November 26, 2018

THE VARSITY November 26, 2018

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Vol. CXXXIX, No. 11

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Ontario legislature passes controversial labour reform bill, repealing workers’ rights

Voting was delayed due to protests from Fight for $15 and Fairness Ann Marie Elpa & Silas Le Blanc Associate News Editors

The Ontario Progressive Conservative (PC) government passed Bill 47 — also known as the Making Ontario Open for Business Act — on November 21, repealing workers’ rights changes brought in by the previous Liberal government.

As a result of this new bill, minimum wage is now capped at $14 until 2020 and will no longer increase to $15 an hour on January 1. Workers will also no longer have two paid sick days and employers are allowed to require sick notes from their employees’ doctors.

The new bill also states that scheduling provisions, which were to come into effect by the new year, have been repealed. This includes the right to request scheduling changes if an employee has been employed for at least three months, a minimum of three

hours’ pay for on-call workers, and the right to refuse requests to work if the employee was not notified at least 96 hours in advance.

The bill was expected to go through royal assent following its third reading Tuesday afternoon. However, legislators motioned to adjourn the vote due to protests from Fight for $15 and Fairness, which is a labour lobby group that has a chapter at U of T among its membership.

Protesters were escorted out of the Queen’s Park gallery, shouting chants directed at Premier Doug Ford and the PC Party, primarily airing grievances about freezing minimum wage and taking away workers’ rights that would have been made available under Bill 148.

Naomi Litwack, a fourth-year architecture student at U of T, was in the galleries protesting the changes the moment security escorted members of

the public out.

“I started chanting and then the guards started to try to quiet us down…

Eventually, they started being a little bit more forceful in that they were… really grabbing people’s attention. Eventually, one guard got a whole row out. The guard for my section… said, ‘You can leave or you can be arrested.’ So we decided it was time to leave.”

Members of the opposition showed disappointment following the bill’s move to royal assent.

“We just saw workers’ rights be torn out from under them. We just saw the lowest-income workers lose $2,000 in increased pay because of the decisions that the government made today in passing legislation,” said New Democratic Party Leader Andrea Horwath following the vote.

“Our government should make it easier for businesses to employ people,” said Labour Minister Laurie Scott, in

support of the bill. “We need to keep regulation and payroll taxes reasonable and manageable. We need common sense to inform good policy. Our PC government understands that regulatory burdens make it harder to do business and harder to employ workers.”

The PC government has faced major criticism regarding the bill since its introduction last month. Ford reportedly received death threats and Scott’s constituency office was vandalized.

“Passing Bill 47 shows that this government is not considering the real-world effects of decent work laws, which have helped the Ontario economy,” stated Ontario Federation of Labour President Chris Buckley in a press release. “It also ignores the voices of the people who will be most affected by these laws — women workers, racialized workers, Indigenous workers and workers with a disability.”

“That [protest] just shows you the

number of people that are extremely disappointed and shows you the large gathering at Queen’s Park yesterday to voice their displeasure with the government,” said Buckley in an interview with The Varsity.

Simran Dhunna, President of Fight for $15 and Fairness UofT, wrote that the group was disappointed with the bill’s passage.

“We were able to delay the vote on Bill 47 by a day because the Ford government can’t bear to sit there and slash our labour rights as we, the people, watch,” wrote Dhunna.

“By passing Bill 47 this week, they made it clear — once again — how much disdain they have for workers in the province. We will remember this moment, and we will continue to fight for better labour protections.”

The Varsity has reached CUPE3902 for comment.

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THE VARSITY | NEWS

Data reveals extreme gender imbalances among faculty Women make up less than 26 per cent of full-time professors

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Srivindhya Kolluru Science Editor

In response to U of T’s lack of a dedicated disability studies program, a student has started a petition to establish one that would be on par with those of universities across the country. The petition has received over 200 signatures in less than two weeks.

UTM student Marianna Figueiredo began the petition on November 15 in an effort to get Governing Council’s attention. Governing Council is the highest decision-making body at the university.

Figueiredo explained in the petition that she has cerebral palsy and decided to enrol in courses focused on intersectionality.

“But, I noticed that disability was absent in nearly all of them at UofT, but not for my friends at other universities whose courses considered disability in both the sociological and [criminological] respects,” wrote Figueiredo.

According to U of T spokesperson Elizabeth Church, the university offers “a number of opportunities for students interested in studying disability issues.”

“The Faculty of Arts and Science has an Equity Studies program offered in association with New College, where undergrads can take a core group of dis-

ability studies courses,” wrote Church in an email to The Varsity.

For Figueiredo, the petition is a way to demonstrate to Governing Council and the provost that there is a need for a designated Disability Studies program through numbers and support.

According to Church, proposals for any changes to programs or new programs emerge from discussions within departments or faculties.

“There is a rigorous development and approval process, which includes consultation with programs and units, students, and others,” wrote Church.

Course offerings at U of T The Equity Studies major or minor programs offer courses such as NEW240: Introduction to Equity Studies and NEW341: Theorizing Equity.

While there is no separate disability studies program, the university offers a few disability related classes, such as JNS450: Sexuality & Disability, NEW349: Disability and Representation, and NEW448: Advanced Special Topics in Disability Studies.

UTM offers courses like PSY442: Practicum in Exceptionality in Human Learning and PSY345: Exceptionality: Disability and Giftedness, which explore various aspects of mental, physical, and

Proposed smoking ban one step closer to full approval after passing at University Affairs Board Ban described as “educative” over disciplinary, few details on enforcement Silas Le Blanc Associate News Editor

The University Affairs Board (UAB) voted to pass the smoking ban at its November 19 meeting,

moving the policy one step closer to full approval at the next Governing Council meeting on December 13. Cigarettes, cannabis, and vaping will all be covered in this ban, but certain smoking areas will be desig-

Andy Takagi Associate News Editor

Data released by the Office of Planning and Budget shows a disproportionate overrepresentation of men in both tenured and non-tenured professor positions at U of T. Women make up only around 26 per cent of total full-time tenured and tenure stream Professors — a less than five per cent improvement from data collected in 2007.

This data goes along with an analysis

by The Varsity of the Ontario Sunshine List, which showed clear gender pay gaps among the university’s top-paid professors.

In a breakdown by rank and gender, both full-time tenured and non-tenured Professors were overwhelmingly male in 2017.

Of 948 tenured and tenure stream faculty, 26.05 per cent were women. Of 1,091 full-time staff of professor rank, 26.12 per cent were women.

This aligns with historic trends, as the 2007 Facts and Figures book shows the same tenured and tenure stream faculty had 795 professors with 21.26 per cent women — the representation of women from 2007 to 2017 has increased just 4.8 per cent.

Nursing and the Rotman School of Management have the largest disparities in gender balance among tenured faculty. learning disabilities. Similar courses also exist at UTSC, such as WSTC40H3: Gender and Disability.

The Social Justice Education program at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education also offers disability studies opportunities for graduate students.

Other Canadian universities with disability studies programs The courses offered at U of T pale in comparison to disability studies programs at other universities in Ontario.

“Ryerson, York, Western, Brock and Carleton offer major and minor programs,” wrote Figueiredo in the petition.

“The top school in the country is obviously out of touch. This needs to change.”

On a part-time basis, Ryerson University’s School of Disability Studies offers 17 courses at the undergraduate level.

King’s University College at the University of Western Ontario has a Disability Studies program, with major and minor options, that offers 20 courses. Brock University’s Applied Disability Studies program within its Faculty of Social Sciences offers 35 graduate courses and nine elective undergraduate courses. Carleton University undergraduates can enrol in a Disability Studies minor that offers five different courses with two offered by other departments.

nated in the interim.

One area of concern that many attendees raised during the meeting was how the ban would be enforced.

Vice-President Human Resources & Equity Kelly Hannah-Moffat said that the ban would be primarily an educative policy, not a disciplinary one.

A primary focus of the policy is to address the issue of secondhand smoke, and the effects it can have on students, even ones who don’t smoke.

University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) Vice-President University Affairs Josh Grondin agreed that the policy was a step in the right direction, but urged the UAB to take more time to review

Out of 21 full-time tenured faculty in Nursing, 19 were female and two were male. Conversely, at Rotman, 87 out of 102 total tenured faculty were men.

The faculty with the largest number of tenured faculty, Arts & Science, was 34.32 per cent female among 679 professors.

Assistant Professor and Associate Professor positions have a better gender balance than the higher rank of Professor.

Among tenured and tenure stream faculty, 46.64 per cent of Associate Professors and 37.54 per cent of Assistant Professors were women.

University responses

In a statement to The Varsity, Heather Boon, Vice-Provost Faculty and Academic Life, admits that the low percentage of female tenured and non-tenured Professors is due to historical hiring practices. However, Boon expects the number to increase as more women move up the ranks.

Boon also lists a number of initiatives that the university is working on to improve gender equity, including funding from the provost, appointment of a Provost’s Advisor on Women in STEM, and establishing mentorship programs for new faculty.

Also listed is an updated employment equity survey. While the university has committed to demographic surveys in the past, ambiguity still remains around

their timeline.

Assistant Professor in the Department of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources Management at UTM Sonia Kang isn’t surprised by these results. Kang explains the systemic issue of gender imbalances where fewer women make it into traditionally maledominated top ranks in many institutions. Expounding on her research, Kang describes the major hurdle that exists between the rank of ‘Professor’ and ‘Assistant’ or ‘Associate Professor.’

In her research, Kang describes how women have low rates of participation when put into opt-in competitive environments, such as tenure streams. However, when that same choice becomes an opt-out, meaning the decision has to be made to not apply, women reached an equal number of tenure into competitive environments as men. “[Women] tend to display as being more risk-aware so they’re more aware of the risks of certain decisions so they might not take them. It can also be… women are socialized maybe to be less confident, but there’s a whole bunch of different reasons why you might lose women at that juncture.”

While these problems may be conditional to competitive fields like academia, Kang also thinks that there are greater societal issues at play creating large disparities in gender representation.

U of T student calls for Disability Studies program Online petition has garnered over 200 signatures

Students can take disability studies courses through Equity Studies.

SHANNA HUNTER/THE VARSITY

this policy.

Last week, Grondin created an online forum where students can give feedback on the smoking ban.

One major concern that students had, according to Grondin, was its effect on marginalized students.

Many people were concerned that Campus Police would target students by their ethnicity. Grondin also pointed out that many students smoke cigarettes or cannabis as a stress reliever, and vaping should not be dismissed as an alternative to cigarettes.

Association of Part-time Undergraduate Students (APUS) VicePresident Internal Susan Froom also had many concerns about the policy.

She pointed out that the UTSU,

APUS, and possibly many workers’ unions had not been consulted about the policy, and recommended that Governing Council take more time to review areas in which the policy could be improved.

She also pointed out that the designated smoking areas at UTM and UTSC were few and far between, and that students and workers may have to walk up to a kilometre just to smoke. These concerns were also raised at the UTM and UTSC Campus Council meetings.

The next stage of approval will be at the Business Board meeting on November 26.

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Premier Ford rejects Ontario PC Party motion to debate recognition of gender identity Critics call resolution “devastating” to transgender, non-binary students Andy Takagi Associate News Editor

A motion to debate the recognition of gender identity and have it removed from the Ontario sex ed curriculum passed at a convention for the Ontario Progressive Conservative (PC) Party on November 17. Two days later, Premier Doug Ford announced that the non-binding resolution would not go through the provincial government.

The motion was introduced at the convention by Tanya Granic Allen, a former MPP for Mississauga Centre, who was removed by her party as their candidate in the riding in this summer’s election after a video of her making ho-

mophobic remarks was released online.

The motion called gender identity a “highly controversial, unscientific ‘liberal ideology.’”

Earlier this year, the Ford government scrapped plans for a new sexual education curriculum introduced by former Premier Kathleen Wynne, opting to revert to a curriculum that was last updated in 1998. Wynne’s abandoned curriculum included education on gender identity, consent, and same-sex marriage.

Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Justice Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education Lauren Bialystok believes that the policy, even without being implemented, can still do harm.

Speaking with The Varsity, Bialystok said that the majority PC provincial government passing such a resolution could validate hostility toward transgender and non-binary students, and would be “devastating” to everyone trying to create inclusive spaces, especially educators.

Bialystok said that many transgender and gender nonconforming students face harassment and erasure of their identities, citing a 2011 study from the Egale Canada Human Rights Trust.

“While [Ford] has stated that he will not table the resolution from the policy convention about gender identity, there is no reason to trust that Ford will make fair decisions about future policy matters,” Bialystok added.

“He has displayed loyalty to some of the most radically conservative voices in Ontario,” Bialystok continued, “some of whom appear to believe that religion

Progressive Conservative MPP Sam Oosterhoff speaks at UTSC round table on youth, politics Niagara West—Glanbrook MPP on being the youngest MPP ever, role of faith in politics Abhya Adlakha Varsity Staff

MPP Sam Oosterhoff spoke on youth engagement in politics on the second day of a two-part event organized by the Ontario Progressive Conservative Campus Association (OPCCA) at UTSC. The event, held on November 21, followed an earlier one with MPP Aris Babikian.

As Parliamentary Assistant to Minister of Education Lisa Thompson and the youngest MPP to ever be elected to parliament, Oosterhoff shared his journey into politics and of campaigning as such a young Progressive Conservative candidate. He was elected to the riding of Niagara West—Glanbrook in 2016 at the age of 19.

Oosterhoff spoke about the lack of youth involvement in parliament, and engaged in a short Q&A session about global warming, the role of faith in politics, and the role of media.

When talking about why he got involved in politics, Oosterhoff said that the Loyola High School v Québec case was what made him want to get into politics.

This case refers to a 2015 religious freedom case that saw the Supreme Court rule in favour of a Catholic high school that wanted an exemption from Québec’s law, which states that religions must be taught from a secular perspective.

The case was a controversial battle between religious freedom and the need to follow the law.

“I was about 14 years old at that time,” Oosterhoff said, “and my family is religious and I’m religious.

And I thought it was so incredible.

It was really shameful that the government had that much impact on

people’s lives.”

Oosterhoff strongly believes that young people, no matter their political background, should be involved in politics. “I got involved in politics for a really simple reason: I believe in freedom,” he said.

“I believe that government has a role also to promote virtue and that it’s important that we have a compassionate and caring society for our most vulnerable.”

When asked if he’s treated any differently in parliament because of his young age, Oosterhoff spoke about his tough experience trying to get a foot through a door.

“There are unique challenges but there are also unique opportunities,” he said. “When I was first elected, there was definitely sort of this air of, you know, this kid, he’s going to come in, he’s going to trip over his shoelaces… he’s going to fall flat on his face and it’ll be hilarious and we’ll get rid of him and have a real person in there.”

“So what ended up happening was that it really set the bar low, so it wasn’t that hard to go ahead and win this thing.”

Oosterhoff also discussed the role that faith plays in politics.

While he believes in the separation of the church and the state, he also said that it would be naïve to assume that his faith doesn’t have an impact on his political values.

