The Cannon Frosh 2016

THE CANNON SERVING UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO ENGINEERING STUDENTS SINCE 1978

SEPTEMBER 2016, VOLUME XXXIX

<PROJECT INCLUDE> BRINGS CODING TO UNDERPRIVILEGED COMMUNITIES Lu Chen Cannon Editor-in-Chief

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ONDUCTING GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH and building impressive technological marvels are not the only ways UofT engineers use their technical skills to make the world a better place.

Project Include, a student-led nonprofit organization, aims to make programming accessible to everyone, regardless of socio-economic class, race, or age. They strive to provide the opportunity for people who might not otherwise have it to learn computer science through workshops, mini-courses, and boot camps run by University of Toronto STEM students.

Origins Project Include is the brainchild of Deborah Raji (EngSci 1T8), who created it after working as a Jr. DEEP instructor in the summer of 2015.

After developing and prototyping curriculum programs and teaching 8 to 13 year olds for six weeks with Jr DEEP, she and two other founding members witnessed firsthand

Instructors throwing up the project include hand sign.

the engaging effect of hands-on activities used to teach young students science and engineering concepts (programming in particular).

However, tuition fees for the University’s DEEP and Jr DEEP programs can range between $300-500 a week, which is significantly more than the families of Project Include’s target communities can afford. Additionally, these summer outreach programs are mainly hosted at the St. George campus, which may alienate students who are not in a position to commute to campus. This conundrum became the spark for Project Include; the founders decided to bring these types of programs directly to the communities in need and engage students that would otherwise not have the opportunity to explore coding.

When asked how she started such an initiative, Raji replied, “I mostly pitched the idea to people I knew and trusted - friends I knew I could rely on to take things seri-

Project Include, continued on page 3.

LGBTQ INCLUSION AT SKULE GOOD BUT CAN IMPROVE Zhenglin Liu Cannon Editor

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FAGGOTS! ALL I SEE is faggots!” screamed a homeless person in a 2010 Toike Oike comic, drawing extensive indignation. But was this an isolated incident or an example of systematic problems? More importantly, have things gotten better since then?

It stands to reason that the situation shouldn’t be too bad. UofT has had a long history of initiatives to promote the inclusion of people of different sexual orientations and gender identities. This began with

the University of Toronto Homophile Association, founded in 1969, which was the first LGBTQ student group in Canada and inspired many similar organizations at other Ontario universities and in the wider community in the ensuing years. It exists to this day in the form of LGBTOUT (Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Trans People of the University of Toronto), which provides resources and runs events for LGBTQ students. More recently, the Positive Space Committee, which included faculty and staff as well as students, was formed in 1995 and began its rainbow triangle stickers campaign

in 1996. It aims to “create and identify safer and more inclusive spaces for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, intersexed, queer, questioning and Two-Spirited (LGBTTIQQ2S) students, staff, faculty, alumni and allies at the University of Toronto” and currently operates at all three campuses.

A 2013 conference publication for the Canadian Engineering Education Association by Profs. Peter Weiss, Lesley Mak, Susan McCahan, and Jason Bazylak, meanwhile, gives a history of initiatives for LGBTQ inclusion within the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. A

now-defunct Engineering chapter of LGBTOUT was founded in 2003, which started Skule’s participation in the Pride Parade in 2004 as well as a tradition of locating a Godiva’s Week pub crawl in the Gay Village neighbourhood at Church and Wellesley.

More actions were taken in the aftermath of the offensive Toike Oike comic, which was published in the same issue as two photos whose captions referenced domestic abuse, and which was not removed

LGBTQ Inclusion, continued on page 4.

Cool On Failing an Interview Photo Feature: Happening Summer Engineering With Sadiq Women in in Skule: Course Motani Engineering Design Teams Opportunities Page 11

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CANNON Letter from the Editor

EDITOR-IN CHIEF Lu Chen PRODUCTION EDITOR Polly Lin SENIOR EDITORS Dale Gottlieb Bob Kong Zhenglin Liu Linda Yu MARKETING/DISTRIBUTION HEAD Namya Syal PHOTOGRAPHY HEAD Sayuri Guruge LAYOUT HEAD Eva Bernal WEBMASTER Wibisha Balendran WRITERS & CONTRIBUTORS Herman Chandi Cristina Amon Francis Kang Kirk Regan Salla Shama KPEUA Adham Husseini Davis Wu

CLAIMER The Cannon is the official (serious) newspaper of the University of Toronto Engineering Society.

Established in 1978, it serves the undergraduate students of the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, with a circulation of up to 3000. Submissions are welcome; e-mail cannon@skule. ca. Advertising and subscription information is available from the Engineering Society at 416978-2917.

My fellow Skuligans, New beginnings always bring new hopes, dreams, and goals to life. My hope for The Cannon is that it’ll be a place for Skuligans to express their thoughts and opinions, and that it’ll be a spark for some of the conversations and discussions that arise.

This issue is as diverse as the multitude of emotions you’ll be feeling this coming year. From statistics about the amount of sex Skule is having, to concerns about big data and its implications, from the wise words of the DJ of ESP to a debate about political correctness in frosh week, we think it has something for everyone.

To the editorial board, thank you for all of your hard work on this issue. Thank you for putting up with my constant emails, my incessant nagging, and my inability to make decisions. Thank you for creating the titles, for finding the photos, for building the articles, for bringing up points I would never have thought of, and for making this issue possible.

The Cannon is back with a bang (pun intended) and yes, I did reuse that pun from my Facebook profile picture. No, I do not feel any shame in that whatsoever.

Catch ya on the flip side,

The profile picture in question.

Lu Chen Editor-in-Chief 1T6 - 1T7

Which Club is Right For You? Dale Gottlieb Cannon Editor

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OU’RE FRESH OUT OF high school and in a new family of over 5000 students in UofT Engineering. Just four months ago you were the head of every club in your school trying to get your applications ready for university. Now that you’re here, how do you continue this involvement? Luckily, you’re a student in engineering, which give you access to every club throughout the university.

Skule is able to offer students nearly 90 different student clubs, and engineering students have access to over 800 more clubs offered by the university. These clubs range from athletics to design clubs, and from discipline clubs all the way to hobby groups. Each offers an opportunity to stand out, join a community that interests you, and meet great people along the way. With so many options to choose from, you might wonder: which club is right for you?

When I was a first year, I thought a design club was the only option

for an engineer. Clearly, I’ve broadened my horizons. A design club was great for developing interest in engineering, but doing other things like writing for a student newspaper can help make you a more well-rounded individual and gives you the opportunity to meet a lot of new people. Additionally, design clubs often have less technical roles such as sponsorship director and treasurer. These positions give great opportunities to help run a design team and see what goes on behind the scenes. Funding the construction of a solar car is a lot more complicated than just asking the university for money.

To get a quick overview of all the clubs offered by Skule, you’ll be attending the Faculty of Engineering’s club fair as part of your Frosh Week. It might also be beneficial to see the Arts and Science clubs fair offered later in the year outside of Hart House. When you’re there, don’t worry about the rest of school or the workload that you’ll have during exam time; join as many clubs as you can. During the first few weeks of school, attend a meet-

ing of each and choose your favourite. Remember that the first meeting is often not representative of what the club does on a regular basis. Attendance will almost certainly plummet by the third meeting.

By the time you have a short list, the summer lull will probably have died out and engineering will begin. You can no longer be a member of 38 clubs, and you’ll need to be selective. Don’t be afraid to use factors like how many of your friends are in the club or workload to help narrow the list. The faculty recommends that you participate in 10 hours a week of clubs or part-time work at most, which is about one design club combined with two student clubs, or two design clubs and no student clubs with substantial commitment. This will offer the ideal work-life-sleep triangle.

If you’re interested in some of the clubs offered by Skule, go to: skule. ca/clubs. If any clubs interest you, send them an email to ask when their meeting times are.

DISCLAIMER The views expressed in this newspaper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Engineering Society unless so indicated.

The editors reserve the right to modify submissions to comply with the newspaper’s and the Engineering Society’s policies.

THE CANNON

10 King’s College Road Sandford Fleming Building Room B740 Toronto, ON M5S 3G4 cannon@skule.ca cannon.skule.ca

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SEPT 2016 Project Include, from page 1.

continued

ously. They were the Chosen Ones.

Anyone that was ever involved in this initiative had such an important role to play in the development of the organization, and I really appreciate all their contributions. I approached them for the simple reason that I had faith in them to take this idea where it needed to go, and boy did they deliver!”

One of the “Chosen Ones,” Afifa Saleem, joined initially to take care of logistics for events. “[Logistics was] not very appealing, but I decided to stick around and help out with other facets. Over time, I found myself deliberately taking out time to work on things related to Project Include, and I realized I had made the right decision.”

Karen Cerullo, the marketing exec, joined when she heard her coworkers at Jr DEEP talk about Project Include. “I heard them talking about the project and what they were up to, and wanted to get involved. I met Deborah through Afifa and we discussed where I could fit into Project Include.”

Recent Accomplishments Despite its small size (6 executive members and 10 instructors), Project Include has already held multiple workshops and events to introduce people to programming.

Its pilot event, #include gen<XYZ>, taught 50 children/youth and their guardians the basics of code through three introductory workshops tailored to each age group (children, youth, and adults). They have run one-day coding workshops in libraries across Toronto, and partnered with Lighthouse Labs to not only help them train their coding instructors, but to also run a Coding Bootcamp for adults.

Currently, the team is working towards holding Coding Bootcamps, where UofT Engineering and Computer Science students develop their own curriculum for teaching Scratch, Java, HTML, and Python, for youth between the ages of 12 and 16 in lower-income areas of Toronto.

“I’m so proud of everyone. Engineering is really hard, so it’s always so easy to get caught up in your own problems - it was a nice break of habit to forget our problems for a minute to help someone else,” Deborah responds, when asked about how she feels about what’s been accomplished so far. “I love the inclusive, empathy-driven, creative culture we’ve been able to create so far in this organization.”

Afifa adds, “I feel humbled to be a part of an initiative that has received so much traction over the past few months...We have reached out to over 100 youth this summer, and we’re meeting and engaging with community organizers regularly - learning from them and adapting our services to cater to them.”

