Volume 45 Issue 7

THE VOICE CE OF THE UNIVERSITY OFF TORONTO MISSIS MISSISSAUGA

October 29, 201 8 Volume 45, Issue 7 themedium.c a

Food Centre reopens

Burgers and student politics

Gallery hopping 101

A family’s journey to grad

Eagles land in sixth at OCAA

News, page 2

Opinion, page 4

Arts, page 5

Features, page 8

Sports, page 11

UTM expansion to bring new facilities Principal Ulrich Krull touched on what the expansion means for the university in the coming year KAYVAN AFLAKI ASSCIATE NEWS EDITOR Since 1972, the main atrium of the William G. Davis building, known as the Meeting Place, has remained untouched. As of 2018, UTM embarked on a year-long revitalization of the Meeting Place. Construction is set to expand the William G. Davis building’s existing infrastructure to better accommodate the campus’ needs in regard to seating space and architectural design.

The construction seeks to double the seating capacity, make the main entryway more accessible, and expand food services to deliver healthy choices with options reflective of campus needs. The project has been completed under the supervision of Moriyama & Teshima Architects.

The new, renovated Meeting Place will have “an open, barrier-free, lightfilled design, including skylights, sliding glass walls and new furniture”, as reported by a U of T media release.

The project will also aim for LEED certification at the Silver level or better, featuring local materials, energyefficient equipment, water-efficient fixtures and low maintenance native plantings. Renovation is expected to

YASMEEN ALKOKA/THE MEDIUM

Krull says this is an “exciting development for UTM.” be finished by early 2019.

Construction of the new Meeting Place, coupled with the ongoing development of the New North building, highlight UTM’s rapid expansion across campus. The Medium spoke to UTM President Ulrich Krull regarding UTM’s future goals for growing

campus infrastructure. Key discussion points included the continued restoration of the Meeting Place and the projected construction of a new science research facility.

“This is an exciting development for UTM,” explained Krull on the topic of adding a new research build-

ing on campus.

“UTM is investing in research at a level that is commensurate with that of a leading global institution. A new building focused on research will push UTM forward as a full contributor to the goals and aspirations of U of T, reflecting the university’s mission

of being an internationally significant research university, with undergraduate, graduate and professional programs of high quality.”

Krull explained that the new building would also be the largest financial undertaking pursued by the university to date.

“This would be the largest capital project ever built by U of T on any of the three campuses.”

Krull went on to elucidate that several external reviews identified the urgent need for additional laboratory research space at UTM. As part of the new research facility, a new therapeutics research wing known as the Centre for Medicinal Chemistry (CMC) is slated to open.

According to a media release by the University of Toronto, the new space, totaling 7,134 net assignable square metres (15,552 gross square metres), “will complement UTM’s plans for accelerated faculty hiring and graduate student recruitment.”

The CMC alone is projected to grow to include approximately 130 graduate students, research associates and post-doctoral fellows by the 2022-23 academic year.

Krull continued on page 2

Incumbents win another term in GTA elections Landslide victories for Bonnie Crombie and Matt Mahoney keep them in office for four more years ALI TAHA NEWS EDITOR

After the GTA-wide elections on October 22, Bonnie Crombie will continue as mayor of Mississauga, receiving almost 77 per cent of the population’s vote. Runner-up Kevin J. Johnston finished the elections with 14 per cent.

During her campaign, Crombie promised to advocate for rapid transit on Dundas Street from UTM to Kipling Subway Station. She also promised to continue to support the city’s annual $1 million contribution to UTM, as well as expand on the partnership between UTM and the city.

Incumbent John Tory received approximately 64 per cent of the vote, solidifying his position as mayor of Toronto.

Tory surpassed runner-up Jennifer Keesmaat, who received almost 25 per cent of the vote. During his campaign, Tory committed to keeping Toronto affordable. One of his biggest promises during the campaign was

BONNIE CROMBIE/TWITTER

Crombie promised to support the city’s annual $1 million contribution to UTM. his “SmartTrack” transit plan. According to Global News, the proposal would create an $8 billion, 22-stop “surface subway.”

The track, which Tory says will run

all-day, would go all the way from the east end of Mississauga to Unionville, Markham.

“Commuters who live in Scarborough or Etobicoke and work down-

town, for instance, who have to transfer from buses onto packed subway platforms, will save 20 or 30 minutes on a one-way trip,” Tory stated in a media release.

Councillors Stephen Dasko won Ward 1 with almost 48 per cent of the vote.

Karen Ras won Ward 2 with a landslide 93 per cent.

Chris Fonseca won Ward 3, and received 74 per cent of the vote.

John Kovac won Ward 4 with 53 per cent.

Carolyn Parrish won Ward 5 with 64 per cent of the vote.

Ward 6 incumbent Ron Starr obtained a narrow victory with 36 per cent of the vote.

Dipika Damerla won Ward 7 with 41 per cent of the vote.

Ward 8, which encompasses UTM, was won by incumbent Matt Mahoney after receiving 78 per cent of the vote.

Pat Saito won Ward 9 with 78 per cent of the vote.

Ward 10 went to Sue McFadden after she received 90 per cent of the vote.

George Carlson won Ward 11 with 69 per cent of the vote.

Mayors continued on page 3

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«NEWS

THE MEDIUM 10.29.2018

UTMSU food centre reopens Food centre makes a come-back after “communication breakdown”

October 19th, 2018 Police Assistance Campus Police attended the Instructional Building for a student experiencing medical distress. The student was transported to hospital.

October 20th, 2018 Police Assistance Campus Police, EMS and Peel Police attended a residence for a student October 22nd, 2018 Police Assistance Campus Police attended the CCT building for a student trapped in an elevator. Elevator technician attended and the student was freed.

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

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

Anyone with information regarding any of these incidents, or any other incident, is requested to contact the UTM Campus Police at 905828-5200, Peel Regional Police at 905-453-3311, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

OLIVIA ADAMCZYK/THE MEDIUM

New building to be done by 2021

The Food Centre resembles a micro-grocery store.

TARA VARELA

Last month, the University of Toronto Mississauga Student’s Union (UTMSU) re-opened their Food Centre, a food bank-like service that provides non-perishable items to University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) students.

The service, headed by the UTMSU’s VP Equity, Leena Arbaji, is co-managed by the Equity and Diversity office, and aims to provide food insecure students with accessible and healthy food alternatives to the existing ones on campus.

Arbaji proposed the revitalization of the Food Centre after observing the unaffordable and unhealthy food options on campus.

“Sometimes I would have to take the bus home, so that meant I could only afford a bagel from Tim Hor-

tons,” she said. Observing experiences like her own propelled Arbaji to ensure that students did not have to choose between a meal and bus fare.

Located in DV2102, the Food Centre resembles a micro-grocery store.

Its shelves are stocked with canned fruit, dehydrated meat, rice, and pasta. The space also has a section dedicated to sanitary products such as razors, toothpaste, and toilet paper.

All UTM students are entitled to use the Food Centre. It is studentdriven, and funded by a $0.50 levy included in tuition. Students only need to provide their name and student number, that is recorded in a private log, to begin using the service. Each student is eligible for up to twenty items per week, free of charge.

The Mississauga Food Bank provides non-perishable items, while the Food Centre Coordinator, Nicole Sciuli purchases the sanitary products from

Walmart.

According to fourth-year student and biology major Cynthia Ton, the Food Centre provides access to basic human rights, it’s not just a privilege.

“Many people think that they are not ‘poor enough’ to use the Food Centre, but if you have ever had to choose an unhealthy option or smaller portion just to get through the day, the Food Centre is for you,” she said in an interview with The Medium.

The Food Centre is advertised as a service for any food insecure student, regardless of socioeconomic status.

“We want to encourage students to use the service. Our goals are to prioritize student needs and advocate for food equity across campus,” said Sciuli.

Students are able to make needsbased requests for food products and sanitary items at the Centre.

U of T to ban smoking Smoking policy reviewed during governing council meeting HARRIS WATKINS

PHOTO FROM PEXELS.COM

The new building will be environmentally sustainable.

Krull continued from page 2 Other building occupants are projected to include the forensic sciences program and a high-performance computing data centre.

The new building will be funded by capital reserves, long-term borrowing, donations, and a contribution from the U of T Office of the Vice-President and Provost. It is expected to be complete by 2021. According to Krull, it will also match previous UTM construction project environmental-standards.

“The building will continue UTM’s tradition of environmental

sustainability by attaining a Silver certification in the LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] green building programme.”

Krull also touched on the university’s pursuit of growing its Mathematics and Computational Sciences department by exploring robotics.

“We are in the process of proposing a robotics laboratory building that would serve as a research home for a computer science cluster focused on machine learning,” Krull concluded. “More details will be provided as they are made available.”

The Governing Council, which is responsible for overseeing the academic, business, and student affairs of the University, met last Thursday amid discussions of the Ontario government’s recent free speech mandate, and a possible change of plans for smoking on the University of Toronto campuses.

When the topic was brought up

by President Meric Gertler, Gertler was quick to note that the University “of course had a long and principled history of supporting academic freedom and freedom of expression on our three campuses.” He assured the Council that “our analysis indicates that our existing policies which were approved by our Governing Council back in 1992 already meet the requirements of the provincial regulations, which are based on the

so-called Chicago Principles [of Free Expression].”

Following his earlier point, Gertler said that the University’s website dedicated to free speech— released several months before the Ford government’s announcement of their free speech policy — had become a point of reference for other colleges and universities across Ontario who were themselves looking on how to structure a robust free speech policy.

