December 2, 2019
THE VARSITY The University of Toronto’s Student Newspaper Since 1880
Vol. CXL, No. 12
Toronto Police request public’s assistance in UTSG abduction case Three suspects still at large, three arrested and charged Kathryn Mannie Deputy News Editor
The Toronto Police Service has requested the public’s assistance in identifying and locating three men who were allegedly involved in an abduction that took place at UTSG earlier this month. On November 16, it is alleged that a man was approached by four individuals in the area surrounding St. George Street and Willcocks Street. Using what police are calling a “conducted energy weapon,” the suspects choked and robbed the man. They then forced him to withdraw money from a nearby bank machine and enter a cab which brought him to the east end of the city. There, he was held in a motel where he was forced to raise his credit limit. The suspects then released the man after draining his bank account. Three suspects are still at large, including Adisoon Admoon, 20, and Arthur McLean, 19. They are both wanted for kidnapping in pursuit of ransom or service, forcible confinement, violent robbery, assault by choking, and five counts of using a credit card obtained by crime. The third suspect, who is yet to be identified, is described by police as a Black male, between 20–25 years old, six feet tall, and with a skinny build. He was seen last wearing blue faded jeans, a grey or beige jacket, a grey hoodie, a red baseball hat with a white symbol, and black shoes. Toronto police advise against approaching these individuals. “They are all considered armed, violent and dangerous,” according to the news release. If located, police urge individuals to call 911 immediately. Police also believe that there may be other victims besides the man abducted at UTSG. Any information can be directed to 416808-5200. Anonymous information can be given at 416-222-8477. Three individuals have already been arrested in connection to this abduction. Daeshawn Grant, 18, was arrested and charged with accessory after the fact to commit an indictable offence, conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, three counts of using a credit card obtained through crime, possession of the proceeds of crime, failure to comply with probation, and failure to comply with recognizance. Kaelin Sankar, 21, was arrested and charged with accessory after the fact to commit an indictable offence, conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, and three counts of using a credit card obtained through crime. Tanika Galloway, 21, was arrested and charged with kidnapping in pursuit of ransom or service, forcible confinement, violent robbery, assault by choking, and five counts of using a credit card obtained through crime. Grant, Sankar, and Galloway appeared before the College Park Court on November 21.
Controversial motion to limit executive terms voted down at SCSU AGM
Questions on whether motion would remove president from office, procedural confusion dominate meeting
Meeting only addressed one out of eight motions. VICTORIA LEE/ THE VARSITY
Electoral Equity Act The Electoral Equity Act, which sought to limit
the number of terms executives could serve in their undergraduate degree to one, proved to be a controversial motion. After it was moved, long lines formed behind both microphones, and a member motioned to call the question, which would immediately stop the debate and trigger an automatic vote on the motion. A member who opposed the call to question, however, was found to be using another individual’s voting card, which had 25 proxy votes. This prompted calls for a revote wherein the opposition still prevailed. The question was not called, and discussion on the act continued. In the discussion that followed, a member pointed out that the language of the motion, which specifies that it take effect “immediately,” might call into question the legitimacy of Lhamo’s position, since she served as Vice-President Equity in the previous academic year. After another member successfully called the question, the membership voted down the motion. In an interview after the meeting, the mover of
the motion, Annie Sahagian, explained that the intention was not to remove Lhamo from office. Referencing this interpretation of the motion, she said, “I was going to amend that.” However, there was not enough time to do so as the question was called. The intended aim of the Electoral Equity Act was to encourage “student engagement, involvement and participation within SCSU,” explained Sahagian. Sahagian is the sister of Carly Sahagian, the current Vice-President Academics and University Affairs. However, both parties say they did not collaborate on the motion, pointing out that this motion would prevent Carly from running for another term as well. Carly, along with Vice-President External Chaman Bukhari, were the only two executives to vote in favour of the motion. Vice-President Operations Ray Alibux abstained from voting, and the remaining three executives, including Lhamo, voted against the motion.
Business
Comment
Feature
What do I do with my degree? Chemical engineering students get some answers
No home for the holidays: U of T should keep residences open over the break
An ode to coffee, every student’s best friend
Arts & Culture
Science
Sports
The slow burn of falling in love with Toronto
The danger of a narrow focus on the climate crisis, according to 11,000 scientists
A stunning comeback for women’s hockey against fearsome foes
Andy Takagi and Mikaela Toone News Editor and Associate News Editor
The 2019 Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU) Annual General Meeting (AGM) on November 27 got off to an exciting start with the introduction of two emergency motions. It ended anticlimactically when a room booking issue meant the meeting could not be extended beyond 9:00 pm, thus leaving many items unaddressed. Members only had time to debate one motion, which proposed preventing executives from serving more than one term — a rule which could have potentially removed current President Chemi Lhamo from her position had it not been voted down. Other motions, including ones that called for solidarity with Hong Kong, implementing online voting, and discussing SCSU pay were all left unaddressed.
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Three new pedestrian crossovers proposed for Queen’s Park Vol. CXL, No. 12 21 Sussex Avenue, Suite 306 Toronto, ON M5S 1J6 (416) 946-7600 thevarsity.ca
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Final decision to be made on December 17 by City Council
Lauren Alexander Varsity Contributor
Students trying to cross Queen’s Park may be able to walk with more security as Toronto's Transportation Services (TTS) has proposed three new pedestrian crossovers at popular jaywalking spots. If the measures receive final approval on December 17 from City Council, construction is estimated to begin during the summer of 2021. Following consultations, the university proposed crossings at areas around Queen’s Park where pedestrians naturally tend to cross. The points of interest were an area at the north roadway of Queen’s Park on Queen’s Park Crescent East; a point on Queen’s Park Crescent West, south of Hoskin Avenue; and a point on Queen’s Park Crescent West, slightly north of the south leg. The study was conducted in April by the TTC, where it observed pedestrian traffic in three areas during the busiest eight-hour period of weekdays. The study found that all but the third noted area of concern justified installing a pedestrian crossover, since they had high pedestrian volume and consistent pedestrian delay. Queen’s Park Crescent West, south of Hoskin Avenue, had the highest amount of pedestrian crossings, with 1,323 crossings in the eight-hour period. Based on these findings, TTS recommended installing crossovers in all areas, despite none of the areas meeting all of the standards for pedestrian crossings, as Queen’s Park has nearby driveways and turning movements and three lanes of one-way traffic on both Queen’s Park Crescent East and West. The areas are also in close proximity to other pedestrian crossovers and driveways. A 2017 investigation by The Varsity found four major road accidents around Queen's Park in a 10-year period. Should City Council give final approval during the December 17 meeting, the time between approval and activation would be around 18
SCSU, from cover Emergency motion on Hong Kong protests Shortly after the meeting was called to order and before the discussion on the Electoral Equity Act, Lhamo proposed an emergency motion be added to the end of the agenda. The motion, entitled “Student Solidarity for Hong Kong,” included resolutions to work with U of T to research “harassment within academic institutions of students who speak out against injustices” and to investigate “the pressure on students who are being instructed, manipulated or coerced into taking action by foreign influences.” Lhamo told The Varsity that the investigation aspect of the motion seeks to protect international Chinese students from pressures by foreign influences, which she claimed the university was hesitant to do. The motion also calls for the SCSU to create a Lennon Wall on campus. Lhamo also hopes this motion goes beyond the protests in Hong Kong, recalling the threats she faced and continues to receive, many with anti-Tibet sentiments since she is a vocal supporter of Tibetan sovereignty. She noted
The proposed pedestrian crossings are projected to be completed by summer of 2021. COURTESY OF CITY OF TORONTO
months, according to the city. “Traffic control signal installation could be reasonably expected during the summer of 2021,” wrote a city spokesperson in an email to The Varsity. The cost would be about $360,000, depending on the availability of funding. A report by TTS cited U of T traffic as the main reason for requesting the crossings, to improve connectivity and safety. U of T constitutes a “distinct region of urban parkland in the city’s downtown core,” according to the report, which also cited the Ontario Legislative Building, which is built on Queen’s Park, along with its numerous historical monuments as reasons for the new
crossovers. The crossings at Queen’s Park are part of a larger effort by U of T to make the campus more friendly to pedestrians, according to Director of Campus & Facilities Planning, Christine Burke. “The university proposed these new crossings and we’re very pleased they are moving forward,” wrote Burke in an email to The Varsity. “From consultations, we learned that these crossings are all natural routes for pedestrians, including people travelling back and forth from the University of St. Michael’s College and Victoria University on the east side of Queen’s Park.”
that she never received a report explaining the threats she faced, despite announcements that police had begun inquiries. “I would hate to see that universities and external entities behave the way they did with me to any other students.”
travene the chair’s ruling and allow the motion onto the agenda. The agenda’s re-arrangement was crucial in deciding the few motions that the membership would get to debate during the AGM — members raced to add new orders to the motions until the question was called and the agenda for the night was passed. The AGM saw the membership address one member-submitted motion — Sahagian’s — before being brought to an abrupt end by a member calling for the order of the day, requiring the membership to conform to the agenda, which meant that the meeting was over at 9:00 pm. Despite Alibux’s attempt to challenge the chair’s ruling in this matter, the room had only been booked until 9:00 pm, and the meeting could not be extended. Among the motions that weren’t addressed at the meeting were pay bumps for executives, pay for SCSU board directors to attend meetings, and a motion alleging that the union is undermining its commitments to the Boycott, Divest, and Sanction (BDS) Israel movement — one which cited an Israeli flag in Bukhari’s office as an example of such action from within the union.
Procedural hiccups The night’s agenda saw two emergency motions, several re-arrangements, and an obscure order from Robert’s Rules. These hiccups were cut short at 9:00 pm, despite attempts to extend the meeting to 11:00 pm. Alibux introduced the second emergency motion of the night, following Lhamo’s Hong Kong motion, which would commit the union to implement online voting. Alibux’s motivation to the chair for this being an emergency was two-fold: the climate crisis and a previous miscommunication within the team that prevented this motion from going onto the agenda. The chair ruled against him, citing the timeliness required for an emergency motion, at which point Alibux challenged the chair, with the membership voting in his favour to con-
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If you or someone you know is in distress, you can call: Canada Suicide Prevention Service phone available 24/7 at 1-833-456-4566 Good 2 Talk Student Helpline at 1-866-9255454 Ontario Mental Health Helpline at 1-866531-2600 Gerstein Centre Crisis Line at 416-929-5200 U of T Health & Wellness Centre at 416978-8030
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Withdrawing or feeling isolated Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge Displaying extreme mood swings The more of these signs a person shows, the greater the risk. If you suspect someone you know may be contemplating suicide, you should talk to them, according to the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention.
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U of T professors, faculty sign open letter calling for written apology on UTM handcuffing Letter calls for immediate end to handcuffing practice, repeals of mandated leave policy
The open letter has garnered over 130 signatures since its circulation, calling on U of T for a written apology to Espinosa. JENNIFER SU/THE VARSITY
Kathryn Mannie Deputy News Editor
Content warning: this article contains mentions of suicide. An open letter drafted by Beverly Bain, a lecturer at the Women & Gender Studies Institute at UTM, and Vannina Sztainbok, an assistant professor in the Department of Social Justice Education, was sent to multiple university administrators on Tuesday. The letter, which was signed by over 130 professors, faculty members, and students, calls on the university to issue a written apology to Natalia Espinosa, the UTM student who was handcuffed by campus police earlier this semester. Background On October 2, Espinosa, a third-year student, sought help at the Health & Counselling Centre (HCC) for suicidal ideation. She was accompanied by her friend and fellow U of T student, Anita Mozaffari, who had been the one to urge Espinosa to seek support. After drafting a safety plan with a nurse — which involved Espinosa staying the night with Mozaffari — the nurse informed Espinosa that, per U of T protocol, campus police would have to speak with her for 10–15 minutes before she could leave. During her talk with two campus police constables, Espinosa revealed that she had previously intended to die by suicide and that a specific location was involved in her plan. The officers then told her that they would have to transport her to a
hospital because her plan included a real location. Although Espinosa was willing to go to a hospital with them, the two officers maintained that they needed to handcuff her, which caused Espinosa to suffer a number of panic attacks in the ensuing hours. When this incident initially came to light, a number of U of T campus groups released statements condemning the actions of campus police and called on the university to amend its policies. Vice-Provost, Students Sandy Welsh also fielded a number of questions on the matter during a University Affairs Board meeting on November 13. A university spokesperson wrote in an email to The Varsity that although U of T’s existing policies are in line with local law enforcement, “U of T is reviewing its police practices in this respect.” Open letter The document, entitled, “Open Letter Calling For End To Handcuffing Of Students,” amassed over 130 signatures from U of T community members in the five days between November 21, when the letter began circulating, and November 26. At that time, it was sent to U of T President Meric Gertler, Acting Vice-President and Principal at UTM Ian Orchard, and VicePrincipal, Academic and Dean of UTM Amrita Daniere. The open letter, which was created and mainly signed by U of T professors and faculty members, cites their concerns with referring their students to U of T’s mental health services in light of this incident.
