the VICTORIA UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER VOLUME 65, ISSUE 1 | 23 AUGUST 2022 STRAND You’re (never) too old for this Field research at the universityOPINIONSDisclarity|PAGE 5 SCIENCE | PAGE 10 POETRY | PAGE 14
A look at the new president’s visions for the university PHOTO KIM NGAN PHUNG
What: Vic Orientation Welcome Back BBQ Where: Vic Quad When: September 9, 12 pm to 3 pm New and returning students alike are cordially invited to Vic’s Welcome Back BBQ, courtesy of the Vic Orientation team! Come hangout with old friends and meet new ones in the iconic Vic Quad, and enjoy free food, games, and prizes.
What: University of Toronto Student Union (UTSU) TriCampus Parade Where: Starts at Varsity Stadium, ends at St. George Street When: September 7, 11 am to 1 pm Come join the fun in this spectacular parade celebrating all that UofT has to offer and kick off a new school year! With every college, faculty, and campus represented, the UTSU Tri-Campus parade is sure to bring the whole UofT community together. The parade will conclude by leading into the UTSU Club Fair.
What: UTSU Clubs Fair Where: St. George Street, between College Street and Sussex StreetWhen: September 7, 1 pm to 4 pm Over 300 different clubs will be represented at UTSU’s annual Clubs Fair, making it the perfect spot to find new hobbies and meet new friends who share your interests at UofT! With so many varied groups to explore, you’ll be sure to find your community on campus. If you're hungry afterward, be sure to check out the various food trucks around the area!
What: Cinema Studies Student Union (CSSU) Free Friday Film Festival Where: Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Avenue When: August 26, 2 pm Whether you’re a film buff or just looking for a fun way to spend a Friday afternoon, there’s something for everyone at the CSSU Free Friday Film Festival! The Cinema Studies Student Union is showing a number of short films made by students across UofT at Innis Town Hall Theatre. As the name implies, admission is free—so don’t miss out!
What Victoria College and UofT are (or are not) doing to keep you safe this fall semester
RION LEVY CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
What: Hart House Get Crafty! Workshops Where: 7 Hart House Circle, Room 1002 When: September 15 to October 6, 11 am to 1 pm Embrace your creative side with Hart House’s drop-in crafts sessions, where you can learn any number of crafty skills including sewing, papercraft, collage, printing, and painting. There’s no better way to take a break and destress than by making something new!
A COVID update for fall 2022
What: Student Commons Grand Opening Where: 230 College Street When: September 6, 12 pm to 4 pm The University of Toronto Student Union (UTSU)’s Student Commons is finally open for business! This is a place for all students, regardless of college or faculty, to study, meet new friends, and have fun. The grand opening of the Student Commons will be commemorated with a day filled with exciting activities, sponsor booths, and movie screenings.
MAX LEES CO-NEWS EDITOR ROY SHI AND MAX LEES NEWS TEAM
Liberal MPP Adil Shamji for Don Valley East, recently named Liberal critic for colleges and universities, also noted some qualities of the Conservative Party’s campaign in an interview with The Strand . He referred to the campaign as “empirical, data driven and highly strategic” as well as “undemocratic,” further saying that “we have a premier who rarely showed up to speak with the media, [and] PC candidates who rarely showed up to debates.”
What you need to know about the June election Ford’s second term, connecting with MPP Jessica Bell, and the future of Ontario Liberals
The Strand reached out to the Office of Jill Dunlop, Minister for Colleges and Universities for comment. When asked about the Minister’s thoughts on feedback regarding the changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Plan (OSAP), the Minister’s spokesperson, Liz Tuomi, instead directed The Strand to the Ontario government’s current 10% tuition reduction and tuition freezes which have been in place since 2019. In 2019, the Ontario government reduced OSAP grant funding, eliminated the interest-free grace period for new graduates, and made it more difficult to qualify for aid. The new parliament returned to Queen’s Park on August 8th, with the government revising its budget from the previous parliamentary session. When asked about her reactions to Ford’s budget, MPP Bell called it “very status quo,” noting that “it does not increase funding to education and healthcare even though we are in a healthcare crisis.”
On July 1, 2022, the University of Toronto lifted its mask mandate. As students begin to approach the fall semester, not much has changed in terms of UofT’s official COVID-19 strategy. What—if any— precautionary measures will the University be taking to reduce the spread of the coronavirus? Here is your official pre-Frosh COVID-19 update: UofT’s approach
Dr. McEwen herself stated in a press release that she is “honoured to be joining the Vic community of students, faculty, and alumni where teaching and learning are driven by curiosity and conscience through outstanding academic offerings and signature learning experiences, and whose students and faculty embrace inclusive education.” She also commented on “Vic’s iconic campus,” and spent some time in May visiting the campus and meeting students.
Dr. Rhonda McEwen has been appointed President and Vice-Chancellor of UofT’s Victoria University and is set to complete a five-year term, which she began on July 1 2022. She will be the 14th president in the University’s 186year history following Dr. William Robins, who stepped down in October 2021. As senior executive officer, the President and Vice-Chancellor is responsible for the academic and administrative operation of Victoria College. In December 2021, the university issued a job posting stating that the President “will be a visionary and strategic leader with a superior professional and academic profile, ... a demonstrated commitment to students, … [and] executive leadership ability.” After a careful selection process, the Board of Regents is now “thrilled to welcome an academic leader whose career exemplifies the ideals of intellectual curiosity and engaged conversation, which are so deeply embedded in the ethos of Victoria University.” At the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), Dr. McEwen has served as vice-principal, academic, and dean, as well as the Director for the Institute of Communication, Culture, Information & Technology (ICCIT) and special adviser to the vice-president and principal on anti-racism and equity. Alexandra Gillespie, UTM vice-president and principal, announced that “we will be sad to see her depart from UTM, but we are delighted that she will lead an outstanding institution within the UofT family, and wish her tremendous success and happiness.”Dr.McEwen’s academic research focuses on new media and human-machine communication and “has been shared in more than 47 peer reviewed journals, conference proceedings, and books.” She is Canada Research Chair in Tactile Interfaces, Communication and Cognition, the recipient of Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Grants, and co-author of the book Understanding Tablets from Early Childhood to Adulthood . Dr. McEwen holds a number of academic accreditations, including a BSc in Sociology and Management from the University of West Indies, an MBA in Information Technology from City, University of London, an MsC in telecommunications at the University of Colorado, and finally a PhD which she completed at UofT’s own Faculty of Information. The new president has also led and supported several inclusion initiatives: she helped guide the Black Research Network, which launched in October 2021, and has worked with UTM’s Black Table Talks, which provides Black students and faculty with opportunities to network and make connections. An active member of Visions of Science, Dr. McEwen has also helped to provide low-income and marginalised youth with mentors to help encourage careers in STEM. Finally, Dr. McEwen has a long history of supporting women in the workplace (such as through developing parental leave policies for female researchers at UTM), and brings this experience with her to Victoria University as its first Black woman President. University faculties are hopeful and excited; Cynthia Crysler, Chair of the Board of Regents, emphasised Dr. McEwen’s “transformative academic programs and initiatives at UofT,” her “rigorous and impactful” work on communications technology, and “her leadership in supporting equity, diversity, inclusion, and access.” John Field, who led the Presidential Search Committee, expressed that the community is “pleased with the appointment of such an outstanding and inspiring leader, and we look forward with great excitement to Dr. McEwen’s continued, inspired leadership of Victoria University in the years ahead.”
ROY SHI CO-NEWS EDITOR
03NEWSTHE@STRANDPAPERSTRAND30 AUGUST 202202 NEWS EDITORS MAX LEES AND ROY NEWS@THESTRAND.CASHI
The Premier’s Office did not respond to The Strand ’s request for comment regarding the provincial budget.
The pandemic in Ontario The measures presented by both UofT and Victoria College align with the current suggestions from Ontario’s Ministry of Health, but are slightly more cautious. Case positivity at the end of July is up 13 percent from July 2021’s 0.8 percent positivity rate. Given the instability and unpredictability of case rates and provincial measures, it is currently hard to predict what the fall may actually look like, both on or off campus.
In an interview, MPP Jessica Bell told The Strand that “every [opposition] party had headwinds” going into the 2022 election, noting that “the conservative vote provincially was quite high.” MPP Bell told The Strand that her top priorities for the next four years included “a fair economy [...]; housing affordability [...]; real climate action and a real response to the environmental crisis we're facing [...]; healthcare that is available, universal, and public; and a high quality education system.” When asked about student issues, MPP Bell told The Strand that she believes “universities and colleges should get more funding,” especially “programs that teach people to enter fields in need, such as the personal support worker field and the healthcare worker field.” She also said that “any provincial support that students get through the Ontario Student Assistance Plan should be converted from loans to grants,” noting that “the Doug Ford government has not been a friend to students.”
