THE VARSITY
“Why am I at U of T?” : Faculty of Music students raise concerns over building conditions
Students discuss inadequate funding, lack of university response
Questionable conditions
Students at U of T’s Faculty of Music have described the conditions of 90 Wellesley Street West as “poor,” “terrible,” and “rundown.” Built in 1955 as a dormitory, the building has been used by U of T’s music students since 2007.
Despite repeated calls on the university administration to address issues in the building, students in the Faculty of Music claim that their concerns go unheard.
In interviews with The Varsity , music students weighed in on the building’s conditions, the Faculty of Music’s funding, and the university’s response.
Music spaces
U of T’s Faculty of Music has two sites at the UTSG campus: the Edward Johnson Building (EJB) at 80 Queen’s Park and the Faculty of Music South building at 90 Wellesley Street West.
The EJB includes the MacMillan Theatre — an 815-seat theatre which features a 50-person orchestra pit — and Walter Hall — a small auditorium designed for chamber music and solo recitals. The MacMillan Theatre has been closed since December 2023 due to ongoing renovations, which has sparked frustration among music students and faculty who have had to relocate to other theatres in the GTA to perform.
The EJB also houses performance spaces, large ensemble rehearsal rooms, classrooms, studio offices, and a Music Library. The Faculty of Music South building includes classrooms, student lounges, faculty offices, and practice rooms. In 2011, the building was partially renovated for the Jazz program, graduate student offices, and other performance functions.
The university is currently planning to build a new site at 90 Queen’s Park for the School of Cities, which will include additional Faculty of Music facilities. The building will connect to the EJB directly, and include a new recital hall and other areas for performances, conferences, and special events.
Eric Yang — a fourth-year music student studying history, culture and theory and the president of the Faculty of Music Undergraduate Association (FMUA) — noted that the current plans for the new site don’t include classrooms, student spaces, office spaces: “all things that we need.”
“The plans are to just build another concert hall, which we have two of those,” he said in an interview with The Varsity . “It’s not the first priority.”
Students in the Faculty of Music have raised several concerns over the conditions of the Faculty of Music South building.
“The conditions of 90 [Wellesely] are somewhat questionable at best,” wrote Fabian Nunez Ramos, a fourth-year music student studying jazz education and FMUA jazz director, in an email to
“The practice rooms themselves are all old dormitories, and not all of them have desks or chairs for jazz students to utilize for doing music theory and other written work,” he explained. “On top of that[,] not all practice rooms have [pianos]/keyboards for students to practice in.”
Ramos added that the roof tiles were old, there were only a few functioning water fountains, and there were mice in the building a few months ago which were “dealt with after the FMUA brought it up [to the administration] countless times.”
He also claimed that the building had no air conditioning, which made it difficult to practice in the warmer months and “sometimes there is no heating so it’s too cold to practice.”
“Keep in mind we are music students, and it is essential that we have places to perform,” he wrote.
Jay-Daniel Baghbanan — a second-year classical voice student and vice-president, student life at the FMUA — noted in an interview with that the conditions of the building are “rundown” and “not fit for the needs of the music [students at U of T].”
“[Students] come to a music faculty and have trouble booking a practice room… and then the room that you end up in has an out of tune, rickety piano, [a] carpeted floor that is absorbing your sound, and the ceiling feels so low like your sound is not traveling anywhere. And then you practice in that, and you develop bad habits because of that,” he explained.
Continued on page 2.
The University of Toronto’s Student Newspaper Since 1880
Selia Sanchez News Editor
T HE VA RSI T Y
Vol. CXLV, No. 16
21 Sussex Avenue, Suite 306 Toronto, ON M5S 1J6 (416) 946-7600
thevarsity.ca thevarsitynewspaper @TheVarsity thevarsitypublications the.varsity The Varsity
MASTHEAD
Eleanor Yuneun Park editor@thevarsity.ca
Editor-in-Chief
Kaisa Kasekamp creative@thevarsity.ca
Creative Director
Kyla Cassandra Cortez managingexternal@thevarsity.ca
Managing Editor, External
Ajeetha Vithiyananthan managinginternal@thevarsity.ca
Managing Editor, Internal
Maeve Ellis online@thevarsity.ca
Managing Online Editor
Ozair Anwar Chaudhry copy@thevarsity.ca
Senior Copy Editor
Isabella Reny deputysce@thevarsity.ca
Deputy Senior Copy Editor
Selia Sanchez news@thevarsity.ca
News Editor
James Bullanoff deputynews@thevarsity.ca
Deputy News Editor
Olga Fedossenko assistantnews@thevarsity.ca
Assistant News Editor
Charmaine Yu opinion@thevarsity.ca
Opinion Editor
Rubin Beshi biz@thevarsity.ca
Business & Labour Editor
Sophie Esther Ramsey features@thevarsity.ca
Features Editor
Divine Angubua arts@thevarsity.ca
Arts & Culture Editor
Medha Surajpal science@thevarsity.ca
Science Editor
Jake Takeuchi sports@thevarsity.ca
Sports Editor
Nicolas Albornoz design@thevarsity.ca
Design Editor
Aksaamai Ormonbekova design@thevarsity.ca
Design Editor
Zeynep Poyanli photos@thevarsity.ca
Photo Editor
Vicky Huang illustration@thevarsity.ca
Illustration Editor
Genevieve Sugrue, Milena Pappalardo video@thevarsity.ca
Video Editors
Emily Shen emilyshen@thevarsity.ca
Front End Web Developer
Andrew Hong andrewh@thevarsity.ca
Back End Web Developer
Razia Saleh utm@thevarsity.ca
UTM Bureau Chief
Urooba Shaikh utsc@thevarsity.ca
UTSC Bureau Chief
Matthew Molinaro grad@thevarsity.ca
Graduate Bureau Chief
Vacant publiceditor@thevarsity.ca
Public Editor
Associate Senior Copy Editors
Asmi Khanna, Damola Omole, Sharon Chan
Associate News Editors
Avin De, Shontia Sanders
Associate Opinion Editors
Caitlin Adams, Ameer N. Vidal
Associate Features Editors
Sophia Moniz, Chris Zdravko
Associate A&C Editors
Mashiyat Ahmed, Ridhi Balani
Associate Science Editors
Mariana Dominguez Rodriguez
Social Media Manager
Associate Sports Editors
Medha Barath, Aunkita Roy Associate B&L Editors
Loise Yaneza
Associate Design Editors
Jaylin Kim, Chloe Weston, Simona Agostino
Associate Illo Editors
Jason Wang, Kate Wang
Associate Photo Editors
Nidhil Vohra, Jennifer Song
Associate Video Editors
Vacant
Associate Web Developer
The Varsity acknowledges that our office is built on the traditional territory of several First Nations, including the Huron-Wendat, the Petun First Nations, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit. Journalists have historically harmed Indigenous communities by overlooking their stories, contributing to stereotypes, and telling their stories without their input. Therefore, we make this acknowledgement as a starting point for our responsibility to tell those stories more accurately, critically, and in accordance with the wishes of Indigenous Peoples.
Cover Kaisa Kasekamp with photos from Selia Sanchez :
BUSINESS OFFICE
Ishir Wadhwa business@thevarsity.ca
Business Manager
Rania Sadik raniasadik@thevarsity.ca
Business Associate
Eva Tsai, Muzna Arif advertising@thevarsity.ca
Advertising Executives
The
Continued from cover.
“Just enough to survive”
Yang noted that the funding the faculty receives to maintain the space “is poor at best.”
He believes that the Faculty of Music “tries very hard to make right,” but they don’t receive enough funding from the university to make repairs.
“[The] budget always gets us just enough to survive, but not enough to see any improvements from the invisible conditions that we’re in right now,” he explained. “As much as you can try to plaster on band-aid solutions to make the [Faculty of] Music work better, it requires an investment from… the university.”
Ramos added that the FMUA provides some music equipment for students, such as speakers, but he believes this should be covered by the university. Students in the Faculty of Music can apply for financial assistance to cover additional expenses.
Department disparities
Both Baghbanan and Yang noted that many music students saw a disparity between the conditions of the Faculty of Music and other department buildings at U of T.
“Other people in other programs who pay around the same tuition as us have better conditions, better spaces for their education,” Yang said.
He noted how conditions in Robarts Library, University College, Trinity College, and Victoria College are “much, much better” than the Faculty of Music South building.
Yang said that if the university is planning to offer programs in jazz performance, jazz comprehensive, and jazz education — all of which have required classes in the Faculty of Music South building — there “needs to be the right learning [spaces]… to ensure a proper education and a proper degree.”
“[The] university is very much misunderstanding what it takes to keep [the] music faculty running,” Baghbanan explained. “Sometimes it feels like they’re arbitrarily assigning a valuable merit to our degrees.”
U of T’s response
Baghbanan noted that when students raise their concerns to the university, it “feels like we don’t get a response.”
“Anytime we knock on their door to ask for help, they kind of shoo us away and say ‘we’re already doing what we can,’” he explained. “We work so hard… and then look around at the university that seems to think that we don’t do anything and we deserve nothing.”
“It’s incredibly disheartening and it just makes you wonder, like, why am I at U of T,” he said.
In an email to The Varsity, a spokesperson for the Faculty of Music wrote that “the Faculty of Music is committed to ensuring suitable physical space for students, faculty and staff.” They added that “matters raised by students and others are addressed with those individuals as appropriate.”
Copy Editors: Ava Aubry, Ava Sandler, Ben Chapman
Dhritya Nair, Diala Abou Matar, Elena Zjalic, Juliet Pieters, Raina Proulx-Sanyal, Thea Jagdeo, Tianyi Li, Zoe Eaton Designers: Loise Yaneza, Brennan Karunaratne, Janice Cheong, Lal Ozashin, Rita Acisobi
Callie Zhang, Madison Truong, Nora Zolfaghari, Maram Qarmout Caroline Ho, Taimoore Yousaf, Lauren Nicole Robinson
Lead Copy Editors: Bruno Macia, Mari Khan, Valerie Yao, Yasmeen Banat
Selia Sanchez News Editor
Outside the Faculty of Music South building, students find the building “rundown.” LUCAS GARCIA VIDAL/THE VARSITY
Inside one of the practice rooms at the Faculty of Music south building.
SELIA SANCHEZ/THE VARSITY
In the basement of the Faculty of Music south building. SELIA SANCHEZ/THE VARSITY
U of T announces launch of sexual violence policy review
Advocacy group expresses
“very
low expectations” for 2025 review
Olga Fedossenko Assistant News Editor
On January 15, U of T announced the launch of its review of its Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment. This process will take place throughout 2025, following the 2021–2022 review of the policy.
The Prevention, Empowerment, Advocacy, Response, for Survivors Project (PEARS) Project — a grassroots, trauma-informed coalition that provides support and resources to survivors of sexual violence across U of T — has advocated for changes to U of T’s Sexual Violence Policy. The Varsity spoke with some of its members about the upcoming review.
History of the policy
U of T’s sexual violence policy outlines the university’s principles for the prevention of sexual violence incidents and its responses to cases of sexual violence and harassment for members of the university community.
The policy emerged in 2017 after Ontario introduced Bill 132, Sexual Violence and Harassment Action Plan Act in 2016 — requiring postsecondary institutions to develop their own sexual violence policy. The act also mandates that all postsecondary institutions review their policies every three years and make necessary amendments.
In 2022, the university completed its most recent review of the policy, for which U of T hosted tri-campus open and closed consultation sessions with students, staff, faculty, and librarians. Based on the collected feedback, U of T put forward 13 recommendations for the policy, which were then later modified into 12.
Most recommendations focused on improving the university’s existing services offered at the U of T Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre. Other recommendations included improving data collection on sexual violence and harassment incidents, creating an education program on healthy boundaries, communication, and consent for students, and addressing power imbalances in facultystudent relationships.
However, PEARS wrote in their analysis of the policy review that the university’s recommendations were vague and potentially harmful to survivors.
PEARS found the seventh recommendation particularly worrisome, which advised the university to establish formal support for respondents — individuals accused of sexual violence or harassment.
“While we do not want to diminish the significance of education for perpetrators in part of possible restorative justice practices, this is particularly alarming to see, as the university already fails to adequately support survivors, they are now working to support their abusers,” wrote PEARS in its analysis.
Despite the concerns, all 12 recommendations were accepted by the university in August 2022.
Since then, PEARS has continued to demand changes. In October 2022, the group organized a protest titled “Too Little Too Late” against U of T accepting the review recommendations. Ahead of the ongoing review, PEARS issued a letter to the university in November 2024, criticizing U of T’s 2022 review team and the lack of an external reviewer for the policy.
Direction of 2025 review
At the January 15 University Affairs Board meeting, Vice-Provost, Students Sandy Welsh informed the board about the launch of the review.
“The focus of the 2025 review will be to assess the impact of the changes to the Policy and related processes that were made in response to the 2022 review recommendations, and to identify any further opportunities to improve the Policy,” wrote Vice-President and Provost Trevor Young in his memo about the launch.
For this year’s review, U of T has hired Gillian Hnatiw as its external expert. Hnatiw is a Toronto-based lawyer and practitioner who runs a firm specializing in the areas of sexual assault, harassment, and violence.
Professor Faye Mishna will act as this review’s lead. Mishna is a professor in the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and the Department of Psychiatry, and her research focuses on bullying, specifically, cyberbullying and sexting among youth.
Community consultations are set to take place between January and March of 2025. The consultations are open to all U of T community members, including students, staff, faculty members, and librarians. During the consultation period, there will be opportunities
“[U of T] have shown us time and time again [that] this is not a meaningful process or review, but rather a checkbox for something legislatively mandated.”
to provide feedback through open online and in-person discussion sessions, an anonymous online form, as well as emailing the review team directly.
Student concerns
Micah Kalisch — PEARS’ founder and codirector, pursuing a master’s in women and gender studies — expressed having ”very low expectations for [the university’s] review.”
“[U of T] have shown us time and time again [that] this is not a meaningful process or review, but rather a checkbox for something legislatively mandated,” wrote Kalisch to The Varsity
In an email to The Varsity, Taylor Stetka — PEARS’ Policy Project Lead and third-year student studying international relations and German studies — wrote that “Gillian Hnatiw’s appointment is a step in the right direction, but does not fix the issue of the review being internally led and organized.”
Both PEARS executives questioned the university’s decision not to commit to a full external review.
Kalisch also expressed concern about the appointed lead: “We are unsure of Professor Faye Mishna’s involvement or knowledge of the policy.”
She mentioned that Mishna did not speak out against the “rampant violence” at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine (TFM) and that the university “need[s] someone who can speak out about injustice at UofT without fear of repercussion[s].” Kalisch referred to TFM professor Robert Reisz’s violation of U of T’s Sexual Harassment Policy.