Man charged for attacks involving human excrement at Robarts, McCaul and College Bail hearing for Samuel Opoku postponed until December 3; faces five counts of assault Silas Le Blanc and Kathryn Mannie Sports Editor and Deputy News Editor
Following a number of attacks involving human feces around Toronto campuses last week, Samuel Opoku, 23, was arrested by Toronto Police on Tuesday, November 26, and charged with five counts of assault with a weapon and five counts of mischief interfering with property. It is alleged that he threw “liquified fecal matter” on two people at Robarts Library on Friday, November 22, and did the same two days later at the Scott Library at York University. The final alleged attack occurred on Monday, November 25 when a bucket with the same contents was dumped on
a woman in the area around McCaul Street and College Street. “As a public university, we work to make the resources of our libraries as open as possible. What happened was shocking and assistance was provided to those affected,” U of T Media Relations told The Varsity on November 25. Michael Munroe, Director of Campus Police Services, sent out an email on November 26 notifying students of the incidents. “Toronto Police Service (TPS) are leading this investigation,” the email reads. “We continue to work with Toronto Police in supporting their efforts, and we have also increased Campus Police patrols at the University.”
The letter reads: “As faculty and staff, we are trained to refer students to services, including the HCCs. Now, we have to seriously consider whether such a referral could lead to further harm. This leaves us, but more importantly students, bereft of options.” The main demands include a written apology for Espinosa and compensation sent to her “for the trauma she experienced.” A number of policy changes were also proposed, such as excluding campus police from mental health situations by halting the practice of arresting and handcuffing students — instead, using other means to transport students to hospitals. It also suggested ending the practice of encouraging invigilators to involve law enforcement when dealing with “difficult” students, repealing the university-mandated leave of absence policy, and hiring mental health professionals who are experienced in providing support to marginalized people. Finally, the authors suggested including student consultation throughout the reform process. The authors of this letter are concerned with how issues of mental health are particularly pressing for those at an ‘intersection.’ They note that “Black students and students of colour who are female on all three of our campuses” are especially vulnerable in seeking mental health support. When asked about the open letter, a U of T spokesperson wrote to The Varsity, stating “We have received the letter and will respond directly to the faculty members who have raised concerns.”
In conversation with Beverly Bain Bain, one of the principal authors of the open letter, sat down with The Varsity to talk about her motivations behind advocating for Espinosa and for better mental health support at U of T. Mozaffari, Espinosa’s friend who accompanied her that day to the HCC, is one of Bain’s students. When the handcuffing incident initially happened, both went to her for guidance. Since then, as this event has become more well-known, a number of other students have talked to Bain about experiences similar to Espinosa’s. “This is not an isolated event,” said Bain, claiming that she is aware of five other similar incidents, with three students having already spoken to her about their experience. She disagrees with the rationale behind U of T’s policy to handcuff students transported to hospitals. Mark Overton, Dean of Student Affairs at UTM, explained to The Varsity that these measures are in place to protect the safety of all those involved, both the student and the officer. “If anything, [handcuffing students] heightens their anxiety, because it criminalizes them,” Bain said. She went on to add that “these students are not violent, there’s nothing to de-escalate. What creates escalation is putting them in handcuffs because then they panic and then they get upset.” Bain hopes to see trained mental health professionals dealing with these issues, rather than campus police. “In the case of [Espinosa], and all of the other cases, these students said to me that the campus police, they were really cruel. They were not at all supportive, they were not kind.”
Opoku was called before the Ontario Court of Justice to discuss bail on November 27, the day after he was arrested and charged. Dozens of people, many of whom were U of T students, arrived at 10:00 am to witness the hearing. Students and journalists alike jockeyed for seats in the packed courtroom, with many not being allowed to enter due to a lack of space. The hearing was then moved to a larger room in order to accommodate the large number of people gathered. Although scheduled for 10:00 am, the hearing didn’t begin until 2:22 pm, when the accused entered the courtroom. The court session ended after less than 20 minutes when defence attorney Jordan Weisz requested that the hearing be adjourned until December 3. Until then, Opoku will remain in custody. Throughout most of the hearing, Opoku was hunched over and looking at the ground. His head was barely visible over his shoulders to those gathered in the courtroom’s audience behind him. In accordance with the section 517 publication ban imposed on the proceedings, The Varsity cannot release information or details discussed in court. In a joint interview following the hearing, Weisz
told journalists that his client was “shocked” by the situation and allegations. “Understandably, to say the least, it’s not a pleasant situation to be sitting in a courtroom with the public scrutiny that he’s currently having to endure. It’s obviously overwhelming, as it would be for anybody.” When asked if his client understood the circumstances of his situation, Weisz said that “there [are] no fitness concerns at all. He obviously understands the nature of the proceedings, absolutely.” On the topic of whether mental illness may have played a role in the attacks, Weisz acknowledged that “the nature of the allegations suggest that.” While he could not comment on his client specifically, he said that generally for “those with mental disorders, the funding to treat [them] in a compassionate, appropriate, and caring way is often sorely lacking. They often fall through the cracks.” “Because they’re not getting the treatment they require — through no fault of their own — [they] engage in, potentially, acts of criminality.” —With files from Andy Takagi
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In the Spotlight: U of T students on exchange in Hong Kong
Two U of T students at the Chinese University of Hong Kong describe escalating violence, evacuation Andy Takagi News Editor
Following months of ongoing unrest in Hong Kong, two U of T students on exchange at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) told The Varsity that their time abroad was marked with fear of riot police and confusion. It ultimately culminated in a quick exit after U of T issued a notice to evacuate, 11 days before large protests were predicted for Hong Kong’s elections on November 24.
After the siege of CUHK, U of T sent notice to the two exchange students to evacuate immediately. KATHERINE KY CHENG/CC FLICKR
In the crossfire From the beginning, Emily* and Julia* were concerned about the protests as they escalated in the months leading up to their exchange period, which began in September. August saw unrest spread to Hong Kong International Airport; however, despite multiple peers dropping out, the two went forward with their exchange to CUHK. To their surprise, the streets were relatively calm — Julia elaborated, “Of course there were protests, but they were always very organized. They were on weekends usually because everyone worked during the weekdays.” However, everything changed on October 4, when Chief Executive of Hong Kong Carrie Lam used emergency powers leftover from British colonial rule to impose an anti-mask law that sparked an escalation in the protests. This was in response to rising clashes between protestors and police three days earlier, on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China under the Chinese Communist Party, resulting in the first protestor being shot by police. “When the mask law was enacted, you really felt
a different energy in the air. People were furious,” Emily said while recounting how clashes between protestors and riot police were beginning to affect aspects of daily life, like access to public transportation. Protests cascaded over the following weeks in response to the anti-mask law. Ultimately, from November 2–8 — a time period which saw a proBeijing lawmaker stabbed and Chow Tsz-Lok, 22, becoming the first confirmed person to die in connection to the protests — violence, again, engulfed the city, particularly at universities. “Anytime we tried to get out, the police would try to shine their lights into our buildings, and they were shooting tear gas into the walkways,” Julia elaborated. Siege of CUHK On November 12, riot police began their siege of CUHK, which was justified on claims of weapons being amassed by protestors. Emily and Julia were off-campus; however, the next day, they received notice from CUHK that their semester was over. The day after that, U of T sent them one of the four emails they received while abroad, telling them to evacuate immediately and by November 21 at the latest, which was three days before elections in Hong Kong. “I think that was to avoid the elections; they were afraid more stuff would happen on the 24, and then after that we pretty much booked our tickets the day of,” said Emily, who, along with Julia, said that CUHK maintained a better line of communication than U of T. Both institutions discouraged them from joining the protests. “[U of T] didn’t contact us at all until a month into our exchange and they basically never checked in on how we were doing,” Emily said. “I think
[contact from U of T was] just informational emails. It was never reaching out to you specifically and checking in to see if you’re okay.” Emily also said that once the siege happened, U of T checked in, but didn’t feel like her safety was being treated like the main concern: “A lot of it… was like: ‘Oh, your safety is of utmost importance, but also, you’ve got to finish school; you’ve got to fulfill your requirements.’” Earlier this month, U of T cancelled its Summer Abroad program for 2020, noting that it “[has] been in continual contact with registered U of T students in [Hong Kong] throughout the summer and fall.” Both Emily and Julia acknowledged that U of T was limited in what it could do, but maintained that CUHK’s constant contact with them helped to keep them safe: “They added us to a Facebook page and… there were constant updates on [Mass Transit Railway] closings, protests, avoiding areas,” said Julia. Following the siege and the end of the semester, CUHK reached out to both to check in on their well-being, in contrast to U of T’s initial contact in October. The two said that their time in Hong Kong is inseparable from the escalating violence that they witnessed, noting that they mainly feared riot police, not protestors. “It’s difficult for me to remove… our feelings for CUHK and our experience in Hong Kong from our political beliefs,” said Emily. “Obviously we never felt threatened by the protesters at all. They were really just ordinary people, a lot of people that we knew, who were just speaking out for their rights.” *Names have been changed due to fear of retribution
Funding cuts, campus initiatives, policies discussed at UTMSU AGM President Atif Abdullah passes motion to increase activism on OSAP cuts
President Atif Abdullah addressed the AGM membership at the front of the auditorium. SRIVINDHYA KOLLURU/THE VARSITY
Hannah Carty and Srivindhya Kolluru Associate News Editor and Business Editor
Funding cuts from the provincial government and ideas on how to resist them took centre stage at the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union’s (UTMSU) Annual General Meeting (AGM) on November 27 in the Maanjiwe nendamowinan building. It was the union’s first AGM after splitting from the University of Toronto Students’ Union last year. Presidential address “I actually realized that we had quite a long year full of ups and downs, and a lot of different things happened, some positive, unfortunately some negative as well,” said UTMSU President Atif Abdullah, beginning his address. “I say that because there were many challenges that deeply affected our community here,” he added, going on to talk about the cuts to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) and the mental health crisis. He discussed several policies and initiatives that the UTMSU has worked on in the past year, including the course retake policy that was implemented in May and the pilot implementation of self-assigned sick notes over the summer. According to Abdullah, a new printing service that will allow students to print from their personal devices
will become available next semester. Some UTMSU-run initiatives, like the Food Centre and the Duck Stop, which is the convenience store on campus, have been well-received by the UTM community. According to Abdullah, the Food Centre serves over 150 students per month, and the Duck Stop has sold over 77,000 items in the past year. Abdullah also submitted a motion to the agenda which was dubbed the “Student Action Motion.” It proposed that the UTMSU explore options for increasing activism regarding the cuts to OSAP, including “rallies, marches, sit-ins and strikes.” Abdullah called a walk-out earlier in the year a success, with “historic numbers for UTM.” While speaking on the motion, he commented that the UTMSU wants to hear the thoughts of its membership before going forward with any forms of protest. The motion passed. Abdullah spoke at the UTM Campus Council on November 20 concerning the mental health crisis. During the meeting, Abdullah brought up recommendations on behalf of the UTMSU. These included conducting a review of campus police’s policies for dealing with mental health crises, and addressing the long wait times for students to access mental health resources on campus. Financial statements According to the financial statements, the cost of
orientation doubled from last year, due to inviting Sean Paul for a concert in September 2019. The costs associated with the Blind Duck Pub also increased, as renovations in the Temporary Food Court continued throughout 2018 and 2019. The Blind Duck Pub was also open for longer hours to accommodate students during construction. Starting in September, full-time UTM students received health and dental care through Green Shield Canada. “Now that UTM students are in charge of their own health and dental plan, at the end of this first year we can actually look at some of the records and track what usage students have been doing, and based on that, we can either increase some of the benefits and offset that by decreasing what students actually don’t need and don’t want to use,” said Abdullah in an interview with The Varsity. He went on to call the new health and dental plan “a positive change.” Vice-President Internal Sara Malhotra submitted the motion to approve Yale and Partners LLC as the auditors for the UTMSU and the Blind Duck Pub. The motion was seconded and passed. Member-submitted motions There were two member-submitted motions. The first moved to offer billiard tables for free instead of $1.75. The motion was amended to have the cost absorbed by the Blind Duck, and passed. The second motion proposed to have the Blind Duck
open on weekends. The motion was amended to move that the UTMSU explore the possibility of keeping it open on weekends, and it passed as well. Recent criticisms Two days before the UTMSU’s AGM, an editorial was published in The Medium criticizing the union for having close ties to the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), alleging that this relationship compromises the UTMSU’s autonomy. “Do we support a lot of the work that CFS does? Yes, because it is for students and it’s a benefit for students — fighting for accessible tuition [and] against the Student Choice Initiative… [are things] that… we see eye-to-eye with the CFS in,” said Abdullah. “However, it doesn’t mean that we don’t criticize the CFS or [consider] where it could do better because everyone can do better.” The UTMSU’s current Executive Director, Nour Alideeb, served as chairperson for CFS– Ontario for the past two years, a fact the editorial scrutinized. It also criticized her hiring, as she is married to the previous UTMSU executive director, presenting it as an example of “nepotism.” Abdullah defended Alideeb, noting that she was hired for her experience, particularly for progressive initiatives that she helped pass and her track record in building relationships with the administration.
