University of Toronto’s Student Newspaper Since 1880
Vol. CXXXVI, No. 1
7 September 2015
FEATURE
STRIKING POLITICS: A LOOK BACK PG. 12
FEDERAL POLITICS
Ready to vote? Students discuss key election issues, youth engagement Salvatore Basilone, Steven Camit & Joshua Grondin VARSITY CONTRIBUTORS
Dubbed “generation apathy,” students are often portrayed as stereotypical young, disengaged voters. However, with a turnout of 84 per cent, voting rates among youth with some university education were higher than the national average of 74 per cent in 2011. With Canada’s forty-second federal election just around the corner, the issues at stake are on the minds of many University of Toronto students. STUDENT PRIORITIES Paul Kasiński, a second-year economics student, expressed concerns with the growing wealth gap in Canadian society. Kasiński has not been impressed with any party’s response to the issue. “No party really offered
any meaningful new social programs or other plans to house the homeless, feed the hungry, or educate their children so they can go on to have better lives,” he said. “I definitely want to hear more about the various parties’ views on immigration, the environment, aboriginal rights, and criminal justice,” said Anna*, a second-year international relations student, who feels that the ruling Conservatives have taken significant steps backwards in these areas. Tyler Locey, a second-year linguistics student, echoed Anna’s sentiments. “I think that we should have federal politics focus a lot more on renewable energies and job creation and subsides in those sectors,” he said. “I think having ways to get immigrants working and contributing to their new communities reduces stuff like racism and xenophobia,” he said,
expressing the sentiment that there needs to be positive immigration and integration programs for newcomers to Canada. “Generally speaking, the most important issues for young voters are the environment, social justice, unpaid internships, and job opportunities after graduation,” said Jasmine Denike, vice-president external for the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU). “These are the issues that politicians should be looking at when engaging young people.” GETTING ENGAGED According to Pauline Beange, a professor of political science at UTSC, students need to understand the power that being able to vote gives them. “Elections are the primary and most influential way to not only claim to be engaged but actually be engaged in political processes.” “It is not enough to claim to be
committed to achieving certain social or economic goals: voting is an objective sign that I, or you, are willing to commit time and energy to the process of achieving those goals.” Arani Murugesapillai, Chester Madrazo, Nana Frimpong, Sameen Ahmed, Stephanie John, Sukiena Abdulla, and Vanessa Vigneswaramoorthy — all executives at Engage UTSC — echoed Beange’s thoughts. “[We] believe that when students act together, they can truly be a powerful force in Canadian politics,” they wrote in a collective statement to The Varsity. “Sometimes students feel powerless, but they need to understand that the power of their collective efforts outweighs the sum of their individual efforts, so working together, increasing voter turnout, and being engaged in the on-going political conversation in Canada is key.” Engage UTSC is one of several
groups at U of T who have vowed to keep the student body engaged with the democratic process in a non-partisan manner. “Even though the executives of Engage UTSC are not politically neutral, we believe that bias-free, nonpartisan education is so important because we value teaching students how to make informed voting decisions much more than telling them who to vote for,” the group explained. The organization has made disseminating accessible information a priority; they launched canadianelection2015.tumblr.com to help students navigate the parties’ platforms. “For this particular election project, we hope to empower students by helping them understand the political situation and [give] them the confidence to know how to translate their personal values into political action,” they said. Vicky La, co-president of Student CONTINUED ON PG. 3
INSIDE Comment
Arts
Science
Sports
Western bias in academia
We built this city
Focus up
2015 PanAm, 2024 Olympics?
Jeffery Chen unpacks the dangers behind Eurocentric course syllabi
The policy behind the making of Toronto as a “music city”
Examining how skilled U of T students are at the art of multitasking
The success of this summer’s games bodes well for future hosting opportunities
PG. 9
PG. 14
PG. 18
PG. 21
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Vol. CXXXVI, No. 1
ISSUE 1 VOL. CXXXVI NO. 1
VARSITY NEWS
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A cover of The Varsity circa 1881
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10 things that you’ll regret during Frosh week
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The Varsity is the University of Toronto's largest student newspaper, publishing since 1880. The Varsity has a circulation of 20,000, and is published by Varsity Publications Inc. It is printed by Master Web Inc. on recycled newsprint stock. Content © 2015 by The Varsity. All rights reserved. Any editorial inquiries and/or letters should be directed to the sections associated with them; emails listed above. The Varsity reserves the right to edit all submissions. Inquiries regarding ad sales can be made to ads@thevarsity.ca. ISSN: 0042-2789
1. You’ll open an icebreaker game with a fun fact about yourself, only to find you’re in a group of over-achievers whose “fun facts” are listing their many worldly accomplishments.
6. You’ll crash a party at another faculty/college and it will be better than one at your faculty/college. You’ll question your choice of faculty/college and have an academic crisis before courses even start.
2. You’ll believe everything your frosh leaders tell you about the history of your faculty/college. You will never know the real truth.
7. You’ll buy your textbooks in advance from some upperyear who promised you a “sweet deal.” You’ll go to class the next week and realize that the edition you have isn’t the right one.
3. You’ll stop wearing your frosh shirt after the first day and everyone will think that you think you’re too cool. 4. You’ll wear your frosh shirt all week, and the smell of your own sweat will remain on it forever. 5. You’ll go to a themed event, unaware that the theme is racist. You’ll learn the error of your ways mid-way through your second year and periodically feel bad about it for the rest of your university career.
8. You’ll wear all your U of T swag off-campus because you really worked for that hoodie, man. 9. You’ll sign up for all the clubs at the clubs fair and be inundated with emails from organizations you don’t really know, or care about. 10. You won’t get enough sleep, and you’ll die an early death.
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CONTINUED FROM COVER Voice for Democracy (SVD), is focusing on new methods of getting students involved with important political issues. “We try to engage students in creative ways,” she said. SVD is a non-partisan student group that promotes political engagement at U of T. According to La, the group plans to book a table at Sidney Smith Hall, where they will construct a large puzzle with many pieces, with the aim of getting students to write their “ideas about this election and what it means to them, what it means to be a citizen, and what they hope this election can achieve for them as citizens” on the pieces. For its part, the UTSU will be hosting a ‘Federal Elections Week’ at the end of September, before advanced polls open. “Students get the opportunity to learn about each of the political parties in a non-partisan environment so they’re able to make an informed decision when they vote,” explained Denike, adding that the non-partisan nature of the event is important, so students can feel their voices and opinions matter. POLITICAL PARTIES ON CAMPUS Canada’s major parties have their own supporting student groups at U of T and on university campuses across the country. “There are many students [with] small “c” conservative values, even
if they’re not the loudest,” said Vladyslav Yakovlyev, communications director for the U of T Campus Conservatives. “As an immigrant I was raised with such values, and I know that many other students in my position do as well.” Yakovlyev cited the Conservative Party’s economic record and their role on the international stage as a reason for U of T students to support them. “The Harper government has offered $2.6 billion for Smart Track, invested in number of other sectors in which students will be seeking employment, and extended the student grant to low and middle income students,” he said. “Students… should be pleased with [Canada’s] actions in defending vulnerable communities in the Middle East, as well as our principled stance in Ukraine.” Stanley Treivus and Liam Lacy, communication directors of the U of T New Democrats said that the New Democratic Party (NDP)’s platform includes many proposals that will make students’ lives better, and that care for the environment is at the top of the list. “Instead of maintaining the Conservatives’ environmental course that leaves our generation responsible for tackling climate change, the NDP have promised to end the 1.3 billion dollar federal subsidy to fossil fuel companies, are opposed to harmful projects such as Keystone XL, and will ensure carbon emissions are regulated,” they said.
Treivus and Lacy noted that five students counted among the NDP’s elected Members of Parliament (MPs) in 2011, including Pierre LucDusseault, who at age 19, was the youngest MP in Canadian history. Alexander Cohen, president of the U of T Liberals, emphasized the importance of the economy and the environment to youth voters. He expressed concern about the “abysmal” state of youth unemployment and the need for sustainability in the Canadian economy. “We’re coming off four years of a government that is among the most mean-spirited, aggressive, and, frankly, draconian in Canadian history,” he said. “This is a real opportunity for young people to not just make their voices heard — that’s a cliché — but to play a role in the of country and the direction we’re going to take.” Cohen cites the Liberals proposal to create a ‘Prime Minister’s Youth Advisory Council’ as an example of how the party seeks to empower young people, and as a reason for students to give their support. He also mentioned the need to improve public transit, in order to mobilize people and the economy. Danielle Pal, president of the U of T Greens, said that the Green Party offers the best vision for students. “They’re advocating for a myriad of student benefits, such as increasing federal student grants by 25 per cent, and making eliminating student debt a national goal,” she said.
MONDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 2015
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Election issues weigh on students’ minds. ELHAM NUMAN/THE VARSITY
“There’s been a lot our conservative majority government has been able to accomplish over these past four years that much of the Canadian population — especially students — have been strongly opposing,” said Pal, referencing the controversial Bill C-51 as a particular example. “Students need to express their voice in favour of a Party that will push for dialogue, ask tough questions, and provide transparent communication with the public.” Pal emphasized the Green Party’s
plans for a environmentally and fiscally sustainable economy. By investing in green egergy sources, Pal said, seven times as many jobs can be created when compared with traditional energy sources. The election is scheduled for October 19. *Name changed at student’s request
HIGHER EDUCATION
U of T joins national effort to decolonize education New principles to narrow education gap between aboriginal and non-aboriginal students is crucial during the decision-making and implementation processes of the plan. “In general, Canada has to reconcile with us… I think by reconciling with us, what I mean by that, is that it’s up to us to determine the conditions of reconciliation… the persons hurt would have to be in the driver’s seat.”
The North Borden Building hosts the First Nations House Library. IRIS ROBIN/THE VARSITY
Zujajah Islam
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
In light of Canada’s past and present colonization of Aboriginal peoples, the University of Toronto will join 96 other Canadian universities in a comprehensive national reconciliation plan. “The Principles on Indigenous Education” aim to help decolonize education and reduce the education gap between Aboriginal and nonAboriginal students by rewriting curricula to include Aboriginal history, knowledge, values, and culture. It also aims to increase opportuni-
ties and resources for Indigenous students, including the promotion of engagement between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. Lee Maracle, an Elder-in-Residence and Traditional Leader at U of T’s First Nations House, stresses the importance of conciliation and reconciliation. “I think that without those discussions, there isn’t going to be a good relationship inside Canada,” she said. Maracle explained that the initiative should extend beyond mere Aboriginal involvement to involving Aboriginal leadership, which she says
INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE The mandates within Universities Canada’s announcement included a dedication to increasing the rate of Aboriginal graduates by working with elementary and secondary schools as well as an effort to encourage other institutions to improve their relationship with Aboriginal Canadians by forming private-sector partnerships to provide opportunities for indigenous students. Maracle supports the need for working with elementary and secondary schools. “From Kindergarten to Grade 12, that is where the problem area is. If our kids graduate from high school, they go directly to university in greater numbers than any other race in the country. The problem is, they don’t graduate, and they don’t graduate because culturally, everything is foreign,” she explained. While U of T has several academic initiatives to decolonize education from within its own institution,
its projects with elementary and secondary schools and the private sector may need further attention and study. Lucy Fromowitz, assistant vicepresident of student life, highlighted the Council of Aboriginal Initiatives, formed at U of T about six years ago. The council includes several prominent U of T Indigenous voices. “[It is] a cross-divisional group led by co-chairs, the director of Aboriginal Student Services/First Nations House and the chair of the Department of Linguistics, with the vice provost, Students and First Entry Divisions as executive sponsor,” said Fromowitz, adding “[the] council provides a venue for discussion of Aboriginal issues, strategies and program implementation, partnership development, and dialogue and response to external organizations and Aboriginal communities.” INCORPATION OF KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE With respect to Universities Canada’s new Principles on Indigenous Education, Fromowitz named several academic faculties that are incorporating Indigenous knowledge and experience, such as the Aboriginal Studies Program and the Indigenous Language Initiative on maintaining and increasing the use of Indigenous language.
The Faculties of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Public Health include Indigenous pedagogy. In law, students can obtain a Certificate in Aboriginal Legal Studies, in partnership with the Aboriginal Studies Program. Courses in areas such as Indigenous Healing in Counseling and Psychoeducation and Foundations of Aboriginal Education in Canada are offered at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. “[In] Social Work, Canadian Roots, a national non-profit educational organization, brings together Indigenous and nonIndigenous youth in order to foster an environment of shared learning,” Fromowitz said. When asked what an effective approach to decolonizing post-secondary education might be, Maracle said that it was up to Indigenous communities to determine what would help them succeed at school. “I think we have to be who we are and who we’ll always want to be, and Canada has to restore our language and cultures and they have to carry them through the institutions, their own institutions.” Maracle added that everybody should be able to learn languages such as Cree or Ojibway. “Non-native people have to have access to that language. There’s no reason why we all can’t speak Cree or we all can’t speak Ojibway if we want to.”
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VARSITY NEWS
Vol. CXXXVI, No. 1
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UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION
No end in sight for rising tuition Students face the ever-growing pricetag of education Article by Steven Camit Year after year, the story is the same: tuition fees are on the rise. These hikes affect both domestic and international students; however, international students pay higher tuition overall and often face higher tuition
increases every year compared to their domestic peers. The figures shown below are only program fees, and do not include incidental or ancillary fees and residence fees.
INTERNATIONAL VS. DOMESTIC FEES
These figures do not include deregulated fees charged in certain upper-year programs such as Bioinformatics, Computer Science, and Rotman Commerce.