“As a Christian, I believe Christ called me to love the most vulnerable in our society and help people with passion and to look after the poor and the sick and the lonely,” said Oosterhoff. “To say that you want me to leave those values at home would be naïve.”

He also acknowledged the negative impact that his faith has had on his political career. “I’ve had interactions where I’d say people

mischaracterize my faith, and turn that into a weapon against me, like, ‘Oh you’re a Christian so you must be a bigot.’”

“So, I found that very detrimental, because you can sometimes try to have a conversation with someone and they just view you through this very narrow lens of stereotypes,” said Oosterhoff.

Oosterhoff has received backlash from the public over his unclear views on whether homosexuality is a sin, though he has asserted that he is “absolutely not” a homophobe.

While talking about the role that media has played in his life and his political career, Oosterhoff recalled an interviews he had with the Toronto Star while he was campaigning, and talked about how media has played an interesting role in his life.

“They did a Toronto Star article on me, and they had a lot of outright false stuff. They called my niece by the wrong name, they had this whole thing where they called my father a soy bean farmer — he does poultry. They got all these things wrong about me, and so it’s very difficult to not to be cynical when you see these things,” said Oosterhoff.

However, he did acknowledge how social media also has a lot of positive aspects. “A lot of the media is actually trying to do a lot of good work, and we have to be gracious about that and not just name them malicious. Social media also gives us a valuable tool.”

Ending the discussion, Oosterhoff encouraged everyone to contribute to politics in whichever way they can. “Everyone can contribute, but the ways you contribute can be different. Different people have different strengths, but you can always contribute.”

The motion was introduced by Tanya Granic Allen.

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should dictate public policy.”

In an email to The Varsity, Matthew Campbell, President of the U of T Campus Conservatives, a group officially affiliated with the Ontario PC Party, said that despite the group’s respect for “opinions founded in faith and moral conviction,” he believes that the issue was “distorted” by Allen and supporters of the motion.

He saw the resolution as a political

stunt for Allen and believed that few party members were actually awake to vote for the motion due to the “youth wing Christmas party and hospitality suite programming that went past midnight” the night before.

“Political parties are like families. You can’t pick your relatives, and [everyone has] got a few whack jobs,” Campbell concluded.

MPP Aris Babikian speaks at UTSC Campus Conservatives round table discussion about youth, politics

Scarborough—Agincourt MPP on importance of volunteerism, Chinese population Abhya Adlakha Varsity Staff

In an event organized by the Ontario Progressive Conservative Campus Association (OPCCA) at UTSC, MPP Scarborough—Agincourt Aris Babikian spoke at a round table discussion on November 19 revolving around youth engagement in politics.

Babikian, a Progressive Conservative (PC) MPP and Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Justice Policy, dove into his journey as an immigrant in Canada over 40 years ago to his role in the parliament today.

A short Q&A session included questions about the difficulties of campaigning, the role of media in politics, and the importance of networking.

“I always tell children, you should go out and volunteer. Choose whatever field you want, but go out and volunteer,” Babikian said while talking about networking. “Volunteerism is also very important for ourselves — you are building up your network and you’re learning something new. You’ll never know who you’ll meet or when you’re going to need those set of friends.”

Babikian also talked about how politics affect everyone in some way and why he decided to get into it. “The bureaucracy don’t care about what we go through… they sit on their ivory towers and don’t care about what we go through. This is one more reason why I wanted to get involved.”

He continued, “I always tell young children that instead of all those people making decisions for you, you should make those decisions for yourself.”

When asked about the difficulty of campaigning and running against a well-known persona such as former

MPP Soo Wong, he discussed the importance of recognizing the weak points of the opponent’s platform and doing good research.

“You need to choose your battle very carefully,” Babikian said. “You need to study the riding, the weaknesses, and the strength of your opponents. I knew her weak point was other [demographic] groups.”

He gave insight into why and how he targeted the Chinese population in the area: “Because of my connections and networks, I started building relationships and I calculated that if I could get 10 per cent of the Chinese population in my riding, I could be in a good place.”

To elaborate, he talked about how he used WeChat as a tool to get more involved in the Chinese community.

“WeChat is an amazing tool to reach out to the Chinese community.

It’s like Chinese Facebook. I created three to four WeChat groups, and I started attending Chinese events — I went to these events because I knew these events will be covered by Chinese media.”

“All my literature was in two languages — Chinese and English,” he added. “I always took a Chinese volunteer with me. If I went alone, they would not talk to me. But when I took a Chinese person, they would suddenly open up to me and start becoming friendly.”

When asked about the role and the impact of media during campaigning, Babikian expressed a strong disdain for media and said that it is something he stays clear of. “Media is always a dangerous affair. As conservatives, we don’t win with the media. The media is generally negative towards us.”

NOVEMBER 26, 2018 | 5

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Internal disagreements arise at UTGSU General Council meeting Lynne Alexandrova removed as chair of committee, prevented from giving report Andy Takagi Associate News Editor

Tensions rose at a University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (UTGSU) General Council meeting on November 20 when Internal Commissioner Lynne Alexandrova was prevented from giving a report on the Policy and Operations Committee. The reasoning given was that she had been removed as chair of the committee.

The General Council is the main governing body of the UTGSU, composed of representatives from each of the course unions that make up the union’s constituency. Consisting of seven commissioners, the Executive Committee is the executive governing body of the union, implementing policy and pursuing goals set by the council. The Internal Commissioner is usually the Chair of the Policy and Operations Committee.

During the meeting, Finance Commissioner Brandon Rizzuto pointed out that because Alexandrova is no longer chair, it would be out of order for her to present a report on the committee. The point was carried by the speaker of the meeting.

Alexandrova officially objected to the decision on the grounds of accessibility,

saying that she had wished to continue her “experiment in student governance.”

Executive Director David Eaton addressed Alexandrova’s concerns, saying that another meeting to be held on November 26 would specifically discuss the vacancy of the Internal Commissioner position.

On the agenda for the irregular meeting next week are items “3. Executive Committee – Vacation of Internal Commissioner (in camera)” and “4. Executive Vacancy (contingent upon outcome of item 3).”

In a statement to The Varsity, Alexandrova expressed her passion for restructuring the UTGSU. “[If ] the proposed re-distribution of [Internal Commissioner] duties gets legalized by Council on Monday, that would legalize the [Internal Commissioner] position erosion for the past couple of years that I’ve tried to slow down as benevolently as possible.”

The council also voted to donate $1,000 to the OISE Decolonizing Conference, ratified Moses Cook as Vice-Chair of the Board of Appeals, and filled vacancies in the Elections and Referenda Committee, Women and Trans People Caucus, and Professional Graduate Student Caucus.

Lynne Alexandrova, UTGSU Internal Commissioner, objected to her removal as chair of the Policy and Operations Committee.

SHANNA HUNTER/THE VARSITY

think he achieved what he wanted to do.”

Shen’s philosophical principles

Professor Vincent Shen, who taught in the Philosophy and East Asian Studies departments, is remembered for his positive impact.

Courtesy of NEW ASIA COLLEGE/CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

Former students remember Professor Vincent Shen for great empathy Shen was beloved by his students for his humour, emphasis on leading a fulfilling life Adam A. Lam Varsity Staff

Vincent Shen, a beloved professor of the Departments of Philosophy and East Asian Studies (EAS), died on November 14 at the age of 69, surrounded by family after suffering from a major stroke, wrote his spouse Johanna Liu. Shen is remembered for positively changing the lives of his students, both undergraduate and graduate.

Commemorating his life, seven former students of Shen spoke to The Varsity about how he made a positive impact on their lives.

Shen’s approach to teaching

Lincoln Rathnam, an assistant professor at Duke Kunshan University, recalled that Shen “had a very rich sense of humour,” despite his reputation as an internationally renowned professor.

Like most of his other students, Rathnam expected Shen to be a “very serious guy who was just going to solemnly lecture about Confucius for two hours” each session.

But instead, Rathnam explained that during “very serious lectures on different topics,” Shen would “always just interject with funny asides and jokes and things to

lighten the mood a little bit.”

Xiaoman Chen, a graduate EAS student, said that “most of the professors will go just through lots of text and then just ask us to read enormous material. But how Professor [Shen] approached his teaching was to teach us sentence by sentence. And even one word, he can explain for 20 minutes — even for half of the class.”

Majoring in EAS, Carlos Arceo said, “He cared about your education, but that is — that was — his life’s goal. He wanted students to learn. He wanted students to improve. He wanted students to be reasonable. And I

Eric Ma, a Master of Arts student in EAS, remembered that Shen emphasized that to live a fulfilling life is “not just about making money.” Instead, it “has a deeper meaning,” he recalled. “It’s about realizing your potential and learning about life.”

Now a sessional lecturer in the Department of Language Studies at UTM, Derong Chen related three specific principles that he’s kept in mind throughout his career.

“First,” wrote Chen, “do not pull up the rice shoots with intention of helping them to grow (勿助勿 忘); second, [think] of the topic and [work] on it all the time (念 兹在兹); and third, [take] accuracy, [appropriateness,] and consistency as your final goal (唯精唯一).”

Yvonne Yo, a PhD candidate in EAS, wrote that Shen’s lifelong project was to “promote dialogues between the East and the West.” In his lectures, he strove to remind his students that “each of us has our own responsibility, and each of us could contribute something to this world,” explained Yo.

Shen’s empathy toward his students

Gabriel Weng, a PhD student in EAS, said that Shen went above and beyond in supporting his students. “In the summertime, I was working on my prospectus for my PhD program, and I was supposed to send him my draft, but I was a procrastinator.”

“I sent him the email maybe at 9:00 pm. He replied me at midnight. He just spent three hours to read my draft and then give me detailed feedback,” said Weng, expressing his gratitude.

Doil Kim, now a professor at Sungkyunkwan University, wrote that Shen connected his students with “visiting scholars from all over the world.” After discussing research papers, Kim remembers sitting around “a large round table in some of the Chinese restaurants in Toronto for dinner,” and engaging in “much deeper discussions about various topics related to Chinese philosophy.”

By doing this, wrote Kim, Shen encouraged his students to learn from scholars from different cultural perspectives to better understand their own views and also check if their views made sense to others.

Shen’s plans after retirement

According to Weng, Shen’s death was especially shocking to his students because “he [had] already submitted his retirement document to the university,” at the time of his passing.

Shen had told Weng in late September that he wanted to “reciprocate back to society” by volunteering at the National Palace Museum of Taiwan as a tour guide.

“He told me he spent too much time in the academia,” said Weng, “I think he also wanted to spend some time with talking with the general populace.”

Shen also wanted to travel abroad, said Weng. While Shen had already traveled widely, “he just went from the airport to the conference centre or to the university,” continued Weng.

“He didn’t spend too much time on looking at the landscapes, at the cities, so it’s kind of regretful thing for him. So he told me that, after his retirement, he wanted to travel abroad with his wife.”

Business

November 26, 2018 var.st/business biz@thevarsity.ca

Daniels receives $6 million donation to establish financial aid awards Gift from Daniels Foundation to support undergraduate, graduate students Michael Teoh Business Editor

The John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design has received a $6 million donation from the John and Myrna Daniels Foundation that will be used to provide financial support to its undergraduate and graduate architecture students. The donation establishes the John and Myrna Daniels Foundation Opportunity Award, which will be awarded to students based on academic merit and financial need.

According to Dale Duncan, the Daniels faculty’s Senior Communications & Media Relations Officer, $2 million of the endowed fund is reserved for undergraduate students, while the remaining $4 million may be used to support both undergraduate and graduate students. U of T will match the annual payout of the donation, hence doubling its impact. “In time, this will provide close to $500,000 in student financial assistance every year,” said Duncan.

Like other endowed award funds at U of T, this contribution is established in perpetuity in order to preserve its value over time, accounting for inflation. As a result, the capital from the donation will be invested by the University of Toronto Asset Management Corporation.

The award is the second that the Daniels family have created for the faculty, following the John and Myrna Daniels Scholars Award, which was created in 2008 from a $5 million donation. The Scholars Award, targeted exclusively to graduate students, has provided financial aid to 81 master’s students. According to Duncan, many of the awards established at the faculty have historically been directed solely to graduate students because the faculty did not offer undergraduate programs from 1998–2012.

“With our undergraduate programs attracting large numbers of students, the Faculty is

How does Uber affect public transit usage?

U of T economics prof publishes study in Journal of Urban Economics Daniel Aykler Varsity Contributor

Uber’s presence in major cities is prompting growing concerns among residents, particularly over how the ridesharing tech giant impacts the urban landscapes in which it operates. Issues from taxi drivers’ job stability to Uber’s effects on public transit usage have largely yet to be properly addressed.

To begin to understand Uber’s impact on cities, Jonathan Hall, Assistant Professor in U of T’s Department of Economics, recently published a study in the Journal of Urban Economics examining the relationship between Uber and public transit.

The paper, entitled “Is Uber a substitute or complement for public transit?,” aimed to find whether Uber’s entry to a city makes public transit ridership increase or decrease.

This could be essential information for cities planning transportation budgets and for predict-

very appreciative of those donors who now wish to support the undergraduate student community with their educational costs,” wrote Duncan.

U of T phased out undergraduate programs from Daniels in 1998, moving the undergraduate major in Architectural Studies to the Faculty of Arts & Science. In 2012, the architecture faculty reintroduced the undergraduate program. It now has two undergraduate programs and seven graduate programs.

As of November 2017, the Daniels faculty had 1,046 undergraduate students and 396 graduate students. Like students in the Faculty of Arts & Science, tuition for domestic undergraduates is $6,590; international undergraduate tuition is $45,690. Domestic tuition for master’s studies in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Design is $12,070; international tuition is $41,840. Tuition for master’s studies in Visual Studies is $8,860 for domestic students and $31,150 for international students.

This latest donation brings the Daniels family’s support of the faculty to $30 million. The Daniels family had previously provided $14 million in 2008 to create the Scholars Award and provide capital support to the faculty. In 2013, they provided $10 million to support the revitalization of One Spadina Crescent, where the faculty is currently located.

“The Daniels Faculty is tremendously honoured to have received three gifts over the past decade,” wrote Dale.

John Daniels graduated from U of T in 1950 with a Bachelor’s of Architecture. “He received financial support in the form of an award during his time at U of T,” said Dale. “He has noted that the support he received as a student helped make it possible for him to complete his studies and pursue a very productive and rewarding career.”

ing traffic density. Most importantly, according to the paper, “if Uber increases transit ridership this would then increase the efficiency of the publictransit system.” This could lead to lower costs for the transit agency and shorter ride times for commuters.

Hall and his co-authors, Craig Palsson and Joseph Price, used Uber penetration data and data from the National Transit Database, which records every transit ride of nearly every transit agency in the United States. This data is collected from 196 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in which Uber operates.

Hall and his colleagues concluded that Uber is a complement to public transit, rather than a replacement. Two years after entry, Uber’s presence can cause a growth in transit ridership of up to five per cent.

The reason for this complementary effect can be found in part in the faults of public transit.

