August 8, 2016

Vol. CXXXVII, No. 1 August 8, 2016 thevarsity.ca —— University of Toronto’s student newspaper since 1880

You’ve arrived.

Y

ARSIT THE V

FEATURE Dorm Decor: Class can get dull but these tips ensure that your room won’t be page 12

ARTS & CULTURE Brew’s Clues: A quick guide to becoming a beer snob page 17

SPORTS Sweat City: U of T offers endless opportunities to get active page 22

STUDENT HAND BOOK INSIDE! Find out who to know and where to go on al l three campuses

4.0 SMCSU under investigation for financial mismanagement

PROVINCIAL POLITICS

COLLEGES

Caps to expire at the same time province rolls out new student grant policy

Details withheld until investigation completed

Helena Najm & Emaan Thaver Varsity Contributors

Emily Johnpulle Varsity Contributor

Expiry on three per cent tuition hike cap looms

The province of Ontario implemented a policy in 2013 to cap year tuition hikes at three percent until 2017, the same year that recently announced tuition grants are set to take effect.

The Ontario Liberal government announced the Ontario Student Grant (OSG) in March of 2016. They claim that the new program will make tuition largely free for students who come from families with household incomes of $50,000 or less in 2017.

Ontario post-secondary institutions receive the lowest per-student grants and have the highest undergraduate university fees in the country.

The province faced criticism in 2013 from post-secondary institutions and student unions for decreasing the tuition hike cap from five per cent to three per cent per year. Opponents argued that the decrease in funds to schools was not coupled with an increase in provincial post-secondary investment to compensate for the schools’ funding deficits.

The Canadian Federation of

Students was disappointed in this decision because the three per cent rate was one per cent higher than the inflation rate at the time.

They asked for a tuition freeze and cut of 30 per cent over the following three years.

According to the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities’ 2013 Tuition Fee Framework Guidelines, while tuition fee increases for undergraduate Arts and Science programs were firmly capped at three per cent, undergraduate professional programs had a cap allowance of up to five per cent, with a university-wide imposed average of three per cent.

The hike cap was also inapplicable to international students’ tuition.

Tuition grants and the budget There was no mention of updating the hike rate in the 2016 Ontario budget. The upcoming tuition grant program for low-income students was planned as a response to the persistent gap in the likelihoods of attending college or university between people of lower income brackets and people of higher income brackets; it was

meant to increase enrollment for people who are underrepresented in higher education.

Ontario students from households with incomes of $30,000 have a 38 per cent chance of attending college or university, while students from households with incomes of $110,000 have a 63 per cent chance.

In Chapter V of the 2016 budget, the province proposed to discontinue tuition and education tax credits and reinvest that money in the renewed Ontario Student Grant or other education programs, stating that “grants are more effective than tax credits at targeting financial support to students with the greatest needs and providing support upfront.”

The budget shows that the OSG could cover the costs of tuition for low-income individuals up to $6,610; statistics demonstrate that the average tuition is closer to $8,000. This gap is likely due to the primary use of arts and science programs; it does not accurately represent the tuition cost of professional programs with deregulated tuition.

Tuition continued on page 5

After discovering shortcomings in financial management, the University of St. Michael’s College (SMC) is investigating St. Michael’s College Student Union (SMCSU).

The college is working with an independent auditor to look into the union’s financial records.

Stefan Slovak, Director of Communications, Events and Outreach at SMC, denied The Varsity’s request for comment as the investigation is still ongoing. Slovak referred The Varsity to SMC’s online statement, which partly reads: “In the course of our efforts to renew and improve campus life, we have discovered shortcomings in financial management at our student union (SMCSU)... This is an important effort as it relates to our core management values: transparency, accountability and adherence to best practices. The investigation is currently underway.

As soon as the results are conclusive, we will disclose our findings.”

SMCSU president Zachary Nixon also declined The Varsity’s request for an interview. SMCSU released a statement on Facebook, which says: “We’ve been working closely with the administration to make sure our financial reporting is improved and up to standard.

We share the University’s values of trans-

parency, accountability and adherence to best practices. As such, the student union is acting in full cooperation with the investigation. As soon as the results are determined, we are convinced they’ll be released to the public. Both we and the administration share the goal of fostering a fully alive and vibrant student body.”

Last year, the college withheld the fees that SMCSU collected from students through its levy. In February, SMC Dean of Students Duane Rendle told The Varsity in an email statement that the college withheld SMCSU’s funds twice — once for each semester — until it retained a chartered accountant for its audit and publicly announced its annual general meeting.

“Once these requirements were met in November and January respectively, SMCSU’s funds were immediately released,” explained Rendle.

The investigation began in mid-July; it is unclear when it will be completed.

SMCSU is not the only college student society to experience difficulty with financial management. Last October, The Varsity reported that U of T had withheld student fees from the New College Student Council (NCSC) for failing to file an audited report for the 2013–2014 finances on time.

The NCSC executive alleged there were instances of falsified information, destroyed documents, and misappropriated funds in the previous year.

2 d THE VARSITY

news@thevarsity.ca

Photo of the week

Vol. CXXXVII, No. 1 21 Sussex Avenue, Suite 306 Toronto, ON, M5S 1J6 416-946-7600 thevarsity.ca thevarsitynewspaper @TheVarsity the.varsity the.varsity The Varsity

MASTHEAD Alex McKeen Editor-in-Chief

editor@thevarsity.ca

Jacob Lorinc Managing Online Editor

online@thevarsity.ca

Jaren Kerr Managing Editor Mubashir Baweja Creative Director

managing@thevarsity.ca creative@thevarsity.ca

Ariel Gomes Senior Copy Editor

copy@thevarsity.ca

Tom Yun News Editor

news@thevarsity.ca

Teodora Pasca Comment Editor Rachel Chen Features Editor Lisa Power Arts & Culture Editor Shaan Bhambra Science Editor

comment@thevarsity.ca features@thevarsity.ca arts@thevarsity.ca science@thevarsity.ca

Sean Smith Sports Editor

sports@thevarsity.ca

Vanessa Wang Design Editor

design@thevarsity.ca

Nathan Chan Photo Editor

photo@thevarsity.ca

Elham Numan Illustration Editor

Pokémon Go lure party at Harbourfront.

NATHAN CHAN/THE VARSITY

illustration@thevarsity.ca video@thevarsity.ca

Shaq Hosein Video Editor Isaac Seah and Tony Lee Web Developers

web@thevarsity.ca

Vacant Associate Design Editor

Vacant Associate Comment Editor

Vacant Associate Photo Editor

Vacant Associate Features Editor

Vacant Associate Illustration Editor

Gabrielle Warren Associate A&C Editor

Vacant Associate Video Editor

Vacant Associate Science Editor

From the archives:

Vacant Vacant Associate Senior Copy Editor Associate Sports Editor Vacant Associate News Editor

Copy Editors Alexandra Grieve, Caroline Bocknek, Evan Maude, Jacob Lorinc, Natalie Marshall, Nathan Chan, Nidhi Kansara, Sean Smith Designers Joshua Ugiomoh, Kian Hosseinnia, Mahdi Chowdhury, Vasileia Al Akaila

BUSINESS OFFICE Cherlene Tay Business Manager

business@thevarsity.ca

Kary Cozens Business Associate

kary@thevarsity.ca

Yaakov Spivak Advertising Executive

yaakov@thevarsity.ca

The Varsity is the University of Toronto’s largest student newspaper, publishing since 1880. It is printed by Master Web Inc. on recycled newsprint stock. Content © 2016 by The Varsity. All rights reserved. Any editorial inquiries and/or letters should be directed to the sections associated with them; emails listed above. The Varsity reserves the right to edit all submissions.

Inquiries regarding ad sales can be made to ads@thevarsity.ca. ISSN: 0042-2789

Students line up to enroll in courses, 1969.

The Varsity, Vol. XC, No. 1

var.st/news d NEWS

AUGUST 8, 2016 u 3

CFS

CFS

UTGSU loses lawsuit against CFS

The Explainer: How to leave the CFS

Judge rules union must remain CFS member, criticizes CFS referendum policies

The process student unions undergo to decertify from the Canadian Federation of Students

The Canadian Federation of Students logo. VIA THE CFS-FCEE WEBSITE The UTGSU office, located at 16 Bancroft Avenue. BERNARDA GOSPIC/THE VARSITY

Tom Yun News Editor The legal dispute between the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (UTGSU) and the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) has come to a close, with Justice Liza Sheard ruling on July 6 that the UTGSU remains a member of the CFS. The CFS is an organization comprised of over 80 student unions from across Canada. Its membership includes the UTGSU, the union that represents graduate students at U of T from all campuses. The federation — as well as its provincial wing, CFS-Ontario — commenced legal proceedings against the UTGSU in December 2014, following the union’s referendum in November 2014 on whether or not to remain a member.

In accordance with the CFS bylaws, quorum for the referendum was set at 1606 votes — 10 per cent of the union’s membership. Sixty-six per cent of students who cast ballots in the referendum voted against continued membership with the CFS, however, the vote was seven short of reaching quorum.

Referendum issues The case was heard in February 2016. The UTGSU argued that Stephen Littley — the CFS-hired Chief Returning Officer (CRO) for the referendum — made decisions in an unreasonable manner and in a way that would have prevented a higher voter turnout, namely affecting aerospace students, students enrolled in online courses, and students studying abroad. The union submitted affidavits from eight students who say they were not able to vote but would have, if given the chance.

Littley did not a place polling station at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS), which had 180 graduate students and is physically removed from UTSG — approximately 30 minutes by car and 60 minutes by public transit. Littley’s tour of the campuses while scouting

for polling station locations did not include the Aerospace campus.

Joshua Newman, a UTGSU member who served on the union’s litigation committee, and Shu Zhang, a UTIAS student, sent requests to Littley for polling stations at UTIAS. In his response to Newman, Littley wrote that the polling stations were open nine hours a day for five days and were accessible by car or public transport.

Newman believed the travel time between UTIAS and UTSG was too far to be easily accessible. The union also presented evidence that one student could not leave the UTIAS laboratories during the hours that voting was open.

Littley defended the lack of polling stations at UTIAS during cross-examination. Littley believed that the voting hours on the other campuses were sufficiently long and the polling stations were accessible by public transit. He also cited the cost to hire another deputy returning officer at the campus and the low voter turnout of previous elections as reasons against implementing a polling station at UTIAS. The union also took issue with the CRO’s refusal to allow ballots to be sent in by mail. There were 290 graduate students enrolled in online courses and 190 students studying abroad. The UTGSU asserted that these students were not able to vote, given the rules.

The CFS bylaws only allow for referendums to be conducted using paper ballots. The bylaws do permit mail-out ballots; Littley rejected this option, as the university administration would not provide a list of student names and addresses for privacy reasons.

The ruling Justice Sheard rejected the UTGSU’s claims that Littley acted in bad faith by not allowing mail-out ballots: “There was no evidence at all of an intent on the part of the CRO to defraud or to seek unconscionable advantage.”

The judge agreed that without the names and addresses of UTGSU members, mail-out ballots would not have been possible. Sheard also did

not view Littley’s decision for polling station locations as an exercise in bad faith: “He did so and gave his reasons, albeit reasons with which the UTGSU disagrees.”

Sheard believed that Littley was acting in good faith in his capacity as the CRO by allowing for a total of 45 hours of voting — which is higher than the minimum 17 hours of voting that the CFS bylaws mandate — and did not fault him for trying to keep costs low.

The judge was critical of the lack of online voting, as restricted under the CFS bylaws, and called it “antiquated and impractical.”

“That is particularly true in the case of a large university like the University of Toronto, which has a number of geographically spread-out campuses,” explained Sheard. “It would be easy to envision any number of situations, different from those here, in it could be argued that the voting requirements prescribed by the Bylaws lead to hardship or unfairness to some students for whom voting would be difficult or even impossible.”

Sheard believed that it was not the court’s role to interfere with or infer the bylaws and the terms of the contractual relationship between the CFS and the UTGSU. It remains unclear how the parties involved in the case will agree upon the legal costs, which — as Sheard points out — will come out of student fees.

CFS Communications Coordinator Sarah McCue did not provide a response to The Varsity’s inquiries, nor did representatives of the UTGSU. The UTGSU’s executive assistant, Heidi Krieger, was travelling and unavailable to comment. Requests for comment sent to UTGSU fieldworker Gail Fernedes; Communications and Events Coordinator Michaelle StAmour; Academics and Funding Commissioners Andrea Constantinof and Brieanne Berry-Crossfield; External Commissioner Cristina Jaimungal; and Executive-at-Large Elizabeth Eng went unanswered.

Kaitlyn Simpson Varsity Contributor The CFS is an association of over 80 post-secondary student associations across Canada. The federation offers services such as the International Student Identity Card and free tax filing through UFile.ca, but much of the work focuses on activism and lobbying. Its membership includes the University of Toronto Students’ Union, the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union, the UTM Students’ Union, the Graduate Students’ Union (UTGSU), and the Association of Part-Time Undergraduate Students.

Should a student union attempt to leave the CFS, the process is as follows: 1. A petition to call for a vote on decertification must be signed by a minimum of 20 per cent of the members of an association and sent to the CFS’ National Executive via registered mail.

2. The National Executive will then review the petition and determine if it is in order. This decision would have to be made “within 90 days of receipt of the petition.”

3. If the petition is deemed to be in order, the National Executive will work alongside the member local association to schedule a referendum. The referendum cannot be held between April 15 and September 15 or between December 15 and January 15, and no more than two member local associations can have a decertification vote within a three month period.

4. The CFS’ National Executive will recommend an individual to take on the role of Chief Returning Officer (CRO) for the referendum vote.

The appointment of the CRO will then be ratified at a general meeting of the CFS. 5. A notice of the vote — which states the dates of the referendum and the referendum question – will be given to the member local association in “no less than two (2) weeks prior to the first day of voting.”

6. After campaigning during the CFS-specified campaigning period, a vote will be held under the CFS-set rules to determine whether or not they wish to continue with their membership. Only paper ballots are allowed and quorum is 10 per cent of the membership.

7. If the vote passes, the formal Procedure for Application for Withdrawal begins with the member local association giving the CFS a written letter to “notify the Federation of its intention to decertify from the Federation.”

8. Once again, within a 90-day period the National Executive will determine if the application is in order. If found to be in order, the National Executive will “make a recommendation to the voting members of the Federation concerning the decertification.”

9. During the CFS’ next general meeting, a vote will be held to ratify the member local association’s vote of desertion.

10. Lastly, on June 30, the decertification will be in effect – given that “all outstanding membership fees payable to such a date shall have then been received by the Federation.”

The decertification process is often accompanied by litigation as well, which was the case after the UTGSU attempted to leave the federation.