ARTS & SCIENCE
RATES OF INCREASE On top of having to pay much higher tuition, the rate at which international student fees rise is, on average, about three to four times more than that of domestic students. Let’s compare the rise in tuition fees of firstyear students in Arts & Science with first-year students in Engineering. International students will continue to be hit hardest; the Office of
ENGINEERING
the vice-president and provost revealed that tuition fees for international students would continue to increase for the 2016–2017 school year. As a result, newly admitted international students entering in the 2016–2017 academic year will pay over 47 per cent more than newly admitted international students who entered in September 2012.
* The Faculty of Arts and Sciences referenced is composed of the Faculties of Arts and Sciences at all three campuses. UTM charges on a per-course basis, UTSC charges on a per-course per-semester basis, and UTSG charges a flat full-time program fee. For UTM and UTSC, the figures shown are a student’s tuition if they are taking 5.0 full course equivalents.
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MONDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 2015
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STUDENT POLITICS
Three board structure proposals in play All submissions include representatioon for colleges, pro-facs, UTM, marginalised students Anthony Burton
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
The University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) is one step closer to completing its transition from the Canada Corporations Act to the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act (CNCA). At last year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in October, the only Board proposal put to the membership for a vote was controversial; 10 constituency directors would have represented specific marginalized groups and granted college and professional faculty representation via a committee. Students present at the AGM voted down the proposal, leaving the UTSU until October 14, 2015 to hold an AGM at which to approve a by-law structure that complies with the CNCA. Since the proposal’s defeat, various groups have been working on proposals for consideration. The deadline for motions to be discussed at this year’s AGM, including those related to the restructuring of the Board of Directors, was August 7 at 11:59 PM. The open season of proposals that were floating around — with some of those working on them jumping from one to another — culminated in the submission of three proposals for consideration. Those who submitted proposals were Natalie Petra, Grayce Slobodian, and Khrystyna Zhuk. All three proposals identified the removal of college and professional faculty directorships in favour of identity-based representation as one of the main reasons for the failure of the UTSU’s initial proposal. All three groups aim to rectify this by keeping college and professional faculty representation while incorporating positions to address the equity-based concerns raised by last year’s proposal. PETRA’S PROPOSAL Natalie Petra, a public policy student and mover of the “hybrid proposal,” has been working on a reformed structure since January 2015. Petra and Ryan Gomes, then a UTSU Engineering director, initially spearheaded the “hybrid proposal” before Gomes stepped down from the project when he became the UTSU’s vice-president internal & services. The proposal has its roots in an open forum that Petra and Gomes held for students to discuss their issues with the UTSU and to facilitate the creation of a proposal that increases “involvement and engagement” with the union by all students. “We have undertaken, by far, more consulation than any other board proposal group. We sought feedback on absolutely every aspect of this proposal,” Petra told The Varsity. “We adjusted based on what we were hearing students wanted every step of the way.” Petra’s proposal adds four equityat-large seats that are not demarcated by identity, as well as four issue-based
Students vote down the proposed Board structure at last year’s AGM. SARAH NIEDOBA/THE VARSITY
seats for international students, first years, mature students, and commuter students. Under this proposed framework, the vice-president, campus life, currently an appointed position, would switch to being an elected position, and the vice-president, equity, would become an appointed one, to be selected by a committee of equityseeking groups on campus. “Equityseeking groups often face significant barriers to involvement in our union, and at times are shut out of the political process on campus,” said Petra. In addition, the proposal would create two new positions, a vice-president, professional faculties, and a mental wellness commissioner. The hybrid proposal creates three classes of membership, one for colleges and students in the Transitional Year Program, one for professional faculties, and one for UTM. Due to the CNCA’s requirement that all positions be elected at an AGM, the proposal suggests that the UTSU hold a ratification meeting after preliminary divisional elections, conducted with local Chief Returning Officers (CRO)s and according to the UTSU’s
bylaws. The winners of those elections would be the only candidates for election at the ratification meeting and would be confirmed there. Campus-wide elections for the equity-at-large and issues board directorships, as well as for the executive committee, would occur simultaneously, with the first-year students’ director being elected in the Fall. ZHUK’S PROPOSAL Khrystyna Zhuk, one of the current Board’s Arts & Science at-large directors, submitted a proposal keeps the direct college, professional faculty, and UTM representation intact. It offers a restructuring of how representatives will be elected; instead of the traditional campuswide elections for representatives, college, and professional faculty student societies will have the ability to run internal elections to decide who represents them within the UTSU. The proposal also calls for a number of General Equity Directors to represent equity-seeking groups. Zhuk’s proposal is a collaboration between various concerned students. “It was important to our group that
all opinions and perspectives were valued and taken into account,” Zhuk said. The primary group constructing the proposal includes, UTMSU members and UTSU members. All were adamant about the large number of people involved in its construction. “The group itself was quite amorphous,” said Benjamin Atkins, co-president of the Victoria University Students’ Administrative Council when asked who was involved. Zhuk emphasized that “[the] proposal took a lot of time and effort to put together from a variety of individuals.” SLOBODIAN’S PROPOSAL Grayce Slobodian, former vice-president, external of the UTSU, emphasized the objectives of her proposal. “The primary goals of my proposal are to give students the tools necessary to create a safer campus, fight to lower tuitions fees, challenge ‘isms’ and ‘phobias’ on campus, and create better services for all students.” “My proposal avoids classes of membership which would be disastrous if introduced; it has strong representation for marginalized groups, colleges, professional faculties, and
UTM; it proposes a smaller board size, and it’s compliant with the law — this proposal has it all,” said Slobodian when asked for specific details of her submission. Slobodian also said that she had done significant outreach and consultation when constructing her proposal. “I worked for a year to consult Board members, student societies, clubs and general students who at last year’s AGM, voiced strong support for issues-based seats, and at the same time support for preserving college and faculty-based seats,” she said. The St. George Round Table, (SGRT) a group comprised of college and professional faculty student society leaders, reached out to the movers of all three proposals. The SGRT heard Petra and Zhuk present their submissions on Wednesday, August 5; the roundtable has yet to endorse a specific one. Although the UTSU’s Board of Directors will look at all the proposals submitted, the entries will be subject to legal analysis to ensure that they meet the CNCA’s requirements before being brought to the AGM.
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Vol. CXXXVI, No. 1
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GRADUATE LIFE
Campus reacts to arbitration result After hearing both sides of the argument, arbiter rules in favour of U of T Joannie Fu and Emma Compeau VARSITY CONTRIBUTORS
The month-long strike ended with members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 3902’s Unit 1 voting to go into binding arbitration with the University of Toronto. Three months later William Kaplan, the arbitrator, ruled in favour of the university. “Having carefully considered the submissions of the parties in their detailed briefs, reply briefs, and at the hearing, I am left to conclude that the March 18 Memorandum should be given effect without the changes being sought by the union,” reads a portion of Kaplan’s decision, released on July 6, 2015 The March 18 Memorandum is the proposed agreement that members of CUPE 3902’s Unit 1, which represents approximately 5,500 TAs and other academic staff, rejected on March 23, 2015. This rejectionadded four days to the strike. Under binding arbitration, Unit 1 has no choice but to accept the deal. THE ARGUMENT Unit 1 voted to go on strike on February 27 after failing to reach an agreement with U of T pertaining to the Tuition Assistance Fund and the Graduate Student Bursary Fund, a dispute that was settled after the hearing.
The crux of the disagreement between the union and the university revolved around the responsibility to administer tuition relief funds to the Unit 1 members, as well as whether the funds would be capped at a fixed total of just over $1.6 million a year, or whether individual members would receive a minimum amount. Although Unit 1 advocated for the latter, the university argued that the issues put forth by the union near the end of the strike were fundamentally different than those at the beginning. The arbiter’s decision means that the university will dispense a fixed amount of $1.6 million to the union each year. The union is then responsible for administering and dispensing the funds to its members. THE UNION DIVIDED Ellie Adekur-Carlson, a PhD student and TA was recently elected to the incoming executive of CUPE 3902. She said that the bargaining team told union members to compromise and to lower funding package expectations to $17,500, claiming that they would not budge when it came to getting per-member entitlements. However, Adekur-Carlson claims that the bargaining team backtracked, which she condemned as “sloppy and dishonest bargaining
that was so focused on ending the strike that it was executed with poor strategy in a way that was so incredibly divisive that a lot of members have chosen to cut ties.” When the union’s bargaining team lowered their target on the minimum funding package from $23,000 to $17,500, TA Robert Fajber disagreed. “I feel like this was a really big mistake, and it was hard coming to the picket line the next day and trying to explain [the situation to those on strike],” Fajber emphasized that, despite the disappointment, the union remained strong; “[It] was still [a] victory for the union, and I think we need to call it as such.” Fajber believes that the university ‘legally outmanoeuvred’ the union. Ryan Culpepper’s use of the word ‘aspirational’ when talking about the tuition funding packages was misinterpreted according to Fajber. “To use this as a measure of “want vs. need” is a complete mischaracterization of the quote,” he said. THE UNIVERSITY Cheryl Regehr, vice-president and provost at U of T noted that membership in CUPE 3902 Unit 1 is not equivalent to being a graduate student. “We are absolutely committed to graduate student funding… but we see this as more of an academic discussion,” said Regehr.
In response to the recent backlash towards the university following a report detailing the growth of U of T’s endowment to $2.1 billion, Regehr explained that these funds are often subject to the will of the donors. While some of the funds go towards graduate student fellowships, other portions are allocated to buildings and other specific needs. Regehr stressed that she was very pleased to see that the strike had officially ended. “It was very sad for me to see how this created divisions in the university… [it was] difficult to see our graduate students in this kind of position,” adding that. despite hard times, staff, faculty, and TAs all worked to ensure students’ success. THE STRIKE IN A SNAPSHOT The Varsity first reported on the possibility of a strike in November 2014, after the previous collective agreement between the university and the union expired in April 2014. After months of failed negotiations, members of CUPE 3902 Unit 1 overwhelmingly voted to go on strike on February 27, 2015. The strike caused a stir amongst undergraduates on all three campuses, many of whom joined their TAs on the picket lines and protested in solidarity with them. As tensions rose and the strike contunied, the union’s rejection of
the March 18 Memorandum upped the movement’s momentum. This memorandum became the focal point of the university’s argument in mediation. After about a month on strike, the members of CUPE 3902 Unit 1 voted to accept binding arbitration and returned to work in time for final exams. However, for many students this was not enough to be able to finish the year with a satisfactory grade, which resulted in the university implementing a controversial strike contingency plan. While many different opinions emerged during this process, all parties agreed on the legitimacy of the union’s right to strike. “If [other] avenues do not work, of course the union members have the right to choose strike action as a last resort… we’re pleased that [the strike] has concluded, now we look forward to focussing on the success of our students, including those in CUPE3902,” said Regehr. PhD candidate and TA Kassandra Luciuk noted that while unions are imperfect institutions, they remain both important and fundamental for workers, “Without them, it would be so much worse… We still have an outlet to call out our exploitation — that’s really, really important.”
STUDENT LIFE
Fresh for frosh Orientation leaders receive additional training on sexual assault, mental health Students at an orientation concert during Frosh Week. PHOTO COURTESY OF UTSU
Tamim Mansour VARSITY STAFF
Student groups at the University of Toronto expanded the equity training provided to frosh leaders for this year’s orientation week. The Office of Student Life, which runs the Joint Orientation Leader Training (JOLT) program, also expanded its program. These changes come as issues of sexual violence and mental health have moved to the forefront of campus conversation, and the provi nce begins its campaign to combat sexual violence and harassment on university campuses. Recent years have seen various frosh week scandals. From St Mary’s University to the University of British Columbia, it is clear that acts once seen as harmless and childish, such as misogynistic cheers, are now being viewed as intentionally exclusive and actively dangerous to campus communities. At the heart of these scandals were the orientation leaders who decided to lead said chants in the first place. U of T has not experienced such
issues, as student leaders and administrators at all levels have undertaken efforts to ensure that frosh leaders receive the appropriate training in issues of equity and inclusivity. TRAINING AT COLLEGES AND PROFESSIONAL FACULTIES This is the first year Innis College has included an equity component to frosh leader training. According to orientation coordinators Brianne Katz-Griffin and Marta Switzer, this year will include “a plenary equity presentation, a plenary session on healthy relationships, and a system on how to handle potential situations [of consent].” University College’s (UC) orientation training used to focus on discussions on the difference between equity and equality. However, UC orientation coordinators Kimia Karbasy and Rochelle Coelho said that they plan to “go further in depth about what it truly means to be equitable,” adding: “We want to provide scenarios so that the leaders can identify the feelings of the people involved, identify all the issues, what they see [as] their
role and responsibility as a leader and how to deal with a scenario to promote a positive and safe environment for everyone.” Other student-run orientations, such as the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE), enhanced their existing equity training. KPE orientation coordinators Breanna Bitondo and Michelle Lukasik already hold equity workshops led by the vice-president equity of the KPE Undergraduate Association. “[There] is not much change in the training, rather further development, to ensure that the KPE leaders, executives, and spirit crew learn and get the most out of this workshop,” Bitondo and Lukasik said. “This workshop has been held in the past, however the vp equity has revamped the work that she has done to make it more engaging… for those participating,” they said, adding that the training “coincides with the expectations that the [KPE] has.” CHANGES TO JOLT JOLT is a training program provided to frosh leaders from all colleges
and faculties at the St George campus by the Office of Student Life. Colleges and faculties must send their leaders to JOLT if they wish to be eligible for a grant from the university to run their own frosh. Other groups such as the Muslim Students’ Association who run frosh events also attend the training. “The goal of JOLT is to ensure that all orientation leaders on the St. George campus have the same core skill set around safety, bystander intervention, equity, and inclusivity,” said Josh Hass, Student Life coordinator, orientation and transition. JOLT organizes its training into modules that cover the three elements of that goal. Hass is in charge of organizing JOLT, which he does in consultation with members of various divisions including Health & Wellness, the Anti-Racism & Cultural Diversity Office, and U of T’s other campuses. This year, suggestions from the mental health framework study conducted last year were incorporated into JOLT. These changes come from Hass’ consultations with U of T’s re-
cently assembled sexual violence task force. “We’re trying to push from all angles, not just from training. It’s one of those things which are happening mid-summer and by next year we’ll have a concrete plan starting in the very beginning what it’ll look like,” he said. Bigger changes may also be coming to JOLT next year. “There have been conversations about the possibility of expanding JOLT,” Hass said, adding that the administration has not “really identified what that expansion would entail.” The Office of Student Life will be conducting a direct assessment of the leaders training after frosh week in order to identify what changes need to be made. They will use situational questions to gauge what the leaders have learnt from their training as well as collect their experiences during frosh week. Hass encourages frosh leaders to take the assessment, saying “we want that information before we discuss any sort of expansion to the program.”