Finally, Kalisch critiqued the university’s consultation process. “In their last session we attended[,] the reviewers were not well versed in the policy [and] students and survivors were having to copy and paste policy sections in the chat,” she recalled.
The PEARS’ founder added that to make the consultation process easier for students and survivors, U of T needs to have support available during feedback sessions as well as compensate students and survivors for the work.
In a statement to The Varsity , a U of T spokesperson referred to the review’s consultation website, which states, “The university invites members of the U of T community to review the policy and share their feedback through one or more of the following in-person and online feedback opportunities.”
It further states, “We are committed to a trauma-informed consultation and review process.”
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence or harassment at U of T:
• Visit safety.utoronto.ca for a list of safety resources.
• Visit svpscentre.utoronto.ca for information, contact details, and hours of operation for the tri-campus Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre. Centre staff can be reached by phone at 416-978-2266 or by email at svpscentre@utoronto.ca.
• Call Campus Safety Special Constable Service to make a report at 416-9782222 (for U of T St. George and U of T Scarborough) or 905-569-4333 (for U of T Mississauga)
• Call the Women’s College Hospital Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Care Centre at 416-323-6040
• Call the Scarborough Grace Sexual Assault Care Centre at 416-495-2555
• Call the Assaulted Women’s Helpline at 866-863-0511
Students express concern over anti-abortion protests on campus
Graphic displays by anti-abortion groups seen at major campus intersections
Asmi Khanna Associate News Editor
U of T has seen a number of anti-abortion protests over the past few years, causing unease among some students and passersby.
In 2015, protesters at the intersection of St. George Street and Bloor Street drew attention with large banners depicting graphic and disturbing images of aborted fetuses. In 2022, protesters appeared at the University of Toronto Students’ Union Orientation, attempting to engage passersby in conversations advocating for abolishing abortion rights in Canada.
While such protests previously happened at highly populated events, they have now become a regular occurrence at prominent campus locations.
U of T’s protest policies
According to the 2024 User Guide on U of T Policies on Protest, peaceful protests on campus are permitted but they must adhere to specific guidelines.
Some guidelines stipulate that protests cannot occur between 11:00 pm and 7:00 am or involve “unauthorized” occupation or entering of spaces. The guideline refers students to a directory on the Office of the Vice-Provost, Students’ website for information to book a space for protests. Additionally, using intimidating or harassing tactics, creating excessive noise, blocking access to campus, or displaying discriminatory or threatening content violates U of T policies.
While the anti-abortion protests do not appear to violate the university’s Policies on Protest, their use of graphic imagery has sparked controversy among students. The Varsity spoke to UTSG students to discuss the recent anti-abortion protests on campus and its effects.
Students and PEARS respond
Emily Miller, a third-year student studying political science, expressed concern over the protesters’ imagery, noting that it creates a “climate of discomfort and tension” on campus.
She emphasized the need to balance the right to protest with maintaining a safe and supportive campus environment, particularly for students with personal or traumatic experiences related to abortion.
David Harris, a second-year student studying history, called the graphic images “an aggressive and invasive tactic” that “doesn’t promote healthy dialogue.” He noted that the images hinder productive engagement with the topic, and generate discomfort and division instead.
Both Miller and Harris argued that, while the right to protest is crucial, it should not come at the expense of student well-being.
Students have also expressed frustration over the frequency of the anti-abortion protests, particularly since they are often held in high-traffic areas and make it difficult for students to avoid what they find as “deeply upsetting.”
Miller said that the university should enforce policies to limit the use of protesters’ graphic imagery in public spaces and increase support services such as counselling to help students cope with the emotional impact of the protests.
Research conducted by the University of California, San Francisco’s Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health found that according to research, graphic anti-abortion images can have negative emotional effects on some women deciding to go through the abortion process, especially those who have had difficulty deciding to have an abortion.
Harris further suggested that the university consider more actively regulating protests, potentially designating certain areas for “controversial demonstrations” to minimize their impact on other students.
Micah Kalisch is the founder and co-director of The Prevention, Empowerment, Advocacy, Response, for Survivors (PEARS) Project, a trauma-informed coalition that provides peer support and resources to survivors of sexual violence at U of T. Kalisch is a first-year masters student studying women and gender studies with a focus in sexualized violence.
UTSU approves three referendums for upcoming union elections
Members approve union’s 2025 election dates
James Bullanoff Deputy News Editor
On January 19, the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) held its monthly board of directors (BOD) meeting, where members confirmed the dates of the 2025-2026 UTSU election and approved three referendums for the upcoming election cycle.
Executive reports
UTSU President Shehab Mansour highlighted the union’s ongoing initiatives, including efforts to implement REES (Respect, Educate, Empower, Survivors): an online platform for reporting sexual harassment, misconduct, and assault.
During their Annual General Meeting, the union noted that it was in the final stages of introducing the pilot, though no date has been set for its launch on campus.
“We are all kind of cognizant of the fact that it is a bit towards the home stretch of our terms, but we do know that we still have enough time to create new initiatives and do some good work,” said Mansour.
UTSU Vice President (VP) Public & University Affairs Avreet Jagdev discussed the TTC Pass
Program and her recent transit advocacy efforts. The program, which provides students with one free TTC ticket per day, up to three per week, is nearing its finalization. Jagdev expressed hope that the program will be operational by the end of January.
Election dates
Members also approved the dates for the 2025 UTSU elections, which take place annually between February and March.
The nomination period, during which members can seek nominations for elected office, runs from February 12–19.
The mandatory all-candidates meeting, where the Chief Returning Officer provides essential information to candidates, is scheduled for February 20.
A silent period, prohibiting nominations, campaigning, endorsing, and voting, will follow from February 20–21. Campaigning begins on February 22, with the voting period set for February 25–28.
Committee no-show
The union needed three UTSU members for the Elections and Referenda committee, but
In an email to The Varsity, she wrote “[It’s] incredibly violent and upsetting to see the recent increase in anti-abortion protestors, we have seen a similar rise in far right hate and violence.”
“Not only is anti-choice rhetoric inherently violent and fails to uphold and respect people’s bodily autonomy and consent, but often these protests [and] protesters are violent,” she wrote. “We have heard reports of people being followed, filmed, yelled at, grabbed, and intimidated. There is no choice or consent being extended to students who are trying to get to class and forced to pass graphic imagery and aggressive pushing of violent opinions and medical misinformation.”
Resources & peer support
In an email to The Varsity, a U of T spokesperson provided a link to what “the University is doing to protect those members of its community who feel threatened by what they consider hateful, harassing or threatening speech.”
The website states that “If a member of our community believes that another member’s speech compromises or threatens their personal safety, they may bring these concerns to their Dean’s Office, Equity Offices, or Community Safety Office.”
It encourages community members to contact Campus Safety in “urgent or acute cases” and if any member feels “physically unsafe or threatened” they should seek out resources provided by the Community Safety Office, the Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre, and Campus Safety.
Kalisch explained that the PEARS Project notifies students on social media of where the anti-abortion protests are taking place, “so folks can make an informed decision about the route they want to take.”
“We offer peer support during times we know anti-choice signage is prominent such as Orientation Week, and throughout the year our drop-in peer support is available for anyone triggered… by this,” she wrote.
“For students who are impacted by these protestors, I remind you that you are not alone, your reaction and response [are] valid,” she added. “For administration[,] we call on them to address the harmful and violent rhetoric of these signs and protestors.”
The U of T spokesperson also provided links to resources on the university’s policies regarding free speech and expression, including the User Guide to U of T Policies on Protests, the FAQs on the Free Speech website, and the Institutional Statement of Purpose.
The administration emphasized that U of T’s Statement of Purpose asserts, “Within the unique university context, the most crucial of all human rights are the rights of freedom of speech, academic freedom, and freedom of research. And we affirm that these rights are meaningless unless they entail the right to raise deeply disturbing questions and provocative challenges to the cherished beliefs of society at large and of the university itself.”
and
no one volunteered when it went to a vote during the meeting.
Justin Pappano, chair of the BOD, suggested that a special board meeting might be necessary to elect members to the committee.
Student levies
Five student groups presented the levy campaigns they hope to propose during the union’s election cycle.
The groups include Bikechain, a DIY bike repair space; Blue Sky Solar Racing, a team that builds and races solar-powered vehicles; Housing Our University Students Equitably Toronto, Canadian not-for-profit student housing developers; Regenesis U of T, an environmentalist group; and the University of Toronto Aerospace team.
After hearing the proposals, the meeting moved to proceed in-camera, requiring all non-UTSU members to leave. During this closed session, the union debated which levies to put forward, including
a proposed increase to the UTSU Orientation levy. Ultimately, three referendums were approved for the upcoming elections: two external levies from Bikechain and Regenesis U of T, and the union’s internal Orientation levy.
According to the board package, the UTSU Orientation levy proposed an increase from 50 cents to five dollars per student per semester. Bike Chain proposed raising their levy from 63 cents to $2.40 per student per semester, while Regenesis U of T proposed a new levy of five dollars per semester after failing to pass a similar proposal last academic year.
In an interview with The Varsity , VP Finance & Operations Elizabeth Shechtman noted that the union must finalize and approve the referendum questions with the Office of the Vice-Provost, Students before sharing them with The Varsity . It remains unclear when the union will confirm the referendum questions for student voting.
JAYLIN KIM/THE VARSITY
Union approves three levies
dates for the 2025 election cycle. NICOLAS ALBORNOZ/THE
What are
U
of T’s EDI policies? U of T research chairs discuss importance of EDI initiatives in light of criticism
Content warning: This article contains material that relates to sexual violence.
On January 10, the University of Southern California (USC) held a conference titled “Censorship in the Sciences: Interdisciplinary Perspectives,” at which theoretical physicist and author Lawrence M. Krauss delivered a presentation claiming that U of T, alongside other Canadian universities, censors prospective applicants in academic hiring.
Specifically, he referred to U of T’s research chair positions — for which the hiring process is now limited to those who self-identify as women or gender minorities, racialized individuals, persons with disabilities, and Indigenous peoples.
Krauss was previously accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women. For this, he was suspended at Arizona State University, from which he later retired. Krauss also had connections with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, whom he continued defending after Epstein’s 2008 conviction.
The Varsity interviewed U of T’s current research chairholders on the school’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) initiatives, where they shared the importance of DEI in ensuring representation and addressing gaps in academia.
Krauss’ speech
The three-day USC conference focused on the issues of academic freedom, institutional policies, and political influence within academics. The list of speakers featured professors, researchers, and clinicians from top postgraduate institutions such as Stanford University, Harvard University, Yale University, Cornell University, Columbia University, and UC Berkeley.
This comes in light of US President Donald Trump’s new executive order to end affirmative action in federal contracts and put all federal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) staff on paid leave and eventually be laid off.
On the first day of the conference, Krauss delivered his presentation titled “Living in Fear: Censorship, Ideology and Cancellation and its Broad and Deadening Impact on Science and Scholarship in the West.”
He discussed the American Physical Society “imposing woke political bias” by endorsing the 2020 Strike for Black Lives — a mass walkout in the wake of George Floyd’s death, protesting police brutality and anti-Black racism — and that the peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary academic journal Science “has promoted the notion that science is systematically racist and sexist… without clear evidence.”
Under the topic he titled “Imposing Politics in
Hiring,” he discussed how adhering to the DEI principles and policies can lead to censorship.
To prove his point, Krauss presented research chair job postings from various science departments of several Canadian universities, including U of T, the University of Waterloo, the University of Guelph, and Toronto Metropolitan University.
In 2018, the Canada Research Chairs Program’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Action Plan started to require academic institutions to set equity targets for each of the four designated groups under the Employment Equity Act: racialized individuals, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and women and gender minorities — including those who identify as trans, non-binary, gender fluid, or Two-Spirit.
The plan required the targets to be met through deadlines leading up to December 2029 — at which the institution’s proportion of chairs from the four designated groups must correspond with that of Canada’s 2016 census. Institutions that do not meet their equity targets by the December 2029 deadline will see their total allocation of Chairs reduced until the following allocation cycle.
In line with these requirements, U of T has created guidelines and initiatives dedicated to increasing the representation of the designated groups in research chairholders. Since October 2023, the university has been requiring all externally recruited chairs in engineering, dentistry, medicine, and other disciplines to be from one or more of the designated groups to meet the 2029 targets.
As of July 2024, 94 Tier 2 Chairs at U of T are women or members of gender equityseeking groups, 69 are racialized individuals, 13 are persons with disabilities, and
Elise Corbin Varsity Contributor
ACROSS
six are Indigenous — which surpasses all of the university’s December 2025 Tier 2 equity targets.
While both Tier 1 and Tier 2 positions are renewable once, the former is tenable for seven years while the latter is for five years. U of T receives $100,000 annually for each Tier 2 Chair, and $200,000 annually for each Tier 1 Chair. Firstterm Tier 2 Chairs also receive a $20,000 annual research stipend.
In response to these initiatives Krauss said, “In Canada, where I now live, it’s legal to censor people on the basis of gender or colour.”
“White males are not allowed to be considered for Canada Research Chairs,” said Krauss. “[Academic] merit does not matter as much as gender anymore.”
The Canadian Human Rights Act establishes that “It is not a discriminatory practice for a person to adopt or carry out a special program… to eliminate or reduce disadvantages that are suffered [by] any group of individuals when those disadvantages would be… related to the prohibited grounds of discrimination, by improving opportunities respecting… employment [amongst other things] in relation to that group.”
According to a 2019 Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion report by Universities Canada, approximately 40 per cent of full-time faculty positions at Canadian universities were held by women; 21.8 per cent were held by persons with disabilities; 20.9 per cent were held by racialized people and only 1.3 per cent were members of Indigenous groups. This means full-time faculty positions at Canadian universities were predominantly held by white men.
“Positive and necessary”
The Varsity spoke to the current research chair holders, Dr. Crystal Clark, a Canada Research Chair in Reproductive Mental Health, and Dr. Janine Farragher, a Research Chair in Life Participation and Kidney Disease, who shared their thoughts on U of T’s EDI initiatives.
1. Sounds of disapproval
5. Dazzled, past tense
6. Bird that can be grey, green, tricoloured, or “black-crowned night”
7. To build
8. Place to write an exam
DOWN
Clark — an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry, a scientist at Women’s College Research Institute, and the associate head of research at the Women’s College Hospital — wrote in an email to The Varsity that “the University of Toronto’s policies to promote diversity and equity in the Canada Research Chair appointment process is a positive and necessary initiative.”
“These efforts are crucial to ensuring that the academic environment is inclusive and reflective of the diverse society we serve,” she wrote. “I also believe that diversity and inclusion can and should be considered alongside academic achievement.”
Clark’s research aims to address a gap in psychiatry by exploring the experiences, risks, and optimal treatments for parental mental health among Black people, Indigenous people, and people of colour, emphasizing the importance of understanding why EDI policies are essential in academia.