Student unions at McGill University, Concordia University, Simon Fraser University, University of Guelph, University of Victoria, and Cape Breton University have also been engaged in legal battles with the CFS.

4 d THE VARSITY d NEWS

news@thevarsity.ca

FEDERAL POLITICS

Federal government increases Canada Student Grants, makes changes to Repayment Assistance Plan Grants to increase 50 per cent for post-secondary students from lowand middle-income families Sophia Savva Varsity Contributor

VANESSA WANG/THE VARSITY

Paying for post-secondary education just became a little less stressful for students from low-income and middle-income families.

Employment and Social Development Canada announced on July 28 that Canada Student Grants (CSGs) will go up by 50 per cent, impacting over 350,000 students as of August 1. Starting this school year, full-time low-income students will receive $3,000 per year, an increase from $2000 per year; part-time low-income students can expect $1,800 per year instead of $1,200; and full-time middle-income students will be getting $1,200 in place of $800. Over the next five years, $1.53 billion in CSGs is expected to financially assist students.

The federal government also made changes to the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP); borrowers do not have to

repay their loans until they are annually making at least $25,000. This change will officially start on November 1.

“As a result of these new measures, post-secondary education will be more affordable, and students will be better positioned to transition into the workforce after graduation,” said MaryAnn Mihychuk, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, in a press release on the Government of Canada’s website.

Jasmine Wong Denike, President of the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU), praised these changes.

Last year, the UTSU became a founding member of ADVOCAN, a body of Canadian student organizations that lobbied the Federal Government to reform CSGs and Canada Student Loans, as well as RAP. “We’re very pleased to have been listened to,” said Denike.

Denike added that even the $3,000 for full-time low-income students

would not cover half of what U of T Arts & Science students pay per year.

Denike had a similar sentiment toward the RAP, saying that the changes were good, but that $25, 000 per year isn’t a lot of money. “The rate at which you need to pay off your debt should be tied to your annual income. Someone earning $50,000 shouldn’t need to pay back as much per year as someone earning $100,000,” said Denike.

For the 2017–2018 year, more financial assistance may become available to students through a proposed “flat-rate student contribution,” in which students annually pay a “flat amount” toward their post-secondary education, instead of having their eligibility for Canada Student Loans and Grants decided by their income and financial assets during the school year.

CITY COUNCIL

Victoria University avoids millions of dollars in property taxes, City of Toronto staff report says City proposes amendments to Victoria University Act Cathy Li & Tom Yun Varsity Contributor & News Editor Victoria University could be liable to pay millions of dollars in property taxes.

A staff report issued from the City of Toronto Solicitor and Treasurer estimates that Victoria University has avoided $12,213,171 in property taxes on its 131 Bloor Street West property since 2009 and $2,715,409 on its other properties since 2013 due to an oversight in the Victoria University Act. Victoria University leases out the land on which several commercial buildings are located, including: 131 Bloor Street West, an office building with retail space, to Revenue Properties Company Limited; 151 Bloor Street West, another office building with retail space, to GE Canada Real Estate Equity Holding Company; and 110 Charles Street West, a condominium building, to McKinsey & Company. The institution also owns the land to the condominium at 8 St. Thomas Street, which is under construction by Kingsett Capital.

Revenue Properties and GE Canada have appealed the value assessments, which were completed by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC). The city is waiting on a settlement proposal between Revenue Properties and MPAC; they have put the assessment appeal of 151 Bloor Street West on hold.

Most universities are exempt from property taxes, only if the properties are occupied by the university and used for educational purposes. Such provisions exist in the OCAD University Act, the Ryerson University Act, and the York University Act, but not for the University of Toronto Act or the Victoria University Act. Victoria University and the University of Toronto are not mandated to pay property taxes on leased properties; the University of Toronto does so on a voluntary basis.

“The financial unfairness to the City and to the other public universities in Toronto from Victoria University’s broad tax exemption is stark and should be fixed,” read a portion of the report.

131 Bloor Street, which is leased to Revenue Properties Company Ltd. RUESHIN AKSOY/THE VARSITY

The City Solicitor and Treasurer advised City Council to request the provincial government to amend the Victoria College Act to be the same property tax legislation as other public Ontario universities.

After an amendment to the recommendations by Ward 27 Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam during the June 7 City Council meeting, City Council voted to request a meeting between Victoria

University representatives and the City Treasurer before making a decision.

Wong-Tam, who represents the ward in which Victoria University is located, told The Varsity that Victoria University president William Robins came to her and requested a deferral.

“They had just found out about the item on the agenda and they needed to have enough time to consult with the professional advisors to have a full un-

derstanding of the impact of the content of the report,” she said. “I said that would be fine. It’s not an unreasonable request.”

The City Treasurer is expected to report back on the results of the meeting to the Government Management Committee’s November 14 meeting.

Jennifer Little, Marketing and Communications Manager at Victoria University declined The Varsity’s request for comment.

AUGUST 8, 2016 u 5

var.st/news UTSU

UTSU to seek new levy dedicated to clubs funding Levy requires approval from members in a referendum The UTSU office; the referendum is scheduled to be held in the fall. CAROLYN LEVETT/THE VARSITY

Sheridan Cunningham Varsity Contributor The University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) has announced plans to pursue a new levy to fund student clubs, services, and events. The proposal will be put to a vote in a fall referendum, where the student body will decide whether or not to accept it.

Unlike UTSU membership fees, the money generated by the levy would be restricted to uses that directly impact students. The referendum question will also include the specific restriction that it cannot be used on the salaries of UTSU executives.

According to UTSU Vice-President Internal & Services Mathias Memmel, the main motivation behind the levy is to increase the funding available to clubs.

“While our pool of clubs funding increased last year and has again increased this year by $15,000, these increases really only cover funding for newly-established and newlyrecognized clubs. As a result, longestablished and deserving clubs receive nominal increases.” Memmel told The Varsity.

Memmel also citied a desire to restore the funding cap for the level three clubs, which are generally larger clubs, back to $20,000. The deci-

sion to cap funding for these clubs at $15,000 was made by former Vicepresident Campus Life ZiJian Yang and took effect in the 2015–2016 year.

The UTSU has not decided on an exact figure for the levy; however, Memmel wrote in his executive report that he hopes to “more than double” the funding available to clubs.

The report also emphasized the importance of reaching out to club leaders, calling their support crucial to the success of the referendum.

The subject of clubs funding became contentious during last spring’s elections, when the 1UofT slate’s presidential candidate, Madina Siddiqui — who proposed creating a levy to in-

crease the amount of available funding — claimed that the UTSU decreased clubs funding. She referenced to the union’s decision to decrease the funding cap for level three clubs.

Memmel said that he is sympathetic to those who argue that the UTSU spends too much of its budget on items like executive salaries, which is why the levy is explicitly restricted. “Basically, we’re offering a clear, enforceable guarantee that any new money will actually be spent on students,” he explained.

The main goal of the levy is to increase clubs funding; the restrictions also allow it to be spent on events for students and services provided to

students. As of yet, no guidelines for how much of the levy will be spent on clubs have been announced. By the time the levy is up for renewal in five years, it may be allocated to very different projects.

If passed, the prospective levy would only be paid by members at UTSG, and not UTM. In order for the referendum to pass, at least five per cent of UTSG students must respond, and a simple majority of them must vote ‘yes’ in order for the levy to be approved.

Recent referendums at the UTSU have included questions on a fall reading week and funding for LGBTOUT.

Tuition continued from cover

The Ontario Legislative building, located at Queen’s Park. SUMAYYAH AJEM/THE VARSITY

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne has commented on the language used by the government to describe the tuition program, stating that the shortfall could be made up through a summer job and the language will likely evolve to reflect the true proportion of financial aid actually dispensed to students with household incomes of less than $50,000. Meanwhile, students await an answer as to what will happen to tuition fee hikes when the cap is lifted.

Other provinces Earlier this year, New Brunswick rolled out a similar grant-based plan, where students from families earning less than $60,000 a year are expected to receive substantial bursaries covering the cost of their tuition fees. Students attending publicly-funded post-secondary institutions in the province will be offered the “upfront, non-repayable assistance” through the Tuition Access Bursary starting in the 2016–2017 school year.

The policy evoked criticism for reportedly al-

lotting the new Tuition Access Bursary a lower funding total than its preceding financial assistance program for students.

Similar concerns in British Columbia followed the government’s announcement of a two per cent tuition cap policy in March of this year, when some post-secondary institutions in the province were accused of raising mandatory fees in order to account for the cap on tuition increases.

Tuition fees across all provinces as a whole are on the rise, according to a report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. The

report states that “average tuition and other fees for Canadian undergraduates have tripled between 1993–94 and 2015–16, ranging from an increase of 35% in Newfoundland and Labrador to 248% in Ontario.”

Tuition accounts for nearly half of university revenue in Ontario. Provincial budgets have continuously cut investments in post-secondary institutions while imposing tuition hike restrictions. This has been known to put pressure on schools, which can result in large class sizes and reduced numbers of full-time faculty.

6 d THE VARSITY d NEWS

news@thevarsity.ca

CITY COUNCIL

Toronto City Council moves forward with Scarborough transit plans SCSU, UTSC admin supportive of decision Sheppard East Stn

Emaan Thaver Varsity Contributor

Seven-stop LRT plan

One-stop subway plan

Scarborough Town Centre

Kennedy Stn

, Vasileia Al Akaila,

Kennedy Stn

UTSC

ve

ni ity rs t es

W ill w La ce

n re ay w

lo

al

G

d

oo w ld

ui

D

l Fa

n

St

O

G

dy

nd

la

id

ne

d oo n w to ld b gs ui lu in G /K fC ol ton G lin Eg m a O kh G ar n M to on lin as /Eg M y m lla Be an ow cC M h rt fo an h t ou m

G e/

st

le

Ce

Eglinton East LRT M

Council also voted in favour of appointing third-party transit construction and cost-estimation experts to weigh in on the overall process.

Motions passed at the meeting included requests to consider additional transit projects, including extending the Sheppard Line to Scarborough and the Bloor-Danforth Line to Sherway Gardens.

H

The future

n Ke

Several city councillors opposed Mayor John Tory’s subway-centric approach, instead opting for the sevenstop LRT plan.

Ward 22 Councillor Josh Matlow brought forward a motion to replace the one-stop subway with the sevenstop LRT plan. The cost estimates for this proposal were similar to those of the one-stop subway.

The seven-stop LRT had a funding commitment for $1.5 billion from the province in 2010. The initial project was replaced by former Mayor Rob Ford’s three-stop subway strategy; those plans

Sitharsana Srithas, Vice-President External of the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU), called the vote in favor of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT a “massive victory for both Scarborough residents and UTSC students.”

“The Eglinton East LRT will be immensely valuable in connecting UTSC to the rest of the city. As a student, I can see this expansion allowing students to now have better access and more opportunities to take courses at the downtown campus,” Srithas said. “I hope the City stays committed to the Eglinton East LRT.” Srithas also mentioned that in 2010, UTSC students voted in favour of a levy to contribute to the construction of the

Scarborough Town Centre

U

Subway vs. LRT

Reaction from UTSC

Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre in the hopes of prompting rapid transit construction to UTSC. Srithas continued, “As both a student representative and as a student of UTSC, I don’t want another cohorts of students to lose out on rapid transit in Scarborough because of the failure of the City to act on its promises.”

UTSC Vice-President and Principal Bruce Kidd also praised the decision. In a blog post, he wrote: “The decision this week by Toronto City Council to move ahead with the subway between Kennedy Station and Scarborough Town Centre and to extend the Eglinton LRT is great news. We at U of T Scarborough are very excited about the benefits this will bring to our campus, to the Scarborough community, and to Torontonians across the city.”

Kidd, in conjunction with four other Scarborough community leaders, penned an open letter ahead of the council meeting, urging councillors to move forward with the transit plans.

e Am er n e Pa tr sm o en le nt C El ro ts To por S

On July 13, Toronto City Council arrived at a verdict regarding recent transit proposals. It voted to move ahead with the one-stop extension of the Bloor-Danforth line from Kennedy Station to Scarborough Town Centre, and the 17-stop Eglinton East Crosstown LRT to UTSC; it rejected the seven-stop LRT from Kennedy Station to Sheppard Avenue.

This decision concludes debates concerning the finances and the practicality of the differing potential systems.

Recent estimates show that the city is short on funding to build the $3.1 billion one-stop subway and the $1.7 billion Eglinton East Crosstown LRT, which have both undergone rising anticipated construction costs.

were modified again this year by Mayor Tory’s one-stop subway proposal.

At the council meeting, Matlow committed to “providing transit to as many people as possible in Scarborough and across the city.” He believed the sevenstop LRT, coupled with the Eglinton East Crosstown would “provide more service to more people and use dollars more wisely.”

Matlow told reporters during the meeting that his proposed seven-stop LRT would give Scarborough residents easier access to “virtually every major institution” in the district, including Centennial College, the Civic Centre, and UTSC. Matlow’s seven-stop LRT motion was defeated with 16 votes in favour and 27 against.

VANESSA WANG/THE VARSITY

PARKING

More than 30,000 parking tickets worth over $1.4 million issued at UTSG, UTSC in 2015 City of Toronto’s Open Data project reveals ticket locations Cars parked on St. George Street. NATHAN CHAN/THE VARSITY

Olivia Chen Varsity Contributor Using publicly available data, The Varsity has compiled statistics on all parking tickets issued at UTSG and UTSC. The City of Toronto issued over 2 million parking tickets in 2015.

Among these, 27,631 tickets worth almost $1.3 million in fines were issued at UTSG. The hotspots for parking tickets issued at UTSG were on St. George Street, King’s College Circle, Devonshire Place, and Hart House Circle.

There were 3,069 tickets issued on St. George Street, with 277 outside of Sidney Smith Hall, 266 outside of Lash Miller Chemical Laboratories, and 626 in the Robarts Library and Innis College area. Combined, the fines on St. George Street amounted to about $157,860.

Parking tickets were issued 1,194 times at King’s College Circle, totalling $35,790 in fines. Another 415 parking infractions were recorded on King’s College Road, which connects to King’s College Circle. In addition, Hart House Circle saw a total of 867 parking tickets, with fines amounting to $26,860.

In addition, there were more tickets issued in front of 15 Devonshire Place, the location of Trinity College’s Gerald Larkin Building, than any other address at UTSG. A total of $39,850 worth of fines were issued there.

At UTSC, the city issued a total of 3,584 tickets, which amounted to $118,730 in fines. The address 1265 Military Trail was also the seventh most ticketed address in all of Toronto, with 2,530 tickets totalling $85,920.