As per the paper, “It is Uber’s ability to fill in the holes in public transit coverage, substituting for particularly bad transit trips, that allows Uber to complement transit overall.”

Often, the majority of time taken during shorttransit trips is taken up by getting to and from the station. Uber’s ability to eliminate these first and last portions of a transit trip to efficiently complete the main portion allows the two services to be complementary of each other.

The effect, however, is not consistent across transportation methods or environments. The paper explained that “Uber reduces transit ridership in smaller MSAs while increasing ridership in larger cities.” As such, the development of policies

“Business of Cannabis Conference” explores industry trajectory Ryerson event presents industry leaders’ assessment of current trends Madeleine Kelly Varsity Contributor

The Ryerson Commerce and Government Association (RCGA) hosted a conference on November 17 highlighting business leaders in the cannabis industry. The speakers represented many aspects of the burgeoning cannabis industry, including licensed producers, venture capitalists, and marketing consultation executives.

Presenters included representatives from the venture capital fund and business accelerator Leaf Forward, investment firm and licensed producer INDIVA, the Ted Rogers School of Management, and marketing consultants Elite Digital Team.

In an interview with The Varsity, Eesha Arshad, President of the RCGA, said, “I think that the more students know about [recreational consumption], it will be beneficial to them… The uses are so wide, and I think it is so important for us to accept it with open arms.” Arshad added that a greater understanding of cannabis’ uses, in addition to the process of destigmatizing its use, were key reasons in deciding to host the conference.

The conference’s keynote speaker, Alex Blumenstein, is the CEO of Leaf Forward, a launch pad for entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry. In its first year of operation, Leaf Forward has raised $1.2 million and invests $50,000 for every startup in its accelerator program.

Other speakers included Indiva President and CEO Niel Marotta and Ryerson instructor Brad Poulos, who is the academic coordinator of CZEN 420: The Business of Cannabis.

The all-day event was informative for those interested — or invested — in the progression of the cannabis industry in Can-

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ada. In terms of investment and employment opportunities, the main takeaway from the event was that it may be too late for ‘wannabe’ cultivators to enter an already highly competitive market.

Furthermore, Ontario is on the brink of a boom in processed cannabis products. The speakers predicted a major international shift in the cannabis market away from flower cultivation and toward processed products such as distillates and CBD-infused edibles.

The current state and trajectory of the recreational market was thoroughly examined by speakers and panelists. However, there was a noticeable lack of information regarding the future of the pharmaceutical cannabis industry in Canada.

In an email to The Varsity, Tiffany Lauren, CEO of cannabis education group Canbis, wrote, “I was disappointed there wasn’t any panel or speaker addressing the huge therapeutic potential of medical cannabis… [and how it] can help counter the opioid crisis in Canada.”

SKLYAR CHEUNG/THE VARSITY

regarding Uber should consider the preexisting state of public transit in a given city.

Furthermore, there is a difference in the impacts between transit ridership for rail and bus. In an interview with The Varsity, Hall said that this was the most surprising result of the study. “What I thought we’d find is that Uber hurts buses and helps trains… because buses are slow [and] usually bus trips are shorter compared to train trips.

“The logic is very compelling to me. But that’s not what we found and they don’t let you make it up,” said Hall. Instead, Hall’s research found that Uber’s impact on train and subway usage is inconsistent across different locations.

The major limitations of the paper are in the timeliness of its results. According to Hall, “transit ridership in the US is falling. It’s falling as though there’s a recession — there’s not a recession. So, blaming Uber seems like a natural place to start.

Our study finds that is not the case. But our study… doesn’t go to the present day.” This specific issue is inevitable, as data is rarely available contemporaneously.

Although it is difficult to know what is truly causing this current decline, Hall’s paper will help shape future discourse around innovation in transit and its impact on urban environments.

Comment

November 26, 2018 var.st/comment comment@thevarsity.ca

Books in blue bins are a bad look

Examining the importance of a student campaign that’s striving to save books and improve sustainability on campus Amelia Eaton Student Life Columnist

Books have a special place in my heart, especially as a student. They are more than just pieces of paper — they are vehicles for knowledge, creativity, and truth.

So last month, when a photo of hundreds of books in blue bins appeared on one of the U of T meme pages, I couldn’t believe that discarding books was something that would happen at our university. The books could be donated to charities, local libraries, public schools or literally, as the meme suggested, “anything other than throwing away hundreds of books for no discernible reason.”

“Undesirable” I reached out to Aliki Bitsakakis, the student who posted the photo, and she recounted the frantic day when she came across the books.

The administrative office informed Bitsakakis that they were “undesirable” leftovers from the University College Book Sale. Told that they had until the end of the day Friday to take the books if they wanted them, Bitsakakis, along with other students, including Marley Greenberg, Robin Medd, Grusha Singh, and Jaylen Stark, “flew into panic mode” to save the books from being discarded.

They began sharing the story on social media to find homes for the books, urging students to go to the alley near Russell Street and Spadina Avenue where the books had been transported for recycling collection. Second Life, an organization that collects and donates books, was contacted and picked up about half of them. The students transported the remainder to the lounge in Sidney Smith Hall.

Remarkably, Bitsakakis estimates that the group saved about 1,000 books overall from destruction.

But it was something that she says they “shouldn’t have been something we had to do.” She described the experience, though successful, as upsetting, as reading and learning are integral to students' lives. It is difficult to imagine why these books were deemed undesirable in the first place. All the books were in good condition and some contained personal notes

from past readers. One had a letter from the author, expressing thanks for a positive review.

To understand the situation, Bitsakakis and Stark returned to the UC administrative office and were put into contact with Deborah Tam, chair of the UC Book Sale, who confirmed that she had requested the recycling receptacles to dispose of the books. Tam did not respond to my request for comment.

Tam’s email reply to Bitsakakis says that every year the book sale faces the issues of excess books and limited storage space. This year, over 250 boxes of books were left over after the sale, and the organizers were given a single day to vacate UC’s Laidlaw Library.

“The other colleges that have sales, Trinity, Victoria and St. Mike’s, all have similar issues, of leftover books, that we do,” Tam wrote to Bitsakakis, “none of us like to see books sent to recycling if there are homes for them.”

The problem with this answer is that there were homes for the books the UC sale discarded. After Bitsakakis and her friends brought them to Sidney Smith, students were ecstatic to get them for free.

There’s really no excuse for recycling books in good condition — and the Victoria College and Trinity College book sales both recognize this. Both sales have explicit policies to donate excess books.

“All of our leftover books find good homes through various local and international initiatives,” Victoria College Book Sale Chair Nancy Ruhnke wrote. “Every year, we send books to a library programme in the Philippines, and for a number of years, books were sent to help build a Canadian library centre in China… No good book is ever wasted!”

Nancy Graham, President of Trinity College Friends of the Library, explained that the Trinity College Book Sale has “a number of partners, including Second Life Books and other charities” to “ensure that as many books as possible stay out of landfills and recycling centres, and are instead placed into the hands of new readers.”

A troubling pattern Given the practices at Victoria College and Trinity College, I wanted to believe that the UC Book Sale was simply careless in this instance. But Bitsakakis identified red flags that point to the concerning

(From left to right) Singh, Bitsakakis, Stark, Greenberg, and Medd want to save books on campus.

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possibility that discarding books is a regular phenomenon at U of T. The university staff responsible for transporting the receptacles told her that books being thrown away “happens all the time.”

The day she went to rescue the books, a man came to the alley and looked through the bins, sharing with Bitsakakis that he regularly comes to this spot to get books for his wife. Waste Management Supervisor and Recycling Coordinator Reno Strano confirmed that people do sort through the recycling for books, and he lets them do so, “as long as they don’t create trouble.” If people are looking through the recycling for these books, clearly they still have value and could be donated.

The problem, Strano said, is that while Waste Management has to handle “a steady stream of books,” including from libraries, it is “pressed for space and resources.” For these reasons, Strano doesn’t always have the chance to donate books to local organizations. As long as the books are sent to recycling centres and not landfills, disposing of them actually counts as waste diversion under U of T’s definition.

Some of the books sent to the waste management department are placed in the university’s Swap Shop, where students and faculty can purchase discounted books and furniture. All proceeds go to the United Way. I met with Strano over reading week for a tour.

Descending a narrow staircase into the dark, hot, and dusty basement of the South Borden Building, I surveyed the shop and the books that filled it, stacked in piles, on bookshelves, and in blue bins.

Novels, non-fiction, biographies, textbooks — the little-known shop had just about every type of book. It’s a good deal for books, at $1 for as many as you can carry, but it's open to U of T students just once a week, and for only two hours. Books that are not picked up from the shop are recycled. It’s a shame to throw books away, Strano said, but he simply doesn’t have the resources to do otherwise.

I was disappointed with what my tour had revealed. Sending books to recycling centres is only marginally better than sending them to landfills.

At the end of the day, they are still destroyed, and others, especially those who can’t afford new books, are deprived of the opportunity of reading them.

Throwing books away is not just careless — it runs contrary to everything a university is meant to represent. Calling it waste diversion only adds insult to injury.

The policy void The image of books in blue bins is especially con-

cerning for a university that takes prides in its “culture of sustainability.”

U of T founded an entire office dedicated to this ‘culture’ in 2004. The Sustainability Office wrote in an email that the school has systems in place to reuse excess books, and that book sale organizers are encouraged to donate books to local organizations.

Yet, when I asked for details about these systems, the response only noted that the libraries exchange books within their internal network.

The fact that hundreds of books have already ended up in the blue bin tells us that whatever systems U of T does have in place appear to be inadequate. While it’s important to encourage sustainability, without concrete policy there is nothing to prevent every book sale organizer or library from throwing away perfectly good books.

The issue is that the Sustainability Office does not actually create, mandate, or implement policies at U of T, or oversee any other department. Instead, according to an email, the office is merely meant to “connect, inspire and educate.” When I asked what this meant in tangible terms, the response I received was: “a number of engagement programs and communications aimed at promoting a culture of sustainability for the campus community that you can find on our website.”

The structural issues at U of T that allow for books to end up in blue bins need to be addressed.

If the Swap Shop is to be a practical solution to the issue of excess books, it needs to be advertised more, and open for more than two hours a week. The university should implement a policy requiring unwanted books to be donated or offered to students in high-traffic areas, instead of recycled.

A lack of tangible university policy is precisely why the actions of students like Bitsakakis, Greenberg, Medd, Singh, and Stark are so important. Not only did they find new homes for close to 1,000 books, they exposed a notable discrepancy between the university’s green image and the reality of its practices.

Now, the students are looking to start a club devoted to ensuring that all books in good condition stay out of the recycling bin. These actions will hopefully have a profound impact, not only in saving hundreds of books, but in showing the university how important books are to students — and compelling change in its practices.

Amelia Eaton is a second-year Political Science and Ethics, Society and Law student at Woodsworth College. She is The Varsity’s Student Life Columnist.

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Clarifying conservatism

Advocating for pragmatic and responsible policy can yield a more representative and balanced student government On this basis, conservatives believe that the government’s free speech mandate is not Orwellian, nor anti-democratic. But, counterintuitively, they don’t attempt to engage in free discussion to change campus politics — even when they had the opportunity to defend the free speech mandate at the AGM.

Sam Routley UTSG Campus Politics Columnist

There is a popular view that students are predisposed to left-wing agendas. Supposedly, student leftists are a mob of ‘social justice warriors’ who strive to indoctrinate campus culture and student government with their ideology, and shut down dissenting opinion.

This is false. Left-wing groups are simply more active on campus. They are the ones who show up, speak out, and vote. While it could be said that students generally lean left and are more progressively-minded, this does not mean that all students are far-left, let alone left-leaning at all.

The lack of conservative involvement in student politics not only means that some opinions are not heard, but also gives a false perception that students are in agreement with certain controversial political stances. In reality, students’ political opinions are diverse, and this apparent consensus is determined by a limited and unrepresentative number of participants.

This false picture was given fuel at the recent University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) Annual General Meeting (AGM). At the prompting of a Socialist Fightback U of T member, around 50 participants put the UTSU on record as “opposing the Ontario government’s anti-democratic ‘free speech on campus’ mandate.” In the surrounding discussion, words such as “Orwellian” were used.

This creates an impression that student government is irredeemably in favour of the viewpoints of organizations like Socialist Fightback.

However, those with alternative viewpoints — namely, conservatives — do exist, but have shunned student politics, as evidenced by comments made

by U of T Campus Conservatives President Matthew Campbell about the UTSU. Such disengagement impairs the necessary collaboration for the best and most representative policies.

The root of the reluctance Conservatism is often associated with the alt-right or far right, especially on campuses. Because they do not want to be associated with the racist, xenophobic, and transphobic movements of recent years, conservative students prefer to disengage from campus discourse and politics.

A strong distinction must therefore be drawn between the majority of conservatives and the far-

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right. Take, for example, the recent attempt by some Ontario Progressive Conservative (PC) activists to have the party condemn “gender identity theory” as a “liberal ideology” at the Ontario PC Convention. This is deeply concerning — particularly for Ontarians and students who identify as transgender.

I believe that most conservatives on and off campus feel this way too. After all, it was unexpectedly introduced by a fringe social conservative wing of the party during a low-attendance period at the convention, and was later dropped by the premier.

Even though these views do not reflect the representative majority of conservatives, they nonetheless carry the burden and fear of being labeled as resentful, reactionary transphobes.

Defining the representative majority The first step to overcoming the conflation of conservatism with the far-right is to understand that conservatism strives for pragmatic and responsible policy. In Michael Oakeshott’s words, it is the preference for “the tried to the untried… the actual to the possible… the sufficient to the superabundant.”

Conservatives favour the gradual transition of established institutions, and reject utopian promises delivered by risky, abrupt change.

It’s funny because it’s true

Assessing the value of satirical journalism, including U of T’s The Boundary and The Highland Holler Ori Gilboa Varsity Staff

Whether it’s The Onion in the US or The Beaverton in Canada, it seems that there is nowhere you can turn in the online world without encountering satirical news.

But this uptick is certainly no accident, and likely reflects a worrisome political reality. According to Pennsylvania State University professor Sophia McClennen, “We see satire emerge when political discourse is in crisis and when it becomes important to use satirical comedy to put political pressure on misinformation.”

While journalistic impartiality is critical for conventional news outlets, satirical journalism directly challenges questionable beliefs and actions. It manages to breach subjects seen as too taboo for traditional reporting with an exceptionally low tolerance for nonsense.

This is especially pertinent as it can be difficult for traditional news media to keep up with the outlandish controversies in current politics. Regarding coverage of Donald Trump, McClennen said, “the news media sort of seems like it has to take [Trump’s statements] seriously in order to be taken seriously.”

Satire can tackle these issues head-on. For example, when Doug Ford announced his hastily revised

sex-ed curriculum, traditional networks covered the controversy with a neutral gaze. The Beaverton, by contrast, published an article entitled, “Doug Ford replaces sex-ed curriculum with old copy of Playboy found in woods” — lampooning the outdated and careless nature of the decision.