“DEI initiatives aim to address and mitigate the effects of historical and systemic inequities, as well as implicit biases, ensuring that talented individuals from underrepresented backgrounds have the opportunity to excel and contribute meaningfully to academic spaces,” Clark wrote. “In fact, DEI policies enhance the integrity of meritocratic systems by fostering environments that are more inclusive, representative, and effective.”
Farragher — a registered occupational therapist and chronic kidney disease researcher — also provided her insights regarding the necessity of DEI policy in academia.
In an email to The Varsity, she wrote, “Until all people have equal access to resources, supports and opportunities throughout their life that enable them to succeed, the concept of a meritocracy without consideration of DEI is fundamentally flawed. To ensure we are actually capturing and including the diverse range of highly capable people that exist in our society, we need to implement DEI-sensitive selection processes in education.”
1. “___ She Goes” a 1990 The La’s song
2. Sensitive spots
3. A way to start a joke
4. Gmail category near “Drafts” and “Spam”
5. To lose fur or scales
Damola Omole Associate News Editor
Mini crossword
Business & Labour
A look into Indian restaurant Adrak Yorkville
UTSC alumna Ambica Jain’s story and the restaurant’s menu
Mishaal Sabir Varsity Contributor
Adrak Yorkville is an Indian restaurant located in Toronto’s upscale Yorkville neighbourhood. Co-founded by UTSC alumna Ambica Jain, the Michelin-recommended restaurant has become a prominent destination, attracting guests like the Jonas Brothers.
Adrak Yorkville’s food and service are underscored by the rigorous training of its culinary team. Their kitchen stands out with a unique hierarchy, featuring specialists with expertise in specific dishes rather than traditional executive or junior chefs of most restaurants. The team of culinary experts brings global experience from kitchens across the UAE, India, the US, Thailand, and beyond. Michelin-starred chef Vineet Bhatia trained all the members.
The menu at Adrak draws inspiration from various regions of India while incorporating global influences. Although it may not fit a typical student’s budget for regular dining, Adrak offers a unique experience for special occasions or when exploring refined Indian cuisine — through the hands of a UTSC alumna.
How Ambica Jain built Adrak Yorkville In an email to The Varsity, Jain discussed her entrepreneurial journey and how she has challenged “industry norms — whether in how South Asian cuisine is perceived, how it’s presented, or in general, reshaping the hierarchy of the traditional kitchen structure.”
For Jain, entrepreneurship wasn’t just a career choice — it was part of her identity. “I grew up in an entrepreneurial family, so business has been in our blood for generations,” she wrote. This
foundation inspired her to explore the possibility of creating a restaurant that would elevate Indian culinary heritage on a global stage.
One Reddit user remarks on Toronto’s food scene, “I feel like there’s a lack of ‘high-end’ or modern takes on Indian food in the city. Don’t get me wrong, the city is full of great Indian restaurants, but it’s nice to see a new restaurant trying to do something a little different.” It seems that Jain has established her market niche that caters to several demographics with vegetarian, gluten-free, and tree nut-free options in Adrak’s meals.
Tradition and innovation can coexist
Building Adrak Yorkville wasn’t without its hurdles. “Early on, I encountered skepticism, with people attributing my achievements to others or questioning my authority simply because I didn’t fit the typical mold of a restaurateur within our cuisine,” she wrote. The challenge “was more about my age and gender in an industry where leadership often looks very different.”
To overcome this, Jain and her team have “challenged gender norms in the restaurant industry, a traditionally male-dominated space where leadership isn’t always expected from women.” She added, “By subtly embedding female empowerment into our storytelling, we’re reshaping the approach to South Asian hospitality.”
Jain strives to stay ahead of the curve as she writes, “you have to be on top of your game with continuous [research and development].” However, Adrak strives to meet consumers’ expectations by serving traditional recipes that both celebrate Indian culture and appeal to Toronto’s diverse food scene.
U of T receives funding to establish national hub, advancing Canadian life sciences sector
The initiative will help accelerate the commercialization of life sciences research
at U of T helped attract more research funding through patent royalties, which are payments made to the ‘owner’ of these innovations.
January 28, 2025
thevarsity.ca/category/business biz@thevarsity.ca
“I think the clock is going full circle — back to our roots. For a time, there was a strong push towards modernization — chasing the latest gadgets, mimicking plating from other cuisines, and almost doing a complete 180 from our traditions. But now, we’re seeing a 360 degree shift, bringing us right back to where [it] started, but with a refreshed perspective.”
Jain credits much of her success to networking and mentorship, emphasizing their value in building her brand. “Networking has played –and continues to play – a huge role in my journey. Every interaction is an opportunity – whether it’s introducing yourself to someone new, learning from a conversation, or keeping connections open for the future,” she wrote.
Signature menu items include the onion bhajia ($18), masala soya ($21), and the tandoori gobi chaat ($20). For a Michelin-approved Indian restaurant, these prices are relatively cheap — Indian restaurant Bar Goa charges $23 for chaat, and averages around three dollars more per plate. Restaurant Aanch charges anywhere between $19.99 to $36.99 for a tandoori dish. Adrak’s prices also size up well with other Yorkville restaurants — Lebanese restaurant Amal charges anywhere between $24 to $36 for an entreé.
A vision for the future
Jain’s ambitions for Adrak extend far beyond Toronto. “I’d like to diversify our cuisine offerings, and explore opportunities that extend beyond the restaurant space — whether that’s in luxury hospitality, unique dining experiences, or other ventures that align with our vision of innovation, and excellence,” she wrote.
For students looking to follow in her footsteps, Jain’s advice is simple but powerful: “Don’t let your fear hold you back. If you avoid opportunities because you’re afraid of rejection or failure, you’ll never know what could have been. If you get a no, reflect on why and refine your approach. But if you get a yes, it’s because you took the risk — and that’s what entrepreneurship is all about.”
Jain recounts, “through my upbringing and education, discipline was reinforced, teaching me to set a routine and stay focused without getting distracted by the ‘flashy lights and frivolous matters.’ And through both, I learned diligence - the importance of being thorough in my work and decisions, ensuring that every step is well thought out rather than rushed.”
researchers to scale their innovations and turn them into viable businesses.
On January 15, U of T announced that it would be receiving $4.25 million in funding over the next five years to establish a national hub for advancing entrepreneurship and innovations in the life sciences. The hub will focus on commercializing life sciences research and delivering programs to help student- and faculty-led startups overcome challenges in developing healthcare businesses.
The grant aims to expand Lab2Market: a national network that trains graduate and postdoctoral students in entrepreneurial skills by helping researchers develop ideas and connecting them with support to launch their businesses.
U of T’s hub will serve as the national centre for this program and it will be located at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s Health Innovation Hub (H2i). H2i is a healthcare startup accelerator, supporting early-stage health and life science companies on campus.
Challenges faced by the Canadian life sciences industry
Canada has historically had a thriving life sciences sector. Groundbreaking discoveries like insulin
Revenue generated from these discoveries, in turn, supported the development of new facilities and research programs, further driving growth in the sector.
However, Canada’s life sciences sector is facing challenges. The sector has struggled to translate cutting-edge research into commercially viable solutions, with pharmaceuticals particularly affected. Canadian producers have been unable to meet the domestic demand for drugs, leading to an overreliance on imports. As a result, Canada lags behind its G7 peers in industry performance, producing fewer pharmaceuticals and spending less on the sector compared to countries in similar economic standing.
According to RBC, one potential reason for the life sciences sector’s challenges is the misallocation of funding. While 80 per cent of industry funds are directed toward research and development (R&D), relatively little is allocated to helping labs bring their products to market and succeed as early-stage startups. As a result, most biopharmaceutical products remain stuck in the development phases, making it difficult for
U of T's efforts to boost healthcare entrepreneurship
The university has programs in place to support the life sciences industry, such as H2i which supports entrepreneurs by offering resources and programs tailored to business development. One such program is Accelera, which helps businesses address problems they face during the early stages of their venture through roundtable discussions facilitated by members of both academia and industry.
The hub also emphasizes translating research into tangible products through the Building a Biotech Venture program. This months-long initiative is open to trainees from U of T or one of its nine affiliated partner hospitals. It first improves its trainees’ collaborative skills after which it helps teams develop their ideas into ventures with workshops led by industry experts and one-onone mentorship. It ends with the opportunity for teams to receive funding for their businesses through a pitch competition.
H2i also contributes to supporting women entrepreneurs in the life sciences industry through
the FemSTEM program: a multi-event series that includes panels, fireside talks, and a pitch competition where healthcare innovators can present their ideas to secure funding and support.
This startup accelerator has achieved significant success, supporting 248 early-stage companies, and helping them generate $122.5 million in funding during the 2023–2024 academic year.
The goals of U of T’s new health hub
U of T’s new health hub will place special emphasis on addressing the regulatory challenges faced by healthcare startups, which must often navigate a complex web of guidelines from various organizations.
The centre will collaborate with 38 universities and organizational partners, and its efforts will be guided by a committee of representatives from U of T, Dalhousie University, McGill University, McMaster University, Toronto Metropolitan University, Université de Montréal, University of British Columbia, and University of Calgary.
The hub will also help scale the existing Lab2Market program in Canada, which currently includes six hubs and 50 university partners across the country. The initiative aims to expand its network over the next five years.
Medha Barath
Associate Business & Labour Editor
SIMONA AGOSTINO /THE VARSITY
The menu at Adrak draws inspiration from various regions of India. ABBY RUSSCHEN/THE VARSITY
Letter to the Editor: Reporters can be columnists, too
The Varsity’s News-Opinion divide in pursuit of impartiality
Lina Obeidat Varsity Contributor
Anyone looking to report for The Varsity may take note during the onboarding process that there is a ‘News-Opinion divide’ they must adhere to. In accordance with The Varsity’s Editorial Practices, the paper prevents contributors from reporting on topics which “they have taken strong opinion stances on in the past,” and prohibits contributors who write more than one article for the News section from writing more than one article for the Opinion section during any given publication year, and vice versa.
According to The Varsity’s Editorial Practices, the News-Opinion divide is meant to ensure that any articles that make it to print “preserve the optics of impartiality,” or objectivity. At first glance, the policy appears rather straightforward and sensible; however, I believe that a closer examination of The Varsity’s ethos indicates that applying this policy may be difficult to justify because of the elusive nature of objectivity.
Objectivity can be misleading
On April 3, 2023, The Varsity’s Editorial Board published an article titled “Objective journalism shouldn’t be the goal.” In this article, the Board criticized the phenomenon of false balance, in which the media — in its pursuit of objectivity — often “presents opposing viewpoints as equal, even
is unreasonable
when that’s not supported by credible sources and facts.”
It went further to explain how this obsession with objectivity is not only harmful but also conceals the benefits of allowing people who have “specific personal experience with [a] topic” to report on that topic. These benefits could include locating sources or identifying issues that are not immediately “obvious to people coming from outside” of a certain community, embracing a sort of subjectivity that the News-Opinion divide aims to squash.
The Varsity — if it sees itself as a home for aspiring professional journalists — should acknowledge the contradictions of its policies in practice and allow contributors to write for both the Opinion and News sections simultaneously.
Indeed, it concedes in its Editorial that reporting on “underrepresented and marginalised communities” through an objective lens is problematic, so I suspect there should be little pushback from The Varsity against changing its ‘News-Opinion divide’ policies from this standpoint.
The real pushback, I think, will come from concerns about reporting on “politics and public organisations,” where, according to the Editorial, objectivity supposedly “has its place.” But I’d argue that this distinction makes very little sense given that “politics and public organisations” are precisely what contribute to the marginalization of communities.
Does objectivity even exist?
More recent contributions to The Varsity indicate that I am not alone in questioning this relationship between objectivity and the media we consume.
In a Varsity Opinion article titled “Flawed journalism is costing Palestinians their lives” published in November 2024, Ayesha Siddiqui argues, based on Western coverage of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, that “journalists [had already taken] sides, whether we acknowledge[d] it or not,” and I agree. I believe it is wrong, therefore, to champion objectivity by pretending that a journalist does not have opinions simply because they have not published any in print.
Some states can act with impunity when targeting journalists, such as with Israel’s direct intimidation and assassination of Palestinian journalists covering the genocide in Gaza. I would therefore argue that to demand impartiality, objectivity, and neutrality — whatever you want to call it — within the field of journalism feels increasingly trivial.
This is especially unreasonable if these journalists are to voice concerns about such impunity and its effect on their own lives only to have their experiences discounted. Would their backgrounds as Palestinians render them too
We should be critical of overly one-sided takes on Syrian revolution
Too many factors are at play for unilateral support of any position
Oleksii Varlamov International Affairs Columnist
On December 8, 2024, a coalition of Syrian revolutionary and rebel groups overthrew thenpresident Bashar al-Assad, ending 24 years of his rule and 53 years of rule by the “Assad dynasty.”
Syria’s internal political state remains volatile, with Ahmed al-Sharaa serving as the de-facto leader of Syria. He was previously leader of the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a Sunni Islamist political paramilitary organization that led the Military Operations Command, a coalition of Syrian rebel groups responsible for the 2024 rebel offensive.
The global West has historically had a difficult relationship with revolutionaries and rebel groups in the global South, often dependent on which groups serve the West’s interests at the time. For instance, both the US and UK financially backed the Afghani Islamist guerilla fighters, or “mujahideen,” during the Afghanistan War because they were fighting communist regimes. Though, both countries would later be involved in the “war on terror” primarily targeting Islamist military groups.
Therefore, it is valuable to retain this perspective when analyzing Western governments’ stances
on Syria, and we must remain intellectually vigilant in the face of simplistic political narratives. Any argument that presents a unitary position on Syria deserves maximum scrutiny, particularly when it comes from Western governments.
Historically contextualizing Syrian politics
Since 2018, the US has considered HTS a terrorist organization, and the UN has labelled its predecessor, the Al-Nusra front, as a terrorist organization since 2015. Al-Sharaa has also been designated a terrorist by the UN since 2013 due to his membership of and work with the international terrorist organization Al-Qaeda, from 2003 to 2016. He then reformed Al-Nusra — initially the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda, which he founded in 2012 — into what became known as HTS.
HTS then absorbed most members of the reformed Al-Nusra, along with Ahrar-al-Sham, another coalition of rebel groups fighting against the Assad regime. Soon after, HTS distanced itself from its Al-Qaeda affiliations, even going so far as to arrest former Al-Nusra members who didn’t switch to HTS.
According to Islamic scholar Sheikh Hassan Dgheim, these efforts represented a broader “Syrianization” policy aimed at completely severing HTS’s ties to Al-Qaeda. It also marked a shift away from an absolute commitment to Jihad — a Muslim’s obligation to struggle to realize the will of God, lead a virtuous life, and defend their community against aggression — with the goal of becoming a politically legitimate entity by toning down their rhetoric and infiltrating civilian structures.
