The Strand | Vol. 66, Issue 1

At least we can all agree about aliens

How

the Congressional UFO Hearings inspired bipartisanship

MAYA HUTZUL STAFF WRITER

In late July, David Grush, former US military intelligence officer-turned-whistleblower, appeared before the National Security Subcommittee of the House of Representatives. He testified that not only were UFOs real, but also their existence has been actively concealed by the United States government.

The allegations were shocking, but they were made more credible by Grush’s sterling credentials. Grush spent 14 years as an intelligence officer in the Air Force and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and was a member of Pentagon task forces investigating UFOs until early 2023.

Grush told the committee there was a “multi-decade” program to retrieve and reverseengineer the technology of UFOs–known in the intelligence community as unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAPs.

The depth of this program was certainly a cause for surprise. The Pentagon has investigated roughly 800 reports of UAPs as of May 2023. According to Grush, most of the program was funded through the “misappropriation of funds” designated elsewhere in the budget. He further characterized the entire project as being “above Congressional oversight.”

The discoveries Grush and other witnesses claimed the program had made were shocking. Former Navy commander David Fravor said that he and three other pilots saw a UFO in 2004. According to their description, the object was Tic-Tac shaped and possessed no visible rotors, wings or fuel exhaust. He claimed that the UFO then vanished, only to be spotted 60 miles away.

Grush spent four years interviewing 40 witnesses of UAPs and claimed that some of those people had found “non-human biologics” from crashed vehicles. Though Grush said that he could not elaborate due to the sensitive nature of the information, the Pentagon declared that no biologics were found.

The existence of extraterrestrial life could upend what the human race knows about science and civilization, so it was only natural for the discoveries of the National Security Subcommittee to be at the forefront of the news cycle. Moreover, it seems the hearings have managed to do something nearly equally implausible: bringing Republicans and Democrats together.

During the 2022 midterm elections, Republicans managed to gain a majority in the House of Representatives, making it far more complicated for Democratic President Joe Biden to pass meaningful legislation. Even though President Biden previously pledged that he would be able to work with Republicans, bipartisanship has proved more

Centre, the two parties are, on average, further apart ideologically as of 2022 than any other time in the past 50 years. This is partially due to both parties growing more ideologically

difficult than anticipated.

From conflict-ridden discussions on the federal debt ceilings to regulating abortion in the wake of overturning Roe v. Wade, it seemed like Republicans and Democrats could not agree on anything at all.

There is factual evidence to support this perception. According to the Pew Research

cohesive: Republicans have become much more conservative on average, as Democrats have become moderately more liberal.

Congress and the American political system at large seem incapable of reaching any form of consensus—except about aliens. After the UFO hearings, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators, led by Republican Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, introduced an amendment to America’s defence spending bill.

Based on the legislation introduced to reveal government records about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, this bill would introduce more transparency to the current UAP documentation system. It requires agencies investigating these phenomena to hand over their records to a review board and justify any requests to keep things classified.

Around the same time, the House passed a highly contentious defence bill. It included amendments overturning policies covering abortion for members of the military, healthcare costs for transgender individuals, and diversity initiatives within the military. It was opposed, as is increasingly typical, on a mostly party-line vote, with only four Democrats in favour and four Republicans against it.

Politicians in America can agree about very little. But at least they have aliens.

PHOTO | ETSY

PHOTO | IMMUNIZE.CA

Those Who Need Rent Control, and Those Who Control Rent

The Toronto Tenant Strike

JULIAN APOLINARIO CONTRIBUTOR

A high cost of living in the biggest city in the country is not something particularly surprising in theory, but what it looks like in practice has created great difficulty in Toronto. This summer, tensions have exploded in a rent dispute between the York South-Weston (YSW) Tenant Union and multibillionaire landowning company, Dream Unlimited.

visitor parking, and balconies. After another round of raised rents, the YSW Tenant Union resorted to direct action, calling for a rent strike at the beginning of June, citing Dream’s unwillingness to respond to other forms of negotiation. The Tenant Union’s demands are as follows: first, end AGIs. Second, stop any applications for new AGIs. Third, lower rents for tenants due to the aforementioned lack of access to apartment facilities. Finally, the Union calls for respect for restrictions on

rent raises. CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees), our nation’s largest labour union, threw both their weight and their money behind the cause of living affordability by donating $5,000 to the YSW Tenant Union and matching the sum in another donation to a similar organization. CUPE also noted that the rent strike originated with a member of their union.

Dream responded to these claims. Their spokespeople said that their rent costs are significantly lower than what they could be in the Toronto rent market, and that AGIs would only affect 60% of their King Street location due to affordable housing regulations. They further cited their willingness to work with individual tenants to help navigate the newer rents, but claimed that only a small portion of their more than 200 renters were willing to take up on the offer.

On July 15th, action took place. Close to 100 individuals appeared in-person on King Street in a show of solidarity against Dream. As of August 1st, the picket lines have not moved. The Union’s Twitter has announced the rejection of eviction notices and the continuation of the rent strike in the face of Dream’s unwillingness to negotiate. The Dream versus York South-Weston conflict can be seen as a facet of a broader look at the building problems in the Canadian housing market and the lack of service towards the underprivileged. This glimpse tells enough of a story on its own about the legal loopholes, the role of organised labour and action, and the

Two of Dream’s properties in South Toronto along King Street have undergone more than the usual rent increases of 2.5%. Despite there being legal limits to the permissible rent increase per year, like any law, there are loopholes to get around it. Ontario landlords are able to apply for “above guideline rent increases (AGIs),” which are special allowances for raising rent if a landlord has made a large cash injection to improve their property’s quality and livability. Accusations against Dream have been levelled for the unfair imposition of AGIs on its tenants. These accusations first arose in 2018 and although a resolution was reached on paper, tenants claim that Dream refused to keep their word regarding the price reduction. Increased rents are coming at a time when the tenants reported losses of access to elevators, pools,

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The Return

A quick re-introduction to The

eugene Kim & shelley yao EdITORS-IN-ChIEF

Strand

The Strand has been the newspaper of record for Victoria University since 1953. It is published 12 times a year with a circulation of 800 and is distributed in Victoria University buildings and across the University of Toronto’s St. George campus.

The Strand flagrantly enjoys its editorial autonomy and is committed to acting as an agent of constructive social change. As such, we will not publish material deemed to exhibit racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, or other oppressive language.

ILLUSTRATION | SHELLEY YAO

Overcoming first-year jitters

How do UofT students cope with anxieties and stresses. What are the academic and social supports?

Dear first-year me, Entering the realm of higher education stirs a mix of excitement and uncertainty in me. The campus, a vibrant tapestry of ambition, offers both awe-inspiring architecture and a touch of nervousness. Navigating the pathways, I feel a sense of anticipation and the weight of newfound independence. The air is filled with the hum of unfamiliar voices engaged in conversations, a testament to the diverse community I'm now a part of. Amid the practical considerations—choosing classes, settling into my new living space, and forming connections—there's a subtle unease. It's the feeling of stepping into the unknown, where possibilities are so very vast, and outcomes become uncertain. This initial jolt of nervous energy reminds me that growth often begins with discomfort. As I take a deep breath and embrace the adventure of university life, I know that these initial jitters are just the beginning; these new feelings that you experience are actually, in essence, a good thing