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DECEMBER 2, 2019
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What’s next for the Student Choice Initiative? Downtown Legal Services’ perspective on court decision
U of T closes online portal, uncertain future for SCI Andy Takagi News Editor FIONA TUNG/THE VARSITY
On November 21, the Divisional Court of Ontario struck down the Student Choice Initiative (SCI), leaving postsecondary institutions and student associations uncertain about how to proceed. Downtown Legal Services (DLS) Executive Director Lisa Cirillo told The Varsity that any plans by the province to repeal the decision or introduce legislation will be difficult. While stakeholder groups struggle to make sense of the future, U of T has removed its incidental fee opt-out portal online as it “evaluate[s] the technical impact of the Divisional Court’s decision,” wrote a university spokesperson. The Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) wrote to The Varsity that it “is currently reviewing the decision.” Background of the SCI In January, the SCI was announced as a provincial mandate to Ontario universities and colleges that opt-out options be provided for certain in-
cidental fees that were deemed “non-essential,” with the government outlining the criteria for mandatory fees. In May, the York Federation of Students (YFS) and the Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario (CFS–O) launched a legal challenge against the SCI, requesting that the court quash the initiative. Following a court hearing in October, the Honourable Justices Harriet Sachs, David Corbett, and Lise Favreau ruled in favour of the YFS and the CFS–O, finding that the province was acting illegally by interfering in the relationship between postsecondary institutions and student associations. Downtown Legal Services on the effects of decision DLS is a legal aid clinic that is partially funded by student levies; it felt the effects of the SCI first hand. At its Annual General Meeting earlier this year, the University of Toronto Students’ Union
announced that DLS had 19 per cent of students opt out of its fees. Cirillo believes that while the government has the ability to appeal the decision or use the legislature to expand the powers of the province, the path ahead will be difficult for the province. “The court has laid out really firmly: this is the territory of universities and student unions within the universities, and we don’t believe that you can encroach on that.” Recapping the court’s decision and the arguments presented by both sides, Cirillo said: “The court granted the application on the basis of the first [argument], they said that these directives were illegal and inconsistent with the legislative schemes… And they found they didn’t have to go to the other two arguments because they could decide the case on the basis of the first one.” “The government had no legal basis to issue this directive, but I think it leaves us in such an interesting place because the universities and col-
leges had to comply,” Cirillo said. “[But] they’ve all created this enormous new electronic registration infrastructure that provides opportunities to opt out.” On what quashing the directive will entail, Cirillo says that universities, independent from the government, could continue to open their opt-out portals, but whether that would be the case is up to the institutions themselves. Cirillo points out a particular passage that summarizes the court’s answer to the province’s argument that the SCI couldn’t be struck down by the courts: “Neither argument justifies exempting the impugned directives from judicial review for legality. To hold otherwise would undercut the supremacy of the legislature and open the door for government by executive decree, a proposition repugnant to the core principles of parliamentary democracy.”
Protestors call for climate action with Black Friday strike
Fridays for Future Toronto chapter organizes march ahead of United Nations Climate Change Conference Hannah Carty Associate News Editor
On Black Friday, Canada’s biggest shopping day of the year, hundreds of climate protestors took to the streets as a part of the Fridays for Future movement for action in response to the climate crisis, gathering in front of Queen’s Park for a rally before marching to City Hall. The strike also comes a few days before the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25). Leaders will meet on December 2 in Spain to submit climate action plans ahead of the 2020 deadline, in accordance with the 2015 Paris Agreement. “We are striking today, on Black Friday, because we want to call out the system that forces us to live unsustainable lives. Because many of us don’t have the time, the money, or the option to live another way,” said Fridays for Future Toronto Chapter Head Allie Rougeot to the crowd. In her speech, she affirmed Fridays for Future’s com-
mitment to Indigenous sovereignty and called on political leaders to take drastic climate action at the COP25 conference. “We are demanding that in Spain, they do their jobs of protecting us and working for us.” One theme of the strike was criticizing the Royal Bank of Canada’s (RBC) investment in fossil fuels, with marchers placing “Divest RBC” stickers on the storefront of the bank as they passed by it. Volunteers stood in front of the bank holding a banner that read, “Canada’s #1 Fossil Bank. Divest Now!” In an interview with The Varsity, Rougeot reflected on the Black Friday strike, held over two months after the Global Climate Strike in Toronto, which saw the participation of around 15,000 people. “The turnout is definitely smaller [this time], but we expected a smaller turnout. What I really like is how much mightier it is.” She described the central tenets of the strike and Fridays for Future as “a just transition for
workers, Indigenous rights, and marginalized communities being included and us fighting for them.” Rougeot, a U of T student, criticized the university’s “horrific” investment in fossil fuels. “As much as I want to be proud of my school, I will never be proud of my school until they divest.” Similar to the Global Climate Strikes that took place in September, young people were particularly represented in this strike, with groups of middle- and high-school students striking together. Dunbarton High School student Devin Mathura commented on his presence at the strike with a large group of classmates: “We have to enforce the fight for climate change and [the fight] to declare a climate emergency by not going to school because why should we get an education when there’s not going to be a future for us?” Seventeen-year-old climate activist Abonti Nur Ahmed spoke at the rally, criticizing the elitism of the climate movement. “I don’t remember
the last time someone asked me how it was affecting my community and how it’s affecting the people that I know,” Ahmed said to the crowd. In an interview with The Varsity, Ahmed said that the community she was representing was a politically disenfranchised one: “They don’t know how to fight for their own rights.” Her speech advocated for intersectionality in the climate movement, which she defines as not putting the blame on individuals, but rather understanding that systemic change needs to come before placing any burdens on already marginalized communities. She hopes to inspire people to learn about intersectionality for themselves. “When I was speaking, the only thing that was in the back of my mind [was]: ‘I hope that people hear what I say and decide to go look up what intersectional climate change means,’ because I can say everything I want, but it has to start with the person’s passion.”
Protestors marched from Queen’s Park to City Hall. BRANDON SILVER/THE VARSITY
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December 2, 2019 var.st/business biz@thevarsity.ca
Building a career out of a chemical engineering degree
U of T chapter of Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering hosts alumni career panel Adam A. Lam Science Editor
The perennial question of what to do with one’s degree was answered in part for chemical engineering students at an alumni career panel last week. Alumni from U of T’s Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, who now work in fields ranging from biotechnology to environmental engineering, shared advice on how to apply their skills to business and building unique skill sets. The Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering — University of Toronto Student Chapter hosted the event at the Haultain Building on November 27. From graduate school to business development Dr. Darren Rodenhizer, the Business Development and Partnerships Lead at the biotechnology startup AmacaThera, spoke about the value of earning a PhD in science. He explained that his education has enabled him to develop a technical expertise with the firm’s products, which lets him speak “down in the weeds” with scientists about his firm’s offerings. Beyond technical expertise, Rodenhizer also noted that his graduate studies taught him the skills to work in business without specifically studying the field. “You’re going to learn how to tell data-driven stories, which are what many companies hiring today are looking for,” he said. “You’ll be able to collect and analyze data; it’s going to open up a whole new realm of job opportunities.”
However, Rodenhizer did note drawbacks of pursuing a PhD. For example, he said that graduate students could feel a lack of recognition for their work. “You’re going to extend your student living… for another five years. You’re not going to make very much money,” he added. “And there’s a lot of publications coming out now [about] the mental health side effects of going to grad school,” he said. He recalled a study that found that graduate students in the US are at least three times more likely to experience mental health issues than the average American. This study was conducted on economics PhD students. Making the leap to a career in industry According to Cathy Grant, a Principal Consultant at C&S Grant Environmental Consulting, “Once you graduate, the hard part’s over.” “You did all the hard slogging; you did all the technical stuff. And really what you walk away with is the ability to teach yourself what you need to know,” she said. She noted that learning on the spot is a strong advantage, as there is a great deal of information that employees who start out in their respective fields need to learn that may not be taught in a traditional engineering degree program. Grant also shared interview advice, noting that if you get nervous, it is helpful to reflect on the top three bits of information that you wish to convey. “Always go into a situation thinking, ‘What do I want to say?’” she said. She also recommended preparing for general questions, such as why you think you’re qualified for the job.
Getting the most out of your undergraduate years Firas Ghazali, a consultant at Deloitte, advised undergraduate students to make the most of their degrees. Ghazali, while noting that his experiences might not be valid for everyone, recommended that students find time to build relationships with their colleagues during their studies. He also recommended that they schedule time to disconnect from their work and unwind. “You need to disconnect so that you can restart that following week and keep going. This is not an easy program.” “I would say [too much stress] is not worth it,” he said. “So try to balance your personal health and mental health… because it really is not that bad at U of T.” Building a valuable skill set Mark Angelo, the CEO of LMC Healthcare, spoke about his unconventional career path that took him from U of T as an undergraduate, to Harvard Business School, and finally to industry. He also presented a list of takeaways for students interested in starting their careers. “Try to keep your options open for as long as possible. Don’t close any doors until you’re forced to close them,” he said. He also recommended having a “focused breadth.” To Angelo, that means having breadth in your skills, but also finding ways to take these divergent interests and synthesize them into a unique skill set. Angelo, for example, studied engineering, health care, and social enterprise, and uses all
Grant shared advice to students drawn from her experience in environmental consulting. ADAM A. LAM/THE VARSITY
three fields in his career. “I think that gives you a competitive advantage. It allows you to be unique in what you do, because anyone can do maybe one of those three things, but there [are few] people who have maybe done all of those three things and combined them.” He recommends that students reflect on three or four passions and build a unique skill set from them. To embark on a career path, Angelo endorsed pursuing what makes you happy. “Trust your gut. Get feedback and input from others; it’s your life, and it’s your happiness.” “Go out there and do what makes you come alive,” he said. “Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
Five business podcasts to listen to on your commute
From How I Built This to Freakonomics Radio, this list has something for everyone Secrets of Wealthy Women from The Wall Street Journal The Wall Street Journal’s Secrets of Wealthy Women brings into the spotlight a diverse group of successful women who have thrived in businesses that are traditionally dominanted by men. Host Veronica Dagher interviews women executives, advocates, and entrepreneurs to find out their secrets for success. Dagher fosters an easy-going conversation with her guests and streamlines their most valuable advice, which they have learned over the course of their careers. It is empowering to hear how women, and especially women of colour, have overcome obstacles on their paths to professional success. More than that, this podcast contributes to the important goal of making women role models accessible for young women aspiring to succeed in the same paths.
Nicole Shi Associate Business Editor
There are many podcasts on the market for listeners interested in business, economics, and entrepreneurship. The guests featured in some of these podcasts take you through their entrepreneurial journey, sharing their wins and missteps, or give aspiring entrepreneurs their best advice. If you’re looking for something to listen to on your commute or travels over winter break, check out this list. Studio 1.0 from Bloomberg Studio 1.0 by Bloomberg is what The New York Times is to politics, and what ESPN is to sports when it comes to technology and media influencers. Host Emily Chang interviews some of the most groundbreaking entrepreneurs and CEOs in technology and business. The star-studded list of guests includes executives from YouTube, Uber, and Microsoft. The podcast also features founders of up-and-coming businesses, such as Eventbrite, GoPro, and Slack. It gives listeners a front-row seat to a show where the biggest names in business share their stories and advice — except that you can listen to it from the comfort of your bed or on your commute to class. How I Built This from National Public Radio Ever wanted to read a business book on a famous million-dollar company, but you don’t want to spend the time to flip through the 400 pages of dense text? Look no further: National Public Radio’s How I Built This is the perfect solution. This show explains the origin stories of successful
NPR launched How I Built This in 2016. JACKY LAI/THE VARSITY
innovations and businesses without the hassle of carrying around a tome on the subway. Condensed into 30-minute segments, host Guy Raz details what spurred the beginnings of now-famous companies. From Dyson appliances to Lärabar snacks, Raz never ceases to entertain the podcast’s listeners with his enthusiastic storytelling of capitalism’s greatest inventions, coupled with his charming exclamations at new and interesting facts. Working from Slate Working by Slate gives listeners a peek into a day in the life of Americans working in different ca-
reers and industries, one episode at a time. In this podcast, Slate asks working Americans the question: “How do you do your job?” From attorneys to neurosurgeons, and from toy engineers to oyster farmers, this podcast visits workers in a range of fields. Working gives listeners access to an honest presentation of what each career consists of in dayto-day routines and duties. So for all of us doubting what career to journey into after U of T, Working provides valuable, firsthand insight into the careers that you are working toward, or inspires you to pursue a career that you haven’t considered yet.