Less restricted by journalistic guidelines, satire generates interest, debate, and conversation in a way that encourages a more critical view. It stops the normalization of politics which are abnormal, and, when done well, can be as informative as traditional news.

There is, however, an ugly underbelly to satire. With politics entering what many are calling a ‘post-truth’ era, it is vital to recognize fake news.

Toeing the line between satire and fake news can be difficult, and is rooted in intent. Fake news presents false stories to intentionally deceive its audience, while satirical news publishes them with the intent of poking fun at current events.

To avoid falling into the category of fake news, some satirical outlets are making the nature of their content obvious. This proves to be a serious hurdle for many publications, for which an authentic appearance as a news outlet is part of the satire. Having a giant, flashing “satire” sign behind articles, on the other hand, can detract from the humour.

Satire at U of T has a long history. Engineering’s Toike Oike bills itself as “The University of Toronto’s

Conservatives also uphold the rights and freedoms of the individual — including of expression, assembly, and speech — as they are the underpinnings of liberal democratic society and the university institution.

Of course, this is a very broad program, and its specifics are subject to disagreement. Nonetheless, it very clearly excludes populist nationalist movements.

The PC government’s recent free speech mandate is therefore a justified attempt to protect a fundamental right that conservatives feel is increasingly compromised. This view was further vindicated by incidents surrounding the recent Munk Debate, featuring alt-right figure Steve Bannon. There was a campus-wide poster campaign condemning the debate, and an organized attempt to physically bar attendees from entering Roy Thompson Hall on the night of the event.

While most conservatives find Bannon’s views unsavoury, they hold that his right to speak is a fundamental democratic principle. Of course, free speech is not justified absolutely, especially for expressions that promote violence. But it is precisely through free and open discussion that the alt-right’s erroneous views can be challenged and exposed, as conservative David Frum did at the debate.

Humour Newspaper since 1911,” while University College’s The Gargoyle has been in print since 1954.

Recently, two online-only publications, The Boundary of Victoria College and the The Highland Holler at UTSC have established footholds in the U of T publications community. The Boundary's Editor-in-Chief Ted Fraser attributes this growing interest in satire to the fact that “Facebook has come back from the dead… [it] is conducive to the type of Headline Humour we churn out.”

The Highland Holler suggested that there is an untapped, somewhat frustrated market for satire at U of T, seeing their fair share of complaints about the university and organizations within it. Delayed Arts & Science exam schedules, insects found in food at UTSC, unexpected enrollment increases at UTM, and $30 writing surfaces offered at the Daniels lecture hall reflect problematic oversights by various administrations at U of T. It is therefore no wonder that students are seeking direct, humorous criticism.

Both publications consider satirical news to be highly relevant. The Boundary sees campus satire as a counterweight to traditional news: “The Varsity is like your T.A. — reliable, astute, serious — and The Boundary is like your tutorial buddy,” said Fraser.

While The Boundary recognizes satire to generally be “incredibly important as a political tool,” said Head Content Editor Kyle Brickman, the publication tries to steer clear of anything too political as it relates to campus.

The Highland Holler, meanwhile, holds no such reservations. While satire, especially in student journalism, is a tool that is meant for entertainment, the Holler explains that it is also intended to “encourage people to engage in civil discourse. The aim is to

Toward a more representative student government This mindset is unhelpful. Conservatives — who tend to focus on federal and provincial politics — should get more involved in student politics, where their input can lead to more representative and informed decisions on issues that affect everyone on campus.

Conservatives also advocate for the elimination of debt. While the current UTSU recently decided to implement balanced budgets, they are relatively uncommon. For conservatives, while other areas of student jurisdiction are debatable, debt reduction is not — it is a matter of necessity. This practice should be standard for every student government in every year.

There is also the need for more efficient spending: not merely allocating funds to avoid debt, but cutting categories that are inefficient or dysfunctional. This is the practice of making decisions on the basis of what works — not on the basis of theoretical ideals or lip service. Conservatives understand that there is no perfect fix to anything; problems can only ever be managed.

When it comes to salient issues like mental health or accessibility, conservatives acknowledge that the current system does not work. But as student governments strive to improve their services, which they should, conservatives must advocate for gradual change and financial accountability in order to keep policy reform more grounded.

Ultimately, conservatives should not only help to diversify representation in student government, but also help advocate for pragmatic and responsible discussion and policymaking. Clarifying what conservatism is — and what it is not — is the first step to securing its place in student politics.

Sam Routley is a fourth-year Political Science, Philosophy, and History student. He is The Varsity’s UTSG Campus Politics Columnist.

have people learning more about the topic at hand, as well as themselves, and their role as a student.”

The Highland Holler has run into some trouble with fake news, though. “One of the biggest issues that we’ve had to deal with is people taking our articles seriously and reacting to them candidly as though it were real news,” they said.

On the other hand, The Boundary sees satire as a reliable source of news. “We’re consistently fake.

Because we’re in the Post-Truth Era, actual news is cloaked in ambiguity — you have to be skeptical of headlines, fact-check stories, maybe vet authors for hidden agendas. Our fake news is… a respite from second-guessing,” said Fraser.

It can be a struggle for students to keep up with the news. Outrage fatigue is real, and many people cope by simply disconnecting from the news. Satire offers an enticing alternative. By juggling between light-hearted humor and probing criticism, students can choose where and how to engage with journalism.

Often, students don’t have the time to read through a lengthy Varsity feature. They might just prefer to get a chuckle out of a Boundary headline reading, “Caffiends to Just Start Pouring Coffee Down Customers’ Throats.”

If done well, satire can entertain, inform, and enrage all at once. If publications manage to toe the line between fake news and satire, it can be an incredibly successful form of news. Failing that, it’s still funny, and mockery never gets old.

Ori Gilboa is a first-year Humanities student at Victoria College.

Editorial

November 26, 2018 var.st/comment editorial@thevarsity.ca

“The university works because we do”

Postsecondary instructors should not have to endure precarious employment The Varsity Editorial Board

The institution of the public university is one that prides itself on intellectual inquiry, debate, and openness for the common good. But this is currently marred by the dirty little secret of academia: the rise of job insecurity for instructors.

Although universities may prefer otherwise, it is imperative that students be alarmed about the working conditions of those who educate them. If U of T is dedicated to global innovation and development, it should first evaluate the reforms that must happen on its own campuses.

The rise of contract appointments Earlier this month, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) released a report entitled “Contract U,” drawing from Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to all 78 of Canada’s public universities.

Based on data collected from the 67 schools that successfully responded with usable data, the report revealed that the majority of faculty appointments at universities are contract positions, as opposed to tenured or tenure-track. This isn’t new: it’s been the case for over a decade. Among the contract faculty, almost 80 per cent are part-time appointees.

While all contract faculty are faced with long-term employment uncertainty, the position of part-time instructors with short-term contracts should draw the most concern. They are paid on a per-course basis and might receive as little as a semesterly contract for each. There is no certainty that they will be rehired for the next year, and must re-apply for appointments each time. They also have little to no benefits, are not paid as well as permanent faculty teaching the same material, and are forced to simultaneously teach at other universities or have other gigs to make ends meet.

This reflects a broader, decades-long concern about the shift from full-time, permanent work to short-term contract employment in universities, associated with public funding cuts by the federal and provincial government in the 1990s.

However, the report concludes that austerity isn’t the only variable, since the proportion of contract appointments varies across schools based on categories like discipline and region. For instance, the proportion is higher than the national average in Ontario and in urban areas.

Ultimately, the report suggests that this shift is likely driven not by changes in market demand or

personal choice, but by the decisions of university administrations to heavily rely on contract faculty.

The corporate model These decisions can be situated within the general normalization of precarious work in the Canadian and global labour markets. This is based on a corporate model that seeks to cut labour costs, whether through suppressed wages or increased reliance on part-time work. Struggling employees with poor working conditions, whether at universities or corporations, are also easier to manage and control. By contrast, the salaries of high-level university administrators and senior managers remain high.

Whereas contract employment used to be a means to fill temporary gaps at universities, it is now replacing long-term employment entirely. Ontario has the lowest level of per-student funding in Canada, and as enrolment and demand for classes increase, universities seek contract faculty to do more teaching.

Responding to the rise of precarious employment are the labour strikes that have occurred in recent memory. At U of T, a month-long teaching assistants’ strike occurred in 2015 in response to below-poverty line compensation and being allocated only three per cent of U of T’s budget, despite performing 60 per cent of in-person teaching.

In the summer of 2016, a hunger strike by Aramark food service workers following U of T’s takeover of food services raised more questions about job security. In the following years, 2017’s Ontario college strike and 2018’s York University strike — the longest postsecondary strike in Canadian history — revolved around job security for contract instructors.

For sessional lecturers at U of T, represented by CUPE 3903 Unit 3, it is not so much compensation, but a pathway to permanent employment and job security that is a concern. During last year’s negotiations, Unit 3’s “conversion” proposal — to gradually convert instructors from sessional to full-time teaching positions — was viewed by U of T as “unacceptable.”

For U of T, frequently bragging about being the top-ranked university in Canada and providing a high-quality education should come with a corresponding responsibility to deliver high-quality and supportive working conditions. U of T’s attitude toward its workers — especially as a multibillion dollar institution and the wealthiest university in Canada — is what is unacceptable.

Student solidarity Many students who are acquainted with contract instructors anecdotally know the difficulties that come with their precarious work: for instance, having to commute between two gigs at different universities to make ends meet. But beyond the professional hurdle, it is a deeply personal issue.

The process of having to frequently look, apply, and wait for jobs is stressful and harmful to mental health. It inhibits instructors from fully engaging with and meeting the needs and demands of their students — which often occurs outside of course hours, unpaid. The short-term nature of their work also makes it difficult to make long-term plans for themselves, such as starting a family or gaining access to financial institutions.

When labour strikes hit universities, the corporate model that is pervasive in universities tends to pit students against university instructors: after all, students paying tuition are losing out on a service they paid for. But, ideally, we are critical learners before we are self-interested consumers.

It is our obligation to inquire and understand how instructors endure questionable working conditions — especially when students are also affected by an economy of precarious employment and postsecondary debt. Students who plan to go into academia should also advocate for conditions that they would want for themselves in the future.

We should reflect on the fact that universities tell us that postsecondary education leads to good employment, and yet those who deliver that education are themselves far from that end goal. Today, it is possible for instructors with PhDs to live in poverty.

Even if we are to consider ourselves consumers, we should understand that poor working conditions for instructors inevitably degrade the quality of education on which we are spending our tuition. Ultimately, we should express solidarity with instructors against the university administration.

The need for transparency The CCPA report has also sparked conversation about the lack of data surrounding precarious employment in universities. The authors reflected on how difficult it was to collect data through FOIs, especially since they rely on schools to release accurate data.

Schools may not reveal a complete set of information detailing factors such as demographics or credentials. The extent to which contract appointments are gendered is an important question. Data is crucial

TROY LAWRENCE/THE VARSITY

to mapping and identifying problems and determining solutions. As recommended by the report, this must be a government priority set through Statistics Canada to ensure the transparency of all public universities on such critical issues.

Indeed, some universities refused to respond to FOI requests, while others — like U of T — sent information that was not properly categorized and thus unusable. When The Varsity asked for comment, Vice-Provost Faculty & Academic Life Heather Boon said, “The categories used for this study didn’t reflect the nature of our faculty appointments.”

She went on to explain that “the University of Toronto has a carefully planned mix of faculty and instructors,” with sessional lecturers teaching 12 per cent of courses, and that “our students expect and deserve a world-class education, grounded in our research and teaching strengths, and that is what they’re getting with the mix we’ve created.”

But maybe U of T does have an issue with being transparent with data — raising questions about what it has to hide. After all, one year since its pledge to release demographic data on students, faculty, and staff, which could help tackle issues of diversity, the university still has not released any timeline on the matter.

Boon is correct: students do deserve a world-class education. But the instructors who provide that education also deserve world-class employment.

As a public institution, U of T has an obligation to show that it serves public interests. The university should be more transparent with data — like 67 other universities were — and address the needs of its workers. Likewise, the government must also do better to fund universities sufficiently and protect labour in terms of wages, fairness, and job security.

We need to remember that the university works because they — the instructors — do.

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.

The case for transparency in the newsroom

Increased diversity and trustworthy reporting both require openness with readers Morag McGreevey Public Editor

The recent editorial “Putting colour in print” polarized readers who felt that The Varsity’s discussion of diversity and objectivity missed the mark. Freedom of the press is a privilege and a responsibility, as it is the job of journalists to bring untold and undertold stories to light. In doing so, reporters and editors implicitly must answer the question: whose stories are worthy of attention?

The Varsity argued that a diverse newsroom helps newspapers answer the question with sensitivity and nuance. The editorial contended that “personal identity, which includes race, class, gender, and more, cannot be divorced from one’s professional journalism. Identity informs what is valued, reported, discussed, and published.”

A newsroom where journalists of colour are empowered to write about the stories that they think

are important helps to identify gaps in a paper’s coverage, and enables reporters to share news in a more accurate and nuanced way. The net result is positive: newspapers do a better job of representing diverse communities, and readers acquire a more comprehensive understanding of the world around them.

One reader embraced The Varsity’s call for diversity, but wished the paper had gone further in examining its own shortcomings. “Student publications aren’t perfect, but The Varsity editorial board is correct to argue that student journalists have a responsibility to do better. Let’s see some real critical self-reflection from all publications, including campus papers,” they wrote. Campus newspapers hold a particularly important position within the broader field of journalism because they often serve as a jumping off point for careers in journalism. The Varsity presents an opportunity to model a diverse and inclusive newsroom that may eventually be carried over into larger establishment newspapers like the National Post and The Globe and Mail.

Another reader, speaking from the other end of the spectrum, expressed concern that The Varsity’s

editorial privileged identity politics over objective reporting. Arjun Singh commented that “unbiased reporting can, and must, exist. Furthermore, actions and accomplishments, not race, must measure the standards of commitment to journalistic codes and ethics.” Singh argues that journalists “ought to keep their worldviews outside” their reporting because they may “distort” the facts. Singh is correct that unbiased reporting occupies an important role in journalism. Just as we expect professionals in other fields to put aside their personal opinions while at work, journalists have a professional responsibility to report the facts with precision and thoroughness.

However, the ideal of perfect journalistic objectivity may be a fiction. As The Varsity’s editorial suggested, journalists’ lived experiences inform the facts they find compelling and the voices they find newsworthy. The news that The Varsity covers should reflect the racially, economically, and sexually dynamic community it is meant to serve. Having a diverse masthead furthers this objective.

Although the two readers’ responses to “Putting colour in print” come from very different perspectives, an answer to both of their critiques may be

increased transparency in the newsroom. Transparency helps readers hold the newspaper accountable for its editorial practices, ensuring that the news published in The Varsity reflects the diversity of voices at the University of Toronto. Transparency is also helpful for building trust regarding the paper’s substantive reporting. A newspaper’s credibility stems from the accuracy and impartiality of its reporting.

Understanding how the reporting came to be — especially the professional practice of journalism — helps readers understand the type of information they are accessing, with all of its strengths and vulnerabilities.