About one year ago today, as I strolled down St. George Street, I sensed a unique blend of excitement and apprehension. It wasn't the usual kind of anxiety I experience; it felt more akin to that firstday-of-school sensation we all remember from kindergarten rather than high school: a palpable mix of excitement and trepidation. Having trouble navigating what seems like a whole city-sized campus simply to find where BL 200 is (it will surprise you) seeing the mass of a building that is Robarts Library, or seeing regular students walk down the streets with cool city street-style, who look like they bleed Playboi Carti or Lana Del Rey. All of these led me to truly believe that I was not meant to be here. It’s safe to say I felt a little bit of imposter syndrome. Here at UofT, it is no surprise that we were all nerds in high school, or at least cared about our academics, but as we all know by now, there is a nagging feeling of doubt where you feel as though you do not fit in with the brilliant minds who study here. The sprawling and bustling environment at UofT can inadvertently intensify imposter syndrome. Amidst the hustle of lectures,

because they show growth. They mark the threshold of a journey filled with selfdiscovery, where challenges and triumphs will shape my path in ways I can't foresee. The importance of addressing these initial anxieties resonates deeply with me. Reflecting on my experiences last year, I can confidently say this experience was the beginning of my journey into adulthood. The transition to university life is a defining moment. It sets the tone for the academic journey ahead. Step one into adulthood sounds scary, right? But guess what? Recognizing that these feelings of initial jitters are shared amongst everyone you see—yes, even the cool fashion people or the people who seemingly have an extensive 10-year plan—is not just beneficial but essential.

research, and bustling student life, it's easy to perceive oneself as a small fish in a vast pond. The pressure to measure up to peers who seem to have it all together can lead to self-doubt and a sense of being an imposter, merely masquerading as a competent scholar.

With the inevitable stress and the inescapable imposter syndrome that many of us face, there are effective strategies that students can employ to ease these first-year worries and cultivate a stronger sense of belonging. One approach is to reach out to peers, professors, and UofT staff (especially your registrar!). Building connections and a support network can mitigate feelings of isolation. I often put this opportunity aside during my first year; during the summer course selection period, however, I had a stressful situation

enrolling in courses. I called the registrar’s office and the situation was quickly resolved! They know all your student credentials and it’s the most personal space you can go to on campus! Managing time efficiently is also crucial; creating a balanced schedule that accommodates both academic commitments and personal time can alleviate stress. UofT provides a wealth of resources that students should tap into, such as academic advisors and mental health services, to receive guidance and support—specifically on the top floor of the library or in the Bissell building! There are several services at your disposal on campus, which you are paying for anyways. They are warm, welcoming, and with staff that will help you anytime. Additionally, setting realistic goals and breaking down large tasks into manageable steps can prevent feelings of being overwhelmed. Prioritizing self-care by engaging in activities that bring joy, practicing mindfulness, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle contributes to overall well-being. There is a work hard ( play hard ) culture at UofT between many students and peers I have interacted with. Remember that although pursuing your undergraduate studies is a major life event, you should force yourself to do things outside of your studies! Take it from me: during my first semester, I took many strict essay courses. My mind told me that partaking in my hobbies, such as reading, writing, or simply hanging out with my friends was a bad use of my time, but it was most certainly not. Force yourself to have fun. You can start doing so as early as Frosh Week. Attending campus events and joining clubs during the orientation phase fosters a sense of community and facilitates connections with like-minded peers. Go to the UofT Student Life page to see everything there is to offer. Should anxieties become challenging to manage, seeking guidance from counselors or mental health professionals is a proactive step toward maintaining mental wellness. It's important to remember that firstyear anxieties are temporary, and by implementing these strategies and utilizing the support systems offered at UofT, I can say with confidence that you will be capable of navigating the initial year of university life.

P.S. Go to the Sidney Smith Commons website for literally any question you have ever. A lot of important or random information at UofT is often not all in one place, but on this site — it is. With entries by students too, it helps with picking programs (based from student experiences), navigates the jigsaw puzzle that is ACORN, lists all the Recognized Study Groups available, and so much more!!!

ALYSSA YOUNG CONTRIBUTER

PHOTO | MACLEANS

“Why would anyone attend Orientation?”

Finding community through orientation

I asked myself that question in September 2021. I sat in my room, staring at the welcome papers my don had left me, trying to decide what to do with myself and my newfound freedom. Although most of my Orientation was via Zoom, I heard that Orientation kits were being distributed outside of Goldring Student Centre. I gathered my courage, invited my new roommates, and went to find the building I would spend so much time in over the next few years.

When we arrived at Goldring, we were greeted by enthusiastic, upper-year students in highlighter-pink t-shirts handing out drawstring bags, mugs, and some hockeypuck-shaped stress balls. Not a lot was going on and everyone was still standing several feet apart, but it felt exciting to be involved with something—and who doesn’t like getting handed free stuff?

That evening my roommates and I ran over to the Margaret Addison Field, where our don was involved in a Residence Orientation presentation. We tried to join Craft Night, but the event hit capacity before our group arrived. I didn’t mind though. For the first time since I had arrived on campus, I felt a semblance of community. People were introducing themselves, exchanging programs, and were just so excited to be back in person with other people. The atmosphere felt welcoming and comforting and made me a little less nervous about this new phase of my life.

As an orientee, I got the chance to meet the clubs and levies, along with the Victoria College staff, through the Zoom Opening Ceremonies. I even joined an online escape room night! Although the connections made in person can’t be easily replicated via Zoom, I still appreciated the opportunities to learn about Vic. I almost immediately got involved with VUSAC (student government) and Vic’s Drama Society (VCDS)! Once the school year began, I figured my involvement with Orientation was over and that I was on to other adventures at Vic. Spoiler alert: I was absolutely mistaken.

In January, we were put into another "normal" lockdown and students were asked to stay home from residence, if possible, until nearly reading week. During this time, I found myself constantly

thinking back to the excitement I had felt in September when everything seemed hopeful and new. Around this time, I saw a call for applications to join the Orientation leadership team.

When I first saw the application, I was certain I wasn’t going to apply. I made up every excuse in the book: I don’t have enough leadership experience, I don’t know if I can commit to it, what’s the point in being involved with something that might just get canceled anyways? I kept putting it off. It wasn’t until I saw a post that the deadline was being extended that I realized my first year of university was nearly over. I remembered the feeling of hope and excitement from my first days on campus, and on a whim, I applied.

I didn’t expect to get a spot, so I was surprised that I got interviewed and even more surprised that I got hired. That was April. Over the next four months, I worked with the Orientation Executive Team to plan Vic’s first in-person Orientation since pre-COVID. When I joined the team, there were a few things I was expecting: to plan events, to welcome new students, and to meet other upper-year students. There was one impact, though, that I never could have anticipated.

In April, I was feeling lonely, wondering when the world would get back to normal so I could get on with my life. By September, I was part of a team. I felt valued. I felt like I was doing something meaningful. I felt like Vic was finally becoming the home-away-from-home that I had always hoped it would be. Suddenly, I wasn’t waiting anymore. I was going to live my life whether the world was “normal” or not.

By the time second year began and

Orientation was over, I was excited about being present on campus and taking advantage of all the opportunities around me. I joined a mock trial team, got a job at EJ Pratt, and started looking for other ways to take on leadership roles. In just a year, I could barely recognize myself.

When November rolled around again, I applied for Orientation Co-Chair without a second thought. I remember getting the email that I got the role just before winter break and calling my best friend right away. Orientation programming as a student and a student leader meant so much to me in the past two years, and getting the opportunity to give back one more time was the best news in the whole world.

This summer, I have been working with the most fantastic team of Orientation Executives, Leaders, and Transition Mentors that I could have ever imagined! I am so grateful to them and for all of the time and energy that they have committed over the last few months. This role has also given me the chance to work with the Dean’s Office, and especially the amazing Campus Life Coordinator, Ali Kehl! I’ve learned so much at Vic, and I am grateful everyday for this opportunity to give back to this community.

So, why attend Orientation?

