August 13, 2018

THE VARSITY University of Toronto's Student Newspaper Since 1880 Vol. 139 No. 1 | August 13, 2018 | thevarsity.ca

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“We had to do something”: talking mental health with Meric Gertler

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Meric Gertler’s office is clean and stylish, perhaps hinting at his roots as a city planner and urban academic. The sweeping view of Front Campus, however — which almost feels omniscient out of the large, clear, sturdy windows in Simcoe Hall — cannot belie that this is a seat of power. U of T’s President since 2013, Gertler is the steward of the university’s progress, as well as its public image. “Get the branding in,” he joked to our photographer about his logo-emblazoned coffee mug. “They won't let me drink from anything else around here.”

Gertler granted The Varsity an interview in early July. The President and I touched on a range of topics, from the university’s offshore investments to the slow but ongoing practice of reconciliation on campus. This interview is an excerpt from our discussion about mental health and the controversial university-mandated leave of absence policy.

Gertler has been the university's president since 2013.

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U of T’s President on controversial mandated leave policy, mental health challenge at large

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The Varsity: In the last year, there was an uproar from students about the university-mandated leave of absence policy. I think that it's fair to say that this uproar revealed a desire among students for mental health reform. This was punctuated by a public suicide on our campus in June. Do you think that U of T has a mental health crisis?

Meric Gertler: I think that all of higher education is dealing with a much, much bigger challenge around mental health than it has ever had to face before, and we're not immune from that. If you simply look at the kind of demand that we have for mental health services across all three of our campuses, it has continued to grow at a very high rate.

We have continued to invest over quite a number of years in expanding the capacity of our mental health services, both centrally and within divisions. There has been a multi-year effort to expand our capacity, and that's certainly been an important part of the university's response. So too, of course, has been the recently approved policy on the university-mandated leave, which was one of the flashpoints for the discussion around these issues recently.

TV: Do you think that these issues are unique to U of T? MG: I don't think they are unique to U of T at all. No, if you ask any university president across the continent, they will tell you that they are facing similar development where it seems that the stresses that our students are under and the conditions that they experience have led to growing challenges in the area of mental health and growing demands on our institutions to provide support. One thing I will say is that, at least in this

jurisdiction, it has been hard for us to get the provincial government to recognize that universities are primary sites of care for mental health. We haven’t been funded in a way that is, I think, commensurate with the demand that we're experiencing, and that has been a challenge for us.

TV: Do you think it was problematic that the university-mandated leave policy was approved despite widespread dissent from students?

MG: We had to do something — the Ombudsperson made it very clear and she spoke again at Governing Council to reaffirm her support for a policy like this one. We already have the power to place students on leave, but it was through a punitive mechanism, which I think everyone agreed was far from appropriate, particularly for instances where students were facing serious challenges related to their mental health.

How do we make sure that when our students are facing these really significant difficulties, we allow them to sort of hit the pause button in ways that will not hurt them in the future? That will not become a blight or a mark against them in terms of their academic record, and also — more importantly — in ways that provide them with support and a pathway back to return to study? I think the policy that was approved by Governing Council in June meets all of those needs.

TV: Except students aren’t the ones pressing the pause button — it's the university doing it for them.

MG: Let’s be careful here. Students can press the pause button. The mandatory leave is the last step in a multi-step

process, and it's a last resort. The policy does include voluntary leave options, but it also has many checkpoints along the way where there’s plenty of opportunity for corrective intervention to take place that is based on mutual consent and cooperation between students and caregivers. However, if all of that fails and nothing else works, it really is important to have the ability in a very, very, very small number of cases — we're probably talking about three to five cases a year out of 90,000 students — to be able to take a step, which we believe to be in the student's best interest, in order to change their status, give them time to seek help, and to recover.

Is it a perfect policy? Probably not. There's really no such thing as a perfect policy. Is it subject to future improvement? Absolutely. I think, ultimately, the passion that was expressed around this policy underscored how significant and challenging these issues are. It underscored what I said earlier, that there is tremendous demand for some kind of new approaches and new support. It also raised some questions about the extent to which students trust the university to make the right call in the moment, and I recognize that that's a bit of a leap of faith. So really what I'm saying to students is: let's try this out.

We are committed to reporting annually on its application. We are committed to reviewing the policy again in three years’ time. Let's see how it works.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length. You can read a longer version of this interview at var.st/gertler18.

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Student Commons opening delayed to January 2019 Opening originally scheduled for September, postponed due to construction delays Hannah Carty Varsity Contributor

The opening of the Student Commons — a proposed student centre that has been in the works for over a decade — has been delayed from September 2018 to January 2019. According to the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU), which is in charge of running the centre, the postponement is due to unexpected construction delays.

Though the union will not have an exact opening date until the construction nears completion, UTSU Vice-President Operations Tyler Biswurm told The Varsity, “We are as confident as we could possibly be in our projected open date.”

Biswurm explained that since the Student Commons building at 230 College Street is over 100 years old, it presents its own unique renovation difficulties.

“Due to contemporary limitations in construction techniques, the poor quality of building materials used, and the loss of architectural documentation to time, multiple unforeseen obstacles have presented themselves in the implementation of

plans for the Student Commons,” said Biswurm.

Both the proposed Operating Levy fee of $6.50 and the increased semesterly levy of $14.25 will be pushed back to the second semester in accordance with the building’s delayed opening.

The approaching opening of the Student Commons marks the end of a journey that began in 2007, when students voted to implement a levy to fund the Student Commons. The project has since faced tremendous financial difficulties, with a 2016 budget plan forecasting a $300,000 deficit in the first year. A 2017 estimate lowered this amount to around $27,000.

Prior to this most recent delay, the building’s opening had already been pushed back from September 2017 to September 2018. During this time, changes had to be made to the plan to decrease the likelihood of bankruptcy, as the building’s agreement outlining the UTSU’s terms of use states that U of T will have the right to seize control in the case of two consecutive years of deficits following the first three years of operation.

Biswurm confirmed that the building is still on track to report a surplus in its third fiscal year,

Toronto Tamil community raising funds for UTSC chair in Tamil Studies $700,000 collected so far, $3 million pledged

Rachel Mary Hughes Varsity Contributor

A campaign launch held at UTSC on June 25 saw people from all over the Tamil community in Canada and the United States come together to raise $700,000. The money that is being raised will set up a permanent endowment fund for the chair of Tamil Studies at U of T, who would have a focus on studying ancient to modern Tamil literature.

The impetus comes from the Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC), a non-profit organization that works to represent Tamil interests in Canada and abroad. This effort to establish a chair is being led by CTC Vice-President Sivan Ilangko.

The CTC expects to raise the money needed over the next two years, which will first be used to hire a professor to occupy the chair. In total, $3 million was pledged by the organization.

There has been a big push over the last few years from Toronto’s Tamil community to establish a chair in Tamil Studies at UTSC. Toronto

is home to a large Tamil community, which is believed to be one of the largest — if not the largest — outside of Sri Lanka and India.

Ilangko explained to The Varsity that there has been lot of effort in the Tamil community to ensure that its language is passed on through the generations.

Tamil is still spoken by 70 million people worldwide and is one of the world’s oldest living languages.

Ilangko explains that this money is being raised by the community because “the language is such an integral part of the Tamil identity.”

U of T Executive Director of Development and Alumni Relations Georgette Zinaty, who has been instrumental in organizing the effort from the university, told The Varsity that “as an anchor institution in the Eastern GTA, we are committed to leveraging our existing investments in our Tamil Worlds Initiative and welcoming the support of other donors to strengthen our impact in this important research area.”

Tamil is one of the world's oldest living languages, and is still spoken by 70 million people worldwide.

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The Student Commons is still on track to report a surplus in its third year of operations.

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which will keep the building in the hands of the UTSU. Among the groups that had planned to move into the Student Commons in September is the UTSU, which will remain in its current office at 12 Hart House Circle during the first semester.

On behalf of any other groups that had planned to move into the building as of September, “the UTSU did negotiate extended occupancy permissions for all service groups and levy groups that

had been promised space.”

Biswurm emphasized that all student groups are a priority for the UTSU as the Student Commons takes shape, adding that “whether it be for hosting their events programming, for hosting their regular office hours, for use as [a] convenient meeting space, or for use as a staging ground for events, the Student Commons is built to facilitate the vital role clubs play on the U of T campus.”

UTM expects to welcome its largest group of first-year students Student surge comes as much of the campus remains under construction Sabrina Daniele Varsity Contributor

UTM expects to welcome its largest incoming undergraduate class ever this fall, though much of the campus is under construction.

Professor Ulrich Krull, Vice-President and Principal of UTM, told The Varsity in an email that “it is expected that the incoming class may be about 10% larger than that [of ] last year,” though he added that he is sure that the growth of the campus would properly accommodate the large wave of incoming students.

Krull called the increase in acceptances of offers “unexpected,” but he added that “this outcome reflects the competitive positioning that UTM has achieved.”

Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2017, UTM has grown considerably over the years.

From a single academic building that held 155 students, 28 faculty, and 40 staff members in its inaugural year, today UTM is host to 14,000 undergraduate students, 682 graduate students, and over 54,000 alumni.

These numbers are only increasing, so what exactly is UTM going to do in order to properly accommodate its growing student population?

“As done every year, arrangements are being made with academic departments and institutes, and with the various student service operations

to accommodate the incoming class and ensure that all UTM students have an outstanding experience,” wrote Krull.

Buildings still under renovation at UTM include the Davis Building, the Health Sciences Complex, Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre, Kaneff Centre, North Building, Principal’s Residence Lislehurst, and Erindale Hall.

According to UTM’s Facilities Management and Planning, its project schedules indicated that most of these buildings needed at least three more weeks of construction in August. However, this does not guarantee that the buildings would be fully completed.

Since the start of construction, there have been concerns about student access to study spaces, classrooms, and eating areas, as the rate of student growth has not changed.

“The campus has experienced total undergraduate enrolment growth at a rate of about 10% each year for the past 10 years and we welcome and look forward to the arrival of the incoming class,” wrote Krull.

UTM has experienced undergraduate growth rate of about 10 per cent each year for the past 10 years.

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Shining light on the Sunshine List Analyzing the gender wage gap among U of T’s top-paid professors

Andy Takagi Varsity Contributor

U of T’s top earners are disproportionately male, The Varsity’s analysis of previous Sunshine Lists has revealed.

The annual Sunshine List, published by the Ontario government, reveals the salaries of all public employees who make over $100,000. There were 131,741 people on the 2017 list, over 3,800 of whom were University of Toronto employees.

The 2017 Sunshine List revealed a significant absence of women in toppaying positions, as well as a persistent pay disparity between the top earning male and female professors at U of T — even for professors with the same title, same years of employment, and the same starting salary.

The 2014–2015 gender equity report, the last-released study on gender equity at U of T, reported an increase in the representation of women in full-time tenure-track faculty positions from 30 per cent to 35 per cent.

Women in the position of Professor made up only 27 per cent of all full-time Professors at U of T in the 2014–2015 academic employment year.

The top 100 Professors with the top 100 highest salaries on the Sunshine List are from a wide variety of departments and all three U of T campuses, yet the majority are men, with only 14 women making the cut.

Median pay for the top 100 female professors on the 2017 Sunshine List was $337,105.74, whereas the median pay for men in the top 100 was $346,854.07. This translates to female professors in the top 100 making 97 cents for each dollar that a male professor makes.

While this is still a smaller gap than the Canadian average, it alludes to other larger disparities that can be seen throughout the Sunshine List, ranging from the median starting salary differences to the median 2017 salary for men and women.

While the average male professor has been on the Sunshine List for two more years than the average female professor, the overrepresentation of men on the list combined with the median salary gap of $9,748.33 points to a historical absence of women in higher-paying positions. In this regard, the top 100 list reveals no new information, as women are frequently underrepresented and unequally-paid in high-paying jobs.

A closer look at professors of Philosophy, Religion, English, Rotman Organizational Behaviour, Law, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (MIE), Mathematics, Computer Science, and Physics reveals that, while the trend of pay disparity does not apply to every individual department, a pay gap occurs in all areas of U of T. These departments were chosen for analysis as they had the largest number of professors with the same job title on the 2017 Sunshine List. continued on next page

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Index average vs. median: The average pay calculates the

arithmetic mean, which tends to be higher than the median, the middle of a given set. Whereas the average would account for wide ranges in pay, the median more accurately represents the ‘typical’ man or woman when considering pay. However, the average, in many cases, is able to fully reflect pay gaps by accounting for the overall higher pay among one group over another.

starting vs. current (2017): Ontario first began

publishing the Sunshine List in 1996. The starting salary of professors who were researched represent their salary when they first appeared on the annually published Sunshine List.

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continued from previous page

Humanities and Social Sciences (Philosophy, Religion, English, Rotman, Law) All of the Humanities and Social Sciences departments investigated had pay gaps across the board.

Female professors on the Sunshine List were, on average, hired only two years later than their male counterparts, yet consistently received significantly smaller pay raises across their careers and were always outnumbered in their departments.

While these female professors saw an average increase from their starting salary of $48,012.73, male professors averaged a $78,103.22 increase.

While Religion, English, Rotman, and Law all had higher starting median salaries for women when compared to men, with gaps of $1,719.00, $1,401.50, $53,682.00, and $11,916.00 respectively, male professors still had a higher median salary on the 2017 Sunshine List.

Philosophy professors on the Sunshine List — all of whom had the same job title — held the smallest margin of median salary disparity, with a pay gap of $5,490.73 in favour of men in 2017.

The largest average pay gap in 2017 among these departments belonged to Rotman Professors of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management, where women on the Sunshine List made, on average, 29 per cent less than men.