Though Karen has only been part of Project Include for a short amount of time, she’s “definitely proud of what has been accomplished by the team as a whole.”

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So how do they do it?

Project Include first identifies communities in need by using a list compiled by the City of Toronto identifying 13 Priority Neighbourhoods (Neighbourhood Improvement Areas). They then look at community centres and youth service centres within the region to determine whom their community partners should be and whom they would contact for outreach purposes.

As these communities are lowerincome areas, it is very common for Project Include to encounter a lack of resources to support their programming. They are currently using grant money from Google’s IgniteCS program to fund their summer laptop rentals, but are looking to set up a laptop bank for used work laptops by collaborating with local startups and technology companies.

After successfully reaching out, next comes building the actual lessons. Project Include is a big believer in Project Based Learning (PBL), where the whole curriculum is centred around one big project or a host of mini-projects. They want their students to walk out of the experience with something they built, can talk about, show their friends, or look back on. In fact, they choose their languages based on the types of projects that that language can support. Python is great for making quick games, HTML for websites, Java and Scratch for simple animations and apps.

The executive team works with the instructors to determine what the projects for each curriculum should be, and the instructors then work on fleshing out the details and ensuring that their students can actually finish the project within the allotted time.

The next step is to reach out to these communities and get their target demographic to attend. Their community partners do the vast majority of the marketing for Project Include’s Coding Bootcamps, as they know the students in their communities best and are therefore the best people to connect and get students interested.

So what happens after their sessions? Follow-up bootcamps and workshops are still up in the air. For now, Project Include presents online and community resources that students can use if they want to continue learning independently or through other organizations.

What’s next?

Project Include has already partnered with Lighthouse Labs, Toronto Public Libraries, Engineering Outreach, and Google to power their Coding Bootcamps. What’s their next biggest project?

Deborah gives a high level overview: the team is mostly working on new and exciting partnerships to expand their current programs, set up their laptop bank, and explore the blended classroom initiative. But the team is also working on several other goals. “We’re running some pilots this summer in international communities, and this is definitely something we’d like

Bootcamp instructors learning how to better deliver their curriculum during their trip to Lighthouse Labs – a Project Include partner.

Project Include Executive Team Photo, (L to R) Karen Cerullo (ECE 1T8), Clare Kim (Indy 1T8), Deborah Raji (EngSci 1T8), Mina Nassif (Indy 1T8), Ipsita Bhargava (CompSci 1T8), Afifa Saleem (EngSci 1T8) to do more of in the future,” Deborah says. “There’s also the fact that while running these bootcamps, we’re learning a lot about the communities we work in, and we’d like to make use of this research somehow by participating in some level of advocacy. We’d also like to work on our brand - developing our online presence and visibility in order to garner increased legitimacy as an organization.”

Afifa speaks more about their efforts at moving beyond Canada.

“We’re trying out a pilot project where we partner with schools/ universities abroad, gather instructors and give them the resources to bring coding into underdeveloped areas,” she explains. “We’re intrigued and excited by the idea that coding is a skill that should be attainable and accessible to all - and we hope to do just that through this pilot and what will follow.”

Karen elaborates on Project Include’s online presence. “Up next for Project Include marketing is to get both our Twitter account and website off the ground,” she says.

“We want to create a professional face for the initiative and provide multiple platforms for people to find and connect with us.”

How can you join?

Project Include is looking to build its team in the Fall semester.

Reach out to include.skule@gmail. com, with a brief note and resume, and they’ll get back to you as soon as they can!

Students can sign up right away to be an instructor or teaching assistant at a coding workshop. Everyone is involved in some way or the other in terms of curriculum development, so you’ll get to interact with Project Include’s students and shape their learning experience.

Even if you’re not programmingsavvy, Project Include needs members for its marketing, finance, and outreach teams.

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LGBTQ Inclusion, continued plies that the LGBTQ community needs to make space for allies withfrom page 1. from the online issue even after the physical copies were pulled from stands and the photos deleted from the online issue. The Faculty and EngSoc issued apologies while the Toike Editor-in-Chief maintained that there was nothing wrong with the comic’s use of the word. EngSoc also instituted a review process of the Toike, but a student referendum supported a continuation of the Toike levy, which provided most of its funding at the time. According to the 2013 publication, this initiated extensive discussion about LGBTQ inclusion among faculty, and the Community Affairs and Gender Issues Faculty Standing Committee was struck with both staff and student representation.

Then, in the fall of 2011, a group of engineering students founded LGBTQase (LGBTQ and Allies in Science and Engineering). It ran socials and later presented at Matriculation during F!rosh Week in 2012 after previously giving inclusiveness training for the Leedurs. The winter of 2011, Engineering Positive Space (EPS), a group that aims to foster “the spirit of equality and celebrate diversity” met for the first time. In 2012, it released EPS badges and produced a poster campaign with the slogan, “[m]y hardhat isn’t gay, but I might be.” Events were also held for Anti-Homophobia Day on October 20 of that year, and the first Pink Shirt Day event at the Faculty the following February 26. Pink Shirt Day has been celebrated every year since then in February.

For the most part, these initiatives have made many LGBTQ students feel accepted at Skule. Hilda Ma* (ECE 1T9), who identifies as pan, writes that “people tend to be open to learn more about [her sexual orientation] and what it means to [her].” Prof. Peter Weiss (Engineering Communications Program), who studied Drama at UofT before entering the field of engineering communication, finds the university to be “the most humane and understanding of any university with which [he has] been associated.”

He goes on to say that in his experience, “the University of Toronto has been the most consistent in the humanity of its policies and in the ways that those policies are carried out.” Specifically about Engineering, he adds that he has “never seen a faculty that values its students more than this one – all of its students, whatever their backgrounds, orientations, needs, or potentials.”

Jimmy Lee (EngSci 1T8) particularly praised LGBTOUT and LGBTQase for “providing students of the LGBTQ community a safe space” and being “great for resources and social events.” Other members of the LGBTQ community however, such as Hilda and James Klein (Mech 1T5+PEY) expressed being unsure about what LGBTQase and, in Hilda’s case, LGBTOUT does, with Hilda suggesting that the groups needed more visibility and James questioning the mention of “allies” in the LGBTQase initialism. “It im-

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in our safe spaces while the reverse is true - it is job of the allies to take the spaces they have access to and make them welcoming to LGBTQ people,” he explains, before suggesting that the A could stand for asexual/aromantic people.

On the faculty side, Prof. Weiss is enthusiastic in his praise of Positive Space, which he feels creates a “focus on discussion and openness rather than teaching about these issues.” According to him, this “creates a great atmosphere for developing understanding and appreciation not only of the LGBTQ community, but also, importantly, of its many valued allies.” Not all the credit is due to organized initiatives however: Prof. Dionne Aleman (MIE) notes that “several LGBT students have directly told [her] that [her] ‘outness’ made them feel significantly more comfortable in the Skule community.”

Nonetheless, heterosexist and cissexist incidents continue to happen. In November 2013, the LGBTQase mural in the Pit was vandalized over the words “lets gay bash these queers” [sic], though it is not certain whether the perpetrator was a member of Skule. On a more personal level, Prof. Aleman reports “several incidents where all LGBTrelated advertisements have been removed” from her office bulletin board, while Jimmy recalls being made fun of for his “lack of manliness” and hearing things like, “a man identifying as a woman is like winning the lottery and throwing it away.” Similarly, James mentions having heard the word “gay” used as an insult “a handful of times.”

As well, some students perceive more systemic issues. Jimmy identifies “hypermasculinity” as a problem that “makes a lot of people [in] the LGBTQ community a little uncomfortable.” James, meanwhile, says that he “never felt like inclusion was a priority” and that “sexuality and gender variance aren’t things that UofT engineering cares very much about either negatively or positively.” In particular, he wonders how much Skule’s Pride Parade participation and Pink Shirt Day “accomplish”, though he feels they are “nice symbolic gestures.” As well, Hilda mentions not knowing “that many other queer engineering students,” which is a situation that might be unnerving for many.

Some disciplines might have more of an issue than others: James notes that Mech “can be pretty broy” but felt that it didn’t “meaningfully impact” his experiences, since he’s “not looking for community there in that way.”

As well, LGBTQ inclusion emerged as a particular issue for international students and students from immigrant families. Prof. Aleman observed that many students “struggle due to deep-rooted cultural homophobia,” for example having to “live double lives, which is not easy for most people”. As well, some students worry about their international colleagues being less

Skule pride out in full force.

Source: photos.skule.ca accepting: Jimmy, for example, “often [does] not feel comfortable coming out to them.” “I understand that I have prejudice, but it’s simply a protection mechanism,” he says.

LGBTQ instructors also have their struggles, according to Prof. Aleman, who notes that pre-tenure academics can find their careers at the mercy of homophobic tenure committee members, without the protection from discrimination that their colleagues in industry at least have. She observes that she is one of only two LGBTQ engineering instructors she knows about, and wonders whether this is due to other instructors being uncomfortable coming out, or due to a paucity of LGBTQ academics in engineering in general. “Perhaps we are not even seeking PhDs and academic appointments at the same rate as the straight community,” says Prof.

Aleman, “or perhaps going to great lengths to hide our orientation during the interview process makes us seem a bit off.” Jimmy echoes this, suggesting that it may be “uncommon for people to come out in professional settings due to fear of workplace discrimination.”

Nonetheless, the people contacted for this article generally compared UofT favourably to other institutions and industry. Prof. Weiss describes it as a “leader” when it comes to LGBTQ issues, while Prof.

Aleman specifically notes that students here “have it a lot easier than students in the Deep South” where she is from, and where she had been concerned for her physical safety when teaching undergrad classes as a grad student.

Jimmy and James meanwhile reported being exposed to worse homophobia in high school than here, and Jimmy adds that high school “is a very scary place for a lot of LGBT youths because of bullying.” This experience is not universal however: Hilda found that GayStraight Alliance-type groups tend to be “a bit less visible” here than they were in her high school, but feels that there are “a lot more different places to find support” here.