On July 28, 2022, Cheryl Regehr, Vice President and Provost, and Kelly Hannah-Moffat, Vice President, People Strategy, Equity & Culture released an update titled “Monitoring COVID-19 conditions.”Students choosing to live in residence must complete a primary series of any COVID-19 vaccine and receive a booster shot before their move-in date. Vaccine series recognised by UofT include two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Novax, or Covifenz , or a singular dose of Johnson & Johnson Students who have not received one of these series may have either been vaccinated with a singular dose of an mRNA Health Canada-approved vaccine, two doses of a non-health Canada-approved vaccine, or three doses of a non-Health Canada-approved vaccine. All of these vaccine combinations must be supplemented by an additional booster dose. Although the University does not require COVID-19 vaccinations for other members of the University community, the update “strongly encourage[s] everyone [in the University community] to remain up-to-date on vaccinations.” The memo also encourages members of the community to wear medical masks on campus where self-distancing is difficult or impossible. Though masks are no longer mandatory while on campus, the statement highlighted UofT as a environment.”“mask-friendly Vic’s approach Victoria College has yet to release an update about the fall term, though their most recent COVID-19 update from July 1 states that they are looking forward to students being on campus. The college is following UofT’s stance on masking by asking members of the community to be respectful of one another’s decisions.Thecollege has also indicated that most spaces are now allowed to operate at pre-pandemic occupancy levels, though eating spaces will continue to be restricted. Spaces designated for eating will maintain two-metre distancing between seats with signage that states maximum occupancy in the space. Vic is also asking members of the community to avoid lingering in theseInspaces.addition to the signage implementation and distancing requirements in eating areas, Victoria College plans to continue their frequent cleaning of high-traffic spaces and will continue running ventilation systems at full capacity to maximize air quality in indoor spaces. They have also upgraded their air filters.
Events thecampusaroundtostartschoolyear
On June 2, voters headed to the polls to elect the 43rd Parliament of Ontario. Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives won for the second time, with a parliamentary majority of 83 seats. Ontario’s New Democrats, currently led by interim leader Peter Tabuns, formed the Official Opposition with 31 seats, while the Ontario Liberal Party won eight seats, regaining official party status. MPP Jessica Bell of the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP) was re-elected in UofT’s riding of University-Rosedale. Andrea Barrack, the Liberal candidate in University-Rosedale, spoke to The Strand about why she believes Ontario Liberals struggled for a second consecutive provincial election. “The Liberal Party wasn’t able to differentiate enough. Just saying Doug Ford’s a bad guy doesn’t win you [votes].” She also expressed frustration at the low number of voters this June, saying “43% voter turnout was one of the most disappointing things to me, because we clearly weren’t able to make people care.”
Celebrate the start of term and meet new friends at these fun campus events It’s that time of year again! Although it might feel like summer has barely begun for some, the fall term is back once more. Don’t despair, though—there are a number of fantastic events coming up on campus to help make the transition back to school that much easier. Did we mention they’re all free? Check out some of these cool events below and start the new semester off properly!
Vic RhondapresidentwelcomesUniversitynewDr.McEwen
As you take your first steps onto campus this fall, remember: no one knows what they’re doing. They’re going to tell you that many times, but it will often feel like everyone’s lying. Like there’s this secret club of people saying “I don’t know,” when really, they do know. This club of knowers is probably sitting down in the Northrop Frye McDonald’s, eating their fries and giggling at all the wayfinding they’re not doing. But here’s something we at The Strand do know: if you’re sitting in the Northrop Frye McDonald’s eating fries and laughing at everyone else, you’re not. We see you, and you’re more lost than the rest of us. Welcome to Volume 65 of The Strand. We invite you to not know with us. This is the (Dis)Orientation Issue, where if you do know, you probably actually don’t.One thing we do know over here at The Strand is the power of voices. In Arts and Culture, Luca Carnegie shares the best cheap ways to access Toronto’s art scene. In Features, Sooyeon Lee shares her frosh story. In Stranded, you can read the most comprehensive ranking of UofT websites to date (for free!). And to share our voices in more ways than before, we have reintroduced—and reimagined—our Poetry section andAsStrandcast.wesatdown to write this editorial, we realised that, although we’re going into our third-year and should supposedly “have everything figured out,” we’re feeling more lost than ever. To help shoulder some of our not-knowing, we decided to ask some student groups we hope you’ll connect with during your journey at UofT for their snippets of advice. The Muslim Students’ Association's advice is “to always explore the different groups on campus to create beneficial connections throughout your degree.”
VicPride advises that “you don’t need to have it all figured out; there is beauty in just letting yourself do what feels good without feeling the need to analyze it. University is a place full of change—with that can be change you see in yourself. Go at your own pace, and lean into understanding yourself better.” Our trusty folks at VUSAC encourage everyone to “try new things and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone! You’ll meet some great people and experience lots of amazing things that way, and, if not, you’ve learned something new about yourself!”
I am someone who has always been deeply persuaded by what others think of me. I have grown dependent on the opinions of others to make even the smallest, most mundane day-to-day decisions. Whether it be my parents, my friends, a significant other, or even my TAs, my own thought processes rely heavily on these influential, situationally authoritative voices in my life.
VOICES, Vic’s branch of The PEARS Project, shares an important reminder: “we recommend that all students familiarize themselves with what is often referred to as the “four D’s” of bystander intervention: direct, distract, delegate, delay.”
copy editors STE p HANIE C u MAE v E E ll IS MIA j A k O b SEN CHAR l ES DI x ON RACHE l k ARN , b ROO k E CO ll INS SOFI A STAN k O v IC , AE k IM jul IANA RI v AS , l l A CARR july H u design team MAHATHI gANDHAMANENI jANNA AbbAS, RION lEvy cover art SHEllEy yAO strandVOLUME65 the @STRANDPAPER WWW.THESTRAND.CA jANNA AbbAS RION lEvy jANuS kWONg vICTORIA AllDER MAx lEES ROy SHI Ab kSAMAkINlADEROSATIMARTINIERANguIMONDSARAHAbERNETHyFAITHWERSHbAEMMAMACkENzIEISHIkARISHIROENSASAljAMAHATHIgANDHAMANENIkElSEypHuNgSEAvEyvANWAlSuMSHEllEyyAOjERICORAguINDINADAMlAMISHARIzWANvACANT editors in chief editors@thestrand.ca production manager production@thestrand.ca business manager business@thestrand.ca news news@thestrand.ca opinions opinions@thestrand.ca features features@thestrand.ca science science@thestrand.ca arts and culture artsandculture@thestrand.ca stranded stranded@thestrand.ca poetry poetry@thestrand.ca copyediting copy@thestrand.ca design design@thestrand.ca photo photo@thestrand.ca art art@thestrand.ca podcast strandcast@thestrand.ca web web@thestrand.ca social media socialmedia@thestrand.ca editorial assistants New year, (dis)orientationsame You’re (never) too old for this Fifth year reflections on extending undergrad, and other thoughts emma macKenZie pOETRy CO-EDITOR Janna abbas and rion levy EDITORS-IN-CHIEF ILLUSTRATION YOON-JI KWEON ILLUSTRATION | SHELLEY YAO associate editors news vACANT features vACANT arts and culture MIkAElA MOORE poetry vACANT photo vACANT podcast vACANT web vACANT opinions kAllIOpé ANvAR MCCAll science vACANT stranded vACANT copyediting vACANT design vACANT art vACANT social media vACANT On navigating the upcoming year and looking to the Vic community for guidance
I find myself sending drafted text messages to multiple friends before hitting “send” to first ensure that others approve—and I mean, “should I send ‘hey’ or ‘heyyy’” kind of indecision. I have always passed this off as perpetual indecisiveness and assumed it was something normal that everyone experienced. My indecision was a cruel, self-perpetuating cycle that, along with many things, was interrupted by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading me to make one of the most socially controversial—yet most liberating—decisions of my life. I can still recall my mother’s words echoing through my head as I sat in my apartment, anxiously hanging over my computer as I pondered over the possibility of extending my undergraduate degree. “If you take time off, you’ll lose your momentum and never go back,” she said. You would think, during a global public health crisis, that a decision like this would be the least of my worries—but it’s amazing how one source of anxiety seems to exacerbate the rest. Before COVID hit, I had never even considered the option of taking more than the designated four-year period to finish my degree. It’s one of those quietly taboo topics that no one wants to broach because we have somehow come to equate taking more time in school with some form of unspoken social failure. Sure enough, I faced great consternation and negative reactions not only from my family, but also from my peers. “What?! You’re not going to graduate with your classmates?” At first, this mirrored my own feelings about the idea: people will think I’m being lazy or that I’m incompetent, or they will assume that I’m not able to keep up with my schooling. I was haunted by the social repercussions I thought I might face by going down this path, and that fear blinded me from all the positive reasons to do it. And man, I wish I’d done it sooner. It’s difficult to articulate something so profoundly interwoven into the web of our social makeup, but let me say, it is a remarkable relief to finally gain awareness about the colossal swaying power of the opinions of others and the socially-fabricated timelines that subconsciously dictate all of our choices. Making the decision to extend my undergrad not only gave me more space and time to focus on my own goals, but it also compelled me to confront the deeply problematic stigmas surrounding these facets of reality. Why do we care so religiously about how others perceive us? Why do we place such value in the opinions of others and so little faith in our own? Why does graduating in five, six, or even seven years make me a failure through the lens of society? It all begins, I decided, with the vicious labour of academia. That’s when that little voice starts to gnaw its way into your head. Get into university (not for an arts program, that’s a waste of time), graduate by the time you’re 22 (you’re too old for this now), secure a job (not that minimum wage position, but a stable career) so that you can make a salary (not to buy that plane ticket, but to buy a house in the suburbs with a white picket fence and a wrap-around porch). Then, find a partner (obviously life is too tedious on your own), get married (white is such a happy colour, isn’t it?), pop out a few kids (so they, too, can someday become pawns in our capitalistic society), and make sure you do all this before you’re 30, or else the offer expires along with your social recognition (mental health and all other personal desires sold separately). From the beginning of your adult life, that voice is always present, demanding, reverberating through every thought and decision, in every milestone that your parents, teachers, and social circle whisper for you to accomplish. It invades your mind until, like me, you fall into a state of existential dread and find yourself allowing the script of society to dictate your decisions because the consequences of deviating from the predetermined timeline are too exhausting.Afriend of mine once said they needed to graduate “on time” so that they could “do something meaningful and important, not just writing articles.”