I’m not saying that Orientation is about to change your life—although it might. This is no guarantee that you’ll meet your life-long friends, partners or join the best club you can imagine—although you also might. But I will say this: if you decide to come to O-Week, you might feel a little less nervous about this new phase in your life.

JOCELYN MATTKA CONTRIBUTOR

ILLUSTRATION | SHELLEY YAO

r/UofT is my academic advisor

Social media for student services, benefits and disadvantages of the r/UofT

STEPH GYIMAH OPINIONS EDITOR

In times of doubt and crisis, we often strive for some semblance of security. A sense of security looks different depending on the experience and the individual, but it's usually stabilising; it provides clarity in times of uncertainty and balance in times of disorientation. At the University of Toronto, students exist within an omniscient-esque institution where it is extremely easy to feel obsolete and insignificant. In these situations, a sense of security can help ground us. We just need to look in the right places to find it.

As I was entering my first year, I was thrown into an abyss of information. There were so many services and websites at my disposal, and I had no means of looking through all of them before the school year started. A baptism by fire, some would call it. It would be inaccurate to say I simply felt overwhelmed—I felt incapable. I felt alienated and perturbed. At

the largest school in Canada and one of the largest research institutions in the world, it was pretty easy to get lost in its ubiquity.

In this moment of confusion, I strove to find stability. I needed answers, and I needed to prepare. I refused to remain stuck.

And thankfully, there was a place where I could find answers. In this space, incoming students bonded over similar fears of entering a new environment. Fourth-year students could express their stresses about graduating on time. Alumni discussed the horrors of the current job market. There was even room for prospective students —albeit annoying— who could ask about their chance of being accepted to the school. This space provides space for discussions, questions, answers, experiences, stories, and debates. It’s probably one of the most easily accessible services at UofT (no two-week wait times). It's run by students for students; it’s blunt and honest, but most importantly, it’s informative.

I speak of none other than r/UofT, the school's very own Reddit page and my go-to for academic and social advising. As with any social media app, you can choose your level of participation and engagement. There are lurkers who creep through the shadows of the page, quietly downvoting posts that irk their spirit. Or, if you want your voice to be more represented, you can be a poster. Posters are the foundation of the forum, providing the basis of everday discussion and asking questions we may feel too shy or nervous to ask.

On a serious note, as stated previously, UofT is an obnoxiously large institution, which means that despite being split up into multiple faculties and colleges, a lot of services are not easily accessible to students. But students need to have a space where they can receive information about the school and ask personalised questions relatively quickly. r/ UofT provides a space where this can be done. In a way, the Reddit forum has relinquished some of the excess burdens from the school since students can ask basic questions on the forum that would otherwise be resolved by academic advisors.

That is not to say that the page cannot also be harmful and disingenuous. Like all social media platforms, users have the autonomy to post as they please (for the most part). This means users can lead others to believe inaccuracies and misinformation. Those who are active on the page are aware of this, often referencing the unrepresentative sample population on the forum, which can skew answers. The most common example can be seen when prospective students ask about social life at UofT; they are frequently met with two responses. The first response is often a plea, begging these students to save themselves before they are subsumed by the black void that is UofT. The other is often in response to the latter, essentially calling them losers who are unrepresentative of the offline student body. While the purpose of this article isn’t to debate the politics of UofT’s social life, this contention represents how the sample population on r/UofT is perceived. That is, with a grain of salt. So, while it makes sense to use Reddit as a starting point, it should not be the end of your research.

The Reddit page is extremely helpful. I’m more of a lurker, but that's not to say my own questions and concerns were not reflected on the app. So many students at UofT share similar struggles, and seeing this represented online by posters provides a sense of student solidarity that makes me feel so much more secure.

ILLUSTRATION | CHELSEA WANG

Vic's divestment was a student win, but it wasn't enough

A reflection on the board of regents’ decision, the old vic occupation, and what must do next

Chants of victory rang through the warm April evening as we marched up the Vic quad, hands holding signs about climate justice and hearts thumping with the exhilaration of long awaited triumph. Joyous hugs and delighted giggles punctuated the atmosphere outside Old Vic, where group selfies and plans for a pizza party were already underway. This was the moment we had all been waiting for, a momentous celebration of our collective power. This was the culmination of our boldest action ever, the result of years of advocacy, activism, and action. After eighteen uninterrupted days of occupying the Old Vic building as a part of the longest student occupation in University of Toronto’s 200-yearold history, we had succeeded; Victoria College had finally committed to divesting from fossil fuels.

Divestment refers to an institution's decision to retract investments from a particular company or industry. Fossil fuel divestment not only withdraws financial support from the industry but also undermines the social capital that legitimizes its existence. Universities like UofT hold immense social, political, and intellectual influence. Thus, their commitment to divest signals to investors, politicians, and companies alike that supporting fossil fuels is no longer justifiable. Following a decade of relentless student activism, UofT committed to divestment in 2021. However, Trinity, St. Mikes, and Vic all manage their own endowment and, therefore, were not subject to this commitment. The largest of these endowments is that of Vic: nearly 250 million in pooled assets, with six to nine million CAD invested in fossil fuels.

The VUSAC Sustainability Commission joined forces with Climate Justice UofT to ramp up the fight for divestment throughout the last year. We conducted outreach, met with admin, disrupted a Board of Regents meeting, and co-organised two climate strikes. Following the March Vic Caucus, many hoped that a commitment would soon be announced. However, we needed one final show of student power to ensure victory was ours. We needed something unprecedented.

Planning for the Occupation began just two

weeks before the action actually commenced; the effort it took to organize a disruption of this scale over such a short timespan can only be called herculean. Though the core organizing team was small, almost every active member of Climate Justice UofT was involved in the process. Trusted community members came together to lend us tents, sleeping bags, and essential supplies. We drafted documents, painted banners, ensured logistical necessities were met, and conducted meticulous risk assessments with legal experts, preparing ourselves for every possibility that might compromise the operational security of our actions or the safety of our participants. For two weeks, we strategized, we mobilized, and finally, we braced ourselves for what would be our boldest action yet.

Monday, March 27th, 10 AM: the gates of Old Vic flooded open as dozens of student organizers rushed inward, equipped with signs that called for Vic’s divestment and loudspeakers that chanted slogans of climate justice and student power. Over the next hour, the four walls inside Old Vic were draped with stark banners that read "ALL EYES ON VIC" and "YOU ARE OUT OF TIME." Tables were stacked with signs that demanded futures over fossil fuels and stickers that artfully illustrated Vic as an institution drenched in oil. Instagram feeds and Twitter timelines were flooded with a bold declaration of our demands broadcasting to everyone a glimpse of what was to come. The Occupation of Old Vic had begun.

As Vic students, we had every right to do this: the Occupation violated neither city law nor the UofT Code of Conduct. However, that did not prevent Vic from attempting to find ways to kick us out or malign us in the public eye. Early on in the Occupation, they claimed that our equipment posed a fire hazard and that overnight occupancy of the building was in violation of safety regulations. They demanded that we take down our tents and vacate the building during nighttime hours, the latter of which would easily have allowed them to prevent us from reentering the building come morning. However, the Toronto Fire Services visited the Occupation multiple times and never once communicated any need to move our equipment or vacate the

premises. Despite Vic administration's claims, our legal team informed us that we had no obligation to take down our tents or leave the building. If Vic administration wanted us to leave, they had to comply with our demands.