Five years later, al-Sharaa is now in power, with Syria’s ministerial positions occupied by members of
HTS. For many, the fall of Assad and the rebels’ rise to power has been cause for celebration, symbolized by the al-Maslakh al-Basharia prison’s recently freed inmates, who ran in celebration upon being released by rebels. Translating to “human slaughterhouse,” the prison was notorious for its inhumane treatment of prisoners.
Syrian political reforms
The new government’s rhetoric appears to be significantly more liberal than Assad’s so far — though, of course, that would apply to anyone, short of Stalin or Louis XIV. These liberal stances include pledges for press freedom and respect for religious and cultural diversity, which I believe reflect positive changes to Syria’s sociocultural and political landscapes.
There has also been a shift in economic policy toward a free-market structure. Market liberalization may strengthen Syria’s weakened economy, though in a country already ravaged by inequality, I believe introducing free-market reforms could counterproductively perpetuate existing disparities, as economic inequalities tend to benefit the wealthy.
The release of political prisoners and the overall more liberal rhetoric from Syria’s political figures may ignite tentative hope — but not necessarily for everyone. In a television appearance, an HTS spokesperson suggested that women’s ‘Biological composition’ made them unsuitable for certain jobs, such as Minister of Defense, and stated that the role of women in parliament would be “left to legal and constitutional specialists.”
To me, this signals a stagnation of women’s liberation alongside the progression of men’s in Syria.
Canada-Syria relations
Remaining vigilant of any single government’s framing of Syria’s current political situation is essential. As of writing, Canada’s current position expresses a “commitment to the Syrian people,” and urges “All parties to work toward an inclusive political process under the United Nations framework.”
Such a statement, I believe, purposefully leaves
partial and discount their other reporting?
Contributors who write for both sections may fail at times to distinguish between opinions and facts, but this failure should be confronted, not avoided. I believe it is the job of editors to identify writers’ blind spots and to question if there are legitimate perspectives that have been ignored in their reporting.
The potential failure of editors to do so — whether at The Varsity or a nationwide outlet — should, in turn, be anticipated by a long overdue bigger campaign for increased media literacy. Readers need a deeper understanding of the way news conglomerates operate and enable them to identify potential blind spots or cynical narratives more easily.
If the media must hold those in power to account, who if not readers, will hold the media outlets to account when they falter? This task of holding the media to account becomes much easier once an outlet stops pushing so ardently the News-Opinion divide that gives readers the false impression that the objectivity of the News section is not impenetrable — or that it even exists.
Lina Obeidat is a second-year student at Innis College studying political science and English.
room for interpretation. For example, the UN’s recognition of HTS as a terrorist organization could theoretically serve as justification for legitimizing violence against Syria, similar to the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. The invasion was organized under the pretense of a “war on terror” which involved numerous human rights abuses by the invading forces.
Furthermore, Israel has occupied parts of Syria’s Golan Heights since 1967, and has extended its reach following the fall of Assad. Canada does not recognise Israel’s occupation of the Golan as legitimate, though in a December 9 statement on Syria, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre stated that it is crucial for Canada to “Support its allies, including Israel, against terrorists.”
If Syria attempts to drive out Israeli occupation forces through military means, would this, according to Poilievre, justify Canada supporting its allies against designated terrorists?
We should avoid subscribing to a totalizing view of Syrian politics. When viewed through a Western lens, HTS appears as a militant group of jihadists with strong ties to international terrorism, and their rule over Syria is seen as illegitimate and unjust. But then, what should we make of their seemingly earnest attempts to build a more inclusive, freer Syria?
If one adopts an exclusively anti-Western position, al-Sharaa becomes a hero fighting for Syrian liberation, whose methods are beyond reproach due to his accomplishments. But what, then, do we make of the clearly troubling governmental positions on the women’s rights of women in Syria? It is undeniable that it will take time before HTS’s and al-Sharaa’s backgrounds are forgotten, but this need not mean that we automatically default to the Western equation of “terrorism” with evil.
On the flipside, the fact that a group or individual was responsible for the overthrow of an oppressive government does not mean they are entirely righteous. After all, history is full of revolutionaries who were commendable for their early opposition to unjust rule, yet later became symbols of the despotism they once fought against.
Totalization is the enemy of truth, and we should be critical whenever we encounter it.
Oleksii Varlamov is a third-year student at St. Michael’s College studying philosophy. He is the secretary of the Philosophy Course Union and an International Affairs columnist for The Varsity’s Opinion section.
We need to rethink grad school’s normalized drinking culture
Does alcohol have to be your companion throughout your academic career?
Ragini Kaushal Graduate Studies Columnist
The shift from being an undergraduate student to a graduate student is very sharp. There is a heavier weight of academic work, and a responsibility and expectation to progress in your academic career at an accelerated speed, but there is a specific, stark difference in the drinking culture.
As an undergraduate student of legal drinking age in Canada, a lot of your consumption of alcohol is introduced in social settings outside of your academic institution. Red solo cups and games of beer pong in a residence building party are trademark images of undergraduate social life. However, as a graduate student, drinking alcohol becomes enmeshed in most socialization and networking events commonly administered by the institution. From drink tickets at welcoming receptions hosted by different departments at the Graduate Students’ Union pub to post-academic conference dinners and happy hours, alcohol and its consumption becomes a subtle expectation throughout these events.
A 2022 survey conducted by Health Canada found that about 79 per cent of post-secondary students in Canada consume alcohol in general, while 30 per cent consume alcohol at least once per week. This begs the question: is drinking alcohol a mere buffer to make socialization and networking events more bearable — or even fun — as a budding academic? Or can its inclusion
Toronto
in most social situations be a potential hazard for graduate students?
I believe alcohol consumption has become an expectation in graduate school culture, promoted and normalized by the institution and veteran academics alike. We must try and shift into a culture where alcohol is no longer expected for the betterment of our future academics.
The downsides of normalizing drinking in grad school
Including alcohol in graduate social events and academic opportunities can have both positive and negative effects on graduate students. Students may find that conversing with higher-ranked academics and building their networks can be less intimidating with a drink in their hands.
However, the seemingly permanent inclusion of alcohol in academic spaces can be exclusionary to some graduate students. Using alcohol to create a more relaxed environment, where young academics are pursuing networking opportunities, can lead to the risk of favouritism: students who are more likely to join departmental socializing with a glass of wine will likely foster relationships that those who are not drinking cannot. This also excludes some students who may abstain from consuming alcohol for various reasons: pregnancy, religious adherence, and medical or social reasons alike.
When presented as a cushion in scenarios where alcohol may be a requirement to further academic,
must acknowledge
inconsistencies
found in
Ombudsman’s shelter
social, and professional opportunities, students can feel like their absence in a drinking scene or some of these social functions will damage their reputation and academic careers.
It is no secret that there are a plethora of problems that come with a career in academia: the long hours, isolation, stress, and other mental health issues, amongst others. Normalizing drinking, especially in social interactions fostered by the academic institutions, can have damaging and long-lasting negative impacts on graduate students who are already adapting to the struggles that come with pursuing academia. It’s important to note that alcohol use can be linked to decreased academic achievements, cognitive defects, and injury, which can permanently damage a student’s life.
What does this say about the ethics of institutions providing alcohol as a gateway at their events despite the awareness of the negative impacts it can have on a student’s academic career and life?
What are the alternatives?
Some alternatives to alcohol are offered at academic social events, such as mocktails, soft drinks, or water. However, I don’t think these changes are enough to address the actual issue: the established culture of alcohol consumption among academics.
I believe this culture stems from a broader societal norm of drinking in social settings, which then bleeds into smaller aspects of our lives. Academic institutions could be the leaders in collectively changing this norm by diverting the expectation of drinking at social or networking events.
I’m not arguing for the complete expulsion of alcohol in academic social settings either; alcohol in moderation can make for a fun time with peers. However, I believe there needs to be a ‘denormalization’ of the intense drinking culture that higher academia has long cultivated. This can start with detaching the expectation of serving and consuming alcohol at every academic networking
policy report Shelters that turned away refugee claimants are now reaping the consequences
Emma Dobrovnik Domestic Affairs Columnist
In May 2023, Toronto publicized its decision to limit refugees’ access to general shelter beds. In a press conference, city staff stated that refugee claimants would be redirected to “services available to them through the federal government” due to a lack of provincial and federal funding. Despite this, many asylum seekers were seen sleeping on the streets of Toronto by June.
Last month, Toronto Ombudsman Kwame Addo published a report stating that this decision was inconsistent with the city’s commitment to adequate housing and transparency. For context, an Ombudsman holds public institutions accountable by investigating complaints that private citizens level against the city. Moreover, Addo found that this policy perpetuated systemic discrimination and anti-Black racism given that a significant number of refugee claimants affected were from African countries or of African descent.
Although the city initially decided to limit shelter access to refugees nearly two years ago and reversed the decision in July 2023, I feel that Addo’s recent report is more timely than ever given that more than 80,000 people in Ontario were unhoused in 2024. Even still, Toronto’s shelter system has taken few steps to address discriminatory practices.
Behind the decision
Toronto Shelter and Support Services (TSSS) first began denying beds to refugee claimants in November 2022, yet this policy wasn’t disclosed to the public until May 2023. In the interim, the shelters denied asylum to countless claimants due to a “lack of space” in the non-refugee shelter system, as noted in the Ombudsmans report.
As per Addo’s report, there were but a mere
1,700 refugee-specific beds out of a total of 9,000 beds system-wide. While elected officials such as Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie stated that ineligible claimants to refugee beds were referred to federal resources, I personally found little to no information regarding these supports online.
In fact, I’d argue that the city’s process in handling refugee claimants lacks transparency on both the change in eligibility criteria as well as its repercussions. There’s no data regarding the actual number of those affected by these policies, nor is there documentation of why certain claimants weren’t provided with a bed at Toronto shelters.
It remains unclear whether certain claimants were turned away because there were truly no beds available or if they were simply denied access because of their refugee status. If the latter is true, I believe that this contradicts the city’s responsibility to treat its citizens with dignity regardless of their status.
The report and its reception
Addo’s report not only touches on the discriminatory aspects of the city’s decision but also highlights its shoddy implementation. His findings confirmed that the city’s policy on shelters did not follow a number of city codes when integrating the plan, including the Access T.O. Policy and the Toronto Shelter Standards.
While the Toronto Shelter Standards list that everyone is entitled to shelter services, the Access T.O. Policy takes it one step further. The policy, which was drafted in February 2013 for the protection of undocumented Toronto residents, clearly states that Toronto social services can’t deny service to people on the basis of their immigration status.
Regardless of the intent behind the decision to turn away refugee claimants from shelters, I believe
and social event, and the connected presumption that alcohol is compulsory to have a good time. The younger generation is drinking a lot less than its predecessors. A TIME article explains that this could be due to a multitude of factors, such as the change in alcohol’s social reputation and a growing interest in leading healthy lifestyles. As graduate students like myself become more aware of the negative impacts alcohol has on our lives, I hope to see a relative shift in the drinking culture in graduate school and academia as a whole.
Ragini Kaushal is a second-year master’s student at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, studying adult education and community development. She is a Graduate Studies Columnist for The Varsity’s Opinion section.
not a matter of whether we have the means, but where we choose
little forethought was given to the precedents set by the city’s accessibility and shelter codes. Even when the initial decision to limit refugee claimants’ access to general shelter beds was formally reversed in July 2023, the reversal wasn’t put into effect for another two months. For those living on the streets, two months is an eternity.
Addressing budgetary constraints
It’s for these reasons that I think City Manager Paul Johnson’s response to the Ombudsman’s investigation into the city’s decision on refugee beds is so disappointing. In a letter from late November 2024, Johnson patently rejected the recommendations included in Addo’s report, marking the first time that the Toronto public service denied an ombudsman’s findings in its entirety.
Addo offered a prime opportunity for the city to recognize and try to rectify its mistake. Instead, Johnson merely claimed that the tone of the report was accusatory.
It’s disappointing to think that our public officials have turned their backs on those most in need of assistance. Yet, Toronto’s failure to acknowledge the long-term repercussions of its decision — as well as its refusal to integrate actionable change — is all the more egregious.
A city that can afford to spend millions in extra services to accommodate mega pop-star Taylor Swift can also locate the funds required to house its growing refugee population. Toronto’s 2024 Capital Budget for TSSS totaled $693.616 million.
Of this number, $131.1 million was directed towards aiding refugee claimants and the total provisions included in the TSSS budget ranged from emergency shelter services to street outreach and encampment response teams.
For comparison, the 2024 budget for the Toronto Police Service exceeded one billion dollars, making policing costs the city’s second most expensive taxpayer-funded item, just behind public transit. How I see it, it’s not a matter of whether we have the means, but more so about where we choose to direct our support.
I don’t deny that the Toronto shelter system was likely under immense strain when it began turning away refugee claimants. I am also not convinced that this decision was made with the explicit goal of displacing racialized people — that shouldn’t be the takeaway of this article.
What I take issue with is the lack of due process employed by the city, as well as its refusal to hold itself accountable even when given the option to do so. We simply can’t afford to cower in the face of an “accusatory” report, as Johnson claims, when there are lives on the line. After all, a city which purports to commit to equity has a duty to uphold it.
Emma Dobrovnik is a fourth-year student at St. Michael’s College studying political science and criminology. She is the president of the Association of Political Science Students and a Domestic Affairs columnist for The Varsity’s Opinion section.
It’s
to direct our support.
AKIF MUBARRAT BHUIYAN/THE VARSITY
SIYA SHARMA/THE VARSITY
Arts & Culture
January 28, 2025
thevarsity.ca/section/arts-and-culture arts@thevarsity.ca
Invincibility, vulnerability, and “O
Superman”
The hymn of American anxiety
Genevieve Sugrue Long-Form Video Editor
“Here come the planes / They’re American planes, made in America”
Eight minutes long, bewilderingly experimental, and incomparable to any music that came before it. Laurie Anderson’s song, “O Superman” was never supposed to find popular success. Yet, as David Honingmann wrote in the Financial Times, “It was all gloriously uncommercial until — for a brief moment — it wasn’t.”
When it unexpectedly peaked at number two on the UK charts in 1981, “O Superman” cemented its place in the culture as a timelessly uncanny piece of art. But that’s not the end of its legacy — not even close. In the ongoing age of American anxiety, the song is as cuttingly pertinent as ever.
I first stumbled upon “O Superman” as a TikTok audio in late 2023. I remember the vocoded voice that sat like a rock in my belly: “Well you don’t know me / But I know you.” Maybe I’m just a purveyor of weird taste, but I loved how it unsettled me. I wasted no time running to find wherever the song came from.
