The Strand | Volume 59, Issue 3

the

strand VICTORIA UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER VOLUME 59, ISSUE 3 - OCTOBER 3, 2016

Street Style

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Mental Health Month

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ROM Unveils New Exhibit

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Welcome to Week four

News • The Strand

Day of action against the Trans-Pacific Partnership speaks volumes to Canadians Influential individuals speak against the Trans Pacific Partnership and its unfair policies

Maia Kachan | Contributor

Erin Calhoun | News Editor On September 16, 2016, the Canadian Communications workers of America (CWA) held “Day of Action Against the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).” To protest the TPP, the CWA organized an academic forum where representatives from Doctors Without Borders, Canadian Environmental Law Association, and Osgoode Hall law professor Gus Van Harten, all discussed how the TPP threatens national sovereignty, health, and the environment.

The TPP involves 12 countries: the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Peru, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, and Brunei. Its aim is to deepen economic ties with these countries by eliminating or reducing tariffs to encourage trade. Much of the negotiation takes place in secret—in the absence of any democratic process. This gives corporations democratic power and jeopardizes the practice of democracy.

Van Harten stated that the TPP “puts something that has very little to do with trade into trade agreements.” The TPP’s core is made up of the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS)—a case Van Harten has been following for two decades.

The ISDS is composed of lawyers acting as arbitrators: who work alongside foreign investors to bring claims against countries when they act in ways that are considered unfair by the opposing party. This has not been challenged because international law does little to protect people from abuse against large, powerful parties.

Volunteers were stationed at the entrance of The Great Hall within Hart House where post cards were available to be signed and sent to trade minister Chrystia Freeland to persuade her to go against the TPP. The postcard disclosed views such as “I oppose the TPP because it would: threaten our national sovereignty by giving corporations the ability to override legislation enacted in the public interest,…undermine our democratic process,” and “…hurt our economy by driving down wages and killing thousands of good-paying jobs.”

Van Harten stated, “the ISDS is not a court system, it is independent and not fair.” According to his studies and predictions, the TPP would follow the rules of ISDS, which would create financial risks for the public. He warns that if this trade agreement is to be passed, it would be very hard to reverse and the impact would be detrimental.

Jaqueline Wilson from the Canadian Environmental Law Association stated that the chapters within the TPP are not capable of preserving the environment by “maintaining broad discretion and vague language.” The TPP does not set an environmental standard or leave parties with any requirement to act on environmental protection/initiatives.”

Chapter 20.3 states that parties are able to decide their own participation levels. Within the chapter of the Ozone layer, the language implies that parties are to take measures—without any standard being set. There is no mention of banning ozone-depleting substances.

Free trade deals often neglect involvement with environmental standards. Actual intention

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VUSAC Fall Elections: First year students in the running

to create environmental standards would require the government to legislate at national levels.

Illustration | Lynn Hong

Doctors Without Borders Representative, Doctor Nickerson, stated “the TPP acts as a barrier to the medicine needed by patients.” As a medical treatment provider to patients in unstable continents, DWB requires access to tools and medicines in large numbers at low costs.

Nickerson explained that the TPP is a concern for public health because it limits the safe guard in order to allow countries to have flexibility of how they asses patents and new innovations as successful or not. The TPP allows for the abuse of intellectual properties and patents.

The TPP implements far reaching government obligations in regards to patents and broadens/ brings in other mechanisms that increase marketing opportunities. This affects new and old medicine prices. The extension of patents to last long after they have expired was “pushed through a back door mechanism” Nickerson stated—which drives the prices of medicines up.

The TPP enforces “evergreening,” which makes it easier to patent minor modifications and lowers the bar of patentability. This abuse of intellectual property allows the innovator to take an existing product and file a new patent for it, which is an easy way for it to remain on the market.

Issues that the TPP employs, such as expanding copyright terms which will limit artistic creativity for the general public and allow corporations to extend profitability, as well as restricting fair use for journalists, which limits the ability to quote copyrighted sources in articles, were not mentioned during the forum.

Following the forum, a student-led information picket was held, as well as a free concert featuring Anti-Flag, Rebel Diaz, and other artists. To get involved by speaking against the TPP, or track other’s opinions, users can follow the #RockAgainstTheTPP hashtag on Twitter.

Voting for the 2016-2017 Fall VUSAC elections opened last Wednesday, with candidates running for various positions on the council including Commuter Commissioner, Equity Commissioner, and eight Councillor positions. Voting concluded on September 28, with the official results yet to be released. Each year, the council reserves two places among the Councillor positions for first-year students in the running.

Running for a position is public and upheld, as the Councillor position is daunting. The reservation of two seats for two first year students within the council is to encourage first year students to become involved with their student government from the beginning of their studies.

Fall elections occur instantly once the school year begins in order to keep the council in order. This immediateness does not allow for much time to campaign nor to familiarize oneself with the student body. First-year Victoria College student who’s also running for Councillor and VUSAC Councillor candidate Tyler Biswurm, spoke to The Strand on his perception of VUSAC and student government: “Fall elections are two weeks after you get here, you don’t have a lot of chances to get to know everyone.” He further went on to describe the elections as a “learning experience no matter what,” due to first-year students “not knowing the community as well as we want to”.

Some of the responsibilities as a part of VUSAC, such as maintaining communication and balancing responsibilities, could be potentially more challenging for a first year student who has less experience at University. Biswurm cited his experience doing the rigorous IB program, and managing extracurriculars and academics, as reasons why he felt capable of the position. This is echoed in the other first year’s running for positions on VUSAC. All candidates had encouraging things to say on expanding communication outside of the immediate VUSAC community.

Opportunities to engage in student politics in all years is important in fostering a diverse representation in student government. Though there are certain issues specific to first year students, the clear involvement of many first-year Vic students in VUSAC, levies, and clubs is a clear indication of the welcoming environment at Vic. At the conclusion of the voting period, Alexa Breininger, Tyler Biswurm, Melinda Hector, Peter Huycke, and Miliene Xu were elected as Councillors on VUSAC. Twincy Vyas was also elected Councillor, but has since stepped down. Yasmine Hassen was elected as Equity Commissioner, Isaac Khouzam as Commuter Commissioner and George Wilson to the Board of Regents. Alexa Breininger, Melinda Hector and George Wilson were, additionally, elected to the Victoria College Council. Notably, only seven of the eight Councillor positions were elected, along with three of ten positions open on the Victoria College Council (VCC).

Illustration | Lynn Hong

News • The Strand

Mental Health month raises awareness Events at UofT in October dedicated to spreading and destigmatizing mental health Hana Nikčević | Contributor With a new school year comes the usual host of class-related pressures (“assignments on syllabi are closer than they appear,” anyone?). With this, many students may be faced with the additional pressure of mental health issues. October is named Mental Health Month by the World Health Organization, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), and The Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH), who have also designated October 2nd to 8th Mental Illness Awareness Week.

Different events are held in October which are all aimed at exploring, explaining, and caring for one’s mental health. The most notable is MindFest: a day-long event at Hart House that offers a packed schedule of programming on October 5th. A keynote speaker is Toronto-based author Camilla Gibb, whose segment is titled “This is Happy.” Gibb’s autobiography of the same name explores her experience with both her own mental illness and that of her close family members.

Other noted speakers include: Scarborough Hospital CEO Robert Biron and educator and youth advocate Emily Wright, both of whom will be sharing their personal experiences with mental illness.

A wide variety of interactive workshops are also offered—ranging from the active to the artistic: tai chi, yoga, improv, writing, painting, and Suminagashi (Japanese paper marbling). An hour-long mindfulness walk and finale celebration are followed by a film screening to conclude the day.

With programming from 9 AM and stretching into the late evening, the schedule is similar to a mentally beneficial Orientation Week event. Fest-goers can attend as little or as much as they would like.

Second-year Victoria College student Maia Kachan comments, “There seems to be a lot of events going on at the same time—it seems overwhelming,” and adds that many of the events appear to be targeted at a more mature audience than university stu-

dents. Still, she says, “Having programming specifically concerning mental health and wellness and self care is really important.”