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.
04 EDITORIAL EDITORS-IN-CHIEF JANNA ABBAS & RION EDITORS@THESTRAND.CALEVY 05OPINIONSEDITOR ABI OPINIONS@THESTRAND.CAAKINLADE
While it was hard not to take this personally as a writer, I’m convinced that this was a prime example of what I’ve been talking about: they had simply internalized the narrative that constantly shoves the timeline of “success” down our throats. I am no exception to this phenomenon. My own sense of identity had become so intertwined with these social norms that it’s been one of the biggest challenges of my life to distinguish the version of myself I felt I was supposed to be from the one I truly am. Despite the many people who looked at me with baffled expressions when I told them that I’m a 22-year-old going into my fifth year, I now realize that the concept of a meaningful existence is fluid, rather than a singular, fixed form, and an existence unburdened by social standards is far more rewarding. If there is anything that being a fifth-year student has taught me, it’s that the “success narrative” we have been manipulated and seduced by needs to be re-written. It’s time to start romanticizing the unpredictability of life instead.Don’t get me wrong—the timeline is inevitable, but it is yours to discover and create. The path that has been strategically laid out for you is not your only option. Extending my undergrad gave me not only the time to focus on what mattered to me, but also allowed me to see past the barriers of social norms that have defined my decisions for so many years. I will no longer allow myself to succumb to the opinions of others who think they know what’s best for me. I will not be suffocated by the pressures of social milestones, and I refuse to confine myself to a narrative that has been written for me when I have the power to write my own. Happiness is not limited to a four-year track culminating in a graduation cap or a wrap-around porch. Rather, it is found within the pursuit of your passions and in the little mundane moments we experience every day: the pleasures of writing, of creating, and of simply being. I believe that fulfillment will come when we stop looking for it in social recognition. So, breathe in, breathe out, and I have a feeling you will find beauty and serenity in the uncertainty of your future. I don’t know who needs to hear this, but I promise, you’re never too old for this.
Though we hope these words of wisdom will help set you on your journey to not-knowing here at Vic and at UofT as a whole, we wanted to send you off with a reminder from the very first volume of The Strand: “Victoria, you are unique! You are matchless!” Never forget it.
I was a commuter student even before university, learning the ups and downs of the TTC and GO Transit at 14. For this reason, the quality of transit is definitely an issue that hits close to home. I don’t drive, and anyone else who also regularly uses public transit knows the pitfalls of the TTC, from the daily commute being delayed, to the cost that accrues from being a regular user of our transit system. Before her career as an MPP, Bell was a high ranking official of TTCriders, a group dedicated to improving the Toronto Transit Commission and making it more accessible. In the same Varsity interview, she presents issues like longer transfer times and discounted passes as a result of lack of funding for the TTC. Grievances with the TTC are dime a dozen in Toronto, and it’s nice to see that Bell acknowledges them too. Even before her political career, she cared—something that lends legitimacy to her claims.
University-Rosedale is a very interesting riding as it contains two of Toronto’s most prominent postsecondary institutions: Toronto Metropolitan University, and our own University of Toronto. On top of that, it also comprises the more bourgeois area of Rosedale. The riding has reliably swung away from the PC Party even before its 2015 inception, and in its current shape has elected Jessica Bell in both elections she has contested in. The NDP is federally very popular amongst young people, and a similar demographic of 20-34 year olds (compared to 18-34 year olds) makes up about 35 percent of the population of University-Rosedale as per the 2016 census. To me, it’s clear why Bell has done so well in the past two elections, winning 38.84 percent of the vote in 2022 as compared to her closest competitor, Andrea Barrack of the Liberals with 25.8 percent. Beyond just numbers, what Bell seems to stand for appeals to me a great deal as a student and a young person. In an interview with The Varsity from 2018, Bell makes note of her party’s pledge to support students dealing with debt by turning the debt into grants that do not require reimbursement. Further, she seeks to develop the attractive idea of co-op positions further, something that heavily influenced my own university decisions early in the game. In that same interview, she shows support for the mental health of students, as well as the lowering of transit costs. For these reasons, is it really any surprise that a riding with two university campuses came to vote for her in droves?
The multiplex dimensions of “going home”
What Jessica Bell’s re-election means
us JULIAN APOLINARIO CONTRIBUTOR LEEANNE GOMES CONTRIBUTOR PHOTO JESSICA BELL OFFICIAL WEBSITE ILLUSTRATION SHELLEY YAO
Another issue that Toronto residents experience and that Bell supports are grievances with renting and costs of living. Toronto is an extremely expensive city to merely exist in, costing close to $2000 monthly for a one bedroom apartment. Bell has been known to: support renters being charged unfair rates; support legal protection against Toronto’s sometimes oppressive summer heat; and stand against landlords manipulating existing laws to jack up prices by evicting their tenants unfairly.