Additionally, President McEwen repeatedly emphasized the Board's fiduciary responsibilities and its duty of care toward due procedure in her public statement, painting delayed divestment as a financially responsible stance. It's not. There is strong evidence showing that fossil fuel divestment poses no financial risk. Sustainable investments are increasingly proving their financial reliability; fossil fuels, however, face significant legal, regulatory, and market risks in our era of climate collapse, making continued investment undesirable. Even in a capitalist system rigged toward its success, the fossil fuel industry has lost all its financial rationale. Let's also not forget that Vic's duty of care lies foremost toward its students and our futures; "due procedure" is no justification for shirking this cardinal responsibility. In fact, we had diligently been following their so-called due procedure for ages with little results, all while watching the clock tick ever closer to a midnight of climate doom. Our emails had been ignored and our town-hall questions met with meaningless platitudes for years. Our requests for transparency from the Board seemed to be falling on deaf ears, our petitions and letters being met with nothing but loud silences. The fact of the matter was that we had tried asking nicely, only to realize it would never be enough. None of us had ever held any interest in sleeping on the cold hard floors of Old Vic for two weeks. Through its years of complicity and inaction, however, Vic had forced our hand. If Admin didn’t like that, they only had themselves to blame.

In contrast to Admin's response, however, the outpour of support we received from the student community was overwhelming. The number of signatures on the Divest Vic petition rose by hundreds in a span of two weeks. Over a hundred unaffiliated students joined us over those eighteen days, many even staying overnight. Several others sent out emails to the Board, gave us their endorsements, and provided us with monetary and food donations that kept

ATLAS CHANGULANI CONTRIBUTER

PHOTO | AUGUSTINE WONG

us all fed. The Occupation was sustained by the community, and it sustained a community in turn. The walls of occupied Old Vic held far more than just a protest. We had finals study sessions and read books together, engaged in academic discussions on food sovereignty, and hosted PEARS-led (Prevention Empowerment Advocacy Response for Survivors) teach-ins on the intersections between sexual violence and environmental injustice. We held screenings to laugh at bad reality TV shows, hosted comically intense chess tournaments, and held impromptu guitar performances. We cozied up our tents with pillows and plushies and brightened the walls with posters and Pride flags. We broke bread together, making community meals a site of grief and joy alike: a place to bond over shared music tastes and vent about exams gone wrong, yet also a place to talk of generational trauma, to express anxieties and hope all in equal measure, to tell stories of nothing yet also everything. It was chaotic, it was beautiful, and it was powerful.

It was this forged community that empowered us to hold the longest occupation in the university's history. It was this community that propelled it to success. Eighteen days after we'd launched a protest many had considered impossible to pull off a mere month ago, the Board of Regents finally relented. It had taken five years of organizing and the efforts of hundreds of students, but we had succeeded, if only partly: Victoria College committed to divesting from fossil fuels by 2030. They did not acknowledge our efforts in their announcement, of course, but we know this for what it is: a victory of student power and collective action.

Vic’s divestment commitment is a step in the right direction. However, 2030 is too late: Climate Justice UofT instead demands full and transparent divestment by 2025. The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) has made it clear that global greenhouse gas emissions must peak by 2025 at the latest and halve by 2030 if we are to have any chance of limiting global warming to below 1.5°C. We cannot afford delays or half-measures, not when climate catastrophe is here to greet us right at our doorsteps. Just this summer, we've witnessed unprecedented fires blaze through Canada and the world, decimating Maui and displacing half the population of the North-Western Territories. We've seen deadly heat waves tear through Europe and the Middle East, with heat indices in the Persian Gulf soaring up to unfathomable highs of 66°C. We've seen record floods and landslides once again kill hundreds in South Asia. We're set to breach the Paris Agreement's limit of 1.5°C temperature rise within the next five years. July 2023 was the hottest month in human history. If you're reading this a year from now, chances are you've already seen this record shatter twice over.

But our climate isn't simply collapsing. It's actively being destroyed at the altar of capitalism’s cancerous pursuit of profit. Oil executives have known the dangers of fossil fuel production for five decades now, but still have spent billions of dollars promoting disinformation and lobbying against effective climate action. Big Oil deliberately manufactured climate change denial among people and politicians alike,

invented the personal carbon footprint to deflect responsibility onto individuals, and continues to use its influence to disrupt grassroots organizing and distort climate science. The planet is not simply dying: it's falling victim to a first-degree murder. The fossil fuel industry is committing a crime against humanity and Vic has long remained complicit.

While Vic’s commitment to divest is absolutely a major victory, only the first of the Occupation's three demands were met. Four months onward, there is little indication that Victoria College seeks to take steps toward transparency in the BoR, or push forward the timeline to 2025. And let's not forget that Vic likely still owns an oil well in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. Four months past its divestment commitment, the battle to break Big Oil's chokehold on our college still rages on.

Yet, the fight for climate justice goes beyond fighting just the fossil fuel industry. We must instead take on every institution that serves to reinforce the capitalist and colonial extractive structures which continue to put oppressed communities across the world at far higher risk of environmental catastrophe. A fight for climate justice is a fight for affordable housing and food security for all. A fight for climate justice is a fight against policing and carcerality in all its forms. A fight for climate justice is a fight for Indigenous sovereignty on Turtle Island and beyond, for reproductive freedom and queer liberation, for labour rights and disability justice. A fight for climate justice is a fight to forge a better world for every single one of us.

The ceaseless barrage of climate disasters and increasing right-wing attacks on marginalized communities in recent years can make fighting for a better world seem like a doomed endeavour. However, hope is found everywhere we look.

The WGA and SAG strikes have sparked a historic wave of labour mobilisations across North America. Youth in Montana recently won a game-changing lawsuit against fossil fuel extraction, while activists in Atlanta remain strong in the battle to protect the Weelaunee forest despite relentless police violence. Indigenous nations from Grassy Narrows to the Wet'suwet'en Yintah still stand unbowed despite centuries of genocidal oppression and continue to defend their homeland and our planet from the parasite of colonial extraction. And from Hawaii to the Mediterranean, people across the globe have stepped in to support those fleeing climate catastrophe, forging resilient networks of mutual aid in the stark absence of institutional support. Everywhere we look, we find people fighting back.

A better world is possible. The seeds of this transformation are already beginning to sprout at our feet. The responsibility to nurture their growth through hope, solidarity, and action is shared between all of us. The divestment movement illustrates that the power to change is possible when our communities come together to stand in unity behind a common cause. The Occupation was only made possible through bold, direct action, sustained community support, and resilient cross-movement solidarity. We must now seize this momentum and ramp up the pressure, not merely in our fight for a fossilfree UofT, but across all student movements alike.

The time has come to build a diverse, radical, and resilient coalition of student advocacy capable of transforming everything for the better—and we need all hands on deck. This is an invitation, dear reader: we need you. Our future rests in palms that curl in power with every raised fist. The fight to transform it into something better has only just begun. The Strand reached out and received the following comment from Victoria University: “The work to begin divestment has begun as we move towards our 2030 goal. We have already developed a new, one-stop, and publicly accessible webpage that shares specific actions that we are taking to continuously improve our university’s sustainability— a commitment made in our current Strategic Framework. Divestment is a multi-stage process involving pooled funds that are independently managed by external investment managers who use their discretion to invest in companies from various sectors of the economy. Due to the nature of pooled funds and our current use of investment managers, it is not feasible to identify details such as institutional location and/or practices.

We will establish a communications plan in collaboration with the Board of Regents this fall regarding our divestment trajectory. Once it is complete, we will share it publicly to ensure that Vic U’s community members are informed of the steps that we are taking as we move forward. We also hope to update the community regarding the Weyburn Property that includes an oil well in the near future.”

Scientists @ Vic: Silas Peters

chloride, and looking at how these different road salts impacted amphipods survival and reproduction, as well as the decomposition.

interested in working with me. It was then a lot of applying to research funding and a lot of cover letters. Why you should give me money to do this and stuff like that.