The data on fines reflects the amount initially issued; fines issued may subsequently increase if the driver fails to pay on time, or

decrease if the ticket is successfully challenged in court.

The parking data release is part of the city of Toronto’s Open Data Program, and its purpose is to “make data routinely available in machine readable format for any public use.”

The catalogue includes data on parking tickets issued at UTSG and UTSC, but not for UTM, because it is outside the City of Toronto. Although parking enforcement on campus is handled by campus police, it is the City of Toronto that collects the fines. The university’s Transportation Services has no authority to rescind parking tickets,

since they are issued in accordance with the city’s bylaw regulations.

Parking permits are available for purchase by students and faculty members, while occasional visitors can purchase miscellaneous permits or use Pay & Display parking.

Permits are available for purchase in either monthly, four-month, eightmonth, or 12-month packages.

Parking control officers administer routine surveillance of UTSG at all hours, every day. Parking tickets may be issued to vehicles not displaying either a permit or a Pay & Display receipt.

AUGUST 8, 2016 u 7

var.st/news TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

U of T Truth and Reconciliation steering committee releases interim report No formal recommendations made yet on how to implement “Calls to Action” Aidan Currie Varsity Contributor The Steering Committee for the U of T Response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada released its interim report on July 7.

The report states the primary work of the Committee is to “make recommendations regarding how the University community can implement the TRC Calls to Action, in alignment with the University of Toronto’s mandate and mission.”

No formal recommendations have been made yet; the report describes the committee’s work thus far, including the creation of working groups and “Indigenous-themed programs and initiatives across the University of Toronto.” These university-wide initiatives include scholarships, bursaries, and awards specifically given to Indigenous students, and bolstering the Transitional Year Programme, which aids Indigenous students in gaining access to resources at the university.

The report includes an analysis of each faculty of the university. It outlines the resources and initiatives offered in relation to Indigenous presence and understanding, specifi-

cally in the areas of recruitment and admissions, curriculum, and community outreach.

In January, the committee was tasked to deliver recommendations on how to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action. The committee’s mandate includes reviewing how to build a stronger Indigenous presence on all three campuses. This can be accomplished through: further admission of Indigenous students and the provision of aid for those students; the active hiring of more Indigenous employees, staff, and faculty; or the inclusion of Indigenous content in all university programs and the “enhancement of existing Indigenous-focused courses and academic programs.”

The committee’s final report is expected to provide a more specific outline of the university’s mandate in working with Indigenous partners — such as First Nations House and the Indigenous Studies program — to ensure the university does its part in implementing recommendations that reflect the intention of the Truth and Reconciliation commission’s final report.

Borden Building North, home to First Nations House. IRIS ROBIN/THE VARSITY

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program suspended for international master’s and PhD students Program change could affect thousands of international graduates

1.8 per cent of immigration to Canada comes frm OINP. WYATT CLOUGH/THE VARSITY

Cathlin Sullivan Varsity Staff Ontario is pausing the Provincial Nominee Program that allows international graduate students to gain Permanent Residency (PR) upon completion of their degrees.

“As a result of changes Ontario has made to more closely align the streams of the program with the needs of its labour market, the province has already received

the sufficient number of [Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)] applications to meet its 2016 federal allocation,” read a message on the OINP website.

“This is further proof that Ontario remains a very sought after destination for highly-skilled workers.”

The change took effect on May 9, 2016; any applications received after 5:00 pm that day will not be considered.

A total of 1.8 per cent of immigra-

tion to Canada comes from OINP. “A lot of the people who come here to study might not have the intention of staying, but eventually they do because they form connections, they find job opportunities, and it would be frustrating if you work here long enough, but there’s not the possibility to legally stay,” said Libby Vervain, international first-year master’s of education student at OISE. International students tend to experience more difficulty in quali-

fying for other streams of immigration, such as the Express Entry system that the Harper government implemented in 2014. Under Express Entry, international students are added to a larger pool of applicants and judged on work experience that does not include jobs they held while in school.

Federal Immigration Minister John McCallum has spoken repeatedly about the importance of keeping international students in Canada and creating more pathways to citizenship for international students. He acknowledged that through the implementation of Express Entry, international students are having a harder time transitioning to PR. Sara*, an international student from Peru commented on the university’s lack of notification about the program change: “The university is really fond of bringing international students for their fees, so at least they can give back some information, especially regarding status and immigration info in Canada because as internationals we rely on the university to have official information. It really sucks that you have

to hear about this news in the papers, for example.”

Vervain believes it is the responsibility of the university to control the number of international students it admits, depending on immigration regulations in Ontario at the time.

“Whether it’s their intention or not to stay, it’s important for them to have the option,” Vervain explained.

“If this was a private institution, okay, maybe I get it, you are only seeking us for the money. But this is a public institution, so they do have responsibilities for everybody who is here,” said Sara.

Upon completing an academic program in Canada that is longer than 8 months, students are able to apply for an open work permit valid for the duration of their studies, up to a maximum of three years. International students may apply for this permit once throughout their academic career.

In November 2016, OINP is expected to make an announcement regarding their plan for 2017. *Name changed at individual’s request.

Comment

August 8, 2016 var.st/comment comment@thevarsity.ca

Explore responsibly For students still contemplating their programs of study, staying flexible and informed is key Perlyn Cooper Varsity Staff For first-year students and returning students alike, many are plagued by the recurring question, “What’s your major?” The answer to it can become the thing that defines you in the eyes of the asker. So when one discloses this information, they cannot help but scrutinize the face of the listener, wondering whether they are impressed, proud, or puzzled by your prospective career opportunities.

As a child, I frequently harped on about wanting to major in medicine.

My aspirations eventually changed to majoring in Psychology, after which it changed to Economics and English just before filling out university applications.

Now, a year into my university education, it's become English and Philosophy.

As the pondering looks continue, I have come to realize that there are ups and downs to being decided and undecided. When it comes to majors, it is best that students adopt a balanced perspective. By exploring their options, while staying grounded, students can ensure they make a wellrounded choice.

Having a sense of direction and purpose is very important in university; a clear path idea of your destination guides you and gives you the confidence, focus, determination, and resilience required to face challenges and succeed. Admittedly, this purpose often comes from having de-

ELHAM NUMAN/THE VARSITY

cided on what program and career to pursue, which serves as the ignition to want to work hard, attain high grades, and explore clubs, internships, or volunteering opportunities in your chosen field.

For many people, not yet having made such a decision can result in a feeling of purposelessness, which only worsens as family, friends, teachers, and acquaintances continue to ask what program and career you are planning to pursue.

Consequently, the worries of students who are not confident in what they are aiming for can negatively impact their self-esteem and their study and social habits. This can be particularly difficult for first-year students struggling to transition.

However, according to The Mentor, an academic advising journal by Penn State University, about 20 to 50 per cent of students enter college as "undecided," while "an estimated

75 per cent change their major at least once before graduation." Considering how common this is, it may well be that a lack of sufficient exploration of program and career options results in a narrow sense of purpose.

University, with its diverse and vast range of courses, offers you that opportunity; this especially applies to subjects that are normally not taught at the high school level, such as Political Science, Anthropology, and Theology.

During my orientation week, I remember attending an eloquent speech by a professor who mentioned that the first step to deciding your future was discovering your interests, followed by identifying how you could put those interests to use in order to fill a need in the world.

Being undecided on your major means that you can explore courses and clubs to figure out what interests you, what you have an aptitude for,

and what fits you best. This means that you will likely gain a better knowledge of your options than students who have already decided on their program.

It is also important to consider that not all decided students necessarily base their program or career decision on well-informed research and self-reflection. In a College Student Journal survey, over 800 students were asked to elaborate on their decision-making process. The factors they named included a general interest in the subject, influences from family or peers, and potential characteristics of prospective jobs associated with the major.

Universities attempt to play a significant role in encouraging students to explore their areas of interest through electives and breadth requirements.

Another positive step implemented by

Majors continued on page 10

Embracing division When it comes to orientations across campus, rivalry is not necessarily a bad thing Avneet Sharma Varsity Contributor

No need to take orientation so seriously. NATHAN CHAN/THE VARSITY

Perhaps the most significant difference between orientation week at U of T and most other Canadian universities is the lack of campus solidarity. While most universities may opt for a cohesive campus-wide orientation, U of T’s orientation week is divided among its many constituent colleges and faculties; this creates multiple orientation committees that manage events, information sessions, and activities for a smaller, more focused number of incoming students.

One of the goals of orientation week is to hone school spirit among incoming students, but the result of divided orientation is that students are exposed to college or faculty pride, as opposed to ‘U of T’ pride.

This is reinforced by a parade at the end of the week that facilitates college rivalry but does not celebrate the university as a whole.

Divided spirits during orientation week are often frowned upon. For instance, there have been efforts underway to get rid of all negative cheers, in the spirit of a more united U of T ori-

entation week. Despite negative impressions of rivalries, they might not be that harmful. In come cases, rivalry may strengthen spirits, as opposed to dampening them.

The issue at hand is to not allow cheers that are racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, classist, ableist, or discriminatory in any manner.

These should be banned and discouraged during orientation week, as they alienate many students, even within their own colleges. However, more innocent rivalry is acceptable and may be a feasible way to facilitate school spirit.

When discussing campus solidarity, it is crucial to acknowledge that U of T is divided in nature. There is no such thing as a cohesive U of T experience, due to the separate cultures created by the constituent college and faculty system. Each has its own individual history, traditions, and niches. U of T is a diverse union of numerous separate communities.

Additionally, U of T’s divisions are a function of its size and location.

With approximately 43,400 undergraduate students at UTSG alone, it can be difficult for a U of T student to feel as if they are a significant part of the school and campus community.

Perhaps U of T students feel as if they are merely one in a number — a small fish in a large pool.

Furthering U of T’s large-pool effect is its location in the heart of Toronto. Compared to many college towns such as Kingston and London, Toronto has a more energetic and lively feel, which can cause discomfort for students who are not familiar with large metropolitan areas.

The constituent college and faculty system helps manage communities and services for all U of T students on a much smaller scale. They offer more close-knit communities, with more tangible opportunities to get involved. Essentially, they operate as small bases within the large, sprawling university. Consequently, it is easier to achieve pride within a college or faculty, rather than campus pride in general.

Spirit continued on page 10

10 d THE VARSITY d COMMENT

comment@thevarsity.ca

The cup's half full 'Harm reduction' can effectively promote responsible drinking on campus

Drinking happens, but its dangers don't have to. CC FLICKR/ARVIND GROVER

Adina Heisler Varsity Contributor A few weeks into my first year, a friend texted me early one morning saying she needed help. She had a lot to drink the night before and was incredibly hungover. She exhibited all the classic hangover signs — a terrible headache, nausea, and vomiting — but to the extreme.

Consequently, I did something that I would have never thought to do even just a few weeks prior: I told an authority figure, the don of our residence. Fortunately, he responded only with reassurance; neither of us had to worry about facing disciplinary consequences, and we were assured that he would take care of her. Thankfully, it was just a bad hangover and she was back to normal within a day or two.

Drinking during orientation can be a problem under many circumstances.

Most first-year students enter university underage, and many have not had much experience with alcohol; consequently, they are probably unsure of how to proceed safely. Considering all of the potential harmful side effects of drinking, a bad hangover is the least of those worries.

In order to address this, each of the colleges adopts a different approach to alcohol and orientation.

Melinda Scott, University College’s Dean of Students, explained in December: “There are some [students] who will choose to consume alcohol

regardless of their age. For this reason, we try to balance sanctions for underage drinking with education about the responsible use of alcohol.”

During my orientation at University College (UC), our frosh leaders explained the college’s harm-reduction policy. 'Harm reduction' is a strategy created to reduce the harmful consequences that result from certain behaviours, as opposed to abolishing the behaviours. Rather than promoting total abstinence from risky behaviours, such as alcohol or sex, harm reduction focuses on safe practices of those behaviours.

This meant that, for instance, the dons at UC residences had free condoms available outside their doors.

And as I learned, it also meant that if anyone had drunk too much, gotten sick, and passed out, we would be able to tell someone, get help, and not worry about getting in trouble. This attitude was consistently emphasized throughout orientation week and beyond — it allowed me to get my friend help without repercussions.

According to the websites for orientation weeks at Trinity College, Woodsworth College, and UTM, students who do not like to party are highly encouraged to come and experience a week full of diverse events intended to include everyone.

Non-alcoholic alternative events are offered alongside most of the alcoholic events hosted by Trinity, Woodsworth, and UTM.

Then there are cases, such as New College and Innis College, that host dry orientations with no drinking allowed at events. Nevertheless, even in completely dry orientation weeks, gaining access to alcohol as an underage student can be as easy as walking into a fraternity party or hiding from security at a club night.

The idea of completely eradicating alcohol use during orientation is ultimately pointless. The real question should be how can it be made safer.

Though a full blanket ban on alcohol may make some participants more comfortable, leaders can be far more effective in preventing dangerous situations than preventing drinking altogether.

In order to effectively target problem drinking on campus, more colleges, faculties, and organizations should consider adopting a harm reduction strategy. The provision of education, safe events, and trustworthy leaders is crucial to ensuring that students who do choose to drink are safe. This is what harm reduction embodies, and such an approach prevents the most dangerous consequences of risky behaviours from occurring. Ultimately, this makes orientation week all the more enjoyable for all who participate, red cups notwithstanding.

Adina Heisler is a second-year student at University College studying Women and Gender Studies, and English.

Spirit continued from page 8 Another important function of orientation week is that it is meant to be a fun and engaging experience for incoming students. One of the factors in its enjoyment is learning and chanting all of the cheers — this especially applies to the ones that facilitate rivalry between colleges and faculties.

The spirit of competition is what keeps school pride alive. Playful cheers and light-hearted insults can be fun and engaging for the community, which immerses incoming students in the feel and environment of their own respective college or faculty.

Though some may feel that insults are inherently exclusionary, their humour and playfulness set the tone of the unique relationships between the colleges, akin to those of siblings who constantly tease each other.

In my own experience, attending orientation at Trinity College and putting on the Trinity ‘persona’ — being arrogant, entitled, and selfrighteous, while yelling at other colleges — made me feel more like a part of that community.

For me, rivalry was crucial to adopting Trinity College’s identity, and maybe that isn’t a bad thing.

While I say that I had more spirit and pride for being part of Trinity College during orientation week, that doesn’t mean that I don’t have any U of T spirit. Rather, I have U

of T spirit as an extension of having Trinity College spirit.

Moreover, U of T spirit takes longer to achieve; feeling part of U of T is a slow burn that is realized only when students are given the opportunity to experience the university in an organic manner, such as attending other colleges’ events, joining and participating in U of T-wide organizations, and spending hours trying to find a good study spot in Robarts during exam season.