With the exception of Philosophy, these Humanities and Social Science departments all show the same characteristics: the average woman on the Sunshine List made less than their male counterpart in 2017 and departments with higher overall pay maintained increasingly wider divides in median and average pay.

Sciences (MIE, Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics) While more egalitarian in pay when compared to the Humanities and Social Sciences, professors in MIE, Mathematics, Computer Science, and Physics — representing the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) — had pay disparities favouring men in every department but one.

The largest pay gap in the Sciences existed among MIE professors on the Sunshine List, where only two women held the same title as their 28 male counterparts.

While the median starting salary for women was $4,121.50 higher than for men, the current pay gap is commensurate with the employment gap — women on the list made 19 per cent less than men in 2017.

This means that, though women may start out with higher salaries, they do not see as much progress throughout their careers as men do.

In contrast, Computer Science salaries were, on average, equal for men and women.

The median pay gap was $711.67 in favour of women, an anomaly on the Sunshine List.

All Science departments analyzed had at least double the number of men than women on the Sunshine List. MIE had the largest disparity, with 26 more men than women, while Computer Science had the smallest gap, at 10 more men than women.

Physics and Mathematics both maintained a pay disparity between average starting salaries and average 2017 salaries.

On the 2017 Sunshine List, women in Physics were paid 87 cents per dollar made by their male counterpart, and women in Mathematics made 94 cents per dollar.

In addition to the gender pay gap, the Science departments reflect a STEM-wide problem: the underrepresentation of women.

Between 1987 and 2015, the percentage of women working in STEM fields across Canada increased from 20 per cent to 22 per cent of the workforce. By contrast, female science professors at U of T who appeared on the Sunshine List made up only 16.5 per cent of the investigated Science departments on the list.

Analyzing direct discrimination When comparing professors within the same department, with the same starting salary within a $500 margin, and the same number of years of employment, direct gender pay disparity becomes much more apparent.

Among nine pairings with these conditions, only two had women making more than their male counterpart; the largest pay gap in favour of women was $4,296.36.

The other seven cases demonstrated greater gender-based pay inequities, with the largest pay gap in favour of men at $78,033.09. In this case, the male professor who started with the same salary and worked for the same number of years as his female counterpart still made 48 per cent more.

Broadly, the average starting salary across all nine cases was $106,885.11 for women and $106,792.56 for men. Though women on the 2017 Sunshine List had a small starting salary gap of $92.55, in the end the average man still made $14,993.06 more than the average woman.

Across the nine cases mentioned above, women made on average 9.6 per cent less than men in 2017, despite having been on the Sunshine List for the same number of years, with the same starting salary, and with the same listed job title. These cases, however, do not take into account external factors that would affect salary, such as teaching additional courses and conducting research. It's unknown how these 18 male and female professors compare on those counts, as either the male or female professor could have more experience.

Responses and reactions In a statement to The Varsity, U of T ViceProvost Faculty and Academic Life Heather Boon said that, “The matter of gender pay equity is an important issue at U of

T. We, like many other large and complex institutions, are in the process of looking carefully at gender pay equity as it relates to our faculty.”

Boon explained that gender is more balanced for Associate and Assistant Professors, citing the 2014–2015 Gender Equity Report that states that Associate Professors and Assistant Professors have 42 per cent and 43 per cent female representation, respectively. Any analysis comparing the pay of the most senior rank of Professor will be affected by the prevalence of men in those more senior positions.

Boon’s statement corroborates the findings of The Varsity’s analysis: the top 100 earning professors at U of T are overwhelmingly male, and make more money in almost every case.

Boon listed initiatives the university is undertaking “to foster and support a diverse faculty complement,” including increased funding to support diverse faculty hiring, unconscious bias training, mentorship and leadership programs for new and diverse faculty, and an updated equity survey that would collect detailed data on U of T’s workforce.

“The University of Toronto is one of North America’s leading research intensive universities,” concluded Boon. “We are committed to excellence in education and research. That requires us to attract and retain the best educators and professional staff with competitive salaries and compensation.”

However, Professor Sarah Kaplan, Director of the Institute for Gender and the Economy, Distinguished Professor of Gender and the Economy, and Professor of Strategic Management at Rotman, contends that little progress is being made to rectify the gender-based pay disparities and employment gaps at U of T, particularly for faculty on the Sunshine List.

Kaplan added that the Sunshine List “has many problems,” which makes analysis of it “a little bit apples to oranges.”

“For example, if a professor has a salary that is $100,000 but they teach two extra courses that year, they might get paid to just teach those courses in addition to that load, so their overall salary would look higher,” she said.

Despite the issues with the Sunshine List, it is the only publicly available data on U of T salaries. The university does not release any information on employee diversity, and the last report on gender equity was published based on data from four academic years ago. Although it isn’t perfect, the Sunshine List still demonstrates gender disparities at U of T’s highest levels.

“We’re not alone at U of T,” said Kaplan when discussing the pay gap in the wider Ontario and Canadian context. “But we’re a leading university in the country. We should not just be comforting ourselves by saying ‘we’re not alone.’ We should actually be at the cutting edge of trying [to] resolve this.”

Within Ontario, McMaster University, the University of Waterloo, and the University of Guelph have all enacted pay boosts to female faculty after task forces and studies revealed systemic gender-based inequities in salary. Kaplan believes that U of T should follow suit by collecting the appropriate data and equalizing pay.

However, she has little faith that these changes will come swiftly. “In the university or government context, where change is going to be slow, it’s going to take some guts to do it and I don’t see anyone having the guts,” she said. “[U of T] should recognize that there’s these gendered processes that produce these unequal outcomes,” said Kaplan. “They should be making up for those differences and be willing to take whatever political heat they would take for doing it.”

Wellness Portal established to help graduate students find resources, services Mental health services, academic support, supervisor relationship tips included Sanaya Bhatia Varsity Contributor

The School of Graduate Studies (SGS) and the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (UTGSU) collaborated to create a Graduate Wellness Portal to provide information on the resources and services available for graduate students.

Through this portal, graduate students can find mental health services, academic support, and resources to assist with supervisor relationships. The website also includes a directory of U of T and Toronto community resources, student-supervisor resources including a supervision tip sheet, and a list of frequently asked questions.

Luc De Nil, Acting Dean of Graduate Studies, said that the SGS and UTGSU are hoping that the portal will allow students to “avoid situations where stress has impacted them so much that they run into difficulties with their academic work because we all know that early intervention, early support is the best way to support our students.”

UTGSU Executive Sophie McGibbonGardner said that the UTGSU feels that “this is a good resource to help graduate students navigate these issues, especially in the wake of the mandated leave of absence policy.”

The recent passing of the controversial university-mandated leave of absence policy allows U of T to place a student on a non-punitive leave if their mental health poses a risk to themselves or others, or if they are unable “to fulfill the essential activities required to pursue their program.” The policy was passed in June to much backlash from students.

The portal was started as a way to solve the lack of cohesion that existed, explained De Nil, saying that “students know the resources are there [and] that resources are available to them, but they do not quite know how to find them or how to start accessing them or who to contact.”

With U of T’s growing number of international students, the portal also includes information on off-campus services that offer support in multiple languages.

Some of the resources available are SGS Wellness Counsellors, a series of Coping Skills and Supervision Workshops, and G2G Peer Advisors at the Graduate Conflict Resolution Centre.

UTGSU members can also assist other graduate students with advice, information, and representation when experiencing academic and/or administrative difficulties, including problems with supervisors, departments, or the university, if students would prefer to speak with other graduate students.

The SGS will also be looking to have accessibility advisors available specifically for graduate students, according to De Nil.

6 | THE VARSITY | NEWS

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Alcohol at Trinity events can no longer be paid for with student fees

Large events like Saints, Conversat to be moved off campus

Student leaders immediately expressed their grievances against the changes.

SHANNA HUNTER/THE VARSITY

Ilya Bañares Deputy News Editor

Starting this coming school year, Trinity College student fees can no longer be used to purchase alcohol, and large events — including the Saints and Conversat formals — will be held off-campus at permanently licensed venues.

An email to students signed by college administration and student leaders stated that the move “will give student leaders the opportunity to focus resources on programming that is accessible to both drinkers and non-drinkers.” Additionally, moving larger events off-campus will allow for larger capacity.

“Student leaders will receive training and support while work will be done to ensure student government independence is balanced with the requirement for financial accountability and transparency,” reads the email.

Previously, Trinity regularly hosted events where alcohol was sold to students of age, which required a special permit from the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. The events also needed to be approved by the Dean’s office.

These actions come after Trinity conducted a 10-month survey of students, asking them about their experience at the college. This was followed by focus groups and an “expert external review of alcohol culture at Trinity and best practices at postsecondary institutions.”

In a statement to The Varsity, Assistant Provost of Trinity College Dr. Jonathan Steels wrote that “many Trinity students voiced a desire to make the student experience more inclusive and welcoming.

“There was concern about how mandatory student fees, which are paid by all students, are used.

Eliminating the practice of using mandatory fees to purchase or subsidize alcohol moves Trinity into

alignment with procedures at peer institutions.”

Steels said that Trinity would continue consultations with students throughout the year to develop a Memorandum of Understanding that would “encourage the independence of student organizations within a framework of good governance mechanisms such as financial accountability and transparency. To support this, we will be providing training and assistance to student leaders on sound practices.”

Student leaders immediately expressed their grievances against the changes.

Within the email itself, the Heads of College — some of the highest elected student representatives at Trinity — “expressed great disappointment with some aspects of the Action Plan.”

In a statement released on Facebook, the Heads wrote that they had concerns about “student safety in moving events off-residence,” and that the plan changes how the college’s governance and levy systems operate.

“We have invested huge amounts of time and energy into these negotiations,” reads the Heads’ statement. “Unfortunately, due to the nature of the data and the Board’s inability to ignore the information now that it has been collected, the administration chose to implement the policy changes in their entirety.”

According to the email from the administration and student leaders, the college will continue consultations throughout the fall, which it encourages students to attend.

Other changes mentioned in the email include developing a separate Residence Code of Conduct, having residence common rooms overseen jointly by Academic Dons and Heads, and moving the Welch residence common room to second Macklem.

City Council votes to phase in property taxes for Victoria University, ending years of tax exemption Residential taxes to be phased in over six-year period, commercial taxes over four years Ann Marie Elpa Varsity Staff

After years of negotiations between the City of Toronto and Victoria University, City Council voted on July 23 to phase in municipal property taxes on Victoria’s commercial properties, ending the tax exemption under the 1951 Victoria University Act that has allowed it to avoid taxes for decades. The city estimates that it has lost $20 million in potential taxes from the university since 2013 alone.

Residential and multi-residential taxes will be phased in over a six-year period beginning in 2019; commercial and all other taxes will be phased in over four years. During the first year, Victoria will have to pay one-sixth of the amount of residential taxes that it owes, and one quarter of commercial and other taxes.

Each year following, the amount of residential taxes will go up by one-sixth until finally reaching the full portion of taxes in 2024. For commercial and other taxes, the rate will go up by a quarter each year until reaching the full portion in 2022.

This move by City Council was made possible after the Ontario legislature amended the Victoria University Act in the 2018 provincial budget, thereby removing the exemption and allowing the City of Toronto to phase in taxes.

The 1951 act originally granted Victoria a tax exemption in an effort to encourage development in Yorkville. However, the city argued that the act has backfired, causing private commercial enterprises and residential properties to pay significantly lower property taxes compared to surrounding buildings not under the university’s ownership.

Victoria University, a federated college within the University of Toronto, has not

had to pay taxes on a number of commercial properties. This was in accordance with the act, prior to its recent amendment, which stated that “any lands and premises leased to or occupied by [Victoria University] shall not be liable to taxation for provincial, municipal or school purposes, and shall be exempt from every description of taxation.”

Victoria’s properties include several luxury residential buildings on St. Thomas Street and Charles Street West, which also house McKinsey & Company, as well as its properties along Bloor Street West, which include the Lillian Massey Building and the Colonnade.

These buildings along Bloor are host to stores such as Prada, Cartier, and Max Mara, the Consulate General of Ecuador, and Top Hat’s corporate offices, to name a few.

Expected tax revenue Under the amended act and the new bylaw, the city estimates that Victoria will pay an extra $786,050 in taxes in 2019. After the phasein period ends, the city estimates that it will collect over $3 million annually from Victoria’s properties. Comparatively, revenue from the university’s properties amounted to $8,662,000 in 2017.

Future tenants are not entitled to the phasein of the municipal property taxes.

“Victoria University has worked cooperatively with the City of Toronto and the Province of Ontario to manage the effects of any policy change relating to our tax treatment,” wrote Jennifer Little, Manager, Marketing and Communications at Victoria University, in an email to The Varsity.

Andrea Martinelli, Communications Advisor for the City of Toronto, wrote to The Varsity that “as that was Council’s last meeting

The city estimates it has lost $20 million in potential taxes since 2013. SHANNA HUNTER/THE VARSITY

before the election, the Treasurer recommended to Council (GM29.6) to adopt the by-law so the phase-in for the new taxes is in place by next year.”

History of the tax negotiations Negotiations between the City of Toronto and Victoria University date back to early 2016 when the city assessed the university’s property on 131 Bloor Street West — the Colonnade — under the Assessment Act, which provides that “all property is subject to assessment and taxation except certain types of properties that are exempt from taxation.”

In 2017, City Council proposed to amend the Victoria University Act. City Solicitor

Wendy Walberg and Treasurer Mike St. Amant submitted an application in December 2017 to the provincial legislature for an amendment to the existing act. As a result, subsequent changes have been included in the 2018 provincial budget.