This year I am introducing a new segment to the Science section, where I will be interviewing a student who has done science research at UofT. This gives them a chance to share their work and show other students the types of research that exist at the university. If you are interested in being interviewed, please email science@ thestrand.ca.

The Strand: What year are you and what are your majors?

Silas Peters: I’m going into my third year. I’m an [Ecology and Evolutionary Biology] specialist with a certificate in sustainability.

What is your research?

I was studying the impact of two different road salts on amphipods [which are a] species of aquatic decomposers. We were comparing sodium chloride and calcium

Why is this an important thing to research and how can this information be used in the future?

We use way too much road salt in Canada and so much of that is washed into our waterways. This can have really drastic impacts on organisms, but we still don't fully know [what they are]. It's important that we understand how the road salt affects [macroinvertebrates] because we'll get a better picture of the entire ecosystem and how messed up it can become when you are dumping road salt into the water. Our hope is that this research will give us that kind of picture and then push both cities and individuals to use less road salt and look for more sustainable alternatives.

How did you get this position?

I essentially cold emailed a bunch of profs, and then my [Principal Investigators] got back to me and were

In it for the long haul

What advice do you have for students looking to do research?

Something that I think really helped me with this research position was volunteering in a lab first. I cold emailed a professor, volunteered in his lab, and worked with him across the summer. And that gave me the experience that I was then able to use to apply for other research positions. You don't always have to go straight for the flashy positions. If you want research experience, just emailing and volunteering for like five hours a week in the lab during the school year is a great way to get that.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

For many of us, the COVID-19 pandemic hit at a pivotal moment in our lives. Whether this was high school graduation, entering or finishing university, or in the middle of our academic careers, we all felt the impacts as restrictions tightened and Facetime calls became the norm instead of face-to-face conversations. When the 2022 to 2023 academic year started, we began to see these restrictions loosen as we returned to in-person classes and social lives around the university began to pick up. For the majority of those who caught COVID-19, it was easy to move on and adjust to these post-pandemic policies. Unfortunately, for approximately 15 percent of adults who caught COVID-19 in Canada, it has been hard—or even impossible—to move on from their infection. This is because they suffer from long COVID, a debilitating condition that can cause myriad issues in an academic or career setting.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ‘long COVID’ describes the persistence of symptoms long after the initial COVID-19 infection ends. The World Health Organization specified that the condition “occurs in individuals with a history of probable or confirmed

SARS CoV-2 infection, usually three months from the onset of COVID-19 with symptoms that last for at least two months and cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis.” This condition does not have an exact timeline, meaning any individual can suffer for weeks, months, or even years before the symptoms disappear. The symptoms themselves are variable, dependent on the individual, but often include fatigue, shortness of breath, and cognitive dysfunction. As one can imagine, any one—or combination—of these symptoms could drastically impact abilities to study or perform well at school.

As students at the University of Toronto, many of us deal with tiredness daily (shoutout to the Bay and Charles Starbucks for getting me through many sleepless nights), but the deeper fatigue caused by long COVID creates a recipe for difficulty in school. For instance, a study on fatigue in university students demonstrated that fatigue caused difficulties in task-switching and negatively impacted cognitive flexibility. When our courses expect us to be able to prepare for a laboratory in a science class and then immediately switch to writing a philosophy paper due the same day, long COVID fatigue may mean that it takes

longer to adjust to this new task or even make it impossible to complete both effectively. On top of the issues caused by fatigue, long COVID can cause cognitive dysfunction. This broad term can include issues with attention, cognitive processing speed, and memory. Already, it is possible to see that these symptoms would cause difficulties being a student as we try to study for multiple midterms or pay attention in late lectures. In fact, the issues caused by long COVID have already been noted by university students across the world. A student from the University of Bristol discussed that after contracting COVID-19, she could no longer continue in person and was given the choice of taking a year off or completing online modules for classes. Her experience shows how long COVID can alter the course of a student’s academic career, even delaying graduation. Finally, outside of academics, individuals suffering from cognitive dysfunction and fatigue may have difficulties playing sports or going out with friends, which in turn can worsen mental health conditions.

Evidently, long COVID can drastically impact students— both socially and academically. Thus, it is high time that the university adjusts its accommodation policies to account for long COVID. While students are currently able to declare multiple absences, the university is planning to change their maximum absence declaration from 14 days to seven days. This policy fails to recognise the very real impacts of dealing with long COVID, the continuing symptoms of which may mean that students have to take longer periods of time away from in-person lectures. In my opinion, this absence declaration policy should be altered in order to recognise the fact that long COVID—and other conditions—can cause issues across many weeks, leading students to miss multiple lectures or tutorials that require attendance. Moreover, the university has yet to implement accessibility services for those dealing with the condition. This means that, despite one of the main symptoms of long COVID being cognitive dysfunction, students are unable to access extensions or extra time on testing. It would be beneficial for the university to provide extra support to these individuals, allowing them to access accommodations so they are able to excel in their courses.

Long COVID as a condition can have drastic impacts on individuals’ health and capabilities, which the university has not considered as we enter the new academic year. I hope that this article serves as a call for changes in accommodation policies and absence declarations that will assist all students in their academic lives.

Kieran guimond SCIENCE EdITOR

silas peters CONTRIBUTOR

ILLUSTRATION | SOPHIE STANKOVIC

Greta Gerwig's Barbie is as fun and white as Ryan Gosling's bleached hair

White, consumerist feminism in Hollywood

WARNING: Spoilers and references to homophobia

“Like hold on, let me go find me a pen” – Ice Spice, “Barbie World”

Since the beginning of time, Barbie’s fingers were always yummy. Yummy in a plastic way, like the way cheap, sticky lipgloss is. Barbie is always being consumed: visually, physically, and economically. Greta Gerwig’s Barbie (2023) follows the doll’s tradition and satisfies its hunger by encouraging consumption in its marketing campaign and big box office success. I understand the pressures, appeals, and demands of the mainstream Hollywood movie. It makes sense that this big-budget film faltered under the expectations of both the studio demands and the feminist narrative. But my hot take still stands: Barbie’s fatal flaw is suggesting feminism can exist within the overtly consumerist film, negating how capitalism—and other ideologies not touched on like racism, sexism, transphobia, and homophobia—will always interact with feminism.

Barbie took centre stage this past July and certainly had fun doing so. Greta Gerwig plays up the physical power of the plastic doll. As the narrator, voiced by Helen Mirren, says in the movie: “When you play with Barbies, you do not use stairs or doors. You just put them where you want them. You use your imagination.” Gerwig’s construction of who 'Barbie' is is not as a human or an object: she is everything While Barbie is a physical feat of childhood imagination, can Gerwig’s Barbie satisfy the emotional expectations of a mass audience’s imagination?

Is life in plastic not so fantastic? Margot Robbie’s Stereotypical Barbie wakes up to her picture-perfect daily routine, riddled with the simplicities that demand imagination of Barbie World. There is no milk in her cup; she imagines it, and so we imagine it along with her. There is no fluid movement; Barbie’s plasticity is stilted and so we acknowledge her rigidness too. Stereotypical Barbie presents herself as a plastic object with plastic ideals, and as the plot advances, she struggles to contain what it is to be human. In the Real World, this means the pressures and forces of different ideological state apparatuses (ISAs). Stereotypical Barbie enters Los Angeles as a thin, white woman and so the main ISA she confronts is sexism. She experiences objectification for the first time: the creepy, threatening feeling that looms in every gaze and with “entendre that

appears to be doubled.” The film showcases Stereotypical Barbie’s introduction to the Real World and aligns it with the very commonplace experiences of the audience member— especially those raised or perceived as femme. And so, Gerwig aligns Stereotypical Barbie’s journey with the spectators; what do we do with the messy, complicated, overwhelming feelings of the human experience—emotions ranging from the cathartic cry to existential depression? Stereotypical Barbie chooses to be human (though the gynecology moment felt transphobic, like why did having female genitalia make you human and/or woman?) but I did not get a choice to exist in the Real World.