Freakonomics Radio from Stitcher Confused about everyday economic concepts, like whether boycotts actually work, or how Spotify’s free music streaming makes money? Host and economist Stephen J. Dubner debunks it all in his podcast Freakonomics Radio. Dubner, the co-author of the best-selling Freakonomics books, talks with Nobel Prize winners, CEOs, and entrepreneurs to explain these confusing economic concepts that lurk behind everyday activities. Despite the complexity of the subjects discussed, Freakonomics Radio is conversational and digestible enough for listeners of all ages to understand.
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December 2, 2019 var.st/comment comment@thevarsity.ca
Op-ed: Students should counter concerns with the CFS and other student unions with dedicated action We must unite to resist corruption in student governance
Justin Patrick Varsity Contributor
The University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) has become more powerful through its close affiliation with the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) and its Ontario component. Allegations regarding the close connections between UTMSU elected students, employees, and the CFS have been detrimental to the union’s operations and are characteristic of the anti-CFS student movement. Former Simon Fraser University student Titus Gregory’s essay “Solidarity for Their Own Good: Self-Determination and the Canadian Federation of Students,” published in 2010, is a work that still informs the anti-CFS movement today. Gregory argues, albeit amid critiques by a CFS legal counsel that are included in the document, that the CFS and its member locals are controlled by unelected, non-student staff members who ultimately undermine student democracy. While Gregory’s argument cannot be proven with certainty, it portrays democracy in Canadian student government as a mere illusion where students’ ability to use their democratic voice is set up to fail — a situation which students should seek to ameliorate and prevent. While such an argument can be useful in designing policy measures to avoid domination by unelected, non-student actors, in excess it can
lead to nihilism and despair. This hopelessness is mirrored in the perception that the only recourse is through costly legal action, as opposed to student government democracy. A way forward is to gather and report on evidence to test whether perceived cliques within the UTMSU are contributing to severe issues with union democracy. This would not only need to be done through student journalism, but also by a movement of students actively pushing for democratic reforms on a multi-year basis. If there is indeed a regime in UTMSU that has been in power for years, the institutional knowledge they would have accumulated over their tenures would allow them to run circles around lone students or short-term slates. For instance, take the case of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) Resistance, a coalition of student groups that was dedicated to opposing corruption in the SFUO until the SFUO’s dismantlement and replacement by the University of Ottawa Students’ Union (UOSU) through a student referendum in 2019. It took University of Ottawa students four years to stop SFUO corruption, and in the end the university administration stepped in and organized the deciding referendum instead of hav-
ing it run by the SFUO’s democratic processes. Post-SFUO, the UOSU now finds itself with a considerable amount of independence, with its constitution sporting a clause that makes it very difficult to enter into an agreement that cannot be terminated by a vote of its board of directors. This would include a referendum to join the CFS. If UTMSU students take action and confirm that the UTMSU’s membership in the CFS is contributing to the union’s democratic issues, they can start to seek separation, as daunting as such a campaign may seem. If issues like those with the SFUO are found in the UTMSU, improving the situation could also take years. However, the case of the SFUO shows that change is possible. As a witness of and participant in what I would now term as the “UOSU Revolution,” I would say that spending years advocating for improvements to student union democracy is worth it. Even if the reforms are not enacted before you
MIA CARNEVALE/THE VARSITY
graduate, if you have a group of students striving for change year after year, you can pass on the knowledge you have gained so your successors have a solid foundation for organizing. The same goes for students in any of the University of Toronto’s student governments. Organize collectively, resist, and do not be afraid. Justin Patrick recently graduated with a Master of Political Science from UTSG. He served as the Internal Commissioner of the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union from January to April 2019.
UTSG has much to gain from expanding pedestrian-only streets Willcocks Commons showcases the potential benefits of outdoor community spaces Oscar Starschild Varsity Contributor
UTSG is nestled within Toronto’s downtown core, making it well integrated within the city’s traffic network. While this integration is convenient, the downside is that car-free spaces for pedestrians are limited. There lingers an ever-present danger for pedestrian-motor vehicle accidents, and so studying in the heart of North America’s fourth-largest city requires students to be extra vigilant when travelling across campus. As a response to this problem, the university and city have partnered to identify road corridors that may be suitable or appropriate for pedestrian-only spaces over the past decade. Identifying potential sites for pedestrianization depends on locational features that can be developed to promote an improved flow of and use by foot traffic. Favourable candidate sites should also be supported by an already low traffic-to-pedestrian ratio, to minimize any adverse side effects closure might have for the city’s traffic network. Through this partnership, two of the campus’ more well-contained streets were identified — both thought to be potential student hotspots — and were piloted for project feasibility. One of the 2010 pilot sites was Devonshire Place, which runs perpendicular to Harbord Street and connects with Bloor Street on its north end. Ultimately, that site was scrapped as a potential long-term pedestrian space because it was determined there wasn’t enough foot traffic to justify the limitations on motor traffic. Devonshire Place is not a major city thoroughfare, so it’s easy to appreciate why it was originally selected. However, it’s also understandable why the pilot site was abandoned. The other site is a section of Willcocks Street, which connects Lash Miller Chemical Laboratories and Sidney Smith Hall between St. George Street and Huron Street. This site was much more promising, and was later approved as a permanent
pedestrian space. Its pedestrianization was completed around 2012. Recently, it has been targeted for a revitalization project, called the Willcocks Commons, to update or expand amenities. The potential expansion will expand the pedestrian-only corridor to connect with Spadina Avenue. The revitalization project is headed by DTAH, an architectural firm which has considerable experience in urban design and landscape architecture. The popular Toronto Waterfront and Evergreen Brickworks urban spaces are already under its portfolio. The project’s first phase, which involved the development of initial design concepts and community consultation, was completed in 2016. The commons have since been put on hold for an indeterminate period of time, while funds are raised that will allow further project development. The successful example of the Willcocks Commons, with its many amenities and regular usage, suggests how students and the wider U of T community stand to benefit from pedestrianization. Cordoning off areas on campus from motor traffic isn’t just important for improving campus’ spatial contiguity and traffic safety. These spaces can also serve the community as a public square. Space for hosting outdoor events and facilitating community interactions and exchanges are important for campus’ cultural development and social enrichment. A vibrant and thriving student community is also a key for helping foster a more engaging and inclusive learning environment. A renewed commitment to long-term investment in community projects, like the Willcocks Commons, is crucially needed, but the lack of funding for revitalization projects is concerning. The administration must not forget the importance of encouraging deeper investment into the campus community. Oscar Starschild is a second-year Mathematics, Philosophy, and Computer Science student at Woodsworth College.
The Willcocks Commons offers spaces to study and hang out with friends. BERNARDA GOSPIC/THE VARSITY
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COMMENT
Delayed campus closures were the source of many complaints last year. KASSANDRA NERANJAN/ THE VARSITY
Morgan McKay Varsity Contributor
Content warning: discussions of suicide. U of T students are well aware of the horror stories told of the university that scare away potential applicants: professors are unnecessarily hard, students fail half of their classes, and — my personal favourite — the university is full of anti-social, academic-obsessed losers. Nonetheless, the University of Toronto is still the most prestigious school in Canada. That being said, it maintains its status as an academically competitive school by neglecting the well-being of its students. Failure to support students In September, the Bahen Centre for Information Technology witnessed its third apparent suicide in the span of less than two years. Many students believe that this speaks to a lack of support for mental health services at U of T. Students have criticized U of T’s mental
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Late announcements, callous comments — U of T has yet to centre students in a meaningful way Both research and student experiences show a disappointing history of reactive action on the part of the administration
health services and policies, but Dr. Ellen Hodnett, the university’s ombudsperson, accused students of using misinformation to resist the university-mandated leave of absence policy — a policy which “allows the university to place students on a leave of absence if they exhibit severe mental health problems that the university feels pose a potential risk of serious harm to themselves or others.” This occurred during a Governing Council meeting on October 24 — a stance that the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) found “belittling.” Hodnett’s comments are similar to a pattern we’ve seen among university representatives, who time and again showed that they will not prioritize student concerns above university administration. Unfortunately, Hodnett’s response is just one example of an instance where students feel ignored and belittled. Instances like these discourage students and student representatives from engaging with university policies and, consequently, lead to a resentful student populace. The subversion of students’ voices extends outside of policy-making; it even includes their basic safety and day-to-day campus life. Last year, the U of T dismissed students’ concerns that inclement weather was dangerous, and Vice-President & Provost Cheryl Regehr suggested that students could simply stay overnight in Robarts Library during harsh weather conditions.
Regehr’s comments gave students two choices: let your grades suffer or suffer hazardous conditions. Recent updates to the cancellation of classes policy acknowledge the error of the university’s untimely cancellations, but this is a change that is well overdue, as U of T is yet again reactively mediating a long-established issue. These examples do not include the long history of complaints over inaccessible loan and bursary systems, critiques concerning U of T’s lack of campus culture, concerns about student safety, and frustration over U of T’s mental health services. Importance of the student voice Several academic sources agree that the student body’s voice and culture are both important to universities. Barbara Sporn, a professor at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, noted that “universities are complex social organizations with distinctive cultures,” and Joseph Simplicio, who authored several books concerning university education, argues that “a university’s culture, tradition, and values are not only important, they are vital to the wellbeing of the institution because they provide stability and continuity.” However, a lack of culture and understanding of students’ needs can make it difficult for administration to properly manage higher education institutions. “Changing environmental conditions exert strong influence on… universities,” explained Sporn. Simplicio further added that “the delicate balance of all [university] interactions can be quickly upset.” Scholars agree that university culture and its impact on
students is important, yet it feels like U of T has done little to treat these factors with the weight they deserve. According to a study published in the Journal of Psychology & Psychotherapy, an unhappy, stressed student body harbours poor performance in studying and learning. It also leads to “low social readjustment,” poor personal hygiene, psychological anxiety, indecision, and depression among students. According to a 2004 poll from The Princeton Review, U of T has “the least happy students” in North America. In response, U of T’s viceprovost accused The Princeton Review of “trying to sell books” under skewed research methods. I do not meant to belittle U of T as an institution — quite the contrary. I love this university, the high quality of education it provides, the clubs I get to be a part of, and my work within the community. It is because I love our students and this institution that I care about the strength of our community. I proudly wear U of T merchandise, and I brandish the university’s name on my social media pages. Although U of T has its fair share of problems, I see that administration is slowly changing to amend some concerns. I know that U of T can do better, and it must. The first step to solving a problem is admitting that you have one, and one of the U of T’s biggest problems is its band-aid solutions. The administration has the capacity to make strides in its policies to better accommodate student concerns it just has to be more proactive. Morgan McKay is a second-year Criminology student at Woodsworth College.
