporting cases of child abuse and neglect to a local Children’s Aid Society in fear of causing detriment to the effected family. In fact, the most common misconception that impedes witnesses from contacting Children’s Aid is the belief that one call to the society about a child’s safety will lead to the separation of the victimized youth from their parents, guardians, or family members.

Christina Campbell, the advocacy and public engagement specialist at the OACAS, reveals that in 97% of their investigations, children remain with their families, and that instead of splitting a family apart, Children’s Aid works closely with parents to provide support and counselling.

Every October, the OACAS organizes a provincial child abuse prevention month-long campaign

JULIA HEALY/THE MEDIUM

This year, OACAS hopes to demystify child neglect and the impact of Children’s Aid. to raise awareness about the existence of child abuse and neglect in Ontario, and to emphasize the integral role that Children’s Aid plays in preventing this abuse. Through this campaign, the OACAS hopes to ad-

dress the myths surrounding Children’s Aid and educate the community on the services Children’s Aid provides, including support during crises and parenting challenges, along with programs for managing

substance abuse.

“I think a lot of people don’t realize that there is actually a legal duty to report [instances of child abuse],” explains Campbell in an interview with The Medium. “It is part of our

child and youth family act, section 72, and it applies to everyone, not just professionals who work with kids. First thing we want is for people to be empathetic and to understand how they can help. I think the moral responsibility is important to focus on, but there is also a legal obligation.”

While close friends and extended family may dread the repercussions of calling Children’s Aid, Campbell notes that in some cases, people also fail to report child abuse because they do not recognize the signs and symptoms of neglect and mistreatment. Abuse manifests in several forms and Campbell admits that it is not always easy for an outsider to immediately identify a situation of concern.

According to the OACAS official website, they distinguish four different categories of child abuse: physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect. They define physical abuse as any physical action by a parent or caregiver that could inflict physical harm or injury to a child.

Child continued on page 10

UTM students lend a hand to refugees Syrian students were paired with Helping Hand mentors as part of an English tutoring program FARHAT AMINI

The UTM student group, Helping Hands, in collaboration with the Syrian Canadian Foundation and the language studies department at UTM, celebrated their first graduating class from their English tutoring program during the fall reading week.

Mahmoud Salem, president of Helping Hands, sat down with The Medium to discuss the program and what they have learnt from it. Salem explains that because the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program had full classes with many people on waiting lists, the Syrian Canadian Foundation, along with Helping Hands and the language studies department at UTM, came together and created the English tutoring program.

Syrian students were paired up with a mentor whom they could work with online, through phone calls, or in person during the classroom sessions.

In comparison to the LINC program, Salem states that their program “is more practical […] there is no lec-

SHIFA SIDDIQUI/THE MEDIUM

Students from the first English tutoring class graduated over the fall reading week. turing at all.”

Students were required to pay a deposit of $20 at the beginning, with the condition of receiving their money back if they attended more than half the classes.

Salem expressed that the Helping Hands team did not see improvements in the students that attended

last year, because there was no evaluation system. Whereas there wasn’t an evaluation system last year, this year featured a change assessment methods, which resulted in observable improvements The students were evaluated based on weekly reports regarding their performance given out by the tutors,

rather than just being handed tests and marks.

The Helping Hands president explains: “For advanced students, we evaluate their reading and speaking fluency. We record them for two minutes and count how many words they speak and then we record them for three minutes reading and count how

many words they read.”

Approximately 25 student volunteers with Helping Hands created the videos and the worksheets that were used to mentor the enrolled students, ranging from children as young as six years old to those being above 20.

“Graduation does not symbolize that they move from one level to another. [It] was just a celebration of them finishing the allocated time of the program,” says Salem.

Volunteers receive an official certificate by the language studies department outlining their mentorship and the completed facets of the program.

“Hopefully next time, we will have honorariums and certificates to give to the tutors [along with] a good learning experience,” Salem adds. He hopes that for their future programming, they “can expand because the whole idea [is that] we want to provide a new way of teaching language to new comers.”

Volunteers do not have to be able to speak Arabic to apply. Applications are posted on the Helping Hands Facebook page.

The next class starts October 21.

10.16.2017 THE MEDIUM FEATURES» 9

Moving from classes to crime scenes Joel Cahn, instructor for the FSC481 course at UTM, discusses the importance of experience MAHNOOR AYUB FEATURES EDITOR

Scott Bonn, a criminology professor at Drew University and author of Why We Love Serial Killers, writes in his January 8, 2016 article in Time about the public’s fascination with crime shows, and that “the euphoric effect of true crime on human emotions is similar to that of roller coasters or natural disasters.” While the media’s depiction of crime investigations may portray mystery and drama, students in the Forensic Science Internship course at UTM are learning how to be professional and accurate.