On my first listen, something unexpected happened; I knew exactly what the song was about. I had expected to feel the trademark ambiguity that experimental art leaves for the listener and to speculate and chew on it for a bit before spitting it out. But there was a
distinct immediacy to how I made sense of “O Superman.” And it’s because I’m from the US.
“Cause when love is gone, there’s always justice / And when justice is gone, there’s always force / And when force is gone, there’s always Mom”
Several moments into the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the US has been branded as a nation suffering a collective loss of innocence. Whether or not that innocence ever really existed — and for whom it existed — is debatable. However, if we consider generation-defining moments like the Vietnam War or 9/11, we notice a pattern of movement from a state of business-as-usual, held in the comfort of our institutions, to a state of distress that seismically changes life as we had known it. It’s in these moments of institutional failure that we realize there is no home to go to. The world that existed before that event is gone. Or maybe it was illusory, to begin with. “O Superman” is a prayer to authority. It’s a plea for comfort that goes unanswered.
Laurie Anderson was born in 1947 in the state of Illinois, into a version of America that no longer exists — a post-war, “mom and apple pie” America, heavy with mythos, military might, and global authority. Anderson’s formative years were defined by this image — or, more accurately — by popular culture’s desperate attempt to cling to it through the tumult of the 1960s and 1970s.
The historical backdrop to “O Superman” was
a moment in which the veneer cracked: the Iran Hostage Crisis of 1979–1981. The song is inspired by Operation Eagle Claw, the failed rescue mission of Americans who were held captive in Tehran. The mission ended with a highly publicized helicopter crash, which killed eight military personnel.
In Anderson’s own words, “We were left with dead bodies, a pile of burning debris, and the hostages nowhere to be seen.” The mission is remembered as an embarrassment to the US military and damaged its reputation as the world’s invincible ‘Superman.’ For an artist in this situation, the question left to ask is usually, ‘How do I make sense of this?.’ What I love about Anderson is that she rejects that notion. She leans into the disjointed nature of large-scale anxiety and gives it a voice rather than a sermon.
“So hold me, Mom / In your long arms” “O Superman” hits close to home regarding my relationship with the US. It speaks to an unplaceable sense of dread that I’ve never quite been able to verbalize yet has lived in me for as long as I’ve been aware of the state apparatus. The song invokes images of my childhood in the early 2000s, trying to wrap my head around the War on Terror while my parents tuned in to grisly images on Fox News. It plays in my head even today as an American living abroad. It’s the hymn of critical, dissociative introspection on the state and my place within it. It’s the hymn of American life stripped of its patriotic pomp and circumstance, leaving only a mechanical voice calling out to the ether — “O Superman / O Judge / O Mom and Dad.”
Emilia Pérez: A trans trailblazer in a musical misstep
Sofia Moniz
Associate Arts & Culture Editor
Karla Sofía Gascón shines, but everything else struggles
At this year’s Golden Globes, Karla Sofía Gascón made history as the first publicly out trans woman nominated in a film category for her titular role in Emilia Pérez. Previously, she became the first publicly out trans actor to win a major prize at the Cannes Film Festival alongside co-stars Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez. The film won four Golden Globes, ending the night by beating Wicked for best musical.
Emilia Pérez begins with Mexican drug lord Manitas Del Monte (Gascón) seeking disillusioned criminal defence lawyer Rita Mora Castro (Saldaña) to help him retire and start a new life as a woman — under the name ‘Emilia Pérez’. Emilia tells Rita she has always wanted to be a woman, assuring us beyond a doubt that she is ‘really’ trans, despite her situation’s poor optics. In faking Manitas’ death, director Jaques Audiard tries to accurately represent transness, which only serves to leverage Emilia’s gender transition as a convenient means for Manitas to avoid accountability for his crimes.
The film attempts to speak to issues trans people face. Rita, newly in charge of Emilia’s care, is tasked with convincing a transphobic surgeon of her client’s humanity. The doctor says: “Lady, you know I only fix the body / but I will never fix the soul / If he’s a he, she’ll be a he, if he’s a she, she’ll be a she”. I initially read these incoherent lyrics as a clumsy demonstration of the logical incoherence of transphobia itself. However, this pseudo-deep word salad quickly becomes Emilia Pérez’s trademark, exemplified by Rita’s response: “Changing the body changes society / Changing society changes the soul / changing the soul changes society / changing society changes it all.”
Saldaña then looks straight down the barrel of the camera and delivers the kind of self-righteous provocation I can only barely stomach from a Lady Gaga song, saying: “Ladies and gentlemen, and everyone in between / and every body no one has
ever been / I’ll never let you down!” Needless to say, I wasn’t prepared to have the movie’s thesis shoved down my throat a whole 25 minutes in. I found the messaging ironic coming from a character who repeatedly misgenders Emilia while discussing her gender-affirming care, which says a lot about how the film sees the trans woman it stages itself upon.
Emilia Pérez promises a lot, generically and thematically. Committed to giving the movie a chance, I suspended my disbelief and tried to quell my nausea. I allowed for the possibility that Saldaña and her power suit could save humanity, and that this movie might just make me a better person. Ultimately, I find that the film falls flat.
Gascón, though, is stunning. Her performance shines bright against an otherwise dull cast of characters. She is the heart of the movie and has many sweet moments — waking up after surgery, reuniting with her kids, and her romance with Epifanía (Adriana Paz). Gascón’s success is a testament to her acting skills because the writing doesn’t do her any favours.
In a recent interview in the Hollywood Reporter Gascón reveals she played a big role in developing Emilia’s character, rescuing her from Audiard’s mishandling. Audiard initially treated Emilia’s transition as a plot device and wanted Emilia to suddenly be interested in men after her transition. Luckily, Gascón didn’t let this happen — as far as I’m concerned, this movie would be nothing without its lesbian lovers.
Audiard insists on telling a story he seems not to know or care much about in an attempt to win awards in the non-English film category with a cast half-filled with American Hollywood darlings. He creates a movie that is flashy, splashy, and utterly lacking in substance, besides ticking every genre box for awards season. Also unsurprising is Audiard relying on a trans woman to fix a trans character for him. Although, I find it satisfying to know that everything good about the movie came from Gascón.
As if there wasn’t enough going on, Emilia Pérez is also a musical — despite Audiard admitting that
he’s “not really” a fan of the genre and Gascón calling musicals “boring.” After hearing Emilia Pérez’s soundtrack, I’m almost inclined to agree. In musicals, characters sing when speaking can’t adequately convey their emotions. Emilia Pérez never reaches these heights. Although few things are more painful to watch than a halfhearted musical number, the problems with the music come from the writing. The text setting was such that melodic high points often came on weak syllables, necessitating awkward delivery and causing an off-putting listening experience. Much of the music was done in a patter style — a type of breathy rhythmic talking. This was partly because some actors weren’t comfortable singing, but the biggest problem was the music’s poor writing.
The writers also did Gascón — a middleaged woman with a changed voice and minimal singing experience — a huge disservice by having her sing out of her range, resulting in a strained, throaty sound during her numbers. Only in the final song — where Epifanía sings beautifully and powerfully in an alto range — do we discover that someone in the cast can actually sing, rather than waver between breathy pitches.
I wish the writers had gone this route with Emilia’s songs — they would’ve better suited both her character and her vocal range. Given the movie’s essentialism, I wouldn’t be surprised if forcing Gascón to be a soprano was an attempt to ‘prove’ Emilia’s womanhood.
Considering the film’s glaring faults, I am continually shocked by its critical acclaim, most recently the 13 Oscar nominations it received last week. But I probably shouldn’t be surprised. This is far from the first time a boring and essentializing movie is called brave for its cursory engagement with queerness.
Broad audiences are more critical. One tweet captions an early scene of Rita touring a medical center: “*this* winning against [Wicked] in this particular category is laughable.” While the last thing I want to do is incite an angry mob of theatre kids, this scene was actually one of my favourites. It’s so camp! Rita inquires about gender-affirming
surgery, when one doctor looks her up and down, then asks, “Is it for you?” The doctors wait expectantly with toothy grins, a hungry look in their eyes until Rita — deeply offended — assures them she’s not the patient.
A musical number proceeds, where the doctors showcase the surgeries they offer: “Vaginoplasty? Yes! / Rhinoplasty? Yes! / Laryngoplasty? Yes!”. The music cuts out for a closeup of Rita and we hear her breath catch. Is she excited? Overwhelmed? Maybe a little turned on? The scene then ends as abruptly as it began.
I think the movie should have gone further in this direction. The film’s imagery of trans women on gurneys treads a fine line between unsettling commentary and voyeuristic spectacle. While it could have been an interesting reflection on the objectification of trans bodies, it instead feels unearned, reducing their vulnerability to an aesthetic flourish. There’s a missed opportunity here to interrogate the violence inherent in such depictions — both literal and cinematic. By failing to fully engage with this discomfort, the film applies trans women as props rather than autonomous agents, undercutting the complexity it seems to aim for with no shred of the self-awareness required to make this critique.
Though Gascón brings Emilia to life, she is ultimately reduced to a symbol — first as a mother figure — for her children and as the face of La Lucecita, an organization she and Rita create to aid families affected by cartel violence. She later becomes a symbol in a literal sense when she is beatifically canonized: crowds flood the streets of Mexico City carrying her statue and singing her name. The real Emilia, of course, is nowhere to be found.
Despite Emilia Pérez’s success demonstrating the flawed nature of the mainstream film establishment, it also brought Gascón into the spotlight — for better or worse. Though I am increasingly skeptical of Hollywood’s prestige class, I do hope Gascón wins a couple of Oscars, if only so I can see more of her — ideally in some better movies.
DOWON KIM/THE VARSITY
COURTESY OF TIFF
David Lynch cannot die
Remembering cinema’s master of the uncanny through three favourites
Vicky Huang Illustrations Editor
David Lynch — cinematic legend, sculptor of oddities, and avant-garde painter — passed away two weeks ago at the age of 78.
His death has been difficult to swallow. Lynch is a household name in U of T’s Cinema Studies Institute. Lifelong friendships are often founded on the question “What is your favourite Lynch movie?” After school hangouts aren’t complete without a blunt and a Lynch Criterion rerelease. It feels strange adjusting to a world where Lynch is now referenced in the past tense.
While Lynch’s career is widely celebrated in film circles, there are many who are either oblivious to his work or find his dense oeuvre too daunting. In honour of his passing, here are three of my favourite films that David Lynch directed.
Eraserhead (1977)
Lynch debuted in cinemas with Eraserhead, a kooky, black-and-white body horror with a welldeserved reputation for traumatizing unassuming spectators. Set in an unnamed industrial city, where the passage of time is marked by plangent factory noise, the film follows Henry Spencer (Jack Nance) and his girlfriend Mary X (Charlotte Stewart) as they navigate an unwanted pregnancy. In such a noxious wasteland, no child is born immaculate. Indeed, the creature that slithers out of Mary’s womb is a difficult sight to endure. Swaddled tightly in cloth, the child has a pencil-thin neck and an oblong, fish-like head. Tiny round eyes dot its face, and its raw skin is sluiced in slime. Mary’s conception can hardly qualify as human.
The baby cries into the long winter night, wailing an omen of sleepless madness. One early morning, or late at night — to an insomniac, it’s all the same — mother Mary dashes from the house to preserve her sanity, leaving the child in Henry’s care.
In her absence, the weight of Henry’s paternal responsibility leaves him petrified: what could possibly be more frightening to an indolent father than taking care of his own baby? Unable to
offload chores to his weary wife, Henry sits in a room and stares blankly at the wall while the babything clamours in the background. It is a revealing display of incompetence; Henry’s doltishness is a satirical spin on the uneven, gendered distribution of domestic labour.
Eraserhead quite literally ends on an explosive note. The attrition warfare that is parenthood, or perhaps plain curiosity, drives Henry to slice open his offspring. Blood, pus, and other mysterious secretions gush out from the rivened body, raining across the frame. The unforgettable scene marks a violent conclusion to the baby’s life and simultaneously, the liberation of Mary and Henry’s — and of course, the birth of Lynch’s cinematic venture.
Blue Velvet (1986)
Blue Velvet, Lynch’s career-shifting film, opens with a montage of petty bourgeoise iconography: white fences behind ruby flowers, firemen waving pageantly, streets with xeroxed homes, a pudgy old man watering his verdant lawn — images that compose the American Dream. Then, suddenly, the man falls to the ground. As he writhes in pain, his sputtering hose points phallically toward the sky. Slowly, Lynch zooms into the collapse of serenity; the camera leans closer and closer, past the garden, through blades of grass, and into a dark, microscopic world teeming with bugs.
The disfigured man is father to Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan), a fresh-faced college student who returns home to find this tragedy. On his way back from a hospital visit, Jeffrey stumbles upon a veiny, severed ear in the middle of a field. The grotesque intrudes into suburbia — a thematic clash. Fascinated by the mystery organ, Jeffrey transforms into a pseudo-detective on the hunt for answers. His curiosity leads him to Dorthy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini), a nightclub singer who performs ‘Blue Velvet’ nightly, and her abuser, Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper). Soon, Jeffrey is ensnared in their complex world of drugs, state corruption, Oedipal tensions, and sadomasochistic desires. A properly perverse assemblage.
The conspiracy Blue Velvet poses is as follows: innocence is not as pure as it seems. Lurking in
The pernicious link between religion and conspiracy theory culture
Apologia and apocalypticism has led a conspiracy culture among the religious, chronically online
What do the ‘elites’ not want you to know? Why do they want to control you, and make you forget God? Communism is the work of the devil, after all. Vaccines, engineered by those same elites, are designed to block your chakras, which is why essential oils are the key to all ailments.
If you have spent even a few moments on the internet, none of these statements will be absurd to you. You may have had such conversations pop up in your digital lives — whether it be someone preaching semen retention on your TikTok ‘For You Page,’ or people in the comments sections of news stories peddling vaccine disinformation, calling the origins of scientific study satanic.
Research published in the International Journal of Public Health indicates that there seems to be a significant overlap between those who are the hardest adherents of new-age conspiracy theories and those deeply invested in the spiritual. Most interestingly, this overlap supersedes the divides of the political spectrum. There seems to be an overlap of general Eastern-inspired, woman-dominated spirituality
the shadows of middle-class heaven, hidden behind freshly mowed lawns, chintzy wallpapers, catalogue furniture, and other such wealth signifiers, is a world of barbaric violence. Eschew moral dialectics; the priestly and the degenerate are two sides of the same coin. After all, where better for ‘evil’ to hide than in the hospice of ‘good?’