Jessica Bell, to me, is someone who appears to know the concerns of her constituents, but beyond that, stands for general human decency. A lot of her policies can be summed up as “this is unfair, and we need to do something about it,” a quality all politicians could do to adapt. Being the child of immigrants is a whirlwind experience. If that was not convoluted enough, being a second-generation Canadian is a whole theme park on its own. The ups, downs, and everything in between are experiences wherein we constantly find ourselves being pulled in two or more directions. This is because our identities are structured upon foundations with occasionally intersecting, but otherwise contradictory, values, virtues, ideals, and ways of life. Take my predicament as a mere pebble in the plethora of generational realities faced by the children of immigrants across North America, if not the world. The works of television and film created by famous second-generation celebrities such as Mindy Kaling can attempt to illustrate the disorientation that one may feel in response to the challenges of bridging cultural divisions. Equally important, however, is the fact that these stories and experiences bleed across time, cultures, and ever-changing societal norms and expectations. In short, no one size fits all. Individual stories can be interwoven together to reveal more elaborate themes and should never serve as the overarching narrative on their own. I had the privilege and opportunity to “go home” this summer, to the place of my ancestors, where everyone looks and sounds a lot like I do: India. There I reconnected with my family and friends after more than seven years, turning 21 surrounded by those whom I have exchanged innumerable WhatsApp video calls and messages with over the years. My people. When I first landed, my family picked us up from the airport, as relatives often do. Yet, when we got in the car, I put on my seatbelt and was immediately met with a snicker. Why? Wearing seatbelts (a reflex in Toronto) is a widespread practice and often required by the law. In India, however, authorities have only recently begun issuing fines to people for not wearing seat belts, and even then, only to those seated in the driver and front passenger seats. From then on, for the duration of my 45day stay, I noticed how cognitive dissonance and disorientation can become part of the immigrant experience.Political correctness, diversity, inclusion, and general etiquette or politeness are all significant parts of what it means to be a productive citizen in Canada, at least according to what I have come to notice as a university student in Toronto. And while some embody these values and ideals more fiercely than others, they are part of conversations by our society at large. Step into India, however, and many of these Western societal expectations and beliefs prove to be in their infancy in how widely accepted and understood they are there. The demographic makeup of India also plays a vital role in determining and explaining their more conservative attitudes. Yet, this is not to discount the fact that Indian society has rigid and widely followed codes of conduct—especially when it comes to ceremonies, tradition, hygiene, business, and every other facet of life. Nonetheless, the disorientation experienced by immigrant children boils down to how contradictory or different these values can be in the competing parts of what constitutes our identities. For example, consuming dishes in India requires the diner to eat with their right hand. Using a fork or spoon is not necessarily frowned upon, but as I came to be reminded, your family will never hold back when telling you how ridiculous, pretentious, and out of place your behaviour comes across to others. The Thali, for example, is a dietary tradition which involves using a large metal plate that has several smaller metal bowls placed in it laden with multiple accoutrements. In this setting, one must use their hands to eat. Eating with your hands must also be done in a particular manner and is a sensory experience that many Indian children learn from a very young age. Of course, this is once again influenced by socioeconomic status and other factors, yet this practice is uncommon in the Canadian milieu. Thus, what must an IndoCanadian individual do when served a Thali at a pricier/upscale establishment in India? God forbid their parents had decided eating with one’s hands was uncivilised growing up, and thus had never partaken in this practice before. Lo and behold, this is an area of disorientation that few have gracefully overcome. From a rather early age, it is made obvious to immigrant children that the opportunities and experiences that we can have in this new place that we call home, far away from our cultures, traditions, and sometimes even our family, are boundless. Yet when I go home to India, the nuances of the cultural assimilation into Canadian society can result in me feeling as though my experience as a North American is devalued and negligible. My conversations are more unfiltered; opinions on even the most controversial topics are polarised; and sexism, covert racism, and a plethora of other taboo activities are just a part of everyday existence. If you try to bring it up or address these disorienting observations, one becomes stuck. Stuck between two continents, countries, belief systems, political organisations, identities, cultures, and sometimes, even realities. It is usually at this point that my ‘Canadian-ness’ would show, which would almost immediately prompt ridicule or being brushed off with something along the lines of, “This is India, not Canada.” That would usually do the trick to deal a blow to my confidence or fill me with rage. This time, however, was different. Although the occasional misogynistic comment found its way to my ears, something about being older and a little wiser told me not to engage in a battle to the death over mere conversation. I realised that sometimes, as the children of immigrant parents, we eventually learn to embrace every disorienting thing that makes us who we are. Instead of treating my reality as constantly attempting to glue together supposedly fractured parts of my identity, I have learnt to treat them as separate canvases. Both mirror different circumstances, socioeconomic conditions, incredibly different histories, and ways of life that sometimes align but are otherwise surprisingly divergent. So, as “going home” and “coming home” are fulfilling and glorious in their own unique and awe-inspiring ways, I have come to embrace that the state of disorientation is not always a bad thing.
I could have very easily ignored the upcoming election. I was, and still am, 17, too young to vote, and wasn’t affiliated with any of the parties running. Besides, American politics always has so much going on. It can be easy, sometimes, to ignore what’s going on in your own backyard when south of the border you’ve got Trump gearing up for a second charge at things. I might have let the whole thing pass me by. Except for the fact that this election was the reason my prom was postponed. My senior year of high school ended in a very relaxed manner, and with the signs that littered the streets of Toronto, the election was an omnipresent factor in my life. However, it was not a factor that impacted me directly. That was until it was announced that, since enough of my classmates were working the polls, it would be best to postpone prom for another week. That got my attention, and not in a good way. Regardless, the provincial election was now at the forefront of my mind.This election was the first time I had ever attended a political event, shook some hands, and met our candidates. It was also an election without any real change, no real shifting of the lines. The 2022 provincial election was the public deciding that they liked the status quo, that the PC government’s handling of COVID wouldn’t increase or decrease their hold on Ontario, and that the Tories and the NDP would sit in opposition once more. Additionally, it reaffirmed the dominance of the NDP in an area central to Toronto, the riding of University-Rosedale, where our MPP Jessica Bell holds her seat.
06 OPINIONS EDITOR | ABI OPINIONS@THESTRAND.CAAKINLADE 07OPINIONSTHE@STRANDPAPERSTRAND23 AUGUST 2022
The ‘Bell’ still tolls for
Personally, I believe Bell stands for the interests of the students she represents, choosing her stances very well.
THE@STRANDPAPERSTRAND23 AUGUST 2022 FEATURES 09EDITOR SAM ROSATI FEATURES@THESTRAND.CAMARTINFEATURES08
sooyeon lee CONTRIbuTOR
On age, authenticity, and orientationHowIbeganfully
living my life
PHOTO | EVERETT COLLECTION PHOTO PNGALL.COM
There are some essential elements to coming-ofage movies: a monologue from the main character about growing up, a big house party with drunken confessions, a late night road trip blaring “Ribs” by Lorde or “Tongue Tied” by Grouplove. Cliché as it is, I often find myself immersed in the unbridled vibrance of youth. I picture doing what the characters are doing and fantasise about going on their wild adventures. My favourite coming-of-age movies are The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Booksmart, and Lady Bird. While these films all tackle different aspects of growing up, facing challenges, and overcoming obstacles, they are all united in the fact that they take place in high school. Charlie is a freshman who starts coming out of his shell as he makes new friends; Amy and Molly are best friends who go to a party for the first time on the night before their graduation; and Lady Bird navigates college applications alongside her tumultuous relationship with her mom. All of these films, while focused on different conflicts and experiences, showcase their characters’ struggle to live on their own terms as they navigate their relationships. Being an active participant in your life is emphasised a lot in coming-of-age movies: you cannot grow by sitting on the sidelines. The only way to mature—be an adult—is to engage with life. Reminiscing on my high school experience, I fail to see myself reflected in the coming-ofage milestones portrayed in the films and books I eagerly consumed. This is not to say that I did not have fun experiences in high school: I went to a handful of house parties, went to prom, and was in a relationship. However, while these “milestones” were fun to experience, I otherwise didn’t live my life quite the way I wanted to. My high school was small, with no more than 120 students per grade. I was in a high-pressure environment where everyone around me was incredibly smart, and, while competition wasn’t explicitly voiced, there definitely was a need to be as competent and intelligent as the rest of my peers. In the summer after eighth grade, I began to go see a tutor weekly after my mom voiced her concern that I would fall behind without the preparation and training in place for next year. Nonstop for the next four years, I would spend my weekends with tutors and stay up into the morning working through problem sets in addition to completing the homework I got from school. It became a balancing game for me. I started to think along the lines of, “If I complete this stack of linear algebra worksheets from my tutor before studying for my geography test tomorrow, I’ll be able to sleep at 1 am today instead of 2 am.” I began to measure my time by my workload, and sacrificed sleep and time with friends to do so. Summer became synonymous with study. I moved like a machine. I turned on, completed my programmed tasks, and switched off for the night to do it all over again; clogging through the motions of a life I was expected to live. I lived under a state of chronic stress for years, from classes I was not interested in, work I did not like to do, and grades that I had set incredibly high standards for myself to earn. Phone in one hand and calculator in the other, I would scroll through my Instagram feed and double tap enviously on posts of friends who were going on trips, staying out, and hanging out with each other. I so desperately wanted to be able to spend the whole day outside with no responsibilities and commitments. I eventually graduated high school in 2019 having gone through the motions of doing what I thought was expected of me. Only now do I look back and think about how I was shaping my future for a life that was not meant for me. As an immigrant, I find the principle of “living your life as you want to” rather complicated. My parents immigrated to Canada from South Korea when I was a baby in hopes of securing a better future. They thought not only of their future, but mine as well. In my case—and I definitely can’t speak for the experiences of all immigrant children—an ideal future takes place in the shape of a stable, wellrespected, high-paying career. There is a lot riding on what you do for a living because immigrants tend to not have a reliable safety net of financial or social capital, so the expectation is to walk the conventional path to success. You owe your parents a “good job” so their sacrifice has not gone to waste. I feel the moral duty and responsibility to have my future look a very specific way because they have given up so much for me to have a better life. But, what does that better life mean? So much of my time was spent working for my future, which is not a bad thing at all; it was just not for a future I wanted for myself.When I watch coming-of-age movies, I rarely feel represented on-screen. As much as the stories are about growth and change, they leave much of life behind. Characters seemingly have an infinite amount of time to explore their hometown, go to concerts, hit the beach, and then do homework. They never talk about real life responsibilities such as work, and have no long-term consequences for their actions. Parents never talk to them about graduate school or the need to constantly be working to feel successful. These films present an idealised vision of adolescence, and yet, knowing this, I still feel as though I’m missing out on things I should be experiencing. I am left with a sense of nostalgia for a youth I did not experience. Watching a coming-ofage movie immerses me into the characters’ lives and allows me to empathise with their situations, but the films also leave me feeling unfulfilled with my own. I first set foot on the grounds of Victoria College on a chilly September morning, feeling entirely out of my element. I had known that university would be a completely different environment from high school, but seeing the campus in-person completely took me aback. There were so many other students coming and going and I distinctly remember feeling like I did not know where to go from here; I was plucked from my familiar path and placed onto a new one that had never before been tread. It was terrifying knowing that I had choices and options that were not available to me before because I was so accustomed to familiarity with what I was expected to do. However, I remember one distinct moment from orientation: the first-years parading around the city near campus, shouting Vic cheers while donning red and yellow paint. Cars honked their horns in excitement and passengers gazed on in curiosity. Being among hundreds of other firstyears in our red orientation shirts made me feel like I was just a number at university, which felt strangely comforting. It slowly dawned on me that I could do whatever I wanted—and that no one would care. No one would care about the extracurriculars I was doing, or how many hours I spent studying, or whether or not I participated in any competitions. I felt liberated in the fresh start that I was given during orientation. Being at university meant that I was distanced from previous environmental pressures and was brought closer to opportunities that I had not realised I could take. I enrolled in courses I had never heard of before, performed at my residence house talent shows, volunteered as a barista at Caffiends, and even tried my hand at student politics. In first-year, I made so many decisions—both good and bad—and I made them for myself. My own coming of age story only started the moment I entered university and participated in orientation. Unlike Charlie, Amy, Molly, and Lady Bird, high school was nowhere near the point in my life where I started to grow up. Independence and freedom seemed like impossible concepts that I would never experience firsthand. Now, I know that I have grown the most as an individual during university by finally making decisions for myself and for my future. Orientation was an entirely new chapter of life for me, and I could not have predicted that a single week in September would impact my life so significantly. As I enter my fourth year I have come to realise that I cannot control the things that happen to me, but I can control my awareness of them. I can let time pass by me, safely and quietly, without letting it affect me or letting myself affect things. I can also make the choice to be an active participant in my own life. Doing so is scary, hard, and embarrassing because it opens me up to making mistakes, hurting people, and being hurt in return. I now try to exist with awareness, be honest with my emotions, and to do things I want to do for myself. I try to admit when I am wrong and then try to do better in the future. My coming-of-age in university has been the most eventful, emotional, and incredible experience of my life—nothing feels quite as good as being the main character in your own movie.