VARSITY NEWS
var.st/news
MONDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 2015
7
STUDENT LIFE
Accounts of student struggles spark debate Should students with mental health issues be told to leave residence? Iris Robin
and Wellness centres on all three campuses, as well as Counseline, a counselling service run through U of T’s Faculty of Social Work, and Good2Talk, a helpline for Ontario post-secondary students, as available resources.
NEWS EDITOR
CONTENT WARNING: explicit discussion of attempted suicide Cassie*, a Woodsworth College student, found herself struggling in her second year. “I had a really, really tough time, so the counsellor… wanted me to tell my don in case anything terrible happened,” she recalls. Cassie has bipolar disorder, a diagnosis she received in high school. When she came to university, she signed up for online counselling, which was a new initiative at the time. That year, Cassie’s counsellor called her residence don, and Cassie also went to speak to her. Although her conversation with the don went well, and Cassie felt supported, her don told her that she was required to tell the dean of residence. “I was kind of shocked — there was no reason for her to do that, because I felt she was there for me as a friend, there for me as extra support,” Cassie says. The next day, the dean of residence contacted Cassie and they set up a meeting, in which the dean drew up a contract for Cassie to sign. According to Cassie, the contract stated that if she tried to commit suicide, or if she harmed herself in front of others, she would be asked to leave the residence. When Sam* was in second year, their depression and anxiety hospitalized them. Upon returning to residence at Trinity College, the dean of students held a series of one-on-one meetings with Sam. When Sam’s condition did not improve, he gave them two choices: either leave residence and enter inpatient treatment, or call their mother and tell her that they ended up in hospital. “This… inpatient treatment centre sounded god-awful, and I knew I wasn’t that bad,” Sam recalls. Sam opted to phone their mother, a conversation for which the dean had to be present as well. Sam’s mother was not supportive. “My mother doesn’t believe in mental health issues, let alone the idea of someone who is suicidal. So, that conversation ended up causing a major, major rift in my relationship with my mother that was completely unnecessary.” Sam believes that the college was more concerned with liability issues than their recovery. “Ultimately, he sacrificed my confidentiality for liability’s sake,” Sam says, adding that it was difficult to repair their relationship with their mother after that discussion. ACCESS TO RESOURCES Jonathan Steels, dean of students at Trinity College, says that the college approaches such situations on a case-by-case basis. “When a student in a high level of distress is identified, Trinity College staff work closely with staff across the university to work directly with the student to
Students with mental health issues are sometimes asked to leave residence. JULIEN BALBONTIN/THE VARSITY
determine needs and arrange appropriate supports. Through this collaborative process we work together to ensure the best supports and safety for the student and the community,” he wrote in an email to The Varsity. Liza Nassim, dean of Woodsworth College, did not respond to a request for comment. “The University takes the safety and well-being of our students, staff and faculty very seriously,” says Althea Blackburn-Evans, director of news & media relations at U of T, adding, “Our goal is to ensure at-risk students receive the right support and treatment.” “In cases where a student attempts suicide, we work quickly to provide the student with the support they need. That may include access to health care professionals and academic accommodation should the student need to take a break from their studies while maintaining their academic record,” she says. Sam maintains that staying on residence was the best course of action for them, due to the fact that resources like the residence dining-hall and the registrar’s office were close by. “[They’re] all connected to the residence buildings. So if all the resources are connected to the residence buildings, and you kick me off residence, that means I’m completely isolated from it,” Sam says. Even though Cassie was not asked to leave residence, the contract she signed made her feel alienated from her friends, and she did not know who to speak to. Her parents live overseas and Cassie knew that they would not be receptive to hearing about her mental health issues. The ordeal also exacerbated Cassie’s mental illness. “It was a lot of stress. If I self harm, I can’t tell my roommates, even though they were my best friends, and people I wanted to go to when I’m having a panic attack. It was kind of harsh.” Cassie found the separation from her roommates to be the most difficult. “Suddenly they were like, you can’t even talk to your roommates… they don’t want you to ‘infect’ your roommates or cause them to have anxiety as well. It’s just really tough because already
you don’t want to bother people and as someone who’s always questioning things, and then suddenly they take away your friends, and you’re like oh fuck, you know?” When Sam talked to the dean, they were told that they were a risk to themselves, and to other students at the college. “Ultimately, he basically said ‘it’s not just about you, it’s about this entire community, and if you ended up killing yourself, that would have caused an immense turmoil amongst the entire college.’” IMPACT ON OTHERS “Creating safe campus communities means supporting those students who may be at risk, while also ensuring the well-being of all students — including those who may be negatively affected when a fellow student experiences distress,” says Blackburn-Evans. Susan* experienced the consequences of a friend’s suicide attempt when she walked into the aftermath of it in her first year at U of T. Susan struggled to be the support system that her friend needed. “My friend was hospitalized, and received intense psychiatric care. Her partner and I told people who noticed that she was missing from the residence that she had been hospitalized with a serious stomach illness. We ignored how sick we felt: we were determined to be okay, to be strong, to be supportive.” “In the weeks and months following the event, risky behaviours became more tempting to me: drug use, alcohol abuse, anonymous and dangerous sex,” Susan recalls. She says that she would often get the urge to walk into traffic, lean too far over railings, drown herself, and that she had disturbing dreams. “[The] last thing I wanted to do was talk about it. In my dreams, I watched everyone I loved die, but they were dreams — in real life, there was nothing to talk about: my friend had lived.” Susan dropped out of the art program she was in. “Creation slowly became impossible — working on anything made me feel anxious and sick.” After nearly a year, Susan realized that she needed help. She is still dealing with the trauma of her friend’s
suicide attempt. “I remember everything about that night. I relive it randomly: most often in movie theatres, though also alone in my room, in the middle of the day, when seemingly nothing is wrong.” POLICY AND PROCESS The lack of formal policy in place for at risk students was a problem for Cassie, who received no explanation about the procedure and what her rights were at the time. She says that not even her counsellor knew what the process was. “[My counsellor] was really shocked at how they dealt with it and how they reacted against someone who was just wanting support instead of being treated as a time-bomb,” she says. Even though Cassie had never been hospitalized throughout her university career and was deemed to be a lower risk case, she still felt like she had to sign the contract, which she did. “I signed it without really knowing what I signed,” she explains. “Did I need to sign those papers? I still don’t know to this day,” she says. “Am I forced to sign these papers, or can I say ‘no, I don’t want to sign these papers,’ or [is there any way] I can protect myself when these papers are put in front of me?” Sam believes that having a formal policy would help the university with its liability concerns, although they do not think that U of T would implement such a policy. “If they had a formal policy, that would mean they’d have to keep the amount of people struggling with mental health on record. Do you think the university wants to have people know how many people are suffering from mental health because of the school environment? They would never want to release that.” “Of course it’s in the best interests of the students to have a formal standardized policy, but at the end of the day they would never do it, because they’re worried about their own reputation, and they’re worried about their reputation to their own detriment, and to the detriment of their students.” Blackburn-Evans states that U of T’s focus and the focus of the colleges is on resources, rather than policies. Blackburn-Evans names Health
A COURSE OF ACTION “The appropriate course of action would have been to continue following up with me… honestly just believing me when I say that I was stable, and saying that yeah I was still struggling but believing, ultimately the person that knows you best is yourself. And when you’re not believing this person that’s telling you they would be better off on residence, then clearly you’re not following the best course of action,” says Sam. “At the colleges, residence dons and many others have specialized training in dealing with those who are at risk. The focus is always on accommodation, supportive resources, and so on,” says Blackburn-Evans. Blackburn-Evans also says that the university can take action via Residence Codes, the Code of Student Conduct, or by other means to comply with its legal duties to maintain a safe environment. In extreme cases rights exist under the Mental Health Act to ensure that a person who is at risk is placed where there can be immediate access to medical resources. Susan emphasizes that she does not believe people with severe mental health problems should be abandoned, and that the trained support available is not enough to justify keeping an at-risk student in residence. “The high-stress atmosphere of a university is difficult enough without mental illness, and our already over-taxed system cannot make the changes necessary to provide the more frequent one-on-one support needed by somebody actively battling suicidal ideation without a significant overhaul,” she says. “If a university does not ask a suicidal student to leave, they are asking that student’s peers to become a support system, or — in the worst cases — the first responders. They are exposing students to a very serious form of trauma,” she says. “I don’t know what the solution is,” says Cassie. “I just wish that I knew… I never knew that other people went through this [sort of thing], I didn’t know that this was a thing that happened at all the residences. So when I read that article it was super surprising that this happened to other people,” she says, referring to an article published by VICE that reported that a U of T student was told not to come back to residence after a suicide attempt. “I wish that first years knew that they were going into residences and people just knew about it. So whatever happens, they know the procedures and they know how to deal with it once it comes,” says Cassie. * Names changed at students’ requests
8
VARSITY NEWS
Vol. CXXXVI, No. 1
news@thevarsity.ca
STUDENT LIFE
International students break study permit restrictions to work Students are taking more shifts than legally permitted out of necessity
The Centre for International Experience is a resource for international students and students going on exchange. WYATT CLOUGH/FILE PHOTO
Cathlin Sullivan
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
International students’ tuition is higher than it has ever been, with 10 per cent of international students receiving less than 10 per cent of their tuition in financial aid. Regardless of their financial situation, these students are not allowed to work more than 20 hours off-campus. Miranda Cheng, director of the Centre for International Experience (CIE), said that in the 2012–2013 school year, U of T awarded 1,600 international students a total of 4.95 million dollars in financial aid. This amounts to less than $4,000 dollars per person for only 10 per cent of the year’s international students. Currently, the only way for an international student to exceed the 20-hour limit is through a loophole in the wording of the law itself. The law states that they are prohibited from working over 20 hours off the university campus,
but does not specify how many hours they can work on-campus. WORKING STUDENTS Aaron*, a recent U of T graduate and international student, worked over 20 hours per week throughout their** university career, since receiving their off-campus work permit in second year. “My choices were either to take extra shifts and sign up for extra work to cover expenses or take out a loan,” they said. “So I chose the former.” They said that they were nervous filing their taxes after working more hours than permitted, but said that nothing came of it. All international students’ study permits restrict the hours they can work during the school year. Their domestic peers face no such restrictions. Domestic student Lindsay Champagne worked two jobs throughout university averaging over 20 hours per week, sometimes working as much as 50 hours.
“Some weeks I would work 30-40 hours,” she explained. “But in order to just afford rent, food, and my phone bill after receiving OSAP, I still had to work a minimum 15 hours a week.” Aditi* a masters of engineering student from India, came to Toronto to pursue her studies in 2012. At the time, the law stipulated that students had to wait six months to apply for an off-campus work permit. “I worked as a waitress and babysitter,” she said. “[By then], I had a work permit but the restaurant I worked at paid me cash because it was easier for the owner to avoid paying taxes.” Aditi does not believe that she ever had to work over 20 hours per week, but she does add that, “I don’t think that international students should have [restrictions] considering we all have the same workload.” CONSEQUENCES AND RESOURCES According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), any breach of a permit can lead to a
student being defined as “non-compliant.” If they then do not stop the activities that caused the breach, the Canada Border Services Agency could take action, or their study permit could be made invalid. According to the CIC website, “it may also negatively affect future application made under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and its regulations.” Cheng notes that there is emergency housing that is available to international students if they find themselves in a dire situation. “The great thing about U of T is the resources,” she said. According to Cheng, students can either reach out to the CIE or their individual registrars. “We try to triage the situation so we can ensure the first referral we make will be the final referral.” *Name has been changed at student’s request **This article uses they/their pronouns to refer to individuals that do not identify with gender binaries.
NEWS IN BRIEF Waterloo student newspaper Massey College announces first Newfoundland and Labrador first UOttawa students co-found Imprint to be evicted Kierans-Janigan visiting scholar province to scrap student loans publishing house This October, Imprint,the University of Waterloo’s independent student newspaper, will be evicted from their offices in the university’s Student Life Centre. The paper has leased the space from the university’s Federation of Students (Feds) for 37 years. Carly McCready, Feds’ vice president operations and finance, offered no explanation for the decision. However, Jesse McGinnis, chair of the Imprint Publications’ Board, alleged that the eviction aims to expand Feds’s own offices into the Student Life Centre, and to silence Imprint’s editorial coverage, which McGinnis says has, “occasionally, cast a bad light on Feds.” After discussing other options, including doubled rent or outright expulsion from the building, Feds offered Imprint office space in the basement of the Student Life Centre, roughly half the size of their current space. The University of Waterloo has expressed support for independent campus media, but is offering no assistance. However, McGinnis says: “I’m hopeful that should Feds not step up, the university will help us find a good home.”