Despite the fact that rivalry between colleges and faculties tend to dissipate after orientation week, the bond that is built between students and their respective community remains. Some of the most interesting conversations I’ve had with other U of T students are discussions about their own college experiences. These experiences come alongside taking part in the various campus cultures that exist at the university.

The question isn’t whether we are choosing between college rivalry and campus solidarity. Rather, college rivalry and its resulting experiences contribute to the campus overall.

We should embrace the fact that one campus can offer many distinct experiences. Sometimes, that means it’s necessary to throw a little shade.

Avneet Sharma is a second-year student at Trinity College studying Book and Media Studies, and English.

Majors continued from page 8 some universities, such as the University of Victoria, is to move away from the less-savoury label of 'undecided' to 'exploratory', one that encourages students to delve into unfamiliar disciplines and unearth their passions.

There are also risks associated with remaining undecided for too long.

Taking the time to explore courses, if done excessively, may impede a student’s ability to fulfill minimum course, grade, and breadth requirements for specific programs. Knowing early on in your undergraduate experience which program to pursue means these requirements can be targeted and met sooner.

In contrast, deciding on a program later might mean having to take up summer courses or even doing an extra year of studying, which can lead to a loss of time, money, and potential alternative opportunities, such as internships, jobs, or travel.

Another risk of remaining undecided for too long is the possibility of students becoming persuaded into pursuing an ill-fitting program due to more flexible minimum requirements or after completing an elective that happened to be enjoyable in university, even though that discipline is a bad fit overall.

Also, it is important to consider that some majors, such as Engineering, have a curriculum with a very strict sequence of courses, which means that it is easier to switch out of such a major than it is to transfer to it.

For these reasons, students should explore their options, but do so with caution.

Early planning, when possible, is ideal. For instance, students can gain experience and exposure in a prospective program and career by volunteering, interning, and researching. Sound self-reflection, as well as the creation of a back-up plan in case an anticipated program of study does not work out, are also good strategies to adopt.

Ultimately, a better-informed decision, irrespective of the path taken to reach that decision, will lead to greater academic, social, professional, and personal success, as well as more fulfilling engagement in the university experience.

Perlyn Cooper is a second-year student at Victoria College studying English and Philosophy.

AUGUST 8, 2016 u 9

var.st/comment

U of T, a work-in-progress

Contributors reflect on areas for improvement at the university Scheduling nightmares Though the horrors of course selection are now safely behind us, U of T must improve on its system of course enrollment in the years to come. Our current system unfairly advantages those in upper years of study. It may be that enrollment must be staggered for reasons as practical as avoiding a system crash, but the impact of priority enrollment is disproportionate.

It’s not uncommon to hear stories of students who are unable to enroll in courses required for their program of study (POSt), simply because of the priority afforded to upper-year students in course selection. It is nonsensical that upper years are able to gain access to first-year courses, weeks before first year students themselves. In effect, it removes the meaning of designating courses as “100-level.”

A complete overhaul of the course selection system may not be necessary, but U of T must attempt to relieve some of its effects, including limited course availability. Usually, when a product is in high demand, shortages occur. U of T attempts to avoid the problem of shortages by either overcrowding classes or severely limiting the space available, both of which are to the detriment of students.

Students should not have to worry about being able to enroll in courses that are required of them by the university’s rules. If U of T insists on making such rules, it may be time to bend them.

Reut Cohen is a second-year student at Trinity College studying International Relations.

For many of us, recalling our first days at the university can be quite an uncanny experience. I remember craning my neck to look up at the King’s College Circle arch for the first time and feeling as if there wasn't a more perfect place in the world for me to pursue my education.

It is only over time that the cracks in the 'perfect' mould become more evident. After having experienced both the ups and the downs that the university has to offer, we come to appreciate its successes while nevertheless acknowledging the fact that it is far from flawless.

In these spirits, I’ve asked four contributors to weigh in on the areas at the university that are in the most dire need of fixing.

Teodora Pasca Comment Editor

A one-dimensional education Given that U of T is one of the top higher-education institutions in Canada, I was somewhat taken aback by the lack of variety in courses in my first year.

The Eurocentric nature of the humanities and social sciences courses offered to students is a problem that is immediately evident in course listings across disciplines.

In Political Science or History, for example, the majority of the courses offered focus on Europe or North America from a European perspective. This is understandable, given that both continents have made a significant contribution to international affairs, but there are only so many different angles from which a student can analyze the fall of Napoleon Bonaparte.

There are countless English courses at U of T dedicated to European and North American authors — the department even reserves a full-year course for Chaucer enthusiasts — but the university reduces the works of the entire African continent into a single half-year African Lit course. The Literary Tradition course, an introductory English class, is dominated by European writers, despite claiming to be an “introduction to major authors, ideas, and texts.” Last year, the few non-European or North American texts included in the course were the Qur’an and Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.

Throwing in a book by a Nigerian author in an otherwise Western-dominated English course or speaking briefly about the Haitian Revolution in a course on French history is not enough. It is unfair not only to the students who do not see works from their cultures represented in their education, but to all students who desire a well-rounded education. Works by non-Western academics and cultures provide the exposure to different modes of thought that is very useful in dispelling racist notions placed on non-Western cultures by Western society.

The university should be making an effort to hire academics who teach diverse topics, and professors teaching overview and introductory courses should strive to live up to those categories.

Barriers to mental health support While some may find U of T provides an atmosphere that enables them to reach their full potential, others will face several difficulties and may need support. The U of T administration, faculty, and staff must continue to honour their commitment to student mental health, as reflected in the Report of the Provostial Advisory Committee on Student Mental Health, released in 2014.

In regards to progress of mental health issues, initiatives to implement mental health education for staff and faculty and assessments of the effectiveness of existing treatment programs are an excellent start. However, it is necessary for the administration to do more by implementing a communication strategy in collaboration with colleges and professional faculties. Effective promotion of mental health resources would ensure that incoming students are informed of programs and services available, and that they are also taught how and when to access them.

Although some colleges and faculties, as well as orientation committees, have introduced programs that highlight the mental health resources available to incoming students during orientation week, not all students partake in orientation. As a result, not all students are adequately connected to mental health resources at the time they arrive at U of T. A communication strategy could take the form of year-round programming that seeks to educate students, as well as the distribution of educational material through print and electronic media. Raising continuous awareness ensures that students gain access to the resources available and increases the likelihood of a truly fulfilling university experience.

Andy Edem Afenu is a fifth-year student at New College studying Biochemistry and Health & Disease.

Action over reaction In general, the university must be more proactive in its operations and actions.

Much of U of T’s time, effort, energy, and resources are put into issues created by a lack of foresight or consideration of future students and faculty.

In terms of infrastructure, the staggering amount of deferred maintenance on campus has been documented; by trying to play catch-up with these outdated needs, the university is not only paying more to make these repairs, but also limiting itself in its ability to improve other spaces. The university should be staying on top of renovations and structural maintenance in the first place, in order to focus on tailoring spaces to the needs of students and faculty and making these spaces more accessible for all to use.

The situation is similar in regard to academics, as many courses and programs adopt a predominantly historical approach to subjects. While a background in history is important in understanding the current state of a topic, in today’s job market, it is ultimately a student’s adaptability that will contribute to their success. Given rapid rates of societal change, it may be difficult for professors to keep their teaching material up to date, but there is little point in pursuing an education that is not tailored to what comes after graduation.

By being encouraged to look forward, students gain skills that are critical to their future success.

Elspeth Arbow is a fourth-year student at Innis College studying Buddhism, Psychology, and Mental Health Studies, and Cinema Studies. She is the Executive Vice-President of the Innis College Student Society.

Saambavi Mano is a third-year student at Victoria College studying Peace, Conflict, and Justice Studies.

ELHAM NUMAN/THE VARSITY

Editorial

August 8, 2016 var.st/comment comment@thevarsity.ca

Blackness under scrutiny Amid disappointing portrayals of Black Lives Matter, Canadian media must do more to advocate for racial justice

Letters to the Editor Vol. CXXXVII, No. 1, AUGUST 8, 2016

The Varsity Editorial Board Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once warned of an unsuspecting threat to Black liberation called “the white moderate.” He defined white moderates as people who prefer the “absence of tension” over the “presence of justice” and say, “I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action.” The white moderate “paternalistically believes that he can set the timeline for another man’s freedom.”

If Black Lives Matter (BLM) is today’s civil rights group, then Canadian media is the white moderate at best and an antagonist at worst.

This has become strikingly evident, given the outpouring of disappointing coverage in response to BLM Toronto’s (BLMTO) recent sit-in at Toronto's Pride Parade — coverage that makes a mockery of the BLM movement, while simultaneously refusing to acknowledge that antiBlack racism continues to exist both in Canada and the United States.

In the Toronto Star, for instance, an editorial claimed that, while BLMTO is usually righteous, their actions at the Toronto Pride Parade went too far and stepped on the toes of allies. The activist group, an ’honoured guest’ at the parade, apparently should have opted for friendliness over confrontation, given the fact that the LGBTQ+ community are considered their allies.

Such a naive comment is symptomatic of the moderate, who supposedly understands and sympathizes with the cause of the marginalized but cannot tolerate the rage and urgency that naturally underlies it. It also ignores the fact that LGBTQ+ people can be racist as well.

When reflecting on the public’s response to their sit-in, Rodney Diverlus of BLMTO tweeted that the first group of people to chant “all lives matter”— a phrase that trivializes racism and violence against the Black community by insisting everyone be treated equally despite unequal levels of disadvantage — were white queer people. There is clearly still more work to be done.

As John Ibbitson wrote in the The Globe and Mail, the face of the gay rights movement has always been that of a white, middle-class man.

Sexuality aside, an otherwise privileged group like this faces much less resistance in having their rights acknowledged than Black people, much less the many Black women and trans people who populate BLMTO. This reality explains why Pride can be infuriating to people of colour; at the end of the day, it still appears to be a celebration of cisgendered white men, despite the fact that monumental moments in the fight for queer rights, such as the Stonewall riots, were both initiated by people of colour and trans people.

Ibbitson’s more conscientious analysis is in stark contrast to that of his colleague Margaret Wente, The Globe and Mail’s star columnist and plagiarist-in-chief. In typical Wente fashion, her piece was condescending, bereft of depth, and overall dismissive of views that challenge her own. She called BLMTO “bullies” backpacking on the racial tensions of America, as if Canadians were innocent of racial resentment. For Wente, BLMTO simply ought to have been happy they were present at Pride; she believed the group’s protest was little more than whining.

She crudely labelled most of BLMTO’s demands as asking for money for their personal projects, ignoring the fact that they have consistently urged Pride to strive for greater visibility, the inclusion of South Asian and Indigenous peoples, and increased accessibility for people with disabilities.

Wente took particular offense to BLMTO’s demand for the elimination of police floats in future parades. Her view that police floats symbolize “solidarity and inclusion” ignores the fact that both Black and queer people, and especially trans people, are justifiably fearful of police, who have a history of subjecting these groups and other marginalized groups to scrutiny, harassment, and violence. With this context in mind, seeing the police occupy space on a float in a parade dedicated to the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people is a taunt — and a violent one at that — for many queer people of colour.

Perhaps the most insulting part of Wente’s column is that she claimed Toronto is so much better for Black and queer people than other places in the world, consequently insinuating that Black and queer people should be grateful to only have to experience the lesser of two evils.

Similar sentiments were penned in the National Post, when Robyn Urback — despite acknowledging race as a factor in the pushback against BLMTO — wrote that Pride was an example of the political left “eating itself,” because two groups concerned with progress clashed.

Holding groups that claim to be progressive to account can only be a positive thing, and BLMTO was right to expect more of Pride.

One can argue that today’s Pride, embellished with corporate sponsors, pinkwashing, and shallow support, is now more a celebration of past achievements than an event seriously concerned with marching further towards equity. Certainly, considering the backlash to BLMTO, the parade is a far cry from its political roots, meant to commemorate the Stonewall riots, which were initiated in protest against police brutality and led by queer and trans people of colour.

The media’s less-than-savoury takes on BLMTO are particularly appalling considering the position from which BLMTO is speaking. Amid the frequent shooting of unarmed Black people in both the US and Canada, BLMTO’s demand to ban police floats from the parade is not surprising. It is unnerving, to say the least, to march alongside an institution that can destroy you with impunity. One need only to look at the dozens of instances of police brutality against Black people in the United States — Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, Alton Sterling, and Philando Castile are just four of the Black lives that have been taken by police. Closer to home, the violence persists: consider the shooting of Andrew Loku by Toronto police, and the recent death of Abdirahman Abdi, a mentally ill man that was beaten to death by the Ottawa Police.

It is not that BLMTO’s demands or their strategies cannot be criticized. Yet, such criticism must be directed in a constructive manner, in a manner that, at the very least, acknowledges anti-Black racism and does not obscure the truth.

Fortunately, not all media perspectives on BLMTO have been so narrow-minded. While it isn’t necessary to share the identity of those one writes about, Desmond Cole, a Black writer, provided much needed context and clarity in his Toronto Star column amid a series of tone-deaf hot takes elsewhere in Canadian media. He notes how the media-manufactured Black vs. queer dichotomy erases the intersectional issues that queer Black people face — issues that arise as by-products of two overlapping marginalized identities, each with their unique lived experiences of oppression. Furthermore, Cole discusses how queer people of colour are alienated at Pride and in LGBTQ communities as a whole. Though it was not his responsibility to do so, Cole did well in explaining why BLMTO’s actions were justified, and this was a welcome contrast to many of the more dubious perspectives provided by his colleagues.

The reaction to BLMTO’s actions at Pride are symbolic of a bigger issue in Canadian media: an alarming lack of diversity. All marginalized groups find themselves underrepresented in journalism, and that’s a moral and a business problem. Identity cannot replace journalistic ability, but it can add valuable nuance and context when covering queer and racialized communities. Journalism where people are able to tell their own stories — if they choose, not because they are tokenized and pigeonholed to do so — can only be seen as a positive.

This is not to mention the fact that the media, by means of reaching a large audience, can set the stage and the standard for what kind of content constitutes legitimate, appropriate journalism. When BLM is caricaturized, but their notable achievements are not given air time, the seedy priorities of the media shine through — they paint racial justice activists as people not worth listening to, while obscuring discussions of their actual work.

Even beyond this, there are undoubtedly more overt and crass instances of racist content being published by the media. The Varsity is far from innocent of this — in 2007, for example, a blackface cartoon was published in our paper, something that we have yet to formally issue an apology for; we aim to officially amend this disgrace in the coming weeks.