The FSC481 internship course, required for all graduates of the forensic science specialist program, requires students to spend at least 200 hours at a forensic agency participating in on-the-job training or job shadowing, assisting with routine tasks, and collaborating with a professional forensic specialist on an original project.

The instructor for the FSC481 course, and lecturer for the forensic science department at UTM, Joel Cahn, is the editor and principal contributor of the forthcoming 2018 book, Comparative Osteological Research. The book is a volume dedicated to the meta-analysis of comparative methods commonly employed in bioarchaeology. Cahn speaks to The Medium about how his experiences and research inform his

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Forensic science specialist students at UTM are required to complete an internship. teaching and what students can gain from the course.

“When I started my dissertation, I was really interested in how behavior is reflected on the skeleton and how the skeleton could depict how people were violent towards one another,” says Cahn, “I wanted to see how the environment and the context that people are in can have an effect. Is it innate human nature, or are we patterning some sort of behavior we’ve seen elsewhere?”

Cahn explains how he “wanted to use the skeleton, because the skeleton preserves.” Where conflicting re-

cords may exist for past populations, he describes: “If you break a bone, it heals, but it leaves a scar or evidence of something happening. And so research looks at how the skeleton displays the trauma, and how trauma can be linked to different factors in the environment.”

While comparing skeletal remains from a population in the 1900s in Toronto, and one from Lisbon, Portgual, Cahn began to question methods in skeletal data comparison. His research and upcoming book highlight different outcomes based on the adoption of different methods

used to study the same base data.

“This kind of design also goes into the internship course, understanding how to best structure your research, and best answer the questions you want to answer,” says Cahn.

He also mentions how a primary objective of the internship course is to help students think about their career paths. “I did really well in math and science, and so as was then, and is also now largely—if you do well in math and science you’re going to be a doctor, and often times when you’re a teenager, you don’t

know what you want, despite the streamlining they do now where they want you to know what to do by when you’re six,” Cahn explains.

Cahn completed his undergraduate studies in biochemistry at the University of Ottawa. After completing undergraduate research work in molecular biology, he realized, “It was too small scale, and although I didn’t want to go to medical school, I still wanted to apply my skills in a more immediate way.”

Before the advent of CSI and other popular crime shows on television, Cahn mentions how he “came across a powerpoint presentation from Dr. Tracy Rogers, director of the forensic science program at UTM, saying: “So you want to be a forensic anthropologist?” So I learnt more about it, and I immediately liked the applicability and the ability to ask questions.”

After moving to Toronto on a whim, Cahn completed his Master of Science in anthropolgy degree, and has since been doing research, teaching, and casework.

“While it is important to convey to the students to ask yourself about what you want to do, it’s also just as important, or a good starting point, to figure out what you not want to do—that we try to get across in the internship course, where they get a real exposure to an environment and decide if that’s what they want to be in or not,” says Cahn.

Crime continued on page 10

Amnesty International at UTM: What’s next?

The Amnesty International club begins again this year at UTM with Siddharta Sengupta as president NICOLE SCIULLI

The Amnesty International club, restarting this year at UTM, hopes to give students an avenue to combat this helplessness and to advocate for human rights from their own campus.

Amnesty International is a worldwide non-profit student organization that advocates for justice and the protection of human rights. Amnesty has no political, governmental, or corporate affiliation, and is a non-voting member of the United Nations.

The UTM chapter of Amnesty International was revived last year with the help of Spyridon Kotsovilis, a professor of political science at UTM. Siddhartha Sengupta, the president of UTM Amnesty International, is excited for what they can accomplish this year. Sengupta says that Amnesty International does their part to raise awareness about what abuse means and the effect it can have on people.

“Amnesty International helps show the gravity of these human rights issues and why we should care about them,” says Sengupta.

A project they are currently petitioning for is to stop the ethnic cleansing in the Rakhine state in Myanmar.

“There has been a campaign of vio-

Amnesty International at UTM hopes to involve students across all disciplines. lence on the Rohingya people which has caused 500,000 people to flee their homes last month. The petition will be sent to Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the Myanmar army, to end these human rights abuses and to let human rights workers have unimpeded access into the Rakhine state,” Sengupta added.