U of T needs to improve on-campus housing options during the winter break Many students are left financially burdened and socially isolated due to restrictive university procedures Rehana Mushtaq Varsity Contributor
Although the holidays are meant to be a period of rest, relaxation, and revitalization, students who live in residence and wish to stay on campus during the holidays face numerous challenges during this period. Additional fees are required for students to remain in some residences over the break, whereas four of the nine undergraduate residences on campus prohibit students from staying over winter break at all. For these students, off-campus accommodations often leave them shouldering a heavy financial burden as they temporarily move off campus — often into more expensive rooms. While the university provides information on alternative living arrangements, it has no alternatives for those who are unable to afford these options, or for those who have failed to secure housing in time for the holidays. Furthermore, even those students who manage to find a place to stay have to seek out living arrangements themselves, which is yet another stressor added on to an already frantic student experience. Not all residences allow students to stay past their exams, and for those that do, some of their everyday facilities, such as dining halls, do not operate over the winter break, forcing students to spend more money on food if they do not have access to a kitchen. Some residences, like those at Trinity College, only offer accommodations for a maximum of three nights during the break and charge $100 per night. UTM seems to have a more standardized process for staying in residence over the holidays: students are required to state their reasons for
wishing to stay in residence, since “accommodations during this period may be made available to residents with extenuating circumstances (e.g. international students, out-of-province students, etc.).” No additional charges apply as long as students are able to note their circumstances on time. However, rules appear to be much stricter than usual in the residence, as “No overnight guests or social gatherings are permitted; it is 24-hour quiet period for the duration of the Winter Break.” Furthermore, no services beyond emergency services are available to those staying on campus. Some may question why students would even stay on campus. After all, the holidays are often painted as a time to reconnect and celebrate with loved ones. However, many people stay on campus for a variety of reasons. Many international students cannot afford to go home for the holidays. Some students may wish to stay due to work commitments or difficult family relations. In any case, campus is a common denominator among these students — a way to bridge the burdens of finance, stability, and community. However, the current system only furthers isolation and the deterioration of mental health, since it doesn’t foster connection through community and increases the financial burden on many who take out loans to access education and living arrangements. There are no efforts to connect students who are cut off from friends, resources, and communities that act as support throughout their university experiences. It is clear that there has been little consideration given to the needs and experiences of these
particular student populations. Oftentimes I have found, from my own interactions with peers, that they are left vulnerable with little time to research or plan for new accommodations given the frantic pacing of a semester filled with deadlines, extracurriculars, and attempts to maintain mental and physical health. Finances are also difficult to account for, with students who require loans also having to work to support themselves. The burden of seeking offcampus accommodations only exacerbates this stress. Social isolation and financial stress are two key factors that impact students’ mental health, and therefore their ability to participate within the university community and academia. This is especially true for the holiday season.
SEOYEON LEE/THE VARSITY
Cultivating safe spaces and communities on campus is vital for establishing better mental health practices. For many, residences are these safe spaces. They are places of support given the frantic pace and demands of the semester. The university must make a greater effort to provide affordable housing and community support for students who choose to stay on campus during the winter break. This means allowing students to remain in their on-campus accommodations and continuing to provide communitybuilding social opportunities for these students. Rehana Mushtaq is a fourth-year English and Religious Studies student at University College.
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U of T must make greater efforts to allow students to form natural support systems
The importance of community support in addressing student mental health concerns Rosalia Samuel Varsity Contributor
Content warning: mentions of suicide. Enrolling in a university program is a time of great expectation and excitement. Yet, for some, attending university may also present overwhelming challenges. Students often experience stress surrounding difficulties adjusting to a new culture and environment, establishing friendships, worries about student loan debt, and concerns about academic performance. Research published by the Australian Psychological Society has also found that compared to the general population, university students experience higher levels of psychological distress, in part due to the unique stressors that they face. Consequently, the mental health and well-being of university students, and how they cope with challenges continues to be a significant concern. Over the last two years, there have been four apparent deaths by suicide at U of T, with the most recent incident occurring on September 27 at the Bahen Centre for Information Technology. Many more University of Toronto students continue to experience feelings of sadness, exhaustion, and loneliness. These tragedies, as well as the feelings of despair, highlight ongoing unresolved issues pertaining to student well-being, prompting serious conversation about the role of postsecondary institutions in creating supportive environments and developing effective strategies to address student mental health concerns. Calls for additional mental health services and support on campus In the wake of these unfortunate events, public outcry has drawn attention to what is perceived to be a lack of resources and support systems to effectively address the mental health needs of students enrolled at the institution. In a recent interview conducted by CBC, both students and administration at U of T expressed an urgent need for officials to tackle the mental health crisis by enhancing the availability of and accessibility to mental health services on campus.
Additionally, student-led organizations have specifically called for increases in funding for additional mental health services and staff, an increase of hours of operation for campus clinics, and implementation of 24-hour counselling services, particularly during exam periods. In light of these concerns and lamentable occurrences, the Presidential & Provostial Task Force on Student Mental Health was also established to consult with students and stakeholders to assess the university’s existing mental health resources, and to explore new approaches to addressing student mental health needs. Help-seeking preferences and student mental health While enhancing the quality and accessibility of existing services on campus and implementing additional services and support are practical solutions, this alone may not prove sufficient in addressing student mental health issues. Research conducted by Carey Marsh and Allen Wilcoxon has found that only a small percentage of students will utilize campus-based mental health services and supports, suggesting that the majority of students are less inclined to seek these services. These findings counter popular perceptions, given that many perceive the issue to be with university services. However, one possible explanation for this apparent inconsistency may relate to help-seeking preferences among university students. In a recent study conducted by myself and supervised by Professor Stuart Kamenetsky for UTM's Psychology Undergraduate Honours Thesis course, an ethnically diverse sample of 167 UTM undergraduates completed a modified version of the The Canadian Community Health Survey, indicating their help-seeking preferences. Participants were recruited from PSY100 — Introductory Psychology, which is one of the largest first-year courses on campus. However, further research on the topic might be helpful to indicate whether this trend persists across other faculties and disciplines of study. Our study revealed that the majority of students would be inclined to seek support from natural sources such as family members and friends, as opposed to formal and professional sources such as universitybased mental health clinics. It is possible that students
are willing to seek support from people they can confide in and express themselves to most comfortably. In most cases, friends and family members are people with whom students have developed strong bonds of trust and confidence.
for incoming students. These seminars allow students who share similar interests to engage closely with each other in a more conducive environment, enhancing opportunities for networking and support building.
Opportunities for community and support building at U of T As our research finds, natural supports — friends, family members — are the most preferred sources of support for many, highlighting the importance of these particular types of relationships for students. For some postsecondary institutions, however, opportunities to develop these supports are often limited. In my experience, moving to Canada as an international student, and being away from family and friends for the first time, proved challenging. Developing natural supports was difficult, and I longed for a sense of community and belonging. If I had a difficult week or was concerned about exams, an opportunity to share these concerns with a friend would have reduced my worries and feelings of isolation and anxiety. However, opportunities for community building were challenging, and at best, minimal. In fact, one major theme that was recently identified by the Presidential & Provostial Task Force on Student Mental Health was feelings of loneliness and isolation among students, often due to challenges finding community on campus. My personal experience and the recent findings of the task force draw attention to the possibility of inherent deficiencies in the format and structure of University of Toronto’s programs, which seem to provide insufficient opportunities for students to develop natural supports and build community. For example, across all three campuses, core classes offered during the first year are often very large, with up to 500 students attending a single lecture in a UTM class and up to 1,500 at UTSG. For many students, large classes prove to be overwhelming, intimidating, and impersonal, which can potentially increase feelings of isolation and loneliness on campus. Further, despite the many advantages and conveniences of technology, the online courses offered by the university may also limit opportunities for students to build these friendships. In most online courses, students typically communicate through email, social media, and discussion boards, leaving very little opportunity for in-person interaction and engagement. Alternatively, first-year seminars have become increasingly popular at U of T
Supporting student mental health through community building Natural support systems play an important role in students’ mental health and well-being, as a vast majority indicate a preference for this type of support. Institutional efforts to support student mental health should also be geared toward creating opportunities for community and support building. These efforts may include, but not be limited to, reducing the number of online courses — particularly in the first year — and creating opportunities for greater interaction and socialization among students on campus. Faculty and administration may also consider introducing mandatory seminars and workshops into curricula to further enhance student engagement and interaction. Additionally, community and support building on campus can be facilitated through the establishment and promotion of school-based peer-support programs, cultural and religious affinity groups, and functional extracurricular activities. Building support for student mental health requires a comprehensive approach by institutions, one in which traditional approaches are enhanced, and new approaches — premised on the importance of natural supports in students’ lives — also form part of the new paradigm in tackling student mental health. Furthermore, shifting the university’s present reactive and curative approach toward the adoption of a more proactive and preventative model, where support and community building are emphasized, may further improve student mental health outcomes. Rosalia Samuel is a recent Psychology graduate from UTM.
Students protest the administration after the third on-campus student death in less than two years in March, 2019. SHANNA HUNTER/THE VARSITY
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THE VARSITY
FEATURES
Welcome to Caffeinated Confessionals
Writer: Alessia Baptista Photographer: Dina Dong
I had a rough morning last week. I woke up feeling extra groggy due to the lack of sleep I’d received the night before: time that I’d spent reading all night, as the typical student does. I felt like a mess — partially because I was. I kept hitting snooze and, before I knew it, I got out of bed with only 15 minutes left to get ready. I frantically got dressed only to end up looking only half put-together. After a long morning commute where I nearly fell asleep on the subway, I realized that I even managed to forget a book for my English tutorial. I was in desperate need of an energy boost, and I knew that only one thing could bring some positivity to my catastrophic morning — a cup of coffee. Pre-caffeine, I’m tired, unmotivated, and quite the ‘Negative Nancy.’ I’m a dysfunctional student struggling to remain focused and stay productive. However, after that first sip, it’s an indescribable feeling — a jump-start of euphoria. Even holding a cup of coffee in the morning makes me feel untouchable. Crossing the street and blending in with the crowd, many of whom are also cupping their own forms of caffeine, I feel like I’ve been integrated into society. I feel at ease with this strange sense of camaraderie, all because of a cup of coffee. We never stop and evaluate the way we feel after we have a coffee; we simply just know how
we feel, and we know that we feel good. For me, it’s like an instant rush of satisfaction — like a warm hug from the inside out. I’m satisfied, relaxed, and most definitely have way more energy than I did rolling out of bed in the morning. All of a sudden, I’m ready to go to tutorial, with or without To The Lighthouse in hand. I’m ready to get my work done. I’m ready to do it all.
Though I tried to ignore it, I experienced chest pains, headaches, and often was left feeling jittery for days at a time. Back in high school, caffeine was both an excuse for me to spend my money and to stay up late finishing my assignments. I’ve found myself in the same situation ever since I got to U of T, but it has manifested slightly differently. I’ve integrated caffeine into my routine so seamlessly My history with caffeine that I hadn’t even realized it until writing this I found a love for coffee about three years ago, piece. High school was a walk in the park comafter excessively buying drinks from Starbucks pared to university. If only 12th-grade me knew following my jump on the iced coffee band- that instead of having only one essay due in a wagon. It wasn’t long until I’d tried nearly every semester, university-me would have three essays single coffee on the Starbucks menu and every due in the same week. coffee creamer under the sun that I realized I’d The other day I’d actually been prepared for been consuming unnecessary — and frankly ex- one of my tutorials for my Canadian literature pensive — amounts of caffeine. It got to a point class. I enjoyed a nice medium double-double where I would drink at least two coffees a day coffee from Tim Hortons, survived my 9:00 am and consider it a normal daily routine, until I history lecture in Lash Miller Chemical Laborealized the effects it was having on my health. ratories, and was ready to receive the participaI thought it was normal to feel shaky and full tion marks I’d strategically prepared to earn. of energy all the time. Then one day in the 12th But once I’d taken my place in the classroom, grade, I burned out completely after drinking I was trembling throughout the entire tutorial. four cups of coffee to stay up and finish an es- Those answers I’d prepared weren’t put to use, say. At that point I realized that consuming caf- and instead, I just sat there, lacking the confifeine was consuming my entire life — I wasn’t dence to speak, and afraid of embarrassing mysleeping properly, I relied on it to be more pro- self in front of upper-year classmates. ductive, and I felt the impacts on my health. It was ridiculous — I knew exactly what I
was going to talk about. I had done the readings, and I’m not one to hide my opinions, especially when it comes to literature. It was only later that I realized the anxiety came from the medium double-double. Caffeine has become an integral part of my daily routine: each morning typically begins with a coffee. I’ve found that, beyond being able to stay up late to finish assignments, all this caffeine has affected my health. It’s gotten to the point where, sometimes, it can hinder my life and my ability to interact with other people, beyond the point of trembling in tutorials. Caffeine and your mental health Braden Martyn, a second-year U of T student majoring in molecular genetics and biochemistry, told me that he also introduced caffeine early on in his high-school years. “I started drinking coffee more ritually in grade 10 because I’d get up earlier for school,” he said. “I’d see a lot of people drinking coffee and think, ‘Huh, coffee seems nice.’ Then it became a ritual for me around mid-high school.” When Martyn faced stressful situations, his coffee use grew. “I don’t know how many cups I’ve had in a day [maximum], but I swear it was five or six and I was tweaking during exams,” he said.