“On the mood board, she’s the inspo” – Charlie XCX, “Speed Drive”

While Stereotypical Barbie gets to make a choice, our parallel journeys stop when I realise I never had a choice to see or unsee Mattel’s Barbie as a signifier of beauty. The audience’s transition from child to adult—or, as the film explicitly references, from girl to woman—really cannot be aligned with Stereotypical Barbie’s transition from plastic to human. As a human viewer, I sometimes wish to be made up of Barbie’s plastic. Her prettiness is contained in that plastic. There was a moment when I really thought the film would include the nuance of beauty beyond Stereotypical Barbie’s struggle to accept aging, as it entangles itself with issues of race. While the film presented Stereotypical Barbie as the protagonist, I felt myself in America Ferrera’s Gloria, a woman of colour playing with pretty, white dolls who were beautiful. When Gloria performed her monologue on womanhood to remind Stereotypical Barbie of how impossible it is to be perfect, I wanted to hear how Barbie was so pretty that she was the basis of Gloria’s (and my) understanding of pretty. There is a Western lens to this beauty, and I didn’t get to choose to exist in it. I wish Gloria’s journey reflected the complications in her (our) love for Barbie.

Even the casting of Simu Liu is a critical and perfect display of what the film stands for: surface-level inclusion of representation that makes people feel like the job is done while negating the nuanced pitfalls of this contribution. Liu faces criticism in his part of the conversation on Asian representation: is representation worth it if it comes from someone who doesn’t see how it may be used in forms of tokenism? When he receives criticism, he points his fans toward the source of criticism—often a BIPOC woman.

The actor was also criticised over his past quotes linking pedophilia to biology and queerness: “From a biological

standpoint it’s no different than being gay—a small mutation in the genome that determines our sexual preferences,” he said. He allowed that “taking advantage of minors is wrong. Disgusting and vile, even.”

“Cause I, I don’t know how to feel” – Billie Eilish, What Was I Made For?”

Gloria’s journey is lacklustre at best, her contribution to the narrative reflecting the very real contributions a film like Barbie wants spectators to make.

Films present their own ideology, not just in their content but in their apparatus. The theatre makes us sit, gazes fixed on the screen that it controls. Our experience as a spectator parallels our experience as subjects under socially constructed ideologies. Sometimes, films make us question our positions as spectators. But as a spectator of Barbie, I felt exactly as I feel under the ideological systems as a subject in Western society. The ISAs, specifically sexism and capitalism, that Barbie introduces and speaks to only reflect how these systems want us to act. Barbie doesn’t revolutionise us, it merely reaffirms what was already there—a business success story that can now be rebranded for modern times.

Instead of breaking away from the confines of being human, which includes the trappings of 'existential dread', as the film promises, the film asserts the solution to the dread of being human by consuming this film, consuming the pretty in pink pastels, and sharing this practice of consumption with others. Gloria’s existential dread is resolved by her helping Barbie live with the capacity of having human emotions. She 'wins' by selling her idea of Ordinary Barbie with the intention that everyone can see themselves in Barbie, and that there is no need to be extraordinary to exist. So… the conclusion to the main human character’s existentialism is the idea of selling something to help people feel okay? Just as the film does? Selling spectators something to make us feel okay; you will be okay because you bought Ordinary Barbie. You will be okay, just consume us more. We make you feel okay. We make you okay. The solution to feeling okay in the Real World is representation: in items that can be sold and bought and consumed

It makes sense that consumption is the main aspect of Barbie’s marketing campaign. Even my own body adorned in pink, walking to and from the theatre, with a group of friends also dressed in various shades of pink, can be considered an appendage of the marketing strategy. My body, as Barbie’s is, is meant to be consumed.

laura Kim CONTRIBUTOR

ILLUSTRATION | CHELSEY WANG ILLUSTRATION | CHELSEY WANG

Euro bummer

How the popular “Euro Summer” aesthetic collides with our dying planet

The idea of visiting Europe has seemed to put many postpandemic summer travelers under a spell. Of course, referring to their travels as “Europe'' With such large waves of tourism comes the inevitable boom of posts online from people visiting incredible beaches, holding aperol spritzes while wearing white linen dresses and soaking up a tan.

This image of a relaxing, luxurious vacation has grown to be the basis of the so-called “Euro Summer” aesthetic that has permeated every social media feed these past few months as people flock to Europe at record-breaking rates. Searches like “Euro summer outfits” have trended on TikTok and the hashtag “eurosummer” has over 270,000 posts on Instagram. Clothing brands have seemed to realize these vacations that people plan their entire summers around are the perfect opportunity to capitalise on and encourage further spending.

A simple search online of “Euro summer clothing” takes you to various links of popular fast fashion brands like Princess Polly and White Fox Boutique that have entire sections of their site dedicated to shoppers searching for clothes to match the aesthetic. Much of the clothing under the tabs is very on-trend,

with plastic bead necklaces, lacy corset tops, and see-through fake crochet mini dresses, all screaming that they’ll never be worn past this summer after the trends inevitably change over the course of the year. My qualms with the aesthetic are less about people who buy one or two new pieces for their vacation. However, with the normalisation of clothing hauls on the internet, it has become trendy to buy entirely new wardrobes for one summer vacation.

Encouraging fast fashion when clothing is responsible for around 10 percent of global carbon emissions becomes rather terrifying to think about when this has been one of the hottest summers ever experienced globally. This summer has become one of the clearest signs that climate change is real, and there’s a gross dichotomy between posts on my social media feeds of “Euro Summer” clothing hauls and people suffering from wildfires, like recently in Maui, that has killed at least 100 people so far and earlier this summer in Canada that caused record breaking levels of pollution in the eastern part of the country.

There seems to be a distancing between the effects of climate change and how people choose to live, with most believing they somehow won’t be affected. But I believe summer 2023 has become a breaking point of sorts, proving that truly anyone

and everyone will soon be affected by rising temperatures and a struggling planet. The “Euro Summer” aesthetic and its impact is a microcosm of the much larger issue of consumption and how the real life effects of global warming are beginning to slip through the cracks of carefully curated social media realities that choose to ignore the truth of this climate emergency. Living consciously of our impact should become a higher priority. Stopping excess clothing purchases by changing and slowing down how we approach trends is a fairly easy way to start.

Hollywood's continued exclusion of the contributions of marginalised individuals

A critique of Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer was easily one of the most highly anticipated films of this year. It flaunts an A-list cast with a distinguished director and writer armed with a story that many would talk about for years to come. Personally, I was also very excited to see this film. I had been a fan of many of the actors, including Florence Pugh, Emily Blunt, and especially Cillian Murphy, ever since he played Thomas Shelby in Peaky Blinders. But the more I learnt about the film, the less enthused I became.

For starters, the cast is overwhelmingly white, with only a few people of colour, the most famous being Rami Malek. I’ve seen many come to the defense of the movie because the film centres on the perspective of Robert Oppenheimer, a white man. However, the lack of racialised characters and actors seems to be a deliberate choice by the filmmakers because there were people of colour who not only worked on the Manhattan Project and worked with Oppenheimer but also made great contributions to nuclear science as a whole.