This positive attitude is echoed by Yasmine Hassen, VUSAC’s Equity Commissioner, who gave the following statement: “I think it’s sad that in today’s day and age, there is still such a large negative stigma in regards to mental health. I know that in a country like Canada, we have a lot of cultures and many of those cultures do not acknowledge mental illness even though it is a very prevalent issue that affects everyone… Going to a school like UofT, it’s not uncommon to come across severe stress and I think it’s very important to try and recognize in yourself how you deal with that stress and anxiety and talk to someone about it. Mental health is just as important as physical health and I think it’s about time that everyone starts treating it that way.” Vic’s annual mental health conference, “Minding Our Minds,” has historically occurred in October, as well.

The Victoria College Commuter Dons plan the

majority of their events with student mental wellbeing in mind. Wellness Wednesdays, for example, offer weekly programming aimed at student success.

Events such as the Art Café, which occurred on September 30, and an upcoming Poetry Fest on October 5, are designed to give students opportunities to frequently engage in their creative sides as a way to relax and have a good time.

The UofT Health and Wellness Centre holds regular Mindful Moments Meditation sessions at the Athletic Centre Dance Studio, for those who would like to learn a structured method of achieving focus and relaxation. The Health and Wellness Centre also organizes Healthy Habit Mondays, where you can discuss healthy eating with a professional nutritionist, who will have a students’ lifestyle in mind.

There’s no shortage of events throughout October, and the rest of the year, aimed at promoting good mental health. Different types of events will have varying levels of successes with different individuals, as mental health is unique to the person.

Photo | Rosa Kumar

A conversation with global thinker Jameel Jaffer Molly Kay | Arts & Culture Editor On November 15, the ROM welcomes Jameel Jaffer for the 11th Annual Eva Holtby Lecture on Contemporary Culture. Last week, The Strand sat down with Jaffer to discuss his upcoming lecture, “Going Dark”. In this lecture, Jaffer discusses the legal, political, and social consequences of allowing democratic governments to withhold information about national security from the public.

Jaffer, a civil liberties and human rights attorney, has spent the last 14 years as Deputy Legal Director at the American Civil Liberties Union working on issues of international human rights and arguing cases of national security. Most notably, he is known for litigating a case under the Freedom of Information Act that issued the release of the “torture memos” concerning the torture of prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay and in CIA black sites under the Bush administration.

“Post 9/11, the government has become increasingly more secretive regarding the terms and effects of policies,” Jaffer stated. “As we [the public] become more known by the government through significant technological developments, such as increased mass surveillance programmes, their actions are actually becoming more covert. I find myself concerned with the implications of the intersections of those two trends.”

Confidentiality is a concern for Jaffer, as he is aware of the access the government has to personal information, and what they are able to do with that kind of power. He explains, “personal information is being sold to surveillance agencies, which for example, allows the government to have access to private information such as your social media activity, your search history, and your cellphone GPS data. At this

point, there is very little which they don’t know about you. Tracking absolutely changes everything.”

Jaffer stated that the immediate effect of mass surveillance is the hindrance of public debate and creativity. “We are a population of people who live in constant fear of making mistakes. We are no longer able to make a few slip-ups and then ‘turn over a new leaf ’ because there is no such thing as deleting anymore and everything stays with you forever,” he explained. “I’m not saying that we should abandon new technologies or only see them as a threat, but there is certainly a level of danger and vulnerability that comes along with their usage.”

He continued, “Technology and social practices have progressed so quickly that we haven’t even fully absorbed the implications of this pervasive surveillance. The same technology that connects us, also allows governments and corporations to see everything that we do. I strongly believe that these effects run much deeper on a psychological level. Our perspective completely changes when the government observes our every move, but then leaves us in the dark.”

Jaffer encourages students to attend his upcoming ROM lecture, “Going Dark.” He intends to discuss in detail the cases he’s been involved with regarding government secrecy and he hopes to highlight what we should understand from them. “Students need to be aware of these issues because they are the next generation and these legal disputes will shape the world they live in. The government is responsible for designing policies to keep us safe, but you can’t influence a policy that you know nothing about. There is an apparent conflict between national security and human rights, and the cases I will be discussing are among some of the most significant of our time.”

More information on Jameel Jaffer and “Going Dark” can be found under the What’s On section at rom. on.ca

Illustration | Yilin Zhu

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Editorial • The Strand

OUR MASTHEAD

The State of the Union Re-evaluating our relationship with the CFS Erik Preston | Editor-in-Chief

If you went on any sort of social media between October and January of last year, you most likely saw—and editor@thestrand.ca promptly became annoyed by—the constant posts and messages asking you to vote to amend the board strucNews Erin Calhoun ture of the University of Toronto Students’ Union. The news@thestrand.ca campaign to bring the UTSU back in compliance with Opinions Shailee Koranne new government legislation was long and drawn out, and opinions@thestrand.ca caused a great deal of bickering between active student politicians. When the new board structure was finally Science Tanuj Ashwin Kumar passed last January, the University took a collective deep science@thestrand.ca breath.

Features Tamilore Oshodi However, with every new year comes new issues. This features@thestrand.ca year’s is one of equal, if not greater importance. One that seems like a much larger headache. The recently launched Arts & Culture Molly Kay artsandculture@thestrand.ca Elena Senechal-Becker You Decide campaign seeks to provide UofT students the chance to vote in a referendum to decide whether Film & Music Joshua Kim or not we remain members of the Canadian Federation filmandmusic@thestrand.ca of Students, better known as the CFS. There are several important reasons why our relationship with the CFS is Stranded Celeste Yim stranded@thestrand.ca being called into question, all of which are of concern to students at UofT. Copy Editing Tristan McGrath-Waugh The CFS basically functions as a union for our copy@thestrand.ca union. The UTSU, along with 39 other student unions Design Genevieve Wakutz in Ontario alone, provide funding to the organization to design@thestrand.ca represent student interests across the country. This can take the form of political lobbying and nation-wide camPhoto Rosa Kumar paigns, such as the Fight the Fees campaign to eliminate photo@thestrand.ca tuition fees in Ontario.

Art Lynn Seolim Hong Each full-time student at the St. George campus indiart@thestrand.ca rectly provides the CFS with $15 per year through their fees paid to the UTSU. With over 3,000 full-time stuWeb Arjun Sawhney dents at Victoria College, this means that we alone proweb@thestrand.ca Justine Chen vide the organization with over $45,000 per year.

In order to understand why this is an issue, it’s useEditorial Assistants Vacant ful to take a look at the history of conflict within the Contributors CFS. In the mid to late 1990s, several disaffected stuFadi Amer, Luca Bellisario, Maia Kachan, dent unions left the CFS to form the Canadian Alliance Amanda Gosio, Emma Lailey, Sam Mazzilli, of Student Associations (CASA), mostly due to a strong Wilfred Moeschter, Hana Nikcevic, Nitka leftward shift in the political leanings of the CFS. The Sadati, Sophia Savva, Hiba Siddiqui, Laura student unions of McMaster, Western, Waterloo, and the Siracusa, Thomas Trimble, Stefan Vladusic University of Alberta all defected from the CFS in favour of membership in the more moderate CASA. As a result, Copy Editors Anthony Burton, Heather Mackay, Tristan we have seen increasing hostility towards reform and disMcGrath-Waugh, Erik Preston, Alexandra affiliation from the CFS. Scandolo On September 19th, a letter drafted by ten student unions across the country was sent to the CFS leadership Illustrations and made available to the public. The letter covered variLynn Seolim Hong, Varvara Nedilska, Yilin ous points of contention with the CFS. These include: Zhu improper minute taking at meetings (with minutes that are actually taken not being posted online); the lack of Photos space for dissent and criticism of the Federation; diffiAmanda Gosio, Elena Senechal-Becker, Genevieve Wakutz, Hiba Siddiqui, Rosa culty accessing information relating to bylaws, policies, Kumar, Alexandra Scandolo and financial information; the extremely difficult disaffiliation process; and the closed and inaccessible nature Cover of general meetings.

Varvara Nedilska Former UTSU Director and current VUSAC VicePresident, External Steve Warner told The Strand, “irrespective of any difference in opinion one might have on the actual work the CFS does, it’s easy to see that The Strand has been the newspaper of record for its structure and operating practices make it difficult for Victoria University since 1953. It is published 12 anyone—even those who have time to keep up with stutimes a year with a circulation of 2000 and is distributed in Victoria University buildings and across dent politics—to find out about the organization or to the University of Toronto’s St. George campus. make meaningful change within it.”