This is where the role of a public editor comes in.

I seek to break down barriers between The Varsity and its readers by responding to reader feedback, commenting on issues in journalism, and advocating for greater transparency, diversity, and accountability in the newsroom.

With this goal in mind, please reach out to me at publiceditor@thevarsity.ca if you have any questions or criticisms about The Varsity’s editorial and reporting practices.

10 | THE VARSITY | FEATURES

An unwelcome shadow How imposter syndrome impacts U of T students

Writer: Adina Heisler Illustrators: Iris Deng & Fiona Tung

It’s that special time of the year. The leaves are falling, the air is cold, and everyone is freaking out about the future. What tests are we all taking? What grad schools are we going to? Who passed the LSAT, the MCAT, the GRE, or any of the other acronyms that I don’t know? But the real challenge is going to come later this year, when we watch as our peers are accepted to dream schools and dream jobs, and we realize that, in comparison, we’ve done nothing.

I’m a fourth-year student. Despite having gone through three full years of courses here at U of T, I find myself still in fear that someone will discover the truth: I don’t belong here. I’m not smart enough, I don’t work hard enough, and I don’t deserve it. I’m surrounded by people who are planning extraordinary things, from grad school to enviable jobs, people who can speak multiple languages or balance multiple jobs, all while remaining here and being a good student.

I realize that, logically, this doesn’t make any sense. I did not trick anyone into accepting me, nor did I trick professors and teaching assistants into passing me. I didn’t trick the clubs I’ve been a part of into letting me work with them, and I didn’t trick The Varsity into letting me write for them. But that doesn’t stop me from feeling like everything I have is unearned.

Like a lot of students, I suffer from what’s called imposter syndrome. According to Dr. Pauline R. Clance and Dr. Suzanne A. Imes, who first identified the concept in 1978, the term ‘imposter syndrome’ is used “to designate an internal experience of intellectual phoniness that appears to be particularly prevalent and intense among a select sample of high achieving women.” In other words, despite someone having a record of achievement, they feel like they have not earned any of it properly and that they do not deserve it, which causes them to live with the fear that someone will discover the ‘truth.’

It makes sense that this would be especially prevalent among women. Oftentimes, women are taught to earn their accomplishments, while men are taught that success is their birthright. To see evidence of this you do not need to look further than the recent hearing for the US Supreme Court Judge and alleged rapist Brett Kavanaugh. Commenters have noted that his demeanour and the demeanour of the Republican senators trying to put him in office were characteristic of pure entitlement. It was as though he believed that he deserved his spot on the court by virtue of his wealth, race, and gender, as if even questioning his place on the court was tantamount to a partisan witch hunt, an absurd political action undertaken due to desperation. Indeed, the president even apologized to him. To quote comedian John Oliver, “That surly tone [during questioning] was emblematic of Kavanaugh’s demeanour throughout the hearing. Not the tone of a man who hopes to one day have the honour of serving on the Supreme

Court, but the tone of someone who feels entitled to be on it.”

In fact, when I asked the people around me if they had ever felt a kind of imposter syndrome, most of the responses came from women, especially queer women and women of colour.

Victoria, for example, thinks that this is related to feelings of not belonging and alienation from traditionally segmented institutions among marginalized people. As she put it, “This also means folks in marginalized social positions likely experience it more and more intensely because there is already limited space for us in all sorts of fields, and we are met more often with suspicion of our ability to accomplish what needs to be done. Even the most confident person will start to experience self-doubt if they feel as if the entire world is pushing back against them all the time.”

CJ* has felt imposter syndrome all their life, but it became heightened upon entering university.

They described feeling like everyone around them deserved to have accomplishments, while they did not. But rather than providing a motivation to allow them to work harder, the effect on CJ’s academic life and mental health is destructive: “I tend to worry more than actually work or study a lot, and I feel my productivity could be so much better if I wasn’t so busy worrying that I’m going to mess up and that everyone will figure out I’m not good enough.”

Beth* also described this cycle of feeling inadequate. “The anxiety of it really just makes it impossible to work. It was a vicious cycle. I would feel in over my head, so I’d shut down and fall behind, and then when I’d go to class I’d feel like a phony who didn’t belong. And then it would repeat.”

That cycle is clearly detrimental to confidence and self-worth. Maria described often doubting her own intelligence, certain that her merits shouldn’t have been enough to get her accepted to university.

She also worries that she chose an “easy major” and wouldn’t have been successful otherwise. As a side note, I don’t think there are any ‘easy majors.’ While some may be perceived as easier, in actual practice, academic struggles are universal to everyone, no matter the program.

Of course, this is all made worse by the pressures of attending U of T. The acceptance letter to U of T lures many of us into believing that we are academically superior in some way, only to have that superiority snatched away from us once we realize that everyone got the same letter. It can be easy to only see the accomplishments of your peers without realizing that they could be struggling as well. And even if they aren’t, even if you lived in a world where everyone around you achieved things that you could only dream of, and succeeded where you failed, exactly how productive would it be to compare yourself to them?

Consider the famous lines from Mean Girls,

during the mathletes competition filmed in Con Hall, when Cady realizes that “calling someone fat won’t make you any skinnier. Calling someone stupid doesn’t make you any smarter.” The inverse is also true. Recognizing the accomplishments of others does not make you inferior. I know it’s hard to think of that in this hyper-competitive environment, with fewer and fewer jobs and places in grad school, where the expectations placed on us only increase, but at the end of the day, we cannot control any of those external factors.

So what do we do? I suggest we follow the advice of The Chronicle of Higher Education, which recommends that we compare ourselves to our own progress. “Focus on what you have accomplished in and of itself, not as compared to what you had hoped to accomplish… Reframing your narrative as one of concrete accomplishments shifts your focus to the presence of labor and achievement, and away from the absence of ‘more.’ Once you do that, work on the story you tell others about yourself.”

For example, in first year, I felt intimidated by even the smallest amounts of readings and the shortest of essays. Now, I can breeze through them, if not with ease than with more understanding and clarity.

Getting a lowerthan-expected grade on an assignment would have once easily sent me into a tailspin then. Now, however, I am able to move past that and try to improve.

In fact, it was Beth’s ability to move past her imposter syndrome that

features@thevarsity.ca

allowed her to work more productively and improve her confidence, not to mention that it helped her keep up with her workload.

Victoria found that challenging herself in a creative writing course to try to push past her insecurities, along with seeking advice from peers and talking to her professor about mental health, had a great effect and she was able to write “several short stories and some poetry for the first time in years and met most of [her] deadlines.”

Of course, improvement and progress don’t happen overnight, and in order to get to a place where you feel proficient, you have to start somewhere below perfection, which can exacerbate the whole issue. As YouTuber Nathan Zed put it in a 2016 video, “The thing is, the only way you can be amazing at something is if you practice. But I don’t want to be at that first level where I’m trash at it.

I just hate feeling like the most unqualified person in the room.” That feeling is all too relatable, but as Zed also points out, the assumption that everyone secretly dislikes you and your work is more an issue of paranoia than anything else.

This is something that Maria has struggled with. She worries that her classmates are all

far above her, despite performing consistently well in university. But the certainty of judgment and inadequacy forces Maria to keep quiet in class in the fear that she will be ‘exposed.’

None of this is to say that we should all swing in the opposite direction and put ourselves on a pedestal above those around us.

What’s easy for you can often be torture for another, and what you’d see as a disappointing grade might be the height of someone else’s academic career. It doesn’t mean that any of us are inherently smarter or work any harder. Maybe we have mental illnesses or physical illnesses preventing us from working, families to care for, or jobs to get through. Or maybe people are just different and work differently. And, as a bonus, if we offer this type of generosity to others, we can more easily offer it to ourselves.

The Chronicle of Higher Education also offers another piece of advice, “Think about how you cede authority.” In other words, consider why you feel unqualified to make certain arguments in papers or in seminars.

All revelations and discoveries come from people mulling them over, and all those people were, at one point, wholly ignorant about

the topic. When you’re doing work as an undergraduate, nobody expects you to be below or above that level. If someone is asking a question and you think you may have the answer, go with your instinct. Be prepared to find that you could be wrong but don’t hold back and prevent something new from being said. Either way, you’ll be that much closer to learning the answer. This kind of confidence is invaluable, and it rests in knowing that you understand enough to be part of the conversation.

This last piece of advice has been especially relevant to me as I’ve been writing this. What makes me so qualified to tell everyone how to feel about themselves, especially after I’ve just admitted that I don’t always get past the point of comparing myself to others? Well, it’s just that. I can talk about this because I’ve experienced it. And I’ve researched it. And I’ve asked other people about it. So, I probably don’t have all the answers, but I’ve worked hard enough and thought enough about it that I can be a part of the discussion. And so can you. *Names have been changed at the individual’s request.

Arts & Culture

November 26, 2018 var.st/arts arts@thevarsity.ca

In conversation with Abigail Whitney U of T student, model, and director — how does Abigail Whitney do it all?

Kashi Syal Arts & Culture Editor

At just 21 years old, Abigail Whitney is a full-time University of Toronto undergraduate student, model, actor, and now, director.

Whitney is majoring in Theatre and Performance Art, with a double minor in English Literature and Equity Studies. When she is not in a lecture or a library, she models for CoverGirl and Vogue Italia, and most recently, she has become the centre of Sephora’s national beauty campaign.

Whitney’s latest creative endeavour is directing the UC Follie’s show Les Frères (The Brothers) by Sandra A. Daley-Sharif. The play stars Kwaku Adu-Poku, Kato Alexander, and David Delisca as the brothers, with Most McNeilly as Woman and Rob Candy as Mr. Brent Ewens.

The Varsity sat down with Whitney to discuss how she, as a woman of colour, navigates being both hyper-visible and invisible in her three worlds: student, director, and model.

Courtesy of ABIGAIL WHITNEY, Photo by NAZANIN ZAREPOUR (Instagram: @naz.areth)

The Varsity: How are you juggling being a full-time student, director, and model all at once?

Abigail Whitney: Yeah, it’s so much, but I knew that I wanted to direct this play and I would do anything to just make it happen. Currently, I have assignments due, so I couldn’t even schedule rehearsals this week because I knew I had to focus on school. The actors are super understanding about it, because this is the only week that I haven’t been able to have rehearsals and they’ve been rehearsing together.

I have a [modelling] gig today — I’m such a bag lady on campus. I have this interview, and then a class, and then I am missing part of another class, and then I have another interview, and then I have to run to the shoot, and then I have class in the evening. So I’ve been able to sort of balance school and model, but it’s definitely a lot on my plate.

TV: That’s incredible. It all sounds quite demanding. How does the industry navigate your availability?

AW: As long as I’m free, I can let them know that I can schedule something, but they are totally up-to-date that I’m directing [Les Frères] and that it can’t conflict with show dates or anything like that. They are completely aware that I’m a full-time student as well, and they know my class schedule, so they try to work around that. Honestly, I feel more like a student because I’m a full-time student. I’m not yet a full-time model, so I consider myself more of a student.

TV: The fact that you’re part of Sephora’s national campaign is a big deal. What’s it been like working in the industry as a woman of colour?

AW: It is a big deal. I take it so seriously because I know having this opportunity doesn’t come to every dark-skin Black model. And, oh my gosh, it’s super emotional too… it’s rare — just the slightest opportunity is huge and a super big deal. I’ve met so many incredible women of colour on set who are tremendously supportive. Doing this campaign, I was kind of low-key when I went into the Sephora stores, but my friend was with me and she’s told all the workers, “That’s the model.” And then I had really beautiful Black women come up to me, who were like, “Oh my gosh, to see you, you know, a dark-skinned Black model, showcased with this huge brand.”

I’m just happy for the support that I’m getting. I haven’t had a negative experience, but obviously coming into it, I was a bit hesitant, because of the perceptions of being a Black model [and] what kind of shoots they might put me in because of the way that [the industry] perceives Black women. I thought that would have an intense role in what I could do.

That’s something that I just thought might happen, but that has really never been the case.

TV: You co-directed I Can’t Trust Anyone, Everyone Hurts Me: A Comedy for the U of T Drama Festival earlier this year, but Les Frères is your directorial debut — how have the two experiences differed, if at all?

AW: When this play came around, I knew I had to do it on my own, because it’s unique

to my experiences. It’s still a collaboration, in the sense that I am collaborating with my set designer, my lighting designer, and my actors as well. These ideas are not solely mine. I still welcome opinions. It’s honestly just a total learning experience, and I want the work to be transparent with both the actors and me.

They tell me how to improve. I tell them how to improve. It’s student production. We’re all learning. We’re all just trying to make the best out of things.

TV: Now that you’ve worked professionally in the industry, how does that translate into student productions and your understanding of them?

AW: I know that there are limitations to student productions — limitations with budget, with how much energy and time people can actually commit to the production compared to when you’re doing, say, a professional modelling gig. [In that scenario] everyone is focused and zeroed in on that and they’re not thinking about other commitments. But for this, the actors have other commitments, the stage manager and assistant stage managers have other commitments, [and] I have school.

It’s a lot of balancing.

TV: For sure — everything is such a balancing act! Why is this play so important? Why should people go see it?

AW: For so, so, so many reasons. It’s the first time [Les Frères] has ever been staged. So really, it’s the premiere of this play. It’s just super amazing. When I asked the playwright for the rights, she was hesitant because [the script] was a draft so she didn’t know how I would feel about it and didn’t know how she

would feel about it or if she wants it out there.

It will be the first time that [many audience members will] get to witness a play that centres around Haitian culture and [a] representation of Haitian history on stage. I’m half Haitian, so it’s just so full circle. It feels like an out-of-body experience just to have the opportunity, in a creative space, to talk about Haitian culture, to talk about Haitian history, and to speak the language. I remember when one of the actors was speaking Creole and I was just like, “Oh my gosh, this is so amazing.” The audiences will be able to witness that, and I think it’s a beautiful, really beautiful thing.

I have the opportunity to creatively express my own relationship with Haiti. I’ve never stepped foot in Haiti. I was born [in Toronto] and the play is allowing me to question what that means, and I am able to explore how I express that on stage. I completely relate to the male characters, in terms of them being displaced from Haiti and being displaced from their apartment as well.

They are estranged brothers and haven’t seen each other for over 10 years. There’s this fear of entering back into their apartment, and the play explores what the apartment represents and what it reflects — perhaps, our ideas of Haiti, or maybe it simply represents Haiti. So I get to creatively work through these ideas. The actors are doing an incredible job. It’s a lot, but it’s going to be really, really good.

Les Frères runs at the George Ignatieff Theatre from November 29 to December 1.

NOVEMBER 26, 2018 | 13

var.st/arts

Switch up your study space Secluded places to study this finals season

The Indoor Garden is truly a hidden gem on campus; once you find it, you’ll never want to leave.

TERRENCE DONNELLY/THE VARSITY

Mariya Postelnyak Varsity Contributor

If you’ve ever tried to open a bag of chips in a Robarts reading room only to look up after the first crackling bite and see a dozen pairs of eyes glaring at you — you’ve learned that studying in the library isn’t for you.