Gertler noted that this fact was a “point of pride” for the university.

In regard to the upcoming rule change of no smoking on school property, one member of the council raised concerns with the plan, stating that she felt it was necessary for there to be further consultations with “student groups and labour groups”, due mainly to the fact that St. George students and employees have access to an abundance of public property (where they can le-

gally smoke), whereas students and employees at both the Mississauga and Scarborough campuses would have to physically leave the campus to find public property. Furthermore, the council member expressed concern at how the university may choose to address those who choose to not follow the new smoking rules.

Scott Mabury, Vice-President of University Operations, insisted that the staff and faculty of the University must remain mindful of the health benefits which accompany becoming a smoke-free campus. Mabury elaborated on the council member’s concerns of how punishments would be distributed to those who continued to smoke on school property, saying that the university would handle policy violations in an “evolutionary” way, rather than a hard-stop once the new rules come into effect.

‘New North’ name MIA

10.29.2018 THE MEDIUM NEWS

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Naming process may take several more months to finish

HUMANS OF UTM

YASMEEN ALKOKA/THE MEDIUM

“I’ve been doing this since grade nine. I joined by high school drumline. It was just like a fun little informal drumline that started out playing for sports events and stuff and then we eventually went on to have a full indoor percussion show. There’s a whole culture surrounding it.

I’m into drum corps. Drum corps is like a very competitive marching band. I go to the states to do this. I’m going in November actually, to audition for a group in Iowa, called the Colts.

“The greatest number of suggestions related to nature,” said Fazilat.

MELISSA BARRIENTOS ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR During the February of 2018, with the construction of the north building’s second phase underway, a committee called the North2 Naming Committee was created to facilitate name suggestions from the UTM community.

The North2 Naming Committee, consisting of UTM students, staff, faculty and an alumnus, sent out an announcement about their “Name the Building” initiative to invite all the members of the UTM community to participate. From the suggestions submitted, the committee then recommended several to UTM VicePresident & Principal Ulrich Krull for consideration and administration through the U of T governance.

In an interview with The Medium,

UTM’s Chief Administrative Officer Saher Fazilat stressed that “the ‘Name the Building’ initiative was not a contest, but rather an invitation to our community members to solicit names that would then be considered by the committee.”

The ‘Name the Building’ initiative closed its submission window on February 25th, 2018 with approximately 700 submitted suggestions from the community.

“The greatest number of suggestions related to nature”, Fazilat told The Medium, “names in recognition of people both current and historical, and names of an Indigenous nature.”

Intrigued by the latter, the North2 Naming Committee has “unanimously recommended that an Indigenous name be considered for the new building.” Its naming strategy was

later approved by VP-Principal Krull.

“At this point, UTM will be engaging in consultations with our indigenous community to arrive at an appropriate name”, continued Fazilat.

“This thoughtful process requires more time, and it will likely be several more months before we are able to submit possible indigenous name recommendations to VP-Principal Krull.

The final decision on a name is approved through U of T governance.”

Currently, UTM’s newest north building, home to the Departments of English & Drama, Philosophy, Historical Studies, Language Studies, Political Science and Sociology, is temporarily being called “new North”

by UTM administration until a name can be finalized.

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I practice every day. I usually practice in my room - I live in res - but I figured I’d come outside because today was one of the last warm days we’re probably going to get, and this courtyard is nice and blocked from the wind.”

Matt wins ward 8

UTMSU burger crisis UTMSU face backlash after requiring signatures for food

PHOTO FROM MATTMAHONEY.CA

Mahoney hopes to continue to ensure public safety.

Mayors continued from page 1

OLIVIA ADAMCZYK/THE MEDIUM

UTMSU faces allegations in regards to gaining petition signatures.

ABE GEORGE

The University of Toronto Mississauga Student Union has come under criticism for allegedly encouraging students to sign a petition opposing the newly-elected provincial Progressive Conservative Party’s move

to freeze the formerly-ruling Liberal Party’s minimum wage hike, in exchange for free food.

The story went viral after The Daily Wire, a prominent online publication, featured a piece by Harry Khachatrian that questioned the ethics of a student-funded union.

While UTMSU president Felipe

Nagata asserted to The Daily Wire that a refusal to sign the petition did not result in a denial of food.

The Medium reached out to Nagata for comment on the event and was unable to receive a response as of press time. This article will be updated as we receive more information.

Ward 8 Matt Mahoney, Incumbent councillor for Ward 8, won re-election with a landslide 80 per cent of the vote.

Part of Mahoney’s platform included continuing his support of Crombie’s ‘Making Room for the Middle’ initiative, which aims to keep housing affordable for middleclass families.

Mahoney also hopes to continue working with Peel Regional Police and Crime Stoppers to ensure public safety.

UTSC For the University of Toronto Scarborough Ward, incumbent Councillor Neethan Shan lost to Jennifer McKelvie. Mckelvie is a former U of T student and UTSC Campus Council member.

The race was close, with McKelvie receiving 41 per cent of the vote to Shan’s 39 per cent.

According to her website, Mckelvie’s main goal is advocating for “long-term [..] funding for transit infrastructure,” including an Eglinton East Light Rapid Transit (LRT), as well as a 3-stop Scarborough Subway Extension.

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10.29.2018

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A case of burger remorse The story unfolds in the heart of UTM. As I approached the student centre on October 15th, I noticed a table at the entrance advertising free burgers. My mind went blank when I heard the word “free” mentioned by a lingering group of students. I rushed into line. Once I got to the front, I was told I would need a ticket to get a burger. My first thought was that I would need to pay for this ticket. I remember feeling betrayed by the lingering students as I angrily eyed the UTMSU representative. However, the student union member reassured me.

I just needed to sign a simple petition to get a ticket. As any person would, I asked what the petition was about.

She informed me that the petition rallied against Doug Ford’s policy to freeze minimum wage at $14 an hour and that, if signed, I would have a better chance at paying off student loans after graduation. People behind me started to go in front, as I weighed my options. Students further back in line ogled me, as if my uneasiness meant something was wrong. To most, the choice was clear: get the burger!

In the corner of my eye, I saw my bus rolling to a stop at the street side.

Hungry and tired from a full day of class, I scratched my name onto the paper and grabbed a burger without a second thought. On the bus, I questioned why I would sign something I disagreed with. I had come down with a case of burger remorse. Indigestion from UTMSU partisan politics had my stomach churning. I wondered if

the other students that waited in line with me also felt this way, or, did most students see the petition merely as a meal ticket? One thing was certain, the lack of discussion served as proof that students were unaware of the inexplicit cost attached to the “free burger.”

As I passed by the Croatian church on my normal bus route, I criticized UTMSU for their favourability of liberal students. If you were a conservative and didn’t agree with their stance on Doug Ford’s minimum wage freeze, you were not only left burgerless, but also publicly chastised for speaking against the movement. I will never forget the looks of shock and confusion on nearby students’ faces, after I questioned the intent of the petition and the unprecedented claims that “all students should want this” because “it’ll help you pay off any student loans” made by the UTMSU member on duty.

I decided to ask UTM Campus Conservatives about how they felt— as conservative students—about UTMSU’s practices. I hoped that they could relate, and even speak on similar situations they encountered with the UTM student body. On behalf of the club, president Harris Bajes Watkins insists that “UTMSU is taking advantage of those on campus who want free food in exchange for doing their political bidding.”

In addition to the UTM Campus Conservatives, I asked the Political Science and Pre-Law Society’s presi-

dent Rupinder Liddar to issue a statement, involving his take on what had happened. Liddar explains that “with any governing body, we must ask ourselves: Who are they claiming to represent and are they doing this with the utmost transparency?”

According to the UTMSU “Constitution and By-Laws”, they claim to “represent students registered at the University of Toronto Mississauga.”

To clarify, the preceding does not state that the student union should “represent students registered at the University of Toronto of Mississauga that adopt liberal ideologies”, but instead implies that it should aim to represent all students within the university, including those with conservative beliefs. Beliefs which offer some truth, as Watkins confirms, “‘as per the Bank of Canada, the scheduled increases in minimum wage for the future [as per 2017]’ will result in ‘an employment decline to the tune of 60,000 jobs, a decrease in consumer consumption vis-à-vis the increased interest rates’”.

Well, there goes my chance to easily “pay off any student loans!” Thanks a lot, UTMSU. This brings me to the second half of Liddar’s question, where he suggests we consider whether UTMSU is representing the student body with “the utmost transparency”. Page 70 of the union Policy Manual suggest that “universities and colleges must be open to public scrutiny, open in their accounts, open in their governance, policies and administration,

open in their debates, and open in their decision-making processes.

Openness and transparency must be the normal operating procedure for universities and colleges.” If UTMSU followed their policy manual, then why wasn’t there more discussion between the student union members and student body about the actual legislature? Watkins responds by saying that it’s because “actions like these are precisely the standard of behaviour which UTM students have come to expect from their supposed ‘representatives’”.

Incidents like this one have become normalized across the UTM campus, to the point where students no longer see the use in querying about a petition, before signing. I was a witness to this, as I watched students mindlessly line up in pursuit of a free lunch. The act wasn’t seen as a means “to bring students together to discuss and co-operatively achieve necessary’ … ‘legislative change” —as stated in the society’s “Constitution and ByLaws”—but instead, was recognized around campus as “the spot to get free burgers.” It is safe to say that forcing a student to adopt liberal ideologies is an aggressive and ineffective way of “discussing and achieving” necessary legislature change. I call for UTMSU to reassess their practices and learn from this incident, as did I, after I fell ill with a serious case of burger remorse.