Mulholland Drive (2001) Mulholland Drive, known to me as the sapphic bible, is Lynch’s most acclaimed work — and for good reason. The film initially presents itself as a Los Angeles neo-noir. Betty (Naomi Watts) is a small-town girl who moves to Hollywood to pursue her acting dreams. However, this plan is complicated when the aspiring starlet befriends Rita (Laura Elena Harring), a brunette resembling Rita Hayworth, who remembers nothing except that her life is in danger. With an inexhaustible optimism that only a perky blonde could emit, Betty attempts to make her name in the cutthroat movie business while helping Rita recover the gap in her memories to fend off her suit-clad predators. By this point in his career, Lynch was the master of uncanny filmmaking; with ease, he invoked the spectator’s unease without slipping too far from ‘the familiar.’ His control over the eerie is evident throughout Mulholland Drive’s many dark, phantasmagoric moments, but especially in — and here, I use a superlative I don’t invoke easily — what might be the most harrowing scene in film history: Betty and Rita’s visit to Club Silencio. In a sparse auditorium, a woman lip-syncs a Spanish cover of Roy Orbison’s “Crying.” But the words
don’t match her lips. As the music trails behind her performance, it reveals itself as a farce. Betty and Rita’s reaction is one of utter horror. Their faces contort into ghastly expressions at Lynch’s visual demonstration of time-out-of-joint.
Fame and remembering: two not entirely unrelated concepts. To reach stardom is to be forever cherished in the heart of the masses; likewise, being unforgettable is the prerequisite for even hearing back from a casting agent. In the second half of Mulholland Drive, the narrative suddenly careens to reveal that it was all a dream: there is no Betty, Rita, enemy, or Club Silencio. Everything was a mirage composed by Diane Selwyn (also played by Naomi Watts), a washed-up actress suffering from severe depression through irrelevancy. The plot twist here feels less like a shock for shock’s sake — a cliché cop-out — and more like an astute implosion of the Real. Betty/Diane or Diane/ Betty? Lynch leaves us guessing as to who the actual impostor is.
Nothing ever dies
In my grief, I’ve binge-watched Lynch’s entire filmography. His work, quite literally scripted after dreams, turns each viewing into an excursion into his subconscious. In other words, Lynch’s films function as an index of his mind, as a preservation of his symbolic logic. To paraphrase a line from The Elephant Man (1980), Lynch cannot die. While his body may unravel, ferment, and decompose, his spirit is embalmed inside his movies, to be released with the press of play. Lynch, forever present; Lynch, immortalized by his art.
and evangelical Christianity: two beliefs usually associated with opposing ends of the political spectrum — on the left and the right respectively.
I first encountered the concept of Conspirituality via Derek Beres, Matthew Remski, and Julian Walker who coined the term on their podcast and book of the same name.
Faith-based opposition to the government or those in power is not unprecedented, as many religious movements began at the bottom of society under the leadership of social outcasts from larger communities, who then mobilized these communities upward. We can look at the origins of religions like Christianity or Baha'i, both of which began under the influence of charismatic outcasts such as Jesus and Bahā’Allāh, who sympathized with the downtrodden and appealed to the lower class with claims of divine revelation.
What is different about conspirituality is that it adopts extra-theological and sensationalist tendencies, and places pernicious ideas into preexisting systems of faith to imbue those systems with objectively untrue political rhetoric. Making a messiah out of President Donald Trump on X and Truth Social, and rejecting sound election results on TikTok has nothing to do with the
developed religious doctrine of Christianity.
The worship of figures like Trump in comparison to Jesus is a manifestation of conspirituality on the right. On the other side of the political spectrum, there is a portion of politically left-wing individuals who perform selfcare acts in the form of often Eastern-inspired spirituality like yoga or practice alternative medicine like homeopathy. Here, conspiracies against COVID-19 vaccines — which were developed by expert biologists and are generally safe for use — are opposed to the vaccines in favour of what one study from the National Library of Medicine notes as “a spiritual or mystical approach to health.”
While it’s already hard to convince someone that their opinions are incorrect or uninformed, it seems to be near impossible to convince someone to abandon dangerous ideas when they are integrated into their religious beliefs.
Studies such as one from the American Psychological Association, suggest that religion functions as a psychological framework which provides people with a sense of certainty, community, and safety. The human search for meaning is often eased by religion and as such, it is very difficult to let go of religious ideas. So,
when more pernicious and harmful ideas or conspiracies are integrated into bodies of belief, they become equally as difficult to let go of.
Much of the propagation of conspiratorial ideas happens on social media. Here, ideas — no matter how absurd or untrue — flourish as long as they receive enough engagement to boost their visibility in the various algorithms that control what we see. While attempts have been made to curb this — such as the misinformation warnings on Meta’s platforms, which the tech conglomerate recently announced it will be abandoning, or community notes on X — these information markers seem to be useless when part of the idea being shared is literally that such media apparatuses must not be trusted.
I grant that there are many people removed from spirituality who engage in conspiracy culture. But the existence of a subset of people that can support their delusive tendencies through otherwise unconnected faith systems concerns me. It is one thing to deny reality based on a set of misinformation or facts tailored to suit a narrative, but it is another, more dangerous thing to integrate such ideas into religious ideologies which are much, much harder to shake off.
JAYLIN KIM/THE VARSITY
Sulaiman Hashim Khan Theatre Columnist
He invoked the spectator’s unease without slipping too far from ‘the familiar.’ COURTESY OF SASHA KARGALTSEV CC WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
January 28, 2025
thevarsity.ca/category/science science@thevarsity.ca
“Persistence is Key”: Student researchers’ advice and experiences
Insights from U of T graduate researchers and alumni
As one of the world’s leading research universities, U of T provides countless opportunities for students to engage in groundbreaking studies across various disciplines. For students interested in pursuing research, understanding how others have navigated their journeys can be inspiring and informative. Here, three U of T students and alumni — including myself — share our experiences and advice.
Hazirah Mohamad: PhD Student,
Dalla Lana School of Public Health
Third-year PhD student Hazirah Mohamad reflected on her journey from an undergraduate honours thesis on racial stereotyping and youth delinquency to her current work in healthcare resource allocation and palliative care.
Palliative care is an approach that enhances the quality of life for patients facing lifethreatening illnesses. “When you’re young, you think the world is your oyster, which is a great quality to have,” she shared in an interview with The Varsity. “You don’t get bound by limitations… you’re idealistic.”
One of her professors at the National University of Singapore ignited and nurtured her interest in research. Mohamad said, “It was part of a course — it was pure interest.” The fact that the professor trusted her enough to involve her in his work really encouraged her curiosity and confidence in research.
These formative experiences taught Mohamad the importance of having a mentor who believes in you. She noted that the most important thing for people new to research is to find a professor who is supportive of you as a person “and sometimes even if you don’t know where you need to be, but you have a supportive mentor, they will drag you over your finish line.”
Mohamad touched on the sense of vocation that draws many — including myself — into research. She reflected on the unique challenges
of her qualitative work, such as navigating sensitive topics and the emotional weight of engaging with terminally ill patients. “When I see people suffering, I feel like there’s a point beyond my personal goals,” she shared. She recalled a patient participating in her research saying it gave their remaining time a sense of purpose, an experience she described as “euphoric.”
“If you are unsure of what you are interested in, try different things, apply to the programs the university offers, or email professors to ask for opportunities. Build connections with [professors], grad students [and] go to office hours.”
Brenda Li: Lab Manager, Rochman Lab
Brenda Li’s foray into research began at the end of her third year when she applied for a Research Excursions Program over the summer. Her first experience was with the Mahler Lab in U of T’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, where she participated in fieldwork surveying the community composition of Anolis lizards across elevational gradients in Puerto Rico.
“It was one of the best experiences of my life,” Li wrote in a text message to The Varsity and added that she learned an incredible amount, and even conducted a small independent project during her time there.
Currently, Li works as the lab manager of the Rochman Lab, where she contributes to several impactful projects. “[I’m] studying the effects of micro- and [macro-plastics] on freshwater benthic invertebrates and fish, the physical fate of microplastics within whole-lake ecosystems, and harmonizing methodologies for monitoring microplastics in ambient water,” she explained.
Li offered this advice to undergraduate students just getting started in research: “If you are unsure of what you are interested in, try different things, apply to the programs the university offers, or email professors to ask for opportunities. Build connections with [professors], grad students [and] go to office hours.”
Ungku Zoë Anysa: MSc Student, Rochman Lab I began my research journey through the Arts and Science Research Opportunities Program (ROP) during my undergraduate studies in materials science at UTSG. During my ROP interview, the professor thought I hadn’t submitted my grades, and my stomach sank. I was ready to leave, convinced my low first-year GPA would disqualify me. Instead, they asked about my struggles, emphasizing growth and valuing my curiosity over numbers. My initial ROP experience transitioned me into a workstudy role, which eventually became a project I continued and published.
After this foundational experience, I continued to do many research projects, ranging from biomimicry in materials science to fieldwork on plastic pollution — an area I am passionate about. I explored various research projects, from biomimicry to plastic pollution. I cold-emailed professors, had coffee chats, and reached out to those whose classes I enjoyed. After a summer fieldwork position, I asked about fall opportunities, and two years later, I’m doing my masters in the same lab.
As a master’s student, my research focuses on automating Raman spectroscopy, which is a technique that uses lasers to analyze microplastics in environmental samples. My ultimate goal is to develop an accessible automated workflow that provides detailed data on microplastic counts, polymer types, sizes, shapes, and colours; benefiting government, academic, and industrial research.
For students starting their research journey at U of T, the key advice I gathered is to stay curious and open to opportunities. Explore programs like the ROP, Research Excursions Program, and work-study options, and don’t hesitate to share your ideas with professors whose classes you enjoy. Be prepared to discuss how your interests align with their research.
If one professor says no, don’t hesitate to ask for advice or referrals to others who might align better with your interests. Persistence is key: professors receive hundreds of emails every day from prospective learners. Follow up on emails, and don’t be discouraged by initial rejections — many successful researchers have faced similar hurdles.
Additionally, it’s crucial to find a research environment where you feel comfortable and supported. If a particular lab doesn’t feel like the right fit, weigh the potential benefits of the experience against your well-being and time. Research at U of T is not just about advancing your career but also about making meaningful contributions to your field and the wider community. By embracing these principles, you can make the most of the incredible opportunities available at U of T.
Ungku Zoë Anysa Varsity Contributor
Brenda Li (Rochman Lab) studies the ecological effects of plastic pollution in rivers and lakes.
MEDHA SURAJPAL/THE VARSITY
Three U of T grad students recommend staying curious and open to opportunities. MEDHA SURAJPAL/THE VARSITY
Listening in between sounds
The cultural implications of silence in speech
Silence is a part of communication. For every sound that we produce, there is a comparable amount of silence that punctuates our words and sentences. We hesitate, pause, and leave space for others to speak. It’s apparent — we say a lot when we’re not saying anything at all.
While the use of silence in speech is universal, the patterning of silence in speech differs across individual speakers and speech communities. Cultures vary in their attitudes and comfort for silences in conversation. It’s probably something you’ve never noticed or something you’ve always taken for granted; who’s counting the number of pauses in their conversations? Yet, the cross-cultural variations are widespread and measurable, with considerable differences based on how culture influences us.
Does silence speak louder than words? — A cultural lens
Contrary to the idea of silence being an absence of speech or thought, various social and cultural functions underlie the use of silence as a part of speech in differing ways.
Many communities use silence as a tool to navigate difficult social scenarios. A pioneering study on silence as a cultural phenomenon, published in the Southwestern Journal of Anthropology describes the importance of silence in the social life of Western Apache Native Americans, such as in emotional processing and grieving.
These differences in silence across cultures continue over time. In a more recent study, researchers analyzed recorded video conversations between Japanese and German speakers and found that the Japanese used significantly more pauses on average than the Germans.
Many scholars of cross-cultural studies
and communication science have suggested that such disparities exist because of different cultural values and how such values are communicated in an interpersonal setting.
In Western countries like the US, moments of silence often invite discomfort because silence
However, communication styles and values differ not only between cultures, but within cultures too. While there are dominant cultures and cultural conventions in place, many countries have cultural mosaics with substantial intra-cultural variation and subcultures. So, though studies back up broad
North Americans — especially Canadians and Americans — explicitly express themselves mainly through verbal means, even though the majority of communication is done non-verbally.
may indicate or precipitate misunderstandings and disinterest. To avoid this awkwardness, Americans put a greater emphasis on verbal communication.
A conversation with another person is seen as a space to perform one’s individuality and uniqueness.
Conversely, in Japan, a conversation is more about understanding others — known as sassuru — and exploring what is being communicated through silence. Japan is more culturally collectivistic, meaning more emphasis is placed on upholding group harmony. Silence is often a social tool to “blend in with the group.”
Silence may also be used to implicitly assign conversational roles. A fieldwork study showed that the Athabaskan Indigenous communities of Western North America use longer pauses to emphasize turn-taking between interlocutors, as opposed to interruptions between speakers, which is more common among the average American.
generalizations, cultural variations differ regionally and over time, influencing communication
What causes cultural differences in conversation?
In North America, it might seem socially natural to express one’s opinion on a whim. However, in Japan, expressing opinions can invite confrontation and social friction. Silence is a way to avoid disrupting the social order. This is not to say that Japanese people don’t express disagreement; they simply use body language and silence — prolonged eye contact, grimacing, and squinting — rather than overt words to communicate dissatisfaction, disagreement, or disappointment.
Are there any patterns that emerge across these examples? Anthropologist Edward Hall states that cultural differences can be observed through dominant communication styles. Hall identified distinct differences between high-context (HC)
and low-context (LC) cultures in the use and tolerance of silence. HC cultures favour indirect communication and rely on shared understanding, while LC cultures emphasize directness and clarity when communicating.
While this distinction can provide some rough context in processing cross-cultural interactions, it’s important to remember that these broad HCLC categorizations also disregard nuance, and speech — or silence — conventions can differ across individuals, communities and situational contexts.
The practical sides of silence
It’s also important to acknowledge in cases where speech is an act of power or social dominance.
For example, English-as-second-language speakers may utilize more silences in their speech due to a lack of vocabulary knowledge, a need for increased processing time, and a fear of judgment or misrepresenting their thoughts in a foreign language.
Much of the research reports North American interlocutors as being the conversationally dominant or those with the least use of silence. How much of that is because of research being conducted in settings in which the North American speaker group is most comfortable expressing themselves?
Spoken language is also not a luxury we all can afford. Many individuals have speech impediments that may hinder them from what is considered ‘normal’ speech. Silences and pauses in conversation may mean very different things to this community than most hearing-speaking folks.
Attitudes towards silence and communicative styles differ and, consequently, contribute to cultural stereotyping. Speech and silence are sanctioned differently depending on the culture. The next time you’re having a conversation, try discerning how cultural conventions and unspoken rules dictate your communication. Who knows? Maybe you’ll learn something about yourself!
Khushi Patil Varsity Contributor
The way we interpret silence in conversations differs across and within cultures.