Still, many students, myself included, find it equally difficult to study at home. Familiar comforts can equal distractions when your eyes wander across the room and catch something to fix, clean, or move; maybe water your plants and take an excursion — or 12 — to the fridge.

The proximity to your bed is not helpful either when trying to resist the urge to take multiple Netflix and nap breaks.

Then, there’s the power of the space itself; the ability of lights, sounds, and colours to inspire our thoughts, shift our moods, help us relax, or cause additional stress. As much as it’s important to stay centred regardless of our surroundings, the environment that we find ourselves in can either be helpful or obstructive in this feat.

For those who are searching for a middle

ground between studying at home or abiding by the library’s strict pact of silence, I’ve explored and tested some alternative study spaces.

OISE Nexus Lounge — 252 Bloor Street West, 12th Floor

The Nexus Lounge not only boasts one of the most impressive views on campus, but also offers a versatile study area with desk space, lounge space, and a kitchenette.

This makes it effortless to rotate your studying, breaking, and snacking all in one spot, not to mention snapping some stunning scenery.

Natural light fills the room during daytime, but the best part comes for those studying overtime — a radiant sunset over the city.

Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, Indoor Garden — 160 College Street, First Floor

If you’re looking for a dynamic and energizing study space, step inside the Donnelly Centre’s indoor garden. Divided by tall tropical plants, this spot feels secluded from the rest of the building. In the midst of palms and bamboo,

an opening leads to a wood-based patio with benches. The feeling of being inside a hidden oasis creates a soothing effect. This is a great place to catch up on readings in an incredibly unique environment.

Athletic Centre Pool Gallery — 55 Harbord Street, First Floor

At first glance, this may seem an unlikely study spot. But the Athletic Centre’s pool gallery has a surprisingly de-stressing atmosphere — a result of its vast space and the moderate sounds of swimmers and pool water swaying below.

The bleachers overlooking the pool are often empty in the morning hours and are gradually settled by students camped out with books, bags, and coffee from Café AC just outside. The spot is also great for studying with a friend as you won’t run the risk of getting the dreaded ‘shhh’ when quizzing each other out loud.

Myhal Centre for Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Atrium — 55 St. George Street, Fifth Floor The recently opened Myhal Centre has all the

Theatre Review: Hart House’s The Penelopiad

Atwood successfully captures the unheard voices of Homer’s The Odyssey Hannah Lank Varsity Theatre Critic

Rating: 4.5/5 stars Since 2002, Hart House Theatre has staged a Shakespearean production every winter, alternating between a comedy and a tragedy each season.

This tradition was replaced, or simply suspended, this year, but it is a loss that is noticed minimally, if at all, if only for the reason that Shakespeare has been replaced by a more contemporary bard: Margaret Atwood.

Atwood’s The Penelopiad is a drama on the level of Shakespeare. It is a retelling of Homer’s The Odyssey from a female-centric lens: that of Penelope, wife of Odysseus and the titular character.

In typical Atwood fashion, audiences receive the story of The Odyssey through Penelope’s voice and experiences.

The Penelopiad is composed of an all female-

The women of the ensemble, Amanda Cordner as Penelope.

SCOTT GORMAN/Courtesy of HART HOUSE THEATRE

identifying cast of 13, and a mostly femaleidentifying production team. They are a wonderfully large and diverse troupe, who tell the story of Penelope’s life, her marriage to Odysseus, his absence for 20 years, his eventual return, and its implications.

At the beginning of the play, Penelope, who often speaks to the audience in a painfully honest fashion, reveals that her 12 maids were murdered and that she is to blame. The remainder of the play seeks to expose the culmination of such

an event, in turn questioning female agency and the importance of female narrative, and perhaps most importantly, the silencing of women. This play is saturated with typical Atwoodian motifs and themes; it is a wonderful replacement for the often male-centric drama found in Shakespeare.

Apart from Amanda Cordner, who plays Penelope, almost all members of the cast play multiple characters. Each is both one of Penelope’s maids as well as a male character, such as Odysseus himself, or a minor character, such as Helen

sophisticated design and gadgets you’d expect from an engineering building.

This extends to the spacious fifth-floor study hall that makes maximal use of natural shine with its edgy skylights and high ceilings, reducing the use of artificial light sources. Even if you’re not an engineering student, Myhal is friendly, spacious, and has plenty of natural light.

Jackman Law Building — 78 Queen’s Park, First Floor

This study spot emanates a sleek modern elegance throughout. The atmosphere is heightened in the main study hall with its abstract edges and endless windows. From the worktables, students get a cozy view of wintry parks outside.

The sights of nature combined with the openness of the space create a peaceful atmosphere that soothes stress. And don’t worry about knowing what habeas corpus means, as students outside the law field have been taking advantage of the spot since the building opened in 2016.

of Troy. The multiplicity of roles for each actor not only challenges typical gender stereotypes, but reinforces the multiplicity of narratives that Atwood emphasizes in her feminist retelling of this myth.

Director Michelle Langille’s staging of The Penelopiad is unsurprisingly exciting and inventive.

Soft and dreamy background music can be heard almost constantly throughout the play, an unusual detail that perhaps emphasizes the uniqueness of the female voice. The set itself is mystical and well-occupied by the large cast, who move about frequently, employing props, such as large ropes, which at one point are used to mimic Penelope’s famous weaving.

Hart House Theatre productions almost always make excellent use of the entire theatre, not just the stage, and this production is no different.

Even the lighting is memorable and even physical at times, used to blind the audience in an unusual and powerful effect.

Ultimately, The Penelopiad is an excellent production and well worth seeing. Stand out performances include Cordner, whose strength and dedication to her character truly carry the show.

Much of the rest of the cast are appearing in their Hart House debuts, and one can only hope that they will be on this campus stage again soon.

Of course, one can also hope that the U of T alum herself has seen this excellent production.

As a U of T student myself, it is particularly exciting to see such an epic work written by an alum and staged in a campus theatre. If such pride is not enough for you to enjoy the show, its own merits should do the trick.

14 | THE VARSITY | ARTS & CULTURE

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The Blackwood Gallery: Miruna Dragan’s When

Either But Not Both Are True Chaos in harmony: a search for truth in representation Elaine YJ Zheng Varsity Contributor

The Blackwood Gallery in Mississauga is currently hosting Miruna Dragan’s When Either But Not Both Are True. The exhibition reflects an artist’s exploration of the relations we hold with the world around us, as well as the way our beliefs shape these relations.

Dragan explores the limits of knowledge vis-àvis the unknown with allusions to spirituality and logic systems, addressing fundamental questions of harmony, representation, and epistemology.

Entering Dragan’s display is a sensory overload — bright hues of reds and blues advance to meet the viewer against a churning backdrop of grey. The traditional blending with the contemporary, sharp lines beside soft contours; juxtaposition upon jux-

taposition, opposition followed by opposition; all in all, a seemingly chaotic mess.

Once viewers recover from the initial confusion, accept the lack of understanding of the objects in the surroundings, and gather the courage to approach the display and consider what’s before the eyes one entity at a time, then the initial discord will slowly begin to fade.

The individual pieces greet the viewer by presenting a landscape of their own. From afar, as the viewer takes in the space as a whole, they cannot help but feel the presence of a great emptiness, that of alienation from the environment, as humans maintain their distance and consider it from a rational, or perhaps theoretical, perspective.

On the far left, a glimmering box rests on the floor before a tapestry, upon which four blue petals embedded with logic symbols find themselves

Kent Monkman is a Canadian First Nations artist. He specializes in both visual and performance art.

Courtesy of ONTARIO HERITAGE TRUST

Decolonizing Art History

What do Kent Monkman’s paintings reveal about Canada’s history?

Jess Stewart-Lee Video Editor

At first glance, the Winter Garden Theatre is gorgeous. There are hundreds of tiny lights dotted around the ceiling, interspersed with a thick foliage of colourful leaves and twisting vines that

make up the underside of the only operating twotiered Edwardian theatre in the world.

On the night of November 14, the theatre was packed with people eager to see Kent Monkman, renowned Cree painter and artist, and the mastermind behind the Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience exhibition.

First showcased in the University of Toronto Art Museum for Canada 150, Shame and Prejudice was just a portion of Monkman’s prolific output, charting the trajectory of Canadian art history itself.

And that is what we had all gathered for: Monkman’s lecture, titled “Decolonizing Art History.”

Throughout the lecture, Monkman displayed an array of images from photographs to paintings, and sculpture to film stills and etchings. He

SKYLAR CHEUNG/THE VARSITY

surrounded by Suminagashi patterns inked on rice paper; all of this is against a softly textured salt wall.

The allusion to the natural world is obvious. However, the underlying presence of the supernatural, reflected by Eastern symbolism, light, and water, highlights the presence of an additional dimension to perception; this can only be achieved by rekindling our relationship with our environment.

A few steps to the right, there is a more pronounced contrast between the vivid geometric patterns and the soft backdrop, further establishing the lack of harmony between reason and spirituality. Yet this also hints that our understanding of both the physical and the metaphysical are ultimately part of a whole, despite superficial disparity.

When Either But Not Both Are True seems to reflect a return to the tradition of Romanticism, through its focus on the lack of unity and spiritual-

ity in contemporary society, as well as the emphasis pon the importance of our environment. Likewise, its appeal to Eastern philosophy, which challenges what we know of conventional, Western logic, encourages an acceptance of chaos as a part of a greater whole.

The infinitely expandable rhizomatic tree resting in a corner attests to the above. The rhizome can be understood as a symbol of resistance from traditional linear organizational structures; there is no beginning or end and everything is united. This addresses our current framework of knowledge and understanding, according to structured hierarchies, and considers the natural world through a network of multiplicities.

Ultimately, we are asked to re-evaluate not only our relation to nature, but to question the very foundation of our beliefs.

began with several introductory images of the works of early settler-colonial painters, whose vast, lush paintings depict rich green forests and towering mountains that stretch into the distance.

Often the sun is shown bursting up from behind these mountains, denoting “biblical subjects transposed to North America,” as Monkman explained. The greenery and golden glow of the sun was not entirely at odds with the beautiful interior of the theatre — yet it was there that Monkman shattered the beauty of these early settlercolonial paintings.

The vast, gorgeous landscapes were barren of people, except for the European settlers who ‘discovered’ the land.

Many of Monkman’s earlier works were direct responses to these pieces, and inspired his transition from abstract to representational.

The first painting Monkman discussed was William Ranney’s “Boone’s First View of Kentucky,” which shows a sweeping skyline, with a small band of European settlers in the foreground, surveying the land before them. This use of nature as a vast empty space to conquer effectively painted over the very real Indigenous people who lived in these places before white settlers arrived.

Monkman admitted that he “rejected everything that [he] learned in college because [he] thought that representational artmaking was actually passé.” But he noted that it was upon learning more about celebrated early Canadian artists, such as George Catlin, that he became frustrated with the confining nature of his art. So, he turned to representational art.

Tracing Canada’s growth as a nation, his twospirited identity, Miss Chief Share Eagle Testickle, sauntered her way through several of the paintings that Monkman deconstructed for the audience.

Miss Chief, as Monkman refers to her, is the iconic look for which Monkman is most wellknown. Clothed in red, Miss Chief ’s first appearance was in the painting “Artist and Model,” towering in platform heels and scantily clad in a fluttering pink loincloth and enormous, bodylength feather headdress.

If you’re looking for an explanation, you’ll find one in her origin story, which Monkman promises can be read in his upcoming novel: The Memoirs of Miss Chief Eagle Testickle.

My first experience with Miss Chief and Monkman himself was through his short film, The Group of Seven Inches. A short black-and-white, the film opens with Miss Chief riding a horse to the McMichael Collection and dismounting beside the replica Tom Thompson shack. She enters the shack to find two white men with whom she proceeds to dress and fondle with a kind of reckless abandon that one can only have, apparently, in a log cabin outside of one of Ontario’s most beloved art collections.

Monkman proceeded to note that this was shot entirely on a weekend when the gallery was closed, although that did not prevent a family with young children from peering through the windows of the cabin to be pleasantly surprised.

Monkman does not invoke Miss Chief merely to draw humour from Canadian art history, though. Rather, Miss Chief is his way of critiquing the way that queer and Indigenous narratives were and are erased from Canadian history through the medium of painting.

In turning our eye toward the history that we have been taught, Monkman’s lecture and his career of decolonization through art causes us to think about the structures that we inhabit and their compliance in upholding history and 150 years of colonization — no matter how beautiful they may be.

Science

November 26, 2018 var.st/science science@thevarsity.ca

‘Black box’ collects data from the operating room U of T professor Teodor Grantcharov’s invention could improve medical outcomes Javiera Gutierrez Duran Varsity Contributor

Akin to a black box in an aircraft, a black box in the operating room (OR) can provide valuable insights.

The OR black box records information during a surgery that is then analyzed to determine how interactions between the surgical team, the environment, and human components factor into patient outcomes.

Dr. Teodor Grantcharov, staff surgeon at St. Michael’s Hospital and professor in the Faculty of Medicine, developed the OR black box in 2017. One of the driving reasons for creating it is that the operating room can be secretive.

“The reason why we developed it is because we felt that we lack transparency, we lack data about our performance as surgeons, as teams, as organizations. We lack data from the operating room,” said Grantcharov.

“Nobody knows what happens there,” said Grantcharov. “Whatever happens there stays there, and we make mistakes, we have successes

and failures, but we have very little opportunity to understand them, to study them, and to improve in the future.”

According to Grantcharov, the black box could change this and allow health care providers to recognize and learn from their mistakes, and improve medical outcomes for patients.

“Without data, we can’t improve, and we felt that the OR black box could provide some more insight and some more data that we could use to critically reflect and see opportunities to get better,” said Grantcharov.

The black boxes document everything that occurs in an operating room, and not just the surgical procedure.

It collects video recordings, audio, environmental factors like fluctuations in noise levels and temperature, and minute details like the opening and closing of doors.

Furthermore, it collects information on the performance of the surgical team, patient physiology, and the instruments used.

Grantcharov added that the black box analyzes correlations “between performance and outcomes, between stress and performance, between fatigue and performance, and between communication and performance, in any particular outcome.”

Improvements in health care can be made from analyzing such data.

For example, data from the black box indicated that the more people were in the room, the higher the risk of an error.

“We looked at the policy of our hospital which was ‘keep room traffic to a minimum,’” explained Grantcharov.

“So now, we can say for this type of procedure, there shouldn’t be more than 10 people or eight people, and if there are more they [have to] come another day,” continued Grantcharov. “[We] can create the system where we reduce, we restrict access, we can create a system where we eliminate the external communication, especially in most critical steps of the procedure.”

Currently, OR black boxes are used

at St. Michael’s Hospital, Humber River Hospital, and North York General Hospital.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the OR black box, Grantcharov and his team need sufficient data to observe trends and draw conclusions.

In fact, associate professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health Patricia Trbovich and her research team are using grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Ontario Centres of Excellence to examine the data black boxes collect and their overall effectiveness.