GRACE MEANY

Going beyond the undergrad As a university student it’s tough to want to think that your path into a career can’t go anywhere outside the bounds of a Master’s/Ph.D. or jumping right into any career.

The mentality that university is the only path to a career may not be the same as it used to be anymore, however pursuing other options as a means of achieving your “dream job” is just as plausible as attaining a masters is.

I want you to know that your destination and your path to what you want to do in your life is not limited to the university degree you achieve. Don’t hold the prestige behind a masters degree or a Ph.D. as the sole reason for going into grad school.

For your personal growth, it’s essential to understand that the pursuit of knowledge and learning does not end at the end of your degree. The college experience, internships, apprenticeships, masters, etc. are all viable options and experiences that contribute to your ability to be truly in the work that you love. I’ve discussed this issue before; we all hope to be students forever, yet we tell ourselves it’s over after our undergrad. I mean sure, as we grow older we don’t have a u-pass anymore, services that help us, and the comfort of being in school is gone.

That doesn’t mean that our ability to

keep learning shuts down.

I write this editorial as a reminder to myself and you that your life in whichever career you choose to involve yourself in, is never going to be steady nor is it going to be easy. If you just look for what’s steady, you look for comfort. For some, this is exactly what they hope to achieve and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. If you want to have experiences that push you to your limits, and allow an exploration of a whole slew of ideas and workplaces, it is in your best interest to de-stigmatize learning beyond an undergraduate degree. Attending a college after your undergrad is great for you to expand and specialize. Going to college or an apprenticeship lives on the same level as completing a master’s program.

Being ignorant of the possibilities from all kinds of educational institutions, pleads ignorance to the openness to various means of growth. Ultimately life is the pursuit of knowledge, the understanding that in the time that we have, we have to at least allow ourselves to pursue what we have access to without limiting ourselves and saying “well that’s all the learning I need to do, university means I am ready for the world.”

The truth is that the “real world”

doesn’t care that you went to university. As “prestigious” as you may think university is, it isn’t the be all end all.

The real world wants to know that you’re willing to continuously place yourself in a position to learn. This doesn’t apply to every field of work that exists, but for most it does.

The college, university, apprenticeship, etc., debate about one being higher than the other is an age-old argument that surprisingly still carries through students in universities. If you still hold yourself in a high regard and look down upon those who are in college programs or other means of education, you’ve failed yourself and limited yourself already in your own pursuit of knowledge.

I encourage everyone to be open to all means of learning. A few years ago, I completely shut myself out of the idea of ever pursuing a post-graduate program at any institution. Now I’m in one, and I couldn’t have been more grateful that I decided to do so.

Learning never ends. If you continue to attend UTM and still hold the fact that you attend “Canada’s #1 University” as the crutch of your success in your future, I’m afraid you won’t get far. Be willing to work and learn in a post-graduate program of any choice and don’t hold back that creative and

curious feature that we all have within us. Open yourself up to the experience of being outside of your comfort zone and listen to the clichés of “achieving your dreams” that are repeated over and over.

Dreams can’t be dreams if you turn them into goals and pursue them.

Most importantly, breathe, relax, and take your time. You don’t need to be working in exactly 6 months after you’ve graduated. Your life will only go at a pace you want it to go at. Do the best you can, be the best you can and you’ll find yourself to be in a happier more understanding place than before.

Don’t downplay the college experience, and don’t hold the university experience in a higher regard than anything else. You don’t need to know what you want to achieve now at UTM. Explore all of UTM’s massive opportunities and engage as much as possible. But continue that search for new knowledge and work even after you graduate from here.

Your life may look like a wild mess in its future, but when you look back, it’ll be a perfectly paved road that you created at your own pace.

YOURS, MAHMOUD SAROUJI

10.29.2018

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Gallery hopping through Toronto’s West End Art Toronto hosts a complimentary gallery hop through Toronto’s best contemporary art exhibits ETHAN SANSOM

In the year 2000, the fledgling Toronto International Art Fair was hosted for the first time in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Almost two decades later, the fair, now simply known as Art Toronto, is one of Canada’s most important annual art events, attracting professional curators and casual fans alike from across North America and abroad.

Since its inception, Art Toronto has worked to extend Canada’s influence upon the international art scene and to make Toronto a cultural destination known the world over. While this means catering to the diverse tastes of international art purveyors—nearly half of Art Toronto exhibits feature works by nonCanadians—the fair’s dedication to Toronto and the city’s local artists has not flagged.

To highlight Toronto’s modern and contemporary art offerings, this year’s fair organized the West End Gallery Hop, which gave art enthusiasts the opportunity to visit 17 of the city’s premier contemporary art galleries free of charge on October 26 from 6-10PM. Galleries participating ranged from the large, such as MOCA Toronto, to the small and the unknown.

MELANIE ASSELIN/THE MEDIUM

The Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto was one of the participating galleries in the hop.

On Tecumseth Street are the Georgia Scherman Projects, Birch Contemporary, and Susan Hobbs Gallery—three unassuming low-slung buildings tucked around the corner from the thoroughfare of Queen West. Entering the first, the Georgia Scherman Projects, visitors are met by the work of Melanie Autheir, an Ottawa-based abstract artist. The large gallery room walls are lined with pieces from her exhibit Amplitude of the Infinite, a collection of nine acrylic on canvas paintings. Autheir’s particular style, on display in paintings including “Digger’s Mantra,” “Staggered Acts,” and “Cowgirl Melee,” combines the abrupt transitions

of the hard-edge movement with the contradictory spontaneity of the gestural. In the resulting forms, Autheir hopes viewers can recognize familiar scenes, such as a flowing river, the shape of a leaf, or a mountain, based on their individual impressions of the painting. Such recognition, she says, provides moments within each painting which anchor viewers to an idea and pull them into the scene.

Steps away, in the gallery’s adjoining room, are seven pieces by Anishinaabe photographer, performer, and sculpture, Rebecca Belmore. The pieces, most of which are pigment prints, capture portions of Belmore’s performative works, which tackle

themes of social injustice and discrimination. Among these are matriarch, keeper, and 1st and Ontario, a photograph depicting a single figure and a tent, which comments on the plight of the homeless in the midst of the city’s rapid real-estate development.

Just a few minutes’ walk away at 980 Queen Street West sits another participating gallery, Paul Petro Contemporary Art, which houses the works of Robert Wiens, an Ontariobased artist whose depictions of the natural in his exhibit Virginia Creeper, Manitoba Maple demonstrates his commitment to environmentalism.

Viewers in the gallery’s bottom floor

are surrounded by small framed watercolor paintings of mushrooms and large paintings of forested views, pinned to the walls with tacks. Upstairs, Wiens’ wooden sculpture, aptly named “Log,” lies unceremoniously on the floor beneath the framed 8-foot tall “White Pine,” one of several detailed watercolor depictions of tree bark for which Wiens’ is known.

Walk a few minutes further, and you will find visitors to the General Hardware Contemporary, the temporary home of Peterborough born Alex Bierk’s exhibit The Place at the End. Throughout the gallery are scattered pieces of ephemera of Bierk’s small hometown, including an enlarged newsprint, graffiti covered panels, a plywood sign. The pieces, which also include oil paintings such as “The Blue Road,” depicting a tree lined highway, detail the artist’s youth in Peterborough, including his struggles with addiction and the loss of his parents, and his experience of coming to see his birthplace in a new light as an adult. While the imagery used is specific and deeply personal, the relatable theme of returning to a home, now different with the passage of time, runs throughout the exhibit.

Art Toronto runs from October 26-29 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Theatre Erindale ready to make a splash Marissa Orjalo and Karen Scora discuss the rehearsal process of Theatre Erindale’s Metamorphoses REBECCA FLEMISTER

This week, Theatre Erindale will open their 2018- 2019 season with Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses.

Directed by David Matheson, Metamorphoses is an epic survey of famous Greek myths and legends. The fourth-year theatre and drama studies students tackle a unique challenge in their first mainstage show, acting in and around a 10,000-liter pool that has been constructed in Erindale studio theatre. The Medium sat down with cast members Karen Scora and Marissa Orjalo, who both play one of the three fates, to discuss their characters, the production process, working with a unique set, and bringing this fantastical show to life.

In Greek mythology, the fate Clotho spun the “thread” of human fate, the fate Lachesis dispensed it, and the fate Atropos cut the thread, which determined the individual’s moment of death. In Metamorphoses, the fates act as narrators of the lives and deaths of the other characters in the play. When asked about her role in the show, Scora says, “in the rehearsal process, we’ve been looking at the fates as the people who are creating the stories for the first time.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARISSA ORJALO AND KAREN SCORA

Marissa Orjalo (left) and Karen Scora (right) are cast members of the show.

The fates are three constant figures throughout who narrate and take part in the stories without being the stories themselves. They weave them together.”

The show is a collection of little stories that frame the themes of transformation and what it means to have love and to lose love. “They are small segments with a bunch of different characters, which makes it great for our cast of 20 people because it means there are parts for everybody in our first big show. And each story is a different kind of love,” Orjalo explains.

One of the more fantastical elements of the show is the fully functioning pool that has taken over the Erindale studio theatre. This set has provided both a unique opportunity and a unique challenge for the senior theatre and drama studies students in their final year of training.

“At first it was really difficult because we were in a rehearsal hall before the pool was ready, and it wasn’t the 3D space,” Scora admits. There wasn’t a shallow end or a deep end, so when we got into the actual theatre, everything would have to change. But we got into the theatre early, which was

really nice.”