While all of the above are reason enough to reconsider The Strand flagrantly enjoys its editorial autonomy and is committed to acting as an agent of conour membership with the Federation, the most pressing structive social change. As such, we will not pubconcern now is the difficulty that comes with disaffiliatlish material deemed to exhibit racism, sexism, ing. CFS rules dictate that member unions must hold homo/transphobia, ableism, or other oppressive language. referenda to disaffiliate; in addition to this requirement, the CFS requires a petition signed by no less than 20% The Strand is a proud member of the Canadian University Press (CUP). of a union’s membership to sanction the referendum in the first place.

Our offices are located at 150 Charles St. W., While this procedural requirement seems excessive in Toronto, ON, M5S 1K9. Please direct enquiries by email to editor@thestrand.ca. Submissions are itself, the history of the CFS in the way it handles petiwelcome and may be edited for taste, brevity, and tions and referenda of this sort is even more shocking. legality.

Editors-in-Chief

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Erik Preston Alexandra Scandolo

In 2014, the CFS sued the University of Toronto Graduate Students Union (UTGSU) following a referendum in which 66% of grad students who voted casted their ballots in favour of leaving the Federation. The referendum, however, was seven votes short of achieving the quorum threshold of 10% of the student body. The UTGSU argued that the CRO appointed by the CFS acted in bad faith due to a lack of online voting, and an inaccessibility of polling stations for students not studying at the St. George campus. Even before this bureaucratic nightmare, the referendum nearly didn’t happen in the first place—the CFS initially rejected the UTGSU’s petition because 75 students signed using their Anglicized names instead of their legal ones.

In a separate case, the CFS initiated legal proceedings against the Cape Breton University Students Union (CBUSU) following a 2008 referendum in which 92% of students who voted did so in favour of leaving the Federation. The CFS refused to recognize the results of the referendum based on procedural issues, the merits of which are still a hot-button issue to this day. The CBUSU was forced to remain a member of the CFS, responsible for paying over $300,000 in legal fees and $240,000 in unpaid union dues from the six years that the case spanned.

Having nearly entered bankruptcy, the CBUSU and the CFS have since reached an undisclosed settlement.

A total of 18 legal cases regarding disaffiliation petitions and referendums have taken place in the past 25 years between the CFS and various student unions across the country. What good is a Union that sues its own constituents for trying to leave? The CFS is supposed to be working with its membership, with the end goal of helping and supporting the students they represent. Suing its constituents into bankruptcy is clearly counterproductive in the most blatant sense possible.

This lack of transparency and the Federation’s lessthan-stellar track record in the way it works with its constituent organizations has motivated many student leaders across campus to push for a reconsideration of the UTSU’s membership in the CFS. Warner added, “There is clearly a culture of secrecy and groupthink among leadership at the CFS, and I’m glad that You Decide is bringing this to students’ attention and consideration.”

Former Victoria College UTSU Director Auni Ahsan noted “it’s important for students to be engaged in their democratic structures, which is difficult considering how many levels of government we’re subject to. Organizations need to be held accountable by their constituents, and we can do this by following democratic processes like this petition process.” The “You Decide” campaign needs to gain 9,000 signatures, which would represent 25% of the full-time undergraduate student body it represents at the St. George campus. While the CFS only requires that 20% of the student body of a constituent union sign petitions of this sort, getting 25% of the student body to sign would prevent issues such as those that the UTGSU and CBUSU were confronted with.

It is clear that the CFS has some significant problems, many of which are not being adequately addressed due to the Federation’s profound lack of transparency in the way it conducts its business. Its lack of willingness to reform, and hostile action against constituent organizations that try to initiate change or leave the Federation entirely, is reason enough to reconsider our place within it.

I urge you to participate in this campaign by signing the petition. At the very least, UofT students deserve the right to re-evaluate our place in the CFS. Whether or not we want to continue to fund an organization that treats its membership so poorly is a question worth asking.

You can sign the petition in person at both the UCLit Office on weekdays from 10am until 4pm, and at the CSSU Office in room 2250 of the Bahen Centre on Saturdays from Noon until 4pm. Visit youdecide.ca for more information.

Science • The Strand

Quantum mechanics cannot send information faster than light Despite what Facebook may tell you Stefan Vladusic | Contributor

Photo | Pixabay

Given the oddball and totally baffling nature of Quantum Mechanics, it is no surprise that this vast field of physics is often of great interest to scientific lay-people.

I’ve had people who have never taken a physics course in their lives talk passionately to me about ideas like superposition or the many-worlds interpretation, after I casually mention my major in conversation. This fascination is, by and large, something I think is great. I love physics, and therefore I obviously want more people to enjoy it. However, once both math and intuition go out the window (and believe me, intuition definitely does with Quantum Mechanics), there is little way for lay-people to distinguish fact from fiction. So, I hope to address the common misconception that quantum entanglement could theoretically allow for information to travel faster than light, in the hopes that people become even more intrigued by quantum weirdness.

This misconception makes quite a bit of sense intuitively; quantum entanglement seems so bizarre that breaking the rules of relativity appears to be totally acceptable. Unfortunately, not even quantum entanglement can get rid of pesky relativity. Also, it’s important to note that I’m reducing some very hard and mathematically dense topics into a relatively simple thought-experiment. In brief, this is by no means a perfect explanation of the phenomenon, but hopefully you’ll have some sort of conceptual sense of why these entangled systems don’t transmit information.

However, we need to know what an entangled system is in the first place before we can debunk this myth. The type of entangled system I will talk about is one where the system is composed of two electrons, but you cannot describe any individual electron without reference to the other. In brief, an entangled system is one where the two electrons behave as an individual, indivisible system. Our system will also have a net 0 spin. What does that mean?

Well, every electron has an intrinsic property called “spin.” What it is and what it does isn’t so relevant for this discussion. However, it’s relevance lies in that an electron

by itself can have either ½ spin or -½ spin—no other values are allowed. How then can a system have 0 spin?

The basic idea is this: after measuring the individual electrons of our system, the entangled system “breaks down” and our individual electrons must have opposite spins.

However, before measurement, neither electron has any definite spin whatsoever—this is important.

Measurement doesn’t work the same way in quantum mechanics as it does in normal, everyday life. What this means for this particular scenario is that if we were to set up many identical entangled systems, and make the same measurement for the same electron on these systems every time, we could still end up with different spin values for the electron! In our entangled system, nothing about any individual electron’s spin is determined. Even if everything is identical for all of our observations, when we measure an electron’s spin, it has a 50/50 chance of either having a ½ spin or a -½ spin. Whether this means the electron has both spins prior to measurement, neither spins, or something else entirely, is something debated to this day by philosophers and physicists. However, I think we can all agree that no matter what, our individual electrons do not have any definite spin until observation.

Thus, imagine if we were to measure the spin of one electron, our measurement device would give us a red flash for ½ and a green one for -½. It seems that since the net spin is 0, once we know the spin of one, we know the spin of the other. In short, we know that the spins must be opposite, so that knowing one leads to knowing the other.

Now, imagine that you and one of your friends each took an electron of this system and magically teleported to Jupiter (I know this isn’t scientific, but bear with me).

Suppose you made a measurement of your electron and got a green light. Sweet! You have an electron of -½ spin, so your friend has an electron of ½ spin. Except, if your friend were to make their measurement after you, they would have no idea if you made your measurement or not. It is entirely possible that their electron had to have

been of ½ spin (as is the case in this scenario) or that there was a 50/50 chance of being either spin. Either way, they cannot gain any information about whether or not you have made your measurement, just that your measurement, were it to happen, would result in a -½ spin.

This is not new information for your friend. In fact, the only new information your friend could obtain is whether or not you made a measurement, but once again, they have no way of knowing this. Of course, you could tell your friend what spin you got, but that would require you to send some sort of non-entangled information, which could not be faster than the speed of light.

Some people also claim that perhaps your friend receiving a ½ spin electron is enough to send new information, and that if they got a ½ spin electron, this could be code for something. However, that cannot be the case because whether you measured ½ or -½ spin was completely random in this scenario.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that many people will still claim that information is being sent between the electrons. This is widely accepted to be incorrect by physicists for some very complicated reasons (if you are so inclined, look up the EPR paradox and Bell’s theorem to learn about this), but more crucially it does not matter. We, as humans, cannot communicate any new information about another party using quantum-entangled systems: which is often the claim made by quantum enthusiasts at parties because, once again, no new information can be gleaned.