One of them was Chien Shiung Wu. She was a ChineseAmerican scientist, and she was nicknamed “The First Lady of Physics.” She began working on the Manhattan Project in 1944, where she studied beta decay, the process in which “the nucleus of one element changes into another element". A few years later, two other Asian scientists who were also a part of the Manhattan Project, Tsung Dao Lee and Chen Ning Yang, asked Wu for help on an experiment that would ultimately disprove the law of conservation of parity during beta decay. This law “states that all objects and their mirror images behave the same way, but with the left hand and right hand reversed”. Her experiment ultimately confirmed Tsung and Chen’s hypothesis, and the two men eventually won a Nobel Prize in Physics for their work.. But Chien Shiung Wu was not included in the prestigious award and her part in their success was never acknowledged.

Many Black scientists also contributed to the Manhattan Project. Ernest Wilkins, for example, was considered a “child prodigy,”as he completed his bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD degrees by the time he was 19. Unfortunately, he received no job offers afterwards. That is, until he was asked to join the Manhattan Project. During his time with the Project, “Wilkins researched neutron energy, reactor physics and engineering … [and] did groundbreaking work in the movement of subatomic particles.” He was eventually dismissed from working further with the Project because of his skin colour. Other figures include Edwin R. Russell, who had researched on the separation of plutonium-239 and uranium, and Lawrence and William Knox, who focused specifically on the consequences of using the atomic bomb, as well as the “separation of the uranium isotope” .

Despite all these accomplishments and contributions, none of these people were featured in the film.

The reality is that Hollywood is an institution, and it is one that consistently excludes marginalised groups from their prestigious and exclusive association. History told by Hollywood is simply a continuation of the white narrative that has been force-fed into our collective consciousness. Our past is not as white as Hollywood would like to portray it to be. Racialised people have always existed, yet mainstream media more often than not fails to represent that. Christopher Nolan had the chance to make a revolutionary historical film that could have showcased Black and Asian excellence in science, but there was a choice made not to pursue such a route.

I understand that this is a biopic specifically on Robert Oppenheimer, and not the Manhattan Project, but his own work was heavily influenced by people of colour. According to National Geographic, he had even attended a few of Chien Shiung Wu’s lectures, yet she had no part in the film. Acknowledging the contributions of marginalised individuals is the bare minimum. Wu was left out of the Nobel Prize and she was left out of Oppenheimer

Without Chien Shiung Wu, Tsung Dao Lee, Chen Ning Yang, Ernest Wilkins, the Knox Brothers, and many other people of colour, there would be no Oppenheimer, and there most certainly would not be any prospective Oscars looming in the future.

I don’t mean for this piece to ruin the film for people who genuinely enjoyed it. I simply want to highlight that as audience members, we need to be more cognizant of the media that we are consuming. Does the media showcase the truth? Or the narrative that the powers-that-be want us to believe?

PHOTO | NEW YORK TIMES

catherine der CONTRIBUTOR

PHOTO | COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

The writers’ and actors’ strikes, explained

What it means for the film community in Toronto

Kyleeanne wood SENIOR COpy EdITOR

“Cinema is alive!” “The pandemic is officially over!”

Or, so you might hear from adamant movie lovers after the success of this year’s blockbuster summer. Barbenheimer, the internet phenomenon that skyrocketed the public’s interest around Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer due to the film’s simultaneous theatrical releases, gave audiences hope for the rekindling of the movie-going experience and the future of the cinema industry.

Yet, as a result of the ongoing writers’ and actors’ strikes, Hollywood has come to a halt.

What is the writers’ and actors’ strike?

On July 14th, the Screen Actors GuildAmerican Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) joined the Writers Guild of America (WGA) on the picket lines. It is a historic moment in entertainment history, as it has been over 60 years since both the writers’ and actors’ unions have gone on strike simultaneously. Both unions shared labour disputes with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) regarding residuals from streaming networks and the unregulated use of AI.

At this time, the two strikes look to have no end in sight as there is little evidence to indicate an approaching deal between SAG/WGA and AMPTP. As the strikes linger on, production studios, talk shows, and film festivals remain at a standstill.

How does this impact the film community in Toronto?

The effects of these two strikes will certainly ripple out to Canada’s film industry.

In a conversation with Professor Charlie Keil about the impact of these strikes, he warns that there is a lot of overlap between both sides of the border when it comes to film and productions.

“A lot of Canadians pick up work for Americanbased productions, whether they’re filming in Canada or somewhere else,” he says. “They might be directly affected by the strike when it comes to their employment as SAG-AFTRA members.”

In addition, Keil notes that most film productions operating within Canada are not Canadian-funded productions but rather American or international productions that film in Canada. “The industry is absolutely going to be affected by the strikes insofar as [US] productions that would normally be filming in Toronto, Vancouver, Montréal…they are being shut down.”

What does this mean for the film community in Toronto? Most visibly, there will be less filming across the city and a large sector of the Toronto film industry will be out of work until the strikes are resolved.

Likewise, the strikes will impact the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), scheduled for this September. Without some of Hollywood’s star-studded celebrities, there will be a possible change to this year’s list of films and the amount of media coverage surrounding the event. “A lot of the films that normally might have been released are now being pulled or bumped because they realize that they can’t rely on the stars to promote them,” Keil says.

Yet, Keil contends that TIFF has always been a “people’s festival,” and as such, he doesn’t think the lack of stars will affect the overall attendance of this year’s festival.

Diana Sanchez, the former Senior Director of Film for TIFF, commented on the question of this year’s festival, stating that it will be “interesting to see more of a focus on international actors, producers, and directors.”

Although there is uncertainty about this year’s ticket sales, Sanchez hopes that TIFF 2023 will have the chance to “highlight new faces” and let audiences “pay more attention to Canadian cinema.”

How does this affect young artists and writers?

With Hollywood at its epicentre, the writers’ and actors’ strikes may seem like an off-shore, isolated issue. Yet its effects have already started to ripple out to the Canadian industry and will soon begin to affect audience's movie and TV experiences.

For young artists, writers, and performers these two strikes have an equal effect on their soon-tobe careers. “At the end, when the strike is over, we’ll have a lot of new parameters that speak to the changes in the industry,” Sanchez says.

“Times of change are actually great times to start in the industry. But really, I would pay close attention to the resolution of the strike. I think that’s where we’ll get the information that will help us make those informed decisions that will inform our future decisions.”

new light-up pink shoes

andrea pereZ CONTRIBUTOR

Mom bought them yesterday. glittery shoelaces bounce up and upside down every time they hit the hopscotch. my heart is full of vanilla soft serve and glow-in-the-dark pencil crayons. the lights from my shoes dance with the dandelions. the wind changes suddenly and a strand slips out of the carefully pinned ribbon in my hair. it warps around the air, and becomes a leaf.

my jaw unhinges, wide and unafraid, revealing the growing green of throat, blood turning to sickly sweet sap. a Hummingbird approaches (he loves sweet nectar)

bony arms contort into trembling branches. another Hummingbird appears delicate strawberry skin of legs peels back uncovering moss, each vertebra melting and solidifying into an old tree trunk.

Mom told me this would happen. i hoped it wouldn’t. i miss my pink shoes. the Hummingbirds don’t stop

A Scottish Autumn Wednesday

devarya singhania CONTRIBUTOR

Under the Scottish August air, bathed in the yellow and tangerine of leaves, she checks the road for puddles, but is left with home’s call–a home she grieves— on Wednesday’s longer eve.

Those Indian summers when didi called her pretty and troubled her with sour lemonade: the light, chill and yellow, would see her at home, delayed by the puddles in which her and Reeva played.

The walk home was no longer than a few minutes, but didi, ever stout and stoic, stood in her sweat to scold. Ma in slumber, and dadi knitting, heard not what didi told— all wry smiles in beige skirts, didi broke into laughter despite her control. In didi’s journey to the West she sees her in puddles no more.