Engineering, however, seems to be lagging behind some Arts and Science colleges. James, who lived at UC in first year, relates that it “was making a concerted effort at LGBTQ

inclusion to the point where we sometimes called it GayC.” No engineering Frosh event dealt with LGBTQ inclusion in his year, while UC had a specific event dealing with LGBTQ “education” and resources.

In terms of industry, Jimmy mentions feeling a “need to hide my true self and ‘act straight’ at work”, while Prof. Aleman suggests that LGBTQ academics probably “have it easier than their industry counterparts”, the vulnerability of pre-tenure scholars notwithstanding, since “academia is always on the forefront of social tolerance and civil rights.” James however finds that his experiences at work and school have been similar, though he notes that there is a lack of visibility of LGBTQ people in senior positions.

Hilda, Jimmy, James, and Prof.

Aleman all had suggestions for initiatives aiming at improving LGBTQ inclusion. Hilda would “love to see more visibility” for LGBTQase and LGBTOUT, while Prof. Aleman would like more outreach among faculty.

James meanwhile notes that some find the “my hard hat isn’t gay but I might be” posters confusing. As well, a mentorship program for LGBTQ students, more gender neutral bathrooms, a more comprehensive effort on the part of EngSoc to promote equity, and initiatives to highlight the diversity of people who have contributed to the field of engineering were all suggested.

However, even before these suggestions are implemented, and while representation and support remain not “inherently visible” according to James, there are still a lot of resources for LGBTQ members of the Skule community. LGBTQase, LGBTOUT, EPS, university-wide Positive Space, Queer UofT Employees (QUTE), and the Sexual & Gender Identity Office (SGDO) are “all wonderful” according to Prof. Aleman, and many other sources of general support exist on campus for our needs.

*Pseudonym by request.

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Man(n) and Machine: Prof. Steve Mann and Human Augmentation Zhenglin Liu Cannon Editor Ioana Burtea Cannon Contributor

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UST LIKE YOUR OLD iPhone, humanity is becoming obsolete. Experts such as Google’s Ray Kurzweil claim that artificial intelligence will exceed human capacity entirely by 2045. That future may be even closer. Hotels staffed entirely by androids are spreading across Japan while fried dumplings are being served by robots in Chinese restaurants. Even journalists at the Washington Post are being replaced by reporter-bots to cover the Rio Olympics.

This change has prompted some to strive to push the boundaries of being human by using technology to increase our own capabilities. Here at UofT, Prof. Steve Mann is known as the father of wearable technology and has been a strong advocate of using technology to enhance our senses. His immediately recognizable spectacles (an EyeTap), which enable him to augment, mediate, and record his experiences, existed long before Google Glass came along – although the first incarnation involved a computer in a backpack and a clunky helmet rather than the sleek eyewear of today.

Having over 100 patents, Prof.

Mann might remind you of a mad scientist. He built a hydraulophone, an instrument that produces sound through water, just to prove his old music teacher wrong. In order to gain better colours for an earlier EyeTap, he digitally merged multiple photos to create better quality pictures. The technology, now known as High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography is used in all digital cameras and may even be on your new smartphone. His unique ideas have led him to have an equally unique perspective of the world, and he revels in seeing sound waves and having his to-do list quite literally in front of him at all times.

However, working at the forefront of wearable technology has its complications. In 2012, Prof. Mann was allegedly assaulted by three McDonald’s employees for wearing his EyeTap. When Prof. Mann complained to McDonald’s numerous times he was met with disbelief and silence. The irony of the situation must be noted: companies use surveillance cameras but forbid customers from using their own recording devices. Mann aptly named this situation McVeillance and has been petitioning different levels of government to pass legislation to protect wearable tech users and

give them the right to continue recording.

The incident, however, is telling. The technological revolution is leaving in its wake a swarm of ethical, philosophical and legal questions that we are struggling to answer. This has prompted Prof. Mann to develop the Code of Ethics on Human Augmentation, inspired by Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics.

The Code attempts to provide principles that would protect everyone from both the reaches of surveillance and the monopoly thereof.

The first law calls for “metaveillance” and states that people have a right to know when they are being “surveilled, monitored, or sensed” in either the virtual or the real world. The second, aiming for “equality, fairness, and justice,” suggests that people should be able to collect information to document their own lives and defend themselves against false accusations.

This means that people should not be discouraged from “monitor­ ing or sensing people, systems, or entities that are monitoring or sensing them,” and that they should be able to create “digital identities” and express themselves in both the real and virtual world with information collected about themselves.

The third law calls for “unconcealedness” and is the most complex. It maintains that people

should be able to immediately examine and understand information recorded about them, and that “feedback delayed is feedback denied.” In conjunction with the second law, this requires that copyright be trumped by the rights of the subject depicted in a photo, video, or the like. As well, the development of human augmentation and artificial intelligence should be open, so that people and AIs alike can engage in competition and mutual critique.

The third law also discusses situations where an elite may need to surveil with more secrecy, such as in the case of law enforcement, and suggests the need for extensive accountability in these situations. This contrasts a criticism sometimes levelled at human augmentation and the associated ideas of transhumanism (the belief that humanity can be greatly enhanced with technology), which is that they will further polarize society and worsen issues of inequality.

It is clear that human augmentation remains a controversial field with many perspectives. If you’re interested in discussing these issues further, Prof. Mann invites you to contribute to his work on the Code of Ethics. As he’s proven time and time again, you never know what a fresh (or electronic) pair of eyes will be able to see.

Don’t Panic but You’re Being Watched: Policy Issues of Big Data Herman Chandi Professional Outreach Director of Operations

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OLLECT EVERYTHING. THAT SEEMS to be the dominant philosophy in Big Data, a field whose imposing name commands fear in many. With more sophisticated computing resources and techniques to gather information being introduced each passing year, it has overhauled multiple fields. Even your favourite sports team is probably running through mountains of numbers behind closed doors to ensure they don’t fall behind the rest of the league.

Data analytics are often best applied to systems with fairly unpredictable dynamics, namely most situations involving humans, simply because our patterns and behaviour are more chaotic and volatile than we’d think. Snapshots often provide useful information, but Big Data takes this idea to the extreme; rather than simple snapshots, why not a constant video recording?

Now that the tools to gather ample information are available, companies and organizations are capitalizing on that information to do something useful, whether it be analyzing past trends, predicting future outcomes, or trying to figure out why you’ve been watching so

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much Netflix lately.

The crux of the issue lies in the original source of the information.

Companies and governments aren’t collecting data on bacteria or inanimate objects - they’re collecting data on you. It’s this point that sharply turns the Big Data discussion towards issues of privacy and individual liberty. One of the more infamous cases in recent Canadian history was a scandal involving TD Bank. In November of 2015, the CBC revealed that hidden deep within the complicated legalese that most customers accept without thinking twice, the bank had slipped in fine print that would give it access to the internet browsing activity of its card users. Amidst cries chastising TD for its dubious behaviour and abuse of public trust, the real underlying problem became apparent: we simply haven’t drafted effective legislation for the age of Big Data. The problem lies not necessarily with TD, but with the system at large that TD was so easily able to exploit.

Now, does this mean that TD, and likely many other companies and organizations, are frantically going through every detail of your old Yahoo Answers account history?

No. They probably wouldn’t care and there’s simply too much data available to scrape through all of it.

In the case of TD, they’d be spending more time looking for information more relevant to banking, like whether it looks like you’re moving, or if you’re thinking about investing some of your money soon. But where do we draw the line between a company that’s just trying to get a competitive edge and one that’s violated a citizen’s privacy?

Privacy breaches of this nature are not possible without the massive advances in data analytics over the past few years. Like anything involving new technology, the policy and legislation surrounding the area are ill defined and leave much room for exploitation. Although public policy has historically remained under the purview of legal professionals and politicians, the traditional system is ineffective and unsustainable in dealing with problems like Big Data where the issue is as deeply entrenched within the engineering and science of the systems as it is within the legalese. If the fallout from Big Data controversies has taught us anything, it’s that engineers should be at the forefront of public policy. Our technical knowledge and evidence-based approach are vital in approaching the complex issues of our time, especially when it comes to areas that have a real, tangible impact on our society.

Big Data is watching you.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Big Data debate and how engineers can apply their skills to public policy in general, feel free to attend the upcoming Big Data Policy Hive, administered

by Professional Outreach (PrO), a student organization dedicated towards spreading awareness of the engineer’s role in public policy. PrO will be holding General Info Sessions at 6pm on September 12 and 14.

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Coding, Canada, and Coffee: an Interview with Michael Guerzhoy Zhenglin Liu Cannon Editor

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ROF. MICHAEL GUERZHOY IS a lecturer in the Department of Computer Science. He has been teaching CSC180, the EngSci first term programming course, since 2014 and will be teaching it once more this fall. Since coding is so often a subject of strong opinions both positive and negative, The Cannon decided to sit down with him to get a faculty perspective on the topic.

The Cannon: To start off, could you tell us a little bit about your research and its practical applications?

Michael Guerzhoy: I’m generally interested in trying to look at large datasets and figuring out statistical and algorithmical ways of gaining insights from the data. One of my research projects is modelling human mobility. For example, if you’re currently in Toronto, you are more likely to go to Montreal than to Scantron, PA, even though the driving distance to both cities is the same. I’m interested in computing those kind of probabilities automatically. If you have a model that can compute those kinds of probabilities, you can look at the parameters of that model, and gain insights about how people travel.

For example, how much less likely are people to travel 1000km than 100km? Are there destinations that are more desirable, but are not visited by more people because they are remote? Do some people have different propensity to travel long distances than others?

The way I model mobility is by looking at large datasets that record people travelling. One such dataset consists of geotagged photostreams on Flickr. You can figure out how a person moved around the globe by looking at where they took photos. One kind of possible application of this kind of work is that knowing how people travel allows you to model how disease spreads, and possibly come up with ways of preventing epidemics. Another kind of application is trying to optimize transportation networks.

In truth, I’m just excited to be able to build models that make sense of huge amounts of data -- there is intrinsic interest just in that.

TC: People come into engineering with a wide range of prior coding experience. Some have never written a line of code while others have coded websites or games from scratch.

What advice do you have for each group?