So that is why, in brief, we could not use entangled quantum systems to send information quicker than classical systems, or quicker than light. Since there is no information gained through measurements of these systems, any information you gain would have to go through a classical system. Therefore, despite what you may have heard, you won’t be getting any information faster than light anytime soon, which, admittedly, is kind of a bummer.

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Opinions • The Strand

Fangirls vs. sports fans There is no difference Shailee Koranne | Opinions Editor

Hidden costs of lactose intolerance Genevieve Wakutz | Design Editor

Since being introduced to the magic that was Harry, Louis, Liam, Niall, and Zayn (before Zayn was a sensational solo act), my best friends and I would fawn over all of their new music. We watched all their behind-the-scenes X-Factor clips and kept up with all the gossip about romances inside and outside the band. I have only ever written one FanFiction story in my entire life, and it was about Louis Tomlinson (I know, and I’m not proud, but I was sixteen—let me live).

I saw One Direction in concert in February of 2012 at the ACC, and I remember being deliriously happy the whole time. The girls sitting around my friends and I were so kind, and even though they were a little younger than us, we asked them to join us after One Direction’s performance and we snuck into a VIP area to try and get a look at the guys. It was pure fun, I wouldn’t go back and take that away from myself. I’m not embarrassed I paid 40-some-odd dollars to see One Direction, but a lot of people would try to make me feel bad about it.

Teenage girls are vilified for their interests no matter what they are into. Teen girls who like video games, sports, and other “masculine” things are seen as faking it for male attention. Girls who like “feminine” things like makeup and boybands are supposedly shallow and unintelligent. There’s no winning. No matter what a girl likes, people will find some way to make her feel bad about it.

What particularly irks me about the double-standards placed upon girls and women for their interests is that they don’t apply to men at all, even though the frenzy that girls create over stuff like boybands is totally the same as the ruckus men cause over sports. However, we demonize girls for their expression and don’t stop to think about how men are the same, if not worse, about things that they like.

Here’s a handy infographic I made that illustrates direct parallels between women who love boybands and men who love sports. Hopefully, it’ll urge you to think about the way we as a society assign labels like “crazy,” “emotional,” and “obsessive” to women, but don’t stop to think about the way men react to things.

Photo | Genevieve Wakutzz

So you’re walking down St. George and you get a craving for a creamy Frappuccino or a steaming latte. Where do you go? As you turn onto College you see Starbucks on the corner and decide to stop there out of convenience.

The girl in front of you orders a Grande, pumpkin spice Frappuccino, and you decide that sounds good. Her total comes to $5.59. Once you’ve finished ordering the same product the barista tells you it’s $6.38. Where did the extra cost come from?

You had to order lactose-reduced milk because your body cannot produce the protein that breaks down milk sugars and so, you have to pay almost an extra dollar because of your food allergy.

You may be thinking, “What’s the big deal?” If you can’t afford the drink, just make something at home or go somewhere else. Personally, I don’t have the skillset necessary to whip up a fancy drink at home—and since I will only get nice drinks once every couple of weeks, buying the ingredients would be too expensive. Tim Hortons and McDonalds are out of the question because they don’t offer lactose-free options—unless you substitute the milk for hot water, and that just doesn’t taste as good. So, your options are narrowed down to the extra 60 cents at Second Cup or 70 cents at Starbucks.

People with food allergies should not have to pay a higher cost in order to make a product accessible for them.

Lactose reduced options were originally introduced to Starbucks’ menu free of charge. When Starbucks revamped their point system in 2012, they decided to charge the customer for alternative milk

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or extra pumps of syrup. These charges are in exchange for reducing the amount of purchases required for a free drink—from 12 “stars” to 15. Why would a company worth an estimated $85.3 billion need to place surcharges on milk options in order to give customers a free coffee every couple of months?

The most recent changes to their point system have made their rewards even more inaccessible as customers have to spend $125 to get a free item—the equivalent of roughly 20 Grande Frappuccinos or 50 to 60 coffees. Clearly, their rewards are becoming more difficult to achieve, while they aim to make more money than ever with these marketing schemes and additional costs.

Companies like Starbucks justify their surcharges by claiming that alternative milk products are more expensive. That may be true, but it doesn’t explain why they charge their customers 70 cents regardless of whether they use 8oz of milk in a Venti Frappucino or only 4oz in a tall or why a lactose intolerant customer is charged more when Starbucks is saving money on the whipped cream that won’t be used on their drink. Besides, they already have steeper prices and profits than most coffee franchises. According to their financial release at the end of 2015, Starbucks had $19.2 billion in consolidated net revenue. Surely they can afford to offer alternative milk options free of charge.

In the end, you hand over the money anyway, and leave the store feeling ripped off. You end up paying more for a drink that is less creamy and less sweet than you were hoping for, and yet you will probably come back next week for another one.

Opinions • The Strand

New 2 the 6ix Emma Lailey | Contributor Despite living relatively close, I’ve only ever travelled to Toronto maybe six or seven times in my entire life, and only ever for day trips where other people contently led me around. In fact, I probably knew the complicated streets of London, England, over five thousand kilometers away, better than I understood my own provincial capital. Of course, this all changed when I got accepted to the University of Toronto—a whole new world indeed. Suddenly I found myself in an ever terrifyingly populous city, hours away from my family and feeling really insecure that people say “East” and “West” instead of “left” and “right.” I needed to do something to understand this city—and fast—so, I began to explore.

I started small; every night I allotted “exploring time” in order to get to know the city better. By the end of Frosh Week, I had conquered the entire campus map. At the end of my second week, I had fallen in love with Kensington and ventured the great lengths of the Eaton Centre. During these evening adventures, I began to notice the city’s subtle habits.

Things are different here. I started to make observations about the way people around me interacted, and the way they fell into rhythm with the city. Here is what I’ve learned: Everyone has super stylish shoes Seriously though. Have you ever looked at the shoes some of these people are wearing? I say “people” because it’s not just the businesspeople—it’s literally

everyone. Sleek black pumps, smoking leather bluchers, sexy glittering stilettos... Talk about on-point! It really makes you wonder how the city can move so quickly while the majority of people are balancing a foot off the ground, on their toes. It’s obvious that Torontonians are generally very stylish people, but their shoes?... 10/10.

Shopping is exceedingly more dangerous I understand how advertising works. I understand that we are consumers, and we need things in order to survive, like caffeine. It is indeed a rare sighting to see a pedestrian without a cup of coffee or their cellular device in hand. But, a Starbucks on every single corner? I mean really? I love my java chip Frappuccino as much as the next white girl, but every corner?

They don’t even give us a chance.

Another shopaholic’s deathtrap is the Eaton Centre—“Deathtrap” in the literal sense that the crowds are as bad as Parliament Hill on Canada Day, and in the figurative sense that every store is a temptingly beautiful Venus fly trap that will eat you alive if you get too close. Do yourself a favour and write “student debt” in big red letters on your hand and don’t take your eyes off it. Trust.

People genuinely love UofT

fragile first years, all decked out in our red Victoria College shirts, went out for coffee. Not ten minutes later, we were stopped by three old couples who, when recognizing our university shirts, told us stories of their adventures as Victorians “back in the day.”

It’s not just older alumni, Torontonians of all ages are undeniably proud of the University of Toronto.

Students are eager to sport UofT swag in all forms, and families readily attend university football games and choose to raise their children in campus churches. Torontonians are so in love with UofT that I’ve had to dodge four bridal parties (outside my building alone!) because they wanted the university in the background of the pictures they would cherish the most.

When Torontonians walk, they keep their chins up They don’t look at their feet—they look up. Obviously so they don’t die in traffic or run into a tourist, yes, but also because they are confident in their city and everything it stands for. Torontonians walk with their back straight, their heads high and always with a purpose—what an ideal example for our life.

While this is still only my third week in a still strange place, I find an immense comfort knowing that I am walking beside confident and loyal residents to an always advancing, powerful city... A city that I will undoubtedly soon be calling “home.”

It was our first day of frosh and a group of us

Illustration | Lynn Seolim

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Sweater Weather Fall is finally here! Get your style inspiration from these fashionable Victoria College students Feature by Rosa Kumar | Photo Editor

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Features • The Strand

things we love for fall... cozy knit sweaters, the changing leaves, layering, layering, layering! pumpkin spice everything, the chilly, crisp air,

halloween! apple picking, did we mention pumpkin spice? ankle boots, the thanksgiving thirteen,

hot chocolate all day, hayrides and bonfires, snug movie nights, scented candles, and the street style!