Dr. Evelyn Forget is the first Kierans-Janigan visiting scholar at Massey College. A health economics researcher, Dr. Forget is the academic director of the Manitoba Research Data Centre and a professor at the University of Manitoba. She is currently taking the lead on an investigation into the results and trends that arose from the mid-1970’s Mincome Guaranteed Annual Income experiment in Dauphin, Manitoba. Dr. Forget has received peer-reviewed grants from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and the Social Science and Health Research Council of Canada to fund her work. Hugh Segal, Master of Massey College, praised Dr. Forget and acknowledged the members of the Massey community for their support. “Dr. Forget, as a leading, courageous and entrepreneurial scholar, is a unique and compelling individual with whom to inaugurate this outstanding commitment by Tom Kierans and Mary Janigan,” said Segal in a press release. Dr. Forget will take up residence at the Massey College in September 2015. — Iris Robin
— Andrew Richmond With files from Imprint.
Newfoundland and Labrador has dropped student loans, replacing them with non-repayable grants to its students. The move, effective August first, is estimated to save undergraduate students $11,805 in debt per year. Student funding was previously a mixture of loans and grants; last year, the Progressive Conservative government began eliminating student loans. Now, student funding consists entirely of need-based grants provided to eligible students with no obligation to repay. The grant system is aimed at encouraging Newfoundland and Labrador students to study at home. Those wishing to study out-of-province are still subject to a mixed loan and grant system. Travis Perry, the provincial chair of the Canadian Federation of Students, lauded the move. “Students will be more likely to go out… and contribute meaningfully to the economy,” said Perry in an interview with CBC News. The new grants-only system is projected to cost the province $50.6 million over five years.
A panel discussion event for young Muslim women hoping to affect positive change in their communities inspired three Somali-Canadian students at the University of Ottawa, to cofound Qurtuba Publishing House. TIlhan, Hodan, and Ayan Ibrahim aim to shift the negative portrayal and misrepresentation of Muslim culture in Western mainstream media by creating a platform for discussion and knowledge dissemination about relevant issues that Western Muslims face. The publishing house is named after a city called Qurtuba that was known for its cultural diversity, technological advances, paved roads, and a tolerant and cultivated society. In their choice of name, the sisters wanted to reflect the values of the platform their company aims to create. With a few books already published and several more on their way, the Ibrahims hope to host workshops and seminars that will provide Muslims the tools needed to face modern challenges and ensure accessibility to knowledge.
—Panagiotis Angelinos With files from The Huffington Post
— Enxhi Kondi With files from My 252
10 Vol. CXXXVI, No. 1
VARSITY COMMENT
comment@thevarsity.ca
U of T should develop careerintegrated learning Active reflection on university experiences will improve students' employability Sasha Boutilier
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
U of T graduates rank as the most employable in Canada and thirteenth most employable in the world. The university’s president, Meric Gertler, has made it his goal to advance U of T’s status as a global university. To achieve this end, Gertler should promote and prioritize initiatives that will help U of T’s students develop and recognize usable and relevant skills to employ in the workforce. Unfortunately, university can be seen as merely expected pre-requisite steps before young people move on to the working world. Humanities and social science students especially face increasing pressure to justify the value of their education to employers. In our post-secondary education, focus is too often placed solely on rote memorization and formulaic analysis, which often neglects the true value of higher education — that is, critical thinking, independence, interpersonal skills, and other competencies. We must look beyond the mere content of course readings to the real skills that a university education can develop. At Memorial University of Newfoundland an innovative project is underway to address this problem, with the help of a grant from the Counselling Foundation of Canada: the Career Integrated Learning Project. Career integrated learning takes a “grassroots approach to creating awareness of graduating student competencies.” These competencies include knowledge of one’s field; responsible
citizenship; ethical, moral, and intellectual integrity; enthusiasm in learning; appreciating diversity and promoting equity; and effective communication. Clearly, these are skills that carry immense value beyond both the classroom and the university. U of T should explore, and ultimately implement, a career integrated learning model for three reasons: it’s easy to enact, it’s cost-effective, and it works. A common objection to reforming postsecondary education to better emphasize professional skill development is institutional inertia; professors don’t want to change their curriculum. However, the beauty of the career integrated learning model is that it doesn’t require intensive curricular changes. Rather than forcing professors to radically alter their syllabi, career integrated learning instead allows them to draw out and formally recognize the skills that already are developed in their curriculum. Professors include the competencies as a new section in their syllabus; both students and professors are then encouraged to reflect upon them throughout the course. The career integrated learning model is also cost-effective in helping students develop the strengths they need to succeed in today’s professional environment and the associated cost is minimal. While summer abroad programs and other international opportunities are fantastic and highly valuable, they are expensive, creating significant is sues with equitable access to these programs. It is important to not just look abroad to improve students’ competitiveness in a globalized environ-
BRITTANY GEROW/THE VARSITY
ment economy, but also to look within the university at how important abilities can be developed within the classroom. Finally, career integrated learning works and is the product of years of research, teaching, and student feedback and career development practice. The career landscape is changing and it is important to prepare students for what is ahead. Student reviews from the program have been overwhelmingly positive. Overall, career integrated learning shows great promise and is an option U of T should actively explore. Given the immense size of
the university, a career-integrated model of learning would certainly take time to implement. While the university struggles with funding issues and the challenge of meeting high costs of research, it should take advantage of cost-effective programs like career integrated learning that will foster a forwardthinking, positive learning environment. Sasha Boutilier is a third year student at St. Michael’s College studying political science and ethics, society and law.
Religious freedom is not absolute Trinity Western covenant spurns the LGBTQ community Teodora Pasca VARSITY STAFF
As an evangelical institution, Trinity Western University (TWU) requires all students and staff to sign a community covenant. Said covenant, though arguably well-intentioned to promote traditional Christian values, has been ruled to interfere with LGBTQ rights. Most recently, the Divisional Court of Ontario denied TWU’s application for judicial review of its latest rejection for law school accreditation. This decision received criticism from a recent opinion piece in The Varsity, which argued for TWU’s religious freedom. Yet, the fact that TWU is a religious university does not grant them leave to marginalize the LGBTQ community. TWU’s law school should not be accredited — at least, not yet. The offending portions of the covenant include the fact that members must abstain from “sexual intimacy that violates the sacredness of marriage between a man and a woman”, and (under the subsection “Healthy Sexuality”), acknowledge that “according to the Bible, sexual intimacy is reserved for marriage between one man and one woman.” These statements directly contradict the spirit of three levels of Canadian legislation on LGBTQ equality. Firstly, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is constitutional law that protects the rights of anyone on Canadian soil. S.15(1) of the charter forbids discrimination, including on the basis of sexual orientation. Although religious freedom is also protected under S.2(a), using this to justify discrimination is a different story. For this reason, S.1 can limit rights under certain circumstances, which is why, for example, S.2(b) on freedom
BRITTANY GEROW/THE VARSITY
of expression is constrained by S.319 of the Criminal Code on hate speech. Admittedly, TWU is a private university, and the charter only governs interactions within the public sphere. However, given its immense significance as a symbol of rights and equity, disregarding what the Charter stands for is no small transgression, even on the part of a private institution. This is not to mention that same-sex marriage was legalized in Canada in 2005. It is thus mildly ironic that, in 2015, a law school refuses to acknowledge a practice that has been lawful for 10 years. Finally, all provinces and territories have human rights legislation condemning the discrimination of individuals based on sexual orientation. This applies to education as well as employment (students as well as staff). Considering this, TWU’s covenant outright rejects the principles that have guided the legal progress of the LGBTQ community in Canada.
It is not “moral conformity” to require an institution to be mindful of LGBTQ interests in the society we live in, it is an obligation that is moral as well as legal. Beyond theoretical principles of equity, LGBTQ isolation at TWU continues in practice. The Divisional Court of Ontario argued that the covenant deters LGBTQ students from attending TWU, and that signing the covenant would mean disavowing “their very identity.” Although some have condemned this statement, saying it plays to the stereotype of “unwholesome” pre-marital LGBTQ sex practices, the statement can actually be interpreted in a more logical way. Simply put, the court is right — it is degrading to force an LGBTQ person to sign a contract that stresses the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman. By doing this, LGBTQ individuals would be yielding to the implication that only heterosexuality is acceptable. Accordingly, LGBTQ students may not always
feel at home at TWU. Student Bryan Sandberg — despite his love for the institution — hid his sexuality for two months after his arrival on campus. When interviewed, he knew only two TWU students out of a population of 4,000 who were openly gay. Under different circumstances, former student Jill Bishop carried out a secret same-sex relationship during her time at TWU. Looking back, she recalls that some professors condemned homosexuality in their lectures, and that she faced a real risk of expulsion if her relationship were to be discovered. Instead of pushing heteronormativity, TWU ought to make LGBTQ rights a priority. The law is an instrument of social justice and equity; we cannot legitimize a law school that excludes an already marginalized group. In fact, the Canadian Bar Association argued that it is not enough for TWU to meet the competency requirements for accreditation (i.e. legal skills). Whether the university complies with Canadian law and the broader role of law itself must also be considered. Universities have a duty to advocate for legal education that promotes equity and respect: only in this way will social justice continue to advance. Although TWU is a private institution, law societies — which are publicly funded — should hesitate to provide accreditation if doing so involves condoning discriminatory policy. TWU can have its law school — but it won’t be official until it changes its policies. In the meantime, the doors to accreditation remain firmly shut. Teodora Pasca is a second-year student at Innis College studying criminology and ethics, society and law.
var.st/comment
VARSITY COMMENT
MONDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 2015
11
Op-ed: Student unions are inherently political Debate the merits of an issue, but don’t hide under the guise of “neutrality” Op-ed
Abdullah Shihipar is president of the Arts and Science Students Union. FILE PHOTO: JENNIFER SU/THE VARSITY
Abdullah Shihipar ASSU PRESIDENT
Every year, student unions take stances on a variety of issues, and every year the common refrain of “don’t be political” is heard on our campus. Those who preach this gospel of neutrality assert that it is not the place of a students’ union to take stances on hot button issues. To do so is to be divisive and unrepresentative; as such, the membership would be better served if the union concentrated purely on services and “student issues.” Indeed, there are some who serve on student unions who subscribe to this ideology — but I am not one of them. I believe that like everything, student unions are inherently political. Such is the nature of advocacy-based organizations; to pretend students and their union live in
a vacuum divorced from the issues that surround us is misguided. This past year, the executive committees of unions like the Arts and Science Student Union (ASSU) and the University of Toronto Student Union (UTSU) have taken public stances on a wide scope of issues; they opposed anti-black racism, supported the TA strike, stood in solidarity with murdered students everywhere, and condemned violent acts of Islamophobia. Some of these issues are perceived to be more controversial than others, and are unsuprisingly met with accusations of unions being unrepresentative. It is also important to recognize the fluidity of this argument. Merely two years ago, the fact that the UTSU was backing Idle No More was a contentious issue. A substantial number of people voted against it under the justification that the union must remain apolitical. The ar-
gument against politicization exists today, but some issues have reached a nebulous “threshold of acceptability.” In this debate, representatives often throw out words like “representation,” “divisive,” and “ student issue,” but these words themselves are not devoid of meaning; they are extremely coded. When we talk about representation in this sense, we must ask ourselves, “who do you represent?” And, “what is a student issue?” Too often, such a position ignores the unique experiences of the student body and whitewashes them, assuming them to be an apathetic monolith. Representatives adopt a persona of a student who is not affected adversely by the issue that is being discussed. Ergo, the issue is “political” and not representative of “students.” As a result, some students end up being more represented than others, while student union representatives comfort themselves with the thought that they are pleasing everybody. Events that happen off our campus or in another part of the world can have adverse effects on the mental health and well being of students on our campus. The different experiences we carry affect how we react to the news that can be seemingly unconnected to our lives. When three Muslim students were shot in their homes just off the UNC-Chapel Hill campus, I was devastated. For a day or so, I could not focus in class and was teary eyed on my commute home. Shortly after, ASSU put out a statement and I helped to organize a vigil for victims of hate and Islamophobic violence. I realized then, how it feels to know that your fellow students support you in a traumatic time, even though what is affecting you may be distant.
This is the pain that black students feel when yet another black person is murdered on the streets by an agent of the state. This is the pain indigenous students feel when yet another indigenous woman joins the list of the missing and murdered. It affects how students walk on this campus, and whether or not they can concentrate in class. Insult is added to injury when representatives tell their students who are hurting, “sorry, but this really is not a student issue.” When a student society refused to back our vigil on the basis that it was too political and outside their mandate, what they were saying was “you do not matter” and “your experiences are not what we would consider that of an average student.” We never release statements to “look activist”; it is always done with the knowledge that some of our students are affected by this issue and we need to stand in solidarity with them. So when representatives engage in these debates, they should be wary of voting one way or the other due to “neutrality” and “being representative.” There is no such thing — and taking such a stance is inadvertently defining some experiences as being more student like than others. This does not mean that all students have to agree on something. Representation does not necessitate complete consensus, debate is to be encouraged and welcome. But disagree on the merits of being against that issue, not under a false pretense of being neutral, because whether you like it or not — everything is political. Abdullah Shihipar is the president of the Arts and Science Student Union
Silencing “meninists” is not censorship Preventing hate speech is a necessary protection on campus Nish Chankar
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
A couple of weeks ago, a university student launched a petition against American pickup artist and blogger Daryush Valizadeh — better known as Roosh V — with the intent of banning him from presenting his questionable work in Canada. This petition is unsurprising, given that Valizadeh is unabashed about his marginalization of women. For instance, in one of his latest written pieces, How to Stop Rape, Valizadeh stated, “I thought about this problem and am sure I have the solution: make rape legal if done on private property. I propose that we make the violent taking of a women not punishable by law when done off public grounds.” It has not taken long, however, for many to disagree with this petition; there are cries for censorship heard all around. This sentiment ignores the fine line between censorship and protection. If you’re silencing someone solely because you disagree with them, then that’s censorship. On the other hand, if you’re silencing someone because their words have the potential to mobilize forces into harming and adversely affecting marginalized populations (i.e. hate speech), then that is a protection. Valizadeh's writing on rape encourages the violation of basic human rights. To prevent him from spreading that hate is a necessity, especially given the current rates of sexual violence. By banning Valizadeh, we would simply be protecting past and future victims of sexual violence, the bulk of whom are cis and trans* women.