Ellie Hector, third year Biodiversity and Conservation Biology student at Victoria College, cited this as the reason she was interested in field work: “I understand what lab work entails, but I have never gotten a chance to do field research before.” REPs are just one of many fantastic ways to get involved with field work at UofT. The university also offers a variety of rarely advertised scholarships and internships that allow students to work over the summer in a field of their choice. Some examples of this include the KSR Undergraduate Student Research Award, and the Centre for Global Change Science (CGCS) Summer Undergraduate Intern Programme.
• Buyers can find the latest fiction titles as well as hard-to-find antiquarian volumes.
Gilbert suggested looking into workshops held by the undergraduate EEB office that give an overview of what opportunities are being offered, which can include structured research projects and paying jobs. He also recommended looking into different professors whose work sounds intriguing—whether you took a class with them or their research topics sound interesting— and reaching out to them. He adds that you should not be discouraged if you do not hear back right away, because they might simply not be available at that time.
• 1000’s of great books in all subject areas, from Philosophy to Graphic Novels, will be available at bargain prices.
2022 SCHEDULETHURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 2 PM – 7 PM First Day Only – Admission $5 Students Free with ID FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 10AM - 8 PM SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 11 AM – 5 PM SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 11 AM – 5 PM MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 10 AM – 8 PM LOCATION OLD VIC 91 Charles Street West (Museum Subway)
Help! I’m starting frosh week and everything I know I learned from TV Channing Tatum, where are you?
ILLUSTRATION SHELLEY YAO
MIKAELA MOORE ARTS AND CulT u RE ASSOCIATE EDITOR
If the movies I watched throughout high school taught me anything, at least I went into orientation week prepared for car chase sequences, musical numbers in the bathroom at Annesley Hall, and having my longterm boyfriend break up with me in favour of my academic rival. Maybe, I thought, I would even be thrown together with a group of misfits who I might not get along with at first in order to win a high profile court case for a fitness empire queen, or an international acapella championship, or The Scare Games later in the year. That's how every student starts their university experience, right? Well… not exactly, but maybe when it comes to frosh, the truth isn’t as far from fiction as you might think. Movies like 22 Jump Street, Pitch Perfect, Legally Blonde and Monsters University might have some larger than life plot points, but the relationships at the centre of these films are fundamental to the O-week experience.Onething I never expected when I arrived in the Victoria College quad was how many people I was about to meet! Admittedly, none of them wanted to sing “Titanium” with me in the shower, but there was a lot of practising Vic cheers at the top of our lungs! Every student who checks-in for frosh at Victoria College has a completely unique set of experiences and interests, so it’s completely possible that you’ll meet some of your lifelong pals while being thrown together for a chance to win the iconic Vic Scavenger Hunt. Also, if singing The Sign by Ace of Base in front of a bunch of strangers isn’t your thing, go to the karaoke event anyways, because you never know who’s waiting to make a new best friend. One thing that college movies get right is that the more involved you are, the more chances you have to bond with all your lovely classmates, and maybe even learn some new hobbies that you never knew existed. There are certainly some out-of-the-box clubs and levies you can discover at the clubs fairs happening across campus this week. Of course, all of these movies feature antagonists ranging from horrible roommates, to academic and extracurricular rivals, to distanced friends, to ex-boyfriends’ new fiancées, and international drug cartels. Unfortunately, no matter where you are, it's a part of life that you won't gel with everybody, and that’s okay! However, starting a new school is a period of adjustment and change. It's a lot of fun but it can also be stressful. Remember to keep an open mind and be kind to everybody you meet. Often, movies like 22 Jump Street depict students drifting away from their friends because they find themselves in incompatible groups. This might be one of the most unrealistic things about university life. It is absolutely okay to make lots of friends, and those friends do not have to be friends with each other. You'll likely find yourself in multiple groups and that is another fundamental experience you'll encounter during your orientation period at Vic and beyond. I've been that person vibing with some more outgoing friends at a frat party like Jenko, but I've also been to small gatherings where we drink wine and talk about Homer like Schmidt. Real people are multidimensional and don't fit into boxes or tropes. As you plunge into this new environment, feel free to take the time to learn who you are and explore all of your interests and opportunities. So many of the experiences and connections you make on this campus will last beyond your years at UofT and into the real world. That being said, while it might seem much less exciting than a romcom or an action movie, take the initiative to choose the genre of your orientation week and live it out to the fullest! And hey, if you're still looking for the buzz of a car chase sequence, sit on the lower floor of the Northrop building often enough and you might see one or two being filmed around the Queen's Park circuit.
Nikki Regimbal is a recent graduate from UofT’s Ecology & Evolutionary Biology program (EEB) and she was able to complete field research this summer by getting a position through her supervisor who wanted her to have more in-person field experience. She’s starting a PhD in January.
• All proceeds support the Victoria College Library system and student scholarships and bursaries.
11ARTS AND CULTURETHE@STRANDPAPERSTRAND23 AUGUST 202210 SCIENCE EDITOR KIERAN SCIENCE@THESTRAND.CAGUIMOND
Katie Monat—who is going into her fourth year in Biodiversity and Environmental Geography—reviewed a host of available research grants and came across the KSR Undergraduate Student Research Award; she decided that it “would be a good fit for the type of research [she] wanted to do.”
Lily Peters—who is pursuing a specialist in EEB— had previously volunteered with Professor Arthur Weis and got their REP position by asking if he had any opportunities for them to continue their research. They’re glad they got the opportunity because it confirmed for them that they were in the correct program and they liked being able to experience both working in the field and in the lab. They highly recommend cold emailing professors and talking with them about their research as a way to build connections—a sentiment that Katie Monat also shares, recommending that students ask lots of questions and get in contact with the people already doing research. Field work can also be an incredible chance to explore concepts outside of your chosen major. Han Le, who is going into her fourth year in Genome Biology and Animal Physiology, was accepted into an REP concerning plant diversity despite not having previous experience with the subject. She said this project exposed her to all the different work that occurs within the EEB field. She recommends that students “explore outside of [their] comfort zone, career and interestwise, or else [they’ll] miss out.” Nikki Regimbal and Ellie Hector echoed this sentiment, saying “diversify your opportunities and explore your interests during undergrad, you might discover some unexpected passions” and “don’t be afraid to try a type […] or area of research you don’t know if you’ll be interested in” respectively.Ichatted with Professor Benjamin Gilbert, who is an associate professor within the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. Gilbert has been teaching a field course at KSR for the past five years. He also has a long-term project at the reserve that has been running for ten years. One of the major reasons he has continued to teach the course for so many years is the students themselves. “Seeing the excitement of the students who are up there was great […] it’s one of those courses where often every single student is super excited to be up, they're really trying hard to understand.” He added that he gets inspired by the students just as much as he inspires them.