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Arts & Culture • The Strand

The ROM unveils new exhibition Art, Honour, and Ridicule: Asafo Flags from Southern Ghana Amanda Gosio | Contributor

Photo| Amanda Gosio

On September 20th I had the pleasure of attending one of the Royal Ontario Museum’s newest exhibits, Art, Honour, and Ridicule: Asafo Flags from Southern Ghana, followed by a lecture from Professor Ato Quayson discussing Ghana’s history as well as the cultural significance of these flags. This exhibit is part of a three-year project at the ROM that strives to bring an African voice and history to the forefront of conversation in Toronto through different exhibitions. It exceeded my expectations.

I entered the dimly lit exhibition room, welcomed by the celebratory music of drums. The only brightness bounced from small spotlights with the sole purpose of lighting the artefacts and flags. As I walked through the exhibit, I found myself completely moved and stimulated by my surroundings.

Intricate, hand-made flags hung proudly inside their glass casing, portraying images so story-like they hardly needed description. The use of vibrant colours and unique images made each flag more interesting to learn about than the next—the flags themselves providing a deeper insight into Ghana’s culture and history.

As the exhibit’s opening sign stated, although the diverse flags are used as the crests of military companies of the Fante states in Southern Ghana, these flags came to “convey powerful narratives of pride, record historical events, visualize proverbial wisdom, and send defiant messages to enemies.”

I also learned about the distinct, individual meanings behind each flag. The use of different, sometimes mythical, animals such as lions, eagles, elephants, griffons, and dragons represented the strength and power of the company characterized by that flag. All of which meant to instil fear and intimidation amongst the opposition while instilling pride within a community. Other imagery included; trees representing the challenges one must overcome, clocks representing the controlling of time, traps representing intellectual superiority, and even competitive games as a representa-

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tion of the competition at hand between different companies. Most flags portrayed a British flag in the canton (upper left corner) as a symbol of the British Union, as Ghana’s independence didn’t come until March of 1957.

These flags are brought to life through energetic public performances—often dances—meant to celebrate one’s own culture and instil pride in the Ghanaian people under that flag. These performances are extremely culturally significant as they denote a unity unseen in Southern Ghana at the time of their creation, up to 300 years ago.

“

As history can

be subjective and

exclusive at times, it is important to learn about the diversity of cultures existing within history.”

As I discovered through Professor Ato Quayson’s lecture, the use of similar motifs on flags often fuelled conflict and anger amongst different companies.

These flags acted as a demonstration of the foundations of these companies.

And, because Their foundational narratives are typically quite similar, the symbols on flags often imitated others. This, only further contributed to the division of Southern Ghana in the past.

Getting the opportunity to view and learn about the Asafo flags of Southern Ghana in 2016 provides a unique and insightful perspective. As Professor Quayson put it, “Their flags represent

an important window into the contradiction of global Ghanaian expressive cultures as they negotiate the transition between tradition and modernity.”

Some other important artefacts included the clothes of Ghanaian people, as well as interpretations of Ghana’s diverse flags through modern art pieces.

Just as the flags stood for the characteristics of different companies, the clothing worn became central motifs signifying admirable qualities of individuals and the community as a whole. During public performances, members of the community often wore a distinct uniform—these uniforms being anything from vibrant matching shirts and shorts to police-like costumes. The idea of a uniform being central to the celebratory nature of public performances reflected the search for unity within Southern Ghana and instilled a sense of camaraderie and harmony within a company.

Modern art pieces frequently emphasized the colonial, destructive history of Ghana through moving images mimicking the pictures seen on Ghanaian flags and garments.

At the end of the night, the High Commissioner of Ghana to Canada, H.E. Dr. Sulley Gariba, gave a small speech regarding his immense gratitude towards the ROM for curating this Ghanaian collection, and he expressed his excitement toward Ghana’s upcoming 60th anniversary of independence in March of 2017. He then shared a heart¬warming anecdote from the exhibition’s opening night last weekend, which his family attended.

He explained that his young son was completely ecstatic at the opportunity to learn about his own history—a history not largely taught in Canada.

As the High Commissioner delivered his speech at the end of that night, the drum music was turned off so that the audience could hear him speak. However, with the lowering of the music his son began to cry. He did not want to feel like the connection he had made to his heritage and history would be broken, and the interruption of the celebratory

music of his culture made him realise this fear. Regarding this moment, Dr. Sulley Gariba remarked, “We’re discovering ourselves as well.” It was through this story that I truly began to understand the significance of exhibits such as this one.

As history can be subjective and exclusive, it is important to learn about the diversity of cultures existing within history. This allows for connections to be made between the past and the present, creating strides towards a future of inclusivity and overall understanding. I applaud the ROM in recognizing this necessity and using their connection to history to bring this understanding to a modern, Canadian, and global standard.

I am truly fortunate for the opportunity I was given to partake in some small way in that mission, and encourage students of the University of Toronto to follow suit in attending Art, Honour, and Ridicule: Asafo Flags from Southern Ghana, which will run until March of 2017.

Stay tuned: Arts & Culture will be covering VCDS’ Peter Pan in Issue 4

Arts & Culture • The Strand

In/Future: a “transformative” art experience?

Elena Senechal-Becker & Molly Kay | Arts & Culture Editors

Photo | Elena Senechel-Becker

Ontario Place, located on the shore of Lake Ontario just south of Downtown Toronto, used to be a theme park.

From 1971-2011, it was an entertainment complex operating mostly during the summer months. What remains now are the abandoned park grounds and eerie relics from what used to be one of the liveliest amusement parks in Southern Ontario.

In/Future is a festival presented

by Art Spin in partnership with Small

World Music, spanning over the course of ten days, from September 15 to 25.

The performances were different every night, but always included site-specific art projects, musical performances, film screenings, and workshops. The site’s sprawling character allowed a variety of installations to be shown at once.

We arrived around 6 PM on the second Thursday of the Festival. Due to its remote location, the venue was initially difficult to find. Along with a few other people, we wandered into an exceedingly large industrial complex, unaware of what to expect. The park was strangely barren, as though we had walked into an after-hour music festival grounds. The atmosphere was still and quiet except for the echoes of shoegaze-y music playing in the distance. The volunteers issued us a map upon entry, but it was difficult to follow and provided us with little information. We noticed a man on a swanshaped paddleboat playing the trumpet in the dark, and we felt like we had walked into an episode of Twin Peaks.

Things got even weirder once we began to explore the exhibits. Left to our own devices in terms of navigation, we somehow ended up at the “Silos.” These were a series of independent structures, each with their own art installations.

They were seemingly disjointed: each room stranger than the next. The first thing we came across was decapitated

plastic horse statues and waxy farmer mannequins. Other notable pieces included plastic icebergs in a room called “Ice,” an unsettling audio-track of a young girl singing and smashing glass, and an extremely bizarre 3D short film set in the 1800s, among various other oddities. We both felt quite uncomfortable, like we had walked into someone else’s nightmare.

Photo | Molly Kay

Once we had exited the silos, we made our way across the grounds to the other end of the festival. We came across a series of “sculptures” lit up by spotlights, consisting of a shopping cart, garden tools, mop heads, and a miniature roller coaster model with a stuffed animal climbing on it. That being said, we were particularly drawn to the silver streamer covered shed in the opposite corner. Throughout the entire festival, Ontario Place’s iconic Cinesphere cast a glow that could be seen from even outside the Festival.

As we made our way to the gift shop (which was in partnership with Art Metropole), we found our path was obstructed by what appeared to be a dance class happening front and center. We were unsure whether this was part of the festival, as a metal band was simultaneously performing on the stage nearby.

We found some cute knick-knacks in the store, but overall we left the festival after a couple hours, feeling dissatisfied and confused. Due to a strong lack of evident artistic direction, we remain unclear on the actual objective or theme of the festival. We definitely commend In/Future and its artists on their ambition and innovative use of Ontario Place’s unique characteristics. That being said, the festival was unfocused and we left the venue feeling rather uncomfortable.