While Valizadeh might be based on the other side of the border, this debate of censorship versus protection with regards to violence against women is pertinent here as well. Just this summer, the CAFÉ (Canadian Association for Equality), a prominent Toronto-based group that purportedly has a “focus on the status, health, and well-being of boys and men.” was banned from participating in the Toronto Pride Parade. When questioned about his decision to bar CAFÉ’s involvement, a third-party arbitrator stated “the participation of CAFÉ could directly undermine the participation of queer, lesbian, and trans women in the Pride Parade”. Though some may attempt to defend CAFÉ on the basis on the necessity of “meninism,” it is important to note that such “men’s right activism” (MRA) is the unnecessary advocacy of rights for the dominant group. Picture a “white rights movement” — or a “straight pride movement” — it’s laughable. When you attempt to advocate for the rights of people that are already born into structural power, it’s not a movement for equality. Instead, it is a veil to maintain the hegemonic status quo. Here on campus, there’s a Ulife-recognized, CAFÉ-affiliated group that goes by the name of “The U of T Men’s Issues Awareness Society.” In 2012, they hosted a highly contentious event at which a prominent MRA, Dr. Warren Farrell, spoke to a crowd about how society and its institutions are disadvantageous for men. This year, even though the club has acted more quietly, MRA posters all around Robarts, Bahen, and other high-traffic areas read “How the Press (Mis)Covers Gender: A Public Talk by Robyn Urback, National Post.”
TINA YE/THE VARSITY
There is currently one U of T counsellor dedicated to helping survivors of sexual violence, for an undergraduate student body of almost 70, 000. As such, it is ludicrous how this MRA, university-recognized club is given free campus spots to host speakers who promote unsafe spaces for cis- and trans* women. It is not censorship to prohibit MRA activists from speaking on campus — this is simply the protection that our university and society owes all cis- and trans* women.
Skewed data and a fake rhetoric of equality shouldn’t give meninism any legitimacy. People like Roosh V, Warren Farrell, and other MRAs continually work to take attention away from the very real problem that is sexual violence. Ideas and persons like these should not be blindly given the freedom to oppress. Nish Chankar is a second-year student at Trinity College studying economics and international relations.
UTSU — A HISTORY
Iris Robin
NEWS EDITOR
The Varsity traces the turbulent history of U of T’s students’ union
2012
2011 AUGUST 2011
2013 FEBRUARY 2013
MARCH 2012
Innis, St. Michael’s, Trinity and University colleges and the engineering faculty opt out of using the UTSU-provided frosh kits, deepens rift between divisional societies and the UTSU.
The UTSU hosts a Special General Meeting; Trinity College, Engineering Faculty and St Michael’s College announce plans to secede from the union.
Unity slate, which includes incumbent members, faces opposition slate StudentsFirst in UTSU elections; UTM students report feeling underrepresented; Unity wins.
MARCH 2013
The CFS affiliated Renew slate runs unopposed and wins. Victoria College, Engineering, and Trinity College hold referenda on UTSU membership, citing unfair electoral practices, lack of transperancy, and membership with the CFS as reasons for defederation. All vote overwhelmingly in favour of fee diversion; SMC postpones referendum.
NOVEMBER 2012
The UTSU Annual General Meeting (AGM) is shut down when a motion to approve the agenda fails. Those in opposition to the union used the tactic to express their displeasure with the state of the union — specifically that the agenda for the AGM did not include issues that they deemed relevant to the union’s membership.
SEPTEMBER 2013
The UTSU implements online voting for elections.
OCTOBER 2013
The Student Societies Summit begins — an attempt initiated by the provost to rectify differences between the UTSU and divisional societies. With a moderator from the university adminstration in place, the UTSU and representatives from the divisional societies would meet on a regular basis to attempt to reach an agreement on a number of issues, with the aim of mending toxic relationships and moving forward on a Student Commons on the St.George campus.
THE ROAD TO ARBITRATION
A
A th gr
O
Th fo
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Pi un
Iris Robin
NEWS EDITOR
A recap of last year’s Teaching Assistants’ strike
2014
MARCH 3
APRIL 30, 2014
Collective agreement between the university adminstration and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) expires; negotiations begin for a new collective agreement begin.
NOVEMBER 2014
90.3 per cent of CUPE 3902 Unit 1 members and 81 per cent of Unit 5 members vote in favour of a strike mandate.
2015 FEBRUARY 27
Strike deadline; CUPE 3902 Unit 1 fail to reach an agreement with the university; the strike begins; tutorials, labs, and some lectures are suspended indefinitely. Clockwise from bottom left: CUPE members picket at St. George campus. TOSIN MAIYEGUN/ THE VARSITY Professor Dan Dolderman relocates Con Hall class to front campus due to strike disruptions. COURTESY OF KAREN ZHOU Both sides agreed to binding arbitration to end the strike. YASSINE ELBARADIE/THE VARSITY Simcoe hall vandalized with word “SHAME”. JENNIFER SU/THE VARSITY Some students stood alongside their striking TA’s and sessional instructors. TOSIN MAIYEGUN, THE VARSITY
CUPE 3903 Units 1, 2, and 3 go on strike at York University; classes are suspended.
MARCH 10
CUPE 3902 Unit 3 reach a settlement with U of T.
MARCH 11
CUPE 3903 Unit 2 reach a settlement at York; classes resume.
MARCH 16
CUPE 3902 Unit 1 proposes an agreement; the university rejects it and c proposes. Unit 1 rejects the counter proposal.
MARCH 17
Picket lines cause disruption at the UTM; UTSC chairs and academic directo for the university to negotiate.
The University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) is the largest students’ union at U of T. With 50,000 members, the UTSU represents all fulltime and professional faculty students at the St.George (UTSG) and Missisauga (UTM) campuses. The union’s mandate is three-fold: to advocate on behalf of students, to enhance the student experience, and to provide cost-saving services. The UTSU has been criticized in the recent past
for its electoral policy. There has also faced debate about the efficiency of the union’s spending, as well as the stances that it takes on complex and controversial issues. Some students believe that it is not the union’s place to take positions on issues of global conflict and foreign policy. The UTSU is a member of both the national and provincial branches of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS). The UTSU’s membership in
the CFS has recieved negative attention ever since it joined in 2003. In 2013, a number of U of T student societies held referenda to divert fees from the UTSU to their respective student councils, naming ties to the CFS as one of the reasons for doing so. At U of T, the role of the CFS in local campus politics is a concern for some students, as well as the parent organization’s record on democratic integrity.
2014
In the most recent UTSU elections, executives from other CFS-affiliated universities, such as Ryerson and York, were seen campaigning on behalf of the CFS-backed incumbent slate, an issue that has persisted for years. The current UTSU executive does not have prior affiliations with the CFS, however, the UTSU will remain a CFS member unless a decertification process is initiated.
2015 MARCH 2015
FEBRUARY 2014
Divisional leaders express concern over the UTSU’s financial relationship with the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU); the UTMSU exits Student Societies Summit citing bullying tactics on the part of other divisional representatives, and a survey of their membership who were allegedly in favour of the decision.
Brighter UofT faces Change UofT, which includes incumbent executive candidates; Brighter UofT wins, ending over a decade of CFSbacked slates taking the UTSU elections.
MARCH 2014
The new UTSU executives take office; students express concerns with slate system, online voting, “toxic” election environment.
MAY 2015
The UTSU withdraws from the Student Societies Summit. In a contested election, Pierre Harfouche, of the opposition slate, is elected alongside members of the incumbent slate. Multiple allegations of electoral misconduct and broken bylaws arise.
AUGUST 2015
UTSU members submit Board restructuring proposals.
APRIL 2014
controversial Board of Directors restructuring plan is proposed by the UTSU executive, involving he removal of college representation in favour of directors who would represent marginalized roups on the U of T campuses.
OCTOBER 2014
he union’s Board of Directors rejects a proposed alternative structure; motions do not move orward to the AGM; the UTSU-backed Board of Directors structure fails to pass at the UTSU AGM.
NOVEMBER 2014
ierre Harfouche, the only opposition candidate elected to the UTSU that year, resigns, citing nfair treatment and corruption in the UTSU.
U of T is emerging from the aftermath of a monthlong strike during last year’s spring semester. The strike caused the cancellation of many tutorials and labs and resulted in the implementation of a controversial contingency plan that allowed students to withdraw from classes after viewing their final grade. Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 3902 Unit 1, which represents graduate students employed as academic staff,
Clockwise from bottom left: Online voting reforms provoked controversy. WINSTON LI/THE VARSITY Then-presidential candidate Yolen Bollo-Kamara speaks at 2014 election debate. SHIIJE ZHOE/ THE VARSITY UTSU executive presents board structure reform. JENNIFER SU/ THE VARSITY Brighter UofT slate wins all executive positions in 2015 election. JENNIFER SU/THE VARSITY
went on strike after their collective agreement with U of T expired and they failed to reach a new deal. The two sides proposed and rejected deals as the strike went on. Some undergraduate students took to the picket lines in solidarity with their teaching assistants. Professors attempted to continue their scheduled academic programming, with one professor moving his class outside when picket lines blocked the entrance to a lecture hall.
The strike ended when members of Unit 1 voted to accept binding arbitration, meaning that an independent arbitrator would resolve the dispute and that the union would have to accept whatever decision was made. When the arbitration meeting rolled around at the beginning of July, the arbiter ruled in favour of U of T. This means that going into next year, the labourers who disputed with the university will work under an agreement of which they never approved.
MARCH 23
CUPE 3092 Unit 1 rejects proposed deal; the strike continues. Faculty of Arts & Science sends out details of a strike contingency plan, which are poorly recieved.
MARCH 24
Professor Dan Dolderman relocates Con Hall class outside, cites respect for picket lines, responsibility to students.
counter
MARCH 26
CUPE 3902 Unit 1 votes to go to binding arbitration, ending the strike.
ors call
MARCH 18
St George students organize “walk out” from classes; university reaches “tentative agreement” with Unit 1.
MARCH 19
UTSC students stage a sit-in in protest.
MARCH 20
Simcoe Hall vandalized, with the word “Shame”; CUPE 3902 Unit 1 votes to ratify university’s tentative deal.
JUNE 29
Arbitration meeting held.
JULY 6
Arbiter rules in favour of U of T.
Arts&Culture
VAR.ST/ARTS
7 SEPTEMBER 2015
arts@thevarsity.ca
Can Toronto become a "music city"? The pros and cons of urban policy surrounding the city's music festivals Ayla Shibalaq
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
I’ve been a music lover ever since I got a free Atomic Kitten CD from the movie theatre at the age of four. I’ve been attending music festivals since I was sixteen and concerts since I was ten. Living in the GTA and eventually moving to downtown Toronto has allowed me to experience the wonders of concerts on an incredible scale, but Toronto's still not an official "music city." Do we really understand what it would take for Toronto to become a music city for attendees and policy makers alike? As a political science student, I understand that it is no easy task — music may be my escape from the policy world, but alas, human beings cannot escape from their own political realities. With this in mind, I thought it best to pay a visit to the Toronto Music Advisory Council for answers. Toronto counicllors Michael Layton and Josh Colle explained the ins and outs of policy making when it comes to the arts.
THE TORONTO MUSIC ADVISORY COUNCIL
With the rise of new festivals in Toronto like Field Trip and Bestival, it is becoming clear that urban policy-making needs to adapt to the changing climate associated with large festivals. It is with this necessity in mind that the Toronto Music Advisory Council was formed (TMAC). The council was created in 2014, and hosts a forum for prominent members of the Canadian music industry and city councillors to discuss much needed improvements and opportunities within Toronto's music scene where topics of discussion include community complaints and economic development. The council does not currently hold a proactive, initiative based goal for policy; rather, it assesses the needs of the music industry within the city, with the hopes of strengthening its partnership with Austin, Texas, and eventually becoming an official “music city." Believe it or not, city councillors actually want a lot of the same things as concertgoers (though, I admit, my expectations are in some ways overbearing — like an O2 arena built by next year, and Broken Social Scene playing a concert every single day until the day I die). To my pleasant surprise, it seems as though there is hope that the city will work towards policies that will make festival organizing easier.
THE CITY COUNCILLORS
TMAC has only had one meeting. I guess it’s fair to say that everything is premature, but it seems apparent that the issues — ranging from the need for mid-sized venues to the time of last call — have already been brought forward. According to Colle, meeting the actual requirements of a “music city” may not be entirely feasible in Toronto. “One of the gaps in Toronto is landscape,” Colle told me. “We are missing probably two mid-sized venues, and one of the challenges we have is with the condo boom in the city, since it puts venues at risk.” But according to Layton, there may still be hope yet. “We do have some opportunities with the redevelopment of Ontario Place, for example, and we haven’t quite realized all the potential of the CNE as a venue because of transit.” It’s clear that the development of venue infrastructure will be the largest obstacle in the city's ability to grow, especially if smaller festivals and promoters hope to emerge. Thankfully, this hasn’t stopped the growth of homegrown festivals like Field Trip, located further outside the downtown core at the Fort York & Garrison Common. “If you look at Toronto right now,” Colle said, “we do have home-grown [festivals] like
ANN SHENG/THE VARSITY
NXNE and CMW, as well as Wavelength and many others. I think our role, as a city, is to turn those festivals into the next big thing. The [foreign festivals] that are coming are based on the market, but what we should do as a city is make the festivals that are a bit smaller right now become larger.” But how do we go about increasing the size of these festivals? According to Colle, it’s the little things that count. “[The Toronto Urban Roots Festival] and Field Trip have become amazing festivals. Not only do they have local talents, but they are also on city sites. So how can we better assist them? Well, they need things like water and power sources, and those don’t sound sexy but they are practical realities that make concerts a success.” Colle and Layton provided a clear explanation of the improvements Toronto would need to make in order to nurture a sustainable music scene. It’s not unrealistic for politicians to push for policies that will benefit us, but in sectors like the arts, how much control do we really want our councillors to have?