Once the actors moved into the theatre, they were faced with a whole new set of challenges. Orjalo notes “one thing about rehearsing in water—it kind of sucks the life out of you. It’s ten times more difficult, I would say, than rehearsing on a regular stage would be. When people have intimacy scenes in the water or fight scenes in the water, I hear that they go home at the end of the day and just have to sleep and recover for the next day, so they can do it all over again.”

“And we haven’t gotten in costumes yet,” Scora adds. “So, it will be

really interesting to see what it will be like to have costumes in the water. Just how the fabric soaks up the water, and how they’ll drip on stage is going to change things. The way we move is going to change.”

A lot of work has gone into the construction of the massive, nearly ten-ton set. A time lapse of the construction can be seen on Theatre Erindale’s social media accounts. Orjalo gives credit where credit is due: “Just looking at the set and the work that the crew has been doing—I mean, we have a freaking pool on stage. That in itself is a success. It’s heated and filtered. What they put up in this theatre in such a small amount of time blows my mind.” Scora nods in agreement. “I just want people to walk in and say whoa!” She grins, “I’m excited for people who have been to Theatre Erindale for years to see what they’ve done with the space and what we are capable of as a theatre training program. That we can do something spectacular like this.” “And it will be cool for new people to see what’s going on in this little corner of the UTM campus,” adds Orjalo.

Metamorphoses will run at Erindale Studio Theatre from November 1-11.

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The Penelopiad: empowering female voices Director Michelle Langille and actor Amanda Cordner discuss presenting Margaret Atwood’s classic novella PAULA CHO A&E EDITOR

From November 9-24, Hart House Theatre presents The Penelopiad, a re-exploration of Homer’s Odyssey that focuses on the perspective of Penelope, the wife of Odysseus.

Written by Canadian icon Margaret Atwood, The Penelopiad chronicles the other side of the ancient Greek myth—one where Penelope speaks her truth and reflects on her version of events. Director Michelle Langille and actor Amanda Cordner, who plays Penelope, discuss their all-female ensemble, themes of accountability and empowerment, and why myths are equally relevant to a modern-day audience.

Penelope is most known for remaining faithful to Odysseus and keeping his castle safe over a span of twenty years while he fought at the Trojan War. However, upon his return, her untold hardship and fidelity is met with butchery and abuse.

For Langille, the underlying story of this show is about suppressed voices and the consequences of suppressing the voices of women in particular. Thus, an all-female cast to portray this narrative was the most natural choice. “One of the things Atwood seems to do in her multiple works, like The Handmaid’s Tale— they’re cautionary and I think this piece is feminist in that it makes us look at what has happened, what continues to happen, and what could happen. It’s told through a female lens, through female voices, through female experience. And so, I think the people to speak to that are women.”

PHOTOS FROM HARTHOUSE.CA

Amanda Cordner (left) and Michelle Langille (right) discuss themes of empowerment.

When asked how she is hoping to portray Penelope and if there had been any moment during the rehearsal process where she had to step outside her comfort zone, Cordner says, “Every day. I’m still finding her, but I’m hoping to portray her as honestly as I can. I want people to hear the ions of frustration and this voice that hasn’t been heard, ever. I think there’s an added layer, especially because this is a black female playing Penelope.

What is it to silence a black female who is now speaking up? How will audiences view that portrayal and this body speaking this text?”

“I try to find her voice through moments of vulnerability. I find that I lean into the comedic aspects of it, because it makes me very comfortable or I find a lot of comfort in it.

But there’s a lot of pain in this character, which Michelle beautifully

encourages me to explore.”

Langille mentions that she is interested in delving into themes of guilt and accountability, and how equally problematic it is to choose to be a bystander because it’s the easy or long-withstanding route.

“We are continually finding the relevance of this show: when Atwood wrote this play, it was particularly relevant and then it continues, sadly, to deepen in its relevance based on current events. The way that we direct this play now, right after something like the Kavanaugh hearings and appointment, is very different than how we would have directed six months ago or six years ago when Nightwood did it. What is the accountability of being a silent woman who is also silencing other women, but based on the given circumstances of the world?”

“We talk a lot of about being an

ally and a supporter, and just because I’m being silenced, there’s always someone being silenced more than me. What is that accountability and how do we step up to those challenges and acknowledge how we can help? So, in this instance, with a woman who is of high-ranking birth still silenced by virtue of being a woman, how does her silence affect the silencing of women who are born to be subservient?”

Although The Penelopiad concerns ancient mythology, the production addresses topics, such as the treatment of women, double standards involving sexuality, and the differing roles of men and women in relationships, that are poignant in conversation happening today. Langille explains, “I think something that’s interesting about myth or fairy tale or legend is that because they are not rooted in real-

ity, there’s a way we’re able to connect with them on a different level because we’re allowed to see it with an ‘oh, well that didn’t really happen’ lens. This can sometimes allow us to explore things a little deeper in many ways. There’s a reason why we tell these stories and sometimes, they allow us to see truth in a way we may not be able to [see otherwise], because we just shut down based on the traumatic reality of it.”

Both Langille and Cordner agree that the production has already been successful: “the process has been unbelievable. The women in the room, the people on this project, it’s a huge collaboration. We’ve been able to hit challenges where I’ve truthfully not known what the scene is supposed to be, and everyone’s wanted to figure it out together,” says Langille.

Cordner adds, “everyone’s dedication and commitment is astounding. For one person to not believe in it can really affect the energy and the forward motion of this project we’re building together. It’s amazing how much heart is going into this show. For me, I always want people to walk away thinking or to have unearthed maybe something that they didn’t think of before. Those conversations that happen as you’re walking out—that’s always my goal with theatre. I think it was Djanet Sears, she said in an interview on CBC, that she wants theatre to enchant, educate, and entertain, and that’s what I strive for. That’s success to me.”

The Penelopiad runs at Hart House Theatre from November 9-24.

The importance of cyberspace compassion Hart House Theatre presented a one-night show of Fake Nerd Girl, starring Chloe Payne DELANEY ROMBOUGH

Fake Nerd Girl is a one-woman show written and performed by Chloe Payne. This performance was put on by Hart House Theatre and Information Services at the University of Toronto to promote Cyber Security Awareness Month. The show is about an adolescent girl named Olive Fallowfield (Payne) who is into all the stereotypical nerdy things like Dungeons and Dragons, video games, and Star Trek. When Olive gets her photo taken at FanExpo and posted on a cosplay website, internet trolls start making fun of her and calling her a fake nerd girl. Deeply upset by this, Olive decides to stand up for herself and prove to herself and the internet that girls can be loud and proud nerds just as much as guys can.

Payne performed and wrote a multilayered character very well. Olive is someone who just wants to fit in with her peers and the only way she knows how to do that is through nerd culture. She was able to show the strength and determination of Dark Nerd (which Olive calls herself to get revenge on the internet trolls)

Chloe Payne performs the one-woman show at the Hart House Theatre. as well as the vulnerability of being a young teenager and being rejected by your peers that you so badly want to fit in with. The whole play was only forty-five minutes long but in these forty-five minutes the audience was able to go on an emotional journey with Olive and feel her pain and feel her power.

In addition to Payne’s performance, she was assisted by a projector, a screen, and some shadow and puppet work done by Kaitlin Morrow. This was a great way to continue telling the story with nerdy, comic book doodles during costume

changes and breaks without breaking the pace of the show. It also kept the show interesting, light, and funny, even during more serious moments.

Since this play was put on to promote Cyber Security Awareness month, it only makes sense that one of the themes that was touched upon was cyberbullying. When Olive’s picture gets put up on the cosplay website, the internet trolls start posting hundreds of hurtful comments.

When these comments get under her skin, she starts to get vengeful. This is when Olive starts schooling her

PHOTO FROM HARTHOUSE.CA

friends at Dungeons and Dragons, winning video games on teams with boys, and hacking into the cosplay website. All Olive wants is an apology, but the cyberbullying doesn’t stop. There are still hundreds of hurtful comments online. This just goes to show that even when you are hidden behind a screen, online comments affect people in a real-life way.

There was also a feminist theme to this show. Throughout the show, it was implied that it had been boys who were posting the hurtful comments and making Olive feel like she wasn’t allowed to participate in nerd

culture. One of the things Olive likes to do is play video games, however, when she first enters multi-player mode, she enters a group with all guys who claim that she will hurt their kill streaks and game records, and ultimately make them lose the game. This was an unfair judgement for them to make because Olive was doing quite well in the game on her own. It was also a male photographer that posted the cosplay picture online, which spurred a lot of the drama in the show. However, at the end of the show, Olive standing up for herself online had gone viral, inspiring other nerd girls to continue to enjoy the things they love, and participate in nerd culture.

At its core, this show was about not being afraid to love the things you love just because someone else says you can’t. It was a comedic play with a serious message—things on the internet have a way of spiralling out of control and just because you’re hidden behind a screen online doesn’t make it okay to start spreading hurtful comments. After all, online comments have real world consequences.

Fake Nerd Girl ran at Hart House Theatre on October 23.

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NuMonic teaches self-expression NuMonic Hip Hop hosted a workshop with Nathan Tiangson

SAHIBA SHAH

MUHAMMAD ALI/THE MEDIUM

The room was filled with laughter and good energy.

GRACE MEANY

This past Thursday, NuMonic Hip Hop hosted a dance workshop near the RAWC, featuring instructor Nathan Tiangson. The class brought together students from different backgrounds to create a hip-hop community within UTM. The community included executives of the NuMonic Hip Hop team as well as students who were interested in culture and dance. Multi-Purpose Room A was filled with laughter and good energy as the class began and students got to try “locking” and “waacking.”