Future objectives aim to raise awareness about the kidnapping of Indigenous women with the REDress project. According to the official website, the REDress project seeks to collect 600 red dresses by community donation that will then be displayed in public spaces throughout Winnipeg and across Canada in an attempt

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to draw attention towards violence against Aboriginal women. Amnesty UTM also hopes to raise awareness about the ongoing struggle for democratic freedom in Eastern European countries such as Ukraine.

Sengupta explains, “Overall, Amnesty International wants to make a change with fundraisers and peti-

tions that can raise awareness about basic human rights, freedom, political oppression and arbitrary imprisonment.” Sengupta also elaborates on how they would like to set up Q&As with professors and students and to create mini lectures to present in classes, so that students across all disciplines can learn about various campaigns.

“One of UTM Amnesty’s goals is to create a discourse across all disciplines,” he says. “Students in political science, sociology, and psychology may talk about human rights in their classes, but students in natural sciences, for example, do not come into the conversation.”

Sengupta encourages students to advocate for causes they feel strongly about: “We want the campus to come up to us so we can give them the resources to help them. This is a crowd-sourced club. It’s not just the executives, but the students who get involved will drive this initiative.”

Sengupta emphasizes that volunteering with Amnesty International is a great way for UTM students to get involved, defend human rights, and to make a difference in the global community, where activities will also be recognized on their co-curricular record.

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THE MEDIUM 10.16.2017

Training students on professionalism Crime continued from page 9 “Forensic science is an applied field, where principles can be taken from other fields, with an added layer, and so it’s not less than any other field, it’s just that you have a forensic mindset,” explains Cahn, adding that with forensic science research, there is a practical end goal with a much more immediate outcome.

“Student research is very broad, where one student may use drones to map out accident scenes and assist with accident reconstruction.

And this is not a thought experiment, the outcome could be more accuracy, a quicker reconstruction, understanding safety, something very practical,” says the forensic anthropologist.

He also mentions the wide range of topics studied under the umbrella of forensic science: “You have the staples, such as finger printing methods and forensic anthropology, studying how bodies decompose in certain environments, and how to identify trauma in skeletal remains.

And students may also use drones and 3D mapping, where all the projects have an application.“ “The internship is also about professionalism and we do a lot of training in oral presentations and structure and how to convey information,” adds Cahn. The course also includes resume writing workshops.

“We also do mock interviews, where

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Forensic science includes a range of topics, such as fingerprinting and identifying skeletal trauma. students find a forensic job posting—something they would like to apply to, and they write up a cover letter and put together a CV or resume as if they were actually applying to the job.”

Addressing employment possibilities for students, Cahn states, “We have the HR director from the Centre of Forensic Sciences come in and give lectures on what they’re looking for in terms of interviewees, and we

also do mock trials, where we bring in actual lawyers to cross examine students based on their research as if they were on the stand, so they can get a little sliver of what it’s like.”

Students are also required to write a research proposal and learn how to apply for ethics approval, “They structure the questions they need to ask, how to analyze their data, and then how to present it,” says Cahn.

Students present their findings at the Forensic Science Day at the end of the school year. “A lot of them also go on to publish their results in the Journal of Forensic Sciences or Innocence Canada, or in-house bulletins, or make information guides for the coroner’s office, or the ministry of environment, or a variety of institutions where there is an outcome,” explains Cahn.

He emphasizes on the develop-

ment of transferrable skills through the course by saying that “Even if you don’t go into forensic science, you learn about project management, putting together a budget, making timelines, writing proposals—these are useful skills that students can adopt elsewhere.”

While mentioning the importance of adapting to a professional work environment and networking with colleagues, Cahn highlights independence of students in the course and how they are required to take initiative.

“Being at the coroner’s office, for example, students might look in on some autopsies, interview pathologists, they might get trained on how they do CT scanning of remains, and so they get skills by just being there,” he says. “And at the end of the day it’s still science, it’s still the scientific method they use, it’s still rigorous, it’s still statistics, outcomes, and self-reflections, and all those core tenants of research still exist.”

Cahn mentions that “It’s tremendously important to get experience and to get an accurate idea—you will never know 100 per cent and we give you a taste.” With regards to finding careers, he states: “It gives you some experience so you can make the right choices going forward and can proceed on a career path that is better for you. Again, there’s no rush, but it’s just good to know.”

A summer of initiatives When to report Vibhor Rohatgi presented his Silver Surfer Programme MICHAEL JACKMAN Second-year UTM student Vibhor Rohatgi, who is pursuing a specialist in environmental science, attended this year’s United Nations Youth Assembly in New York City.