The decision will have no financial implication for the city’s 2018 Operating Budget.

Victoria University’s properties that are used for educational purposes will remain tax exempt, like many other universities in Toronto, including U of T, York University, OCAD University, and Ryerson University.

Comment

August 13, 2018 var.st/comment comment@thevarsity.ca

Commenting for The Varsity The nature of The Varsity’s opinion pages and this year’s mandate for the section Welcome to the Comment section. If you are keen to share your opinions with the university community, you will find a home in these pages of the paper. All you need are three things.

First, you should have a clear opinion regarding an issue that concerns students.

Once you’ve decided on a perspective, move onto step two: robust evidence. Your opinion matters, but its strength depends on the quality of verified information you can gather: facts, data, reports, and interviews, to name a few. Finally, you need to put your opinion and evidence together into a persuasive, argumentative, and creative style. Think hard about diction, sentence structure, and paragraph length, and how effectively you

can communicate your ideas to the reader.

Other than a regular opinion piece, the Comment section hosts a wide range of article sub-sections. For instance, Commentin-Brief enables you to produce a short and direct reaction to The Varsity’s News stories.

Otherwise, you can write a Letter to the Editor if you want to react to anything published on our pages. You can also write an op-ed piece, if you take an angle on behalf of a group or organization. Sometimes, short opinion pieces on the same topic will be compiled into collaborations. Finally, The Varsity’s Editorial Board, on behalf of the paper itself, often steps in to provide a perspective on critical issues.

This year, the Comment section is eager

to advance a few new projects. Building off last year, Comment Up Close is a podcast series that features interviews with Comment contributors to go deeper into ideas presented in their articles. Audio Articles is a complimentary series that allows contributors to record their articles in audio form.

Furthermore, depending on your interest, the section will serialize new types of articles, including Comment Reports, which are in-depth, investigative comment features, and Consensus Collaborations, or dialogues between contributors who find common ground on contentious issues.

Finally, an overarching objective this year will be equity and accessibility. Providing a platform for the voices and issues of margin-

alized communities, especially Indigenous and Black writers, providing more opportunity to writers from all three U of T campuses, and hosting bi-weekly pitch sessions with contributors will be key priorities.

Ready to be a part of this year’s mandate?

If you have any pitches, concerns, or questions, send an email to Comment Editor Ibnul Chowdhury at comment@thevarsity.ca. You can also sign up at thevarsity.ca/volunteer to be included in the email list. And watch out for applications for Associate Comment Editor and Columnist positions — they’ll be available sometime in September!

Ibnul Chowdhury Comment Editor

A summer’s worth of opinions

A compilation of Comment-in-Briefs in reaction to some of the major stories of the summer semester Varsity Contributors

The new School of Cities could be the pivotal voice we need for complex urban issues, as long as it pulls together Re: "U of T's School of Cities to Launch July 1" U of T’s new School of Cities has vowed to tackle urban-related issues through interdisciplinary methods and collaborations. However, finding more coherent information on the partnerships or direction of this school has been unsatisfying. Apart from their slogans, the School of Cities’ website features pictures and short descriptions of the professors comprising the Interim Working Group, and three articles and two podcast links which are informative but overlap in content.

On the one hand, this is a frustrating start to an institution that encompasses many of the most important and immediate issues of our modernizing time. With Associate Director Shauna Brail calling the School “a big-tent approach” to urban research, and U of T President Meric Gertler claiming it to be a “hub in a global network” of scholars and practitioners, the school is not lacking in grand objectives.

However, this has so far failed to reveal convincing short-term targets.

On the other hand, the school has only taken its very first public baby steps, and a definite outline of objectives often hurts the creativity of budding institutions. Cities are the playgrounds of the future, and though the school shouldn’t have to trudge carefully toward a path, they need to pave their way holistically. The extremely diverse group of professors seems to suggest an optimistic direction, as they draw from Civil and Mineral Engineering to Indigenous Health to Women and Gender Studies.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect about the School of Cities is the bridge it shall attempt to build between theory and practice. Hopefully the school will encourage U of T students to help build this bridge and contribute significantly to not only the initiatives, but the very soul of the institution.

For students and urban dwellers in general, never have cities felt more saturated with potential, yet held back by issues regarding housing, transportation, and public safety, to name a few. The School of Cities presents an exciting and critical opportunity for diverse urban communities to contribute to the dialogue of the future of cities.

Grace Ma is a second-year English and Environmental Sciences student at Trinity College.

We cannot have religious freedom at the expense of social equality Re: “Trinity Western loses Supreme Court case on religious freedom v. LGBTQ+ rights” The battle between the constitutional right to freedom of religion and LGBTQ+ rights has taken

shape in Trinity Western University’s (TWU) Supreme Court case against the Law Societies of British Columbia and Ontario. Unsurprisingly, the university lost the case seven to two.

The very law that allows the evangelical Christian university to exist has been proven to have clear boundaries. When pitted against each other, religious freedom comes second in modern Canadian society to discrimination against LGBTQ+ people.

The problem with the covenant signed by all TWU students is that it requires abstinence from any sexual intimacy, not only outside of a heterosexual marriage, but also from any intimacy that “violated the sacredness” of that marriage. This very clearly alienated the LGBTQ+ population, allowing TWU to deny them admission.

U of T campus group LGBTOUT, the intervenors on the case, brought this very point up, arguing that the proposed law school would bar LGBTQ+ students solely based on sexual or gender preferences, which is clearly a discriminatory action.

The case was a big win for the LGBTQ+ community as the Supreme Court clearly announced that the law must protect each and every individual of the Canadian population. The court’s decision came at a celebratory time, enhancing the joy and excitement for Pride Month.

This is not the first time TWU has faced the Supreme Court over religious freedoms. I expect it to continue happening over different issues until TWU recognizes that although religious freedom is crucial to a democratic society, its importance should never surpass the importance of equality in a society that is constantly growing and changing.

Varsha Pillai is a first-year Social Sciences student at University College.

Provost’s action plan does not account for safety or student leadership Re: “Alcohol at Trinity events can no longer be paid for with student fees” In an email correspondence informing Trinity College students of the administration’s action plan, the Office of the Provost mentions their “aim to improve transparency and communications, while focusing on education, safety and harm reduction, and leadership development.”

As a Trinity College student, I feel that there are numerous inconsistencies with this statement.

First, putting forward an action plan without adequate consultation with student leaders undermines the direct democracy and commitment to student autonomy that has defined Trinity College tradition.

Preventing student leaders from spending student fees in a manner they deem fit does not make for effective leadership development. While it’s true that not all students are drinkers, the reality of student fees is that they do not always benefit each student

Alcohol policy at Trinity College is a point of contention between students and administration.

VASSILIA JULIA AL AKAILA/THE VARSITY

individually.

Second, focusing on safety and harm reduction includes acknowledging that a significant percentage of young adults are going to drink. Harm reduction involves creating a safe environment in which students are familiar with their surroundings and have nonpunitive support networks when it comes to alcohol consumption, including a sober patrol and Dons in case of emergency. Moving such events off campus does not guarantee such an environment.

Additionally, the claim that the administration created this action plan primarily due to a 10-month survey of students is dubious given the college’s response to a motion of no confidence passed at the Trinity College Meeting (TCM) last year.

The first meeting at the TCM included a motion of no confidence in which students shared their grievances regarding Dean Kristen Moore and her staff. The motion passed with an overwhelming majority, but it was then overlooked by Provost Mayo Moran, who ensured that she had “full confidence in [Moore].”

Avneet Sharma is a fourth-year English and Cinema Studies student at Trinity College.

The loss of popular locations for students points to a decline in affordability Re: “Saint George hotel opens on Bloor Street West, replacing Holiday Inn” In July, the Saint George hotel officially opened in place of the Holiday Inn, Fox and Fiddle Pub, and New York Fries on Bloor Street West. After the Star-

bucks on College and Beverley Street also closed its doors earlier this year to make way for a condominium to be built by January 2020, there are now a total of four popular locations around campus that are no longer available for U of T students.

Holiday Inn housed many families when students visited U of T for the very first time. The Fox and Fiddle Pub had just the right vibe for all kinds of rendezvous, whether it be post-exam celebrations or simple get-togethers. New York Fries was the kitchen of Bloor Street that students resorted to after long hours at the library, often because they were too exhausted to walk any further.

Henceforth, these places will live only in the memories of soon-to-be graduates, while prospective students will no longer share the experience of what had already become part of the ‘typical U of T student’ routine.

From a student perspective, opening a luxury hotel such as the Saint George in the Annex is not ideal, considering its expensive price point of almost $300 per night. Although Gyubee — a somewhat pricey Japanese BBQ joint just across from the Saint George — had already broken the concept of affordable eateries in the Annex, the Saint George will now completely reform the image of a cost-friendly neighborhood for students. This end of the Annex is looking more and more like luxurious Yorkville.

Annie Hu is a third-year Criminology, Music, and Sociology student at Woodsworth College.

8 | THE VARSITY | COMMENT

comment@thevarsity.ca

Op-ed: Reviewing the approved university-mandated leave of absence policy

How we can move forward with the policy and mental health supports at U of T Zeus Eden & Joshua Grondin Varsity Contributors

On June 27, despite a review of the policy’s merits, a letter from the Ontario Human Rights Commissioner, and active opposition from every major student group on campus, the University of Toronto’s Governing Council approved a new university-mandated leave of absence policy, effective immediately.

The policy resulted from the 2014–2015 Report of the University Ombudsperson, which encouraged the university to improve its mental health supports broadly. The report’s recommendations included commitments to increasing awareness of support programs, expanding teaching resources, and extending and improving the effectiveness of services.

U of T still has a lot of work to do to meet these commitments and create a culture on campus that values mental health, but its first step was to create a policy, which it claims gives students in crisis the ability to put their mental health first.

The policy allows the administration to place a student on academic suspension if they pose a serious risk of harm to themselves or others, or if they are “unable to engage in the essential activities required to pursue an education.”

The policy first drew attention last October and is seen by many students as an infringement upon students’ right to autonomy. Mental health advocates have argued that this policy will push students into social isolation and disrupt their daily life, making depression worse and increasing the risk of suicide.

According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, one in five Canadians struggle with mental health each year, a number that is magnified among postsecondary students. With so many students affected, there is no doubt that this policy calls into question the university’s commitment to protecting mental health.

Since the policy is here to stay, it is imperative that students understand the policy so that they

are able to protect their mental health and defend their rights, should they be affected by it.

There has been a lot of misinformation about this policy. Perhaps the most detrimental aspect of this policy is that many students will now neglect to access university services for fear of being placed on a leave of absence.

Let’s be very clear: students are seriously impacted by a policy which could force them to leave residence, lose access to gym facilities and the Health & Wellness Centre, and become isolated from their close friends whom they need for their recovery. All of these are real costs and should raise serious questions about how the university values mental health.

But the extremely limited scope of this policy means that most students who are seeking help are completely unaffected. We encourage all students to continue to see their registrar, get help at the Health & Wellness Centre, and tell Accessibility Services about how their mental health is affecting their ability to learn.

Students can only be forced to take a leave in very limited and extreme circumstances. The policy is designed to be applied primarily when a student’s behaviour poses “a risk of imminent or serious physical or psychological harm” to themselves or others. Circumstances under which this policy would be invoked would almost certainly cause unnecessary distress for students who are already extremely vulnerable. Such an alarming proposition provides sufficient reason to fight this policy on behalf of our fellow students whose lives are affected so severely.

While these cases certainly deserve our attention, we must also recognize how rare they are in the framework of a large student body. Students in such rare circumstances would also meet the threshold to be hospitalized for their mental illness. Evidently, the vast majority of students who struggle with mental health do not meet that bar.

While students can technically be removed if they are unable to “engage in the essential activities” of their program, the university is first re-

quired to provide a host of accommodations ranging from extensions to exam deferrals, involving Accessibility Services, and allowing students to credit/no credit or defer a course. Collectively, we must work to hold the administration accountable for providing these services and supports for affected students.

Many students have also expressed concerns about the involvement of medical professionals in this process. Under the policy, students can still choose to share their assessments at any time. When an expert medical opinion disputes the Vice-Provost’s evaluation of the student’s state of mind, it is likely to be a key determinant in whether the university decides to invoke this policy or not.

For this reason, students should understand that choosing to share personal information could be very helpful to their case. However, if students choose to keep their mental health treatment private, they have the right to do so.

Additionally, some students may not be comfortable with disclosing their mental health to doctors or therapists and may instead choose to discuss their mental health with religious leaders, professors, registrars, or close advisors. Requiring the involvement of a medical professional would force the university to value that one opinion over those of other individuals who may be more familiar with a particular student’s case.

The university has taken steps to recognize the specific differences between cases. Not every leave of absence is created equal. Students have the right to negotiate terms and conditions that are consistent with their individual circumstances. This part of the process allows students to try and minimize the disruption that a leave would create for their lives.

Students should use this opportunity to protect what they value: whether that is access to a U of T Health & Wellness counsellor, financial reimbursements for the cost of tuition, temporary housing if removed from residence, access to gyms, or credit for a course that is almost complete.

Students struggling with mental health are also eligible for legal aid, including assistance with immigration in the case of international students. This is a right we must continue fighting to uphold.

The bottom line is that the policy is so limited in scope that it would have applied to roughly five cases last year, in a university of more than 90,000 students, according to the Ombudsperson.

Schools including Cornell University, the University of Chicago, New York University, Washington University in St. Louis, Columbia University, Stanford University, and the Massachusetts

Institute of Technology have all implemented some version of an involuntary leave policy.