Tiangson, owner of Kindred Culture, was a kind and understanding instructor as he walked students through the steps in the routine. He encouraged dancers to approach him and ask questions, despite his intimidating title. As someone who has never danced, I was not scared to make a misstep and risk looking foolish. It was the perfect atmosphere

for a regular student in need of an outlet, especially during the next few months as we approach exam season.

As the owner of a hip-hop dance studio, Tiangson recognized the importance of educating his students on the origins of the dance. The instructor brought hip-hop back to its roots through his voice and movement. He says that his studio Kindred Culture “values art as a way of self-expression and empowerment. We believe that art can be an outlet for people who face challenges in their lives and that they can be empowered through art to overcome them.”

NuMonic Hip Hop’s president, Jessica Ong, had a like-minded view regarding hip-hop. She explained that, “for me, hip-hop dance is an activity to relieve stress and meet new people that share the same passion.”

The president of the club went on to share, “growing up, I used to be a shy person. I didn’t have the confidence to start conversations with other people or presenting in front of large

groups. When I was in high school, I came across dance videos on YouTube and decided to self teach myself choreography through online tutorials. By doing this, I slowly gained the courage to attend local hip-hop dance classes.” The hip hop workshop was a means for students like Ong to connect with others, self-express, and empower.

Other executives confirmed that classes, like the one I attended, are hosted twice a month. So, I asked the president of NuMonic Hip Hop why students, including myself, should attend future events hosted by the club.

Ong’s eyes lit up as she exclaimed, “UTM students should attend our future workshops if they are interested in learning urban hip-hop dance and meeting new dancers in the community.” She adds that NuMonic Hip Hop’s mission is to actively “create a positive environment for students, in which they can express themselves through dance.”

First published in 2004, Natasha and Other Stories is the debut work by Canadian author David Bezmozgis.

An immigrant himself, Bezmozgis explores the lives of a Russian-Jewish family and their immigrant experience in Canada. The book is comprised of several short stories that connect in many ways and are told mainly through the perspective of the protagonist, Mark Berman. The first story, “Tapka,” details the Berman family’s arrival in Toronto, Mark’s elementary school days, and his memories of a neighborhood dog named Tapka. The story takes us through Mark’s experience, among others, of learning new vocabulary, swear words, the concepts of responsibility and guilt, and the cruel exorbitance of veterinary fees.

Several stories in the text delve into the issues of social status, markers of wealth, and upward mobility. In “Roman Berman, Massage Therapist,” Mark’s father, alongside working at a chocolate factory, struggles with difficult English-language medical texts in order to get a license in massage therapy––work that he had previously done in Latvia without any accreditation. The story offers a glance into immigrants striving for better work in order to lead better a life. As evidenced by Roman Berman’s initial unsuccessful months running a therapeutic massage business, economic advancement for immigrants does not seem to be easy by any means.

A recurring theme in the stories is identity and its intersectionality.

Bezmozgis explores the intricate ways in which cultural, religious, sexual, and social identities intersect. For instance, the story “An Animal to the Memory” maps Mark’s Hebrew school days, cultural conflicts within the Jewish-Canadian community, as well as the remembrance of Jewish persecution on Holocaust Day. The story illustrates how intergenerational trauma conflicts with Mark’s internal struggle for identity––which turns out to be a lifelong, endless endeavor.

Trauma also plays an important role in the titular “Natasha,” which depicts the effects of troubled pasts, the thrills of sexual awakening, and the first instances of maturity.

The stories are arranged in chronological order, mapping Mark’s growth from childhood into adulthood.

However, Mark lurks in the background in a few of the stories, where other characters are given the spotlight. The text reveals several glimpses into the lives of the Jewish immigrant child, teen, adult, and elder, forming a spectrum of individual experiences.

With the final story, “Minyan,” Bezmozgis portrays the lives of elderly Jewish-Canadians, and how even on their deathbeds, people grapple with their identities. The text not only deals with the specifics of the JewishCanadian immigrant experience, but also the broader issues of how others define individuals and how individuals define themselves.

To read the rest of this article, visit themedium.ca.

Jenny Holiday: romance literature writer Jenny Holiday visited Professor Koeing-Woodyard’s Bad Romance lecture to discuss her career KEENA ALWAHAIDI ASSOCIATE A&E EDITOR

Bad Romance, even outside of Lady Gaga’s context, is a complex world to navigate. Just ask Canadian novelist Jenny Holiday. Last Friday, Professor Koeing-Woodyard arranged a Q and A with the Canadian romance writer to give insight on romance publishing and what making a living as a working writer is really like.

Professor Koeing-Woodyard’s Bad Romance class deals with romance novels of the past and present, exploring issues within love and life according to characters from Darcy and Elizabeth to a long list of the Bronte Sisters’ heroines. Jenny Holiday and her books fit right into the classics with their endless ways of navigating the age-old quest to find love.

The London, Ontario resident is the author of 18 novels, and was nominated for the prestigious 2018 RITA Award for Best Contemporary Romance: Long, an award presented by the Romance Writers of America.

Growing up in Minnesota, she began writing at a young age and is a USA Today bestselling author.

During the Q and A, Holiday discusses her work schedule and how making a living off writing is gruel-

PHOTO FROM UNSPLASH.COM

Koeing-Woodyard arranged Q and A with Holiday to discuss romance publishing. ing—but it’s nothing like an office job. She says, “I work a lot. I subscribe to the buy and share—there is no muse, you just sit there and do it. I work 9-5 mostly, and sometimes into the evenings, but I‘m not writing all day every day—a lot of being a writer is not actually writing.”

Holiday also claims that most romance novelists are bound to write anywhere between two to three novels a year. This number may seem daunting to writers, published and unpublished alike. “Everyone asks that. Sometimes it clumps funny— it has to do with distribution and buyers and stuff like that.” She also mentions that people joke with her,

saying that they could easily write a romance novel. The only problem?

Finding the time to do it. Once they give this idea some thought, suddenly the feat is not so simple to overcome.

“The answer isn’t that I bend the space time continuum and somehow I have this trick. It’s that I don’t do a lot of stuff that I want to do. So, TV, particularly—and I’m not one of these people who says ‘I don’t have a TV’—but I don’t watch TV. I probably watch a couple movies a year on Netflix.”

Despite cutting out television, Holiday still has a good idea on what kind of novels strike with people the

most. It’s apparent that there’s no secret to this either. When she knows she has a good story on her hands, it isn’t so much about the characters but about the problems they face instead. “What sells a story to a publisher—and I think in a broader way to readers—is conflict. And I think that’s true about most fiction. So it’s not so much, ‘do you have good characters?’ It’s ‘Do you have a problem?’

In our regular lives, we don’t want this, but when you’re reading about something like, ‘they met and it was lovely, and they were both great, the end,’ [this] is not a story. So, I think a part of a good story is conflict. I think that’s where I start.”

It’s evident that Holiday has been at this for so long that she seems to have the answers to most questions that anyone has about her art.

Part of her success is the amount of people who read her books. However, romance novels are fueled by the obscure percentage of people who have to read them to keep the industry alive. “Wal-Mart is the brass ring. These books are in Wal-Mart, and my editor lost her mind with happiness when Wal-Mart bought [One and Only] but they’re not really competing. People who read romance novels read a lot, and they’re not going to spend 25 dollars for a hard cover, right? The price of this is low, the margins are low for the publisher, and my percentage is low to feed this market. So historically, you have to write a lot. Romance always floats the boat, yet it’s looked down upon. People say romance keeps the lights on in publishing—it’s a weird dichotomy.”

When asked to address the argument of romance novels being formulaic, Holiday writes on her website: “They totally are. They’re about people overcoming whatever stands between them and love. Characters in romance change into better versions of themselves in the process of falling in love.”

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Convocation: A family celebration A mother, her son, and her daughter will all be graduating with a BSc this 2018/2019 academic year JESSICA CABRAL FEATURES EDITOR At convocation students receive their diplomas—a marker of their hard work and determination over the past four years and a celebration of their accomplishments with their peers.

For Martha Cedeno and her two children Claudia Sanchez and Diego Sanchez, graduation has transformed into a family celebration too. Travelling from Ecuador to Mississauga to pursue undergraduate degrees at UTM, these three will now be graduating together, each with a Bachelor of Science, during the 2018/2019 academic year.

While Diego is expected to graduate in the spring, Claudia and her mother will walk across the stage at this fall’s convocation ceremony.

Coming to Canada “specifically to study,” Martha and Claudia received scholarships from the government of Ecuador that helped fund their undergrad and pay for the international fees. Diego, still in his final years of high school at the time, decided to apply to UTM as well when he was in grade 12.

As Claudia prepared to apply to university during her last year at high

YASMEEN ALKOKA/THE MEDIUM

A photo of Diego Sanchez, Martha Cedeno, and Claudia Sanchez (left to right). school in Ecuador, the government switched the way students could get into university—now they had to complete a standardized test. Already possessing a previous degree in IT, or information technology, Martha decided to take the test before her children. This decision led to an incredible opportunity for Martha.

“Because I’m always ahead of

things, I went and did the test myself to tell [Claudia] how the test was. In that test, I received a really high score out of all the people that took the test at that time,” Martha explains. “So, the government called me and told me that I could have a scholarship and study anywhere in the world that I wanted to.”