The 20th session of the Youth Assembly at the United Nations ran from August 9th to August 12th, and centered around the theme “Society for All: Equity and Inclusion for a Sustainable Future.”

At the conference, Rohatgi presented his initiative, the Silver Surfer Programme, which teaches the elderly suffering from ‘empty nest syndrome’ how to connect with their family while they are abroad.

The United Nations Youth Assembly accepts over 1,000 qualified youth delegates from all over the world, representing 112 countries, to develop new social initiatives that help achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at a three-day conference in New York City. As described on the youth assembly’s official website, “guided by the overarching principle of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” the delegates enter into a series of competitions, events, and workshops where they learn from partner organizations, such as Microsoft, and network with like-minded global citizens.

There are 17 SDGs that are all aimed at improving the life, wellness, and sustainability of life worldwide. They include everything from peace, justice, and strong institutions, to climate action, to sustainable cities and communities.

Rohatgi says that he was targeting SDG #11 when he started the Silver Surfer Programme. SDG #11 aims to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.”

“With this problem [empty nest syndrome] in mind, my aim was to re-equip the elderly with the tools of technology” -Vibhor Rohatgi The second-year UTM student designed the Silver Surfer programme to help people cope with empty nest syndrome, which refers to feelings of depression, sadness, or grief experienced by parents and caregivers after children come of age and leave their childhood home.

Although the Journal of Counselling and Development does not describe the syndrome as a clinical diagnosis, it is referred to as “a

transition period in which many people experience feelings of loneliness or loss.” In an interview for The Scope - University of Utah Health Sciences Radio published on Oct 6, 2014, Dr. Kyle Bradford Jones explains the condition by saying, “You’re obviously excited for your kids to be moving forward in life and experiencing new things but you’re also experiencing negative emotions like grief, loneliness, or even depression.”

“With this problem in mind, my aim was to re-equip the elderly with the tools of technology,” says Rohatgi, “not only to make their lives easier, but also to enable them to connect better with their more tech-savvy family members.”

Rohatgi, hopes to connect recently empty-nested seniors with the online world through a series of free-of-charge workshops. With the help of student volunteers, participants are taught “skills such as social-networking through Facebook and email, online payments of utility bills such as electricity and water, and online medication management.”

This initiative is not yet available in Canada. However, Rohatgi says he has started approaching oldage homes in the GTA and hopes to make access possible in the near future.

Child continued from page 8 Friends, family members, teachers, and police must recognize certain signs of physical abuse including, but not limited to, children wearing long sleeves and pants in warm weather, aggressiveness, and the re-enactment of abuse on toys.

Emotional abuse targets a child’s self-esteem, self-worth, and emotional development, and signals may include non-medically related headaches, speech disorders, and intense nightmares. Sexual abuse is defined as using a child for “sexual gratification of an adult or an older child.” Children suffering from sexual abuse may exhibit urinary infections, bedwetting, and a fear of the dark.

Campbell explains that this year, the campaign focuses on bringing attention to the impacts of neglect.

Recent research in Ontario shows that Children’s Aid assists approximately 90% of their total associated families with neglect issues.

The OACAS defines neglect as a type of abuse that occurs when “a child’s caregiver fails to provide basic needs such as food, sleep, safety, supervision, appropriate clothing, or medical treatment.”

“Child abuse and neglect can really impact a child’s life. It can inhibit their ability to strive and flourish in life, and in the worstcase scenario, it can lead to their death,” Campbell says. “Neglect is

a form of abuse that we take equally seriously.”

Campbell explains that the campaign aims to further create resources for teachers to help their students, so they understand the types and subtle symptoms of abuse. In the classroom, teachers should encourage their students to seek help from a trusted adult and to speak up when they feel uncomfortable or in danger.

“I think the moral responsibility is important to focus on, but there is also a legal obligation” -Christina Campbell Despite the prevalent myth about the consequences of calling Children’s Aid to report a case of child, or youth abuse, and exploitation, Campbell reveals that they get approximately 165,000 calls per year from the public. This month’s campaign hopes to dispel the notion that seeking help will cause greater harm for a family, and instead emphasize the importance of contacting Children’s Aid for protection and support.

Local Children’s Aid Societies have welfare specialists ready to receive calls 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week.

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The powerful advantages of proteins Proteins can aid in weight loss, but it is very important to ensure you are consuming the correct amount LABINA KHALID

It seems that whenever people are looking to lose weight, they are told to work out, avoid sugar, have a low-fat diet, and eat a lot of protein.