This does not by any means justify such a policy, but it allows us to analyze the way involuntary leave is exercised. At U of T, students could already have been forced away from campus by being suspended under the Code of Student Conduct when their mental health poses a danger to themselves or other community members. This policy formalizes this procedure and creates a way to differentiate between disciplinary suspensions and health-related leaves of absence.

This policy reminds us of the frequent bioethical dispute about a person’s autonomy when their safety or the safety of others is threatened.

Our first priority must always be to combat these issues before they pose more serious concerns, which means providing more effective resources, community supports, and aid to students in need.

The university can be an incredibly toxic environment for one’s well-being, and we must acknowledge the specific conditions of students who are more likely to be affected by the policy.

Of course, personal safety is subjective and should include personal assessments, but we must also ensure that our vulnerable students are protected in a way that truly supports them. While this policy may be imperfect, by prioritizing a student’s recovery, it attempts to value personal well-being, at the expense of student autonomy.

Whether this is good or bad will always be a point of contention.

When this policy goes up for reconsideration in three years, both affected and unaffected students will once again have the opportunity to voice their opposition. In the meantime, we have a responsibility to ensure that this policy is implemented responsibly and in very few extreme cases, while making it as easy as possible for students to return to campus. We hope that students in this situation can use this piece to be better empowered to exercise their rights.

Since Governing Council chose to pass this policy, we as students will need to monitor developments carefully to defend our interests. All we can do now is wait and see, and be ready to challenge the university administration whenever necessary.

Zeus Eden is a second-year student studying Economics and Peace, Conflict, and Justice Studies at Trinity College. He is the Assistant Vice-President University Governance of the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU).

Joshua Grondin graduated as an Economics and International Relations student at University College in June. He is the Vice-President University Affairs of the UTSU.

The university-mandated leave of absence policy faces significant opposition from student groups.

SHANNA HUNTER/THE VARSITY

Editorial

August 13, 2018 var.st/comment editorial@thevarsity.ca

Restoring the 1998 sex ed curriculum makes little sense in 2018 The Ontario PC government’s decision to scrap the 2015 curriculum undermines youth education on crucial topics like identity, consent, and the digital world The Varsity Editorial Board

Shortly after taking office over the summer, Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government announced its decision to repeal the 2015 Health and Physical Education curriculum, replacing it with the previous 1998 curriculum, which was taught until 2014.

During his campaign, Ford had accused the previous Liberal government of creating a curriculum that reflects an “ideology” that turned schools into “social laboratories” and children into “test subjects.” Ford’s politicization of the sex ed curriculum as a central campaign issue panders to a vocal minority of social conservatives who have opposed the update since its inception in 2015.

However, the 2015 curriculum is a huge step toward helping all students navigate social norms in the twenty-first century. The repeal of this curriculum brings us backward by two decades: gay marriage was still seven years away from legalization in Canada, consent meant the absence of a ‘no’ rather than the presence of an enthusiastic ‘yes,’ and social media as we know it had yet to come into existence.

For U of T and other university students, many of the critical issues on campus reflect the sex ed battleground. For instance, the gender pronouns controversy in 2016 and the C grade assigned by Our Turn to U of T’s recent sexual violence policy demonstrate a systemic inability to sufficiently normalize sexual and gender diversity and consent among youth.

The Progressive Conservative government’s position does not reflect the best interests of youth — who themselves could not vote in the election.

Youth, as future postsecondary students, workers, and members of society, stand to lose the ability to make informed, safe, and healthy decisions on campuses, in workplaces, and beyond.

Sexuality, gender, and consent Unlike the 2015 curriculum, the 1998 curriculum makes no mention of different sexual orientations or gender identities. In the 2015 curriculum, Grade 3 students learn about same-sex relationships, Grade 6 students discuss assumed gender roles and the issue of homophobia, and Grade 8 students develop an understanding of gender identity and sexual orientation.

Those opposed to the 2015 curriculum have claimed that elements of it, such as discussions about same-sex relationships, are not age-appropriate. The notion that same-sex relationships are less appropriate than the heterosexual ones discussed in the 1998 curriculum is, quite simply, homophobic.

All students should have the opportunity to learn information that may help them to improve their understanding of themselves and of others. Instead, the government’s move eliminates resources and support for students trying to figure out their sexuality or gender identity.

The 2015 curriculum also made strides toward helping LGBTQ+ youth feel both accepted and included. Although Canadian society has become

FIONA TUNG/THE VARSITY

more accepting of people who identify as LGBTQ+, LGBTQ+ students are still the targets of bullying and violence.

For this reason, learning to accept and respect these differences at a young age is crucial. Raising a generation of Ontarians who are more accepting has the potential to be lifesaving, since bullying contributes to the higher-than-average suicide rates among LGBTQ+ identifying people.

Like LGBTQ+ issues, consent also goes unmentioned in the 1998 curriculum. The 2015 curriculum, on the other hand, has students as early as Grade 2 learning that they have the right to say ‘no’ to activities with which they are uncomfortable. In Grade 8, students develop the understanding that consent is not automatically implied just because someone has agreed to other romantic behaviours in the past.

These lessons are necessary because they can help to prevent sexual abuse and because many adults still do not fully understand what constitutes consent.

According to research conducted by the Canadian Women’s Foundation, less than a third of Canadians fully understand consent: that it must be both positive — there must be clear indications that sexual activity is desired — and continuous — it must continue throughout the sexual encounter and can be revoked at any time.

Beyond sex: the digital world and comprehensive education Opponents of the 2015 curriculum also overlook the fact that it teaches about topics beyond sex, including internet usage, bullying, body image, and mental and emotional health. Lessons about internet and technology safety are absent from the 1998 curriculum because many of today’s technologies did not exist at the time.

According to the 2015 curriculum, students in Grade 4 learn about cyberbullying, and how to retain privacy and vigilance when using the internet.

In Grade 7, students are educated on the dangers of sexting. The understanding of these digital matters is crucial to society in 2018, and reverting back to a lesson plan created before grade school students were born places them at risk of not being able to adapt to the digital world.

Some opponents to the 2015 curriculum believe parents should be responsible for teaching their children sex ed. However, just because parents can teach their kids themselves does not mean they will, or that they will do so adequately. This leaves young people

dealing with complex matters, such as sexual orientation and gender identity, without support.

Students will face many of the topics that have now been excluded from the curriculum, whether they are taught in class or not. They can easily access information whether from friends or the internet. Including these topics in a formal school setting provides a comprehensive and open way to learn and helps limit the misinformation and shame often attached to them.

Moving forward in September Following fierce backlash from parents, community members, educators, and opposing political parties, the Ford administration appeared to be backpedaling. On July 16, Education Minister Lisa Thompson said gender, same-sex relationships, and internet safety would still be taught in the fall, despite not being included in the 1998 curriculum. She also said that educators would be returning to what was taught in 2014.

However, the curriculum used in 2014 was still the 1998 curriculum. As Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser points out, there is no third curriculum, different from either the 1998 or 2015 curricula, which includes these topics.

To muddy the waters further, teachers, as of the beginning of August, do not have access to the 1998 curriculum to organize their lesson plans for the upcoming school year, which is only weeks away. As of press time, the Ministry of Education’s website still features the 2015 curriculum. Furthermore, the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association has not been given any instruction on how to proceed in the fall.

Typically, when switching curriculums, training and resources are offered to teachers so they can be better prepared to teach new material. This has not occurred. Teachers need to know what they will be legally required to teach come September, especially since newer teachers may be unfamiliar with the 1998 curriculum entirely.

This uncertainty demonstrates how the Progressive Conservative government is irresponsibly reversing a policy through an irresponsible process. Come September, a number of teachers do plan to supplement the topics outlined in the 1998 curriculum by continuing to teach their students about LGBTQ+ issues, consent, internet safety, and other contemporary issues. Nearly 30 school boards have released statements expressing such intent, while one board is refusing to teach the 1998 curriculum entirely.

While expressing concern about the government’s decision to repeal the 2015 curriculum, the President of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, Sam Hammond, said that he would support any teachers who choose to teach beyond the 1998 curriculum. However, since the teaching of social issues will no longer be a standardized requirement, some students will lose out.

The need for accountability and inclusion The government has indicated that the 1998 curriculum will be taught until province-wide consultations lead to a new curriculum in the 2019–2020 year. The government claims there had not been enough consultation with parents during the development of the 2015 curriculum.

However, the curriculum underwent almost a decade of consultation, which, according to Fraser, included discussions with 2,700 teachers, 4,000 parents, and 700 students. Hammond described it as the “largest, most extensive consultation process” for curriculum development in Ontario.

The Progressive Conservative government has provided no details as to what topics they wish to include in the 2019–2020 curriculum. Premier Doug Ford has promised consultations that would involve discussions with parents in all 124 ridings.

Students must hold the social conservative pushback on education policy to account, lest regressive reforms to elementary and high school settings become the prelude to dangerous policy changes on university campuses — for instance, Ford’s campaign vow to make university funding conditional to ‘free speech.’ Students and teachers should continue to advocate for the 2015 curriculum, both in policy and practice.

When it comes to Ford’s consultation process, students must demand that the government be inclusive of all genders, sexual orientations, races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds so that the curriculum adequately addresses the needs of all students and is representative of all Ontarians. The Progressive Conservatives claim to be “for the people.” It’s time for them to prove that they are for the children, too.

The Varsity’s editorial board is elected by the masthead at the beginning of each semester.

For more information about the editorial policy, email editorial@thevarsity.ca.

10 | THE VARSITY | FEATURES

Illness as aesthetic

On the hierarchy of eating disorders Article by Paige Chu Illustrations by Iris Deng

F

rom the late 1700s to the mid-1800s, tu ravaged the Western world. Then know consumption, this deadly infectious disease responsible for 25 per cent of the deaths in during this period, earning it the nickname among these men of death.’

Those afflicted suffered from fevers, cough diarrhea, and emaciation. Yet, at the same ti it reached epidemic levels, tuberculosis beca somewhat of a fashionable disease. There wa glamourization of patients who were observ pale skin, flushed cheeks, and extremely thin all attributes of the ideal female form. Rega havoc that it wreaked, the appearance of tub patients was almost immediately popularize association with femininity.

Victorian fashion was taken over by poin with voluminous skirts, and red lips and pin against porcelain skin. Nineteenth century ‘c chic’ was, in other words, an obsessive emula tuberculosis patients.

Thinness had become both a necessity an aesthetic. By the end of the nineteenth cent nervosa was officially recognized as a menta Evidently, this dangerous cultural fascinatio extreme restriction and thinness did not end Anorexia nervosa has been in the Diagno Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM first edition. However, bulimia nervosa and disorder were not officially recognized until later. Despite being relative newcomers to th both have higher prevalence rates than anor Conversely, bulimia and binge-eating appea frequently in pop culture.

Our value-laden notion of appropriate fe appearance and behaviour has generated a h is reflected in media content. There are a sle and books about anorexia, but seldom any a eating disorders.

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Writers such as Anne Sexton, Emily Dickin Sylvia Plath are just a handful of the many b women in literature who have suffered from eating. As a response to patriarchal constric confessional writings turned their pain into their psyches into vivid characters.

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features@thevarsity.ca

when it comes to other eating disorders, “it's private, and there's a lot of shame associated with binge-eating and purging.”

The roots of hierarchy

Among patients, anorexia is often heavily defended as a life choice because it’s predicated on self-control. The ability to restrict is practically sacred, and many will go to great lengths to protect it, whereas bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder are viewed as embarrassing secrets.

“Psychotherapy is important as a cornerstone of treatment but establishing a trusting relationship with somebody with anorexia is not easy… They deny that they have an illness. That's the first problem. How do you get somebody to engage in the treatment of a condition which they actually deny they have?” says Kaplan of the treatment process.

On the other hand, when it comes to bulimia nervosa or binge-eating disorder, “a person will come to you and say ‘I can't stand the binging, it's driving me crazy. I'll do anything you want, just help me stop binging.’ It's a very different mindset and much easier to connect with somebody.”

These illnesses are conceptualized on a spectrum of control replicated in pop culture. Women with bulimia are described as lacking in discipline, a sense of responsibility, and bodily integrity. Bingeing places them in a derogatory light, presenting them as helpless and at the mercy of their compulsions. On the other hand, anorexics have the ‘incredible’ ability to fight impulses.

It’s like a superpower. We understand and demonize self-indulgence, but extreme self-control and self-denial?

That fascinates us.

What often goes unmentioned is the inevitable psychological and physiological response to the stress of constantly under-eating. After fighting with a deficiency for so long, over half of anorexics find themselves experiencing bulimia and binge-eating disorder somewhere along the way. But this part of the journey is often missing in media. These one-sided narratives skew the reality of the illness, taking out chaos to maintain its ‘clean’ image.

Representations in pop culture With decades of sweeping the severity of disordered eating under the rug and using it for character idiosyncrasies, this brings about the greater question: is pop culture even the right place for these stories?

“I think what you want to do is portray the illness accurately,” says Kaplan. “Most sufferers are women, but men do get anorexia nervosa. And they tend to be more difficult to treat and they tend to have a poorer outcome.”

Films such as Netflix's recent To The Bone often place a white, pretty, popular young girl front and centre. Over time, anorexia begins to be mistaken for an exclusive illness. Although young females in Western countries occupy a greater percentage of the diagnostic pool, prevalence rates in non-Western countries have been on the rise, and up to a quarter of eating-disorder sufferers are male.

Men may account for only 10 per cent of eating disorder patients, but the stigma surrounding this condition is far greater for them, which results in many being underdiagnosed and undertreated.