Taking the opportunity, Martha

encouraged her daughter to write the test and Claudia also received a scholarship that allowed her to pursue her studies at UTM. Now, as the family readies themselves for convocation, each one will be taking home a Bachelor of Science in a different field: Martha pursued sociology, psychology and education studies, Claudia pursued environmental science, envi-

ronment management, and education studies, and Diego majored in anthropology with a minor in linguistic and education studies.

For some students, the thought of seeing their parents around campus evokes embarrassment, but Claudia explains that she felt “excited” when she learnt that her mother would be attending the same university as her.

She believes that after her mother spent years working in the IT department and then as a caregiver to her children, university was a great opportunity to challenge Martha. “[Mom’s] really, really smart,” Claudia remarks.

For Martha, she didn’t allow her role as a mother to impede on her children’s experience at UTM. “[Claudia] was already here, so I was always trying to avoid her because I didn’t want her to feel awkward,” Martha laughs.

Attending university later in life did not come without its challenges.

Martha, only knowing a little bit of English upon arrival, began learning the language from scratch and even continues to push the boundaries and learn more vocabulary every day.

Family continued on page 10

Exploring the rise of vaccine “hesitancy” UTM’s Nicole Charles discussed vaccine refusal in Barbados at last week’s Feminist Lunchtime Talks LARA WULANDARI Last Tuesday, the Women and Gender Studies department at UTM hosted their first Feminist Lunch Series of the year that featured Nicole Charles, an assistant professor of Feminist Studies in Culture and Media. During the event, Charles challenged the current understanding of vaccination refusal in Barbados in her talk titled, “Fleshy Politics: Vaccines, Suspicion and Felt Protection.”

Charles began by describing how there has been a rise in anxiety surrounding vaccines in the past two decades. Doctors and biomedical professions attribute this vaccine “hesitancy” to a misunderstanding of science, ignorance in disease, and misguided parents. This “hesitancy” in vaccines can be traced back to 1998 when Dr. Andrew Wakefield published falsified research that analysed a correlation between autism and vaccination. As a result, many conspiracies and rumors disguised as research that prove this theory surfaced across the internet.

“My interest is not to understand why people are hesitant,” Charles said. Instead, her research focuses

HYTTALO SOUZA/UNSPLASH.COM

There has been a rise in anxiety surrounding vaccines in the past two decades. on the use of the word “hesitant” and its implication. In particular, Charles investigates the emphasis on vaccination hesitancy surrounding Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease which can develop into cervical cancer, within Barbados. Interviews she conducted with biomedical professions and parents expose Afro-Barbadian parents’ notions of HPV vaccines.

Charles reveals how interviews she conducted with nurses seem to blame suspicions of vaccines on how they are marketed. In one interview with an individual called Nurse Dobbs, Charles recalled how the nurse at-

tributed vaccine hesitancy to the abundant publicity done by the government on the media such as TV, radio, and newspaper. Nurse Dobbs contrasted this with publicity done by health clinics that were more readily accepted by the “secretive, close-knit [Barbadian] society” and said the “way [Barbadian] introduces the vaccines” need to be reconsidered. Another nurse interviewed by Charles, known as Nurse Riley, framed parents’ concern of vaccines around the “promotional” method pharmaceuticals uses to market its vaccines.

Charles explains that this seems to be proven by a testimony from Janine,

a mother who refuses to vaccinate her 3-year old daughter for HPV virus. The mother said the Minister of Health came on television and “made [the Barbadian society] feel like stupid black people.” In addition, the mother claimed that the “government pushing” citizens to vaccinate further heightened her suspicions.

However, Charles proceeded to go more in depth of this issue with context to the “politics of flesh.” She argues that suspicion is a withheld trust, embodied internally in the flesh because of generations of Barbadian history of slavery. She explains that hesitance towards HPV vaccines and

its implication to the women’s reproductive system is a mechanism of self-protection embedded in the flesh because of “tropes of black female hypersexuality in the Anglophone Caribbean.”

Charles then turned to the audience and asked, “What can we learn about the politics of flesh?” to which she replied clearly: “Contextualization of vaccine hesitancy.” She recalled her interview with a doctor who explained that “chang[ing] the terminology [from HPV to cervical cancer vaccine]” is necessary because precise phrasing can emphasize how serious a disease is to those who may not be “science-oriented.”

However, Charles argues that this will not work because concerns on vaccines lie in its implication to a woman’s reproductive system. She asserts that advocates for vaccines have always framed vaccine hesitancy based on Western association of vaccines with disability and need to be looked at in a global level. She declared that biomedical professions “have to move beyond the framework” and consider other sources of concern such as sex and religion.

10.29.2018 THE MEDIUM FEATURES» 9

Are you a match for Marell Tomeh?

In September, Marell Tomeh’s cancer returned and now she needs to find a stem cell donor JESSICA CABRAL FEATURES EDITOR WITH NOTES FROM KEVIN KIM Although many cancer patients fear relapse, Marell Tomeh, a former undergraduate student at UTM, never thought that her cancer would return. Diagnosed in 2013 at the age of 19 with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Tomeh dropped out of university to undergo 2.5 years of treatment.

In September 2018, Tomeh relapsed and had to leave school again. This time, Tomeh needs a stem cell transplant. In the entire worldwide registry, consisting of willing donors ranging from family members to strangers, Tomeh currently does not have a match.

Tomeh’s story has recently inspired a social media movement spanning across Facebook and Instagram, with notable media personalities like TSN’s Cabbie Richards and CP24’s news anchor Amber Paiye encouraging people between the ages of 17 and 35 to get tested to see if they can be a stem cell donor not only for Tomeh, but for anyone on the registry.

To discuss stem cells, their uses in the medical field, and their connection with Leukemia, The Medium contacted Dr. Ho-Sung Rhee, an assistant professor in UTM’s biology department, and Dr. Ted Erclik, an assistant professor in U of T’s department of cell and systems biology.

According to Rhee, stem cells “have the ability to be differentiated into any cell types.” They can become specialized cells with specific functions, including blood cells and brain cells. For those who require a stem cell transplant, Rhee explains that the transplant will replace damaged or destroyed stem cells with healthy stem cells.

Regarding the connection between stem cells and leukemia, Rhee explains that leukemia is “a kind of cancer that begins in the bone marrow, where blood stem cells are made.” Since patients diagnosed with Leukemia fail to produce normal blood cells, a stem cell transplant will place new stem cells in their bone

marrow. This process is integral to the creation of healthy blood cells.

Erclik also emphasizes the importance of stem cells. He notes that stem cells are capable of self-renewing and self-generating, and their ability to potentially become any cell type (known as “pluripotent stem cells”) makes them extremely powerful in the medical field.

Despite their significant use, Erclik explains that the problem with using pluripotent stem cells to assist in disease is that they only exist within us when we are very young. By the time someone may need these cells to address issues, the cells no longer exist. One way to combat this issue is to take stem cells from discarded embryos from in vitro fertilization, however since these stem cells don’t originate from the person that needs them, there is a risk of rejection by the immune system.

In the future, researchers “hope to take the patient’s own cells, revert them back into stem cell, then turn them back into whatever cell type needs to be replaced, such as blood cells, and then treat the patient with their own stem cells,” Erclik explains.

“We’re close, but we aren’t there yet as a field.”

So what does this mean for Marell Tomeh? Stem cell donation is vital to her treatment and recovery. Tomeh agreed to speak with The Medium about her cancer diagnosis, her experience with relapsing, and the importance of stem cell donation.

As an active and social nineteenyear-old studying for her final exams, Tomeh was not expecting a cancer diagnosis. The initial diagnosis affected Tomeh socially, mentally, and emotionally. She had to quit her job, drop out of university, and soon began deactivating her social media accounts, focusing solely on close friends and family.

“My position at work made me feel important and respected, and going to school makes you feel like you’re accomplishing something for your future. To lose all of that can take a toll on you mentally,” Tomeh reflects. “The changes my body was going through from steroids and chemo made me develop social anxi-

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARRELL TOMEH

Tomeh feels she missed some of her youth while in treatment.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARELL TOMEH

Tomeh’s story has inspired a social media movement to encourage stem cell donors. ety, which I had never dealt with before and was ashamed to admit for a long time. My life became centered around just being with those who I was absolutely comfortable with, and getting through treatment.”

Tomeh’s first treatment, the Dana Farber protocol, involved three phrases. First, the “induction phase,” intended to induce a remission.

Tomeh underwent one month of intense IV chemotherapy, as well as intramuscular chemo, oral chemo, oral mediation, and Intrathecal chemo to target any leukemia cells that were hiding in her spine. The second phase consisted of brain radiation and addition chemo treatments. The final stage, “maintenance therapy,” decreased the amount of chemotherapies and steroids used. During Tomeh’s first treatment, the doctors’ aimed to have her “bone marrow produce its own healthy blood.”

Now, dealing with the relapse, Tomeh is undergoing a different treatment. Doctors introduced her to a new drug therapy called “blinatumomab” to again, induce a remission. Tomeh notes that her body is not reacting well to the extremely powerful drug. Once Tomeh completes drug therapy, the remaining treatment includes chemotherapy and full body radiation to prepare her body to accept any potential stem cell transplant.

“I was only in remission for three years, and considering that I wasn’t able to hit the five years of survivorship, getting a stem cell transplant is so important,” Tomeh emphasizes. “I learned a lot the first time around, and I always felt blessed to have learned what I did. This time around, I don’t know what’s in store for me, I don’t know if I’ll find a full match or if my body will accept the donor I do receive, but I’m hopeful.”

After Tomeh’s finished treatment the first time in July 2015, she returned back to UTM, reconnected with old friends, made new ones, and finished her first year back proud of her accomplishments. Although her oncologist suggested that Tomeh

avoid holding a job while attending school, Tomeh applied at the UTM bookstore in her second year because of their flexible hours.