Canadian media should commit to increasing diversity in newsrooms, which would increasesthe quality of journalism. Without Desmond Cole, there would only be one Black columnist in the mainstream media: Royson James of the Toronto Star. The Varsity now has a diverse masthead, but we do not entertain the notion that the mere presence of diversity will be enough to combat racism, both in terms of our workplace environment and the content that we publish going forward.

In order to work to combat racism in the media, a conversation needs to be had about the way race and racial issues are portrayed to the public, as well as the responsibility that media outlets have to tell a conscious story, not just one that makes headlines.

Re: Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program suspended for international master’s and PhD students “While I disagree that ‘they [public institutions] have responsibilities for everbody who is here [international students],’ I do think it is in the best interest to make attempts to retain fully funded graduate students. In some cases, public universities in Ontario will spend 35k per year for up to six years of graduate study. To spend tax money in this way and then make no attempt to retain these students for the Canadian labor market does not make sense. How does spending $210k of tax payer's money on training a single international student make sense if you are going to force that student out of the country at the end of their training?

How does Canada economically benefit from this?”

— Joshua D. Wright (from web)

The Varsity's editorial board is elected by the masthead at the beginning of each semester. For more information about the editorial policy, email comment@thevarsity.ca.

Letters to the editor should be directed to comment@thevarsity.ca. Please keep submissions to 250 words; letters may be edited for length and clarity.

Re: Toronto City Council moves forward with Scarborough transit plans “Bruce Kidd may regret his enthusiastic support for the one stop subway, when the city postpones the LRT to the Scarborough campus because of lack of money.”

— John MacMillan (from web) Re: Why I quit a job I love “Thanks so much for this article. U of T is full of amazing opportunities and students to share some life-changing experiences. Being surrounded by the best and brightest inspires one to constantly strive, but when those walls materialize, it can make you feel supremely deficient. Thanks for sharing this experience.”

— Les Paul Stewart (from web) Re: Blackness under scrutiny “In a column about the importance of journalistic responsibility, fairness, and not "obscuring the truth", I find it odd that the editorial board chose to describe the death of Abdirahman Abdi as "a mentally ill man beaten to death by the Ottawa Police". I mean, he died Monday, an autopsy has yet to be completed, the SIU is still investigating, we haven't seen the video taken by the security camera a few feet away, and yet you decided to state that he was "beaten to death". In what way is it responsible, fair, or truthful to speculate on his cause of death as if it were an established fact?

In that same paragraph, you include Andrew Loku, Michael Brown, and Philando Castile among names of "unarmed Black people in both the US and Canada" killed by police "with impunity". However, Loku was not unarmed.

Even witnesses sympathetic to Loku--as well as, you know, the surveillance camera in the hallway--concede that he was armed with a hammer when shot by police.

As for Brown, Darren Wilson, the officer who shot him, was forced to resign and now lives in hiding amid frequent death threats. It's hard to see what impunity he enjoys.

Also, "unarmed" is not a synonym for "not dangerous".

President Obama's own Justice Department found that Brown--though unarmed--attacked Wilson and at one point during the struggle, grabbed his gun.

Not much is known for certain yet about the exact circumstances of the shooting of Philando Castile, but again, even his own girlfriend, the one who shared his last moments on Facebook Live, stated that he was indeed armed and had a concealed carry permit for the handgun he was carrying. Recall that this is probably the most controversial aspect of his death--that he was armed, had a legal permit for his weapon, allegedly informed the officer of both these things, and was still shot dead by police. I'm not sure why you would falsely describe him as having been unarmed when his having been armed actually helps you make the point you are trying to make: that BLM is right that Black people receive unjust, differential treatment from the police, and the media should reflect that.

Anyway, aside from these things, great post.”

— Emmett Choi (from web)

Three quick tutorials to brighten up your room As you are embarking on a new year at U of T, these do-it-yourself projects can make your home, new or old, feel a little bit cozier. Walking into your dorm room during move-in week, an average bed and a desk will greet you, waiting for personalization — your bedroom just needs some fresh pizazz as you begin your next chapter. The following are three cheap, easy ways to spice up your space.

1

Bucket Storage

by Mariya-Kvitlana Tsap

Prep time: 10 minutes If you have a small space, closet room is limited, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make use of the walls. This hanging organization unit is perfect for storing essentials, like toiletries and school supplies.

You will need: • 2 metres of rope • 3 buckets • Sticky notes or stickers you can write on • 1 stick-on hook

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Fold your rope in half, grab the first bucket, and make a tight knot on each side of the bucket.

Continue stringing the next two buckets, making sure to tighten the knots on each side of the handle.

Attach a sticky note or sticker that can be written on with a marker or chalk.

Write down the items you will be storing in the unit, such as toiletries, cords, or school supplies.

Hang your organization unit onto a hook and voila, you’re done!

Dorm-friendly crafts are buckets of fun. ROCHELLE D’SOUZA/THE VARSITY

2

Reusable Wall Calendar

by Rochelle D’souza

Prep time: 8 minutes This DIY could serve as a statement piece for your wall, as well as a useful tool for scheduling your hectic university life. On top of that, you can make it for under $6.00!

1.

2.

3.

You will need: • A large picture frame • Colorful mini post-its • Dry erase markers

4.

Remove the back of the frame and flip the picture that comes with the frame to the blank side.

Using the solid color of the picture as your background, stick the post-its on in a 7x4 design, exactly like a calendar.

Place the picture back into the frame with the post-its facing forward.

Use the dry erase marker to write to-do lists and to schedule appointments. You can wipe it away and restart when you are finished with each task.

A calendar that avoids sticky scheduling situations. MARIYA-KVITLANA TSAP/THE VARSITY

3

Chalkboard Door Sign

by Rhiannon Langford Prep time: 1-3 hours One of the things that terrified me the most about moving into residence for the first time was making new friends. I promise you will meet new people before you know it, but you can make the process a little easier with this chalkboard door sign. A welcome sign on your door is a friendly way to say hello to your new neighbours and future squad members. Hang a piece of chalk on your door so they can leave you a quick note en route to class.

You will need: • Piece of wood or plastic cut to size • Chalkboard paint • Paintbrush • Ribbon or string • Hot glue • Stickers • Chalk or chalk marker

Friendly roommates? Chalk it up to good crafting. RHIANNON LANGFORD/THE VARSITY

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Get a piece of wood or plastic pre-cut to the size you want your finished dorm sign to be. If using wood, sand the surface down until it is smooth.

Using black chalkboard paint, paint the front and sides of your sign. Follow the instructions on your paint can to see how many coats to use.

Once dry, get a piece of string or ribbon and hot glue each end onto the back of the chalkboard sign to create a loop. This will be used for hanging your sign on the door.

Get some stickers to create a border along the edge of your sign. I used gold planner stickers along one side of the chalkboard to create an edgy ikat pattern.

Using chalk or a chalk marker, write a greeting on your board. Make sure to include your name and a friendly message to let your neighbours know that they can knock on your door and introduce themselves.

Arts&Culture

VIDEO August 8, 2016 var.st/arts arts@thevarsity.ca

Shamir on gender, sexuality, and masculinity in the music scene: var.st/1m6

Everything you need to know about Toronto

MIRKA LOISELLE/THE VARSITY

Like, no one calls it ‘The 6ix’ Lisa Power Arts & Culture Editor Toronto is a city of millions. It is Canada’s only international-grade metropolitan. It is also the home of Drake’s mom, so it’s important to understand Toronto on a deeper, more intimate level. Here is a roundup of the most essential Toronto-specific sentiments.

Modern and post-modern designs comprise the landscape of the city with many renowned architects, like Frank Gehry, contributing to its eclectic look.

Everyone outside of Toronto hates Toronto.

You’ve probably heard people refer to Torontonians as 'stuffy' or 'pretentious' but that’s because Toronto prides itself on being decidedly cosmopolitan and modern. It’s the economic capital of Canada and receives international praise for its progressive attitude; sorry, not sorry.

Toronto is congested. When attempting to maneuver Toronto, one must anticipate some sort of travel delay. The saying goes: 'There are two seasons in Toronto: winter and construction.' The Don Valley Parkway has been lovingly dubbed the Don Valley Parking Lot; the TTC won’t be finished fitting streetcar tracks until October, and the streets will get a lot more narrow with the installation of more bike lanes.

The subway leaves terminal stations for the

last time each night around 1:30 am. Commuters will get to know what it’s like to aggressively monitor your time, living and dying by the subway schedule. Thank God for friends who live downtown, hookups that let you stay the night, and Uber, always Uber.

We have all the sports. The Blue Jays, the Raptors, and the Maple Leafs all have their homes here, along with the Toronto FC, Argonauts, and Rock. Sure, we don’t always win, but with the recent playoff performances of the Jays and the Raptors, the spotlight is shifting to our hearty teams and their loyal fans.

All the cool people live in Montreal. If you’ve ever been to Montreal, you may have been visiting a friend at McGill or Concordia, going to Osheaga, or going out drinking before turning 19. You might have noticed that many of the young people in Montreal are from Toronto.

That’s because Montreal is a chill place. It fosters a thriving alternative art and music scene, has great food, and is cheap to live in. It also has tons of strip clubs. You do you, Montreal.

The Island is nice, you should go. A short ferry ride away, this oasis features a gallery, an artists’ colony, a day camp, and several beaches, including one that is clothing-optional.

There is also an airport, bike and kayak rentals, restaurants, and an amusement park. The list goes on. The best part? Fresh, clean, glorious air with a killer view of the city skyline.

Toronto boosts a wide spectrum of cultures and backgrounds; the rest of Canada can be seen as homogeneous in comparison. It should be noted that Toronto’s diversity has recently come under fire though. It has been accused of being mostly for show, as it ignores the underlying racial tensions many people of colour experience.

Everything is overpriced. And it doesn’t help that our dollar is at its lowest in over four years.

An egg sandwich at Metro is $4.50. You would be hard-pressed to find decent living accommodations for $800 per month and even that’s optimistic. Despite the high cost of living, last year The Economist ranked Toronto as best city in the world to live in.

Don’t talk to strangers. Not because they are going to kidnap you, but because you will startle them. Unsolicited, overly-friendly advances are not usually welcome in Toronto. It’s a big city and saying hello to everyone you walk by is not a social custom here. Don’t take it personally; it’s more of a close-knit community or American mid-west thing.

There is no signature food. Montreal has bagels, Chicago has deep-dish pizza, New York has everything, even Thunder Bay has the Persian roll. Toronto is its own all-you-can-eat buffet, an amalgamation of different cultural cuisines.

A few important people went to U of T: Dionne Brand, Lorne Michaels, current Toronto Mayor John Tory, various Prime Ministers.

Margaret Atwood is still so emotionally — and financially — invested in her alma mater that she once tweeted her outrage over the installation of artificial turf on Back Campus, even threatening to write the school out of her will.

They went ahead anyway.

Toronto is the Canadian Zürich. Located in Switzerland, Zürich is a city that is largely nondescript. It’s nice and located in a beautiful country, but when planning a vacation no one ever says, “Let’s go to Zürich!"

Which is why neither Toronto nor Zurich are especially remarkable, but neither are unremarkable either. When celebrities visit Toronto, they usually comment that it’s a great place to shop. Perhaps this goes to show the mediocrity that makes up Toronto, or perhaps it means it just has really great malls.

AUGUST 8, 2016 u 15

var.st/arts

Keeping up with UTM’s happenings

The Side Piece

There’s no shortage of arts & culture at UTM

CFRE Radio hosts Toronto band BadBadNotGood at the Blind Duck Pub. MARI ZHOU/THE VARSITY

Ben Harrison Smith Varsity Contributor U of T has over 86,000 students, with about 14,000 that attend UTM. Despite its small size, UTM has a sprawling creative scene. The Blackwood Gallery is a contemporary art gallery that plays host to many international artists, as well as U of T students and grads. The gallery’s mission is to perpetuate artistic and cultural experiments, challenge societal preconceptions, and foster discussion on the conventional societal norms.

The gallery holds about five exhibitions every year. From now until

September 18, Emily Mast’s The Cage is the Stage will be featured in the Bernie Miller Lightbox. The Cage is the Stage addresses the connection between zoos and art particularly in theatre.

It is based on the ideas from John Berger’s essay “Why Look at Animals.” The essay challenges the idea that zoos are a place that naturally replicate the environments of animals. Similar to the sets of a play, each cage is a new frame for each animal. The Cage is the Stage fictionalizes the nature of zoos as a symbol for human invention rather than a place to observe animals.

The Blackwood Gallery will also feature Running with Concepts: The Choreographic Edition, from September 16–18. The project will explore how individuals relate to the rest of the world. It will examine how the body is dehumanized and used as a unit of currency in our economy-centric society. The goal for Running with Concepts is to mobilize a more communal and cooperative approach to society through discourse, film workshops, and performance pieces.

It’s worth noting that The Blackwood Gallery also maintains a permanent collection of over 450 works

of contemporary Canadian art.

In addition to The Blackwood Gallery, UTM is known for its thriving music scene. UTM's resident radio station is Canada’s First Radio Erindale (CFRE). CFRE is known for its diverse musical representation and for hosting great Canadian and foreign talent for events and concerts.

Last March, CFRE brought local rappers Jazz Cartier and John River to UTM’s campus pub, The Blind Duck.

They have successfully attracted other well-known acts like Patrick Watson, The National, and The Born Ruffians.

Tracking down UTSC’s art scene The Doris McCarthy Gallery offers eye-opening exhibits that challenge societal conventions Daniel Samuel Varsity Contributor It’s easy to feel lost at U of T. Fortunately, nestled in UTSC lies the Doris McCarthy gallery. It hosts a variety of exhibits that confront and challenge the everyday understanding of society, seeking to make sense of the incomprehensible, much like university attempts to do.

As an art-obsessed student, I believe that U of T's most important art exhibition building is the Doris McCarthy Gallery (DMG). Opened in 2004 and named after famous Canadian artist Doris McCarthy — known for her vivid arctic landscape paintings — it presents students with a visual dose of education beyond the tradition of textbooks and lectures.

My first of several transformative visits to the DMG took place in late fall of last year and was inspired by a tutorial. The objective was to find and utilize art works as the main subject for the final essay of a course. Complex Social Change was the first exhibition where I distinctively remember gazing with puzzled, folded arms, unsure if I really understood what I was looking at.

Artistic exhibits can shed light on bewildering concepts. SHANNA HUNTER/THE VARSITY

The exhibition was curated by Josephine Mills and became more than just the subject of an essay. The exhibit displayed domestic objects like pillows in unexpected ways and featured upside down brooms spelling out 'Free Pussy Riot.'

It sought to address the global issue of gender inequality in a modern context. The late Toronto artist Wendy Coburn’s sculptures were also on display at the DMG. Made of a silver turkey baster, bronze toaster oven, and white acorn each in their own glass case, they attempted to challenge con-

ventional knowledge and perspectives.