They face the challenge of limited resources for recovery, as most are geared toward women.

Men of the LGBTQ+ community were also found to be 10 times more likely to exhibit signs of disordered

eating. Transgender individuals in particular are at a greater lifetime risk of developing eating disorders, especially those with low visual gender conformity. Yet these findings remain largely unknown, despite rising prevalence rates in these communities.

A heteronormative and rather misogynistic template exists in this tale. Somehow it became possible to be not white enough, or feminine enough, or straight enough to be taken seriously while having the same illness.

Within the transgender community

Only in the last few decades has it become better understood that individuals who experience gender dysphoria are much more vulnerable to mental health issues, and only in recent years have eating disorders in the transgender community been studied critically.

Studies have shown that transgender people are far more dissatisfied with their bodies than cisgender individuals, regarding reproductive body parts or otherwise. A survey of just under 300,000 college students revealed staggering statistics: those who are transgender are four times more likely to be diagnosed with an eating disorder, and twice as likely to show symptoms than their cisgender female counterparts.

Transgender women tend to share the same reasoning for engaging in restrictive behaviors as cisgender females.

Impacted by the same thinness imperative, their habits are used as a means of suppressing masculinity to conform to female beauty ideals.

Much of the existing academic literature on this particular topic has been on transgender women, and the social and cultural parallels drawn to cisgender females.

However, a specific case study from 2013 detailed the experiences of an adolescent transgender male who suffered from anorexia nervosa. After his diagnosis, he admitted that he had engaged in restrictive habits to get rid of the feminine features that he disliked on his own body.

Immense body dissatisfaction does not have to be associated with a desire for thinness to manifest in disordered eating patterns. When individuals feel that their own body is foreign to them, they may resort to the most accessible way of modifying their body shape.

Those who have yet to undergo hormone therapy or gender reassignment surgery find that their bodies are the primary source of their suffering, and that the misalignment of their sex and gender identity causes them significant distress.

Whose story?

We need to reject false narratives, and we need to tell the whole story. Recognize that maladaptive behaviours don’t discriminate, that anyone can fall victim to them, and that there is nothing poetic or brilliant about eating disorders. Depicting them as such is unethical.

Pervasive shame can result in a fear of stigmatization, preventing bulimia nervosa and binge-eating sufferers from seeking help at all. Anorexia nervosa must be removed from romantic, sexualized contexts to begin deconstructing the hierarchy, and for all eating disorders to be seen as devastating as they are. Currently, these illnesses are organized in a way that is destructive to patient recovery.

Kaplan explains that it’s important to ask about the agenda of media productions for eating disorders.

“Is it to portray information accurately or is it to be sensationalistic or to attract attention? That's two different agendas there,” he says. “It’s more often the latter than the former and it’s a problem because misinformation is portrayed and talked about, then there is often a glamorization and it’s often described as having an achievement.”

Eating disorders are complicated amalgamations of cultural, environmental, and biological factors. “If it was just an issue of being affected by the culture, you'd have way more people than just one per cent of the adult female population evidencing the disorder,” explains Kaplan.

While it may not cause dramatic increases in prevalence rates, communicating the right information is still vital. Poor representation only robs marginalized groups of the attention and resources they need, and glamorization is offensive to the truth of mental health struggles.

We’ve had a long history of getting it all wrong. But that doesn’t mean disordered eating is impossible to talk about. Narratives need be to rid of conditions marking who can or can’t be afflicted by eating disorders. People of colour suffer from eating disorders, and so do men, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and people of all socioeconomic classes and ages.

Hollywood can’t, and shouldn't be the only setting where conversations about disordered eating take place.

As for where discussions on the U of T campus are occurring, Kaplan comments, “I think if it comes from anywhere, it's often the student body who initiates it.

Should the faculty be more aware of it? Absolutely.”

Kaplan believes material on disordered eating “should be part of a course in health regardless of what faculty that happens to be in, whether it's kinesiology, whether it's medicine, whether it's psychology... I think there needs to be an increased awareness of these conditions.”

Students and storytellers have the responsibility to search for the right language to discuss this illness, without contributing to the culture that perpetuates it.

Arts & Culture 10 tips for getting through first year unscathed Step outside your comfort zone — everyone else is desperately searching for their lifelong friends, too Brendan Rush Varsity Contributor

The beginning of the school year is always new and exciting. Second years are embarking on the first year of their majors, many fourth years are entering their final semesters, and third years — well, they just have one more year left until their final year, so that’s something.

Yet, somewhere far outside the confines of Toronto, past Mississauga and Scarborough, the faint squeals of incoming first years can be heard. Frosh!

Welcome to U of T, class of 2022! Thank you for joining us. Disregard our dishevelled hair, deep eye bags, and pungent smell.

Your first year will become a collection of great — and some not so great — memories of exploring your massive campus, attempting to understand classroom locations, and realizing that apparently everything you learnt about writing in high school is useless.

To ensure that you survive your frosh year unscathed, I have compiled a list of my 10 top tips:

August 13, 2018 var.st/arts arts@thevarsity.ca

1.

Acknowledge from the beginning that your frosh experience is primarily dependent on your college or faculty, and it may not be what you initially anticipated.

Vic, have fun at your dry frosh. St. Mike’s, you are no longer the party college your parents went to, sorry to disappoint. UC, look forward to chilling in the Whitney courtyard. And Trin kids, well, what you’ve seen in college movies is a pretty good portrayal of the escapades you’ll have during your first year. Also, everyone’s going to hate you — #sorrynotsorry.

2.

Make the most of frosh week. No matter how silly you might think the cheers are, scream them at the top of your lungs — I promise it’s fun!

3.

Talk to as many people as possible.

Everyone else is just as nervous and desperate to find their lifelong friends as you are.

4.

Try everything in your café or dining hall.

Not only will you discover exactly what the tastiest food is, but you will also quickly figure out what may give you food poisoning.

5.

Lose your room key early on. Most people might think this is the opposite of good advice, but the shame I felt when the front desk lady rolled her eyes at me was so unbearable that from then on, I always knew where I left my key.

From SoCal to Toronto: Navigating the wonderful world of winter activities How ice skating and ice hockey helped me become the happiest version of myself

Ice Skating at Nathan Phillips Square is a right of passage when living in Toronto.

SHANNA HUNTER/THE VARSITY

Frosh week is a great way to meet people, explore the city and branch out of your comfort zone.

SHANNA HUNTER /THE VARSITY

6.

Give up on trying to remember the names of accomplished alumni. Just know that they’re pretty much all old white guys and Margaret Atwood.

7.

Become friends with your residence dons! They are usually lovely, hilarious people, and they’re also great for emotional, social, and academic support.

8.

Avoid Robarts at all costs. That looming turkey — it’s not a peacock — sucks the energy from everyone who enters. Why put yourself through that when there are 43 other libraries across the three campuses to explore?

9.

Step outside of your comfort zone and get involved! U of T is huge and boasts clubs for everyone. It might take some effort to find a crochet club, but I assure you that you can find one that will support your interests. If not, then start one yourself!

These are just some tips to help you survive your first year. Whether you follow them all or not, I hope your frosh year is everything you want it to be and more!

Oh, and one more thing. The most important tip of all — don’t wear nice shoes to frat parties, unless you want them to be destroyed.

10.

Buy Muji pens! I didn’t know what Muji was until I moved to Toronto, but let me tell you, nothing is more orgasmic than gliding the tip of a Muji pen over a piece of paper. Nothing!

Liam Bryant Varsity Contributor

People who live within reach of ice often find themselves at odds with its creeping, heat-sapping fingers.

Ice isn’t the most hospitable. Or the most helpful.

Or even preventable. In truth, ice is quite a nuisance.

I suppose you could say people have a complex relationship with ice. I, for one, certainly did.

Growing up in Southern California, ice activities were a kitschy luxury — something you did when you wanted to avoid the pretense of enjoying the beach. Figure skaters were folk tales, and hockey was just something Canadians did, maybe.

When I arrived at university in the heat of August, I had no idea of the icy wonderland Toronto would become. As it turned out, ice was waiting patiently for me on the periphery. With a dangerous combination of my friends, the True North Strong and Free, and some sheer dumb luck, ice moved from the sidelines to straight under my sweaty, nervous feet in skates.

One fateful week in late November, my friends, as good, Instagramming university students, formally requested we go to Nathan Phillips Square. Any normal Art History specialist might have jumped at the photo op, but me? I was scared stiff.

In the past, my wide feet and more mediocre friends had made me feel as though I could not be ‘good’ at ice skating. It’s difficult to ignore old insecurities, and my anxieties tripped into a conviction that I just couldn’t do it. I told myself that I was going to fail before I even tried, but both my friends and the ice were having none of that.

Even though I could barely balance without someone holding me up, my friends ever so gently took my fear in their hands, ripped it straight out of my chest, and made me skate over it, again and again. By the end, I couldn’t imagine not being on the ice. Frozen water had actually convinced me that

I was good enough.

This was my first change to who I was in years.

From there, it all just snowballed perilously out of control. I saw my first Varsity Blues ice hockey game against the Queen’s Gaels — and got a puck, no less! — and fell in love instantly. The 2017–2018 school year then became both my first year in university and my first year as a hockey fan. Who knew sports could be fun?

Just like ice skating, I had always told myself sports weren’t my thing. I was never very athletic or physical. Soccer, volleyball, and — God forbid — baseball, never really did it for me. But when I watched my first ice hockey game?

Oh, man.

Remember the first time you listened to your favourite song? Or how it feels when you see someone you really love? Or when a movie makes you weep tears of joy? I felt like a little kid again. It had highs and lows, drama, fights, passion, and some sick jerseys. And plastic discs flying at the speed of cars in school zones!

And my new friend, ice.

Ice skating had instilled a sense of confidence in me that I didn’t know I could have, and ice hockey provided me with a community that I didn’t know I could belong to. In an odd way, ice allowed me to become my favourite version of myself.

Ice is that annoying little sibling that we wish to get away from but also can’t stand to leave entirely. Of course, it might cause you to slip in the middle of Queen’s Park right in front of a really cute guy, but it can also turn your lemonade into a delicacy and a boring winter’s day into a crystallized miracle.

So, if you’re in the area, take my advice and stop by some ice. Shoot the breeze! Live a little! Who knows, it might just change your life.

Take it from me, ice certainly isn’t all it seems to be.

AUGUST 13, 2018 | 13

var.st/arts

Welcome to Arts You have a voice — use it Culture is a space that we create within our society. It’s how we, as university students, can grow and develop within our environment. At its core, the Arts & Culture section of The Varsity aims to encourage the individual to take on the role of a participant, as opposed to that of a spectator.

The current political and ethical climate can be challenging to navigate. However, when writing for Arts, it is imperative to take the personal and make it topical.

We’re confident in The Varsity’s ability to touch hearts and change minds through writing.

To this end, I invite you to write articles, provide commentary, and have your voice heard in our pages.

Thank you for perusing Issue One, Volume CXXXIX of The Varsity. I do hope it’s to your liking or, at the very least, makes you stop and think.

Warmly, Kashi Syal Arts & Culture Editor

Overlooked: Peaky Blinders

Lose yourself in 1920s Birmingham with only the Shelbies as your guides

WEST MIDLANDS POLICE/CC FLICKR

Survival strategies for the Ford era

TROY LAWRENCE/THE VARSITY

We need to stick up for each other, whether with our time, words, or money Kate Reeve Features Editor

As Ontario’s favourite Labels and Tags aristocrat sweeps into office, the future of our sweet settler province is starting to seem a little cloudy. We no longer have a kindly lesbian with a no-nonsense haircut representing us in Queen’s Park and, like, bleeding on stuff or doing whatever it is that female politicians do.

Instead, we elected her very antithesis — and now we need to deal with it. However, unlike white wealthy men stumbling into positions of power, this is easier said than done. Everyday, we’re inundated with a range of international issues that demand and deserve our attention. The fact that many of us get to choose what to care about or pay attention to is an incredible privilege.

Nevertheless, the constant onslaught can be a lot to carry.

Personally, the rotting trust fund club that is global politics smacks me in the sternum whenever I open my phone to a goddamn New York Times push alert.

That alone gets tiring.

Now I open CBC — usually the home of classical music and soothing radio personalities — to distressing headlines from my home province, my home cities, my home schools. It’s a stark and startling change.

How to cope?

1. Do something about it. If you care about health curriculum rollbacks, email the Education Minister.

Thanks to bureaucracy, if there’s an issue, there’s a

minister. So make your voice heard. Go to protests — heck, organize a protest. Sit on the lawn of Queen’s Park and just fart loudly for a few hours if it makes you feel better. But don’t sit still and complain.

If you’re lucky enough to not be directly impacted by the Ford government’s new policies, care for those who are.

2. Okay, now you’ve done something. Keep doing the thing. Get others to do the thing with you.

3. Alright, you’re really doing the thing. So are your roommates and your mom and your chiropractor. Are you tired? Yes. Okay, I respect that. Go home! Make a big pot of pasta. Cover the pasta in something rich in cholesterol and low in nutrients.

And have it with a glass of wine on the side and someone you love in front of you. Talk about something silly. Like farts. Can you tell I have a true weakness for scatalogical humour? Oops.

4. Another nice way to unwind? Queer Eye. Say what you will about the show, but there is something so precious and wholesome about its lovely cast that it makes everything seem a little lighter. Plus, with Jonathan van Ness around, you’re pretty much going to church.

5. Turn off the tech! I tend to roll my eyes at The Olds constantly bemoaning the rise of smartphones and the decline of ‘real, human interaction,’ but sometimes it’s nice to swipe over into airplane mode.