MG: The first thing I would say to people who are worried is that I

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definitely have had students who have come in with zero knowledge of programming who did extremely well, who got high 90s in CSC180 because they discovered that that’s what they like to do, what they know how to do. Now I don’t want to say that there is no advantage to having programmed before. The single most important thing you do in order to learn programming is to practice, and obviously people who have had a programming background before have had more practice. With that said, we try very hard to make it so that people who come in with zero knowledge can come out of their first programming course with very good knowledge of programming. If you start working in September you can definitely get there by December.

It is true that every year we have a handful of students who don’t really need the first course in programming. With that said, I do try to make it so that everyone learns something. Even if you’ve had programming background, you might not have had as much background in thinking more abstractly about computer science. You might not have heard about different potential applications of computer programming and computer science.

Finally you’ll always find, in both CSC180 and APS105 for example, you’ll find the opportunity to try to do challenging problems that are optional. So for example you might participate in the different contests that are run in the fall semester courses.

“You do need [programming]. Not just because it’s a degree requirement, but also because it’s genuinely very useful.”

- Michael Guerzhoy

TC: Coding also tends to be polarizing: a lot of people either love it or hate it. For those who love it but who don’t have much coding in the core courses of their program, what are some advice you would give for them to grow as programmers, and for those who don’t enjoy it but have to do a lot of it, how can they make it more bearable?

MG: So it’s very easy to give advice for the people who don’t have a lot of background that find they really like programming: just program more. Don’t just do the assignments; think up something that you’d like to program and just do it.

Prof. Michael Guerzhoy has been teaching CSC180 for several years.

Source: Michael Guerzhoy For the people who find that they don’t enjoy programming, well, first of all I feel sorry for them. It’s hard to come up with advice, so what I would say is that one possibility is maybe you don’t like programming for the wrong reasons. I really like programming, maybe talk to me or your programming prof about how to think about programming differently. Maybe you’re just the kind of person who doesn’t like programming. Certainly I can believe that those kinds of people exist, in which case my advice is to approach it professionally: you do need this. Not just because it’s a degree requirement, but also because it’s genuinely very useful.

TC: This is a question that probably applies most to EngSci: a lot of students take steps to minimize the time they spend on CSC 180, whether by doing only the bare minimum in labs or by negotiating with their project partners to each do the entirety of one assignment and none of the other. How do you feel about this?

MG: So here’s my opinion. I do not begrudge people doing that. I realize that people have to be strategic about their time because engineering schedules are pretty heavy.

With that said, if you’re being strategic like that, be strategic in a smart way. Realize that the exam is coming up and it’s worth a lot more points than the assignments. Believe you me, if you do not do the assignment, you will very likely not do well on the exam. So it might be that your strategy makes sense, but probably it doesn’t.

TC: You teach CompSci in Arts and Science as well. How would you say the courses differ between the programs?

end goal both in Arts and Science and in engineering for the first year courses is that people end up knowing how to program. Obviously there are individual differences between different profs, but that’s where the substantial differences would come from. Except, Engineering courses are probably faster paced than Arts and Science courses in first year a little bit. There is more content obviously: in Engineering you have 13 weeks in a semester, in Arts and Science you have just 12. So that’s first year. I would say that in upper years, many engineers take Arts and Science courses. I’m going to be teaching CSC411 this term and actually half the class is going to be Engineering Science students. So overall my answer is, for CSC classes, there is no major difference.

If you want to ask about the difference between Engineering programs and Arts and Science programs, I can try to answer that. The reason I want to answer that is because people come to me for advice saying, you know, should I transfer to Arts and Science, is Engineering Science better than Arts and Science.

Here’s what I would say: the Engineering programs are a lot more structured in the sense that people designing them mostly have an idea about the base of knowledge that people need to have in order to graduate. Arts and Science programs are a lot more open-ended in the sense that we have a core of knowledge we believe everyone must have, but I think it’s fair to say that it’s much smaller than the core of knowledge that the engineering faculty believes all engineers must have.

MG: So that’s a good question. The

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SEPT 2016 Arts and Science students can pretend that they are engineers and tailor their curriculum in such a way that they take courses that are very similar to what the engineers take, but they can also, for example, have an English major in addition to a Computer Science major. So if you like the idea of having a large core base of knowledge, which as it turns out is extremely useful for designing all sorts of things, engineering is for you.

And I’m not saying that the base of knowledge in engineering is just larger, it’s that the knowledge that you get by taking engineering courses - say, like physics - turns

out to be useful in all sorts of domains, not because you necessarily will be thinking about physical systems but because the math that’s applicable to physics courses is also going to be applicable to, for example, machine learning, which is my research area.

TC: You moved to Canada for your last year of high school and have been in Toronto ever since. Do you have any advice for international students based on your experiences?

MG: I think Toronto is a very international city, which means that probably you won’t have a lot of trouble just fitting in. I think one area where

international students might be at a disadvantage is maybe they don’t have a lot of practice with English.

So one thing that I would suggest is to read books. English is my third language. How did I learn English?

Well, I read a lot of books. Not necessarily technical books, just literature, and I think it’s a great way to learn English. I think especially in university, when you have problem sets all the time, it’s easy to say, I don’t have time for that kind of stuff, but that’s my number one advice for learning English better.

TC: And now one last question. We often see you drinking coffee in class: do you have a particular approach to

your caffeine consumption?

MG: As a matter of fact I do. I try to keep a caffeine budget – I try not to go over the equivalent of three espressos a day. People generally see me with a Starbucks cup in class just because I buy a cup on the way to class: it’s nice to have a hot drink because you need to talk loudly in class. I have a friend who once mentioned that Starbucks coffee tastes like cigarette butts. I still drink Starbucks coffee, but actually ever since then, once in a while I take a sip and I think, ooh, cigarette butts.

“Keep the discussion related to our ESP lectures please”: an Interview with Sadiq Motani Linda Yu Cannon Editor

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PS111, also known as ESP (Engineering Strategies and Practice), is a well-know first year Core 8 course. Sadiq Motani, the course assistant for said course, is a widely known figure; a man almost become legend. The Cannon decided to sit down and have a chat with the DJ of ESP to get some of his insights into ESP, engineering, and the university experience.

The Cannon: Give us a one sentence introduction to yourself.

Sadiq Motani: For the last two academic years, I’ve worked as a Course Assistant for the Engineering Strategies and Practice Program (a.k.a. during lectures for ESP I’m the person who sits on a little chair on the stage in Convocation Hall moderating the Top Hat discussion board and administering Top Hat questions.) I also make students listen to my lit music playlist before lectures.

TC: What’s ESP? Why is it important?

SM: ESP stands for Engineering Strategies and Practice; it’s an engineering communication and design course. Students work in teams to solve real-life client problems from an engineering perspective.

Throughout the course, students will learn about problem-solving, professional communication, research methodologies, team dynamics, and independent learning.

ESP is important because it’s a very hands-on and practical course where you are applying course concepts in simulated and real-life situations on an individual and team basis. As a result of this, students may find that there is no single, specific, correct answer to a client’s problem. Additionally, students will learn the various trials and tribulations and dynamics that take place when working in teams from creating written reports, to meeting with their client, and delivering a group

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presentation.

TC: What do you think the most valuable quality an engineer is?

SM: The most valuable quality for engineering, in my opinion, is communication. Having the technical knowledge, skills, and background are great. However, if you have trouble communicating/explaining (written or orally) an idea, design, or how you came up with a solution to a problem, this could most certainly be a potential problem going forward.

TC: What is the biggest difference you’ve noticed between UofT and Ryerson?

SM: The biggest difference I’ve noticed is the amazing community and family-like atmosphere, environment, and comradery that exists at U of T, not only in the present current day but also from years gone by in the past. It is very apparent that the Skule community is near and dear to the hearts of many engineering alumni but also current students as well. This can’t be more evident by looking at how many alumni volunteer, participate, and donate their time, energy, and resources to various social and educational endeavors long after they have graduated.

That isn’t to say the above isn’t prevalent at Ryerson; however, U of T has been around a lot longer than Ryerson. I believe that Ryerson is going through a very big transformation right now while trying to find its identity and calling. It’s still establishing itself, its values, and its community. In the future, I believe Ryerson will look back at this time and realize and recognize how big of an impact it has truly had in shaping the university and its culture for future generations of students.

TC: One funny experience that occurred on the job?

SM: It was my third week on the

The DJ of ESP poses with a handful of baked goods Source: Humans of Skule (Addy Bhatia) job in ESP as Course Assistant and it was only the second ESP lecture that I was helping out with in Convocation Hall, which happened to coincide with Godiva Week.

Imagine my surprise when I entered Convocation Hall to see a giant bouncy castle inflated on the stage.

I had no idea what was going on, but thought it was really funny and clever. After being plugged in for a while there was a huge boom as the bouncy castle short-circuited one side of the speaker system and one of the screens in Convocation Hall.

TC: If you could TA any engineering course, what would it be?

SM: APS100 - Orientation to Engineering.

TC: What did you do for your undergrad and how was your experience?

SM: I graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Information Technology Management with a minor in Human Resource Management from Ryerson University (Class of 2009).

My experience was very enjoyable as I enjoyed the flexibility, depth, and variety of my program. The hybrid aspect of the degree was unique in that I was able to obtain a degree that focused not only on business management on commerce but also different areas of information and communication technologies. I loved being a small part of Ryerson’s growth, expansion, and evolution which resulted in classroom setup and teaching styles being approached in a more modernized environment and setup as opposed to a traditional style.

TC: One sentence for the 2T0s?

SM: University is a blank slate for you to reinvent, change, grow, and expand yourself; however, this can only be done if you open yourself up to meeting new people, challenges, and experiences. It may not seem like it from the outside, but remember: every first year student is in the same boat as you and probably has the same or similar anxieties, questions, and doubts even if they don’t show it.

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Being a Woman in Engineering: What Does it Mean to You?

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Advice for Incoming U of T Engineering Students from Dean Cristina Amon Cristina Amon Dean, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

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N BEHALF OF THE Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, I extend my warmest welcome to all our returning students and our incoming first-year students — the class of 2020! I am delighted you are joining our vibrant and diverse community of learners, researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs at the premier engineering school in Canada and one of the world’s best.