ABBY RUSSCHEN/THE VARSITY
The unseen architects of human history
What Jonathan Kennedy’s Pathogenesis tells us about how microbes shape human history
Anuraag Kumar Nair Varsity Contributor
One of our greatest misconceptions as a species is that solely human agency drove civilization. At least, that’s what Jonathan Kennedy argues in his 2023 book Pathogenesis: How Germs Made History. Throughout history, humans have often aggrandized themselves, overlooking the fact that the true hallmarks of survival and the shaping of civilizations are sometimes dictated by probabilistic outcomes, perhaps shaped by the planet’s unlikeliest organism: the humble germ.
Kennedy challenges the notion that human agency is solely responsible for progress, instead highlighting how germs have become nature’s most formidable agents of destruction. By toppling empires, eradicating civilizations, and redrawing boundaries, germs have challenged human survival in ways that human agency alone could never achieve. In this way, germs have proven to be powerful architects of human history and society.
What led to the eradication of Homo neanderthalensis and the rise of Homo sapiens? How did the Antonine Plague contribute to the downfall of the Roman Empire? Using a scientific and materialist understanding of history, Kennedy masterfully navigates the intricate web of anthropology, microbiology, and human history to highlight how microbes have redefined historical narratives and shaped the course of human narratives. It turns out microbes aren’t just invisible annoyances — they are potent architects of change.
The power of pestilence in human evolutionary history Kennedy argues that human survival as we know it would not have been possible without human societies adapting to various pathogens. In the early days of human history — over
300,000 years ago — Homo sapiens shared the Earth with several other human species, which Kennedy aptly compares to the different races of Middle-earth in the Lord of the Rings, but there wasn’t anything inherently remarkable about our existence as compared to, say, the neanderthals, that would favour us.
Kennedy noted that an ancient species of human with stockier builds — who were either driven to extinction or assimilated by Homo sapiens — had greater cognitive capabilities earlier than we have credited them with, including skills like tool-making and artwork, which Homo sapiens wouldn’t exhibit for millennia. He argued that it wasn’t this misconception of Homo sapiens’ exceptionalism that led to our dominion over the planet but rather that microbes acted as tools of evolutionary change, drastically altering the survivability of different human populations.
Modern-day Homo sapiens appeared nearly 300,000 years ago and would go on to craft elaborate cave paintings, wield fire, and bury their dead, much like us today. However, the majority of Homo sapiens’ history involves our ancestors sharing the terrain and interbreeding with other closely related species, such as Homo denisovans and Homo neanderthalensis — both extinct species of early humans that inhabited parts of modern-day Europe and Asia. By connecting the dots using fossilized and genetic evidence, scientists believe that as our ancestors traversed new landscapes and interbred with other subspecies, they built a robust toolkit of critical genes and more efficient cognitive abilities, ensuring their survival.
Geological differences, animal domestication, and diverse water bodies exposed Homo sapiens to new pathogens, gradually strengthening their immune systems in ways that other species could not match. As competition for resources and skills intensified, other human species were gradually driven to extinction around 40,000 years ago.
Pathogens and colonial exploitation
This evolutionary dynamic to determine survivability is not limited to specific epochs but has operated as a continuous and often brutal cycle of death and suffering, shaping the survival and success of human populations throughout history. Kennedy’s examination of the Spanish invasion of South America in the early sixteenth century under Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro highlights the immunological advantage and the differing responses of populations to pathogens. While Spanish imperialists emphasized the superiority of their weaponry and tactics over the Aztec Empire, it seems implausible that a mere expeditionary force of 500 men could have possessed the ability to topple one of the largest and wealthiest empires on the planet at that time.
The resulting Spanish invasion of Tenochtitlan in 1521 was not a matter of divine providence, as the Spanish believed, nor was it solely due to their technologically superior weaponry. Rather, it was circumstantial: the Spaniards were carriers of pathogens and diseases against which the Aztecs had no immunological defence, leading to the near eradication of the Aztec population.
This immunological disadvantage benefited European colonial interests, contributing to the genocides of Native populations in the Americas who were unwittingly exposed to pathogens. As a result, Indigenous population numbers plummeted from 60.5 million to less than six million in just two centuries.
This massive loss of life not only altered the course of human history but also profoundly impacted the environment which led to a period of global cooling due to reduced human strain on natural resources.
Demodex mites: Invisible guests on your skin How these microscopic creatures help — or hinder — your skin health
Lauren Daunt
Varsity Contributor
At any given moment, a microscopic world exists on your skin, with countless creatures contributing to the balance of your microbiome — the community of tiny living creatures that inhabit your skin. Among these are Demodex mites, which quietly live, crawl, and reproduce in the pores of your face. While they might look peculiar under a microscope, these mites are a natural part of your skin’s ecosystem, playing a key role in maintaining its health — unless their population grows out of control.
What are Demodex mites?
“Demodex” comes from the Greek words for ‘fat’ and ‘boring worm,’ though these mites are not worms at all — they are microscopic arthropods, relatives of ticks and spiders. They are too small to see with the naked eye and their long, semitransparent bodies measure about 0.3 millimetres, meaning it would take five adult Demodex to stretch across the head of a pin. With eight legs and scaly bodies, they cling to hair follicles, where they feast on skin cells and oil, comfortably setting up camp.
There are two main species of Demodex found in every human: Demodex folliculorum (D. folliculorum) and Demodex brevis (D. brevis). The more common of the two, D. folliculorum typically inhabits the facial area, particularly around eyelashes, where it feeds on skin cells and oil. In contrast, D. brevis is less common but affects larger body areas. It resides near oil glands in hair follicles, consuming sebum — the oily substance produced by sebaceous glands to keep skin moisturized. These mites are most numerous in the oilier areas of the face, such as the nose, forehead, and chin.
Demodex mites live for about two weeks, decomposing inside your hair follicles after they die. They spend most of their time within your pores, crawling out only at night to mate and lay eggs in your follicles. Interestingly, you aren’t born with these mites — they are usually passed to you through direct skin-to-skin contact with the people you live with. So, thank your family for sharing them with you!
Why do we need them?
Although these tiny mites might give you the creepy-crawlies, you won’t be able to evict them with a good scrub. Living deep inside your pores, your Demodex companions are nearly impossible to eliminate.
Despite their unsettling nature, Demodex mites play an important role in your skin’s microbiome. In small populations, they help maintain a healthy balance by consuming excess oil and dead skin cells. This process supports skin turnover — the natural shedding of old skin cells. As newer cells push to the surface, older ones gradually harden and die off within four weeks.
While we naturally lose these cells through rubbing or washing, our Demodex companions lend a hand by removing them for us. By breaking down excess oil, they also help prevent clogged pores, which can lead to acne. When kept in check by the immune system, Demodex mites are essentially harmless. Problems arise, however, when their population grows too large, contributing to several skin conditions.
Can Demodex hurt us?
While a certain amount of Demodex mites are generally harmless, an overpopulation can contribute to various skin disorders. One common condition linked to excess Demodex is rosacea,
which causes facial redness and inflammation.
Studies have found higher numbers of these mites in the same areas affected by rosacea, but it’s still unclear whether the mites cause the condition or if rosacea creates an environment that encourages mite growth. Often, rosacea is a lifelong condition with no known cure.
In addition to rosacea, an overpopulation of Demodex mites can lead to demodicosis or Demodex folliculitis — a condition more commonly diagnosed in seniors or immunocompromised individuals, whose weakened immune systems struggle to manage infections. This condition causes symptoms like redness, itching, and sensitivity, particularly on the face. Although rare, it can result in significant discomfort and is often linked to declining immune function. For most people, however, Demodex mites remain harmless and are not a cause for concern.
Protecting our skin during winter
Our skin faces unique challenges as the typical Canadian winter brings colder, drier weather. The drop in humidity and exposure to cold air can
Potential and pitfalls:
Where Pathogenesis falls short
Kennedy encourages the reader to reevaluate humanity’s relationship with the natural world not as a hegemonic dominion, but as one of subservience, where survival depends on adaptability to adversity. His work highlights the profound role of causality in shaping history. While his approach is direct and provocative, Kennedy occasionally leans toward determinism — that all events are causally inevitable — which underestimates the role of human agency in shaping tangible outcomes. However, this narrative choice does not diminish his analysis; rather, it provides critical historical exposition and insights, inviting further academic exploration into the interplay between disease and history.
Nonetheless, Pathogenesis invites deeper reflection on how small things can lead to big changes. Especially in a post-COVID-19 world, it encourages us to respect the humble microbe and its profound influence on modern society.
As antibiotic-resistant superbugs proliferate, reliance on animal agriculture increases, and environmental conditions worsen under the strain of a growing population, the threat of deadliner pandemics becomes increasingly likely.
The question is not whether there will be another pandemic, but when. As a species, we have reached a fragile precipice that could quickly give way to a darker future. Kennedy’s book not only encourages discourse on reevaluating the role of microbes in our lives but also acknowledges our critical relationship with the natural world.
compromise the skin’s moisture barrier, causing dryness and irritation. Winter can be especially troublesome for individuals with rosacea or other Demodex-related skin conditions. Cold temperatures often trigger flare-ups, particularly with strenuous activities like skiing or shovelling snow.
A National Rosacea Society survey suggested that the harsh conditions of winter can worsen rosacea symptoms without proper precautions. Cold air and wind tend to severely dry out rosaceaprone skin, while the added stress of holiday activities can further aggravate skin health.
To address this, winter skincare should focus on maintaining a healthy balance of oils and moisture. For those with rosacea or Demodex-related conditions, avoiding overcleansing or using harsh products that strip the skin’s natural oils is important. If the Demodex population becomes excessive, a dermatologist may recommend treatments to reduce their numbers.
Though Demodex mites are often seen as unwelcome guests, they play an essential role in the skin’s ecosystem. By maintaining a healthy balance of oils and moisture, and seeking professional guidance when necessary, you can help ensure that your skin remains in harmony with the microscopic world living on it.
Jonathan Kennedy’s 2023 book discusses 60 thousand years of history. VIRAG TAKACS/THE VARSITY
Sports
January 28, 2025
thevarsity.ca/section/sports sports@thevarsity.ca
The illustrious coaching history of Varsity Blues hockey
Legends galore line up behind the U of T bench
Jake Takeuchi Sports Editor
In its 134-year history, the Varsity Blues hockey program has seen standout coaching — its roster of past coaches reads like a Who’s Who of Canadian hockey. The Varsity highlights some of the most notable names from behind the Blues’ bench, including Team Canada legends, NHL regulars, Hockey Hall of Famers, and even a Nobel laureate.
“Ace” Bailey (Men’s, 1935–1940, 1945–1949)
Ace Bailey is a hockey legend in every sense of the word. Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975, the U of T alumnus was the leading scorer for the Toronto Maple Leafs in their inaugural season and scored the winning goal to secure the 1932 Stanley Cup for the Leafs. Unfortunately, Bailey’s career was cut short after a near-fatal hit by Boston Bruins defenseman Eddie Shore in 1933.
The 1934 charity benefit game played in his honour is considered the NHL’s first-ever AllStar game. Bailey’s number was retired at the game, making it the first number ever retired by a professional North American sports team.
Bailey served as head coach of the Varsity Blues from 1935 to 1949, although his coaching career was interrupted by WWII from 1940 to 1945. During his tenure, he led the team to three Canadian Interuniversity Athletics Union titles (1940, 1947, 1948). The Ace’s historic legacy endures today, with the Blues’ captain receiving the Ace Bailey Award every year.
Karen Hughes (Women’s, 1993–2011)
Karen Hughes served as head coach of the women’s team for 18 seasons, the longest tenure in program history. Her most significant achievement during this time was leading the team to its only national title in 2001, a feat that earned her both national and provincial Coach of the Year honours. In addition to this historic accomplishment, Hughes won five provincial titles (1994, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2003), and a previous provincial Coach of the Year award in 2000.
Hughes was also a Varsity Blue athlete during her undergraduate years at U of T, excelling in both hockey and soccer. She won five provincial titles with the hockey team and became the first Varsity
Blues women’s soccer player to earn All-Canadian status in 1987, adding to her impressive résumé. Beyond the Blues, Hughes found equal success with Team Canada, winning the 2002 Olympic gold medal and three International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championships as an assistant coach. She also served as head coach of the Canadian women’s national team from 2002 to 2004, securing another world championship in 2004.
Mike Keenan (Men’s, 1983)
Mike Keenan is best known as a long-time NHL coach and General Manager, but the former Stanley Cup champion was once a Varsity Blues bench boss. In his lone season with the Blues, Keenan led the team to both the provincial and national titles in dominant fashion, becoming one of just three coaches in U of T hockey history to win a national title.
Keenan went on to coach eight different NHL franchises, winning the NHL Coach of the Year award in 1987 and 1991, the Stanley Cup in 1994, and ranking 15th all-time in coaching wins.
Keenan is quoted in a 2007 recruiting brochure for the men’s ice hockey team, where he said, “The tradition of excellence at the University of Toronto is unsurpassed by any I have seen. Being a part of Blues Hockey is something I hold very close to my heart.”
Lester B. Pearson (Men’s, 1926–1928)
Not many hockey programs can claim to have had a Prime Minister or a Nobel laureate on their bench, but the Blues are fortunate enough to say they’ve had both in the form of the great Lester B. Pearson.
The former U of T student, athlete, and professor coached the Blues in three sports — football, ice hockey, and lacrosse. As hockey head coach, Pearson led the team to back-to-back provincial titles in his two years at the helm. You could argue that Pearson honed his skills in diplomacy, leadership, and team management during his time as a Blues head coach, skills that would prove invaluable 40 years later in his role as Canadian Prime Minister (1963–1968). Pearson became Canada’s first-ever Nobel Peace Prize recipient for his diplomatic efforts during the Suez Crisis in 1957.
The U of T legend’s coaching tenure is a trivia fact like no other.
Varsity Blues men’s hockey surge past the Nipissing Lakers
Explosive third period earns Blues’ third shutout win this season
Jean Patrick Vidad
Varsity Contributor
On January 24, the Blues earned their third shutout win of the season in the Ontario Universities Association (OUA) Men’s Hockey regular season at the Varsity Arena, trouncing the Nipissing Lakers 5–0.
An offensive onslaught, with five players scoring and a ‘Great Wall’ defence, led by goalie Jordan Fairlie who made 28 saves, ignited the Blues’ incredible performance in a demolition job of the Lakers. This victory came after a tough loss to their same-city rival, the Bold, who led the OUA West Division at the time of play.
With seven minutes elapsed in the third period, Blues Forward Owen Robinson scored a goal that all but sealed the win for the Blues, making his 30th point of the season and keeping him atop the league’s scoring leaderboard.
The Blues continued their dominance over the Lakers, winning four straight games in their last four meetings and extending their perfect home record to start the new year.
What happened?