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To my surprise, I never thought of the many harmful effects that caffeine has on the mind and the body. An article in Pharmacological Reviews noted that caffeine is the most widely used stimulant today. Theoretically, this does make sense, seeing as though most people have a coffee or tea in the morning in order to feel more awake. However, there’s a line between getting a jump-start in the mornings and overdoing it on caffeine. Even when I did get caffeine jitters, I’d often mistake them for feelings of anxiety. In high school, I once had a major essay to write and I was stressed out. I recall spending seven to eight hours at my local Starbucks to finish this essay. Three coffees and one completed assignment later, I was left restless. I thought that the constant shakiness came from being anxious about finishing the paper, when in reality, I’d been a victim of ‘caffeinism.’ Caffeinism is when high levels of caffeine consumption cause a slew of negative symptoms. A 2015 study revealed that very high levels of caffeine consumption are predicators for high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Because I had consumed more than 600 milligrams of caffeine, my anxiety levels were through the roof, which explained my inability to stop shaking as well. This can be an endless feedback loop in the situation of university: a heavy workload leads to more stress, which then feeds our need for caffeine to keep up, which can compound our stress even further if we experience caffeinism. Since caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, it also affects many parts of the body.
I noticed this a few weeks ago: I’d gotten a coffee before lecture, as per usual, but I ended up spending the entire class in discomfort because I felt a sharp pain in my chest. Throughout the day and later that evening, I’d taken the liberty of trying to drink more water in hopes that the pain would go away. Unfortunately, it didn’t. That week, I drank little to no water at all, which meant that my body was dehydrated. Caffeine stays at its peak level in your blood for anywhere between 15–45 minutes, and it takes about 10 hours for half the amount ingested to be eliminated from your body. With all of its potential side effects of high blood pressure, anxiety, heartburn, and more, overconsumption of caffeine comes with its risks. However, it’s unlikely that the high levels of caffeination in university students will drop any time soon. Pressures of being a U of T student As we all know, being a student at U of T can often be overwhelming. Everyone is stressed out about something or other: while some students feel pressure to maintain a good GPA, others may be more concerned about costs such as tuition and transit. “Doing a double major in molecular genetics and biochemistry… that’s really tough,” said Martyn. “I have to take courses that go in depth about biochemistry and biology and different processes in the body…
It’s just a lot to know.” “I do feel like there’s a lot of pressure to do well, especially in such an environment that fosters a lot of really intelligent people.” No matter what faculty you may find yourself in, there’s a guarantee that you’re spreading yourself thin to finish your readings, review lecture notes, get a good amount of sleep, maintain a social life, and remember to eat. But that’s just student life for you — we’re all stressed out because we want to do well. On top of this, the costs of going to university at U of T just add to the pile of pressure. “To me, it’s more so that I’m paying a certain amount of money to study here, so it’s more pressure to work harder because tuition is so expensive,” said Maya Martin-Spisak, a second-year student studying history and linguistics. Personally, the fact that I’m studying at U of T means there’s an added pressure to succeed, considering we’re studying at one of the best universities in the country and paying thousands to be here. There’s no doubt that we’ve resorted to coffee, tea, energy drinks, or any other caffeinated beverage of choice in order to
complete assignments and stay on top of our work. Though resorting to caffeine isn’t exactly the healthiest option, it’s something we will continue to do, because you don’t truly know the student struggle until you haven’t survived the day using two iced coffees and five hours of sleep. It’s crazy to me that coffee, something most people rely on, could have such an impact on my entire life. Up until this point, I’d seen caffeine as a way to unite with friends, as a beverage to accompany my last-minute essays and poor time-management skills. Though I’ve had my negative experiences with caffeine in the past, and will likely go through a few more in the future, I’m able to understand that too much caffeine is never good, since I understand the potential side effects it will have on my body. In the same way we find ourselves cramming in assignments last minute, consuming one too many cups of caffeine isn’t any better. Doing both of these at the same time just ends up being overwhelming, and we’re completely burned out afterward. At the end of the day, caffeine is really just a socially acceptable drug that’s only meant to be consumed in moderation. So maybe, every once in a while, remember to put down your coffee, and drink some water in your lecture. At the end of the day, we have to remember to put our well-being first.
Why a U of T student has to stay caffeinated to keep up
Arts & Culture
December 2, 2019 var.st/arts arts@thevarsity.ca
It’s beginning to look a lot like non-denominational holiday season! Ten jingles that really butter The Varsity’s fruitcake
Adela Jeon Varsity Contributor
Whether or not the holiday season is your cup of tea, there’s no denying the catchiness of a good Christmas bop. Buckle up, because Santa Claus is about to take you to church with these 10 songs that need to be on your holiday playlist! “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Michael Bublé, 2011 I’m sure we’ve all heard Mariah Carey’s classic Christmas pop song but dare I say it: Michael Bublé does it better. In fact, his 2011 album fittingly titled Christmas is one of the best holiday albums released in the last few decades. Be sure to check out the rest of the album, including songs like “Holly Jolly Christmas” and “Have Yourself a Merry Christmas.”
“The Magic of Christmas Day (God Bless Us Everyone)” by Celine Dion, 1998 Can’t forget queen Celine! Her trademark vocals do not disappoint in this original Christmas song. Written by none other than Dee Snider, the heavy metal and hard rock singer-songwriter, I guess you could say this song is something like a Christmas miracle! “This Christmas” by Pentatonix, 2012 Pentatonix prove that acapella can only make Christmas songs better with this hit off their Christmas album, PTXmas. Fair warning, when this song comes on, you may feel compelled to belt out the lyrics and suddenly become the sixth member of Pentatonix.
“All Alone on Christmas” by Darlene Love, 1992 This song might be familiar to those of you who grew up watching Home Alone 2: Lost in New York during the holiday season. You’ll recognize this song as the one with the catchy saxophone solo that plays while Kevin is cruising down the Queensboro Bridge in a yellow cab in the city that never sleeps! “Last Christmas” by Ariana Grande, 2013 You currently may be listening to Sweetener on repeat but never forget the gift that is Ariana Grande’s Christmas album from 2013, Christmas Kisses. This song is a completely different, fresh
“Underneath the Tree” by Kelly Clarkson, 2013 Maybe it’s because I grew up listening to bops like “Since U Been Gone” and “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You),” but nothing quite gets to me like a good Kelly Clarkson song. Mix her powerhouse vocals with a catchy holiday tune and you end up with this masterpiece of a song!
take on the original song by Wham! which will surely make its way on to your winter playlist if it isn’t there already. “This Christmas” by Patti LaBelle, 1990 Now, I know I already listed a version of this song by Pentatonix above, but one of the best things about Christmas music is the abundance of varying versions and covers by different artists of all genres! This classic tune sung by none other than Patti LaBelle never fails to remind me of warm Christmas memories growing up and listening to my mom’s outdated — but fabulous — playlist of holiday hits from the ’80s and ’90s. “Sleigh Ride” by TLC, 1992 This is probably one of the most underrated and underappreciated Christmas bops out there. If you want to channel some ’90s Christmas vibes this year, it can’t be done without this song. Be sure to check out the music video to see some of TLC’s iconic fashion statements of the ’90s, like the oversized denim overalls — my personal favourite. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Christina Aguilera, 2000 Christina Aguilera totally kills this classic holiday carol and makes it her own jazzy bop. The song is full of her trademark ad-libbing, powerful vocals, and killer high notes, paired with a beautiful instrumental background that is reminiscent of the original song. If there’s one Christmas song on this list that makes you cry, this just might be it.
“Mistletoe” by Justin Bieber, 2011 You had to have seen this coming. I’m adding this iconic Christmas hit to the list as a tribute to his marriage to model Hailey Baldwin last year. He may be married and all grown up now, but ‘Beliebers’ will never forget the charm of his side-swept hair that forever changed the music industry.
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The slow burn of falling in love with Toronto
Falling in love with the city you live in isn’t always easy Charlie Jupp-Adams Varsity Contributor
If you’re from outside of the GTA, you’ll know that hating Toronto is a Canadian pastime. NonTorontonians will say that it’s too expensive, it’s ugly, and the people are rude. And the rest of Canada is right — Toronto sucks. Even people from Toronto think that Toronto sucks. The cost of living is too high, the people are rude, the TTC is always delayed, the weather is terrible, and the buildings are ugly. It’s not just these tangible problems with Toronto that people hate; there’s something else. The city’s atmosphere is harsh and isolating, and can be ruthless and make you sad. So, Toronto sucks and I can’t wait to leave! At least, that’s what I’ve been telling myself for the past two years. Toronto makes itself an easy city to hate, and a difficult one to love. But, they say love is a process, not an event, and I’m in the process of learning to love this city again. My anger toward Toronto started in second year. It was February, and my heart had been chewed up and spit out by some beanie-wearing photography student from the Ontario College of Art and Design. The short, cold days didn’t seem to end. I was drowning in coursework, and after 18 months in Toronto, the city had lost its shiny novelty. All I saw was a depressing backdrop of a city where I’d have to finish the rest of my degree. Soon enough, though, I got over beanie boy.
The semester ended and summer eventually appeared. Just as I was remembering why I had originally loved this city, I was then stuck trying to find an apartment. Apartment-hunting in Toronto is notoriously terrible, and it’s only getting worse. The average price for a one-bedroom apartment is $2,260, which means that you can easily pay over $1,000 for a bedroom in a shared apartment near campus. Anywhere affordable is a tiny basement with spiders and probably even some mold growing on the ceiling. Searching for an apartment was hell. I spent hours with my soon-to-be roommates scouring Kijiji, ViewIt, and craigslist and going to showings, only to be turned away because the first people who had shown up offered $200 over asking. I felt the cruelty of the city again. We did eventually find an apartment — a small, dark, overpriced basement apartment in the Annex with — you guessed it — spiders and mold growing on the ceiling. We moved in around early September, and during that time I worked almost full time in addition to school in order to be able to afford rent. The days got shorter and colder, and the apartment got darker. Coursework piled up. I got slapped with a TTC fine for not being able to afford the streetcar. The city was mean and isolating, and the heavy cement buildings and grey
skies mirrored what I felt inside. Toronto wanted me to be depressed. Even as winter eased and summer began to roll in, my hatred of Toronto stayed. It had been so cruel to me. I spent the summer trying to figure out how to get the hell out. Then, my cousins came and stayed with me, and they loved it, and as I showed them around, I remembered all the things that made me love the city too. Toronto is big. It has so many neighbourhoods, each with their own unique vibe, but it’s small enough that you can get to know it. During that visit, we rode our bikes all around — something which the city, to its credit, is trying to make easier. I took them to my regular coffee shop, where the baristas and I all know each other. I took them to a street festival, music events, and parks. I introduced them to my friends. We watched the Blue Jays lose and they smoked legal weed for the first time — and they loved the city.