For Tomeh, adjusting back into a “normal” routine took a few years, but she admits that “finding your place socially after treatment as a young adult” was one of the hardest parts of integrating herself back into a regular lifestyle.

“Having been in treatment from 19 to 21 I felt like I had missed some prime years of my youth. I then went into this phase where I tried to catch up on some lost years of my youth that I thought would fill this void that I had and I soon realized that wasn’t me. It was just this year that I feel like I finally settled into myself, I realized my place was at home with my family, with the selected close friends that I enjoy spending time with, at school learning and bettering my future, going to work to make some money,” Tomeh says. “I think your priorities change after treatment, and you realize what matters and what doesn’t, what and who you want to invest your time with.”

In 2016, Tomeh publicized her experience with cancer for the first time at the University of Toronto’s Relay for Life event. That moment inspired Tomeh’s interest in public speaking and she later became an active speaker for the Terry Fox Foundation. Overwhelmed by the people connecting with her story, Tomeh decided to focus her speeches on highlighting issues around mental health and emphasizing the idea that “mental health is just as important as physical health.”

During her first diagnosis, Tomeh kept her cancer private and battled with depression and social anxiety.

But this time, her family and friends encouraged her to share her story on social media to help find a potential donor. Their posts have been shared widely among the community and have convinced many people to get tested. Grateful for her family and close friends who dedicate time from their busy schedules to share her sto-

ry on social media, Tomeh wants to thank strangers too.

“I’ve been so overwhelmed with how many people, especially strangers, who are willing to help. I don’t know how to personally thank every single one of them and let them know I appreciate their support,” Tomeh says.

According to The Canadian Blood Service website, stem cell transplants can treat over 80 diseases and disorders. In order to be tested as a match, individuals simply need to take a saliva swab, a kit that can be picked up at a Canadian blood clinic or ordered online through the Canadian Blood Services site. One swab is the first step in helping to save someone’s life.

Reflecting on the importance of stem cell donation, Tomeh states, “I don’t think people understand how many types of cancers and other diseases rely on stem cells for survival or rehabilitation. I need stem cells because I’ve relapsed. I wouldn’t have known any of this had I not been diagnosed with cancer. I also wouldn’t know how difficult it is for someone to find a stem cell match until I couldn’t. I think we take our health for granted a lot, and we don’t realize how fast it can change.”

“When I was healthy, before my first diagnosis, I only knew about blood and organ donation. But who thinks about stem cells? I think if people were just more aware of the process of both donating and testing, and the benefit they could be providing to so many people, it would make all the difference. It really is in you to give, and you make more of it, but for people like me who don’t make healthy stem cells, we live on the generosity of those who can.”

Tomeh’s family and friends have organized an event “Match for Marell” on November 10. Open to the public, the event will provide participants with swab kits, and will include a bake sale, raffles, food, and prizes to raise funds for Tomeh’s treatment and for stem cell awareness.

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«FEATURES

THE MEDIUM 10.29.2018

Race, gender, and political behaviour Dr. Erin Tolley recently received the 2018 UTM Annual Research Prize in Social Science for her research LATISHA LOBBAN Dr. Erin Tolley, an assistant professor in the political science department at UTM, recently received the 2018 Annual Research Prize in Social Science at the University of Toronto. The award, created by the Office of the Vice-Principal, Research and UTM’s Research Council, recognizes the outstanding contributions of an early career researcher in each division: Humanities, Sciences, and Social Sciences. When The Medium asked Tolley about how it felt winning the Annual Research Prize in social science, the political science professor remarks that “It’s always an honour anytime you’re recognized by your institution and by your peers.”

Tolley began her academic journey at the University of Saskatchewan where she majored in Political Studies and attained a Bachelor of Arts degree with high honours in 1999. During her undergraduate career, she took one course in political science because it was a requirement to study journalism, her first love. Tolley stated that, “I didn’t come to university interested in politics. I didn’t think politics was interesting at all.” After taking the course, she realized that political science interested her and she chose to continue studying the discipline.

At this point, Tolley remembers that she had “no plans to become

PHOTO OF ERIN TOLLEY COURTESY OF ERIN TOLLEY/BACKGROUND BY YASMEEN ALKOKA/THE MEDIUM

Tolley encourages students to take a broader view on what they think politics is about. a professor.” Instead, she worked in the Federal Civil Service after completing her Bachelor degree. In 2001, Tolley was awarded a Masters of Arts in Political Science from the University of Western Ontario.

“Eventually I went back and got my Ph.D.,” she mused. Tolley was later awarded her Doctorate of Philosophy in Political Studies from Queens University in 2013. That same year, she also joined the University of Toronto faculty in the Department of Political Science as an assistant professor.

Tolley stated that she is most known for her research on the “sociodemographic diversity in Canadian politics,” specifically how factors such as, “race and gender

affect people’s political behaviour”.

Branching out from this research area, Tolley is also interested in “gender and [the] condition of women in politics”.

Tolley’s most well-known study focused on “how the media in Canada report on political candidates, and how that coverage differs for radicalized candidates when you compare it to the coverage of White candidates.” Her research finds that racialized candidates had been negatively portrayed in the media, where the media was “less focused on electoral issues” in the campaigns of these candidates. According to Tolley, this “positions radicalized candidates in a political way [and citizens to see them as] less

politically viable. [It] affects how candidates will interact with the media and the electoral outcomes.”

Tolley reflects on the current state of diversity in politics stating that, “In federal politics, the proportion of Members of Parliament who are racialized is on par with Canadians of racialized backgrounds.”

Despite this, Tolley asserts that diversity is still an issue as “we need to think about diversity in more ways than who is in office. There are people from particular communities who are underrepresented in federal politics. [There are not] very many Black politicians, Indigenous people, [and there is a] whole other raft of identities that we see

missing.”

This issue becomes problematic because the consequences of underrepresentation or misrepresentation can be vast. “When elective bodies don’t reflect the populations that they represent, the decisions might not reflect the decision of Canadians,” says Tolley. This causes an issue with the “effectiveness in legitimacy of the decisions that are taken”.

Tolley goes on to speak of the consequences of these issues in Canadian politics on a broader scale.

“Canada’s multicultural character [causes citizens to be] less under the impression that race affects political outcomes in Canada.” She reinforces that “the expression of racism or prejudice is very subtle [but] it’s there and we need to pay attention to it.”

When asked what advice she would give to students who find politics intimidating but desire to be informed citizens, Tolley says that they should “take a broader view on what they think politics is about. There’s nothing really intimidating about politics. Political conversations are happening in every aspect of our life. People are living politics every day. We’re making political choices when we decide to spend money at one place or another.” Tolley recommends that students “think of it as power in everyday acts.”

Never too late to get educated Ancient outlook Family continued from page 8 Now, having overcome these obstacles, Martha has been accepted into OISE’s Master Degree in education and social justice education, but has deferred enrolment so she can return to Ecuador to apply for additional funding.

Although the family is graduating together, Claudia notes that they all “have an affinity for different things.”

By pursuing studies in her own interests, she hopes to maintain her independence and individuality, rather than always be “thought of as a trio.”

Reflecting on her journey in education, Martha reveals that she “fell in love with sociology” and that “education was something that has always been in [her] heart.” Adding onto that, Claudia, currently completing her Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certification, thinks that the love for education must be “a family thing.”

When asked if having all three members pursue a degree in science spurred any friendly-family competition, Diego and his sister quickly declined that any rivalry existed and instead agreed that everyone, including their younger brother pursuing computer programming at Sheridan, functioned as a source of encouragement.

“Where we were growing up, we were always taught to try our best and do the best we can. Even if you

don’t make it, you know that you did your best, but we’ve never really been into the competition,” Diego explains. “We’re always a team, my siblings and I, we don’t really compare grades. Whenever I get a bad grade, I tell my family but they act as a support system.”

Remembering the past four years at UTM, Claudia, Diego, and Martha all look to different moments that they believe to be most memorable.

For Claudia, one of her most exciting experiences at university occurred during an environmental summer abroad course where she returned to Ecuador, her country of origin. Through the trip, she travelled to the volcanos, explored sections of the Amazon rainforest, and visited the Galapagos Islands. “It was a different way of seeing [my home country]. I would never have been able to see this if I wasn’t a part of this course, I love nature and I really love that experience,” Claudia says.

Diego immediately draws on two memories. The first experience includes a trip to China that he took with his sister, his mother, and the education studies department last summer, where they taught ESL. For the second experience, he recounts his time as a coordinator for the education studies department where he helped a group of Chinese students who lived at UTM during the summer, taught the students English, and organized activities for them.

Martha enjoyed studying at U of T because it allowed her to explore a variety of subjects. “This experience of being here at U of T gave me a broad cover of different things. For example, I got really into political sociology, I became interested in psychology courses, and I really liked it. If I had more time, maybe I’d do more,” Martha says.

In the long term, Diego hopes to pursue a master’s program or explore avenues involving education, and Claudia wants to one day address the gaps in the field of environment science in Ecuador. Martha’s goal involves helping other people, perhaps through social work or education.

To her fellow parents, Martha reminds them that it’s never too late to continue their education. To those in Ecuador, Martha hopes to one day help them improve their lives.

“One of the things that we need back in Ecuador is to teach adults that their lives aren’t ending when they’re around 50, you have about 30 more years. You need to plan for that, you have to be progressive and forward thinking,” Martha says.