I also had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Professor Megan Bontrager. She is an assistant professor who has recently completed her postdoc and taught the Summer 2022 field course at KSR along with Dr. Weis. She explained that the “selfish reason” she wanted this position was so she could get to know the local flora and explore the area, but her less selfish reason was that she loved doing field courses as an undergrad. She said that she’s excited to replicate that experience for other people, and that “if I could do even 25 percent of the job that my teachers did, then I think I'll be happy.” She recommends that students not be intimidated when applying for field positions. “Any observation of the natural world is a first step towards field biology […] just start looking around at nature and noticing things.”Toclose off, I asked the student researchers to share a fun fact about their research: Katie: Dragonflies have almost 360-degree vision. Lily: Goldenrod gall flies do not eat at all during their 2 week span as mature flies. Han: Plant litter is a good hiding spot for brown burrowing frogs. Nikki: Backswimmers experience their entire life cycle in aquatic habitats but can disperse between patches of habitat via flight.
Field research at the university Opportunities, experiences, and advice Kieran guimond SCIENCE EDITOR PHOTO KIERAN GUIMOND PHOTO KIERAN GUIMOND
TheAnnualVICBOOKSALE is backafteraCOVIDhiatus!
The University of Toronto is known as the best research university in Canada, and for very good reasons. There is a diverse range of opportunities available for various disciplines, but certain departments have unique options for students interested in pursuing research. One of these options is field research, which is common in departments such as Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (EEB), Earth Sciences, and Forestry. I had the privilege of being accepted into a Research Excursions Program (REP) with the EEB Department over the summer, where I contributed to a long-term project investigating the effects of climate change on the diversity of plants, as well as completing a personal project relating to herbivory. REPs are similar to the Research Opportunity Program where you work with a professor on a predetermined research project and it counts for a course credit. However, REPs are unique because they take place off-campus. This summer, the REP destinations ranged from the Koffler Scientific Reserve (KSR) located just outside Newmarket, all the way to Puerto Rico. If you’re interested in hands-on experience and looking for something different from your typical lab, REPs present a wonderful opportunity.
1. Campus Theatre (@utdramacoalition on Instagram) Student-run plays are the cornerstone of any great school and UofT’s thriving campus theatre scene is no different. Tickets are usually $10-$20 per person and the shows range from well-known musicals and plays to lesser-known stories you would only pick up in an English or Drama class.
2. Criterion on Demand (websearch for ‘Criterion on Demand UofT’) A massive catalog of free movies and TV shows licensed to stream by UofT Libraries.
Your (back-to) Vic Spotify mixes
Free Creative Services (You Get With Your UTORid):1.nkoda Music Library (log in with ‘institution’ button on nkoda app on iOS and Android) Free classical and jazz sheet music for a range of instruments.
sarah abernethy and miKaela moore ARTS & CulTuRE TEAM
You can score a 50 to 60 percent discount on tickets to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra just by using the TSOUNDCHECK program available to everyone ages 15 to 35.
1312 ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR SARAH ARTSANDCULTURE@THESTRAND.CAABERNETHY THE@STRANDPAPERSTRAND23 AUGUST 2022 ARTS AND CULTURE
Taking ‘A Piece of Vic’ in a new direction, and the joys of sharing art
Cheap Shows on Campus:
Student Deals Around Toronto:
O-Week Essentials: O-Week Essentials: Power Walking Across Queen’s Park
StoriesIntroducing:(Re)@Vic
3. Innis College Free Friday Movies (@ cinssu on Instagram for movies and showtimes) Every Friday at the Innis Town Hall, the Cinema Studies Student Union screens a variety of films ranging from the avant-garde to famous blockbuster hits.
How to live large while
Music for those quintessential fall campus moments
Ah, the return to (or beginning of) university; nothing can beat meeting up with classmates, finding study spaces, and… gulp, seeing your bank balance surprisingly lower than it was when the summer began. Finding new ways to save money is supposed to be a college student’s bread and butter, but with assignments, quizzes, and midterms to study for, it can become a real crunch to find deals for places to go. Fear not! Here are some of the best deals to be found in Toronto’s art scene in and around UofT.
2. Gardiner Museum (buy at the door) Collection of ceramics and special exhibits. Free tickets every day with your TCard.
3. AGO (buy at the door) Massive art gallery displaying famous Canadian art, along with special international exhibits. Free tickets every day of the week for those under 25.
5. TIFF Bell Lightbox ($10.50, buy at the door) As a student, you are entitled to $10.50 tickets to all movies offered at the Lightbox, which is the home theatre of the Toronto International Film Festival. They often show blockbusters, along with some movies you wouldn’t normally see at a regular cinema. These are just some of the numerous deals available to students in Toronto. If, somehow, none of these deals appeal to you, the best way to find other deals is by talking to others with similar interests and following student organisations on Instagram and other social mediaHappyplatforms.saving! spending little as a student guide to living well
PHOTO KIM NGAN PHUNG Perhaps the most important piece missing from your orientation kit? The soundtrack to your first few weeks at Vic. But don’t worry, Arts & Culture has you covered.Whether it’s prepping to explore the city on a Friday night out or just shedding a few lonely tears in the Lester B. Pearson Garden (more of us have done it than you think, I promise), we hope that these essentials bring you some joy, respite, or at least a little giggle.Check out our Spotify here! Without further ado, we present to you, our
4. TSO Soundcheck Tickets (websearch for ‘tsoundcheck TSO program’)
It’s commonly held by a large portion of the UofT student body–perhaps in urban myth, perhaps not—that Victoria College is the “art college.” Maybe that’s because of our shining creative alumni (ex. Margaret Atwood, E.J. Pratt, Norman Jewison) or the specialised humanities programs housed in our undeniably beautiful buildings. Maybe it has to do with our clubs and levies or the collections in our libraries, but whatever it may be, there is a definitive truth to the stereotype. Victoria College is teeming with artists, and so many of them are doing really exciting and creative work that deserves to be shared with a wider audience. Previously, Arts & Culture was home to “A Piece of Vic”, a column dedicated to highlighting clubs and initiatives on campus that students might not otherwise have the chance to hear about. In Vol. 64, we featured clubs like Vic Records and GLAM, brought you the behindthe-scenes life of a Caffiends volunteer, and heard the inspiring stories of levy heads at BLVCK and VicPride.Thisyear, we’re hoping to broaden our scope to encompass more than just the groups, but also the people within and around them. We’d like to give a voice to and shine a light on some of the Vic students on our campus who are doing cool things in the arts—whatever that may be! Perhaps you or your friend are in a band and have released some music; we’d like to hear from you! Maybe the play you’ve written is being performed somewhere on campus, or someone you know just had a poetry chapbook published. Do you paint? Make clothes? Design buildings? Run a book club? We want you to share your story with us! If you or someone you know are interested in writing for Stories @ Vic in our next issue, please email artsandculture@thestrand.ca for more information. sarah abernethy ARTS AND CulTuRE EDITOR ILLUSTRATION SHELLEY YAO ILLUSTRATION NATALIE SONG
1. Royal Ontario Museum (websearch for ‘Free ROM tickets university’) Huge collection of antiquities and artifacts. Free tickets on Tuesdays for University students.
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2. UofT Music Ensembles (websearch ‘UofT Music Faculty Concert Calendar’ for a rough list of shows) UofT’s talented music ensembles range from seasoned classical and jazz orchestras put on by students at the Faculty of Music to less professional-style bands from the Faculty of Engineering and Hart House. Their free concerts are a little difficult to find but looking around campus for posters and checking Facebook tends to be your best bet.
luca carnegie CONTRIbuTOR The broke creative’s
“Everybody Wants to Rule the World” - Tears for Fears“I Feel the Earth Move” - Carole King “Amoeba” - Clairo O-Week Essentials: Pre-Scarlet and Gold Dance Make your new friends dance! “Don’t Stop Me Now” - Queen “We Are Young (feat. Janelle Monáe)” - fun. “Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)” - Elton John “Dancing Queen” - ABBA “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” - Whitney Houston “C’mon (Single Version)” - Panic! At The Disco & fun.“Electric Feel” - MGMT “More Than a Woman” - Bee Gees “Leave The Door Open” - Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk “Gimme!SonicGimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” - ABBA “Let’s Groove” - Earth, Wind & Fire O-Week Essentials: Therapy on the Northrop Bench Songs for when you miss being a kid. Or miss your friends. Or miss when you didn’t have ten assignments due on a single Wednesday. “The Middle” - Jimmy Eat World “Chiquitita” - ABBA “Vienna” - Billy Joel “Doing All Right” - Queen “I Need Some Sleep” - Eels “anything” - Adrianne Lenker “Rom-Com Gone Wrong” - Matt Maltese “Dear Prudence” - The “Imreallytiredthisdaysucks”Beatles-boy pablo “Ribs” - Lorde
BONUS: for a truly immersive (and free!) theatre experience, consider joining one of the 15+ productions happening this year!