What seemed obvious still needed further explanation from our professor and the gallery assistant to understand Coburn’s larger Queer references and gain insight into a poignant world.

In addition to the eye-opening and informative Complex Social Change exhibit, the Material Girls exhibit last February made a lasting impression on me and the way I understood art.

Material Girls was co-curated by three women: Regina’s Dunlop Art Director Jennifer Matotek, assistant curator Blair Fornwald and Cura-

tor of Education and Community Outreach Wendy Peart. The exhibit was innovative with its immersive design, tones of inclusion and feminism, and unprecedented content.

Matotek described the premise of an all-female exhibition as something that "somehow feels radical." She explained, "We selected artists and art works that were relevant to our theme and concept — the idea of female artists taking up space who work in compelling ways with materials."

The Complex Social Change and Material Girls exhibits speak to the importance of the DMG. It is an art gallery that presents exhibits as a forum to challenge the status quo.

Navigating the DMG was initially overwhelming, just like my first few weeks at U of T. Every new exhibition provides information to digest and many concepts, meanings, and interpretations.

You may not grasp everything until you look at it from a different angle or with the help of a knowledgeable professor or gallery assistant, but after a year, I understand the importance of looking around and seeing new ideas.

That's the best part about the Gallery and about attending U of T.

Did you know?

You can get decommissioned furniture at the U of T Swap Shop.

The shop is located in UTSG at 487 Spadina Aveue. It only requires a valid student card and will reopen for the year on September 16. Now you can really feel like you live at the library.

Pro-tip: How to (safely) have a good time during Frosh Week u Eat before drinking u Know your limits u Never leave a drunk friend alone u Have a plan to get home u Always watch your drink u Dance like a wild animal Events: Foodies Grill every Tuesday and Thursday (UTSC) July 5 – August 30 11:30 am to 2:30 pm ARC Quad Toronto International Film Festival Sept 8–18 Various locations around Toronto Remember to say "Arrrrrrrgh!" when the anti-pirating message comes on the big screen.

Hart House Theatre presents: Tideline (UTSG) September 16 – October 1 Hart House Theatre Victoria College Book Sale (UTSG) Sept 22–26 Old Vic Building Queer Orientation 2016 September 22–30 Various events Advice: Don’t be shy! Introduce yourself to as many people as possible.

16 d THE VARSITY d ARTS & CULTURE

arts@thevarsity.ca

Hart House Theatre presents: Tideline The theatre’s first production seeks to confront identity Hannah Lank Varsity Contributor Identity is a relevant theme as many people, both young and old, are redefining what it means to 'come from' somewhere. Hart House Theatre’s 2016–2017 season is gearing up to kick off a production of Lebanese-Canadian playwright Wajdi Mouawad’s Tideline. It is directed by Ken Gass, a multi-award winning U of T Drama Professor and Artistic Director of the Canadian Rep Theatre.

In a recent interview with The Varsity, Gass described Tideline as a poetic and passionate journey for young people. It’s part of a tetralogy of plays written by Mouawad that deal with the aftermath of war.

Gass is careful to note that although the piece includes war in its context, it adopts an imaginative approach. Ultimately, it is not limited to themes of war. Rather, the play focuses on the 'lost generation' that came after war and is angry at their elders for destroying their youth and childhood.

Gass draws comparisons between the play and a typical Greek tragedy because of the sheer epic scale of the work. He admits the play’s broad theatrical talent and imagination is influenced by the genre.

In the play, the protagonist Wilfrid receives a phone call that his father has died. Although Wilfrid was never very close to his father, this event takes him on a journey of discovery through his past and his heritage and reveals the story of how his mother died.

The recent influx of refugees from the Middle East to Europe and North America has brought with it many questions of identity, which serves as inspiration for the play. Tideline seeks to address concepts like identity and belonging, but Gass explains that the play is an extraordinary journey in itself. Its resonance with current events is certainly important. The play explores the question: how do we defy the past generations and create our own worlds? How do you heal following certain events? Closure is a major theme, as well as feeling lost with

one's past and identity, especially as a second-generation North American.

Gass is also a major advocate for live theatre as a means of entertainment and self-exploration. He stresses that Tideline is a large canvas. It has a rich aesthetic and explores the place of young people in the world. Unlike movies with visually-crafted effects and camera angles, Gass highlights how the theatre creates a sense of immediacy, as the story unfolds right in front of the audience.

Gass is excited to work with Hart House Theatre for the first time in 20 years. He’s been focused on assembling the cast for the show, which Gass promises will be diverse. He hopes that Tideline will induce conversation, while remaining entertaining. He notes that while theatre should contain a message, it must be entertaining along the way.

Tideline will be running September 16–October 1 at Hart House Theatre.

Director of Tideline Ken Gass. COURTESY OF HART HOUSE THEATRE

What does your favourite Annex spot say about you?

There’s something for everyone on this special strip Gabrielle Warren Associate Arts & Culture Editor

The Annex is one of Toronto’s most famous areas. It is known for its diverse mix of patrons and businesses.

If you attend UTSG, you’ve likely become acquainted with many of these places. Here is a rundown of some of the most popular spots and what they say about the people who love them.

Photocap

1. Fresh You appreciate a gluten-free/meatfree/sugar-free meal,and a cute atmosphere. You actively avoid acknowledging that OSAP isn’t meant for eating out and try to maintain an organic aesthetic for your Instagram.

326 Bloor Street West 2. El Furniture Warehouse You appreciate cheap food, 80s music videos, an assortment of amazing tattoos, and prime selfie mirrors.

410 Bloor Street West

3. BMV Books You are looking for a good book at a good price. You are most likely an impoverished English student that needs a place to unwind. You pride yourself in finding hidden gems.

471 Bloor Street West

5. New Generation Sushi You like sushi and have taste-buds.

You like seeing half of your friend network in one place at any given time.

New Gen is basically all you can tolerate when it comes to sushi on Bloor.

493 Bloor Street West

10. Jerk King You have constant Caribana withdrawals and believe that you are Rihanna from the “Work” video. You're tired of sushi and/or gluten-free/ meat-free/everything-good-free food.

522 Bloor Street West

4. The Common You love good coffee, good vibes, reliable Wi-Fi, Instagram-worthy aesthetics, and conversations with real people, all wrapped up in a genuine Torontonian environment.

408 Bloor Street West

6. Pizza Pizza It's 1:00 am — you’re wasted and severely dehydrated, and you have made bad decisions, but you still have hope for the future. Pizza Pizza is a mecca for your inebriated soul.

328 Bloor Street West

11. 24 Hour Metro You have a penchant for grocery shopping at ungodly hours, while wondering why you aren’t in bed yet — this neighbourhood Metro is a great home for your sleepless soul.

425 Bloor Street West

7. Dance Cave (Lee’s Palace) You enjoy the feeling of sweaty bodies pressing up against you to the beat of current tunes and throwback classics. You take advantage of free admission every Friday and Saturday for students with a valid ID. 529 Bloor Street West

12. Kops Records Your 1995 soul is trapped in a 2016 university student’s body. Inhale the smell of stale plastic and exhale your problems. It’s perfection.

592 Bloor St West

8. 7/11 You really like that Beyoncé song that you've been listening to while stumbling home early in the morning, and you’re looking for something that will sit sweetly on your hips.

334 Bloor Street West 9. Tim Hortons You love to converse with the people of the street and have been walking down Bloor for like an hour; now you need somewhere to pee, and it’s the only place that’s open after your sloppy night out.

455 Spadina Avenue LISA POWER/THE VARSITY

13. Jux-ta-pose OSAP came in late and you’re looking for a quirky gift for those special people in your life. Yes, you and your friend may end up getting each other the same thing, but it’s the thought that counts, right?

430 Bloor Street West 14. Ghazale Restaurant You truly understand that while many shawarma joints line Bloor Steet, Ghazale is the most magical of places, tucked away into the Bloor Street Cinema that seemingly never closes.

504 Bloor Street West

AUGUST 8, 2016 u 17

var.st/arts

The beginner’s guide to beer Beer is more than what is served in a solo cup Sabrina Ramroop Varsity Contributor

Blonde ales are most approachable with their golden appearance and mild taste.

The best thing about blonde ales is their simplicity — they are crisp, dry, and non-bitter. Blonde beers may also have slight notes of honey, fruit, and spices, depending on the brew.

Examples: Amsterdam Natural Blonde, Flying Monkeys Antigravity, and Mill Street Stock Ale. Brown stouts and porters are a bit more complex. They range from medium to heavy body, meaning that they’re dense and can have a dark amber to

brown appearance. They have a bold taste and may come off as both bitter and slightly sweet. Flavour notes include caramel, chocolate, coffee, and nuts. It is important to note that oatmeal stouts tend to be creamier and, thus, sweeter.

Examples: Amsterdam Downtown Brew, Guinness, and Brasserie Dupont Monk’s Stout.

Wheat beers have a pale to light amber appearance and a light body. German hefeweizens tend to have strong notes of bananas and cloves, highlighting their spicier notes. Other wheat beers, like American and Belgian varieties, are more mild and boast citrus and spice flavours. This beer’s mild and crisp taste makes it a perfectly refreshing drink for the summer.

Examples: Schneider Weiss and Allagash White.

India Pale Ales (IPAs) have a pale complexion with a lig ht body. These beers, often fruity and floral, have slight notes of citrus, which is evident in their strong, bold aromas. IPAs are bitter and sweet but tend to lean closer to the bitter side.

Examples: Bell's Two Hearted and Union Jack.

Lagers are another type of beer with a light body and golden hue; they tend to be on the crisp, dry side. However, they can also have more of a bittersweet taste. Pilsners, a type of lager, are crisp and flavourful. Depending on the beer, some may have more of a citrus taste, while others may have a fruitier flavour.

Examples: Corona Extra, Steam Whistle and Stella Artois.

Conundrums that matter to students Teodora Pasca Comment Editor During the pub crawl for your orientation week, you have seven pubs at your disposal to visit with your friends: El Furniture Warehouse, Fox & Fiddle, Green Room, Crown & Tiger, O’Grady’s, Prenup Pub, and Sneaky Dee’s. Each pub must be visited exactly once, according to the following conditions: u u u u

You must visit both O’Grady’s and Prenup Pub in conjunction, though not necessarily in that order.

You must visit exactly two pubs between your visit to Fox & Fiddle and your visit to Crown & Tiger.

Neither Sneaky Dee’s nor Crown & Tiger can be your first stop.

El Furniture Warehouse must be your last stop.

1.

Which of the following is an acceptable route you can take to complete the pub crawl? a) Green Room, Prenup Pub, O’Grady’s, Fox & Fiddle, Sneaky Dee’s, El Furniture Warehouse, Crown & Tiger b) Green Room, Crown & Tiger, O’Grady’s, Prenup Pub, Sneaky Dee’s, Fox & Fiddle, El Furniture Warehouse c) Sneaky Dee’s, Crown & Tiger, Prenup Pub, O’Grady’s, Fox & Fiddle, Green Room, El Furniture Warehouse d) Prenup Pub, O’Grady’s, Fox & Fiddle, Green Room, Sneaky Dee’s, Crown & Tiger, El Furniture Warehouse e) Green Room, Crown & Tiger, Sneaky Dee’s, O’Grady’s, Fox & Fiddle, Prenup Pub, El Furniture Warehouse

2.

Which of the following CANNOT be true? a) You visit Fox & Fiddle first. b) You visit Fox & Fiddle fourth. c) You visit Sneaky Dee’s sixth. d) You visit O’Grady’s first. e) You visit O’Grady’s second.

3.

If you visit Fox & Fiddle second, which of the following can be true? a) You visit Crown & Tiger first. b) You visit Crown & Tiger third. c) You visit O’Grady’s sixth. d) You visit Sneaky Dee’s third. e) You visit Sneaky Dee’s sixth.

4.

The order in which you visit the pubs can be completely determined if which of the following is true? a) You visit Crown & Tiger second, and you visit Prenup Pub fourth. b) You visit Crown & Tiger second, and you visit Green Room first. c) You visit O’Grady’s first, and you visit Green Room fourth. d) You visit Fox & Fiddle first, and you visit O’Grady’s fifth. e) You visit Sneaky Dee’s fifth, and you visit Green Room first.

5.

Suppose the condition that requires you to visit exactly two pubs between Fox & Fiddle and Crown & Tiger is lifted.

What is the maximum amount of pubs that you can now visit between these two locations? a) One b) Two c) Three d) Four e) Five

Saison make for great summer beers, as they have a light body and are packed with flavour. These beers tend to be fruitier and non-bitter, while still remaining crisp and refreshing. Saisons are highly carbonated and spicy. Because of their flavourful, fruity profile, they are perfect for those who do not like the typical taste of beer.

Examples: Saison Dupont and Whole Hog Raspberry Saison.

theVarsity the.varsity the.varsity thevarsitynewspaper

Answer key: 1 – D, 2 – B, 3 – E, 4 – A, 5 – D

Summer has finally kicked into full gear, which means it’s time to grab a couple of beers and hang out on a snazzy patio. Knowing which brewski to order can be intimidating though, especially if you’re a newbie to the game.

Understanding the different styles of beers and their characteristics is a good place to start — next time you head to the bar, you'll be able to order your new favourite giggle water with confidence.

Actually useful LSAT questions

Science

August 8, 2016 var.st/science science@thevarsity.ca

Cutting edge labs for cutting edge research The Lab Innovation for Toronto project is a government grant designed to make our labs as world-class as our research

MIRKA LOISELLE/THE VARSITY

Connie Liu Varsity Contributor The Lab Innovation for Toronto (LIFT) project announced on July 28 is a $190 million investment in research infrastructure, nine faculties, three campuses, 11,000 researchers, and at least 5,000 students.

“Half of our research space, 47 per cent to be precise, is 50-yearsold and is not in great shape,” said Scott Mabury, Vice-President of University Operations. “[LIFT] will fundamentally alter how some of these buildings operate.”

“My lab is in Lash Miller,” said Mabury, who researches Environmental Chemistry. “The whole building is one where, if we didn’t make an investment, in 10 years or so, we would have to be thinking about replacing the building... This investment will give us another generation of usage.”

“A lot of labs will be completely renovated. People will go from really uninspiring research space with poor flooring, poor benches, and poor overall functionality, to brand new

labs. Dentistry for example, [is] one of the more exciting components.”

Boris Hinz is a Distinguished Professor of Tissue Repair and Regeneration in the Faculty of Dentistry whose laboratory facilities will be dramatically altered by the upcoming renovations.