“I think [adults] should plan to do more things and have more experiences. We have so much more to do and teach the next generation. You can contribute later in life, you can fill your life with other things, and you can find different things that interest you.”

Third “Classics and the World Today” event

PHOTO FROM WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Discussions included modern relevancy of ancient world.

LIAYANA JONDY Last Thursday, the historical studies department and the Office of the Vice-Principal Academic and Dean hosted their third annual event titled “Local Identities, Movement, and Global Connections in Antiquity” at UTM. Each event featured guest speakers that were given two tasks: to ask bold questions about the ancient material they draw upon and relate that material to the concerns and questions of our own society. This year’s event featured guest professors Elena Isayev from the University of Exeter, and Miguel John Versluys from Leiden University. Both Isayev and Versluys led discussions that addressed different research topics but that, overall, emphasized the modern relevancy of the ancient world.

In his opening remarks, Andreas Bendlin, a professor of Classics and Roman History at the University of Toronto, invited the guest speakers to think about how the ancient world can address issues relevant to the modern world.

Isayev’s research and discussion engages with the notion of mobility, migration, belonging and displacement in the ancient and modern world. Before delving into her discussion, Isayev expressed her intention to “position the present concerns historically and, in so doing, hope to expose the transience of the current condition and also the fact that if the ancient world was imagined differently, we can re-imagine it differently again.”

Read the rest of this article online at www.themedium.ca

10.29.2018

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Eagles place sixth at OCAA provincials The UTM men’s varsity soccer team were defeated by the Fanshawe Falcons in the quarterfinal game VANESSA CESARIO SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

The UTM men’s varsity soccer team played the Fanshawe Falcons in the quarterfinal game of the OCAA Provincials last Thursday, October 25.

The winner of this game would advance to the semifinals against the Humber Hawks the following day.

The game didn’t begin in UTM’s favour with a really early goal by Fanshawe two minutes into the game.

Fanshawe scored off of a corner kick where UTM failed to clear the ball.

UTM goalkeeper, Aaron Peters, made a save but was unsuccessful with stopping the rebound. This early goal was deadly for UTM as it gave Fanshawe a huge boost of confidence and left UTM feeling flustered and angry.

At the 29th minute, Peters made an unbelievable save by jumping backwards and tipping the ball just over the net to avoid a second goal.

The Fanshawe team was solid from keeper to striker and were using their height to beat UTM to almost every ball in the air. Often times they would body the UTM men off the ball which resulted in a lot of reckless fouls for UTM. Three yellow cards were given out to UTM players in the first half because of this. However, the UTM

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Eagles lost 1-3 against Fanshawe. men still continued to battle hard to get a goal before the end of the half but unfortunately could not. The half ended 1-0.

The second half started very similar to the first with an early Fanshawe goal once again. A give-and-go at the top of the UTM box allowed for a one-v-one with Peters where the Fanshawe player buried it in the back of

the net, giving his team a 2-0 lead.

With UTM now down by two goals, the men became desperate for a spot on the scoreboard. Defenders, Damian Koscielniak and Adam Czerkawski, were making runs from the backline as an attempt to get more men on the attack, but UTM was still unable to score.

A long ball played by the Fanshawe

centre back to his striker led to another one-v-one with Peters where he was unable to shut it down. The game was now 3-0 for Fanshawe with roughly 25 minutes left.

Just when UTM fans thought the men were out of the match for sure, Koscielniak makes a beautiful cross where Czerkawski was there to head it perfectly into the right corner. Fi-

nally, UTM made it onto the scoreboard with the game at 3-1.

After this goal, UTM amped up the pressure in the attacking end by getting countless opportunities to score another goal or possibly two. With Czerkawski pushed up in the attack, he was creating several chances for his team to bury one. Unfortunately, this UTM goal came too late in the game and the men were unable to tie it up.

The game ended 3-1 for Fanshawe, leaving UTM to play the Niagara College Knights the following day for the semi-final consolation.

UTM defeated Niagara with a 4-0 win, advancing them to the consolation final for fifth and sixth place on Saturday, October 27. The men unfortunately lost 4-3 against the Durham College Lords after an exciting match that went to penalty kicks.

“The performance of the team overall was good,” says Assistant Coach, Gio MacDonald. “Unfortunately, we had a few mental lapses that led to goals against us but despite the scores in each game, I think our overall performance was good. And I think after working on a few things we’ll look to continue to improve each time we play.” He adds that he is looking forward to the indoor season starting next semester.

UTM eagles are victorious once again The women’s varsity basketball team defeated the Redeemer Royals in their second game of the season AMRISH WAGLE

On Wednesday October 24, the UTM women’s varsity basketball team faced off in a blazing match against the Redeemer Royals. The starting five consisted of Jade Addai, Janella Viado, Trisha Ann Vo, Jiana Alnajjar, and Pinar Kahraman engaging the Royals head on in the first quarter, where the Royals took the jumpball, as well as the game’s first point. However, the Eagles were quick to catch up and maintain a consistent lead from there on out for the remainder of the game.

The Royals were distinguished throughout by their strong manto-man defence that prevented the Eagles from getting too close to the net and stick to wider shots from the three-point line.

During this first quarter, the Royals were able to penetrate the Eagles’ defence and consistently get layups.

Both sides exhibited considerable enthusiasm through their fast-paced sprints between the nets but ultimately unable to deliver the success-

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Eagles kept their lead for the majority of the first quarter. ful shot. In fact, the first quarter of the game was defined by a lack of follow through on plays and insufficient control of the ball. Despite this game proceeding at a breakneck

speed, UTM kept their lead for the majority of the first quarter. The Royals’ real advantage was in their strength as a team, but they were also quick to fall apart when any

player strayed too far from the herd or kept possession of the ball for too long. Overall the first quarter was a lukewarm performance with each team starting off slow and settling to

an equal struggle with the Eagles up 14-11.

The second quarter, although a formidable victory, was much more of a blur. Pavlik from the Royals got the first score of the quarter with an optimistic 3-pointer although thereon the quarter proved much more of a downhill for the team, where UTM finished on top at 25-18. However, this second quarter was strikingly unfocused than the first with a loss of control of the ball and consequently leading to only a few points for each side. In short, the game settled to a formulaic pattern, where the Royals constantly fumbled with the ball in the paint and missed their shots, leaving UTM to grab the ball and sprint back to the paint before resolving to long shots in the face of a strong defence. The Royals would then take possession and race it back but again managing only to fumble.

Each side lacked a focused and sharp execution in this back and forth, leaving a seeming race to only get as many shots at the basket as possible.

Eagles continued on page 12

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THE MEDIUM 10.29.2018

Eagles defeat Badminton to biotech the royals Hon is a Masters student and member of the badminton team

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Eagles won 60-50 against the Royals.

Eagles continued from page 11 Many of these and other weaknesses were rectified in the third quarter, where once again, the Royals got the first point. The Eagles started off with admirable communication between the players, where everyone was talking to each other and passing the ball around. This led to an especially strong ability to retain possession of the ball. Overtime however, the Eagles’ defence got weaker and weaker.

Even after a time out by the coach, the Royals were receiving too many opportunities to shoot. This combination of strong offence but a weak defence on both sides led to a close call with UTM still ahead 39-36 at the end of the third quarter.

The last quarter was marked by an especially impressive performance by Addai. Addai started off this crescendo of the game by sinking in a three and punctuating the rest of the quarter with a skill too quick for the Roy-

als to catch on to. Viado also proved herself a formidable point guard, especially in this quarter, through her ability to streamline the plays. The Eagles were also on a streak with an amazing string of successful shots.

Their defence was built right back up for this quarter to finish strong as well. The Eagles were looking for each other on the court to make some very strategic passes and dismantle the Royals’ strong defence with stronger communication. Moreover, they were also quite flawless on their rebounds, gaining every opportunity to take possession of the ball. In fact, both teams finished with a considerably high level of energy, stretching the last few minutes to gain a sharp increase in points for both sides.

However, the gap between them just moved up, and the Royals were no closer to closing it in the end of the game. The Eagles finished strong at a score of 60-50, marking this their second win of the season.

PHOTO COURTEY OF NICHOLAS HON

Hon has been playing badminton since middle school.

LABINA KHALID WITH NOTES FROM VANESSA CESARIO SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR Nicholas Hon is a first-year student completing his Masters in Biotechnology. Hon has been playing badminton since middle school and played all four of his high school years at Bayview Secondary School.

He completed his undergrad at the University of Waterloo where he played on the team there for five years. When coming to UTM it was obvious that Hon would be joining the varsity badminton team.

Hon plays both singles and doubles, but mostly doubles. Hon has already gotten comfortable with

the team and says the “entire team is pretty chilled.” They only practice twice a week from 7-9 p.m. so, managing practices and studies is easy for him. It is also easy to balance badminton and studies for him as because he has been playing since middle school so it is part of his life.

Hon claims that he has always enjoyed playing and is almost never nervous before a match. He said that he was nervous in the first tournament of this season “since it was [his] first time playing in front of the team” but, after that he relaxed as he grew comfortable with his tennis partner. Hon and his partner made it to the semi-finals of this tournament. He hopes to

make it to nationals although he has no intention of pursing badminton to a professional level.

Before a match, Hon likes to practice his serves by taking it lightly and staying relaxed. He also follows a healthier diet a week in advance and will sometimes meditate at night.

As for his new beginning at UTM, Hon so far “really likes the place.” He appreciates his coaches Lam Trinh and Jessica Dacquel and says, “they’re both really nice coaches and they do their best to make their players the best people they can become, both on and off the court […] they genuinely care about the players.”