More than just architecture Vic student shares their favourite architectural spots on Hiba Siddiqui | Contributor noticed already, there is a certain quality among students at Vic, and the University of Toronto in general. Everyone dresses well and I believe that much of it has to do with how beautiful our campus is. Even fashion designers get their inspiration from architecture, it makes complete sense as to why we dress a certain way depending on where we work, study, and socialize. I sincerely believe that the upbeat vibes of UofT and the students within it are a reflection of the university’s traditional and modern architectural designs. Personally, I feel empowered when I am surrounded by such incredibly designed buildings because all of these buildings were created by individuals who, at some point in time, were students just like I am. What this ultimately demonstrates is that the sky’s the

limit and anything is possible when you put your mind to it.

It is impossible for me to speak of how beautiful the St. George campus is and not name a few (or many) must-see buildings.

My list includes: Old Vic, Lester B. Pearson Garden, Goldring Student Centre, EJ Pratt Library, Emmanuel College Library, Trinity College Chapel, University College, Hart House, Knox College, Robarts Library, the Fisher Rare Book Library, and the Medical Science Building. If you haven’t had the chance to visit these places make sure to check them out. Once you have, you might notice it makes you feel a certain way. Do you suddenly feel uplifted by the design and structures of these buildings?

Knox College

Emmanuel College Library

Someone once told me that the architectural surroundings within a city have a tremendous amount of influence on the people living there; I completely agree with this statement. The way buildings are designed and constructed are crucial to the atmosphere of any given place. The intricate details of a ceiling, the beauty of crafted doorways, or even the colour of bricks can have either a positive or negative influence on us. It is truly fascinating to see how something so minute, such as a well-designed library or an elaborate hallway, can impact us so greatly.

One of the main reasons I decided to attend the University of Toronto, besides the evident prestige, was its incredible architecture and how much it inspired me to learn.

In fact, I fell head over heels the very first time I saw the Victorian style architecture at Victoria College. The buildings greatly resembled many of the historic buildings in London, England and of course for all the Harry Potter fans out there, it looked just like Hogwarts. Not only did the beauty I was surrounded by make travelling in between classes on campus more enjoyable, it also made me look forward to coming to school despite the long commutes I experienced on a daily basis. There is just something about architecture; the way that it reflects history, art, and culture that creates an energetic atmosphere for those around it.

Architecture is not only visually appealing, but it also affects how individuals within that area carry themselves. If you haven’t

Photos | Hiba Siddiqui

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Film & Music • The Strand

The platinum album Why going platinum is like getting struck by lightning Nikta Sadati | Contributor

Respite Fadi Amer | Contributor

Illustration| Pixabay

Some of the most praised albums of all time have gone platinum over the years.

Some of these include Michael Jackson’s classic “Thriller” in 1982, The Beatles (The White Album) in 1968, and, of course every mom and daughter’s favourite, Shania Twain “Come on Over” in 1997. Going platinum in the United States was huge, certifying that a record has shipped or sold one million times.

That’s a lot of ears listening to the likes of Madonna, Abba, and more. However, today, going platinum might as well be a distant dream.

Only four albums released in 2015 went platinum (not including international music).

These included, most notably, “25” by Adele, a charmer and reminiscent of its sister “21,” “25” is packed with female strength and perseverance in heartbreak with ballads such as “Hello” and the ever relatable “Send my Love (to your new lover).” “25” had companions at the top with titles like “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late.” Yes, the 6ix’s own Drake with his fourth platinum release. The completion of the foursome includes Justin Bieber’s “Purpose” and Meghan Trainor’s “Title.”

Rest assured, these weren’t the only high sellers of 2015, and surely not the only ones with merit. But then, why did 2015 only have four platinum albums when in 2012 there were more than 15 albums that hit the 1,000,000 mark? I’m not your hipster aunt here to yell at the millennials for their use of piracy; we buy albums when we want to.

The root of the new rarity in platinum certification lies in how we consume music

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today. In 2015, a platinum certification only included sales of a physical and digital nature, and the number of platinum certifications dropped. Today, music is consumed mostly through streaming websites, apps, and programs. Familiar names such as 8-Tracks and Spotify create playlists, share music around the world, and offer streaming for free or with monthly, regulated charges. However a change in the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) and their new set of platinum regulations has provided a possible relief from this downfall in platinum certification. For years the certification included only the sales of an album, but as of February 2016, it now includes “streaming” as part of its consideration.. This works, in essence, on a system where 1,500 streams of a song or music video equal ten track sales or one album sale. According to RIAA Chairman/CEO Cary Sherman, it was “the next logical step.” While it does seem beneficial to artists to include streaming, reflecting how the majority of music is consumed today, this is also seen by many artists as a decrease in the significance or weight of platinum certification, as many hip-hop and rap albums have started to be awarded regardless of their marketplace value.

Whether you see it as a boost in music appreciation or a downgrade from awarding the worthy, music is changing and moving forward into the new, technological age and with it, comes more recognition for the underdogs, the forgotten genres, and of course, Adele.

Fadi Amer is a hopeful Financial Economics student enamoured by things pragmatic, efficient and to-the-point. However, wanting to tap into an indulgence of his, Fadi decided to take a cinema studies course - you know, as an elective. The piece below is an insight into his abstracted mind as he prepares for another school day.

There’s nothing quite like the post-modern vision of success… It juxtaposes the neurotic corporate lifestyle: that notso-ancient relic of a prosperous time, with a deep longing for identity and authenticity. Make no mistake; the marketplace binds both. Your readiness to exchange the money in your figurative pocket for that delicious box of Timbits can and will always be defined by the cathartic delight of munching on Timbits, versus having enough money for a down payment on a condo a few years down the line. Your decision to buy a bottle of artisanal Worcestershire sauce instead of those Timbits can and will always be characterized by the joy of throwing a few drops of that Worcestershire into a balsamic vinaigrette, versus the primal travesty of having one less Timbit. And just like that, no one talks about Fight Club.

At any moment in time any materialization of consciousness can be traced as a causal chain of events, from which a highly sophisticated and quantifiable equation can be formed to represent that singular decision. Absolutely everything from the most inconsequential twitching to the most profound exercise of free will can be measured and analyzed. Anything and everything is subject to that intangible process by which free-floating strands of thought are compartmentalized into singular letters. Really, it’s not all unlike the strands of paper fibre that form that arbitrary receipt, the formal tribute to that contribution to the grand mound of wealth. Deconstruct, simplify, compose. Abstract, abstract, abstract. For a moment, it seems as though there is no end to the human mind. Anything is knowable, and that which is knowable is subject to control.

Leaving my prior course, I hurry up St. George Street to catch the tutorial immediately following. I stop by a food truck for a quick bite—conquering the depths of knowledge is hungry work. Chicken shawarma with everything thrown on top: the usual. It’s not bad, nothing like home though.

Several minutes late, I take my seat, and put on my best please-give-me-these-participation-marks-so-I-can-moveon-and-become-an-investment-banker face. The TA goes on for a while about the latest film screening (Michael Mann’s Collateral). The conversation is constantly interrupted by that one person. Every now and then you hear a “subjective!” or an “objective!” The discussion becomes all the more problematic. An hour has passed, the sun has set far too early, and it’s another walk home in the dark. On this night, conquest does not run through Caesar’s mind, he’s far too busy grappling with the delight of a fresh Mediterranean fig on a warm August day.

Film & Music • The Strand

Why white rap listeners must be more media conscious Luca Bellisario | Contributor It doesn’t matter how much rap music we listen to, if we can be both white and careless with our media consumption, we can also be anti-black.

And, we might not even know it.

Don’t get me wrong. I am admittedly a silly white boy who loves to listen to rap music. However, far too often us white people seem to believe that we are somehow a part of the culture that we consume—that rap is implicitly for us, that our voices take priority in the cultural discourse, and more specifically, that it is a genre for us to review and critique.

There is a problem when the cultural discourse and journalism surrounding Hip-Hop, a predominantly black genre, is dominated by whiteness.

While our favourite rappers are black, more often than not, our favourite rap critics are white…Like, really white.

Many avid rap fans subscribe to YouTuber Anthony Fantano, who has been

called the “leading modern hiphop reviewer” by cultural critic Jack Keating, and most of us love sharing the newest article from Pitchfork or Noisey, who as white publications garner millions of hits. Regardless of the journalistic talent found in white publications, the truth is that talented black journalists (especially black female journalists) are far less visible in hip-hop criticism than they should be. And it’s not for lack of trying.