“These particular funds are a lifetime opportunity for every scientist to really improve [infrastructure],” said Hinz, noting several limitations in the current lab facilities. Pipe leakages have damaged machines, mould has infested cold rooms, and even inconsistent building temperatures have crystallized solutions.

“The [air conditioning and heating] system is particularly slow in responding. By the time the system has responded to the change in temperature outside, it’s changed again,” explained Hinz. “You’d have people sitting there with fans in the middle of winter or you’d have people in summer sitting there with a heater under the table because it’s so cold in the room.”

The Faculty of Dentistry has an

interdisciplinary team of clinicians and scientists, yet this advantage is lost due to the divided nature of their facilities. Researchers in the Fitzgerald Building are segregated from the clinicians in the Edwards building.

“We’re quite heterogeneous in many respects and the physical separation doesn’t help that,” said Hinz.

I see it as a strength, but it’s only a strength if these people are close enough to share ideas.”

This ineffective use of space is a common theme among several buildings across U of T. The Ramsay Wright building is no exception.

“The current lab design in [Ramsay Wright] is from a different scientific era that dates back well over half a century. The rooms are highly compartmentalized and so the way space is utilized for arranging benches, equipment, and people is often limited and inflexible,” said Vincent Tropepe, Chair of the Cell and Systems Biology Department at U of T. “We find ourselves trying to do exciting and cutting-edge research using infrastructure that is terribly outdat-

ed and that constrains, rather than facilitates, our progress.”

Tropepe highlights the need for mechanical and electrical services that are energy efficient and flexible, building security features that protect intellectual property and equipment, and functional building designs for multi-user space.

“The federal funding is a tremendous opportunity for us to move towards an advanced infrastructure for biological science research in the Faculty of Arts & Science, but it’s only one step in the right direction,” said Tropepe. “This kind of investment must continue in the foreseeable future if we are to complete the important goal of modernizing our infrastructure so as to realize the full potential for research excellence.”

Moving north of Toronto, the Koffler Scientific Reserve (KSR) houses a unique space designated for renovation. Its director, John Stinchcombe, is enthusiastic about the opportunity it holds.

“We have an old horse barn that had previously been used for housing

horses, stables, stalls, feed bins, and so on. One third of that had been renovated to make it modern laboratory space. The remaining two thirds is still unrenovated horse barn, so dirt floors, stalls, cinder block, construction, and so on,” said Stinchcombe.

Stinchcombe says the impact of LIFT is two-fold: expanding research space for people working on the environment and reducing the impact of operation on the environment.

“The University of Toronto and its faculty, staff, and students, are the premiere institution in Canada at asking fundamental questions and advancing human knowledge at literally the frontier of what we know,” said Mabury. “Imagine what the faculty and staff are going to be able to do in a space that is more aligned [and] more consistent, with the level of science they’re doing.”

“We seek research funding to fundamentally alter and advance human knowledge uniquely in the world, so we need space, labs, research infrastructure, coincident with that level of ambition.”

AUGUST 8, 2016 u 19

var.st/science

AIDS in 2016: where do we stand?

Making HIV/AIDS history requires effective drugs and policies

AIDS 2016 speakers included Bill Gates, Stephen Lewis, and Ban Ki-Moon. SHAAN BHAMBRA/THE VARSITY

Shaan Bhambra Science Editor The biennial International AIDS Conference, known as AIDS 2016, convened in Durban, South Africa from July 18–22, 2016. The conference’s events were centred around the theme of ‘Accessing Equity Rights Now.’ To bolster this message, the conference featured AIDS experts and activists, such as Bill Gates, Prince Harry, Charlize Theron, Elton John, and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.

Canada’s role in the global fight against HIV did not go unnoticed. Canada was praised for its recent pledge to give $785 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Notable Canadians at the conference included Federal Health Minister and HIV activist Jane Philpott, and Stephen Lewis of the NGO AIDS Free World and his eponymous HIV/AIDS foundation.

The conference focused on the need to protect the rights of “key

populations,” an umbrella term for groups at higher risk of contracting HIV, such as LGBT individuals, injection drug users, and sex workers.

While Canada guarantees a right to healthcare for all its citizens, a number of countries that suffer from high rates of HIV infection do not promise or follow through on promises of the same. In some cases, governments criminalize the actions of these key population members.

In these countries, access to harm reduction services and HIV treatment is difficult to obtain. This leads to the exacerbation of the country’s HIV situation. For this reason, the conference resoundingly called for equitable healthcare rights as a major solution to slowing the HIV epidemic.

While rights are undoubtedly a necessity to eliminate HIV/AIDS, other key issues need to be addressed as well. The technology to prevent the proliferation of the

HIV virus has existed for decades.

With the advent of antiretroviral therapy (ART) drugs in the mid1990s, HIV became treatable. These drugs not only allow HIV-positive people to live long and full lives, but they also biologically reduce the likelihood of HIV being transmitted to others by reducing viral load in the bloodstream. Studies have shown that HIV-positive people taking ART as prescribed had a greatly reduced risk of transmitting the virus to their sexual partners.

If we have treatment that makes HIV harder to transmit, how is it that the HIV/AIDS epidemic is still a reality around the world today? Worldwide, access to these medicines remains an issue that stands in the way of eliminating HIV/AIDS. At AIDS 2016, this topic was discussed at two major press conferences.

The first featured Ban Ki-Moon, former Swiss President Ruth Dreifuss, and other members of the UN

High Level Panel on Access to Medicines. While ART has been available for over 20 years, access to it has been limited by the high costs imposed by the pharmaceutical companies that hold their patents. While the panel advocated for countries to utilize flexibilities in international intellectual property agreements, the sad reality remains that millions are unable to afford these drugs.

At a later press conference convened by Stephen Lewis, the need for improving global access to generic versions of ART was stated loud and clear. Up until now, India has been a leader in producing more than 80 per cent of the world’s ART by volume thanks to the country’s resistance to international drug patent laws. For this reason, the Indian government continues to face immense international pressure.

Stephen Lewis unabashedly called out the parties he believes are in the way of the production of generic ART.

“There is a conspiracy at work... formed between the Government of the United States, the Government of India, and the pharmaceutical industry. This is an effort… to have India subdue to the force of the United States in particular, in protecting the patents of the major drug companies and undermining the capacity of generics.”

Regardless of whether or not ART is accessible, the world still lacks a cure or vaccine for HIV. Possible long-term solutions discussed at the conference included gene editing as a preventative measure and stem cell transplantation as a possible cure.

The United Nations has set a goal to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

While the goal is ambitious, it’s not impossible. With improved access to medicines, improved equity rights for key populations, and global support for HIV/AIDS programs and research, we may get there.

20 d THE VARSITY d SCIENCE

science@thevarsity.ca

Paving the way to efficient and effective drug design U of T professor Phillip Kim develops innovative way to design highly-effective protein-based drugs

Kim hopes to expand biologics. NATHAN CHAN/THE VARSITY

Elizabeth Benner Varsity Contributor In the world of drug manufacturing, research and development can take years. U of T Associate Professor Philip Kim has discovered a way to make the process more efficient, which was recently published in Science Advances. Kim and his lab at the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research have been able to productively manufacture a class of drugs known as ‘biologics’.

Their new method involves combining current protein synthesis methods with computer-aided design.

Biologics differ from regular pharmaceuticals because they can be composed of organic molecules

like sugars and proteins; traditional drugs are chemically-manufactured within a lab. Biologics are used to treat or diagnose medical conditions and diseases, but can also be used in vaccines, allergen testing, and blood transfusions. While their organic composition makes them more susceptible to heat and contamination, they can be a more effective method of treatment. In 2015, 40 per cent of drugs in use were biologics and that number is expected to grow.

For Kim, the focus of the study was to improve a human protein’s ability to bind to cells. Proteins are large tangled chains of smaller molecules called ‘amino acids’. The various characteristics of these amino acids enable them to interact with each

other, causing the protein to fold, and allowing it to dynamically interact with other molecules around it.

In order to understand and improve upon the binding ability of a protein, the structure and composition of it must first be understood. However, current methods are inefficient. They require testing of all possible amino acid combinations and will not always produce stable or functional end products. Not knowing which protein variations will produce the best result, all combinations are tested, which leads to endless possibilities.

By incorporating computational protein design, scientists are able to knowingly design stable, functional proteins that can tightly bind to their target.

For Kim and his lab, this new method drastically scales down the number of possibilities, reducing the original count from 260 sextillion possible random protein variations to about 6,000.

Computational protein design is not a stand-alone option and would still need to be used alongside typical screening methods, in order to rank

the resulting proteins and determine the best candidates for further development.

“It’s analogous to if you build an airplane,” Kim explains. “You still have to go through many cycles of testing. The computer is pretty good at modelling the air flow and that kind of stuff, but it’s not good enough to actually design on a computer and then having it fly the next day. So it’s a lot like that.”

Kim credits the accomplishment to a unique combination of talent, interdisciplinary researchers, and resources within his lab. “Ultimately, I think the reason that we could do that before anybody else is that my lab is a little unique.” He says. “We have people who are very good with computing... and if you combine that with a lot of post docs who are very good at doing experiments… There’s relatively few labs we have that are in the same place. That’s one of the reasons why we could do that when nobody else could.”

Currently, biologics are used in a range of treatments and therapies, from Herceptin in combatting aggres-

sive breast cancer to Abatacept for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. In some instances, biologics can provide alternatives for patients where there is no other option.

One example is Atryn, a biologic developed in the US that is produced in goats. The human gene anti-thrombin — an anticoagulant which inhibits blood clotting — is inserted into the animals and the protein is extracted from their milk. Atryn is considered a replacement for other conventional methods of anticoagulation, such as blood thinners or human donations, which pose risks of blood loss and disease transmission, respectively.

Kim hopes to make the process of biologics development faster, cheaper, and more efficient. As technology advances, he hopes they will be able to continue to experiment on larger proteins and formulate larger variant libraries to broaden their impact on disease treatment and therapy.

“I’m just a scientist and I’m trying to make the world a better place,” said Kim.

Bridging the gap with a mobile app ParticipAid aims to connect researchers with potential volunteers

Wan Xian Koh Varsity Contributor The advancement of medical knowledge and treatment options relies heavily on research findings. Research, in turn, is dependent on the successful recruitment of volunteers.

Unfortunately, participant enrollment is a major roadblock in the research community, which impedes discoveries and causes costly delays.

Anthony Nazarov and Maroof Moral, psychology graduates from UTM, collaborated with Erica Tatham, McMaster University psychology alumna, to create a mobile app called ParticipAid. Armed with technological innovation, the trio strove to build a connection between researchers and participants that can enhance participant enrollment in research studies and clinical trials.

The beta version of ParticipAid will provide researchers and participants with a means of communication and is scheduled to launch this fall.

Since its inception in 2015, ParticipAid has accumulated numerous awards, including Best Pitch at I-CUBE’s Startup Pitch competition and first place at U of T’s Tri-Campus Hackathon BLUE3.

More recently, in May 2016, ParticipAid secured a $10,000 prize for Best Innovation at the Unlock Your Big Idea competition. The app was also granted SmartStart seed funding from The Ontario Centres of Excellence, a provincially-funded program with a mission to accelerate innovation through research.

In an interview with U of T News, Moral underlined the purpose and reason for their innovation. He emphasized that “participating in a research study is a great way to get involved in your local scientific community, give back to a noble cause and maybe even help make discoveries that save lives.”

Nazarov further noted, “There is brilliant research happening in our city, especially at the University of

Toronto and its affiliated hospitals and research networks.”

ParticipAid allows participants to browse study listings with ease. It filters research studies based on interest, proximity, and eligibility. Participants can also discover online research studies that have been posted.

The team hopes to incorporate the ability to schedule participation sessions and program reminders into the design of the app.

For the convenience of researchers, the app enables systematic organization of study postings and performs automatic pre-screening.

The new and streamlined process for participant enrollment will reduce the cost for recruitment and advertisement, allowing a reallocation of funds toward experimental design and implementation.

In addition to encouraging public involvement in research, ParticipAid seeks to establish meaningful and equal partnership between researchers and participants.

NOOR NAQAWEH/THE VARSITY

In many research studies, participants do not have a straightforward means to follow up their voluntary contribution to scientific research.

Given the time and effort offered by volunteers, a sense of fulfillment is essential to encourage future involvement.

ParticipAid addresses this issue by seeking to involve volunteers not just as participants but as fellow contributors to medical discoveries.

The goal is for participants and researchers to be “advancing research, together.”

The designers hope to include a personalized news feed that broadcasts updates from past contributions. By keeping volunteers up-todate, the app will help volunteers to appreciate the role they played in accelerating scientific research.

Sports

August 8, 2016 var.st/sports sports@thevarsity.ca

Weight training and women Exposing myths that suggest weight training is not for women Stephanie Ntoukas Varsity Contributor Walking into a local gym, you may notice that the majority of cardio equipment is occupied by women, whereas more men are using machines and dumbbells or engaging in body-weight exercises. The disproportionate ratio of men to women lifting is due in part to the incorrect beliefs that some people have regarding women and weight training.

Historically, many women adopted ‘caregiver’ roles and did not spend as much time physically exerting themselves; physical labour was more often done by men. This is not the case today, as people of all genders are involved in a

wider variety of activities. Moving away from ‘traditional’ gender roles, more women are in ‘male-dominated’ careers and vice versa. In addition, more men are present in the caregiving of their children. Presently, more and more women are engaging in weight lifting as part of a healthy, active lifestyle.

False information about women and weight training has circulated for decades, resulting in massive numbers of females believing that weight training is not something they should get involved in. Below are four debunked myths that will be proved false in the hopes that more women will not shy away from the thought of lifting weights.

Weightlifting continued on page 22

Women who enjoy lifting is no myth. MATTHEW MANHIRE/THE VARSITY

Drugs and disgrace in America’s pastime Fans faith in the integrity of baseball derailed Daniel Samuel Varsity Contributor In April, Blue Jays first baseman Chris Colabello was suspended for 80 games after testing positive for Turinabol, an oral steroid widely used by athletes in the 1970s. Colabello’s suspension was announced two months after he tested positive — enough time for Colabello to, like many players before him, issue a lackluster statement with an all too familiar message: “I would never, have never and will never compromise the integrity of b aseball.” Major League Baseball (MLB) has a sordid history regarding the use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs); the transgressions made by players this season reflect this, sadly, ongoing narrative.

A scandalous history In 2002, the US federal government investigated the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO), a clinic that was found to be supplying steroids to professional athletes. As a result

NOOR NAQAWEH/ THE VARSITY

of this investigation, Jason Giambi, former league MVP, and Barry Bonds, record holder for the most home runs hit in a season and in a career, appeared in front of a grand jury. Giambi admitted to using steroids, while Bonds was later convicted of obstruction of justice for giving incomplete testimony during the trial. In 2015, the charge was overturned.