When you graduate in 2020 (or 2020+PEY), our world will likely face a new set of global challeng-

es. As young engineers, you will be uniquely equipped to address those challenges. In the years ahead you will learn from world-leading professors, collaborate across disciplines to create novel solutions, and develop the technical, leadership and entrepreneurial competencies to become global engineering leaders for 2020 and beyond.

My advice to you is to get involved with the rich array of opportunities available to you in Engineering and across the wider University of Toronto community. You can tailor your degree with a minor or certificate; start your own company through The Entrepreneurship

Hatchery; engage in remarkable experiential learning through our Professional Experience Year internship program; and gain invaluable career networks through our alumni involvement and the Institute for Leadership Education in Engineering (ILead).

Alongside your studies, I encourage you to join one of the more than 80 U of T Engineering clubs and teams or hundreds of University-wide activities, from the Blue Sky Solar Racing Team and the SkuleTM Orchestra, to student government and intramural sports.

You will also be among the first students to benefit from the Centre

for Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CEIE). When it opens in 2017, this leading-edge building will offer one of the finest learning and research environments of any engineering school in the world, and provide you with the space and facilities to collaborate, innovate and create together.

You are the global engineering leaders of 2020: a world of boundless opportunities awaits you. I wish you a rewarding journey.

What to Do When You’ve Failed a Course Polly Lin Cannon Editor

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OU ACCEPTED UOFT’S OFFER. Frosh week ended. School started. Midterms came and went. Finals happened. Passing didn’t. Getting over 50% in a class never seemed so hard before.

There may come a time in your undergraduate career when you fail. It happens and it isn’t the end of the world. The only thing you can do now is figure out where to go from here. With the advice of some students who have already “been there, done that,” you’ll get through it, and it’ll only take 4 (or maybe even 3) steps:

Step 1: Acceptance and figuring out what went wrong “Honestly, acceptance is the first step to improvement. Admit you failed, then take the necessary steps to pass it the next time. There’s going to be some initial denial, some bargaining, some thoughts of hacking ACORN, and you’re definitely going to despise yourself. It’ll be hard, but look past all that, and just focus on getting yourself to the part when everything gets better.

Remember: you won’t be the first person to fail, just make sure that failing isn’t the last thing you do.” Indy 1T9 It’s easier to accept the fact that you failed when you understand where it all went wrong. Did you stop going to lectures? Boycott the tutorials? Get confused and didn’t seek help? One of the key takeaways that you’ll get from your undergrad education is that determining the problem, and/or the root of it, is almost always the first step.

“Looking back, I should’ve studied harder/asked for more help. I think the biggest contributor to

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that was probably just my anxiety — I was afraid of being looked down on so I never asked for help when I needed it,” explains an exEngSci, now ECE 1T9 student. When you know what went wrong, you’ll give yourself some much needed closure that’ll help you move on and try to pass it the next time.

Step 2: Retaking the course Once your marks come out after the final exams, your first step will be to meet with an academic advisor (through the First Year office) to adjust your timetable and courses. But if you’re worried about handling an overloaded semester — don’t be. The academic advisors won’t let you overload if they see that you’re struggling. No matter the course you failed, you’ll have to retake it the next time it is offered.

Failing a first-year fall course will usually mean taking it in the winter semester and moving one of your winter courses to the summer. If it’s a winter course you fail, you’ll have to see if it’s offered in the summer and then plan accordingly.

S tep 3: Enroll in the T-Program The Transition Program (T-Program) is designed for students that have an overall average of 50-60%, and not for those who fail only one course. (If you fail a course, you only have to worry about retaking it.)

The T-Program provides first-year students with the opportunity to repeat (at most) three fall courses they struggled with in the winter session (and defer up to three winter courses to the summer so that you don’t lose a year and can stay with your class). If you have a semester average between 50-60% in the fall, have failed one class or more, and are put on probation, you’re eligible for the T-Program. If

you decide not to enrol in the Program (and you have all the previously mentioned conditions), you’ll have to withdraw from the Faculty and repeat your fall semester the following year. This means that you won’t be able to graduate with the class you started with so you should consider all your options carefully and speak to an academic advisor if you have any questions.

Step 4: Learn from your mistakes and don’t be afraid to reach out Failing a class can sometimes feel like a direct hit to your guts. Your pride is wounded and you might be questioning your intelligence — but you shouldn’t. Your performance in a course is not a direct representation of you as a person or as a future engineer. People have different learning styles and different strengths — maybe this one subject wasn’t yours, despite the fact that you tried so hard to make it so.

Some people are ashamed of themselves when they fail a class, often keeping it a secret and relying on themselves to get through it.

However, failing a class affects you mentally and emotionally, and you don’t have to do it alone. Friends, family, and even the engineering faculty are always willing to help you through it - but only if you let them. In the words of a Chem 1T8+1: “I personally have to thank a lot of people for helping pick me up. I had plenty of friends who gave me a shoulder to lean on, and there were even members of the teaching faculty who wouldn’t let me fall.

There were times when I was on the brink of leaving Skule™ Engineering, but the community wouldn’t even let me think about them”.

Failing is a part of life, and learn-

ing from your mistakes is the most important part.

There’s an article called “STEM Students Must be Taught to Fail”

by Elizabeth Gerber, and there’s definitely some logic behind her ideas. She discusses why it’s beneficial for us as engineering students to be taught how to fail and how to pick ourselves up afterwards.

Not every problem you attempt will be solved on the first try, some will need a little more attention, a couple more attempts, and a little more patience. Even professionals have their failures! Gerber’s professor has and continues to receive rejection letters from publications, but that doesn’t affect his passion for success. When you take a course the second (or maybe even a third) time around, you’ll know what didn’t work for you when you were studying or when you were in lecture. Take this knowledge and figure out what does work for you.

You might consider your first year of university an experimental year.

This is the year you figure out how to handle university, whether it’s how you learn best, how to study efficiently and effectively, how to handle problems, and how to handle failures (and successes). “...Yeah, it sucks having failed a year. Now suck it up and get back out there. I’m still standing, and it’s going to take a lot more than academic probation for me to walk out of engineering”. - Chem 1T8+1 UofT Engineering is a bumpy ride, there might be many lows to go along with your many highs, but no matter what, it could still be one of the best and most memorable experiences of your life.

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Cool Summer Opportunities at Skule and Beyond Dale Gottlieb Cannon Editor

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Carole and Nikola enjoying themselves in Norway Source: Carole Suarez

Cape Town by night Source: Mahta Massoud

NCOMING UNIVERSITY STUDENTS OFTEN wonder what opportunities are available during the summer months. There are lots of things to keep you busy during the school year, with your courses, clubs, and possibly work, but summer is a perfect time to pursue some of your own interests, such as travelling, getting research experience, or writing a paper.

Even as a first year student, it’s not impossible to work as a summer student in a research lab. Brittny Carter is an MSE 1T9 working in Professor Uwe Erb’s nanomaterials group, analyzing evergreen needles and their hydrophobic abilities. If you’re a first year looking for research, Brittny suggests that you should start “by emailing and talking to [a] professor in the beginning of second semester. You’d be surprised what being persistent with something could get you! The work was quite rewarding, and there’s nothing better than the feeling you get after finishing everything you had to do.”

Once you’ve completed a summer with a professor, you can continue your work the following year and possibly publish a paper, which is what Simo Pajovic (Mech 1T8) did.

He’s continuing a research project started with Prof. Tobin Filleter’s NanoMechanics and Materials Lab at UofT. He’s working on a paper about the nanomechanical characterization of MoS2, a dry lubricant commonly used on satellites. Once you’re in second year, you can even get paid to do summer research!

Simo got an NSERC scholarship, and is working hard to finish his summer work. “Paper writing is very difficult.

As of writing this, I am on my fifth draft, and the previous draft had something like 30-40 pages. However, given that I want to become a grad student and eventually professor, this is really important to me.”

If you’re interested in travelling abroad, you may be interested in Mahta Massoud’s (MSE 1T7) experiences. She’s working and studying abroad in Cape Town through a program called Summer Abroad UofT. This has given her the opportunity to “gain hands-on experience in an emerging market and learned about the business challenges and opportunities at the base of the economic pyramid.” Not only is this opportunity useful work experience, but it also counts towards a business minor. “I wanted to travel and experience an academic and

work environment outside of Canada.”

There are plenty of opportunities for you to stay occupied during your summer. If you’re thinking of research, start the search early and keep your options open. As a first year, it’s an unreasonable expectation to be able to write a paper in the first summer, but starting work early will definitely help lead you towards that goal. Make sure you apply to get an NSERC or UTEA scholarship, which will give you funding to work over the summer, and if you’re in Engineering Science, ESROP is another great opportunity to pursue.

Studying abroad is also something that is available to any student who wants to participate.

Many scholarships are only available to second year students, but they are not as competitive as people think . If you’re interested, apply for the Summer Abroad UofT program which Mahta is in. You can also apply for DAAD RISE, the program I’m a part of, in order to work in Germany. SUPER is another opportunity to come to Germany, and you can consult the Center for International Experience (CIE) for almost every other country.

Want to study abroad without the studying? Carole Suarez (Mech 1T8T1) backpacked across Europe for 3 months. As she had worked the entire summer after her first year, she knew that she “wanted to go on an adventure,” especially considering “there aren’t many times in your life where you’ll be granted 4 months of liberty.” And what an adventure she had; she visited Norway, England, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Serbia, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, France, and Ireland. Her suggestions? “If you’re a chocolate lover, definitely visit Brussels, Belgium. For hiking/climbing/mountain biking visit Norway, Switzerland or Iceland. Awesome drinks and people vibes? Modern architecture? Barcelona — the city of Gaudi’s masterpieces. In general, the architecture across Europe is interesting as it contrasts the modern skyscraper craze in Toronto. I have lots of recommendations so feel free to approach me at school!”

If you’re interested in any kind of summer work, Brittny says, “Don’t be shy, go talk to your professors!

They are happy to have people interested in their work, and they appreciate that someone might be interested in working on their projects.”