The instrument also allows medical staff from around the world to learn from one another.

“We can see, if we do something here and a team of surgeons does the same thing in Amsterdam… what are the things that we do better than them so that they can learn from

GHEYANA PURBODININGRAT/THE VARSITY

us,” said Grantcharov. “And we want to see what are the things they do better than us so we can learn from them. There is always something to learn from others.”

The OR black box has been used for minimally invasive procedures like laparoscopic surgeries, in which operations happen through small incisions with the aid of a camera.

But Grantcharov added that the black box can capture data from any procedure, even ones outside of the OR. For Grantcharov, the optimal achievement of the OR black box lies in culture change. “[It can] allow us to make surgery more open, more transparent, and less mystical for patients. [It makes] the operating room more collaborative,” said Grantcharov.

The Arctic haze

Suspended particulate matter could have drastic effects on our climate Atmospheric aerosol can influence Arctic climate.

CLARA THAYSEN/THE VARSITY

Thomas Kosciuch Varsity Contributor

Each spring in the Arctic, haze blankets the atmosphere. The particles that make up this ‘Arctic haze’ are known as aerosols and have wide-ranging effects on health and climate.

Dr. Megan Willis, a former postdoctoral fellow at U of T, recently published an article in the Reviews of Geophysics about the threats that atmospheric aerosols pose to the environment.

“We have learned a lot about Arctic aerosol in the last 10 to 15 years, and I think we have identified some of the important gaps in our knowledge,” Willis said in an email to The Varsity. “If we

want to have a good understanding of how our climate will change in response to greenhouse gases we need to understand what aerosol does to the climate.”

What are atmospheric aerosols?

Aerosols are liquid and solid particles that are less than 1/75th the width of a human hair and largely originate from from Canadian, European, and Russian cities.

Long-distance transport of spring aerosols to the Arctic occurs through tropospheric currents transporting air from Eurasia to North America, though the permeable Arctic front seldom experiences the removal processes such as rain and snow. During transport, the

chemicals mix, some are removed, and the smallest form clouds.

These aerosols are mainly composed of sulfates, black carbon, organic carbon, mineral dust, volcanic sulfur, and suspended sea salt. The first three originate largely from anthropogenic sources.

The accumulation of atmospheric aerosols in the Arctic will have long-term consequences. For example, the expansion of the oil and gas industry into the Arctic will release black carbon, which is known to cause a warming effect. Climate change has also resulted in the loss of sea ice in the Arctic, and this increases the presence of aerosol precursors.

By contrast, increased shipping activity is known to emit climate-cooling

aerosols, and a decrease in shipping travel distance is said to reduce carbon emissions.

What is being done to reduce atmospheric aerosols?

According to Willis, groups like the International Arctic Science Committee and the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program provide international communities with opportunities to assess Arctic aerosol and other forms of pollution.

“We don’t know enough about how aerosol impacts the global climate system to be sure about what the effect would be of, for example, [releasing] aerosol into the stratosphere with the hope of offset-

ting greenhouse gas warming,” Willis wrote. “Such measures could have very undesirable consequences on precipitation patterns.”

Willis, who previously researched atmospheric aerosols in the Abbatt Group in U of T's Department of Chemistry, continues to research natural and anthropogenic aerosol in the Arctic.

“Some examples [of remaining open questions] include how emissions of gasphase organic compounds contribute to Arctic aerosol and how these might change with decreasing sea ice, and how aerosol emitted locally in the Arctic under cold and dark conditions is chemically processed and removed,” wrote Willis.

16 | THE VARSITY | SCIENCE

science@thevarsity.ca

The double standard of retractions

A growing database of retractions reveals scientific research’s commitment to accountability but highlights flaws in its enforcement

Retractions alert readers to errors in scientific literature.

NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE/CC FLICKR

Ashima Kaura Varsity Staff

What’s in a word?

In the scientific community, the word ‘retraction’ carries with it a pervasive stigma, often conflated with the idea of an academic death penalty.

Retractions, or the pulling of a paper from publication, can tarnish a researcher’s reputation, call into question the legitimacy of a lifetime of work, and dismantle careers.

Outside of the personal realm, retractions alter public perceptions of science.

Last month, the Retraction Watch blog released a Retraction Watch Database. The database is a comprehensive list of retractions in scientific journals since 1923. Out of the 18,000 retractions and notes available on the database, 63 are affiliated with U of T. What constitutes a retraction?

Science prides itself on being self-correcting, and retractions are a powerful mechanism for that self-correction.

When errors are relatively minor and restricted to a small portion of a publication, a complete withdrawal of the scientific finding is unnecessary and a correction may be issued.

The World Association of Medical Editors defines scientific misconduct as including the falsification, distortion, and omission of data; failure to report misconduct; and the destruction of information relevant to a publication.

Retractions are issued to correct the scientific literature and alert readers of the unreliable conclusions of a paper. According to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), they are “[not] to punish authors who misbehave.”

Yet intent and outcome are not always synchronous. The closure of Toronto-based researchers Dr. Sylvia Asa’s and Dr. Shereen Ezzat’s labs, and the termination of their positions within the University Health Network (UHN), is evidence of how retractions can pose dire consequences to academics’ careers.

Retraction guidelines are inconsistent and could be misinterpreted The scientific misconduct scandals of Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology educators and husband-wife duo Asa and Ezzat account for four of U of T’s retractions as listed

on the Retraction Watch Database. Asa and Ezzat’s cases made headlines in the Toronto Star in 2015 and 2016.

They were found responsible for scientific misconduct in the form of material non-compliance.

They failed, as principal investigators, to disclose alterations to images and provide preliminary data that matched the published ones in a number of cases of published work.

Asa lost her position as the head of UHN’s Laboratory Medicine Program, the largest program of its kind in Canada, and the UHN imposed sanctions against Asa and Ezzat.

Regarding her 2002 paper, which was one of her articles that was later retracted, Asa told The Varsity that “this was a paper that was almost five years of work. Most of my research starts with a clinical problem, and one of the things I’ve studied is pituitary [tumours].” “[UHN] claim that two images [of the electrophoresis gels] came from the same one and had been manipulated,” said Asa. “The fact is that we had all the raw data, we had all the original data.”

“Nothing changes anything in that paper, based on the fact that the image was wrong.

Patients who have pituitary tumours, for all the people who were involved in the research, all the work that we did is still true,” said Asa. “The results of that paper are no different today.”

The journals in which Asa published her findings were alerted to the irregularities in her research via an outside source.

UHN opened an investigation into Asa’s publications as a result of these allegations, and implicated the pathologist in the fabrication and falsification of images. These allegations were challenged in court by Asa and Ezzat, where it was ultimately found that they could not prove who tampered with the images, based on the evidence.

Asa told The Varsity that she felt targeted by the retraction process.

“The retraction process is interesting. It’s definitely necessary. But it has limitations… There have been mechanisms put in place in a lot of different parts of the world, to be more objective and have more standardized criteria for how an investigation is done,” said Asa. But in a case almost identical to Asa’s, a Montréal researcher was given the opportunity to issue a correction instead of having to retract the entire article.

Cases like this demonstrate the wildly different implementation of retraction guidelines across institutions.

An article in Science suggested that this may be because it is ultimately up to the editors and institutions to determine whether the paper is withdrawn, as COPE only provides guidelines to clarify when a paper should be retracted.

In addition, a study in BMJ Open revealed that retraction notices did not adhere to COPE guidelines in BioMed Central journals. In 11 per cent of retracted articles, the reason for retraction was unclear — six per cent did not state who was retracting the article, while four per cent were retracted simply because not all authors were aware of the paper submission.

The stigma around retractions A common misconception is that a retraction is invariably associated with data fabrication or scientific misconduct. Yet, of the 63 U of T affiliated papers listed on the Retraction Watch database, only seven are listed for misconduct and eight are listed for fabrication. Fourteen publications have been retracted due to errors in data, attributed to honest error.

Dr. Peter Jüni, Director of the Applied Health Research Centre at St. Michael’s Hospital and professor in the Department of Medicine, has co-authored such a paper.

The publication, a network meta-analysis on the effectiveness of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for treating osteoarthritis, was published in March 2017 and retracted in July 2017.

A network meta-analysis compares multiple treatment interventions for a condition directly, using existing comparisons of the interventions in published trials, and indirectly, across different trials.

According to Jüni, research assistants in his team found that one of the articles they were using to build their meta-analysis was a duplicate publication “with slightly different results extracted twice.”

“The authors published twice, but they didn’t make it clear that these are the results describing the same population with light differences,” said Jüni. “My colleagues decided to re-run the analysis… and eliminate the duplicate article and… add two new articles that were brought up by colleagues.”

“Now if you include all of those… in an inte-

grated analysis… your numbers will change very slightly,” explained Jüni. “The conclusions of the paper didn’t change at all.”

Jüni recognized the duplicated paper, and the authors were alerted to the two missed trials via colleagues in Ottawa.

Although the error was minimal in nature, The Lancet and the authors agreed it was more feasible to retract and republish the article, as the error ran through different parts of the results and several portions of the paper.

Jüni recognized a flaw in the retraction process that could be exacerbated by the associated stigma of retraction.

“If this is not indexed properly, which was happening at the beginning — the National Library of Medicine just pointed to the retracted article, but it was not clear in PubMed or Medline that this was basically paired with a republication — then it could mean potential questions regarding your reputation,” said Jüni. “The question is then, should we call it differently?”

“Would I prefer to have another label associated with it? Yes, because of the associated stigma — but I don’t think it will happen and I think the important part is that the indexing system changes their way of reporting it. It’s not optimal, but honestly, I can live with it. And obviously I have to live with it,” continued Jüni.

Despite the sting of retractions and the potential fallout, Jüni believes that researchers have an obligation to self-report mistakes.

“You need to live as a leader, in a culture where everybody admits [they don’t] know or [made] a mistake. I need to start with that as the Director of Applied Health Research — if I don’t live it, my people don’t dare admit mistakes. We need that to make research better. That’s part of the quality assurance process.”

It is clear that the retraction process is flawed — it holds too much stigma, does not implement guidelines consistently, and fails on many occasions to communicate to the public the reasons for paper withdrawal. However, it is currently the only system we have to correct the literature and protect scientific endeavours.

What implications do retractions have for scientific research?

Trudo Lemmens, professor and chair of the Department of Health Law and Policy at the Faculty of Law, believes that the increase in the number of retractions may be due to a growing concern around scientific integrity due to a growth in scientific publications over the years.

Science reports that an increase in retractions could be attributed to more comprehensive oversight from scientific journals. Though editorial practices differ from journal to journal, a rise in retractions hints at stricter editorial practices.

In 2009, COPE published guidelines that suggest a publication should be retracted if the findings are unreliable due to scientific misconduct, plagiarism, duplication, or honest error. By 2015, these guidelines were adopted by two-thirds of 147 high-impact journals, and have helped standardize the retraction process.

NOVEMBER 26, 2018 | 17

var.st/science

Dinosaur teeth uncover evolutionary secrets

Science Around Town

UTM paleontologists search the past to learn how mammalian teeth evolved Junaid Ishaq Varsity Contributor

UTM paleontologists, professor Robert Reisz and former PhD student Aaron LeBlanc, published studies in PLOS One and the Proceedings of the Royal Society B that shed light on the complex evolution of teeth.

In PLOS One, Reisz and coauthors published an article that discusses Changchunsaurus parvus from the ornithopod family of dinosaurs. Ornithopods are herbivorous dinosaurs. Based on fossil records, ornithopods used their beaks to rip plants from the ground and had muscles to chew through coarse vegetation.

Reisz and LeBlanc explored the importance of this species in understanding the evolution of dentition in dinosaurs and a newfound form of teeth replacement.

LeBlanc’s study in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B located points of evolutionary change in mammalian dentition and delved into how mammalian dentition has evolved over the last

300 million years.

Both studies examined the fossil record by sawing off thin slices of tissue from the desired region.

These slices were then polished to create transparent samples. The resulting slice was then subjected to three-dimensional analysis and subsequent computer configuration.

Herbivorous ornithopods are often studied due to the myriad of dental innovations they developed to cope with their diet. C. parvus was specifically studied, as it precedes major innovations in dinosaur dentistry and was thought to possess an ancestral version of previously investigated structures.

The thin sections examined confirmed the function of some components of the dental network.

However, they also exhibited a novel form of tooth replacement, which was essential in herbivores due to the extensive pressures of a plantbased diet.

Reisz’s study also solidified that C. parvus had the earliest known occurrence of wavy enamel. This type of enamel was previously disassociated with the ornithopod family and its discovery in C.

Emily Deibert Varsity Staff

Teeth from Changchunsaurus parvus hint at the evolution of dinosaur dentition.

Courtesy of ROBERT REISZ

parvus opens their phylogenetic relationships for discussion.

The results are significant. C. parvus appears at a pivotal point in the evolutionary history of the tooth and understanding its dentition better will lead to a more complete understanding of teeth in general.

LeBlanc’s study examined tooth complexity.

Researchers previously believed that mammals had the most complex form of teeth, while reptiles possessed a simpler version. This was a result of mammals having a ligamentous attachment mechanism for teeth compared to the reptilian teeth being fused directly to the jaw.

But through observing thin

sections of therapsid — early reptiles — teeth, Reisz and LeBlanc observed ligamentous structures similar to mammals.

Further study of thin sections from a variety of organisms implied that teeth ligaments developed before the divergence of mammals from reptiles, and that the reptilian fused teeth arrangement is in fact due to calcification — the accumulation of solid calcium deposits — of teeth over time.

Insight into dental history allows for a more comprehensive understanding of our teeth, and the resulting development of new theories, techniques, and explanations in dentition.

The Dawn of Life The Royal Ontario Museum’s exhibit will travel four billion years back in time

Quantum Weirdness: Problems and Perspectives The History and Philosophy of Science Undergraduate Society will be hosting a panel of U of T professors from a wide range of disciplines to discuss the the strangest phenomena in quantum physics.

Date: Monday, November 26 Time: 4:30–6:00 pm Location: Northrop Frye Hall, 73 Queen’s Park Crescent East, Room 113 Admission: Free Centre for Planetary Sciences Planet Day This day-long academic retreat will feature talks from some of the world’s leading experts on simulations, exoplanet discovery, and the interstellar interloper 1I/‘Oumuamua.

Date: Wednesday, November 28 Time: 9:30 am to 3:00 pm Location: Environmental Science and Chemistry Building, 1065 Military Trail, Room 140 Admission: Free Connect the Bots: AI and Health Care At this event, panelists will share insights into how artificial intelligence can tackle data-intensive problems in health care.

Srivindhya Kolluru Science Editor

Last week, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) finalized plans to build The Willner Madge Gallery, Dawn of Life. As its name suggests, the Dawn of Life will feature fossils from the start of life about four billion years ago until the appearance of dinosaurs over 200 million years ago.

Professor in the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Department of Earth Sciences Jean-Bernard Caron and his research team travelled to the Burgess Shale and collected some of the fossils that will become a focus of Dawn of Life.