While this is true, there is still a set amount of protein people should be having. There are foods enriched with protein, such as seafood, white meat poultry, milk, cheese, yogurt, eggs, beans, soy, and lean beef—with each of these having their own benefits.

Seafood is usually low in fat, but those that do have slightly higher fat have omega-3 fatty acids, which are considered healthy fats especially for the heart. According to Dr. Dina, two types of fatty acids are “found in fish, such as salmon, mackerel, halibut, and other seafoods” and a third type is found in “plant sources such as flaxseed.”

Poultry contains less fat than dark meat. The skin has saturated fat, so it should be removed before cooking to gain more of the healthy benefits.

Saturated fat is a type of fat that contains a high proportion of fatty acid molecules without double bonds and is less healthy in the diet than unsatu-

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There are many foods that are high in protein, including eggs, seafood, and beans. rated fat.

Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt contain calcium, and some even contain vitamin D in addition to protein. We should eat low fat dairy products. These will help strengthen our bones and teeth. It also

helps prevent osteoporosis, which reduces the density and quality of bones and increases the risk of fracture as the bones become fragile. According to Neils Peter Moller and associates, there are proteins in milk that are “immunomodulatory,” which means

they modulate immunity, which further reduces risk of illnesses.

Eggs are rich in proteins and are also the least expensive. Having eggs or greek yogurt at breakfast, along with a high-fibre grain like whole wheat toast, can help keep us fuller

longer and eat less throughout the day. This breakfast also requires little time, so it is the most convenient for a healthy diet and the morning rush.

A half cup of beans contains the same amount of proteins as an ounce of broiled steak. Beans are also rich in fibre, which helps to keep us fuller for longer periods of time. Consuming 50 grams of soy daily helps lower cholesterol by 3%. It is good for diabetic patients as it will help control their cholesterol levels. For non-diabetic people, it will help prevent them from developing diabetes. Neither soy nor beans contain any fat and are good for your heart.

Lean beef contains some saturated fat but is also an excellent source of protein, zinc, iron, and vitamin B12.

This should be something that is considered if you have low iron, anemia, or low vitamin B12.

If you are in a rush and have no time to cook a meal, consider having a meal replacement drink, cereal bar, or energy bar. As long as the product contains at least six grams of protein and is low in both sugar and fat, then you will get all the health benefits you need from having a cooked meal.

Women’s basketball loses last exhibition UTM women’s basketball team played their final exhibition game against the George Brown Huskies VANESSA CESARIO SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

On Thursday, October 12, the UTM women’s varsity basketball team played their final exhibition game against the George Brown Huskies before their league opener on Saturday, October 21.

From the start of the game, George Brown came out strong and hungry for a win. They got the first basket of the game 10 seconds into the quarter. UTM had a slow start and fell behind by eight points within the first minute of play. The quarter ended 22-15 for George Brown.

In the second quarter, UTM’s frustration was evident. The ladies were scoring some baskets but it wasn’t enough to catch up to the Huskies. The women had chances but were missing a lot of layup opportunities. George Brown was sinking a lot of 3-point shots which put them ahead by 20 points at the end of the first half, leaving the score at 32-52.

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The UTM women’s basketball team played their last exhibition game before beginning their season.

UTM struggled mostly during the third quarter than in any other quarter of the game. George Brown

started off very strong and dominated the quarter. They continued to sink their shots, forcing the goal

differential to increase by 28 points and then to 30 points. George Brown’s Tianna Sullivan stood out as

one of the strongest and best players on the court. She created many opportunities for her teammates while also scoring many points herself.

With under two minutes to go in the third, UTM was down by 35 points.

The third quarter ended 40-73.

In the final quarter of the game, the UTM women worked hard to catch up to George Brown. They began sinking baskets and playing much better than they did previously in the game. The crowd began cheering loudly and encouraging the women to show resilience against George Brown. Despite their hard-fought fourth quarter, George Brown took the game 58-89.

UTM has their first home game of the season on October 25 against the Niagara College Knights. This is the first year that the UTM women’s basketball team will be competing at the varsity level, so practice and training is key to having a successful season. They are a team filled with talent that just needs more experience playing at a higher level.

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Foods for brain memory and function With exam season around the corner, improving brain memory will serve to be very beneficial SARA AWAN

There are certain foods that are said to improve brain function and memory. Regardless of what age you are, keeping your brain healthy is imperative for living a long and wholesome life.