You don’t need to dissociate entirely, but give yourself a few hours off the news cycle. The news will go on.

Haven’t you heard? CTV never sleeps.

6. Do all the classic self-care ritual junk that has

been floating around the internet like single use plastic on our oceans’ surfaces. Will a Korean face mask make Ontario Great Again? No, but it might clean out your pores. And honey, based on how stressed I’ve been lately, those boys are clogged!

7. Oh god, okay, I’m gonna have to hit you with another Wholesome Tidbit — but, exercise. I know, I know, I just mentioned heavy carbs. But balance!

Yes, our bodies are just flesh vessels, but sometimes it’s nice to get the blood going. I am the kind of embarrassing person who lip syncs along to my music while on the treadmill and occasionally — okay, often — air drums. I also sometimes upper-body dance, which manifests in a strange abdominal wiggle. Do I get hit on at the gym? Rarely.

8. Sit in the park with someone you love, or could love, or might be falling in love with. Friends or otherwise, INTJ or ENTJ, sometimes we all need a little human connection.

9. I am earnest to a fault and can’t help myself with this one, but don’t lose heart! We’ve got a long road ahead, and speaking out can get tiring. Don’t try to do everything all the time. You’re only human and you only have so many hours in a day.

If you’re lucky enough to be ensconced in privilege and emerge intact from Ford’s rollbacks, congratulations! But that’s no free pass. We need to stick up for each other, whether it’s with our time, words, or money. Just remember to put your own oxygen mask on first, too.

Jenisse Minott Varsity Contributor

I started watching Peaky Blinders a year ago on two separate recommendations from two friends, whose opinions on such things I value implicitly.

From the first shot of Thomas Shelby slowly riding through the grim streets of Birmingham on a dark horse, I knew that I had stumbled upon a cinematic masterpiece. I raved on and on about it to anyone who would listen — and to many who would not. As I watched more of the series, I began to feel that even my own glowing commentary on the show was an understatement.

At its simplest, Peaky Blinders follows the lives and antics of 1920s English gangsters. But even at its simplest, Peaky Blinders is anything but simple.

Though the show’s focus on organized crime may seem trite after the success of shows like The Sopranos and The Wire, Peaky Blinders provides insight into a period and a place where the topic has not yet been explored, doubling down on themes of skewed family dynamics and post traumatic stress disorder after the First World War. Musically, the show uses Nick Cave and the Bad Seed’s “Red Right Hand” to introduce and define the lead character. This is emblematic of ’90s theme songs, and stands out uniquely in a world where most shows only bother to toss out a quick title card.

The rest of the show’s soundtrack — heavily dominated by Arctic Monkeys records — feels like an extension of the opening theme, conveying the same grittiness with every beat, and almost acting as an additional cast member.

Speaking of the cast, Peaky Blinders features top-tier actors and actresses in every facet of the Shelby narrative. Christopher Nolan’s own personal muse of unquestionable talent, Cillian

Peaky Blinders is a BBC crime drama set in 1920s Birmingham during the aftermath of World War I. RODHULLANDEMU/CC WIKIMEDIA

Murphy, plays the show’s lead. Helen McCrory of Penny Dreadful and the Harry Potter franchise plays his aunt. Even Tom Hardy and his wife, Charlotte Riley, play crucial roles in this BBC drama.

So why doesn’t Peaky Blinders pull in the viewership and attention of other shows like, say, Riverdale? Audiences may have a difficult time investing in a show that isn’t always selling itself to us through social media and memes.

This isn’t because millennials are superficial, but because these social interactions are so nor-

malized that they’ve become expected. Without them surrounding a show, we might not see what’s really out there.

Even so, I encourage everyone to lose themselves in the Birmingham of the ’20s, with only the Shelbies and company as your designated tour guides.

Overlooked is a recurring feature in the Arts & Culture section that puts the spotlight on underappreciated pieces of pop culture. To participate, email arts@ thevarsity.ca.

14 | THE VARSITY | ARTS & CULTURE

arts@thevarsity.ca

Declassifying Classified

The Varsity: I'd like to start by congratulating you on your latest releases, “Powerless,” “Changes,” and most recently, “She Ain't Got To Do Much.” In your career, you've released an album, on average, every one or two years. What do you think allows you to remain consistent in your releases?

Classified: I think I just enjoy making music, you know what I mean? It's not like, ‘I gotta go make an album,’ and I go get into the studio for two months to make an album. I go to the studio to make some beats, mess around with stuff. It's still like a hobby to me; it's how it started when I was a teenager. It's still kind of the same thing, I'm just chilling, I'll go mess around and make some music.

The Canadian rapper talks community healing, patriotism, and mumble rap George Moshenski-Dubov Varsity Contributor

While many may recognise the catchy tunes and the witty rhymes of Classified’s most popular hits, “Inner Ninja” and “Oh… Canada,” few are truly aware of the Canadian rapper’s lengthy discography.

Hailing from Enfield, Nova Scotia, Classified has been writing music since high school, releasing his first LP, Time’s Up, Kid, in 1995.

Classified is still producing music 23 years after his first LP, with three new singles already in 2018. The Varsity caught up with the rapper to learn more about his approach to music.

TV: Is music producing now the same as it was when you released your first album in 1995?

C: Different tools, I guess. Back in those days it was a 4-track with a sampler and four seconds of sample time. Now, you got a computer. You have hundreds of tracks, crazy samplers. It's the same thing, just different tools, different instruments.

Classified, the Canadian rapper from Enfield, Nova Scotia, goes on tour October 2018. @RILEYSMITH/Courtesy of CLASSIFIED

TV: As someone who has been in the music industry for over two decades, how has hip hop and rap changed since Time's Up, Kid in 1995?

C: It's all trap beats, it's all I hear. I think that getting older with age I notice things being very, very similar. But at the same time, it was kind of the same way coming up in the ’90s. Everything was Boom-Bap. That's what I came up in, that's what I was used to.

I think the young people dictate where it's going to be in the mainstream, which is the way it's always been. But, it's still kind of the same thing — still comes from the streets originally. There is definitely a lot more suburban kids kind of into the music stuff.

The biggest thing now though is just — you know, when I came up, you had to write your own shit, you had to write about life.

Now people can write about anybody else's life. You have suburban kids going around with guns, acting like they're from the hood.

It's accepted now. Before that, shit was laughed at and forgotten.

TV: What's your opinion on the dichotomy between the popularized mumble rap from artists such as Migos and Future versus the more charismatic rappers such as Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and J Cole?

C: The mumble rap — it is what it is. It's not really my thing, but I won't shut someone down for liking something else. But I almost compare mumble rap to R&B. To me, there's no one spitting that; there's melody and everybody's little verses. To me, it sounds more like an R. Kelly record, than a Jay-Z, or an Eminem, or a Nas record. No one's really spitting. I almost think it's its own genre, just like country and rock. Yeah, they've all got guitars, they've all got drums, but what's coming out is completely different.

TV: Through the lyrics of many of your songs, specifically “Oh...Canada,” you illustrate a strong patriotism for Canada. In what ways has your hometown of Enfield, Nova Scotia — as well as the East Coast — helped you cultivate such a strong sense of pride, more than, say, someone born in Toronto or Montréal?

C: I don’t know if it’s more than [their pride].

I think it's just the fact that not many people come from [Enfield], so you don't hear about our identity as much. When it comes out, it comes out a lot prouder and a lot louder because we're hidden away in the corner of Canada. I think it's just the fact that we're hidden, the fact that when someone says, ‘We're going to Canada,’ they're thinking

of Toronto, Montréal, or Vancouver. That's kind of the norm. I think it's just the fact that we're hidden — a little bit more of a secret.

It makes us yell a little louder.

TV: Despite this pride for Canada, your song “Powerless” tackles many issues that surround the Indigenous community.

What do these issues mean to you?

C: These are just common sense things. I'm not a big political person, but with the Indigenous thing, I have a lot of friends who are Native. My school was half-white, half-Native. We've all heard of residential schools, and what happened, and how they were treated, and then even with the missing girls now. This is something I think is really important, and with my connection it really made me want to write something about that — talk about that and really just keep that conversation going.

TV: In your experience, how have traditional-cultural and modern forms of music been able to draw attention to injustice, and act as vehicles to promote personal and community healing?

C: I think just bringing light to it... the amount of people that have texted me and [said], ‘You being a white guy talking about this, talking about our people,’ makes them feel like somebody cares. That's kind of the feedback I've been getting from people that are reaching out and messaging me.

When I'm alone and I write songs, that's where I really pull to talk about those things I wouldn't normally talk about. Whether it is the Indigenous thing or more personal stuff, whatever it is, I think just having someone else to relate to [helps]. When you hear someone talking about it in a song or music, it makes it relatable. It makes it real. It makes it seem like, ‘I'm not the only one going through this.’

TV: In one of your latest releases, “Changes,” you talk about a fan who reached out to say that you've saved their life. Many of your fans, as well as other listeners, have found refuge through your music and lyrics. Was that ever a specific goal of yours or was it a positive surprise?

C: No, it definitely wasn't one of the things that I was hoping [for]... It was really, you know, hanging out with friends, writing raps, and trying to come out with clever things. I think the first song I wrote that I noticed really hitting somebody was a song called "All About You" probably about 12 years ago.

It was a song about saying don't worry about other people, be happy on your own standards; you'll never make everyone happy. Twelve years later, I still get people that message me about that song, going, ‘I heard that song, it changed my day, changed my life.’ Just seeing that a song can pick somebody up or calm them down opened my eyes to a whole different side of music that was like, ‘Okay, shit. I didn't realize music can do this.’ It's pretty powerful stuff.

TV: As a result of that realization 12 years ago, has that become a hidden motive?

C: Totally. Not on a whole album, because I'm not trying to write a whole album on stuff like that. But, every album I have, I'll have at least one or two tracks that really hit on something specific; something is usually a little bit more different, a little bit more serious, something that people talk about.

Yeah, I definitely consciously make an effort to get a song or two on every release.

Classified’s The Days Things Change tour starts October 11, 2018. He will be performing in Toronto on November 16.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Science

August 13, 2018 var.st/science science@thevarsity.ca

Welcome to Science Science is for everyone Dear reader, Welcome to the first Science section of the year. In this section, writers cover everything, including medical marijuana, the latest U of T research, and science events around Toronto.

Much like a foreign language, science can sometimes be complicated to learn.

The scientific language also has dialects that span research fields. As a society, we’ve been taught to think that only sci-

entists can be fluent in science, and that non-scientists shouldn’t converse in it. Our writers are here to bridge that gap, and they do that by translating science into a language that’s accessible, engaging, and honest.

No matter if you’re a first-year life sciences student, a humanities student, a non-traditional student, or someone who just stumbled across this page, you have a voice in this conversation. Because, in re-

ality, scientists are only bound by the limits of their curiosity, not by what language they speak.

As you browse these pages, I hope that you are inspired to learn more about what you’re reading, and that it inspires you to make your voice heard.

Yours truly, Srivindhya Kolluru Science Editor

Have we reached a verdict on medical marijuana?

With recreational cannabis on the horizon, implications for health care remain uncertain

Existing evidence on the efficacy of medical marjiuana remains largely inconclusive.

EGGROLE/CC FLICKR

Ashima Kaura Varsity Contributor

The seizures started in 1959, when Terrence Parker was four years old.

‘Grand mals,’ they were called — a term that rose to prominence in the late nineteenth century and loosely translates to ‘a great evil.’

He could tell when they were about to happen. The hairs on the nape of his neck prickled in anticipation. A fear of the known, it was unlike any other, yet he could do little to prevent it.

As the electrical storm raced in his brain, his limbs jerked violently and his consciousness shredded. He would later be placed on an anticonvulsant therapy, and go through medications such as Dilantin, Mysoline, and Librium with little success.

The lobectomies, first performed at the Hospital for Sick Children, or SickKids, at age 14, and then 16, failed to effectively improve his symptoms. Parker’s prognosis appeared bleak.

At least, it did until he was introduced to cannabis by a worker at the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital. He would smoke a joint to get high and receive immediate, albeit brief, relief from the havoc that the seizures wreaked on

his body. As he continued to smoke, however, something curious happened.

The seizures stopped.

“After 38 years of this terrible affliction, and hundreds, if not more than a thousand seizures, I can say that it is only with the assistance of marijuana that I have ever been able to fight through the [fear] and stave off an oncoming grand mal,” stated Parker, in a 1997 affidavit after he was arrested for the possession and trafficking of cannabis.

Parker was acquitted of all charges in 2000, after the judge declared his arrest unconstitutional on the grounds that it violated his rights to life, liberty, and security. It was at that moment that Terrence Parker became the first individual in Canada to use marijuana legally, for medical reasons. Regulated medical cannabis later became legal in 2001.

There are many individuals with stories like that of Parker — of discovering hope in this herbaceous flowering plant.

Although controlled clinical trials that determine a direct causal relationship between the use of cannabis and the frequency of seizures have been few and far between, there is mounting anecdotal evidence of its efficacy in treating epilepsy.

Exposure to cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psy-

choactive component in marijuana, has been linked to the reduction of seizure frequency in pediatric epilepsy and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a form of severe childhood-onset epilepsy.

Despite evidence being mainly anecdotal, Dr. David Juurlink, Head of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology at Sunnybrook Hospital and Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at U of T, believes a case can be made for the judicious prescription of cannabis.

According to Juurlink, cannabis is particularly useful for patients whose symptoms have improved with its use. It should be prescribed on a case-by-case basis, while also considering other drugs with similar effects.