Reeva, mother of two, now cleans the skirts her daughters wore. Summer extends not even to June now, and the winters she ignores. Didi tells her about snow— black stroked heaps of snow smothered in yellow and tangerine— and memories of the humidity at home that tame it not.

In these alien Scottish corridors where she stands today, snow is nought; and what August’s left to show, she knows not. Empty European roads tow her mind to an Eastern home she mourns.

In August, her friends seem to chuckle, nudge a thud on her shoulder, and poke at her peculiar halt midway on the Scottish roads they’ve always seen clean.

Under the air of August’s tickling breeze, on this fatigued Wednesday eve, all she’s left with is a memory of home, a home she grieves.

Homecoming

marie Kinderman CONTRIBUTOR

Last night I went to senior homecoming as a college student. With my mother as my date.

We decorated the gymnasium together. Handmade streamers, balloons, twinkle lights, a photo booth.

I drew her raffle ticket. Gave her the prize I made (for her).

We danced through the eras.

Until my spotify stopped and the lights switched off. I never had a senior homecoming.

Only tears from standing (hugging) in the driveway leaving home.

ILLUSTRATION | MARIA VIDAL VALDESPINO

ILLUSTRATION | CAMERON ASHLEY

The *only* campus guide that matters

The best bathrooms on campus so you know where to go! (for real)

celena ho STRANdEd EdITOR

I’m gonna cut straight to the chase—this is my list of the best bathrooms on campus. Sometimes you find yourself in an emergency situation. It happens to the best of us. Admittedly, I haven’t gone to every single bathroom on campus, so if you think I’m missing one, please DM me. I’m serious. Alright, I’m not gonna gatekeep these any longer, but if there is ever a massive line for any of these, I’m never sharing anything with you guys ever again. Keep this between you and me, dear reader.

As an employee of Hart House, I’m constantly telling people where the bathrooms are. The Hart House basement bathrooms are ELITE. The lighting is fantastic, it’s never too crowded, and it’s in a pretty building! What more could you want? The water is weirdly scalding hot, so be wary. The second-floor bathrooms have fewer stalls, but if you go during the evening, the golden hour pictures pop off. There is also a gender-neutral bathroom on the first floor with stellar lighting. This is a 10/10 building with 10/10 bathrooms. (This is not sponsored by Hart House.)

My friend and I stumbled into here after a latenight study session, and let me just say, the Rotman kids have been holding out on us. The bathrooms are tucked in the back of the building next to the elevators, so they’re a little out of the way but a good pit stop when you’re making the long trek down St. George Street. The lighting was just a little bland, but other than that, a great bathroom for doing your business and your business homework. 7.5/10 rating.

No, I am not an engineering student. Yes, these are one of the best bathrooms on campus. The basement washrooms are roomy, fairly clean, and there’s a little ledge and hooks for you to put your things on while you wash your hands. The lights are time-sensitive, so if you’re sitting there alone for more than three minutes you will be sitting alone in your most vulnerable state. 8/10 for ambiance.

This is my best kept secret. My sister used to work here and I would occasionally visit her. (And also, I needed to pee really badly.) The lights are also timesensitive here, so keep that in mind. I always study in the Law building whenever I need motivation and also relief that no matter how hard my schoolwork is, at least it’s not Law School. I’d give it a solid 9/10.

This might be controversial, but I think the 3rd floor washrooms in Robarts are nice. They remind me of the mall, but in the best way. The lighting is harsh,

in a way that tells you to wash your hands and dry them. This is the place to convene after a long day of shopping (studying) and to discuss your purchases (talk about the amount of work you have left to do). It can get busy at times, but there’s a weird sense of comraderie because you know everyone else is probably crying in Robarts. 6.5/10 rating.

I can’t tell you how many times this bathroom has saved me. It’s a little dark and rumbly in there because

it’s over the subway station but if you’re ever in a bind this is the place to go. This is the underdog bathroom. It’s not the nicest but it’s always there when you need it the most. For that, I give it 7/10 toilets.

1. Hart House Basement

2. Rotman Building

3. Myhal Building

4. Jackman Law Building

5. Robarts Third Floor

6. OISE First Floor Bathroom

BTS with The Strand

Back to school, not the K-pop version

celena ho STRANdEd EdITOR

Advice you’d give to incoming students?

“learn your habits early (sleeping, eating, wake up, drinking tolerance, motivation) so you know how to change or keep it” - Anella Schabler, illustrator

“Sign up for as many 9am classes as you can. If you have an option of doing 6pm to 9pm labs, you should do it! You definitely won't hate yourself for it. “ - Kieran Guimond, Resident Scientist

“Put yourself out there!” - Wendy Wan, co-Design Editor

“DON’T SNOOZE YOUR ALARM JUST WAKE UP IT’S NOT WORTH THE EXTRA SLEEP”Eugene, Slack User

“Please do not eat pre-made pasta salad from campus if you don't want to be immediately violently sick.”Charmaine, Associate Features Editor

“Take advantage of Ned's vast, ever-changing menuyou will never get sick of it!” - Sara Q, Photo Editor

Best bathroom on campus?

“Gerstein ones are so cozy. Love the atmosphere”Anella Schabler, illustrator

“Nice try. If you think I'd let everyone in on the #1 bathroom…” - Victoria Man, copyeditor

“The single person one next to the greenhouse in the Earth Science building. Worth the six flight of stairs you need to walk up “ - Kieran Guimond, Resident Scientist

“First-floor bathroom in the Wallberg Building. The walls are super nice and clean” - Wendy Wan, coDesign Editor

“I would tell you but unfortunately the bathroom just burned down in an electrical fire last night and they’re not gonna rebuild it” - Eugene, Slack User

“The definitely haunted bathrooms in the dingy basement of Larkin building. Make sure to bring a friend with you.” - Charmaine, Associate Features Editor

“The one in Isabel Bader Theatre - it is the perfect secluded space to do your business.” - Sara Q, Photo Editor

Favorite thing that happened over the summer?

“all the fun festivals and markets!” - Anella Schabler, illustrator

“saw many birds” - Kieran Guimond, Resident Scientist

“îLESONIQ!!!” - Wendy Wan, co-Design Editor

“Saw The Strokes perform live! Nearly died in the pit but it was worth it.” - Charmaine, Associate Features Editor

“When I sat in bird poo after waiting in a 40 minute line at the Taste of Danforth for a gyros <3” - Sara Q, Photo Editor Barbie or Oppenheimer?

“barbs” - Anella Schabler, illustrator

“Barbie” - Kieran Guimond, Resident Scientist

“Barbie” - Wendy Wan, co-Design Editor

“A secret third movie (I haven’t seen either I just want to feel included)” - Eugene, Slack User

“Barbie! Greta can do no wrong.” - Charmaine, Associate Features Editor

“Barbenheimer..?” - Sara Q, Photo Editor

Back-to-school must have?

“google calendar” - Anella Schabler, illustrator

“the o r b” - Kieran Guimond, Resident Scientist

“A strong enough will that lasts through the winter.”Victoria Man, copyeditor

“Your T-card” - Wendy Wan, co-Design Editor

“Whatever keeps you going on your worst day”Eugene, Slack User

“Ibuprofen” - Charmaine, Associate Features Editor

“Sleeping mask for those 10 min power naps in every single location around Vic” - Sara Q, Photo Editor

What are you most looking forward to this school year?

“getting involved in my passion and broadening my connections (and raising that gpa)” - Anella Schabler, illustrator

“Reading Week” - Wendy Wan, co-Design Editor

“I’m always looking forward” - Eugene, Slack User

“Can't wait to see all your hot takes in the features section. I love gossip and drama.” - Charmaine, Associate Features Editor

“Navigating through another year of Con Hall construction barriers” - Sara Q, Photo Editor

PHOTO | GETTY IMAGES