WHAT WE SHOULD EXPECT FROM CITY HALL
The NXNE Action Bronson controversy presented the perfect scenario to assess the true power of city council, and in which situations they should interfere. I attended a panel at
NXNE called “A Soundtrack of Violence,” where the discussion focused on whether we should support artists who glorify sexual violence, opinions on the NXNE decision to cancel Bronson in general, and strategies moving forward. During question period, one of the solutions suggested was for an “empathy council” to be established at NXNE festivals. Said council would be comprised of a diverse group of people who would determine whether or not a policy was offensive or disruptive to their respective communities. Although initially the idea seemed promising, the more I thought about it, the more problematic it seemed. With an empathy council, City Hall would eventually be pressured into regulating content. When speaking with Colle and Layton, it seemed as though the regulation on musical content would not be within the jurisdiction of the city. The response to matters such as whether or not Action Bronson should perform was not something the city could realistically regulate.
GO DEMO-CRAZY
A common theme throughout the conversation with to Colle and Layton was community community response to concerts and festivals — whether by issuing a sound complaint or by protecting the Great Hall — then it had been at the very least discussed, if not somehow resolved, by the city.
“It’s been really neat to see how we’ve been able to work with the community and the operators to craft an event where people will love it, and people who live nearby can tolerate it,” Layton said, adding, “this is a win-win situation in my books.” If we truly want to make Toronto a music city, it’s important that communities and promoters alike can work together to talk to city councillors about concerns regarding the protection of festivals and venues.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Toronto has the potential to be regarded as a world-renowned music city. The political support exists, artists and organizers are itching to expand, but what’s missing is diversity. The diversity of the crowds at shows has been changing — punk kids aren’t the only ones at punk shows, and Kendrick fans aren’t the only fans at rap shows. The number of sold out shows at venues has been increasing as well, and festivals like Unsound and Bestival have been picking Toronto as a key expansion point. Well curated festivals with diversity draw crowds — take for example, Coachella, Primavera Sound, Governor’s Ball, or Lollapalooza. It’s clear that the music industry and listeners are making the decision that Toronto is becoming the place to be.
VARSITY ARTS & CULTURE
var.st/arts
MONDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 2015
15
How to survive frosh week Feeling nervous? Don't be. The Varsity's got you covered. Jacob Lorinc
ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
Let’s face it: frosh week is a scary time. Unless you’re some phenomenally social deity who coolly adapts to any newfound situation you’re tossed into, the chaos of your first week at university is often an alienating experience. Fear not, young froshie. You are not alone. Small talk may not be your forte, your dance moves at the club may resemble a crazed orangutan, and the season finale of Game of Thrones just isn’t a relevant topic of conversation anymore — but none of this means you’ll be confined to a life of solitude and Green Day’s “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”.
If you find yourself convulsing at the thought of ugly frosh-wear and raunchy college chants, take heed of this advice: you’re going to be fine.
1. GET ACQUAINTED WITH YOUR SURROUNDINGS
Especially if you’re not from Toronto, a big, complicated city could make things objectively worse for you. To avoid this unwanted confusion, make sure to spend some quality time getting acquainted with the campus and downtown areas. Know the landmarks: Robarts is a central area of the St. George campus, and walking towards the CN Tower means you’re most likely walking south.
2. DON’T FEEL OBLIGED TO DO EVERYTHING FROSH HAS TO OFFER
This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t leave the ol’ comfort zone behind, but if you don’t want to take part in a sweaty clubbing event that feels like the DJ is remixing your insides, then you really don’t have to. Search out the events that fit your interests, and don’t do anything that you know you won’t enjoy.
3. REAP THE BENEFITS OF FREEBIES
If there’s one thing you can count on during frosh week, it’s the free food and coffee. If you find yourself with a heap of regret from last night’s shenanigans — not to mention a wicked hangover — there’s no better remedy than a noquestions-asked cup of caffeine.
4. SIGN UP FOR THINGS
One of the best ways to meet like-minded people is to sign up for clubs and student unions that appeal to your interests. On Wednesday, September ninth, the Clubs Fair will be taking place from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, giving you a chance to sift through the many clubs U of T has to offer — including The Varsity.
5. RELAX
Sure, the nausea from the boat cruise doesn’t help, but in the grand scheme of things, this week is only a tiny speck in the entirety of your inevitably sloppy yet glorious undergrad life. Stay calm, drink lots of water, wear lots of sunscreen, and try to enjoy yourself.
Ask the 6ix Considering the petition to ban Kanye West from performing at the Pan Am Games’ closing ceremonies, do you think that Kanye deserves the negative attention that he often receives?
Ewan Farrelly
Noel Ariyaratanm
“From a professional view, no certainly not, but from an entertainment point of view, I can see how he sparks a lot of conversation… his behavior has obviously been controversial.”
“I don’t think so. There’s no particular reason why someone should say no to him [performing], because he’s not very negative — aside from what he did with Taylor Swift — and there’s nothing particularly bad about what he might have said or done that would make him warrant that kind of attention.”
English
Ayesha Bery
Canadian studies
John Bray
Mathematics
Masters of workplace living and social change
“I can definitely understand why he receives that kind of attention. There have been a few significant events that have brought about a negative response, so I think it justifies the attention, but I don’t know if it justifies them asking him not to come”
“Probably not. I can see why that kind of attention was garnered, but I think that a lot of the anxiety and anger directed towards him was perhaps misunderstood from the people projecting it. There may have been some concern that he would deflect attention from the excellence of the athletes, but I think that people were already angry about the games being here in the first place, so they used him as an opportunity to escalate this anger.”
Victoria Ivchenko
Andrei Dumascu
“I can see where the petitioners were coming from… Canadian talent would have been nice to see, and I’m not sure if Kanye fit in with the Pan Am vibes. If it were perhaps a different event or different ceremony maybe it would have made more sense, because as a performer I think he’s entertaining and makes great music."
"I think he had every right to perform at the closing ceremonies for the Pan Am Games… regardless of the location of the host city, the games themselves are meant to encourage competition and cooperation between the Americas, and the closing ceremonies consisted of a performer from Canada, from America, and from South America… I understand why the petition was started, I just don't agree with the premise of banning Kanye from performing."
Sociology
Political science
Have any very important questions you’re dying to have answered by U of T students? Email them to arts@thevarsity.ca
16
Vol. CXXXVI, No. 1
VARSITY ARTS & CULTURE
arts@thevarsity.ca
Five films to see at TIFF this year Amidst the annual chaos, here are the flicks to seek out at this year’s festival Article by Jeffery Chen
Every year, The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is met with flamboyantly frocked celebrities from all over the world, like moths drawn to light. The festival, which runs September 10-20, will premiere works from some of the film industry’s greatest auteurs alongside independent local productions. These are some of this year’s standout showings:
STONEWALL (directed by Roland Emmerich)
Stonewall, starring James Irvine and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, presents the story of the historic New York riots. After devoting most of his career to destroying famous monuments (see: The Day After Tomorrow, 2012), Emmerich strays off the beaten path with a project that, unlike his Armageddon films, is closer to his
heart as a prominent LGBT activist. Prepare to be overwhelmed by the stars good-looks and a landmark moment in LGBT history.
FREEHELD (directed by Peter Sollett)
Fresh from her Best Actress win at last year’s Academy Awards, Julianne Moore returns with an LGBT drama film that, like Stonewall, dovetails perfectly with this year’s momentous gay rights achievements. No stranger to depicting LGBT characters, Moore’s performance is the polar opposite of her role in the hit comedy The Kids Are All Right. In Freeheld, Moore stars as a police officer diagnosed with lung cancer. She has to fight the county’s board of freeholders in order to ensure that her pension benefits will pass to her domestic partner, portrayed by Ellen Page.
THE LADY IN THE VAN (directed by Nicholas Hynter)
Adapted from his 1999 play, Alan Bennett’s The Lady in the Van tells the true story of Bennett’s relationship with Miss Mary Shepherd, an elderly homeless woman who parked her van in Bennett’s driveway for 15 years. The indomitable Maggie Smith stars as the titular character (a hilarious reversal of her role in Downton Abbey). Expect riveting performances from Smith, Alex Jennings, and Jim Broadbent.
INTO THE FOREST (directed by Patricia Rozema)
Last year, we had Into the Woods; this year, we get Into the Forest, a film that’s as Canadian as could be. A wilderness survival drama about two sisters struggling to survive in a country
house after a calamitous continental power outage, Into The Forest features performances from Evan Rachel Wood and Ellen Page (who presumably used Julianne Moore’s pension savings to buy the country house). With only their intuition and their wits, the sisters defend themselves against disease, starvation, intruders, and the advent of the apocalypse.
BEASTS OF NO NATION (directed by Cary Fukunaga)
After a baffling season of True Detective, Fukunaga is anticipated to return to form with Beasts of No Nation, a Ghanaian war drama starring Idris Elba as the commandant — perhaps a training-wheels role for his rumoured replacement of Daniel Craig as 007. If you can’t catch this film at TIFF, Beasts will premiere on Netflix on October 16.
var.st/arts
VARSITY ARTS & CULTURE
MONDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 2015
17
Student theatre review: Home For Boys The UC Follies' first production of the season is well-rounded and thought provoking Daniel Samuel VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
A sense of enthusiasm filled the air for the UC Follies’ first production of the season: Robin Taylor Wright’s Home For Boys. Warm weather provided, the Follies used the UC courtyard as a backdrop to provide a natural setting for the play’s humorous yet emotional tone. Set during 1996 in southern Ontario, Home For Boys is based around the lives of three boys and details both the joys and struggles of growing up in a group home. At 13 years of age, P.J. (played by Caitie Graham) is the eldest and latest bloomer of the group; his best friend Randall (Grace Poltrack) bears a dominant and authoritative personality for a 12-year-old. Between the card games, wrestling, and Nintendo, life seems great for the carefree protagonists who, despite their casual disposition are actually dealing with serious issues. When a new kid named Casey (Jane A. Smythe) arrives at
the home, the relationship between Randall and P.J. is interrupted. Home For Boys examines each character’s respective struggle in coming to terms with the feeling of abandonment. The play exposes the often-stigmatized subject of mental illness, all while examining the psychological issues that victims of abuse face. Despite the story being entirely fictional, it nevertheless echoes deep tones of reality. Home For Boys is an emotional, thoughtprovoking theatre piece filled with playfulness and sensibility. Each actor gives a well-rounded performance, immersing the audience in the characters’ strenuous lives. Graham displays depth in humor, Poltrack conveys fragility, and Smythe presents solitude; the creative decision to cross-gender cast three women in male roles greatly contributed to the success of the play. Home for Boys exhibited a rare ability to present serious subject matter in both a humorous and genuine tone, which generated all-around enticing theatre.
The gende reversed production lends a fresh take to Home For Boys. PHOTO COURTESY OF UC FOLLIES THEATRE COMPANY
From left to right, Poltrack, Graham and Smythe. JENNIFER SU/THE VARSITY
Chew on this: La Carnita
Street-vendor-turned-restaurant is worth your time for your taste buds Emilia Sherifi
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
What is dark, loud, and serves some of the most mouth-watering tacos in Toronto? If you didn’t guess La Carnita, don’t feel bad — that was an unworthy description. The walls are plastered with murals of girls and Dia de los Muertos skulls, chandeliers are fashioned from light bulbs, and there is almost always a lively crowd of young adults — La Carnita is located at Palmerston and College, and the former mobile street-food vendor is now a haven for U of T students sick of ordering thai for solo dining on a Friday night. Each taco goes for $4.75, and the waitress gladly recommends trying at least three. The pollo frito, my personal favourite, is a
delicious medley of chicken, peanut-mole, honey, Rossy’s hot sauce, green cabbage, and salsa fresca. If you’re a fan, then an order of churros should be your next plan of action. Deepfried bread covered in a coating of sugar and dipped in a sauce of sweetened caramelized milk — this treat is a physical manifestation of every happy dream you’ll ever have. Other honourable mentions include the guacamole and chips, as well as their paletas (Latin American popsicles that come in a variety of flavours including cool lime pie, mint chocolate, and butter & Oreo). Lastly, a word to the wise: at La Carnita, patience is your friend, because a place as popular as this one will almost always mean waiting for a table.
Located at Bloor and Palmerston, La Carnita is a popular taco hot-spot. MALLIKA MAKKAR/THE VARSITY
Science
VAR.ST/SCIENCE
7 SEPTEMBER 2015
science@thevarsity.ca
Are U of T students good at multi-tasking? Students reflect on impact of social media on attention span Both U of T’s campus and Toronto-general are home to a plethora of science-related events every week. Science Around Town is your guide to the highlights, here’s just a few coming up in September: SNIDER LECTURE WITH BOB MCDONALD The host of CBC’s Quirks and Quarks and the 2015 Snider lecturer, Bob McDonald, is delivering a lecture on Canada’s astronauts at the U of T Mississauga Instructional Building.