Following the BALCO scandal, in 2007, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball published an independent investigation into the use of steroids and human growth hormone in the MLB, authored by former US Senator George Mitchell. The Mitchell Report listed 89 baseball players that were in some way involved with the use of PEDs. In 2013, another PEDs scandal hit the MLB. Biogenesis of America, a Miami anti-aging clinic, was found to be supplying baseball players with PEDs. The Biogenesis scandal marked the largest mass suspension in league history: a total of 13 players were found to be acquiring and using banned

PEDs from the anti-aging clinic. The longest suspension was imposed on New York Yankees 14-time all-star Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez. He received a 211-game suspension that was later reduced to 162 games, and he was forced to forfeit $25 million in salary.

Case study: A-Rod There are still huge incentives for MLB players to use PEDs and Rodriguez is a perfect example. He is the poster child for the modern steroid era, and his place in baseball history presents a moral conundrum for baseball fans. With nearly 700 home runs and over 3,000 hits, he is the all-time leader of grand slams and has won three MVP awards.

Statistically, Rodriguez is one of the greatest players of all-time; if it wasn’t for his rapid decline and season-long suspension, he would have had a plausible chance to surpass Bonds in career home runs.

In December 2007, Rodriguez signed a $275 million 10-year exten-

PEDs continued on page 23

22 d THE VARSITY d SPORTS

sports@thevarsity.ca

Let’s get physical

Weightlifting continued from page 21

Ways every student can be active

Tossing some ultimate frisbee on Back Campus. SANDY MA/THE VARSITY

Adit Daga Varsity Contributor On a warm August stroll through The Annex, I observe student passerbys who call this place home. August is a funny month — students try to extract every last drop of summer goodness, in the hopes of forgetting the approach of the school year, which will be filled with all-nighters and impossibly long readings.

A healthy way to avoid studying — or supplement it, as many studies conclude — is to keep active during the school year. Contrary to popular belief, U of T actually has many facilities, programs, and organizations that can support your individual athletic goals.

Take gyms and fitness centres, for instance. UTSG houses the Athletic Centre, the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport, Varsity Centre, and Hart House Fitness Centre.

Among these facilities, you can take your pick of weight rooms, swimming pools, tennis and squash courts, tracks, and strength and conditioning studios. Experiment with the different places to find which one best suits your needs.

On top of typical fitness facilities — cardio and weight rooms, swimming pools, tracks, and courts — the UTM

Recreation Athletics and Wellness Centre offers golf cages and beach volleyball courts, which are both great ways to keep the summer alive.

At UTSC, the Department of Athletics and Recreation takes care of your athletic needs with a multi-purpose double gymnasium, a cardio theatre, a strength and conditioning centre, and even a diamond for die-hard baseball addicts that love to play late into the fall. You can also venture into the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre to use the same facilities that champion athletes from all over the world have used.

With valid T-Card in hard, U of T students that pay incidental fees have access to all of these facilities. You shouldn’t limit yourself to just one venue; try to make use of all of your exclusive memberships.

If instructor-led activities are more your style, you should peruse through the abundance of fitness classes that the university has to offer. With your choice of drop-in or registered classes that range from beginner to expert at all of the aforementioned facilities.

Classes cover everything from ginga — the rhythmic footwork of capoeira — to archery, which is the perfect opportunity for any toxophilites that are itching to get their hands on a bow. Some classes are free, while

others charge a fee, but there are certainly plenty of options.

Alternatively, if a community feel is what you’re looking for within this university, joining an intramural team can do wonders for your physical and social lives. You can sign up through your college or faculty’s Intramural Representative, and schedules generally run semesterly over the fall, winter, and summer. You can simply visit the U of T Intramurals website for a detailed list of sports and teams.

Taking the community aspect one step further, clubs and organizations are also an inclusive way to keep active. The Ulife website provides a comprehensive list of organizations that may tickle your athletic fancy.

UofT Quidditch Team, Rotman Commerce Liquid Assets Dragon Boat Team, U of T Backpackers, and ultimate frisbee team Torontula make up only a sampling of the different clubs you can join.

Go forth, energy-filled students, and explore the athletic activities that surround you. As the summer comes to an end, I find myself taking a liking to the introductory fencing classes that the Athletic Centre has to offer.

Of course I’ve never tried it before, but poking others with sticks sounds like a great way to pass time.

Lifting heavy weights makes you ‘bulky.’

Regardless of gender, building lean muscle and bulking up takes a lot of work and dedication. Females produce more human growth hormone than men, which stimulates cellular reproduction and regeneration, and muscle growth. On the other hand, women do not have the same genetic makeup as men. Men have larger amounts of testosterone, an anabolic hormone produced by the testes that promotes muscle growth and increases the rate of protein synthesis.

This however, does not mean women cannot build muscle; the ovaries produce testosterone in smaller quantities, and estrogen is also involved in the muscle repair and exercise recovery process.

If a woman wanted to ‘get big’ and ‘bulk up,’ she would have to follow strict training and nutrition regimens and ingest many more calories. Even with the aid of supplements to support muscle growth, the result of weight training can be great muscle tone and definition, not necessarily a ‘bulky’ physique.

Weight training is not safe for your joints.

A myth that pertains to both women and men is that weight training causes joint problems. While this may be true of weight training, when done improperly it is not indicative of all weight training.

In fact, another cause of joint pain is excess loading through the joint due to obesity. Weight training can be used as a weight loss tool in combination with dietary considerations. Weight training executed with proper form and adapted to the individual’s physical abilities increases the production of synovial fluid, which allows joints to move with ease.

Strengthening surrounding muscles increases the stability of the joint, distributing body weight onto muscles instead of bones and joints. When engaging in a regular weight training program, individuals may experience less joint pain.

Abdominal exercises get you ‘sixpack abs.’

Some women fear that doing core exercises will tone their abs giving them the ‘six-pack’ look. However, there is no such thing as ‘spot reduction,’ which refers to the fallacy that reducing fat from a specific area on the body can be achieved using specific exercises.

To see a ‘six-pack,’ an individual must have a low enough body fat for ‘abs’ to be visible. You can forget about doing hundreds of spine-bending crunches. Total body fat must be reduced to see muscular definition of the midsection, which involves a workout regimen tailored to your physical ability that targets major muscle groups and being in a caloric deficit.

On average, body fat of 19 per cent or lower — which is not recommended by health professionals — is when a woman notices abdominal definition.

Avoid weight training during your menstrual cycle.

Many women think that they should avoid training while menstruating, but it is a great time to focus on building muscle as estrogen fluctuations can disrupt focus. Estrogen levels are at their lowest during menstruation and up to one week after your cycle ends.

Many women experience a reduction in menstrual cramps and back pain during and after exercise, as exercise heats up the body, releases endorphins, and allows focus to be placed on the activity at hand.

Furthermore, back and abdominal strengthening exercises can contribute to a reduction in cramps. Women have a higher pain tolerance from the start of menstruation to the time of ovulation, about seven days after menstruation.

Hormonal fluctuations during this time of the month can lead to food cravings due to low serotonin levels; a ‘feel-good’ neuorotransmitter. This is where weight training can be extremely beneficial. Instead of getting your ‘fix’ from a bowl of ice cream, engaging in exercise actually increases the levels of serotonin in the brain, making it a healthier approach.

Chalking hands before a lift. MATTHEW MANHIRE/THE VARSITY

AUGUST 8, 2016 u 23

var.st/sports

U of T Sports Hall of Fame University inducts OFSAA creator, first Grey Cup coach, and many others

Commemorating inductees at the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport. NATHAN CHAN/THE VARSITY

Barinder Sangha Varsity Contributor The University of Toronto’s 189 years of athletic culture and sporting legacy is often overlooked by many. Now in it’s twenty-ninth year, the U of T Sports Hall of Fame chronicles and pays homage to this legacy.

Located in the A. Gordon Stollery Atrium of the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport, the hall celebrated its 2016 induction of athletes, coaches, builders, and teams on June 2.

Nominations to the hall of fame can be made by Varsity Blues personnel, usually 10 years after the nominee has retired from service. The selection committee, consisting of nine members, approves nominated candidates.

There are three categories that members of the hall of fame can fall under: student-athletes, teams, and builders.

Student-athletes are selected based on their achievements and contributions in multiple standings — on provincial, national, international levels — and they do not need to be varsity athletes to receive the distinction.

Teams must have competed at the highest intercollegiate level applicable at the time and be a part of the school’s varsity program.

Lastly, builders must have contributed to the University of Toronto program in a role other than that of a student-athlete. They must have been members of athletic institutions, faculty, or administrative staff pertaining to U of T and in support of its athletics.

Among this year’s inductees were the 1959– 1963 men’s rugby team, who were arguably the most dominant team in the school’s history, winning five intercollegiate championships.

The late Harry Griffith was also honoured.

Griffith was known as one of the most intelligent minds in early Canadian football. He led the University of Toronto to victory over Toronto Parkdale, winning the first ever Grey Cup in 1909. He was an avatar for good sportsmanship; remarking, “If you lose, say nothing; if you win, say less.” He did all this, while teaching French at the university.

Perhaps the most notable inductee of the night was Gordon Wright, a former fitness administrator, who was inducted as a builder. Wright truly left his mark on Ontario sport.

Growing up on a farm, he was raised with a be-

lief in hard work, and he used this principle to drive himself to become a wrestling champion at the national level. In addition to his wrestling career, he was the Director of Physical and Health Education and Recreation in Ontario, and he helped establish the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations, more commonly known as OFSAA, the provincial high school athletics league.

Wright moved on to become the first National Director of Fitness and Amateur Sport and then worked trying to make Canada the best athletic market in the world. He was one of the founding fathers of sport, not just within Ontario but across the nation.

PEDs continued from page 21

483 Bloor Street West.

(416) 922-5875

Award winning café and desserts All day breakfast including student specials

futurebistro.ca

sion with the New York Yankees, seven years after the ink dried on his $252 million 10-year contract with the Texas Rangers. Both contracts were the largest deals in MLB history at the time they were signed. Rodriguez, who admitted in 2009 to using steroids during his time in Texas and then again post-Biogenesis in 2014 when he was with the Yankees, will eventually retire as the highest paid player in MLB history.

However, the fact that flying in the face of the league’s rules has led him to immense wealth and status makes it nearly impossible for him to receive clemency from fans. It is not just that Rodriguez has tarnished the game’s history and legacy by doping his way through the record books, but Rodriguez also lied to his fans about using PEDs in a 2007 60 Minutes interview, and then he sued MLB following the Biogenesis scandal, in an effort to counteract the suspension that was actually warranted.

Despite the overwhelming evidence that speaks to Rodriguez’s use of PEDs and his disregard for the league’s regulations, fans will ultimately have to accept the uncanny talent he possessed. While PED usage can enhance the level of an athlete, natural ability is still required to be able to play at a world class level.

In cases like Bonds and Rodriguez, fans are left wondering how far the players’ natural talent and hard work would have taken them, in the hopes of comparing the modern steroid users to the baseball heroes of the past.

Lost dignity Bonds, one of baseball’s all-time greats, bettered Babe Ruth and then Hank Aaron for most home runs hit in a career — Babe Ruth held the record from 1935, only to be surpassed in 1976

by Aaron. If it were not for Bonds’ steroid use

he would be hailed as the greatest power hitter of all time. As it is, his total number of home runs — 762* — will forever be accompanied by an asterisk.

The asterisk symbol often depicted alongside Bonds’ record is a symbolic gesture made by fans as an unofficial declaration against his suspected steroid use. They believe only players who have stayed clean belong in the Hall of Fame and that Hank Aaron is the true all-time home run leader. The Baseball Writers’ Association of America has reinforced these values by consistently voting against suspected PED users, such as Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens, and Bonds, to keep them from being named in the Hall of Fame.

In the season that Rodriguez returned, Boston Red Sox pitcher Ryan Dempster aimed three pitches at him before finally connecting with the fourth, as the fans shouted, “You’re a cheater!”

Dempster’s brand of frontier justice, however, isn’t an effective way to take a stand against PED users. Alternatively, suspensions aren’t proving to be a sufficiently effective deterrent to PED use by baseball players either — at the end of the day, Rodriguez was still able to return to baseball.

Colabello’s promise to uphold the integrity of baseball — regardless of the sincerity of his statement — is an outlook that needs to be adopted by all MLB players. Fans and officials can’t control the actions of athletes, so it’s up to the players to not let their passion, drive, and commitment to perform well ultimately override the integrity of the game.

AUGUST 8, 2016 u 24

DIVERSIONS

CROSSWORD 1

2

3

DOWN 4

5

12

6

7

16

22

23

24

27

33

34

37

38

41

46

11

31

32

54

55

17

19

26

10

14

18

45

9

13

15

21

8

20

25

28

29

35

30

36

39

40

42

43

47

44

48

49

50

51

52

53

56

57

58

59

60

61

LAST TIME

ACROSS

1. Minor player 2. “What ___ friends for?”

3. Malibu hue 4. Failed as a sentry 5. Comparative word 6. Cereal crop 7. New Year’s ___ 8. Bulrush relative 9. Craving 10. Dolls’ accompaniers 11. Fashion lines 16. First synthetic fiber 20. Downs’ opposite 21. Barn area 22. A psychic may see it 23. Attend to a pressing detail?

24. Corolla part 25. Goofs up 28. Adjective for a cad 30. Retro hairdo 31. Crescent horn 32. Like most sweaters 35. Midwest hub 38. Local mail H.Q. 42. Long stories 44. Cockpit array 45. Layover 46. Spring 47. Partner of one?

48. Elder, e.g.

51. “___ so fast!”

52. React to spilled milk?

53. Drunkard 54. Waste watchers’ org.

55. One who’s coming out

1. Andrew Lloyd Webber hit 5. Low digits 9. “Bleah!”

12. Rev. Roberts 13. Suffer from 14. Woody herb 15. Produced 17. Campus facility 18. Awful review 19. It may be educated or wild 21. Clergy counterpart 24. Hatchery sound 26. Communal pronoun 27. “I’ve finished,” on a radio 29. Santa’s burden 33. To’s partner 34. Explosion maker 36. Kicks 37. Piquancy 39. Punishment for a sailor, maybe 40. IT worker’s complaint 41. Drink garnish 43. Take home, as a pet 45. Inside info 48. Angle opener 49. Heavy weight 50. Grew larger 56. Texas tea 57. Apple discard 58. Jogger’s gait, perhaps 59. Paper towel measure 60. Sebaceous gland woe 61. Reasonable try

Work with us.

Fall Open House September 20 1:00–5:00 pm 21 Sussex Avenue