Studies show that individuals who can consume fish at least three times in one week are found to display the highest amounts of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA, which is naturally present within the brain, is an omega-3 fatty acid that helps with memory and cognitive functioning.

A great way to spice up your palate whilst improving your mental health is using curry. Research shows that curry works up to be more than just a delicious cuisine. In fact, it harbors a chemical that removes amyloid plaque from the brain and in turn reduces chances of Alzheimer’s disease, a disease in which patients undergo substantial memory loss. Curry is a blanket term for many cuisines, and the key ingredient within it is turmeric.

According to Uma Naidoo, turmeric is an ingredient found in curry that appears to be responsible for de-

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Power your brain this year with beneficial foods that can aid in memory improvement. plaguing the brain. Naidoo also explains that turmeric, also referred to as “Indian gold,” has properties that benefit the brain, making you almost as bright as its own fiery complexion.

The ingredient responsible for this powerful herb’s effects on the brain is known as curcumin. Naidoo says,

“Curcumin has been found to possess neuroprotective properties, and may help shield the brain against Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by binding to and eliminating toxic beta-amyloid plaques, which are a hallmark of AD.” Naidoo also goes on to say that the medicinal benefits of turmeric

extend beyond just prevention in the case of Alzheimer’s. Studies reveal that it can also assist with psychosomatic symptoms in ongoing cases.

Moreover, this ancient herb seems to help people cope better with depression, so if you have the blues, grab a pinch of this golden powder

and sprinkle your way to a healthier, happier, mind.

While we may not all be able to be as smart as Einstein, it appears we have our own strain of magic beans to help with brain health and better cognition. Richard Naugle, Ph.D., states that beans are filled with amino acids, vitamin B, and antioxidant properties Beans and legumes are a perfect alternative for a red bull to keep you going through a long day.

According to an article released by the LexisNexis Academic, you should build up your own iron armor of memory with dark leafy greens rich in vitamins. Filled with antioxidants that help improve learning and acquisition, spinach not only protects but also improves brain health and functioning.

You may hate the memory of eating broccoli, but rest assured, your memory is going to love this superfood. High in vitamin A, C, and K, this tumour-inhibiting food is the perfect detox for the brain.

As exam season is fast approaching, students should be paying special attention to ways they can ensure their brains are working at optimal levels in order to ace their exams.

UTM soccer travels to Sudbury for game UTM’s varsity women’s soccer travels north to Sudbury to face Cambrian Golden Shield in league match VANESSA CESARIO SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

This past reading week, the UTM women’s varsity soccer team played their third last game of the season against Cambrian Golden Shield in Sudbury, Ontario. Despite the shining sun, the air was cool and fans were forced to cover themselves in jackets and blankets.

The women only had 14 players with five unable to attend. In UTM’s previous game against the Sheridan Bruins, team co-captain Danica Post got into a heated altercation with a Sheridan player— both players received red cards, leaving Post unable to play against Cambrian.

Since the game was on a Tuesday and during reading week, four of the girls were unable to attend with another player suffering from injuries.

In the first half, the UTM women were slow and looked very drained from their travels. They struggled to get through the Cambrian defense line and had very few chances to score. The women were quiet on the field and not

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The UTM women’s soccer team played their third last game of the season this past reading week. opening for one another, which lead Cambrian to lead the game 2-0 within the first half. Cambrian player, Tiffany Johnson, posed a major threat for the UTM defense and is easily Golden Shield’s

strongest player.

At halftime, the ladies discussed what needed to be done for the second half. Head coach, Damian Yearwood, did well to keep the ladies positive while also explaining

what he felt needed to be changed in order to have a better and more successful second half.

The second half came and the ladies came out stronger than before. Cambrian still managed

to scrape a goal in within the first five minutes of play, but the women looked calmer and more composed. UTM forward, Sirsly Abakah-Etrue, got injured about 10 minutes into the half due to a cleated kick to the knee by a Cambrian defender, leaving UTM down to only two substitute players. Abakah-Etrue is now suffering from possible medial collateral ligament and meniscus injuries. In the 66th minute of play, Cambrian scored their fourth goal of the game from an unbelievable play

by Johnson. Johnson had the ball at her feet and used her speed to get around four UTM players to score a goal for Cambrian. The game ended 4-0 for the Cambrian Golden Shield.

The last time UTM had played Cambrian was roughly two weeks prior on September 30th where they lost 9-2. Although the result was not what the women would have hoped for, it is still a clear improvement from the previous time they played each other. The women have two games left in the season and are looking to end on a positive note.