Views from the Eiffel Tower Source: Carole Suarez

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What’s Happening in Your Corner of Skule: Design Teams Davis Wu Cannon Contributor

Design Teams Cannon Contributors

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HIS YEAR, THE CANNON will have a “What’s Happening in Your Corner of Skule” column, where we ask people from different corners of Skule (hence the column name) to write about what they’ve been up to and what interesting things have been happening. Seeing as design teams are busy as bees in the summer, we decided that our inaugural column should feature them.

Formula SAE The Formula SAE Racing team designs, builds, and races a Formula 1 (F1) style car yearly as part of an international design competition. The team is currently in Germany attending the last of the 3 events they attend each summer. At the end of the competition season, the team will continue development and car fabrication for the 2017 season.

The team continues to show improvement as the summer progresses with a steady increase in points with each passing event. The team has spent the bulk of the time between competitions testing the vehicle with the newly designed aero package and training new personnel. With several new drivers and a large group of young team members attending the German event, the team looks to cap off the race season with a stellar performance on the track.

This summer, the team is also further developing the composite frame by conducting material characterization tests which will help in the final design of the frame. This, coupled with many other new ideas and innovative features planned for the UT17 vehicle should result in another well-developed vehicle.

Spark Design Club The Spark Design Club builds interactive displays around campus. For the summer of 2016, the Spark Design Club worked on the Soldering and Breadboard Workshop and the upcoming F!rosh Week Event (scheduled on the 1st day of F!rosh week!).

In our Soldering and Breadboard Workshop we taught Sparkers (participants in our workshops) the essentials of soldering and breadboard. For the soldering activity, participants got to complete a customized PCB designed by one of the Spark execs. For our breadboard activity, Sparkers had a chance to play with existing integrated circuits and learn basic circuitry debugging skills.

As F!rosh week is around the corner, the Spark team has been busy building and preparing for our F!rosh week display (unfortunately it’s a secret until you show up to our workshop). If you missed out on our F!rosh week event, don’t worry: you’ll be able to get to see the completed display around campus — just look for the words “Spark Design Club”.

Hope to see you in our F!rosh week event or during Clubs Fair! If not, check us out on Facebook!

Blue Sky Solar The current Blue Sky team, formed end of 2015, have been working on upgrading our World Solar Challenge (WSC) 2015 Solar Car, Horizon, to prepare for the 2016 American Solar Challenge (ASC).

This July, we will be racing against 20 other teams from all across North American over the course of 8 days on a 1800+ mile road course from Ohio to South Dakota.

Ever since regulation release in June, our team has been working around the clock in order to design the aerodynamic, mechanical, electrical, strategy, and composites components for our 9th generation solar car to compete in the WSC 2017. Our team will start constructing our 9th generation solar car by December of 2016. We hope to do even better than the previous 2 races, where we came 8th in the world in 2013 and 12th in 2015.

In order to share our knowledge of innovative technology, passion for sustainable technology, and achievements at international competitions, our team has also been exhibiting at community and UofT events like OCE Discovery Conference, Yorkville Exotic Car Show, Science Rendezvous, and Maker’s Festival. Our team aims to educate students and our community on sustainable technology and renewable energy solutions.

Human Powered Vehicle We’ve been busy working on our new speedbike, Eta Prime, and our submarine, Axios. The World Speed Challenge is coming up in a few weeks — it’s the ultimate event for highspeed bicycles. We’re hoping to sweep the student category with a top speed in excess of 130 KPH, while gathering the experience and test data we need to make an even faster entry for next year. While our submarine project doesn’t have a specific deadline, we’re making quick progress so that testing can begin before the local bodies of water become too cold. With that said, we’re not going to rush; Axios is fundamentally different from — and better than — all current human-powered submarine designs, and we’ll put in whatever time is required in order to build it right. Once complete, Axios will be a sleek half-tonne piece of technology made of custom composites, precision-machined mechanisms, cutting-edge life support systems, and a well-trained athlete. We’ve got one more project on the go, but that’ll be a secret for a little while longer.

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UTAT The University of Toronto Aerospace Team (UTAT) is a student design team that designs and builds drone, rockets, and satellites. This team is the largest student design team on campus with around 100 students spanning 5 divisions. Below is a brief overview of each divisions’ operations and plans for the near future.

Space Systems Space Systems’ goal is that of designing and building a 3U CubeSat which embodies both cutting edge engineering and a novel biological payload. The entire satellite, including our fully functional electronics bus and payload instruments, from the ground up has been designed and built by us. In terms of the payload, we are doing testing on gene-expression of certain opportunistic pathogens commonly found in human gut flora. Our hypothesis is that the strains of yeast we have selected are likely causes of yeast infections for astronauts in microgravity, and our experiment will test this. We recently completed our two-year design cycle and attended the Canadian Satellite Design Challenge. We’re proud to say that our satellite survived vibration testing and was able to generate power and telemetry afterwards. The plan for the next two years is to continue developing HERON into a satellite that’s ready to launch.

Aerial Robotics The Aerial Robotics Division designed and built the University of Toronto Whirlybird (UTW) quadrotor to participate in the Unmanned Systems Canada 2016 competition at Southport, MB. The competition focused on agricultural use of aerial vehicles in determining crop area, type, and health. To satisfy the mission requirements, UTW systems include airframe, autopilot, vision payload, communication, and ground station. The airframe is customdesigned with lightweight composites. The autopilot provides flight stability and waypoints navigation. The payload consists of a wide angle camera and an IR sensor to identify the targets. The ground station communicates with the on-board computers to monitor flight attitude and altitude. This past year, the team ranked 2nd in the Phase I design report and 7th in the Phase II flight operations at the competition. In the upcoming year, this division will focus on improving vision payloads and image processing algorithms, integrating them with the autopilot systems to improve accuracy of GPS-tagging of targets.

Rocketry UTAT’s Rocketry Division specializes in the design and launching of large hybrid sounding rockets. Our current rocket, Deliverance, has a design thrust of 1000 pounds and can carry a 10 pound payload to 23 000 feet, and was entirely built by our team. This past year we competed in the Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition in Utah, where we placed 3rd in the Advanced category against international teams. For the coming year, we are going to make improvements on Deliverance and begin designing a larger rocket to break the Canadian amateur rocketry altitude record of 44 000 feet. This will involve extensive testing of the avionics, recovery, payload, structures, and propulsion system of our existing rocket, while conducting conceptual and detailed design work on the new rocket.

UAV The UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) team specializes in designing, building, programming and flying fixed wing drones. The team consists of groups which specialize in aircraft design, mechanical design, composite materials, avionics, communications, imaging systems and computer vision. UAV competitions involve flying autonomous missions to locate and classify grounded targets from the air. Last year, UAV finished in first place for design at the Unmanned Systems Canada competition and ranked top 10 in the world at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International Student UAV competition. This year, the team is looking to build on these results by optimizing their airframe design and continuing to develop their on-board payload software. UAV will also be developing their first ever quadcopter that will be used for computer vision testing.

Outreach The Outreach Division of UTAT organizes and attends several events and workshops. These involve teaching people about our other divisions’ creations. The main project currently in the Outreach Divisions plans is organizing the 2016 edition of the Toronto Students for Aerospace Advancement (TSAA) Conference. This will be a professional aerospace conference with the emphasis of the growing local aerospace industry in mind. We definitely love having new members help us out with organizing the conference as it helps build our team as well as teach new members very useful networking and organizational skills.

Sounds like some crazy cool stuff right? Have no fear! There is no previous experienced required to get involved with UTAT’s projects. Anyone with an interest and a desire to learn is welcome!

For more information on UTAT and how to contact us, visit utat.skule.ca as well as our Facebook page for regular updates!

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Campus Amenities for Staying Fit at Skule Bob Kong Cannon Editor KPEUA (Kinesiology and Physical Education Undergraduate Association) Cannon Contributor

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HE ACADEMIC YEAR CAN be a very stressful and busy time for any UofT student; with the relentless stress of exams and assignments, a full-time student can face upwards of 3 hours of homework per class per week on top of their class hours. Add the recommended (by the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines) 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per week, and you’ve got quite the full plate.

For this recommendation, moderate activity includes cycling or brisk walking, as long as you are perspiring and breathing harder when completing the activity. Vigorous activity meanwhile includes jogging or HIIT (high intensity interval training): you should feel out of breath and be perspiring at the end of your workout session. Regardless of the activity, your 150 minutes should be completed in bouts of 10 minutes or more. On top of that, individuals should participate in strength training at least 2 days per week to maintain the health of the skeletal system and to coordinate the strength of large

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muscle groups.

That sounds like a lot of work.

Balancing being a full time student who may commute or work a part time job with maintaining healthy lifestyle choices can be challenging. However, with 3 easily accessible gyms located on campus, state of the art equipment, fitness classes, and advice from experienced fitness instructors, there’s really no excuse for not getting the recommended amount of exercise.

Hart House is the oldest athletic facility on campus and boasts a suspended indoor track, swimming pool, exercise machines, squash courts, and a variety of spaces for everything from basketball to archery. It offers fitness classes and has a lot of character with its exposed brick and beams and large cathedral-like windows. Its pools can be used for lane swimming and AquaFit classes.

The Athletic Centre includes a Strength and Conditioning Centre, a Field House (with 200m indoor track and exercise machines), a Dance Studio, and many other spaces such as the Varsity Pool for student and member use. The fitness classes offered run on a dropin or registration basis depending on the type of class. It posts weekly Women’s Hours for the Strength and Conditioning Centre to allow for a less intimidating environment.

The Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport offers many of the latest advancements in fitness technology and serves as the primary training space for the Varsity Blues with many strength and conditioning oriented machines. Many fitness classes are offered in the Fitness Studio and access to the Varsity Centre track across the street is also an advantage.

All three gyms offer group fitness classes (drop-in and registrationbased) from Zumba to Kickboxing to hip-hop dance, and amenities such as towel service and locker services.

Peak hours for all three facilities are usually after 4PM, as people finish lectures and work, and in the mornings (before class and work). If you like a quieter gym environment, consider going during the day after 9:00 am and any time between 1:00 and 4:00. Many individuals prefer to exercise in the early morning or late evening, so plan your time accordingly.