Far too often jobs reviewing and discussing black music go to white journalists. Take, for example, the incredibly popular Noisey Welcome to the Trap series, which feature an array of small, dorky, white journalists given a behind the scenes tour of the cradles of modern rap—predominantly black neighbourhoods in Atlanta, Compton, or Detroit. As a documentary series that has garnered tens of millions of views, part of the intrigue here is

the apparently humorous contrast between the hipster white journalist and the rapper. Aside from being glorified “slum tourism” and racial voyeurism at best, this series’ use of white journalists is symbolic for the wider issue of inequity in the world of music journalism.

These were opportunities that should have gone to black journalists.

Thus, as white rap listeners, without being media conscious and encouraging more black involvement in musical journalism, we are implicit in the racial oppression of the artists that we apparently love to listen to. This doesn’t mean we have to stop writing about rap music, or stop loving it either. Instead, we must allow black hiphop journalism to take a precedent over white publications. It isn’t our art or our story, so we shouldn’t dominate the conversation in the ways that we do—by reading exclusively mainstream white music publications.

While there are many ways to encourage black expression, white rap consumers should use their shares, likes, and views to bring black voices to the forefront. In addition to watching Anthony Fantano’s review of the new Danny Brown album, go a step further and watch YouTubers like Dead End Hip Hop’s and BigQuint’s reviews in addition. The next time you are looking for the scoop on Taylor vs. Kanye, don’t stop at the New York Times, but read what black, femme columnist Ashleigh Shackelford has to say.

If we are serious about loving rap music and the brilliant people who create it, we must support racially inclusive media and, most importantly, listen to black artists when they tell us why something is wrong. Only when we, as white rap consumers, become more media conscious will the disparities in popular hip-hop journalism diminish, and we’ll all be better for it.

Vic Records Studio Sessions Live-recording event continues club’s promise Alexandra Scandolo | Editor-in-Chief

Photos | Alexandra Scandolo

Following a year of growth, Vic Records hosted a live recording session on September 28 with over twenty acts. With a full house, a comprehensive amount of equipment, and a variety of performances in a range of genres, the event provided an opportunity for students to benefit from the club more tangibly than ever before.

Despite the technical difficulties that are expected with a live recording event, each performer was given the opportunity to record a five-minute live performance of a song of their choice—whether a cover, original song, or instrumentation. Co-president Sean Kudryk spent the evening doing sound checks for each performer, and then mixing their instrumental and vocal tracks on the spot.

The atmosphere of the event was supportive and eager with many students re-

maining in the Cat’s Eye until every single performer had their moment on-stage.

With VicXposure present to take artist’s portraits and Caffiends providing catering, the event was an opportunity for students to collaborate effectively with one another.

After an extended period of radio silence, the club has undergone a renewal through the dedication of the club’s executives in the last few years. Former student JJ Wong reinstated the club in January 2015 after he saw an opportunity in the idea. It is clear that after clearing the dust, the aim for Vic Records going forward will be to reemerge as a service meant for students first.

The group has set a youthful and dedicated tone following their debut event of the school year. I spoke with Aaron Rambhajan, co-president of the club, the following day and asked about the team’s plans for the

club now that they have hit the ground running.

“Community is what we are aiming to create for the club this year, as an addendum to the initial interview we had [with The Strand],” Rambhajan noted, referencing the coverage of last year’s first live session. “Sean and I had an extreme approach as both purists and as people who didn’t understand what DJing and production meant for others. They are two very elusive components to music that people are particularly [unaware of]. It happens, but few people understand how it works. We embodied the illusionism behind those methods... We want to turn [Vic Records] into something students can find value in.”

The live recording sessions are the club’s way of approaching Open Mic events with their own specialty added. Rambhajan said of the event style that “it feeds into everything we want the group to expand into.

Getting students out for the Open Mic is a provocation for them to record in our studio. That reciprocity is the architecture of what we want to do this year.”

The club plans on hosting two more live sessions this year, one at the beginning of next semester and another to wrap up the year. The community aspect of these events will likely foster a growth in awareness of the club and provide students with the ability to utilize the tools Vic Records is trying to make accessible to student musicians. As Caleb Labbe Phelan, a Vic Records executive member and MC for last week’s Open Mic said on stage before the event, “Though we have had some technical difficulties, it is the music that brings us together.”

To keep up to date with Vic Records, check out their Facebook page at vicrecords.club

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Stranded • The Strand

Ghoul Seeking Man A ghost is seeking a life partner to possess Sophia Savva | Contributor I’m a 100-something year-old ghoul seeking an athletically built, 18 to 25-year-old man in need of a life partner. I’m about 7’0 and 21 grams with a face so horrific that it’s beyond your conceptual scheme. I’m bored of haunting at home, and I want to spice things up by possessing your body for the rest of your natural life.

I need someone who’s open-minded and doesn’t play games, especially when committing atrocities against God’s natural order. If you’re single and lonely, then consider unleashing me from my eternal suffering in purgatory’s ashen pits. After I possess your body, you will never feel lonely since you will lose all sentience, and you will never be lonely since I will permanently nest myself inside your sacrificed physical vessel. They say you only live once, but what if you could live once with two souls inside of you?

I was a self-made millionaire and kept up a delightful cranberry bog on the side before I was brutally murdered. I was also married to the town beauty, but I’ve been single (BY CHOICE) for the past century. I was actually murdered on my wedding night, if my hunch is correct, since my wife murdered me, and she had a on a wedding dress on.

I can provide you with a luxurious lifestyle and a family in exchange for just one night of intensely painful rituals that will allow me to shatter the gateway between life and death. This arrangement is beneficial if you want to die, but not die-die, or if you’ve given up on your hopes and dreams and want someone else to fulfill them for you. Technically, it will still be you enjoying these things, except it will be me.

I want this relationship to be honest and consensual, so I’ll just come out and say it: you must be

comfortable using a mandoline slicer and your own two hands to avenge my murder. I will try to take things slow, but that all depends on the amount of living decedents my wife has.

I don’t have a phone or an email, but if you go to Spooky Mansion on Halloween night with a single palm wax candle (Sensual Amber™ scented, please) and chant, “Hey Dave, I’m here about your ad” while spinning counter counter clockwise, you’ll be able to reach me if the full moon is in crescent formation and if a raven, facing westerly, crows thrice toward the East.

Do NOT contact me with unsolicited services or offers, only if you want to be ***POSSESSED*** by ***A GHOUL***.

Disputable, Untrue Facts About Danny DeVito: Wilfred Moeschter & Thomas Trimble | Contributors • Danny’s daughter Salmonella was taller than him from birth.

• Danny was actually cast as Prof. Dumbledore, but turned the role down to star in Space Jam. • His first name is actually short for Danny DeVito.

• He was the winner of People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive award, 1948 issue.

• Danny earned the nickname “Furious George” after his antics on the set of The Terminator.

• His favourite sport is Strip Battleship.

• Danny is actually a failed attempt at cloning Grumpy the Dwarf.

• Danny DeVito’s name spelled backwards is Olive Donald.

• His favourite on-screen portrayal of Batman is “Ben Affleck, obviously.”

• Danny has been known to smuggle entire steak dinners into his pants to avoid paying for snacks at the movie theater, like the cheap sack of shit he is.

• Based on the second law of perspective, Danny only seems short, he’s just always far away.

• He was once mistaken for a giant tortoise on the Galapagos Islands and was forced to stay there for a week before he was able to convince the locals that he was not, in fact, a giant tortoise.

You can catch Danny as Kevin in the upcoming live action remake of Minions.

Meaningless Comment Prefaces: A Tic Tac Toe Game

“So, would you say it’s fair for us to then assume…”

“I think we have to think about the context…”

“I don’t mean to play devil’s advocate here, but…”

“We have to remember that ___ is subjective…”

“I just want to speak to that comment that was made by…sorry, what was your name?”

“To go off of what you said previously…”

to Play In Your Tutorial!

Laura Siracusa | Contributor

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“l think we can all agree that…”

*refers to person who made a comment 8 comments ago*

“This might be “I just want to take a completely off-topic second to but…” acknowledge…”

Stranded • The Strand

Why I alone should be the next Brangelina Celeste Yim | Stranded Editor In Hollywood, not everyone can be rich, famous, or beautiful, or rich. Last week when Angelina Jolie, 41, filed for divorce from Brad Pitt, 52, everything seemed to change.