“Without the close relationship we have with U of T, this would not be possible,” said Caron, who is also the Richard M. Ivey Curator of Invertebrate Paleontology at the ROM. “Without students, my collection would be a pile of rocks.”’

In addition to the Burgess Shale, fossils from Mistaken Point in Newfoundland, Parc national de Miguasha and Anticosti island in Québec, and Joggins Fossil Cliffs in Nova Scotia will also be on display.

Showcasing Canada’s ancient past The Cambrian Explosion occured 542 million years ago. This period marked the rapid appearance of diversified animals and mineralized fossils.

The Burgess Shale in British Columbia contains a myriad of fossils from the Cambrian period. In particular, the Burgess Shale is known for its intricate preservation of softbodied animals. Many of the fossils from this UNESCO World Heritage site provide a wealth of information that cannot be found anywhere else.

Caron initiated the Burgess Shale projects after joining the ROM in 2006, providing insight into Canada’s ancient past.

Featured fossils The fossils in this exhibit are not only relics of the past, but are also representative of Canada’s rich archaeological history.

In 1886, Canadian geologist Richard G. McConnell collected fossils from the Mount Stephen Trilobite Beds in the Canadian Rockies. McConnell ended up with a collection of trilobites, one of the earliest arthropods. But he also recovered fossils that didn’t belong to trilobites. These fossils had unusual appendages and created confusion among researchers who followed in McConnell’s tracks.

In 1892, Joseph Whiteaves described the specimen as a shrimp. In

Date: Thursday, November 29 Time: 6:00–9:30 pm Location: The Working Group, 425 Adelaide Street West, Third Floor Admission: Free with registration

Archaeocrinus maraensis is a 450-million-year-old crinoid from Ontario.

SRIVINDHYA KOLLURU/THE VARSITY

1911, Charles Walcott found a complete version of the specimen and described it as a sea cucumber. Other researchers throughout the twentieth century described the specimen as a sponge or jellyfish.

It wasn’t until 1985 that researchers Harry Whittington and Derek Briggs described two of the species in full, one of which is Anomalocaris canadensis, a basal arthropod related to spiders and shrimp.

Anomalocaridids were large predators that dominated the Cambrian seas roughly 535 million years ago.

In the 1990s, researchers from the ROM collected several, complete Anomalocaridids specimens. And in 1996, researcher Desmond Collins described Anomalocaris canadensis in detail.

This specimen is one of many treasures that will be on display in Dawn of Life.

Visitors will also be able to view banded iron formation — from the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt in northern Québec — which contains the earliest evidence of life on earth.

At the preview last week, visitors had the chance to see Acutiramus macrophthalmus in person. The fossil is the world’s largest specimen of its kind. It’s not evident from its large size, but the 420-million-yearold specimen is a distant relative to horseshoe crabs.

A 370-million-year-old Eusthenopteron fish and a Xenasaphus devexus trilobite are examples of some of the other fossils that will be featured.

Construction of the Dawn of Life is slated to begin in 2019 and the ROM hopes to open the exhibit in 2021. Meanwhile, a preview of the gallery is located on the second-floor rotunda.

Arachnophobes to Arachnophiles: Friendly Spiders in Your House, Gardens and Parks Dr. Chris Buddle from McGill University will share the natural history of spiders around us, and debunk myths about these misunderstood creatures.

Date: Saturday, December 1 Time: 1:30–2:30 pm Location: Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park, Signy and Cléophée Eaton Theatre Admission: Free with RSVP and ROM admission Making Math Visible Can art inform how we teach math? At this event, participants will learn more about how the beauty of math can influence students and participate in the construction of a giant geometric sculpture.

Date: Sunday, December 2 Time: 2:00–3:30 pm Location: Medical Sciences Building, 1 King’s College Circle, JJR Macleod Auditorium Admission: Free with registration

Sports

November 26, 2018 var.st/sports sports@thevarsity.ca

The future of Canadian tennis

In conversation with Denis Shapovalov George Moshenski-Dubov Varsity Contributor

Over the last decade, Tennis Canada has produced a new wave of successful Canadian tennis players. Starting with Vasek Pospisil in 2007, Milos Raonic in 2008, and Eugenie Bouchard in 2009, Canadians have been a force to reckon with on the courts, beating some of the best players in the world. However, Canada’s best might be knocking on the door to glory.

Currently ranked 27th in the world, Denis Shapovalov is no stranger to success on the big stage — he won the US Open Doubles Junior Grand Slam in 2015 and the Wimbledon Singles Junior Grand Slam in 2016.

Shapovalov exploded onto the professional scene in 2017, beating thensecond-ranked seed Rafael Nadal at the Rogers Cup in Montréal. The star on the rise spoke with The Varsity about his success and his future in tennis.

During this year’s Rogers Cup in Toronto, Shapovalov had the opportunity to play on Centre Court in his hometown.

Will Denis Shapovalov be the first Canadian men’s player to win a Grand Slam tournament?

CARINE06/CC FLICKR

“Playing at home is truly amazing.

It’s very rare to have a chance to play in your home country so when I have that chance I try to take advantage of it. I really love having the crowd behind me, so I try to get them engaged as much as possible,” Shapovalov said.

“Obviously it’s great to have my friends and family around to watch me play. When I am on the court I try not to pay too much attention to that; however, it’s great to see them off the court because I am usually travelling, so I don’t get a chance to see them often,” Shapovalov added.

When asked about beating Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin Del Potro

in 2017, Shapovalov replied, “Beating them was a huge step forward in my career. I was about 130th in the world when I beat them, so with that tournament my ranking jumped a lot and made me eligible to play in bigger events. It was also a huge confidence booster for me, knowing that I am able to beat players of that level. It really inspired me to work harder to keep improving.”

Shapovalov’s big wins sparked a climb up the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) ranking from 133rd to 67th.

When it comes to tennis supremacy, four men lead the way in the

Golden Era of Tennis: Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer. Combined, they’ve won 50 of the 55 major single titles, from the 2005 French Open to the 2018 US Open.

It’s hard to imagine tennis without the Big Four, but Shapovalov suggested that the future of tennis may start to change.

“It’s difficult to know exactly what the future of tennis holds. However, I see a lot of talented young guys on the come up. I’m sure [in] the next couple of years we are going to see a lot of ranking changes with lots of young guys coming up and older guys drop-

ping out,” he said.

Denis Shapovalov is not only a talented singles player, but also a competitive doubles player. Yet, even the biggest names in the sport have difficulties balancing both events.

“I think doubles is equally as exciting as singles. You have a lot more ‘hotshot’ points and the game has a very high pace, so it is fun to watch,” he said. “For me, it’s a chance to work on some components of my game that I usually cannot in singles matches.

Such as serving and volleying.”

Like most professional athletes, Shapovalov’s daily routine is broken down by the minute. When he isn’t competing or travelling his schedule is: 9:00 am: Wake up 9:30 am: Breakfast 10:00–10:45 am: Mobilization 11:00 am to 1:00 pm: On court training 1:00–3:00 pm: Lunch and break 3:00–4:30 pm: Fitness 4:30–6:00 pm: On court training 6:00–7:30 pm: Cool down and recovery 7:30–10:00 pm: Dinner and off time 10:00 pm: Bedtime What makes Shapovalov a real threat in the future is his desire to improve.

“I think I have a lot of areas where I can improve. I think mentally I am still growing and improving. Physically I can keep getting stronger and more explosive. And on court I can improve a lot in my net game,” he said.

Looking toward the 2019 tennis season, a motivated Shapovalov has the opportunity to make some noise atop the ATP rankings.

What Varsity Blues athletes eat: Sandakie Ekanayake Rugby athlete Sandakie Ekanayake reveals what fuels her busy schedule

Daniela Ruscica Varsity Contributor

Food equates to energy in an athlete’s world. Sandakie Ekanayake crafts her diet so that she can balance her athletic endeavours as a lock for the Varsity Blues women’s rugby team and a member of the Pom Team.

As most rugby games take place in the afternoon, Ekanayake’s main focus before a game is breakfast. Tea is a must in the morning for Ekanayake, game day or not, and is the beginning of her daily routine. Ekanayake says that her morning nutritional focus is on carbs, protein, and fats. She likes to begin the day with breakfast foods like eggs and bacon or sausages.

As a commuter, Ekanayake’s quick on-the-go snack is peanut butter and jelly. The blend of protein and carbs is important to her diet.

Following her mantra of balance, dinner the night before the game is just as important. Consuming carbs is key, so Ekanayake sticks to rice or pasta. Her biggest stress though is to stay hydrated.

Staying hydrated is crucial for an athlete’s body, and so is getting protein before a game. Prior to the start of a game, she tries to consume simple

carbs like a protein bar.

Her eating habits aren’t too regimented, but she does her best to stay constant in season and off season by eating healthy year round.

Like many of us, Ekanayake has a sweet tooth and her cheats are sweets.

She believes it’s important to have a healthy relationship with food.

Because of her increased training and field time, “the biggest thing [in season] is just eating more frequently and eating more food,” Ekanayake says.

According to Ekanayake, she is “not too strict in season” as the main importance for her “is simply eating more food so that [she’s] eating enough to replenish what’s being used up.”

“It’s easy to lose energy when you’re doing that much work,” she adds.

From lifts, to practice, and always being on the go, “Staying hydrated and staying fueled is not as easy as you would think… given the schedule of being a student athlete and you having other commitments on the side as well,” Ekanayake admits.

One thing that can severely alter a diet is recovering from an injury.

Ekanayake speaks to this as she recovers from a recent back injury.

“It’s very hard to change your diet

Ekanayke’s diet helps her excel in the classroom and on the field.

SEYRAN MAMMADOV/Courtesy of the VARSITY BLUES

after injury,” Ekanayake says. “I was still eating like a high-performance athlete, even though I didn’t need anywhere near the same amount of energy.”

While she admits that it’s “easy to fall off the wagon here,” she says that she tries to avoid inflammatory foods as she recovers.

Being adequately fuelled, maintain-

ing a healthy routine, and knowing which foods provide essential vitamins and protein is crucial to Ekanayake’s success, not only on the field, but also in the classroom.

NOVEMBER 26, 2018 | 19

var.st/sports

Varsity Blues men’s basketball defeated

by Windsor

WEEKLY BOX SCORES BASKETBALL MEN’S

Blues lose 95–84 at home

November 23

79–73 Western Mustangs

Varsity Blues

95–84

November 24

Windsor Lancers

December 1

Varsity Blues

@

Varsity Blues

Lakehead Thunderwolves

WOMEN’S November 23

82–59 Varsity Blues

Western Mustangs

November 24

67–62 Varsity Blues

December 1

Windsor Lancers

@

Varsity Blues

Lakehead Thunderwolves

HOCKEY MEN’S 3–2 (OT)

November 23 Varsity Blues

Waterloo Warriors

November 24

3–1 Varsity Blues

Toronto have lost four straight games.

November 29

York Lions

Varsity Blues

@

Ryerson Rams

Waterloo Warriors

vs

Varsity Blues

JENNA HUM/Courtesy of the VARSITY BLUES

Jaime McLaughlin Varsity Contributor

The Varsity Blues men’s basketball team dropped a tough 95–84 decision to the visiting Windsor Lancers on the night of Saturday, November 24 at the Athletic Centre, representing the second loss for the Blues this weekend, following their six-point defeat to the Western Mustangs the night before.

The Blues opened the game on a 13–2 run as Iñaki Alvarez took a charge on the opening possession and Nikola Paradina drilled three straight three-pointers, representing nine of his team-high 20 points on the night.

While a couple of Blues turnovers would allow the Lancers to cut the lead to just four points midway through, the Blues surged ahead and returned their lead to 12 with three minutes remaining, off of a steal and fast break layup from Alvarez and another two and three from Daniel Johansson and Eli Mouyal for good measure. Toronto ended the first quarter up 21–15.

The second quarter, however, would see momentum shift into the Lancers’ hands. The Lancers’ Telloy Simon converted a fast break layup off a Blues turnover to tie it at 23 with seven minutes left, while Anthony Zrvnar gave the visitors their first lead of the game on a fast break dunk a minute later.

Windsor pushed their lead to 13 on an 11–2 run capped by quick transition baskets and high-percentage points in

the paint. The home squad, however, would stay composed throughout, and buckets by Blues veterans Christopher Barrett, Dillon Rejman, and Paradina would shrink the lead to a manageable seven points heading into halftime, 43–36.

Windsor again would push out of the halftime break, upping their lead to 15 on an 8–0 run just two minutes into the quarter. At this point, Toronto’s Evan Shadkami took matters into his own hands, single-handedly shifting the momentum into his Blues’ favour.

He hit a much-needed three-pointer and then took an open-floor charge defending Windsor’s guard Damian Persaud in the back court the next possession. On the ensuing Blues offensive possession, Shadkami drew a foul on a shot attempt beyond the arc and drained all three foul shots, part of a 16-point effort overall.

The Blues rode the wave and continued to convert, as Johansson — who posted team highs of 12 boards and five assists — drained a sweet baby hook in the paint and Paradina dropped a bunny on the left block off a nice find from Johansson, to cut the lead to just five points with six minutes left in the period.

The teams went back and forth and fans were treated to some spectacular offensive displays from both sides.

Several Windsor players hit highlycontested threes, while Alvarez willed his way to the basket on four straight

occasions, including a buzzer beater.

He scored nine straight points for the Blues as the third quarter winded down and the lead was cut down to seven heading into the last quarter.

The Blues opened the final period on a 7–0 run to tie it at 70 a piece just over a minute and a half in. The teams traded buckets yet again and Toronto tied it for a second time at 77–77, off a Shadkami-and-one bucket.

Shadkami’s free throw opportunity gave the Blues the chance to go ahead, but he missed, and it would not be.

Windsor hit a second gear as the Blues appeared to run out of gas, and the Lancers pulled away on a game-closing 18–7 run to make the final score 95–84 in the visitors’ favour. Windsor scored 38 points in the paint on the night.

Blues’ assistant coach Mike De Giorgio was pleased with the way the team “responded to adversity” and “showed some good fight” but was disappointed in his squad’s defensive efforts, saying it would be a focus in this week’s practices leading up to the team’s road game at Lakehead University this coming Saturday.

The Blues have now lost four straight after a solid opening start to the regular season where they were 3–2 in their first five contests. This Saturday’s game in Thunder Bay against the Lakehead Thunderwolves is Toronto’s final one before the semester break.

December 1

WOMEN’S November 24

3-1 Guelph Gryphons

Varsity Blues

VOLLEYBALL MEN’S November 23

3–2 Varsity Blues

Nipissing Lakers

(21–25, 22–25, 25–22, 25–21, 15–13)

November 25

3–2 Varsity Blues

York Lions

(27–25, 23–25, 25–16, 24–26, 15–9)

WOMEN’S November 23

3-0 Varsity Blues

Nipissing Lakers

(25-21, 25-23, 25-22)

November 25

3-0 Varsity Blues

York Lions

(25–23, 25–16, 25–12)

20 | THE VARSITY | ADVERTISEMENTS

NOVEMBER 26, 2018

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