JULIEN BALBONTIN/ILLUSTRATION EDITOR
Nina F. Farac VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
Our generation has been dubbed Generation M — ‘M’ for multi-taskers, multi-screeners, and info-maniacs. In today’s world, our productivity is defined by our attention. Since the year 2000, the average human attention span has dropped from twelve to eight seconds, which is just one second less than the attention span of a goldfish. Recently, Microsoft conducted a study researching the impact of digital media multi-screening on our attention spans, speculating that a re-wiring of the brain’s plasticity decreases our ability for prolonged concentration, and increases our desire for novel stimuli. Microsoft reports that our alternating attention, the ability to shift between tasks, is encouraged by active social media behavior, but to a certain limit. Once the maximal threshold of media usage is surpassed, cognitive resources start to deplete, reducing our capacity to divide attention. Among university students, dividing attention between completely separate tasks is a ubiquitous trend, where study halls are dominated by the glow of laptops and tablets in combination with smartphones. “Because social media apps are all so easily accessible on the same device, I think my focus decreases then the most because I have so many elements at my disposal,” explained Rotman Commerce student Olivia Hynes. “When I’m multi screening, I am already aware of the fact that I have multiple sources to keep track of, and end up looking back and forth between screens constantly,” agreed Physiology and Nutrition major Stephanie Kim. Conversely, Microsoft states that multiscreening enables more efficient content processing and encoding to memory. Multi-screeners rapidly skim through content and get the gist while switching smoothly between tasks, simultaneously processing information from different sources. “I would have some type of ‘work’ on one side of my laptop, Facebook on another side, and my phone with a different application like Instagram or messages. I find myself switching my attention from one space to another in oneminute intervals,” Kim explained.
But multi-tasking behavior takes a toll, one that is significantly greater than its perceived benefits. Each time we shift our focus from one activity to another, we pay a cognitive switchcost, according to a leading expert on divided attention, Dr. Earl Miller. It takes time for the brain to readjust to the pre-distraction task, reducing deep thinking from which true insights originate. “Multitasking always seems like an accomplishment; however, when I reflect back, I realize that those tasks could have been completed to a much higher extent under undivided attention,” explained environmental and urban studies student Harleen Kahlon. “When using social media or even the second before, my brain flips a switch and I’m instantly more excited or more tuned into what I’m looking at. For me, social media provides immediate answers to my questions, like what events are happening this week. But afterwards I find it very hard to regain focus on what I was doing before,” she stated. Similarly, Kim explains how “after many years, I’ve become quite used to switching my mind between different tasks. It somewhat trains me to think of multiple things at once, although at the same time, it makes me unable to do multiple things well. The interesting thing is that, due to these multi-tasking ‘practices,’ I find it easier to focus when I really need to — for example, during exams.” In terms of sustained attention, Microsoft reports that heavy use of digital media grinds away our impact to remain focused in the long run, but leads to more intermittent bursts of high attention in the short term. These short bursts allegedly allow us to better process and retain information; however, this perceived advantage does wither away over time when when we use them for short-term rather than long-term retention. In fact, a 2011 study found that having immediate access to information online leads to weaker encoding of the actual facts, and stronger retention of how to find them. In another study, students who were encouraged to use laptops with internet access in their classrooms processed what the lecturer said and scored significantly worse on a test measuring lecture content retention, than those without laptops. “I notice that I can’t help but
check my phone for messages or social media updates at least once every 20 minutes. This is especially a problem during lectures,” says Kim. There have been studies that suggest that when we multi-task, our thinking is shallow — we are not critically thinking. And if you believe practice makes perfect, think again. One study found that chronic media multi-taskers can’t filter out irrelevant information, and are surprisingly less flexible in task-switching than light multi-taskers. “I like to take a lot of small breaks, and most times these breaks involve social media outlets,” explained Kahlon. “There are certainly times exemplified in my mind has wandered, often times in classroom settings, but social media distractions, when accessible, are certainly more frequent. Social media distractions may even have taken over day dreaming — something I did a lot more of as a kid,” Hynes added. This supports Microsoft’s finding of multi-screeners’ reduced selective attention — the ability to avoid distraction while concentration on a task. The frequent switching between activities is reinforced by a dopamine rush, rewarding the brain for seeking alternative stimuli while failing to concentrate. “For me it becomes impossible not to check a notification when I see it, even if it turns out to be Farmville,” Hynes explained. “Because multiple apps are open at the same time, I find myself checking for notifications and new interesting stories constantly,” stated Kim. In addition, the prefrontal cortex is known for having a novelty bias, meaning the very brain region required for prolonged focus is easily distracted by something new. “I think that the biggest impact social media has had on my ability to switch tasks would be making them longer to finish,” explains Hynes, and numerous studies support this claim. The very devices we depend on to get things done also provide dopamine-fueled instant gratification, delaying task completion and increasing time needed to re-orient and restart the initial task. Remember, your attention is a selective filter for a reason: to serve you better. When it is bombarded with multiple streams of information, our attention is overwhelmed, processing everything, relevant and irrelevant, and getting the gist — but not the core — of things.
September 15 7-8:15 pm 3359 Mississauga Road 110 Free RSVP online by Thursday, September 10
REGIONAL GOVERNMENTS IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS: LESSONS FROM THE ARCTIC Environmental issues and global affairs unite at Trinity College and the Munk School of Global Affairs’ fullday conference. The conference will be opened the night before with speeches from former Canadian Minister of Global Affairs Bill Graham and Provost of Trinity College, Mayo Moran. September 17 7 pm Trinity College Register for free on Eventbrite
MythBusters: The Explosive Exhibition Always wanted to test out popular myths in science just like they do on the tv series? The Ontario Science Centre’s MythBusters exhibition is on right up until September 13. If you’re new to Toronto, take the opportunity to check out our fantastic local science museum. Ongoing until September 13 Ontario Science Centre 10 am to 5 pm daily $27.00 for adults Did you know that the Royal Ontario Museum is free for students on Tuesdays all year round? If you ever want to spend a day with their dinosaur fossil collection, studying rocks and minerals or scoping out the bat cave for no cost, just drop by any Tuesday with your TCard!
VARSITY SCIENCE
var.st/science
MONDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 2015
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Neuroaesthetics: how to optimize your Instagram U of T deep learning lab uses blog data to create new fashion app
ELHAM NUMAN/THE VARSITY
Sofia Luu VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
Will machines ever replace man when it comes to completing normal everyday tasks? While we debate and ponder this possibility, there is a research lab at the University of Toronto that’s making huge strides in the artificial intelligence field with their research in machine learning.
Last June, two U of T researchers, Sanja Fidler and Raquel Urtasun, developed an algorithm that analyzes your clothes and gives you feedback on how to improve your personal style. The algorithm uses “deep learning,” a subset of machine learning technologies. This sounds like something pulled directly from a sci-fi movie; when in fact, U of T is home to one of the leading research labs specializing
in machine learning. Furthermore, we’re more accustomed to uses of artificial intelligence in our every day lives through applications such as Apple’s Siri. Using image posts from the website Chictopia, a fashion blogging website, the research team, which also includes two researchers from Barcelona’s Institute of Robotics and Industrial Informatics (IRI), analyzed over 144,000 posts over the course of a year. Chictopia allows users to publish posts of their personal style, using a tagging system to reach out and connect with other users who are similar in age, shape, style, and other characteristics. The algorithm is capable of learning and thinking through the intake of data from the Chictopia website. It uses this data to determine the current trends for different geographic groups. Then it teaches itself to identify new fashion trends as more Chictopia posts are made. “The algorithm is ‘taught’ on [Chictopia], a site where style enthusiasts post their latest photos, possibly tag them (with a list of certain clothing items they are wearing), and then other users comment on the post and also have the option to ‘like’ or vote for the post,” Fidler said. “The algorithm looks at all this data… and tries to predict how many votes this photo would get. The number of votes is our proxy for ‘fashionability,’” Fidler further explained. On the user-end, one would give the algorithm a photo to be analyzed, the algorithm
would then examine your clothes, as well as the finer details of the image such as your facial expression, body type, composition of the photo, as well as scenery. With the extracted information, it will then think about whether or not the outfit fed to them was the best possible outfit the user could have selected. In the end, it spits out suggestions to improve one’s style which may include a change of skirt or a colour of shoes. “Our app will not be primarily designed for a designer but for regular people (like us!),” Fidler said, “[f]or example, you are going to a party and you want to look at your best. You take a photo of yourself and the app will tell you whether you look stylish or not (for the particular event) and what you could change to improve your look.” The fashion algorithm is just one of the many projects that are part of research that looks at different ways in which deep learning can be adapted to everyday use. Although most of the fashion algorithm has been used for research purposes, there is currently a team working on developing an app for mainstream use. Together with the researchers from IRI, Fidler and Urtasun presented their findings in a research paper, “Neuroaesthetics in Fashion: Modeling the Perception of Fashionability” at the 2015 Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR) in June.
Down the vine U of T archaeologist dates earliest wine production to six-thousand years ago
ELHAM NUMAN/THE VARSITY
Farah Badr
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
Professor Stephen Batiuk of the department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations at U of T was part of a recent landmark intersection between archaeology and viticulture that uncovered where and when firmly held wine goblets were filled for the first time. Dr. Batiuk’s dissertation work at U of T involved studying cultures originating from what are now Georgia and Armenia in the
third and fourth millennia BC, or the Early Transcaucasian (ETC) period. His work consisted of shedding light on the heavy spread of ETC artifacts throughout the near east. “Long story short, the real answer was that [during this period] migration played a significant role,” Batiuk states. Batiuk gained an interest in the origins of wine after being exposed to the work of Dr. Pat McGovern, who is currently the scientific director of the Biomolecular Archaeology Project for Cuisine, Fermented Beverages, and Health at the University of Pennsylvania Museum.
“I saw his map of the distribution of the wild variety of grapes in the near east, and I started to see a correlation,” Batiuk added, referring to the migration patterns of ETC people. This initial connection became one of the driving forces in uncovering that the oldest instance of wine production possibly took place in the Gadachrilli Gora excavation site in Imiri, south of Georgia. This was a big part of a larger international project titled, “Research and Popularization of Georgian Grape and Wine Culture,” sponsored by the Department of Wine of the Ministry of Agriculture in Georgia. The project is made up of an overwhelming number of multidisciplinary researchers, from local institutions such as the Georgian National Museum and Tbilisi State University, and internationally through members from Goddard Space Laboratory, the University of Copenhagen, the University of Pennsylvania, as well as agricultural and ancient ecology experts from Italy and France. Before noticing the correlation between grape cultivation and migration patterns, Dr. Batiuk noticed that ETC pottery endured for periods of up to a thousand years in the near east without any changes in style. This is highly uncommon in archaeological records. “These migrants brought with them a skill set... [at] the time that people in the Near East were starting to live in larger settlement... [with] greater levels of social stratification,” Batiuk explains, “The upper classes [were] looking for ways to attract and control the people below them.”
Dr. Batiuk described how alcohol in early societies was of heavier importance than today. It was used as payment, and a way of acquiring social status for its providers. However, wine, unlike beer, couldn’t be made at any time of the year. It required special skills to produce. This meant that even six thousand years ago, wine was still considered beer’s more glamourous cousin. According to Batiuk, the value of these skills caused the newly migrant ETC people to seek and build their own untouchable niche. “[They] set up their vineyards on the outskirts of the settlement systems where the best lands for viticulture are... [allowing] them to preserve their culture for a longer time than had they moved right into the main settlements.” Dr. Batiuk is currently acting as the Director of Excavations in an archaeological project in Tell Tayinat in southeastern Turkey, a site of heavy ETC occupation. The project is directed by Professor Tim Harrison also from the department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, and could potentially provide links to the greater wine project. After these findings, Dr. Batiuk now wants to find more evidence of wine production in other sites. He is seeking to prove that the initial discovery is not “just a one-off” as he described it. The University of Copenhagen team is also hoping to map the genome of “the earliest grape” from grape seeds recovered from the excavation sites, allowing the comparison between neolithic grapes and our modern varieties.
VARSITY SCIENCE
20 Vol. CXXXVI, No. 1
science@thevarsity.ca
Harper pledges $243.5M dollars to new space telescope Student weighs in on why construction of controversial space telescope in Hawaii should go forward
JULIEN BALBONTIN/ILLUSTRATION EDITOR
Shahin Imtiaz VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) will soon be the world’s most powerful. The telescope is slated to be built on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, by 2024. This observatory will be a colossal 1.5 billion dollar multinational effort, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently pledged $243.5 million over the next ten years, making Canada a part of the project. Development of the telescope has been met with opposition for a variety of reasons, but despite the protests, the TMT should be built. It is simply too important to our collective future to neglect. Mauna Kea is considered sacred in Hawaiian culture. It is said that this was where father sky and mother earth parted to form the heavens, and that gods built the mountain so that it could bring the
heavens to man. Some Hawaiians feel that Mauna Kea is the perfect place to build an instrument designed to look deeply into the sky. They see the mountains purpose, bringing heaven to man, as being fulfilled through the project. Sadly, not everyone shares this view. The anti-TMT movement is complex and multi-faceted and much of it has nothing to do with the telescope. There is a very visual cultural facet to the anti-TMT movement. Protesters clad in traditional dress make for a powerful visual statement. Beyond the visual attraction, the movement’s core opposition is a conglomerate of religious and environmental fundamentalists both wanting the project scrapped for separate ideological reasons. In the course of its development the anti-TMT movement inherited both the lingering anti-colonization and pro-sovereignty sentiments. As-
tronomy may be apolitical, but the plans for the world’s greatest telescope have become embroiled in an ideological battle that has very little to do with the telescope itself. Some protestors have voiced discontent regarding the 13 telescopes that are already on the summit. The protester point out how the existing telescopes have been mismanaged, and they level the same criticism against the TMT. A past mistake that has faulted to a local regulatory body is being held against the plans for the new telescope. Unlike the 13 existing telescopes, TMT intends to pay for the privilege of hosting its site on holy ground, seeking to respect the mountain’s sanctity as well as the opinions of the locals. The TMT plans to pay one million dollars a year for the use of five acres of land; 80 per cent will go to the Office of Mauna Kea.
There are non-scientific benefits that the telescope would have for the community — it would create new jobs and diversify the economy. With a looming energy crisis and depleting resources, the stubbornness and idealism of the protestors today could have a significant effect on generations to come. The anti-TMT movement overlooks the bigger picture: that the time for religion, nature, and science to coexist in harmony is long overdue. Education is the only means of mitigating these clashes to create a tolerant, conscientious, and thriving society. We simply cannot afford to revert back to the dark ages when humanity is on the brink of scientific and spiritual enlightenment.