BRITTANY GEROW/ THE VARSITY
Toronto, like a lot of big cities, grinds you down. It’s expensive and harsh and busy. But, if you let it, Toronto will help you grow. And it’s growing with us. Its music scene has expanded, a Toronto culture has developed, and our sports teams are — occasionally — winning. So, yes, the winters are cruel and brutal. But the summers are so warm and lush in comparison that it feels as though the city’s population triples between the months of April and May, everyone going back out into the sun. Torontonians are proud, but they also know what it’s like. They’ll complain with you — they get it. But they also know their city’s worth. Toronto is an easy city to hate, and an even more difficult to love, but Toronto will force you to grow into it and learning to appreciate the city makes it that much better.
var.st/arts
DECEMBER 2, 2019
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Book Club: Robyn Doolittle’s Had it Coming
Doolittle attempts to rise above the polarization of the internet to provide a new take on the #MeToo movement Silas Le Blanc Sports Editor
Content warning: discussions of sexual violence. Robyn Doolittle is the reporter behind the “Unfounded” series, a Globe and Mail investigation which found that 20 per cent of sexual assault complaints were being dismissed by police officers who did not believe the assault happened. Doolittle recently published Had it Coming, a book which reflects on her investigation and the #MeToo movement. In her book, she attempts to rise above what she refers to as the “call out culture” of social media and the nuanced understanding of the complexities behind the movement. She writes in her introduction: “I could have taken that Molotov cocktail of resentment, lit it on fire and lobbed it into the world, screaming, ‘Burn it all down!’ That’s a book that would have earned me a lot of love on Twitter, but that is not the book I’ve written.” The book is used both as an outlet to express her personal growth and understanding of sexual assault, as well as to document the events that led up to and followed the #MeToo movement. The first chapter, entitled “Kobe Bryant and Me,” discusses the details of NBA player Kobe Bryant’s sexual assault case, and also focuses on the attitude that her and many others had toward this case at the time. Namely referring to the idea that the young woman who had gone into a hotel room with the NBA player should have known what was going to happen: “I felt safe in my sense of superiority that I’d never be so foolish. Or weak.” She writes about her experience in the “Unfounded” series, and how it led her to develop her understanding of sexual assault cases. She concludes that laws are not the problem in Canada, but rather, it’s how judges and police officers handle these cases — they have little understanding of how these things work. For example, trauma can have a huge effect on
memory, which is why some survivors often have hazy memories when delivering their statements, something that needs to be taken into consideration in the courtroom. Furthermore, judges and police officers have very little understanding of how consent law even works. In one of the most infamous examples of this, Alberta Judge Robin Camp asked a sexual assault complaintant why she couldn’t “keep her knees together.” Doolittle takes quite a shift in the second half of the book, and a large majority of it discusses the issue of men and redemption. Doolittle takes the stance that changing the way that sexual assault cases are handled will have to involve changing the minds of the people who are handling these cases. She spends a chapter discussing Robin Camp, and poses the question of “how much better off the system actually was without him?” She points out that after the controversy, Camp received sensitivity and legal training, and spent time with experts discussing stereotypes, and how men and women are socialized differently. Although Camp received a lot of backlash and controversy for his questions, and displayed outdated, victim-blaming viewpoints, he now likely has a better understanding of consent than most judges currently hearing cases. “To me, his flawed thinking seemed rooted in ignorance, not malice. Getting rid of him did nothing to address all the other ill-informed judges still hearing cases. And there are plenty of them,” Doolittle writes. She also discusses the role of men in activism, and the importance of making them feel welcome in the conversation. She spoke in a youth forum regarding the repeal of the updated Ontario sexed curriculum, in which one of the organizers — the only man organizer — commented that “young men nowadays are increasingly more conservative.” He went on to say that it’s not about men taking over the conversation, but rather that
this is a moment when men need to listen, though they should know that they have a role and are valued. The final chapter of the book goes over the role that social media plays in the conversation. In it, Doolittle laments the polarization of the current political climate, and attributes it to the rise of social media. She references a study that analyzed the tweets of political candidates and found that politicians who used more emotional language were associated with a double digit increase in retweets per word. This finding contributes to what is referred to as the ‘echo chamber’ effect, which suggests that people will only interact with people who they believe agree with them, or see as being part of their group. Given that much of the discussion around the #MeToo movement does not constitute illegal or criminal acts, but rather ethical behaviour, reform will come from changing societal attitudes and practices. Belittling and dragging people who may hold outdated views is unlikely to change anyone’s mind — “Otherwise, #MeToo is just a hashtag,” Doolittle concludes.
IRIS DENG/THE VARSITY
Theatre Review: Hart House’s Portia’s Julius Caesar Spoiler alert: They murder Caesar!
Nicole Eun-Ju Bell Varsity Contributor
Athena Trinh’s Portia tests her mettle in one of the play’s dramatic climaxes. COURTESY OF SCOTT GORMAN/HART HOUSE
Portia’s Julius Caesar at Hart House is an ambitious and honourable piece that tackles a feminist retelling of Shakespeare’s political tragedy Julius Caesar. Originally mounted this past August in Withrow Park by Shakespeare in the Ruff, director Eva Barrie returns to this text with a new cast and mostlynew crew to mount an ambitious rendition of the show. If you are unfamiliar with Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, here is the briefest of summaries: ancient Rome as a time of peace. Brutus (Felix Beauchamp) is invited by Cassius to join a conspiracy plot to kill Caesar for fear that he will become a dictator — they then murder Caesar! In the latter half of the play Brutus and his conspirators are faced with the consequences of their actions as Rome falls into civil war. Yusuf Zine’s charismatic Caesar opens the night with a land acknowledgement. He laments his death, and how it might have been stopped if only we had listened to women. He continues on to satirically joke that our modern society must have no problem listening to women or Indigenous leaders, unlike his ancient Rome. The retelling focuses on this lesson, though it’s perhaps a bit nail-on-thehead. In the play, we follow a regal Portia (Athena Kaitlin Trinh) as she navigates the politics of Rome as a woman. The play weaves between her
story and that of her husband, Brutus, as Portia overhears the plot to kill Caesar and is tasked with stopping the inevitable. Portia cryptically warns her friend, Calpurnia (Whitney K. Ampadu), of what will happen to her husband, Caesar, and for a moment it seems as though they will succeed, but in one of the more jarring turns of the show Caesar changes his mind and Portia and Calpurnia’s plan fails. In the final moments of the show Calpurnia confronts Portia, upset and betrayed that the truth of Caesar’s fate was not disclosed to her, and the two lament the ways in which their voices continue to be silenced as Rome burns around them. Shakespeare is a great challenge for all actors, and this team rose to the occasion — standouts include JD Leslie’s poised presence as the Soothsayer, and the relationship between Trinh’s Portia and Ampadu’s Calpurnia. Bringing ancient Rome into the cavernous hall of Hart House Theatre was an ambitious feat that the design team accomplishes to great effect. Rachel Forbes returns to the show with a deceivingly-simple set that becomes increasingly disassembled throughout the show, mirroring the crumbling peace of Rome. Julia Kim’s costumes shine vibrantly under Chris Malkowski’s supersaturated lighting. The lighting has beautiful moments — for example, in the finale all of the design elements merge in a true moment of beauty that showcases the skills of the whole team to create a striking fi-
nal image. However, certain special effects — like the fire in the finale — could be used more sparingly to create a greater impact when used. Similarly, Andy Tridarth’s sound design would also benefit from some restraint. Further, the mix of pre-recorded and live music used throughout created a haunting ambiance that echoed through the space, but the live sounds occasionally fought with those of the actors onstage. The most ambitious, and perhaps strongest, part of this show is the script. Portia’s Julius Caesar challenges Shakespeare and the women he wrote — or failed to write — while still paying homage to the language of the beloved bard. Playwright Kaitlyn Riordan manages to seamlessly work in her own words, written in verse, alongside the original text to a tremendous effect. Riordan cuts down the script to keep it concise and useful, but still keeps the strongest and most iconic moments. She also manages to slip in a few lines of one of Shakespeare’s better women monologues from another play — Hermione’s powerful words during the trial in The Winter’s Tale. For those who are familiar with our dear William’s plays, Riordan hid a few more easter-egg quotes, pulling from over 20 Shakespeare plays. Overall, despite the fact that the show achieves much of its ambitious pursuits, certain elements don’t quite click. That being said, it’s a visually beautiful show, and the powerful final scene is well worth it.
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ARTS & CULTURE
arts@thevarsity.ca
Film review: An incredible technical achievement coming to your screens this holiday season Will Gotlib Varsity Contributor
Director Sam Mendes’ 1917 , out this holiday season, is one of the final major awards season releases before the new decade begins. A World War I thriller, it centres on two young British soldiers, Blake and Schofield, who are tasked with delivering an urgent message to a distant battalion of soldiers. The lives of these men hinge on their dangerous trek through contested territory that’s filled with dark tunnels, lethal traps, and the constant threat of attack. The underrepresented wartime period setting and the attachment of Mendes — a critically acclaimed director who has a proven understanding of balancing tense action and emotional intrigue, notably with 2012’s Skyfall — might be enough to court interest. However, the real draw of 1917 is its technical flare. The film is framed as a single, continuous shot. There are no overt cuts, and the soldiers’ harrowing mission plays out in real time for the majority of the film. The film’s cinematography comes from the masterful Roger Deakins — following a long-overdue first Academy Award win for 2017’s Blade Runner 2049 — and might be his crowning achievement to date.
Watching the mission unfold in real time is a powerful, emotional, and extremely immersive experience. There is no disconnect between the time passing for the viewer and the characters on screen, so we are painfully aware of every lost second and know their progress the whole time. By the end, the impact of the distance the characters have travelled is tangible and extremely impressive. The single-take effect is a spectacular achievement, but what’s really special about 1917 ’s camerawork is how the rest of the film works so well around it — something that, in lesser hands, could have been a major impediment. Instead, the camera is an intuitive guide to the eye, pushing you to look in certain places and planting setups and payoffs with great subtlety. 1917 relies heavily on staging of the camera, actors, and elements of the set because it does not have the luxury of cutting angles to manipulate the viewer’s attention. Rather, scenes are built in brilliant ways that allow the camera to change angle, target, location, and composition, simply by the way people move and how the sets are constructed. I cannot emphasize enough the excellence
of the camerawork; every movement feels deliberate and flawless, and becomes more and more impressive as the film progresses. Deakins is fantastic at creating beautifully composed shots, and the fact that he was able to so smoothly maintain this over ridiculously long takes genuinely floored me. Another area of particular note is the production design. The film is a non-stop journey: traversing trenches, battlegrounds laden with corpses and muddy craters, ravaged homes, and wide fields. All are recreated with a rich attention to detail, especially the sequence in no man’s land, which captures the horror and futility of trench warfare. The only times that 1917 does come up for air are in scenes with cameos from some well-established British actors — Colin Firth, Andrew Scott, Benedict Cumberbatch, and more — as various military characters they meet along the journey. This A-list cast provides moments of welcome reprieve from the otherwise constant high-pressure action. Alternatively, it also turns every time they leave our leads alone into a drop back into the deep end. However, I only took issue with one of these guest-star sequences: during a strange
pause from otherwise ratcheting tension near the end. The film is quite surface-level, and times where it seemingly does have something to say — largely comments on the meaninglessness of medals in war — disappear past the halfway mark as the plot can no longer fit them in. While tight and streamlined, this costs the film much of its resonance outside of its outstanding technical elements. Without these moments, which are admittedly intertwined with the plot, 1917 would not be nearly as good as it is. These areas are what define and elevate it. 1917 is a movie to marvel at for the way that almost every element is so finely tuned and well executed. This is entirely due to Sam Mendes, Roger Deakins, and everyone else involved behind the scenes, who turn wartime drama and horror into a gripping triumph that demands to be seen on the largest screen possible. 1917 will release in select theatres December 25, and nationwide January 10.
1917 is riddled with breathtaking filmography and clever scene composition. COURTESY OF FRANÇOIS DUHAMEL/UNIVERSAL PICTURES
Science
December 2, 2019 var.st/science science@thevarsity.ca
U of T scientists sign open letter declaring climate emergency Letter outlines where action can be taken, while four researchers share perspectives with The Varsity
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Aanya Bahl and Andy Yin Varsity Contributors
Over 11,000 scientists from 153 countries signed a letter entitled “World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency,” which was published in the BioScience journal in November. Twenty-one of the signatories are faculty or graduate students at the University of Toronto. The authors believe that public discourse on the climate crisis has been narrowly focused on global average surface temperature. They argue that this scope fails to fully capture how humans affect the planet, and communicate the dangers of the climate crisis. Communicating the impact of the climate crisis The authors note that a better solution for analysts would be to explore a wide range of indicators of the impact of human activity on the climate crisis. They substantiated the letter with a series of graphs which illustrate the change of various indicators over the past 40 years, working with high-quality data collected by climate scientists. Troubling trends that the graphs reveal include long-term increases in human and livestock populations, meat consumption, global loss of tree coverage, fossil fuel consumption, heightened airfare, and carbon dioxide emissions. However, the authors note promising changes as well, such as decreases in global birth rates, the long-term slowdown of the rate of forest loss in the Amazon, rising infrastructure for solar and wind power, institutional fossil fuel divestment, and the prevalence of carbon pricing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Yet the authors warn that these changes may not last — for example, fertility rates have been stabilizing, the rate of deforestation in the Amazon has risen once more, and while consumption of solar and wind energy has increased 373 per cent per decade, it was still 28 times smaller than fossil fuel consumption in 2018. Despite 40 years of climate negotiations, the authors believe that business has continued as usual, and that the world at large is still failing to recognize the urgency of the climate crisis. They warn that we have failed to meaningfully change the ways we live, and that we are dangerously close to losing the ability to secure a sustainable future.