Meanwhile, high-quality scientific evidence for the therapeutic effects of cannabis in the treatment of symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) like chronic pain, neuropathic pain, and spasticity — the tightness and stiffness of muscles preventing normal movement — has been well established.

In a 2007 study published in the European Journal of Neurology, 124 individuals with MS and spasticity were given a cannabis-based medicine containing CBD and the primary psychoactive component tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), while 65 individuals were given

a placebo for a duration of six weeks. The results of this research gave cannabis the green light.

Studies published in 2004 and 2006 in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal had also found similar results, confirming the growing optimism that cannabis can be used to relieve symptoms associated with MS. In a 2009 Nature study, researchers used similar methodologies to study the effects of cannabis for neuropathic pain in patients with HIV. The researchers found that the 28 subjects, who completed both placebo and cannabis treatments, experienced greater pain relief when they were treated with cannabis.

But despite what a quick Google search might tell you, cannabis is not a panacea for all diseases and disorders.

Dr. Tony George, Chief of Addictions at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and also Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, found that THC in marijuana actually worsens symptoms of psychosis in patients with schizophrenia, and could induce psychosis in those who have a family history of the disorder.

Surprisingly, isolating certain cannabinoids may have the opposite effect.

“CBD seems to oppose the effects of THC… and [CBD] is being studied for antipsychotic, anti-depressant, and anti-addictive, and cognitive enhancing effects,” said George.

“If that’s true, that could be a very exciting breakthrough in therapeutics in psychiatry, and it may be a potential pain strategy.”

Currently, there is simply not enough evidence to conclude that cannabis can effectively treat a myriad of mood disorders and other debilitating diseases. It has only been proven for a few diseases, and often in isolated cases.

According to George, thus far, there are only indications that cannabinoids have positive effects on post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, or glaucoma, and evidence to support these indications is not substantive.

Yet, preliminary research is promising and may pave the way for its unrestricted use.

With the impending legalization of recreational cannabis, however, there are some concerns over what will become of Health Canada’s medical marijuana program. “The problem is that the current approach by the government is sort of full speed ahead, without doing the due diligence to find out the facts,” said George.

“There [are] only about 30,000 or 40,000 people using in a country of 35 million people,” he explained. “I don’t know what the future of medical marijuana is, but if you’re someone who is a patient or family member, or a healthcare professional that’s invested in that, I think there is some reason to be concerned.”

16 | THE VARSITY | SCIENCE

science@thevarsity.ca

Dude, what’s that smell?

U of T study explains link between smell and memory

A mouse investigates a cotton swab for a familiar scent.

Photo courtesy of AFIF AQRABAWI

Anya Rakhecha Varsity Contributor

I am sitting at my maternal grandmother’s house in New Delhi, India. Masi, my aunt, has prepared a dish for me that she promises I will love. I don’t particularly like surprises, but I wait outside the kitchen.

I catch a whiff of something sweet. I can’t place it but it’s familiar. I close my eyes and I know it’s a smell from my childhood. Then it hits me. My Masi is making an Indian confection called almond halwa using my grandmother's recipe.

This connection that I made — that we all make — between odour and memories, is explained in a study published in Nature Communications. The study, led by Afif J. Aqrabawi, a PhD candidate in the Department of Cell & Systems Biology at U of T, sheds light on this connection and how it could help de-

velop new diagnostic tests for Alzheimer’s disease.

The hippocampus (HPC) is essential to episodic memory. It organizes memories of sensory events, including smell, in terms of space and time. The HPC stores the condition of the brain when said events take place, and then retrieves and recreates cerebral cortex activity of the original memory’s context when we encounter the sensation again.

The anterior olfactory nucleus (AON) is the largest source of feedback projections in the olfactory cortex, and the anatomical junction where the connection between olfactory and contextual information is made. HPC projections into the AON can alter the way smells are perceived and what behaviours are associated with specific odours.

Aqrabawi and Department of Psychology Professor Jun Chul Kim had determined that inputs from the HPC to the AON are necessary for the retrieval

of odour memory based on spatial and temporal contexts. They knew the AON played a role in connecting spatial and olfactory events, but they did not know the exact function of the AON-HPC junction.

Thereafter, Aqrabawi and Kim found a neural pathway between the HPC and AON and they were able to define its role in memory retrieval. This pathway is responsible for contextual retrieval of odours and is affected in patients with Alzheimer’s.

In the study, mice whose AON-HPC junction was blocked kept returning to investigate the same scent even after being exposed to it several times prior. This was an indication that the AON plays a significant role in memory retrieval.

On the other hand, mice whose junctions were left to function normally spent less time smelling familiar odours because of the episodic memories associated with them. Inhibition of the HPC-AON pathway results in a loss of the odour memory linked to a given context in space and time.

This is the first study that demonstrates that inputs from the HPC to the olfactory cortex are necessary for forming and retrieving episodic odour memories.

Findings from the study also show that the anatomical location of AON behind the olfactory bulb is an ideal bridge between olfactory and contextual information.

Multiple studies have reported a loss of olfactory function in Alzheimer’s patients. In fact, diagnostic smell tests are currently used to detect the earliest symptoms of the disease. This olfactory dysfunction is due to the neurodegeneration of the AON, which stores episodic odour engrams, during the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

Future research involving these findings will likely aim to better understand the connection between smell and memory, and particularly the neural circuits involved in this association.

A group of researchers including Alán AspuruGuzik, U of T professor and Canada 150 Research Chair in Theoretical & Quantum Chemistry, has achieved a world first in quantum chemistry.

A recent study in Physical Review X published the findings of a quantum computer used to calculate the ground-state energy of molecular hydrogen (H2) and lithium hydride (LiH). Ground state refers to the lowest possible energy level of electrons in an atom or molecule.

Although these bonds have been simulated before, this is the first time a multi-qubit — pronounced ‘cue-bit’ — system has been used. While qubits are the basic unit of quantum information, classical computing uses basic units known as bits, which are unable to solve complex computations.

Quantum chemistry is a subfield of chemistry that uses quantum mechanics to model physical systems like chemical bonds and reactions. Quantum chemistry uses ground states, transition states, and excited states to model bonds and reactions.

Where transition states signify the highest possible energy levels in a given molecule or atom, excited states include all energy levels when moving between ground and transition states.

Many advances have been made in the field of quantum chemistry in years prior. In 2010, the hydrogen atom was simulated using photonic and nuclear magnetic resonance experiments.

In 2013, another photonic experiment was used to simulate the hydrohelium cation HeH+. In 2015, the dissociation curve of the same cation was modelled.

Fashion Meets Technology Join FashionTech Toronto founder Ashley Barby for a talk on the latest technology transforming the fashion industry.

Date: Tuesday, September 4 Time: 6:30–7:30 pm Location: Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street, Beeton Hall Admission: Free Ontario’s Far North: A Global Conservation Treasure Canada’s Hudson Bay Lowlands are home to one of the most extensive and diverse wetlands on the globe.

Justina C. Ray, President and Senior Scientist of the Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, will speak about conservation efforts in this fragile ecosystem.

Not Your Granddad’s Weed: The Forensic Science of Cannabis Forensic toxicologist James Wigmore will discuss the science behind various types of marijuana, including its psychoactive effects and potential risks.

The multi-qubit simulation of a quantum chemistry calculation is a world first

We saw the first scalable quantum chemistry simulator on a superconducting platform in 2016, and in 2017, three molecules — H2, LiH, and beryllium hydride, or BeH2, — were simulated on a superconducting qubit platform.

However, these experiments involving ion-trap implementation were limited to a single qubit.

In contrast, this experiment used the trapped-ion model, which was implemented in conjunction with the variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) algorithm. This algorithm was used to calculate the molecular ground-state energies of H2 and LiH, which were then used to simulate their respective bonds.

In effect, the ions are isolated in free space using electromagnetic fields and, once stabilized, they are used to store qubits. This allows quantum information to be transferred through the motion of the ions in a shared trap.

Lasers are used to induce coupling between the internal qubit states and the external motional states for multi-qubit experiments. In other words, the ions become excited and move from a lower energy state to a higher one, which leads to an increase in ion size and allows them to start interacting. The more qubits involved, the more data is shared.

This groundbreaking study is an indication that data processing and collection through quantum computers could become faster, leading to practical applications in many areas from medicine to artificial intelligence.

Currently, even the largest supercomputers are struggling to accurately model molecules. The researchers chose to model H2 and LiH because they are easily understood molecules, and can be modelled using classical computers. Modelling simple

Emily Deibert Varsity Contributor

Date: Thursday, September 6 Time: 1:00–2:00 pm Location: City Hall Library, 100 Queen Street West Admission: Free

Researchers model chemical bonds using quantum computers

Flora Hewitt-Harris Varsity Contributor

Science Around Town

TROY LAWRENCE/THE VARSITY

bonds helps to pinpoint the accuracy of quantum computing and refine its applications to chemistry.

Simulations of said molecules would allow scientists to model and understand different chemical reactions with lower energy pathways. This would enable the design of new catalysts — substances that increase the rate of reactions — by reducing the amount of energy needed to start them.

The production of new catalysts could lead to the development of new fertilizers, better batteries, and organic solar cells.

The high speed afforded by quantum computing could also benefit the medical field. Masses of data produced through biomedical research on genomes could be more easily shared and handled by scientists. This, in turn, could lead to advances in personalized medicine, useful in treating diseases such as cancer.

More research is still needed to limit errors and their consequences, especially as the VQE method is vulnerable to calibration errors early on, and some errors cannot directly be recovered from.

But with developments in machine learning, scientific discoveries in fields like chemistry can be made much more quickly, and can lead to more advancements.

Date: Thursday, September 6 Time: 6:30–7:30 pm Location: S. Walter Stewart Library, 170 Memorial Park Avenue Admission: Free I’m Okay + Panel on Mental Health This event will feature a screening of the film I’m Okay followed by a panel discussion on mental health.

Panelists include filmmaker Curt Jaimungal, scientist Sakina Rizvi from the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, and mental health advocate Scott Ste Marie.

Date: Friday, September 7 Time: 7:00 pm Location: The Royal Cinema, 608 College Street Admission: $20

Sports

August 13, 2018 var.st/sports sports@thevarsity.ca

Why the Varsity Blues matter An introduction to The Varsity’s Sports section Daniel Samuel Sports Editor

There’s a simple story regarding how I first started writing for The Varsity’s Sports section.

The July before my first semester, I sat across from then-Sports Editor Emma Kikulis in the lounge at The Varsity’s office and shared my ideas with her, in an enthusiastic and nervous fashion, characteristic of an incoming university student.

Back then, I wasn’t aware that eventually succeeding her was even a possibility. I was just eager to write about sports.

A few days before I attended my first class, I sat in the press box at Varsity Stadium and watched the Blues lose a high-scoring 55–33 game to the McMaster Marauders. Blues running back Divante Smith rushed for 112 yards and scored three touchdowns, while Marauders quarterback Asher Hastings threw for a ridiculous 384 yards and five touchdowns. I couldn’t think of a more entertaining introduction to Varsity Blues athletics.

Blues quarterback Simon Nassar, who towered above my audio recorder during the postgame interview, earnestly answered my questions about Smith’s performance and how the team could rebound from the loss. He even mentioned how cool he thought it was that I was covering the football team for The Varsity and thanked me for it.

Three weeks later, I was back at Varsity Stadium to cover the Blues women’s soccer team.

The Trent Excaliburs didn’t provide much of an opposing force on that Friday evening, as striker Natasha Klasios scored a hat-trick to lead the Blues to a 6–1 victory.

However, it wasn’t until I became The Varsity’s Sports Editor as a third-year student that I fully embraced Varsity Blues athletics and understood what the program stands for.

That happened after I finished an internship for Vice Sports in April 2017.

At Vice, I was educated on Canada’s sports

Kylie Masse stands confident at the 2018 U SPORTS Swumming Championshios.

MARTIN BAZYL/Courtesy of the VARSITY BLUES

media landscape while working on a story informed by former Ontario University Athletics (OUA) president Peter Baxter on the importance of varsity-level athletics for student athletes and the need for more coverage.

After being elected Sports Editor, it wasn’t hard to guess how I wanted to spend the next year of my life. I just couldn’t have predicted how incredible the experience would be.

When you reflect on an entire year, you tend to recall the big moments first.

It was an easy decision to skip the first day

Julia Costanzo looks down the field against the Queen's Gaels.

MARTIN BAZYL/Courtesy of the VARSITY BLUES

of class and interview Olympic bronze medalist Kylie Masse. Sitting across from Kylie, who admits, “The most important thing for me is enjoying to swim,” she appears likely to be the happiest person in any room with her positive attitude and constant smile.

I also won’t forget the day that Kylie broke her own 50-metre backstroke Canadian and U SPORTS record in the preliminaries and then again that same night in the finals at the U SPORTS Swimming Championships. Nor will I forget the roar of the crowd that followed her in each race that she competed in over the three-day event.

There was something unique about the brisk fall weekends I spent at Back Campus covering the Varsity Blues field hockey team.

Writing about field hockey was a chance to take a break from covering football and soccer and attempt to write about a sport that I initially knew next to nothing about.

I stood next to parents who were cheering on their daughters, jotted quick notes to describe the fast-paced action, and overheard returning alumni converse about how their weekend was going. It was liberating to step outside of the somewhat isolating nature of a press box and into a setting where one didn’t exist.

During the first game I covered, a parent approached me as I sat in the bleachers and typed notes. He was curious about what I was doing. Like Simon, he thought it was great that I was writing about the game. For the length of our conversation on Blues athletics, I didn’t mind being distracted from the action in front of me.