The walk, with a little pep in your step, takes approximately 5.47 minutes. We counted. “There She Goes” - The La’s “California Dreamin’” - The Mamas & The Papas “Campus” - Vampire Weekend “Walk Like an Egyptian” - The Bangles “Oxford Comma” - Vampire Weekend “Time of the Season” - The Zombies “Walking Home” - Mac Ayres
3. Coursera Courses (web search ‘Free Coursera UofT’) Want to learn something that isn’t offered at UofT or isn’t part of your program? Coursera offers real university courses from other prestigious institutions ranging from Berklee to Stanford. Using your UTORid, you can get a free certificate to print out or display on your LinkedIn when you complete the course.
8. Went outside during a windstorm in Converse shoes and a light jacket Do NOT do this!! Obviously the light jacket was not warm enough, and the Converse shoes made my feet feel like two blocks of ice. Canadian weather: One. Janna: Zero.
6. CLNx The early 2000s called and they want their web design back. Whether you’re crying because of the opaque site navigation or your rejected Work Study application, let the tears flow! Besides all that, CLNx is a great resource for any leadership training or career advice you’re looking for. If it loads.
9. Forgot my mic/camera was on during a Zoom meeting After the first couple of times it happens, you just stop caring. <3 #cringeisdead 10. Brought up astrology in inappropriate situations I absolutely cannot resist the urge to ask people what their sign is five minutes after meeting them. I don’t care what the situation is—I will ask!! Has this made people (justifiably) think that I’m annoying and insane? Yes. But do I regret asking? Absolutely not. It’s just one fewer Gemini in my life, so who’s the REAL winner?!
With Emmalove,and Ishika emma macKenZie and ishiKa rishi pOETRy CO-EDITORS
2. Bought a Blu-ray copy instead of a DVD because I thought they were the same thing
6. Belted out wrong lyrics at a concert (Okay, it was multiple concerts, and no, I will never live down the mortification that comes from knowing that the people around you think you’re a “fake fan”.)
10. Timetable Degree Explorer’s dorkier younger sibling. If you solve logic puzzles for fun, you’ll enjoy this one, though I have never heard a single student say they have used this tool.
3. Forgot my umbrella on the TTC… THREE times Ah haha no, guys, you don’t understand; I left them there on purpose, in a girlboss-slay-main-character way, of course.
2. Voter Fraud Lite This tactic came in handy during the 2018 US Senate race. One half-completed registration for Tennessee landed me a years-long friendship, and it can do the same for you! Our main tool here is the colourful world of voter fraud. You’d be surprised how far you can get in the voter registration process without being forced to prove your citizenship; that’s plenty of time for someone to catch your eye and say something like “what are you doing?” or “that looks illegal,” or “Trump warned me about people like you.” These things, while not positive, are far better than silence. With any luck, they’ll join in conversation, and, depending how far you get, you two could be minting a new friendship in the back of a squad car that very evening!
9. Main Website Very blue. Finding something on here is like trying to find a matching sock under a pile of clothes the size of your house. Honest advice: just Google it.
5. Left my rings behind in the E.J. Pratt WC At this point, it was NOT going well for me, so I proceeded to buy myself a Caffiends coffee, call my mom, and walk around campus crying (again, in a cool maincharacter kind of way).
So you think you’re “too dumb” for UofT?
2. UTMail+ (Outlook) The ultimate harbinger of news, whether good, bad, or just another automated Quercus email. The Outlook notification chime will haunt your dreams and inspire fear in your waking hours. Pavlov, much?
Fair warning: every time you make a change, the little people inside the website take ten whole seconds to re-evaluate your worth. Crashes are frequent, sure, but it’s so useful that most don’t care.
8. UofT Bookstore Textbooks are expensive and yours are no exception. After you learn how much next year’s doorstop will cost, check course servers or online forums for upperclassmen willing to sell their books for cheap (or free!). They can also tell you about the bad, evil websites where people get books for free instead of paying publishers thousands of dollars per year. So immoral!
There are so many websites to keep track of at UofT, and you have to use most of them constantly during your first few months at this school. Hence, I decided to provide the most objective, correct, and truthful guide to the University’s web presence. Enjoy!
Do NOT ask me what I thought it was. I didn’t know, okay??! Like, obviously I knew it wasn’t chicken, and it wasn’t beef, so logically I should’ve arrived at the conclusion that it was fish. But, alas, I did not, until my mom pointed out to me that it was indeed fish and I had an existential “What am I? What is life?” moment.
3. Quercus Welcome to your new home. Until you graduate, you will eat, breathe, and (not) sleep Quercus. It will become your only joy, your only sorrow, and (eventually) maybe your only peace. That is, if your one professor sees fit to post on time.
14 POETRY EDITORS EMMA MACKENZIE AND ISHIKA POETRY@THESTRAND.CARISHI
7. StarRez Hey, you gotta live somewhere, and here’s where you find out which little box is yours.
The book inspired Manson, hopefully the article will inspire you! p c c c badere CONTRIbuTOR Gap asignifyingyearslippery head, the lost chip in bedsheets’ seams, the honest grip of academic burden— with ego death, its loss, a dream!
4. Consistently tell the delivery person “you too” whenever they tell me to enjoy my food The fact that my brain compulsively makes me blurt this out EVERY TIME is so embarrassing and disrespectful.
7. Thought The Great Gatsby took place in the 60s I’m literally an English major, so this is just so embarrassing. If you know me IRL, please forget you ever found this out about me.
ILLUSTRATION JULY HU
ILLUSTRATION | JUDY
The final destination for course planning. Here, you can stack up courses for the next half-decade of your life, assembling your degree like a monochromatic game of Tetris.
1. ACORN The centre of everything. All roads lead to ACORN and ACORN leads to everywhere else. While I appreciate having all of my information in one place, this is also the place where you learn whether you’ve failed that degree requirement or not.
15STRANDEDTHE@STRANDPAPERSTRAND23 AUGUST 2022
Making friends isn’t always easy. Friendship requires compatibility, decency, and vulnerability, which are not things one can always provide on command. Luckily, Stranded is here to provide three surefire, tried and true, field-tested tactics to help you start making friends from scratch.
On poetry, pandemics, and path-finding
On a totally unrelated note, if someone wants an unopened Blu-ray copy of Parasite, please let me know!!
Editor’s note DearAsreaders,thePoetry Co-Editors of Volume 65, we are beyond excited to welcome you to the Poetry section of The Strand The Poetry section was discontinued in 2015, and we are so grateful to be part of bringing it back to life. As we embark on our first issue of the year, we cannot help but reflect on the past two years, as they have been the epitome of disorientation. We have all known the feelings of isolation, loss, and loneliness brought on by the pandemic, and we have all experienced the anxieties of uncertainty. Despite how our days ahead are seemingly more hopeful and bright, these themes of loss and loneliness are still very necessary and very present in our lives. The process of orientation (whether to a new university, a new city, or a new living environment) can often feel more like disorientation at first. It is an adjustment period that can make us feel more disconnected than ever. As we enter a new academic year, we invite you to consider the lessons we have learnt over the past two years as we all move towards a new normal, whatever that may be. This is a time to embrace new beginnings, find your path, and to navigate the unfamiliar with open minds, knowing that you are not alone in feeling adrift. We hope this platform will be a meaningful space for you to reconnect with yourself and other students, and to share your feelings and experiences on topics that might otherwise be difficult to articulate. An opportunity to connect, explore, and have your voice heard and acknowledged—no matter how disoriented you may feel. We want you to know that we encourage creativity and artistic freedom from our contributors and that we are here to support you throughout the process. So don’t let feelings of disorientation hold you back—we will find our way together as we share in this fresh start (and fresh section!). We are so delighted to experience this creative journey with you as we welcome poetry back into our paper. We look forward to hearing your pitches and working with you this year!