All a UofT student needs to gain access to any of these facilities is their T-Card (it will be scanned at the front entrance). However, it’s recommended that you bring a lock if you want to store your belongings in a “day locker” and toiletries if you want to shower after completing your workout (the athletic facilities in the Athletic Centre provide towel

service if you scan your T-card).

For those of us who are less used to exercising, going to a gym may sound intimidating. However, maintaining an active lifestyle does not have to mean diligently heading to the gym and completing your workouts. Other ways can include participating in intramural sports, playing a quick game of Frisbee with your friends at the park, or going for walks in between classes. If the idea of scheduling time for the gym seems overwhelming, consider getting off a stop early on the subway and walking a longer distance to class. Instead of sitting with your friends in a student lounge between classes, go for a walk to the coffee shop.

Being active can also mean making small changes in your daily routine, such as taking the stairs instead of using the escalator, or carrying your groceries home instead of taking an Uber or using public transportation.

Yes, school is hard and will probably take up a lot of time. Yes, slacking off and not exercising is very tempting. But if you make just a bit of effort and take full advantage of the facilities offered on campus (you’re paying for the gyms anyway), you will be able to find the time for everything.

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SEPT 2016

Burritos: The Quintessential University Experience Adham Husseini Cannon Contributor

You’re not very likely to go through your college career without stuffing your face with one of these beauties at least once or twice. Which of the multitude of burrito options reigns supreme as king of the bastardized Americanised Mexican food item?

their portions are massive, even by burrito place standards. Although they’ve gotten smaller recently, their “huge” burrito is still roughly the size and weight of a small baby.

They also have the weirdest variety out of any of these burrito places (which I guess is a good thing?). As far as I know, this is the only place you can get a fried buffalo chicken burrito in Toronto. Despite all that, I still wouldn’t recommend Fat Bastard. The overall quality of their ingredients seems below average, despite their claims of using fresh ingredients. Just stare into their guac for the five minutes it takes to make your food — you’ll get what I mean. Just overall not the highest calibre burrito around.

Fat Bastard Burrito Let’s get the obvious out of the way first, this is the burrito place right across the street from Walberg. Aside from location location location, Fat Bastard does have some things to offer: for starters,

Big Fat Burrito Now this is a high quality burrito, with quality tasting meats and veggies, and the only burrito place that isn’t stingy with their cheese. These burritos are just better than Fat Bastard’s in almost

The humble burrito: the very staple of a standard college student’s diet, accurately described as a mess of meat, veggies, and cheese wrapped up in a tortilla and toasted to perfection. No half decent fast food is quite as filling or fast to make and eat.

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every way, albeit a bit smaller than their “huge”. The only bad thing I have to say about Big Fat Burrito is that they’re slightly out of the way, sitting squarely in Kensington Market, and they don’t have too much variety in their burritos. However, you can’t go wrong with the basics and extra cheese (their chicken/ steak is to die for).

Mucho Burrito My personal favourite, Mucho Burrito, is the only restaurant on this list that tries to go for vaguely Mexican flavours. Mucho has the freshest tasting ingredients (their guac in particular is fantastic), a great variety of meats, other nonburrito food items, regular-ish specials, and the only good shrimp burrito I’ve had in Toronto. Like Big Fat Burrito, it’s a bit out of the way: it’s located near Queen and McCaul. However, if you live in or near Chestnut, then it’s a pretty short detour. Even if you don’t live in the area, I highly recommend you go

try the place at some point.

Burrito Boyz/Burrito Bandidos I bunched these two up together because it’s pretty much the same burrito, sitting very firmly as the least Mexican-tasting Mexican food I’ve ever had. It’s not bad, per se, just very different. They go for more of a creamy, greasy, cheesy taste, which is a bit heavier than it is filling, but a lot of people seem to like it. I wouldn’t recommend them all that much, especially since neither of them are anywhere near campus. But if you are near any of their half dozen locations, maybe give them a try.

Dishonourable Mentions Burrito Planet: It was right next to the Second Cup across the street, but had no other redeeming qualities. 2T0s, be glad you now have Fat Bastard instead of whatever this was.

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Skuligans from Around the World Namya Syal Cannon Marketing Head UK - Anon I realized I needed to learn 3 times as fast as any domestic student. Not only did I have to adjust to University and transitioning from High School, but I also had to learn how to live in Toronto, how to talk to local Canadians and how to be without my family. I feel like I learned a lot of interesting concepts at school - whether its calculus, physics, chemistry or Engineering design - but all this only accounts for maybe 10% of what I learned.

Everything else was, how do I survive every day? How long before I go home? I realized when I flew back to visit my family that home wasn’t where I thought it was anymore.

Ecuador - Jorge Ramos It was Toronto.

Moving to Canada

was such a great and smooth experience. I had a lot of fun meeting people from all over the planet come together over Step Up and F!rosh week. There is a lot of new things to try on the city so you won’t get bored but also it has a piece from everywhere so it is not shocking at all. It felt so natural becoming part of UofT, Skule and Toronto to the point that I was never homesick for all my time here. In the end, however, the best part was and will be the community that welcomed us to UofT.

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Egypt - Anon The experience of moving to Canada after spending my entire life in Egypt was exhilarating, refreshing, and completely terrifying all at once. When you move to a place where no one knows who you are, you have the opportunity to reinvent yourself and your image however you see fit. At the same time, though, you find yourself lacking the support system that you had had all your life – friends, extended family, etc. Overall, it was a bittersweet experience, but it definitely wasn’t difficult to

Oman - Anon Moving to Canada was really difficult. On one level it was because I didn’t know how to use the subway and the cold was really bad, but particularly hard at assimilating to Canadian culture. It was, and still is so hard feeling like I was valued as a Canadian. It’s frustrating because I’m an international student who is also a citizen of Canada, but it’s been so hard for me to treasure my citizenship to Canada

Russia - Kate Lavrova My Uoft experience started with Step-up and Frosh week, and this was probably the best way to do it. ( It was a blast!)

I met other international students, I got to know Canadian students better, but mostly, I felt welcomed and in right place.

I loved ChemEng program, very hands-on and up to date. I had many challenges, but I learned that Uoft support services really do work and help, so I managed to go through it and made it to my third year, yay.

Uoft is a great place to start your career path by working hard

Bangladesh - Anan Mohamend The first thing on your to-do list would be India - Pankhuri Kaushik to locate the Mauritius - Rachel Wong Australia- Karz Shukla I’m from Nagpur, a small-ish My experience from moving Tim Hortons around campus After my dad and I spent town in India. The educato Australia was interesting.

I and close to where you live. more than 24 hours on tion and lifestyle there was, come from a suburban/rural Trust me, folks it will be your travelling from Maurias you can imagine, very part in Sydney so moving to lifeline for all your undertius, a tropical island in different. I had no idea what the Indian Ocean off the a huge city was at first, a little grad: for those all-nighters to expect when I got here, daunting; I’ve never lived in cramming for midterms, or southeast coast of the and I was pleasantly amazed African continent, we the big city. Obviously there bringing the word count by what I saw. The city itself finally arrived in Toronto. were some societal differenc- down from 5000 to 3500 for is so diverse, I was worried es I needed to adapt to, such your group project at 2 in the I was really tired but at I wouldn’t be able to find as tipping culture (which morning! And, nothing is betthe same time too exsomeone like me and I was is non existent in ‘Straya), ter than a warm hot chococited to be able to sleep. quickly proven wrong. The but going out with friends late, on a day it’s snowing The weather was chilly community at UofT is exand family helped me learn. outside. Get to know what although it was still tremely welcoming, and I Fortunately, I didn’t have a “Double Double” means! summer in Toronto. I was was stoked to be a part of it language barrier to deal with, People in Toronto are super already thinking whether because it’s this huge family I would be able to survive unlike some international friendly and approachable where everyone looks out kids, but still to this day, – so make tonnes of friends, the Canadian winter or for you. Although the culture not; -40⁰C while Mauripeople ask about my accent and your transition to Toronhere is very different, once because the colour of my to will be a breeze! tian winter is about 18⁰C. you let yourself out of your Coming from a multicul- skin doesn’t exactly match comfort zone you will realize tural society, seeing difmy voice. But, once I found how much this place has to ferent people from differ- people with similar interests offer. At least, that’s what I as me in Skule, I began to feel ent country around the realized. comfortable here. I think the world did not surprise me. However, speaking in most important part about English and getting used adjusting to Toronto is keeping an open mind. Unless you to the culture of accents was troublesome at first. Coming to come from another Western country like I did, you’re Uoft definitely made me more gonna see a lot of things that independent, more outgoyou don’t see in your home ing and open-minded. There country, but Toronto seems is no doubt that I had some to have its own character, so difficulties during these past the best way to avoid cultwo years but I have learned ture shock is to embrace the so much from the people I have met and help me out. The culture and the city. But, one question I’ll always get is “Do advice I would like to share to you like Australia better than all the international students coming to Canada would be to Canada?” Seriously, stop asknever give up and don’t be shy ing me this question, because I don’t know the answer. to ask for help.

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SEPT 2016

Frosh Week Political Correctness: Stifling or Inclusive?

Francis Kang Cannon Contributor Kirk Regan Cannon Contributor

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HE CHEERS WE HEAR throughout Frosh Week 1T6 (and the rest of the year) aren’t the same cheers that were chanted 5 years ago. They’ve become more toned down, and while some people see this as a step towards being more inclusive, others see it as being overly politically correct. The Cannon asked two such people to sound off: Against: Francis Kang

For: Kirk Regan

It’s September 5th. A budding 2T0 walks onto campus, backpack in tow, in eager anticipation of the week to come. A sea of a thousand purple engineers; a romp through downtown traffic; a “havenger scunt”, whatever that is. As soon as they arrive they’re whisked into their frosh group and thus begins the indoctrination. The venerable “Who are we?” chant is the first to be taught, and they learn that we … “irritate ArtScis”? Can you say anticlimactic?

The problem we face isn’t just the restructuring of chants. A top down mandate has stripped them of offensive language altogether. In the case of some frosh groups, this means whittling down their repertoire into an innocuous shadow of its former self. Its mission: make F!rosh week more inclusive. More open. More, in the words of J.T, 2016.