The interviews I conducted are impossible to forget.

It was incredible to listen to Blues women’s hockey head coach Vicky Sunohara reflect on her illustrious career and memories of winning two gold Olympic medals and hear Emily Ziraldo’s teammates, Julia Costanzo, Rachel Spogue, and Emily’s twin sister Hilary, describe the incredible person she is on and off the field.

After interviewing Blues second-year swimmers Rachel Rodé, Sarah Polley, Hannah Genich, and Sophie du Plessis, all of whom happened to be roommates and won a combined 19 medals at the 2018 OUA Championships, it was inconceivable not to dub them as the ‘Fantastic Four.’ And before speaking to Hannah, I would’ve never considered the idea of hanging medals on a bedroom curtain rod.

Then, there are the moments I experienced vicariously through the words of my section’s writers, like Kate Reeve’s engrossing narrative capturing the shared experience of novice and veterans rowers — not to mention coxswains — competing at the annual Brock Invitational Regatta from the start of their journey as they departed Toronto before sunrise.

The Sports section came full circle with Julia Costanzo’s reflection on her rookie season as a member of the Blues field hockey team.

The year ended with Emily and Blues punter TJ Morton being awarded the inaugural The Varsity Athletes of the Year, as voted upon by the section’s contributors.

Julia’s personal essay, “Notes from the dark room,” in The Physical Issue of The Varsity Magazine was impossible to read without confronting how little is actually known about concussions. It’s also the type of sports writing I would have introduced to Emma as an example of why I want to write for The Varsity.

Julia’s writing speaks volumes about her own resilient spirit; her essay detailed the difficult experience she went through after suffering a concussion, but was later able to overcome — an attribute fitting for the outstanding athlete she is, but also reflective of the character displayed by her and fellow student athletes.

That’s the reason why I believe every U of T student should attend Blues games. Any writer who is passionate about sports, wants to learn more, or is maybe just interested in writing about people should take the opportunity to contribute to the The Varsity’s Sports section for the same reason.

I know it’s the most rewarding decision I’ve made so far at U of T.

18 | THE VARSITY | SPORTS

sports@thevarsity.ca

First-year students shouldn’t feel intimidated in the gym

A guide on how to get started and navigate UTSG’s facilities Will Bromley Varsity Contributor

It’s perfectly normal if the thought of going to the gym intimidates you. It’s an experience that I know all too well. The first day I stepped into a gym, I went straight upstairs to the cardio machines because the actual weight room just seemed like an impossible task for me to navigate.

I was also nervous and self-conscious, thinking that I would look out of place, helplessly flailing around without a plan. Attending university and working out seemed like climbing a mountain, when in reality, it was nothing more than a slight incline on a short hill.

While I’ll look specifically at staying active during your first year of school, this advice applies to anyone else who is starting or resetting their fitness journey.

Create a plan and stick to it To achieve your fitness goals, it is necessary that you first stay on top of your academic responsibilities and social life before embarking on the additional challenge.

Create and follow a plan, track the sort of exercises that you want to do, and determine what is critical to achieve the growth and gains that you want.

Like most things in life, it’s not only motivation that will drive you, but also discipline. Set aside time for your own studies, make a weekly outline or schedule, choose the days and hours when you want to work out, and, most importantly, stick to it.

How to navigate UTSG’s gyms At UTSG, each of the three main fitness facili-

A look inside the weight room at Hart House.

SHANNA HUNTER/THE VARSITY

ties — the Athletic Centre, the Goldring Centre for High Performance, and Hart House — has a unique feature that differs from the others.

At first, the Goldring Centre may seem like a challenging place for working out, but if you take the appropriate time needed to learn your way around the gym, you should have it figured out fairly quickly.

Goldring is the place to be if you’re into powerlifting and barbell exercises. However, if that type of environment seems too challenging for you to workout in or doesn’t fit your needs, Hart House is great alternative that I would recom-

A guide to U of T’s tri-campus intramural athletics

The benefits of staying active with intramural sports

Intramural soccer provides students with an easy way to stay active.

JAIR ALCON/CC FLICKR

mend from personal experience.

As a first-year student, I remember going to Hart House initially just to run on its unique track and soon learned that unlike Goldring, its gym has more machines. This means that if you’re more self-conscious about using free weights like I once was, Hart House may provide you with a more comfortable starting point.

The Athletic Centre provides students with a mixture of both cardio and strength training.

Whether you want to get into serious lifting, or just start with cardio, there are plenty of resources available to you.

If you need help at any gym, be sure to ask one of the available staff members. From time to time, I’m still unsure about how to do certain exercises or even how to expand my own repertoire. It’s also great to work out with a gym buddy, so you don’t go at this alone and also have someone to talk to.

While being a student is hard enough and the challenge of trying to live a better lifestyle can seem like an impossible task, if you create the right plan, you can accomplish any fitness goal you set — no matter if they are big or small.

Yehia Mahdi

a Varsity Blue. Not only does the program provide students with the platform to compete in their favourite sports, but it also gives the opportunity to network and build relationships with many like-minded athletes and coaches.

As a tri-campus intramural athlete myself, I can safely say that joining the program was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my university career. As a former high school student athlete, I wanted to ensure I continued playing competitive sports once I started at U of T. After doing some research, I discovered the Intramural Program and became instantly hooked.

Competing in tri-campus sports provided me with everything I was looking for as a non-varsity student athlete. Through great coaching and intense training, I was able to continue developing my skills and growing as a player.

The program also gave me the opportunity to practice and compete in various athletic facilities across U of T, including UTSC’s Toronto Pan Am Sports Center and the Varsity Centre. As a rookie, my teammates welcomed me with open arms and took me under their wings. They provided me with guidance and advice on how to navigate and adjust to university life, academically, socially, and athletically.

Of course, like any competitive athletic program, there came some challenges and obstacles such as waking up for 7:00 am practices, playing in freezingcold weather, and facing season-long injuries. But, nonetheless, it's all a part of the process.

This upcoming year, the Intramural Program is expecting over 10,000 tri-campus student athletes to compete in 78 leagues and 20 tournaments. The program continues to get better and better, and students across all three campuses are getting ready for another exciting season.

Whether you enjoy competitive sports or just want to stay fit, the intramural program has something for everyone. Come out this September and try out for your favourite sports!

Believe me, you won’t regret it.

Varsity Contributor

As the start of the fall semester slowly approaches, U of T will be in the midst of intramural action once again. U of T, owing to its tri-campus structure, has one of the most exciting and unique intramural programs across Canadian universities.

Every year, student athletes from UTSG, UTSC, and UTM join together to compete in tri-campus athletics. Whether it is soccer, basketball, hockey, volleyball, ultimate frisbee, et cetera, students have the opportunity to play their favourite sports while representing their campus, college, or program.

The U of T Intramural Program is organized by the university’s three main athletic bodies: UTSG’s Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education (KPE), UTSC’s Department of Athletics and Recreation, and UTM’s Department of Recreation, Athletics & Wellness. Each organizes multiple teams for various sports, all hoping to be crowned champions of U of T. The U of T Development League (D-League) is the highest level of intramural competition, featuring the best and brightest non-varsity athletes across U of T. The program is offered in men's hockey, men’s outdoor soccer, women’s basketball, men’s and women's volleyball, and men's and women's indoor soccer.

Through committed coaching staff and intense training sessions, the D-League offers students a chance to develop their skills for possible future Varsity competition. The four D-League teams include the St. George Reds, the St. George Blacks, the UTSC Maroons, and the UTM Eagles.

Other intramural leagues provide various levels of competition. In general, U of T tri-campus teams are at the same calibre as a good high-school team.

All of the tri-campus teams hold one practice and one game a week, and schedules may intensify come playoff time.

Tri-campus sports is an perfect alternative to varsity athletics, as it offers the right competitive edge without the time-commitment and pressure of being

AUGUST 13, 2018 | 19

var.st/sports

What’s behind the increase of vegans in the NBA?

Basketball players are joining the animal-free wave

Will Bromley Varsity Contributor

One of the rising nutritional trends among athletes today is veganism. This is especially pronounced in the the world of basketball, where more and more players are turning toward vegan diets and lifestyles.

A vegan is defined as someone who doesn’t eat animals or any animal products, which includes all meat, poultry, fish, seafood and dairy products.

As athletes continue to devise strategies to increase performance, ideas around diet and nutrition have also evolved, whether that be hiring personal chefs or even nutritionists to watch what they put into their bodies. The amount that NBA players invest into themselves has dramatically increased over the past decade, with keeping track of their diets and what caused them to be injured being among the leading forces in the so-called revolution.

“I had a recurring injury in my knee,” free agent Jahlil Okafor told SB Nation. “I just kept getting hurt and my knee was always inflamed. The main cause of my knee being swollen was dairy. I cut dairy, watched a few documentaries. Then, I cut out steak, cut out chicken, then gradually started cutting out every animal-based product.”

“Now I’m just an all-out vegan,” added Okafor.

Okafor is not alone in the NBA’s latest growing trend, with Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, Enes Kanter, Victor Oladipo, and Wilson Chandler taking up the vegan way of life.

The changing nature of basketball play coincides with this trend. According to Bleacher Report, the NBA has been leaning toward playing ‘small ball,’ a style of play in which the emphasis is placed on leaner athletes who play a variety of positions to outpace and ultimately outrun their opponents. The rise of small ball has seen a decrease in the weight of players since 2013.

It's important that NBA players on vegan diets have still been able to maintain strength training during the offseason. Performance-wise, players want to increase muscle mass to increase weight, making them more likely to overwhelm an opposing defender when posting up or finishing through a contact at the rim on a layup attempt. Putting on this muscle weight has traditionally been done through high-carbohydrate, high-protein diets.

However, if players add too much muscle, they’ll become too slow to keep up with the faster, more agile players, and they will have endurance issues throughout the game, making them less effective.

This can lower minutes on the court in the short term, and, in the long term, it will affect a player’s market value. Vegan diets can allow players to put on enough muscle to stay competitive on the court without running the risk of being too heavy in an increasingly fast game.

Veganism also isn’t unique to the NBA. Despite the rigorous training and dietary requirements in the NFL, 11 members of the Tennessee Titans followed in linebacker Wesley Woodward’s footsteps and adopted a plant-based diet.

Woodward told AP Sports, “My energy level’s gone up… It’s just putting in good fuel to your body.

And of course, it’s always hard to keep weight on this time of the season. But it’s worth it for me staying on top of my health.”

NFL quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady both enjoy near vegan diets; Rodgers has cut out dairy from his diet but still indulges in red meat and fish, while Brady credits not consuming dairy or inflammatory foods like peppers, mushrooms, and eggplants to his career’s longevity as he continues to play at a high level at 41.

All things considered, it appears that the traditional idea of bulking up with lots of meat is waning in popularity, and new ideas are being tried, both for competitive purposes and for personal health. It will be up to the players to decide what is right for them.

And while professional athletes are on a different level from the average person, for those of us who are more health conscious, the same benefits on a micro level can be applied here. For example, due to the lower amount of saturated fats and cholesterol consumed in a vegan diet, cardiovascular health is improved, reducing the risk of heart disease. And eating anti-inflammatory foods like kale, spinach, tomatoes, and blueberries can increase energy levels.

In the end, though we aren’t professional athletes, let alone elite basketball players, the fact that more athletes are gravitating toward health conscious options underscores an important emphasis on health and well-being. That should push us toward the ultimate goal of a better lifestyle, on our own terms.

Kyrie Irving leads the growing trend of NBA players adopting a vegan diet.

KEITH ALLISON/CC FLICKR/THE VARSITY

20 | THE VARSITY | DIVERSIONS

AUGUST 13, 2018

ACROSS

DOWN

1. Little jerks 5. Head downtown?

10. Help in a holdup 14. Balming target 15. Beyond partner 16. Screenplay direction 17. T-bone region 18. Medical research goals 19. Every family has one 20. Illuminated 23. Holiday follower?

24. Skiier’s challenge 25. Unlike a litterbug 27. Palindromic windmill part 30. End of two state names 33. Scratch, say 36. Better copy?

38. Bahrain bread 39. Passed with ease 41. Genetic info carrier 42. Arboreal abode 43. Things to rattle 45. Fishtail, e.g.

47. Daydreamer’s limit?

48. Fit to be fare 50. Killed, as a dragon 53. Tux accessory 54. Prepare for hanging 57. Wrestling area 59. Serving as a diplomat 64. Beer selections 66. Hindu grouping 67. Tat-tat intro 68. Folk facts 69. Pagoda roofing 70. Black cat, some think 71. It may come before “we forget” 72. Failed as a sentry 73. Bird’s perch, perhaps

1. Chaucer bit 2. They may be clicked on 3. Flu symptom 4. Grad-to-be 5. Bushwhacker’s tool 6. Go to the edge of 7. The good olde days 8. Cooking place 9. Transmit anew 10. Back on a battleship 11. Crooners, often 12. Creation location 13. “High School Musical” extra 21. Main mail drop (abbr.)

22. Disconnected, as a phone line 26. Like siblings 28. Chances in Vegas 29. Roller Derby milieus 31. Checklist item 32. Pretentiously stylish 33. Attack deterrent 34. Military sch.

35. Enrolls 37. Barbary ape’s lack 40. The red 44. Inner city concern 46. Most absurd 49. Official orders 51. Emotion of the miffed 52. Long and thin 55. Sight from Biscayne Bay 56. Gourmand 57. Shoppers’ site 58. Ubiquitous lily relative 60. Place for some polish 61. “Cast Away” setting 62. Manual component 63. A driver may change one 65. Firm or fixed