1. For the longest time, I did not know tuna was a type of fish
5. Student Life Whoever makes those PowerPoint templates definitely had a hand in the Student Life website. Prepare for massive pictures, numbers, and dropdowns that seldom answer the questions you came in with. If you’re just browsing, though, you might find a cool club or organisation you never knew you wanted to join.
12. GPA Calculator You know you shouldn’t go here, but you do anyway. You already know what it’ll say.
This odd twist; leaving a chippy mind to dampen, leavings of proteins unfolded, heaving from kin’s guilt, this damned sin blistered, known as the “son” who folded. Yet, there’s glister in uncombed, uncoiffed, and voided manes, these sprouting thoughts (from honest locks) of the unmarked mind, lacking that blasted graded bane; he, whose mood curves, cancels, now ceases to spread its insidious guilt. Though this gap encourages swallowed tongues, smoky dried out eyes, and that jagged theme park (known as a gap[ing] bender), —spaces in songs embellish their notes; a bowl and its soup, static between a channel’s changing, the necessity of a negative (stagnant?) space, rest(s) can be productive. NAAMANI
Janna abbas CO EDITOR IN CHIEF
soup CONTRIbuTOR
Disclarity nicolette Kemerer CONTRIbuTOR
3. The Portuguese Gambit Performed only once, albeit very successfully, the Portuguese Gambit is a high-risk, high-reward scenario. The first step is to become highly educated in a niche area of geography (originally, Portugal). Then, begin amassing things that allow you to pass as someone of that culture: clothing items, songs on a playlist, even a couple of swear words. From here on, proceed using our aforementioned tips on how to attract friends, passing yourself off as at least half of the nationality you’ve learned to adopt from. A year into the friendship, reveal the truth about who you are. This is the difficult part. There’s a 50 percent chance your friends will find this a huge breach of trust and leave you. But, there’s a 50 percent chance you’ll come off as such a character that they’ll be like “oh [your name], how funny!”
Here’s a list of some dumb things I thought and did (and hey—I’ve made it to third year)
13. Application Portal Inauspicious. Do not enter.
The ultimate guide I feel like — I don’t really know how to explain it, but — I feel like That glossy layer of condensation On a cheap scoop of ice cream. Strawberry or chocolate or something, The sheen, its weak shell coats the dessert Just before it melts. I also feel like One of those unrecognizably smattered and battered Bits of sidewalk gum That has been dragged by slipping feet In hard-soled shoes To resemble a Rorschach slide — Only this time, I can’t see more than the shape Because maybe I’m looking at it From the wrong direction. I feel like shitty graffiti art — One of those pieces they pay you in pity to do But it’s too ugly to look like it’s on purpose, Too clumsy to incur a deeper meaning, The one you pictured so clearly in that big brain of yours But that was before you put paint to canvas. I don’t feel right. Or clear. That’s it: I don’t feel clear.
11. UCheck I appreciate the effort, I do, but was this really doing anything? Anyone who has ever lied about their sexuality on a BuzzFeed quiz can defeat UCheck. That said, I am a little sad to see it go.
1. A Jazzy Vibe Check One thing Jerry Seinfeld is never given enough credit for is the perfect line to get conversation moving: “You like jazz?” This is perfect for several reasons. Scenario one, you like jazz and they like jazz. Great! Something in common, and conversation has already begun. Two, neither of you like jazz. Common enemies make common friends, the perfect way to keep things moving. Three, you like jazz and they don’t, or vice versa. Maybe this one isn’t for you. Sometimes the arrow of friendship missing a mark is just you dodging a bullet.
Winning friends and influencing people, minus the emotional manipulation Julian apolinario CONTRIbuTOR
Every UofT website, ranked
4. Degree Explorer
Photos of your family and friends - If your memory of them can’t serve you well enough, it shows that you don’t love them enough in the first place. Could not be me. My dorm wall is saved for chem notes and chem notes only. Your laptop - Our grandparents are seriously right about the dangers of technology— if they were able to go through university without laptops, why should we do it any differently? Consider it building character. Plus, you’ll get to really live out the dark academia aesthetic, looking through physical encyclopedias and ancient scripts and all that. I hope this guide was helpful to you, and I’m very open to inquiries about my advice. Don’t be afraid to message me if you’re experiencing confusion—just note that you will be judged.
Happy Orientation!
A hot girl’s guide to packing for uni Now that August is here, it means summer is practically over, and we should already be running to our first class of the semester, Starbucks cup in hand and anxiety sweat on brow! Just kidding. Before any of that, we need to pack our suitcases as we prepare to leave home and finally experience freedom (*cue the inspirational movie soundtrack that plays as the main character, who has never seen the inside of a classroom before, heads off to a highly academically rigorous university*). Oftentimes, it can be daunting to decide what to pack into your suitcase and what to leave at home. Should you take the lightsaber you bought at Disneyland when you were little? What about your rotting baby blanket, which carries sentimental value? (Hint: yes to both.) Fret not, for this article is just. for. you. Prepare to take notes, because my advice is sourced from great experience and wisdom. What to keep: The heaviest self-help books, which your dad insists you read, that you can fit in your suitcase. - Being illiterate is so, like, 1863. While it’s true that those books have only collected dust over the last couple of years, who knows! Amid exam stress, lab work, and essays, you will definitely want to take some time to read How to Be a Bawse. I promise. A really, really fancy dress your mom bought you for a wedding four years ago. - Some people find true love on campus—who’s to say that’s not going to be you? You need to always be ready to be asked out or, better yet, proposed to. Attending a lecture? Full tux. Lab time? Satin maxi dress. You can never be too prepared. Your pets - What better emotional support than a pet! UofT is stressful enough as it is, and your dog will definitely love to waste away in your dorm room for eight months <3. What to ditch: Winter jacket and boots - Honestly, if you can’t brave the cold, harsh, brutal Canadian weather au naturel, what are you doing coming to UofT in the first place? Jeez. Headphones or earbuds, whichever your preference is - I’ve always believed that music is meant to be shared with the whole world, so if you’re listening to Steve Lacy via headphones, you’re a selfish gatekeeper. That’s shameful.
16 STRANDED EDITOR | FAITH STRANDED@THESTRAND.CAWERSHBA
Starting UofT: The Spotify Musical Hi hi!I’ve always been an avid fan of turning every life event into a Spotify playlist and making sure that everyone on the app tracking my listening activity has a full musical breakdown of it. Angry and sad about someone I never dated? Done. My cat delivered a hairball on my bed? *Opens Spotify*. Ripped my skin off while waxing? Cue the angryPointrock.is, moving to Toronto to attend UofT is life-changing—you are practically the equivalent of Elle Woods starting a new life as a Harvard Law student and you should have the main character musical backing you deserve. I’ve thus given myself the task of developing a carefully curated playlist to parallel your journey as you begin university life! Enjoy. Phase 1: the honeymoon phase, it’s all so cute and glittery and flowery - September – Earth, Wind & Fire (because, obviously) - Good Days – SZA (for reflecting on yourself as you begin this new phase of life) - Saturday Night – Ta-Gana (to get ready for those amazing, definitely not gross, frat parties) - Alright – Supergrass (very main character energy) - A Toast and a Spirit – Vacation Manor (it feels very much like “new life, new adventures”) - New Rules – Dua Lipa (because high school drama is not going to cut it here!)
- Successful – Ariana Grande (because you are) Phase 2: oh god I actually have work to do - Focus – H.E.R. (seriously) - Work – Rihanna and Drake (if Rihanna says work, then you work, no questions asked) - Work B*tch – Britney Spears (because you better work, b*tch) - Big Energy – Latto (crank up the caffeine at Caffiends [#sponsored] and get to work) - Coffee – Joel Adams (my bank account is crying rn but it’s worth it, I -think) Keep it Up – Chase Atlantic (um maybe ignore the song, but the title is a big yes!) - Up and Down – Doja Cat (because motivation really comes and goes) Phase 3: the academically rigorous uni I applied to is actually academically rigorous - I’m so tired… - by Troye Sivan and Lauv (because, same) - Sign of the Times – by Harry Styles (it really will be a sign of the times) - Exhausted – H.E.R. (yeah) - NO – Meghan Trainer (because when it all gets too much, just tell your profs ‘no <3’) - Snap Out Of It – Arctic Monkeys (I’m talking about your work slumps)
- Uncomfortable – Chase Atlantic (the struggle is seriously real) - Afraid – The Neighborhood (yeah, you should be) Have a lovely orientation.
ADRIANA GORAIEB CONTRIbuTOR ADRIANA GORAIEB CONTRIbuTOR A playlist-formatted guide to starting university lifeA very serious and well-thought-out list of items to keep and ditch when packing for UofT ILLUSTRATION | SHELLEY YAO ILLUSTRATION | JENNIFER FONG LI