For the past twelve years—including and in Pitt’s words “only” two years of marriage—the industry has followed the light that human wads of cash Brangelina have shone forth.

Now, the world does not seem to make sense. It has been left in the dark, lost and unsure of where to go, cold and scared for the future. Who will Hollywood cast now in instant classics? In non-Oscar-nominated flicks? Who will H-town hire now as producers for the next installment of Kung Fu Panda?

For problematic stories about slavery? The industry is searching far and wide for someone—some couple—to fill the rift that Brangelina has unknowingly left behind. I believe that I alone, Celeste Yim, 20, am that couple. Sure, it might be strange to think that a small Korean recent-teenager such as myself could fill the enormous, custom-made Prada shoes of the beautiful, the white, the sickeningly rich Brangelina.

And please don’t get me wrong! I don’t want to be beautiful or white, I only want to be really, really, disgustingly rich.

You might be wondering why it is that I believe that I currently am and have always been the next in-line Brangelina, especially given the fact that no Asian woman has ever been part of an “it” celebrity couple, never mind being a singular replacement for a celebrity duo or even remotely close to a respected and known celebrity in Hollywood at all!

Ever since I was a little girl, (like at the end of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, but a girl and Asian) I knew I was different. I didn’t care about dolls, I turned my nose up at

wearing dresses, and I never fit in with the other kids. The only time I felt like I could really be myself, like I didn’t have to pretend, was when I was spending inordinate, almost illegal amounts of money.

In my opinion, Hollywood is cooked at the exact right temperature right now for totally unjustified and downright miraculous fame and fortune for marginalized minorities.

We have all, for example, simply ignored true reality by unanimously agreeing that Jared Leto is a hot and famous person instead of naming him for what he really is: a walking talking lemur with a ponytail, a human face, and giant lemur eyes. If a lemur can make it, then surely one single Asian woman with no marketable entertainment experience can make it in the city of Angels—and money.

Another pervasive myth I want to dispel among the Hollywood community is the classic saying: it takes two to create a portmanteau. I don’t need a man or a woman or a large, seemingly infinite sum of money to do that myself.

That is why, from now on, I will only respond to the name Celim! Moreover, I freaking love children! It actually just so happens that Brangelina’s truly tragic and remorseful split has come at the same time that I, a weak-bodied 20-year old student without a husband or any income whatsoever, am searching for six racially variant children of my own! Can you believe that? What a wild coincidence… And not only do I love children, I am also fit to be Maddow’s mother because I eat breakfast almost four times a week and I myself vary racially from white people in many ways! For instance, I am not white! This could be wonderful, financially stable

common ground for my many new children and I to stand on happily together in this season’s aforementioned Prada shoes.

Photo of Stranded Editor, Celeste Yim

On the subject of white people and their inability to integrate non-white people into their social standards: I could also be the new Brangelina of The Oscars! What a fiasco the Academy Awards have been for people who have been fighting their whole lives to be recognized by the institutions which represent them—and here I am of course referring to: the Oscar winners themselves. It has been so difficult for these hard-working people to have finally won the most prestigious award in their industry while also having to deal with the annoooooying outrages of those who have been oppressed and silenced in the film industry for all of history. White, successful people really should be able to be white and successful without all the pressures attached to being the faces of systemic racism. If I were the new Brangelina, I would alleviate white people from such an irritating burden by edging each and every single one of them out of the entertainment industry altogether. Imagine if in Mr. & Mrs. Smith instead of two white people running around a house shooting guns, there were zero white people and a nice Korean girl eating a bag of chips on the couch. Or how about if in Fight Club, Tyler Durden were not a white guy playing a white guy’s conscience, but instead he were a nice Korean girl eating chips on the couch. What about if in Wanted, the white characters and the plot were totally different and Wanted were never produced. Wanted is a terrible movie. Not to mention, it turns out that I have the exact same amount of Oscars as both Brad and Angelina combined! Brangelina? More like Zoscars! (Zero Oscars).

Samesies for Celim!

It must be so exhausting to churn out as many box office hits as Brad and to attend as many red carpet premieres as Angelina has had to for box office hits that Brad has churned out. I am prepared to take on those and as many emotional burdens as it takes to become the next Brangelina. And also the financial burden that it takes, too.

In conclusion, it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, but for Angelina, it’s a sister-devours-brother’s-face world. The bottom line is: Angelina made out with her brother at a public, glamourous event at which there were many cameras. Look it up! And I promise, as soon as I have that sweet, celebrity incest cash, my first course of action will be the thing about firing all the white people. And the second will be using my Brangelina Bucks to hire someone to play my brother (also creating the first Hollywood acting role for an Asian man ever) and we will make out until the cash cows come home to my mansion and two hundred new children. I am the only answer to the gaping hole that Brangelina has left in the hearts of civilians everywhere and, if you let me, I will stuff that hole as dutifully as Brad Pitt surely has each and every one of the nannies that has ever worked for Brangelina and my new, formerly Pitt-Jolie children.

Illustration| Lynn Hong

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Stranded • The Strand

Student wears blazer to class, immediately life on track Samantha Mazzilli | Contributor Andrew Nedzweski, 20, arrived at his second Aristotelian Philosophy lecture donning a dark-grey blazer over his red Bazinga! shirt, a brash move which he says he “just decided to pull” after stumbling upon the blazer at the back of his closet. “I’m in third year now,” says Nedzweski, “so I’ve really got to buckle down. And I just thought, what better way to show off my maturity than adding a blazer to my trademark jeans, shirt, and running shoes look?”

Upon leaving his house with this new statement piece, Nedzweski notes that his life immediately took a turn for the better. “It’s amazing!

It’s only 1 p.m., bright and early, and I’ve already been mistaken for a grad student twice.” Nedzweski’s classmates describe watching him create a LinkedIn profile during the lecture, enroll in a Duolingo online course in German, and send hundreds of emails with subject lines “Employment Enquiry” but no content.

Nedzweski is optimistic about where this simple outfit addition can lead. “The blazer has truly made all the difference. I’m about to run for president of the Political Science, Chemistry, and Cognitive Science student unions, and then maybe buy a suburban home!”

Students wonder what blazer-wearing student’s deal is Students in Aristotelian Philosophy lecture this week note odd behavior of student, Andrew Nedzweski—who appeared in class wearing a grey blazer atop his usual outfit. “I just didn’t see it coming,” an anonymous contributor notes, “I usually rely on his outfits for some form of stability in my life, and he has just thrown that all out the window.”

Dr. Alan Yatteau, the teacher of the course, states his enthusiasm: “It’s really like he’s come into his own skin. I saw those lapels and wanted to give him a research opportunity right there.”

Nedzweski’s peers are curious to see where this step towards maturity takes him, as well as what he will choose from his “Europe 2012” photo album as his LinkedIn background.

Illustrations| Lynn Hong

Professor Against Gender Pronouns and Trigger Warnings Traumatized By Backlash “I don’t recognize another person’s right to decide what words I’m going to use” Luca Bellisario & Celeste Yim | Contributor and Stranded Editor ST. GEORGE CAMPUS — A U of T Professor of Psychology has undergone immense backlash since Friday when he publicized his adamant reluctance to use non-binary gender pronouns via a visually bland YouTube video. On the use of non-binary gender pronouns, Dr. Jordan Peterson told the CBC, “I don’t recognize another person’s right to decide what words I’m going to use.”

A close friend of Dr. Fartspants Peterson, Sara McPoopy, said the professor is in turmoil following the backlash of tweets, articles, and letters from people defending their basic legal rights. “[Fartspants] can’t believe how unsettling the protests have been, and he welcomes them, but he just wishes they would call him by his real name and let him know before they’re coming. That way, he can at least prepare himself or choose to respectfully opt out of reading them,” said McPoopy.

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Fartsfessor Jordan Fartserson has welcomed anyone calling him a “bigot” to a public debate. This publication urges any willing opponent to recognize the Fartsfessor’s own stance. “The mere fact that [someone] would like to be addressed by a particular pronoun does not mean that I am required to address him [sic] by that pronoun,” said Chicky Chicky Fart Fart Peterson.

Please give Dr. Jordan Von Fartserson a heads up if you are going to protest his moral character or call him a mean name at @jordanbpeterson on Twitter or jordanbpeterson@yahoo.com