Sports
VAR.ST/SPORTS 7 SEPTEMBER 2015
sports@thevarsity.ca
What we learned: Toronto’s Pan Am games With the success of the games, Toronto evaluates an Olympic bid.
Nathan Phillips Square could also serve as ground zero for the 2024 Olympics. YASSINE ELBARADIE/THE VARSITY
Jeffery Chen
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
With the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games finishing up, it’s the perfect time to take a step back and reevaluate the effects of the competition on the city of Toronto, as well as its 2.8 million residents. Initial concerns about the games revolved around transit and expenditure. Carpool lanes and millions of tax dollars were the topic of conversation for many, not to mention the common consensus that the games would be, as one U of T student was blunt enough to say, a “watered-down version of the summer Olympics.” However, initial apathy about another expensive, inconvenient sporting competition quickly turned to excitement, then national pride, after Canada won its first gold medal of the competition in women’s kayaking — enthusiasm which seemed to grow stronger with each medal won by team Canada.
After a grand total of 217 medals — 14 of which were contributed by Varsity Blues athletes and U of T alumni — and an epic closing ceremony, sentiment turned from, what Toronto Mayor John Tory affectionately labeled “moaning and groaning” to an abundance of patriotism.“The Pan Am [Games] have been a great opportunity for members of the university community,” said David Onley, senior lecturer at U of T. Onley, who also served as U of T’s Special Ambassador for the Pan Am Games, highlighted the importance of U of T’s involvement in the success of the competition, citing that facilities like the Aquatics Center at UTSC, and the success of so many U of T athletes, “gives us at the university the deserved reputation of being affiliated with sport.” With ticket sales in the millions and the unprecedented success of Canadian athletes at the Pan Am Games, whispers of a potential 2024 summer Olympic bid have turned to serious debate in the sports community. Principal of UTSC and Olympian Bruce Kidd agrees that the time could be right for Toronto to host the Olympic Games,
with U of T taking a principle role thanks to brand new facilities like the freshly turfed back campus. “There are some very favourable factors right now,” said Kidd, referring to the various world-class facilities erected for the Pan Am Games, adding “[With] what we’ve done for the Pan Ams… Canada can provide stability and a guaranteed wonderful [Olympic] Games.” Even though hosting the Olympics comes with far more commitment, financial and otherwise, than the Pan Am Games, Torontonians and athletes alike are rallying behind the idea of hosting another international sporting competition. “My experience here in Toronto was absolutely amazing… I would love to have another chance to compete in front of the home crowd,” said Canadian decathlon athlete Damian Warner, adding “I think the people here in Toronto really got behind and supported the athletes.” With Canada’s last Olympic bid shattered by Beijing in 2008, the timing, and preparation, is in place for us to be successful contenders for 2024 — and we’ll know sooner, rather than later, with official bids due by September 15.
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VARSITY SPORTS
sports@thevarsity.ca
Staying physically and mentally fit U of T has the facilities, resources to ensure that you can stay healthy this year Kasi Sewraj
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
Even if you’re not an incoming student and are well on your way to completing a degree, it takes a while to learn about all the different health and athletic related options and programs available to you as a U of T student. Thankfully, the University of Toronto has several facilities and even more programs to help students — incoming frosh and fourth years alike — maintain a balance between academic performance and physical health. The most important thing to remember is that membership to many facilities on campus are included in your tuition — so there’s no excuse not to partake. However, the use of different facilities can vary according to the campus at which you are enrolled. Many facilities are designed in a way that caters to the athletic, as well as academic pursuits of students. The Athletic Center offers drop-in and registered fitness programs, a 200m running track, study spaces, classrooms, and labs for a pre- or post-workout homework session. The facility has also been known to host “Frosh Fit,” a program geared towards getting apprehensive first-year students involved in the different fitness programs available to them. The program provides students with the
basics of fitness as well as visits from certified nutritionists who can help with a healthy diet. The brand new Goldring Centre also has a special “Bod Pod” program, which allows you to measure your body composition, while also evaluating various statistics such as signs of overtraining and workout program effectiveness. You can even get a personal nutritional plan made and get your likelihood of injury evaluated in the same session. Staying psychologically fit is another facet of health, which various athletic and recreation facilities at U of T can help you maintain and improve. The U of T Campus Health Initiative (CHI) is an important resource for students who want to become healthy — with the prior knowledge that health is a diverse term that will vary from person to person. The Mental Health & Physical Activity Research Centre (MPARC) is another exciting addition to the facilities at U of T, catering to students’ mental and physical health. Scheduled for completion this year, MPARC will be a revolutionary facility not only for U of T researchers, but for students who are placed on the long waitlist for mental health services, to receive the help they need. With the sheer number of services and programs U of T has to offer, you won’t have a hard time finding one that’s right for you.
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Sarah Wells leads University of Toronto athletes to victory U of T athletes prove a force to be reckoned with at Pan Am games
U of T alumni Sarah Wells hurdles to a second place finish at the Pan Am Games PHOTO COURTESY OF TOHOSTCITY2015
Daniel Samuel
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
The 2015 Pan Am Games were a success for Canadian athletes. An impressive 217 medals were won by Canada, seventy-eight of which were gold. The University of Toronto was well represented in the competition; trampolinist Rosie MacLennan took home gold in the individual event, Sarah Wells won silver in 400m hurdles, and 2014-15 Varsity Blues female athlete of the year Sasha Gollish claimed bronze in the 1500m run, to name
just a few stellar performances. In total, 12 Varsity Blues athletes participated in the Pan Am Games. While Canada’s second place finish in the medal count was our best ever — almost 100 more than the 2011 Games — there are still some who continue to undermine the games, noting that they aren’t the Olympics and questioning that without the entire world competing, what’s the big deal? Olympic hurdler Sarah Wells knows all too well about having to tune out negative talk. “I’ve been at the University of Toronto for [about] ten years now, almost a decade,”
Wells said,“the biggest thing was having the belief in myself to shut off the white noise of negative things people had to say about [her].” The Pan Am Games have become the competition that breeds the stars of the future, as exemplified by exercise science master’s student Rosie MacLennan. MacLennan’s rise began with her dominant gold medal performance in the 2011 Pan Am Games. The competition helped her gain the experience needed to improve her performance for the then upcoming 2012 London Olympics. In fact, it propelled MacLennan to
become the only athlete to win gold for Canada in 2012. MacLennan’s journey showcases the importance of the Pan Am Games; it’s an event that builds our athletes’ confidence and develops their abilities towards worldwide competitions such as the Olympics and world championships. Wells is also looking to build on her Pan Am performance at next year’s 2016 Rio Olympics. Like MacLennan, she also participated in London, placing twenty-fourth in 400m hurdles. “It was certainly the best experience of my life, it was kind of a long-shot for me to make it at all to begin with,” said Wells, “I was probably more nervous for the Olympic trials themselves just because there’s more on the line and there’s more to lose. So it was pretty fun to go to the Olympics and have nothing to lose and do my best.” The 25-year-old, who writes on her palms with the phrase “I believe” before every major race, believes faith and balance is crucial to her success. Though as much as she defines herself as a track and field athlete, the sport isn’t everything to her. “I have these other things going on, I have the public speaking, academics, I graduated from the University of Toronto and leveraged that network,” she said, “If you pour too much into one area and you get injured or don’t get into that graduate program of your choice, it’s going to be devastating and it’s going to rock your world.” Wells, along with MacLennan, Gollish, and many of the 12 other U of T alumni who competed at the Pan Am games plan on making a go for the 2016 Olympics in Rio where they won’t face only the best of the Americas, but the best of the world.
VARSITY SPORTS
var.st/sports
MONDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 2015
23
Varsity Blues fall preview U of T athletes, teams, and coaches gear up for 2015 fall season
Varsity Blues look to defend banners in upcoming season. YASSINE ELBARADIE/THE VARSITY
Emma Kikulis SPORTS EDITOR
For many students, September signals the start of a new academic year — with new courses, professors, essays, and labs lying in wait. However, for our Varsity Blues student athletes, September means not only academics, but athletics, with the commencement of the 2015 fall athletic season. Hoping to defend their Ontario University Athletics (OUA) banner at home, the Varsity Blues field hockey team has established itself as a serious CIS team to be reckoned with.
The team, which fell to the UBC Thunderbirds, took second place at last year’s Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championship, will no doubt be inspired by the impressive performances of teammate Amanda Woodcroft, and former teammate Alex Thicke, this summer. Both of whom were members of Canada’s bronze medal winning Pan Am field hockey team. The Varsity team, lead by 2014 OUA coach of the year John DeSouza, will be aided by the addition of six new freshmen. The team kicks off their season on September 20 when they take on the University of
Guelph Gryphons. The Varsity Blues men and women’s swimming teams will also begin their 2015 season as reigning OUA champions. The men’s swimming team — mirroring the results of our women’s field hockey team — came in second place behind the powerhouse UBC Thunderbirds by a 153 point deficit — the women’s team placed third. Both teams, however, are coming into the new season with multiple assets. On the men’s side, freshman recruits Cameron Kidd and Osvald Nitski will assist the team in their quest for redemption at the CIS
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tournament. On the women’s roster, fresh off her gold medal winning performance this summer at the International University Sports Federation Universiade (FISU) in South Korea, second year student Kylie Masse will look to help our women’s team defend their OUA banner and climb to the top of the CIS podium. Despite losing a number of male and female standouts, the Varsity Blues track and field program will look to defend its women’s OUA and CIS title this year, while endeavoring to improving the men’s team’s OUA standing. Hoping to fill the void left by grad-
uating athletes Greg MacNeill and Hayley Warren are James Turner and Gabriella Stafford, two more U of T athletes who represented Canada this summer at the FISU summer Universiade in South Korea. Turner, who placed fifth in the decathlon competition missed out on a podium finish by the slimmest of margins — 262 points — while Stafford won a silver medal in the women’s 1500 meter competition, clocking a blistering time of 4:19.27. Both the men and women’s teams will kick-off their season in November at the York University Christmas open.
24 MONDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 2015
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Comment
VAR.ST/COMMENT 7 SEPTEMBER 2015
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The West and the rest The problem with Western bias in academic institutions Jeffery Chen
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
Though much of the modern world is indebted to the spread of Western ideas throughout the past few centuries, the current academic climate reflects a troubling abandonment of nonWestern alternatives to established thought. A course on political theory, whether it is taught in a university in Tokyo or Toronto, will feature largely the same roster of writers and intellectuals. Although there is the occasional exception, such as Sun Tzu or Amartya Sen, Western voices dominate in intellectual discourse. Machiavelli is more recognisable around the world than, for instance, Kautilya, an Indian scholar whose similar appraisal of socio-political relations predates Machiavelli by centuries. By limiting academic learning solely to the lexicon of Western thought, there is a risk that a more accurate understanding of the world — with its complex and diverse intellectual and cultural traditions — may be lost. Consider the field of international relations (IR), which is, in fact, distinctly uninternational in nature. Because IR theory is eurocentric in its intellectual tradition, many of the policies and predictions derived from it fail tragically in non-Western countries where local traditions dominate. Indeed, some of the twentieth century’s biggest policy mistakes stem from a failure to recognise bias. The U.S. failed to see that the Vietnamese saw the Vietnam War not as a clash of political ideologies, but as a continuation of a millennia-long struggle against foreign invaders, thus underestimating the determination of the resistance. NATO also failed to recognise the power of local culture when it painted communism as a monolithic entity, indistinguishable from Beijing to Havana. This error sparked fruitless proxy conflicts that ended only when Kissinger, recognising that China’s strong cultural traditions had altered Chinese communism to one wholly distinct from its Soviet counterpart, reversed the U.S,’ policy of containment. In this way, Western bias in academic theory can impair one’s ability to explain and to produce workable international policy. Even something as simple as a world map, found in every Canadian classroom, reveals the subtle biases in Western education. Because Europe pioneered global cartography, our maps place Europe in its centre while most of Asia is relegated to the edges of the map. This is in contrast to Pacific-centric maps, used mainly in East Asia, which places
JULIEN BALBONTIN/ILLUSTRATION EDITOR
China in the map’s centre, thus showing how paradigms such as East/West or core/periphery can be manipulated. Trivial as this may seem, maps — our literal view of the world — have symbolic importance; the United Nations, after all, sought to depict global unity by adopting as its flag a pole-centric map, which displays the continents as joined in a circle, as opposed to being divided by oceans. Cartographical bias is but the surface layer covering deep-seated worldviews. China, for instance, has long depicted itself as the middle kingdom (the centre of the world), which provided a basis for China’s tributary system of inter-state relations and the Chi-
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nese concept of tianxia (the view that the emperor ruled all under heaven). Because of the vast difference in worldview, Western scholars have often been guilty of translating Chinese concepts into terms familiar to the Western reading, thus distorting Western understanding of China. The words ‘emperor’ or ‘king,’ for instance, do not come close to the cosmic religious-political nature of the Huangdi, the Chinese sovereign, to which Europe has no equivalent. Contemporary conflicts in the region such as those in Tibet, the South China Sea, and across the Taiwan Straights, can thus be interpreted as a discrepancy between Western conceptions of state sovereignty and self-
determination, and China’s historic-cultural claim on hegemonic rule in the region. The best solution to this problem is to cross-pollinate Western and non-Western views so that Alexis de Tocqueville may have equal place alongside Sayyid Jamal ad-Din al-Afghani in syllabi. When the intellectual branches of Thucydides, Hobbes, and Kant are intertwined with those of Chanakya, Ibn Khaldun, and Han Yu, the academic community will surely flower, and bear fruit. Jeffery Chen is a third–year student at Trinity College studying English and European studies.