At its core, F!rosh week is about welcoming new members into our community. Amongst all the events, chants tie the week together. They offer some semblance of familiarity in an otherwise alien environment. The fact that these chants are often vulgar is important - they not only enhance the shock value and catchiness, but also help forge stronger bonds. There is a distinct social taboo against swearing in public, let alone at the top of your lungs. A frosh group collectively rejects these social norms when it chants together. At the expense of sounding like a hippie, I think there’s something beautiful about this kind of connection.

Herein comes the balance — we need to preserve the character of F!rosh week without compromising on inclusivity. Being hypersensitive about how ArtScis feel doesn’t accomplish that. Instead of blindly throwing away what might be misconstrued, just make it clear the chants are all in good fun. If the engineers and ArtScis are being alienated, organize more cross-faculty events. If strangers on the street are offended, scope them out of the problem!

Focus on the things that matter.

Chanting that we hate ArtScis was, is, and always will be a joke. We’re engineers, damn it, not politicians.

Engineering itself is about innovating and improving, so would it not make sense to do so with our cheers? The stereotype of an engineer is no longer an anti-social male who stays inside, studies all day and drinks all night. We have an infinite demographic to appeal to now.

The Frosh Week I experienced coming into Uof T in 2012 compared to the current Frosh Week is like night and day. In 2012, you could scream “I hate ArtScis!”, sing songs about orgies, and even make a sexist joke and not get looked at twice. Ever since a particular scandal at another university occurred, we’ve had to take a look back and say, was all that stuff appropriate?

Well, it wasn’t.

Frosh Week’s job is to help every engineer make a connection with the Skule community and take pride in their choice of university and program. It’s not about pushing a culture of drinking or an elitist attitude, which sadly, has been done in the past. To those who bark that we must not abandon tradition, answer this: do we not abandon a practice or method when it is determined to be unsafe? By creating new inclusive cheers and editing the current ones, we bring pride to the students that chant them without alienating the ones who hear them. Simply put: We must strive to lift ourselves up without pushing others down.

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SKULE HISTORY The Sexist ‘70s Saila Shama Cannon Contributor

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EING THE BEST is a very good thing to be. It can also be exhausting, as the motto emblazoned on the Engineering Science escutcheon proclaims.

But the world needs you and it is clearly your duty to carry the light of your truth and the shelter of your wisdom forward into the dark corners of industry and science with whatever residual vigour you can muster.“ Looking back with a 2016 perspective, the 1979 Engineering Society Yearbook (also known as Skulebook) is a rather contradictory publication. For example, the short and inspiring message above, authored by then-chairman of the Engineering Science Division, shares a page with this photo:

Nor is this the only such image. The introduction page to the Events section of the yearbook featured a young male engineering student pulling off a female’s clothing, revealing her strappy and studded undergarments to a crowd of male students. Pages 18-19 featured multiple photos of barely clothed women performing. There’s even an photo of something that might be called a male chastity preserver under a two-page Nursing spread.

Someone back then might say that everyone, including the women in those photos, are just enjoying themselves, but it is telling that the editors found it appropriate to present women that way in a yearbook meant to officially represent the Engineering Society.

This objectification of women shows just how maledominated the engineering community used to be.

Fortunately, all this is past, and that’s a reflection of the Engineering Society’s evolving nature: perhaps the class of 2057 will look at our Skulebook, and be just as shocked by its contents.

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Breaking Misconceptions: Sex Statistics Namya Syal Cannon Marketing Head You’ve probably heard the phrase ‘engineers don’t have sex’ at least once: if not from well-meaning non-engineering friends, then at least from the ArtSci frosh week jeers. Maybe you even started believing in the stereotype as the sentence became more and more ubiquitous. The Cannon decided to debunk some myths and break some stereotypes, and show you a true picture of how much sex your fellow Skuligans are actually having.

61.6% of students have had more than 1 sexual partner in the last year, and 47.1% of students are in a relationship of some nature. Think your dating pool is limited to only engineers? Think again, as 80.4% of students have sexual partners who are NOT in engineering.

All of this brings us to the very important issue of protection. Most people spend less than $10 a month on protection, with the most common forms of contraception being condoms and birth control pills. However, it is important to realize that birth control pills do not prevent against STIs, against which male/female condoms are the best protection.

Most pharmacies sell birth control pills and condoms.

In case of any accidents, an off-the-counter drug called Plan B or the morning-after pill will help you mitigate any pregnancy risks when taken within up to 72 hours, or better yet, 12 hours of the accident. This is not an abortion drug, but instead prevents fertilization of the egg. This drug is available for $40 at pharmacies, but also at the UofT Health and Wellness Center for $20. They also sell several methods of birth control aside from contraceptive pills, so if you plan on going on any type of contraceptive, a short visit to the doctor might help you determine the best way of birth control for you. They even have a bandaid-like patch that works the same way as contraceptive pills!

The University of Toronto Sexual Education Center also provides free condoms, a comprehensive listing of sexual health clinics all around Toronto, and a bunch of other great services. So, if you have any questions, do check them out at http://sec.sa.utoronto.ca.

Finally, always remember consent is sexy, and only yes means yes. Be sure to engage in open communication with your partner and discuss their needs as well as yours. 11% of our respondents said that sex to them means anything that makes them feel sexy and good, so remember that sex means different things to different people. Stay safe!

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Which Discipline is Right for You? Wibisha Balendran Cannon Webmaster Do you think you’re in the right discipline, or are you wondering if you should switch to another? If you’re unsure, then you’re in luck!

Choose the answer that best describes you to each question and follow the instructions below to add the points up for each discipline. The answer you seek will reveal itself…

1.Which discipline are you in currently?

A) Chemical (Chem) B) Industrial (Indy) C) Mechanical (Mech) D) Electrical (EE) E) Computer (CE) F) Mineral (Min) G) Materials (MSE) H) Civil (Civ) I) Engineering Science (EngSci) J) Track One (T1) 2. Do you like programming?

A) Yes! I love being able to create and debug my program even if coffee has to be my #1 drink.

B) I don’t mind programming but I’m not a fan of it either.

C) I despise it! I wish I didn’t have to do it at all…

3. Did you collect rocks and keep them as pets when you were younger?

A) Yes! In fact, I called it *insert name here*.

B) No! Rocks are boring.

C) Never had a pet rock, but I did collect rocks I found exquisite!

4. What is/was your favourite show?

A) Breaking Bad B) Almost Human C) Dragons’ Den D) The Big Bang Theory E) House, M.D. 5. Have you ever made your own computer game or a smartphone app?

A) Yes! It’s called *insert name here* B) No, but I plan on doing so in the future if I have the proper resources and knowledge.

C) No way! Ain’t nobody got no time for that!

6. What’s your favourite hobby?

A) Collecting rocks (Of course, I still do it now!)

B) Combining 2 or more chemicals and anticipating their reaction.

C) Visiting various attractions/ monuments and gazing in awe at their structures.

D) Playing Jenga!

E) Assembling miniature airplanes, robots, etc F) I don’t know!

7.Was data management your favourite course in high school?

A) Yes! B) No! C) I never took it.

8. During high school, were you fond of chemistry labs (i.e titration labs, measuring pH using indicators, saponification, etc.)?

A) Absolutely! I always looked forward to them.

B) It depends on the lab.

C) No way! I hated wearing those weird goggles and thick lab coats.

9. What do you see yourself doing in university and beyond?

A) Debugging code/programs for a better future B) Licking and analyzing rocks (You’ll eventually know the purpose of licking rocks, especially you Civs and Mins!)

C) Testing how strong various beams are by conducting tests D) Finding ways to produce a more ergonomical device E) Analyzing circuits F) Memorizing inorganic molecular structures and generating uses of the these structures G) Solving complex and abstract equations.

H) I don’t know!

10. What was your favourite movie?

A) The Wolf of Wall Street B) The Theory of Everything C) The Imitation Game D) WALL-E E) Star Trek Beyond F) I don’t know!

11.Do you plan on transferring?

A) Yes, to EngSci B) Yes, to Electrical C) Yes, to Computer D) Yes, to Industrial E) Yes, to Mechanical F) Yes, to Chemical G) Yes, to Material H) Yes, to Civil I) Yes, to Mineral J) No! My heart is set on this discipline!

Thank you for taking the quiz! To calculate your results, please look at the option you picked in each question, and add the listed number of points to each discipline mentioned for that option: the discipline with the most points is the right one for you!

For question #1, give one point to the discipline that you chose.

For question #2 if you chose: A) 2 - EE, Mech, Indy; 3 - CE B) 1 - EE, Mech, Indy; 2 - CE C) No points For question #3 if you chose: A) 2 - Civ, Min B) No points C) 1 - Civ, Min For question #4 if you chose: A) 2 - Chem B) 2 - EE, CE, Mech, EngSci C) 2 - Indy D) 1 - EE, CE; 2 - Mech, EngSci For question #5 if you chose: A) 2 - CE B) 1 - CE C) No points For question #6 if you chose: A) 2 - Civ, Min B) 2 - Chem C) 2 - Civ, MSE D) 2 - Civ E) 2 - Mech F) No points For question #7 if you chose: A) 2 - Indy B) No points C) No points For question #8 if you chose: A) 2 points - Chem, MSE B) 1 point - Chem, MSE C) No points For question #9 if you chose: A) 2 points - Mech, EE, CE, Indy B) 2 points - Civ, Min C) 2 points - MSE D) 2 points - Indy E) 2 points - EE F) 2 points - Chem, MSE G) 2 points - Mech, EE, CE H) 2 points - EngSci I) No points For question #10 if you chose: A) 2 points - Indy B) 2 points - EngSci C) 2 points - CE, EE; 1 - Mech and Indy D) 2 points - Mech, EngSci E) 2 points - EngSci F) No points For Question #1 and #11, you receive one point for the discipline you chose for each question (excluding TrackOne: sorry TrackOnes you’re still the best ones!)

Add up the points to receive your results: EE CE Mech EngSci Chem Indy Civ Min MSE -

*DISCLAIMER* These results may or may not be 100% true! It is recommended to remain in your discipline and try out the courses offered in first year. Then, decide what is best for you. Most of all, enjoy your time at Skule!

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