The Blues took control early, maintaining stable puck possession and outshooting the Lakers in the first period with 14 shots. However, the Nipissing defence, led by goalie Zach Roy, stifled the Blue’s scoring chances in the early stages of the game.
The Lakers then applied pressure onto the Blues’ defence, but the Blues’ defensive line held strong, preventing the Lakers from converting opportunities into shot attempts. The first period ended in a scoreless tie.
The Blues offence erupted as soon as the second period began, with forward Nicholas Wong scoring just 34 seconds in, followed by forward Ben Woodhouse’s goal to put the Blues up 2–0. The Blues also applied pressure early, firing 12 shots in the second frame. The Lakers responded with some offensive pressure later in the period but couldn’t convert, as Fairlie made 13 saves.
To close the gap, the Lakers pressed the Blues’ defence and launched several shots, all of which Fairlie denied. The Blues sealed the victory by scoring three more goals — courtesy of Owen
Conn Smythe (Men’s, 1923–1926)
Conn Smythe is best known today as the namesake of the prestigious Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL’s playoff MVP. He was also the founder of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Maple Leaf Gardens. Interestingly, the Leafs wear blue sweaters because Smythe drew inspiration from the colours of his beloved alumni hockey team. As a student-athlete, Smythe captained the Blues’ Junior Hockey Team to a provincial championship in 1915 and played on the senior team in 1919.
The Hockey Hall of Famer served as head coach of the Blues from 1923 to 1926, leading the team to six intercollegiate and provincial titles. Additionally, Smythe coached ‘The Varsity Grads,’ a team of Blues alumni, to an Olympic gold medal at the 1928 St. Moritz Olympics.
Vicky Sunohara (Women’s, 2011–Present)
Sunohara is a Canadian hockey hero with an overflowing trophy cabinet, including two Olympic golds and one silver, and seven golds and one silver at the IIHF World Championship. Her list of accolades is too long to fully detail. As an active player with the Varsity Blues, Sunohara won two provincial titles and a provincial Rookie of the Year award
As of the end of the 2024 season, Sunohara has an impressive 439 games under her belt with the team — the most by any coach in the program — a number that will continue to grow.
In her 14 years — and counting — behind the Blues’ bench, the Scarborough native has won two Ontario University Athletics (OUA) titles, along with three national and three provincial Coach of
Robinson, Billy Moskal, and Julian Recine — shutting down the Lakers’ any hope of a comeback and cruising to a 5–0 win.
What’s next?
The Blues’ record improved to 13–9, placing them third in the West Division, while the Lakers are on a
the Year awards. She is the only hockey coach at U of T to win multiple national Coach of the Year awards. In the 2019–2020 season, Sunohara earned OUA Female Coach of the Year honours across all sports. Last season, her team fell just short of a national title. Sunohara also serves as the current head coach of the U18 Women’s Canadian National Team and as a Coaching Consultant for the Toronto Sceptres.
On January 12, Sunohara led Team Canada to gold at the U18 Women’s World Championship. The Blues are incredibly fortunate to have a living legend at the helm.
Tom Watt (Men’s, 1965–1979, 1984–1985) Tom Watt is the greatest ice hockey coach in U of T history. The accolades speak for themselves: Watt led the Blues to nine out of the program’s 10 national titles, along with an impressive 11 provincial titles. With a remarkable record of 410 wins, 35 ties, and 106 losses, Watt’s teams dominated the league during his 15 seasons as head coach. He also won the 1971 national Coach of the Year award, one of the two in Blues men’s history.
Watt’s coaching achievements outside of U of T are just as illustrious. The Blues alumnus coached the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, and Winnipeg Jets in the NHL, winning the league’s Coach of the Year award in 1982. He also won a Stanley Cup as an Assistant Coach with the Calgary Flames in 1989. The Varsity Blues hockey program owes much to Watt, and his legacy is on full display in the banners hanging at Varsity Arena.
four-game skid after this loss, putting them second-to-last in the West — just ahead of the struggling Wilfred Laurier Golden Hawks.
The two teams faced off again on January 25, as the Blues secured back-to-back shutouts with a 6-0 victory over the Lakers at
Following the doubleheader with Nipssing, the Blues will travel east to face the Ottawa Gee-Gees and the Carleton Ravens on January 31 and February 1, as they look to continue their fine form in the calendar year.
Forward Owen Hollingsworth carries the puck to the redline. ABBY RUSSCHEN/THE VARSITY
The Blues have an impressive assortment of bench bosses. COURTESY OF VARSITY BLUES MEDIA
Blues men’s basketball team dominate Laurier Golden Hawks at home
Weber and Alvarez show up big for the Blues
Rubin Beshi Business & Labour Editor
On January 22, the Varsity Blues men’s basketball team faced off against the Laurier Golden Hawks at the Goldring Centre. The Blues secured a convincing 79–69 victory, taking full advantage of the Hawks’ defensive lapses and disorganized offence.
Centre Lennart Weber and guard Iñaki Alvarez were standout performers, combining for an impressive 54 points and dominating the game.
What happened?
The game started evenly, with Quarry Whyne making an early impact by securing a defensive rebound and sinking in a three-pointer for the game’s first points. The Hawks, however, showcased their strong rebounding throughout the quarter, particularly their seven-foot firstyear centre Omar Nur.
Nur dominated the paint, making things difficult for Weber, who, standing at six feet eight inches, struggled to match up.
The Blues countered the Hawks’ rebounding dominance with fast, efficient attacks, getting to the basket quickly. Weber led the charge on both offence and defence, helping the Blues secure a 19–16 lead as the quarter came to a close.
The second quarter started slowly for both
teams, with the Hawks’ first basket coming in nearly two minutes into the period. Hawks guard Taye Donald began to find his rhythm, hitting a three-pointer and handling the ball with finesse. In response, the Blues tightened their defence, forcing Donald to pass more often.
However, the Hawks struggled offensively, with their players spread too thin along the perimeter and no one driving into the paint. This caused them to take too long to find a shot, often winding down the shot clock, and falling behind on the scoreboard.
After a slow start, Alvarez picked up midway through the quarter, leading the offence and orchestrating plays. He hit a buzzer-beater three, giving the Blues a 10-point lead at halftime with a score of 44–34.
The Blues continued their dominance in the third quarter, capitalizing on the Hawks’ fouls and converting their free throws. The Blues played with more coordination on offence, running smoother plays that got them to the rim quickly.
Centre Ryan Rudnick also began to make his presence felt, impacting both ends of the floor. For the Hawks, Donald remained the lone bright spot on offence, taking matters into his own hands through some impressive shots.
The fourth quarter proved no different from the previous three. For most of the quarter, the Blues maintained a double-digit lead. However, with around six minutes remaining, Donald put
Opinion: Toronto isn’t ready for an NFL team — and neither is the league
Infrastructure, talent dispersion, and football’s global compatibility hinder possibilities of expansion
Taimoore Yousaf Associate Sports Editor
The NFL has made concerted efforts in recent years to push into the global market and raise the popularity of American football. This past October, reporters asked Minnesota Vikings superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson about NFL expansion before his team played an International Series game in London, and his response got Canadian fans excited: “I can definitely see [the NFL] expanding to Canada… Toronto wouldn’t be a bad place to start.”
Toronto is one of six global cities to have hosted an NFL game, most recently when the league introduced the “Bills Toronto Series,” where the Buffalo Bills would play games at Rogers Centre. With over 2.5 million residents, Toronto is currently the largest market in both the US and Canada without an NFL franchise, leading to growing calls for expansion. The idea is sound — Toronto hosts successful NBA, NHL, and MLB teams, including the recent 2019 NBA championship team, the Toronto Raptors. The city’s established sports culture, combined with the fact that over 19 million Canadians tuned in to watch Super Bowl LVIII last year, shows a clear path for the NFL to flourish in Toronto.
However, I believe that Toronto isn’t ready to support an NFL team. The league needs to consider infrastructure logistics, roster construction, and whether the NFL is ready to introduce a foreign team.
Where to play?
For an NFL franchise to come to Toronto, an adequate stadium is needed. Toronto’s current largest entertainment venue is the Rogers Centre, which can seat approximately 40,000 people. However, the smallest NFL stadium, the Chicago Bears’ Soldier Field, has a capacity of 61,500.
forth a remarkable effort, hitting back-to-back threes and narrowing the gap to just four points.
With a well-timed timeout by Blues head coach Madhav Trivedi, the Blues managed to break Donald’s momentum and reestablish a healthy 10-point lead. Alvarez put on a show toward the end of the game, sinking threes with ease and connecting with Weber for some flashy plays. The Blues finished strong, closing the game with a 79–69 victory.
Weber scored a career-high 25 points with a 55.6 shooting percentage, adding 15 rebounds for an impressive double-double. Alvarez posted a season-high 29 points with a 52.6 shooting percentage, along with eight assists. Donald held his own, scoring 22 points on the
dollar infrastructure gap to build a stadium isn’t just unrealistic — it’s irresponsible. It’s easy to say that these costs would be alleviated by a successful NFL product, but that is where further complications arise.
Is football willing to expand?
The biggest obstacle to Toronto landing an NFL team isn’t the city itself. It’s the NFL’s lack of readiness to expand.
What’s next?
The game showcased Weber’s continued dominance in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA), where he ranks first in rebounds per game and total rebounds, averaging a near doubledouble.
The Varsity Blues faced McMaster University on January 25 at home, securing an 89–63 victory. This win brought their record up to 6–10, placing them first in the Central Conference in the OUA standings. Their next game is away at the Toronto Metropolitan University on January 29 at 8:00 pm.
The NFL, meanwhile, suffers from less talent and a player development issue. In recent years, several highly touted quarterback prospects have failed to succeed in the NFL due to being “thrown into the fire” rather than being given time to develop into long-term franchise quarterbacks. The 2021 NFL draft class is most indicative of this trend as four quarterbacks selected in the first round no longer play for the team that drafted them.
I think the NFL would want a new stadium built, like Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles or Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. In my opinion, the most logical solution is to evaluate the reception for BMO Field after its renovations are completed for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. If the venue is successful, then a project could be undertaken to convert it into a full-sized stadium. It could prove a worthwhile investment to overhaul the entire area located in Exhibition Place into a premier sports entertainment venue.
In my view, however, expecting a city grappling with a housing affordability crisis and a 26-billion-
Compared to the other major sports leagues, the NFL’s talent pool is significantly thinner. The NBA, MLB, and NHL all have minor league affiliates where players who might not get playtime in the big leagues can get a chance to develop, such as the NBA G League. Many players with untapped potential can become great assets if given an opportunity. Consider Dyson Daniels, a player for the Atlanta Hawks who is now enjoying a breakout season after getting minimal playtime on his first team, the New Orleans Pelicans, or Los Angeles Kings star defence Brandt Clarke, whose steady development in the Kings’ American Hockey League affiliate Ontario Reign has set him up for major league success.
I think it’s important to note that football isn’t nearly as worldwide as the other major league sports, which also impedes global expansion. Football is the most inherently “American” sport and has fewer international athletes playing compared to other sports like hockey or basketball.
Now, if the league introduces a new team, another 53-man roster must be filled with adequately talented players. The NFL is already top-heavy, with a big gap between the best and worst teams — 10 of 32 teams finished with five or fewer wins in the 2024 season.
Simply put, the league needs to improve its talent pool and prioritize player development, otherwise expanding to Toronto is a recipe for disaster. Imagine walking into a half-empty stadium to watch a struggling team of second-string players. That’s the reality if the NFL expands without first addressing these fundamental issues.
What can come next
For the NFL to succeed globally, it must address this by building a foundation for the sport outside of the US. Borrowing from the NBA’s playbook, the league could introduce new grassroots programs internationally, encouraging an influx of global talent that could eventually feed into the college football system. In Toronto’s case, the NFL could consider a partnership with the Canadian Football League to promote interest in the game and strengthen player development. Until the NFL prioritizes these steps, its dream to expand to Toronto and beyond will remain out of reach.
Overall, the NFL should continue building on the success of its international games as a platform to grow the sport and explore new markets. However, establishing a viable franchise requires more than fan interest. It demands infrastructure, talent, and cultural alignment. The future of the NFL is bright, but before the league can expand to international markets, these systemic challenges need to be addressed to ensure a successful and sustained global expansion of the NFL product.
night. The Blues’ tight defense overall forced the Hawks to shoot just 21.7 per cent from beyond the arc.
Iñaki Alvarez outs up a contested layup. RUBIN BESHI/THE VARSITY
CHLOE WESTON/THE VARSITY
ACROSS
1 “___ My Heart in San Francisco” (Tony Bennett hit)
6 Consume 9 Defrost
13 *Bob ___, Chalamet’s character in A Complete Unknown
15 Hybrid fighting sport, for short 15 Slangy abbreviation for the 2020 pandemic
17 It might happen to your horizons
19 Raggedy dolls
20 Sea Eagles (that sound like vases)
21 Primo
22 “Please have ___” (usher’s request)
23 *What Thanksgiving celebrates
26 French Telecommunications giant
27 *Their brother’s mother is your father’s daughter
28 The Golden State, abbr.
29 Go bad
31 And others, abbr.
32 Famous TV explorer
33 Japanese photography company
35 *Savviness
37 Fencing blade
38 Japanese sashes
42 Boast in a 1987 MJ hit
43 ‘Avast, ye mateys!’
44 Pleasant scent
45 Single-album intermediary
46 *Not quite straight
49 You can do it on a board, quads, or even ice
50 A crushing defeat
51 ____ avis
55 ____ of Fame
56 Chicago-based genre with roots in disco
58 Nova Scotia act on psychiatric treatment
59 Loopy letter, phonetically
60 *Stoneworker
61 Hushed hail
62 Sound of a creaky door, perhaps 63 Czar’s decree
Kaiyo Freyder Varsity Contributor
“Well-Seasoned”
1 “____ glad to!”
2 NYC commuter line
3 25D’s CEO
4 Spontaneous combustion
5 Just a smidge
6 Highly celebrated
7 Memory blackout
8 “You’re it!”
9 Refuse
10 Bees’ constructions
11 Mozart’s mother
12 Like the world of Mad Max
14 Not far?
18 Star bursts
22 Consumed
24 Woody Guthrie’s son
25 Stock symbol for a controversial car company
26 *Gymnastics foundation
29 The Titanic, eg.
30 *Like the billboard’s top 100 hits
32 Vehicle known for its big loads
34 Snackable Seaweed
36 Spanish hundred
39 Marsh plant with a magenta flower
40 “Why try?” (cry of low self-esteem)
41 Metroid protagonist Aran
44 The “A” in IPA
47 Collection of maps
48 Object
52 Away from port
53 Bravo and Grande
54 Oily breakout
56 When doubled, a pop star’s signature laugh
57 Egyptian ___ (cat breed)
Milena Pappalardo Short-Form Video Editor