Six key areas where action can be taken The authors outlined six key areas where action must be taken: energy, short-lived pollutants, nature, food, the economy, and population. They emphasized that fossil fuels must be replaced with low-carbon renewables and other clean energy sources, and that the emissions of short-lived pollutants such as methane and soot must be reduced. They also stressed the importance of restoring Earth’s ecosystems. “Marine and terrestrial plants, animals, and microorganisms play significant roles in carbon and nutrient cycling and storage,” the authors noted. Restoring ecosystems alone could bring the world to a third of the Paris Agreement’s emissions reduction target by 2030. The authors also advise the elimination of animal consumption, especially ruminant animals like cattle and sheep; the curtailing of excessive extraction of Earth’s resources; and equitable solutions to population growth, such as family planning and widened access to girls’ education. This is only a selection of the many recommendations in the “World Scientists’ Warning” — their breadth reflects the magnitude of the climate crisis. Fittingly, scientists from a wide variety of fields are represented among the signatories. To learn more about the scientists’ perspectives, The Varsity reached out to four of U of T’s 21 signatories from a diverse range of academic disciplines. How the climate crisis impacts public health Dr. David Jenkins is a professor at U of T’s Faculty of Medicine who is well-known for developing the glycemic index — a system which explains how carbohydrates affect blood sugar levels. Jenkins believes that it is important to connect the climate crisis to all the factors that it impacts, with health being one of them. He also discussed the spread of diseases that are usually found in warmer climates to parts of the world that used to be colder due to the climate crisis. Jenkins therefore believes that changing the impact of humans on the climate is of the utmost urgency. “The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change — two years ago — only gave us 12 years to turn the crisis around,” he said. “The world, in general, needs a wake-up call.” This warning builds on all the other climate
warnings that the world has received, Jenkins noted. The first was issued in 1798 by Reverend Thomas Malthus. As a nutritionist, Jenkins believes that one way in which humans can reduce their impact on the climate crisis is by adopting plant-based diets — something which can also be incredibly healthy if planned well. For example, tofu and seitan are relatively inexpensive and healthy food sources. However, he stressed that with plant-based diets, careful planning is important in order to meet nutritional requirements. The urgency of addressing the crisis The Varsity also reached out to Dr. Miriam Diamond, a professor at the Department of Earth Sciences who is cross-appointed to the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, the School of the Environment, and the Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry. Diamond highlighted that the climate crisis “is not just an issue… It is a crisis and needs to be treated as such.” Natural phenomena such as the fires in Australia, the severe flooding in the Ottawa Valley, and the dramatic fires in western Canada and Ontario over the past two years all have a climate component, according to Diamond. Diamond also brought up the recent federal election, noting that the climate crisis was not as high of a priority as affordability. “Our society is delicately positioned to function in [the] stable climate that we’ve known for the past several hundred years,” she said. “[We do] not have the resources to cope with… the current and growing number of disasters,” she continued. “What’s coming further down are questions of food availability.” “If we think we are worried about [it] right now… it’s about to get a whole lot worse.” On activism and the paper’s research Dr. Steve Easterbrook, Director of the School of the Environment, and a professor at the Department of Computer Science, hopes the letter will give the media and the public an overview of the current knowledge that we have about climate change. “One of the things that paper does very nicely is it shows how everything is interconnected,” he noted. In his view, the letter is also in defence of student climate activists, who are often dis-
missed in the media for their youth. “Articles like this, I think, emphasize that the students conducting this process, understand the science. They’ve got it right.” He also underscored the value of dialogue about how to effectively fight the climate crisis. His belief is that scientists in disciplines not typically viewed as relevant to climate — including his own area of computer science — should consider how they could apply their skills to this issue. “If you take this notion that we’re in a climate emergency,” he said, “I think of it as an ‘all-hands-on-deck’ type of emergency.” Easterbrook rejected the notion that individuals reducing their personal carbon footprints is the most effective way to curb changes in climate. Instead, he urged people to consider: “What can you do that other people can’t do?” A perspective from the Department of Political Science Dr. Richard Sandbrook, a professor emeritus of the Department of Political Science, presented a different perspective. “The problem is not that we don’t know what to do; it is rather that we don’t do it,” he wrote. One of the letter’s recommendations is for wealthy nations to aid poorer ones in the transition to renewables, which Sandbrook strongly supports. He also wrote that the global south, whose nations are mostly not major contributors to warming, must be supported, or else “these areas will become unlivable, [and] internal wars and state breakdown will occur, along with major population movements.” Unfortunately, Sandbrook believes that the political consequences of the climate crisis are not widely grasped. That is especially true of Canada, as it is far from Africa and the Middle East — regions which will feel the impacts of the climate crisis most strongly, according to Sandbrook, and where most climate migrations will originate. Notably, while the graphs accompanying the letter include indicators of human activities that cause changes in climate, indicators of how these will affect humans — such as migration — are missing. To Sandbrook, organization is critical. “The radical actions needed to arrest global heating at below 2°C will only happen in time as a result of mass pressure from below,” he noted.
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The scholarship aims to support future LGBTQ+ leaders in STEM careers.
U of T-student founded campaign launches Queering STEM Scholarship
SAMANTHA YAO/THE VARSITY
Two awards of $2,000 are available for LGBTQ+ students entering university Jianing Lu Varsity Contributor
Toronto-based LGBTQ+ advocacy group LoveisLoveisLove has launched the Queering STEM Scholarship program for LGBTQ+ youth in Ontario who are entering a STEM undergraduate program in Ontario for the 2020–2021 academic year. There are two awards of $2,000 available. Academic excellence, personal charisma, and civic engagement are the three major factors that the scholarship selection committee is looking for in an applicant. In addition to the personal essay and application form, every applicant is also asked to submit a short video detailing “the importance of LGBTQ+ inclusion in STEM.” “We want people who can be leaders, who can be visible and instigate change in their own way when they mature in their careers,” said Adam Zivo, who is the founder of LoveisLoveisLove, as well as a graduate student at U of T’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. According to Zivo, “people working in STEM tend to be underrepresented in LGBTQ+ issues and activism,” especially when compared to their counterparts in arts and culture. The scholarship is meant to support future LGBTQ+ leaders in STEM and support their acceptance across a number of fields of study.
Students can email their application, which can be found on the company’s website by January 1, 2020. The committee will make their decisions by late January, and finalists will be contacted by the end of February. LoveisLoveisLove partnered with Mongrel Media to raise the money through a charitable film premiere, and ScholarTree for the administration processes relating to the scholarship. The launch of LoveisLoveisLove Zivo founded LoveisLoveisLove in 2016. Its first project was a photo booth about “celebrating queer relationships and giving positive messages in a time of trauma,” as part of an LGBTQ+ street festival in Toronto. After the Orlando Pulse shooting that year, some of Zivo’s friends posted images of themselves with friends and romantic partners on social media in response, as a “symbolic resistance against homophobia and violence.” Having noticed that phenomenon, Zivo rebranded the project to adapt to the trauma that the community was feeling. Later, the LoveisLoveisLove team collected photos from the participants to be published it on their Facebook page and website. In 2017, the project was scaled up so that the participants with the most-liked photos received a prize. “In mass cultural depictions of LGBT
folks, it has to be one of two on a spectrum. You have either a hypersexualized image, or an image that strips LGBT people of their sexuality and romance entirely,” Zivo said. The campaign hoped to address this by showing the “sentimental and candid side” of queer interpersonal relationships. Enduring outreach to the community Later in 2018, Zivo decided to do something in a physical space that would have lasting impacts and reach beyond the social media bubbles of LGBTQ+ culture. His team produced a largescale banner installation at Toronto City Hall in collaboration with Meridian Credit Union. This was one of the largest installations ever presented there, and he later created similar banners for the Ottawa City Hall and the Scarborough Civic Centre. They also collaborated with the non-profit organization, Scarborough Arts, to create a Scarborough city name sign that was similar to the multicoloured tourist attraction in Nathan Phillips Square, except it was covered with a vinyl wrap of photos taken by Zivo for LoveisLoveisLove. It was one of the efforts aimed to resolve geographic discrepancy in LGBTQ+ acceptance through suburban engagement. Zivo went on to explain how LoveisLoveisLove came to their signature initiative in 2019:
Toronto’s Big Gay Bus, a TTC bus that the team transformed into a mobile resource which educates non-LGBTQ+ people with educational materials and by “answering simple questions about LGBTQ+ issues that [people] might not be aware of,” according to Zivo. As an example, he provided the question: “What is the difference between a drag queen and a trans person?” So far, the bus has reached hundreds of thousands of people. Beyond that, LoveisLoveisLove’s latest project was a 20-foot “Marvellous Mobile Mural” at Ottawa City Hall. LoveisLovisLove expects to make more murals this year and bring them through smaller communities. “Many LGBT activists are downtown-centric and kind of on the radical side,” Zivo said, “We can’t just give up on the inner suburbs and suburban communities because that’s giving up on the vast majority of Canadians. We also have to recognize that not everyone is going to be receptive to the most progressive and aggressive forms of LGBT activism.” Zivo’s team aims to extend the campaign to more suburban areas, and maintain “friendly, non-aggressive” language, hoping to make LGBTQ+ rights “better understood by audiences who are unfamiliar [with them].” “We’re like, ‘hey, you don’t know these things. That’s cool. Here’s the answer,’” Zivo said.
How to digest plastic and save the world
Toronto team wins gold standard at international synthetic biology event Sarah Kronenfeld Varsity Contributor
Hundreds of students, from graduate to high school studies, gathered in Boston to present their research at the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Foundation’s Giant Jamboree in early November. Over the past year, they’ve been developing projects in the emerging field of synthetic biology, which uses modern tools and biological building blocks to solve natural problems. This year, iGEM Toronto, the University of Toronto team, returned with more than just the standard bragging rights. Rather, their project was recognized with a gold standard — the highest evaluation for a project in the iGEM competition — and they were nominated for the best manufacturing project in their competitive category. What was the team’s project? Over the past year, the team has conducted cutting-edge research on a possible solution to the world’s plastic waste problem. Three years ago, a The iGEM Toronto team researched the PETase protein as part of their project. COURTESY OF IGEM TORONTO
team of researchers in Japan discovered a unique strain of bacteria that can break down a common type of plastic, polyethylene terephthalate — commonly called PET plastic — on a molecular level, essentially digesting it. At the moment, plastics can only be recycled a finite number of times before they start to degrade and have to be disposed of. However, if researchers find a way to break plastics down to their molecular components, they could apply this to make a near-perfect recycling system for plastic. Recyclers could then recreate the plastics from scratch to be as good as new, with negligible amounts of waste. Since their conception, the iGEM Toronto team has been designing and testing ways to implement this recycling process in an industrial setting. The recently-discovered bacteria uses a particular protein, called PETase, to break down the plastics that it digests. How the team collaborated to win gold The team’s computational lab created the necessary tools to redesign the protein so that it could
process plastics quicker, while keeping them sturdy enough to survive in an industrial setting. Building on the work of researchers like Dr. Jennifer Listgarten and David Brookes, several team members trained a neural network to search for more efficient versions of the protein. Others used protein-modelling software to redesign PETases, giving them more useful chemical properties. Together, they modelled five alternate versions of the protein, hoping that some would be more efficient at digesting plastics than naturally-occurring PETases. In the final analysis, all versions of the protein were successful. The team’s biology lab then produced millions of copies of these proteins in order to test their practical efficiency. Other members of the team interviewed experts to get a better understanding of the current recycling industry, and developed preliminary models for a PETase ‘bioreactor’ that could be used in a recycling plant. The impact of iGEM’s success The research team considers the victory to be a
huge validation. “I was able to lead a team of people who never knew each other at first, and now could come up with something that’s now on a world stage, and is worth it,” said Amy Yeung, the outgoing president of iGEM Toronto, in an interview with The Varsity. “That sense of feeling of accomplishment, from when I’ve started to now, is the best thing I think I’ve picked up.” What’s more, the iGEM program at U of T has the potential to set a precedent for undergraduate research. “A lot of undergrads get stuck just doing somebody’s side jobs in a lab,” said Daniel Kiss, who took over as the club’s co-president this year, to The Varsity. iGEM Toronto’s research model is different. Although their projects are designed and run by members from a wide variety of programs — from computational biology to ethics — they’re almost entirely undergraduates. “It’s like Lord of the Flies, but [with a] happy ending,” joked Kiss. “Let’s put all these undergrads in a room and see what happens.”
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DECEMBER 2, 2019
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2019 Schmidt Science Fellow Dr. Ina Anreiter discusses behavioural genetics research
U of T researcher recognized for her work modifying fruit fly foraging behaviours Lucinda Zhu Varsity Contributor
Dr. Ina Anreiter from the University of Toronto was selected as a 2019 Schmidt Science Fellow for her research in behavioural genetics in April in New York. The Schmidt Science Fellowship is a prestigious program that brings some of the best emerging scientists in the world together, and equips them with new skills to make a positive change in society. Candidates are chosen for their exceptional performance during PhD studies and strong intellectual curiosity to broaden the scope of their future research. Each fellow, including Anreiter, will complete a year-long postdoctoral placement in a different field than their PhD topic to promote interdisciplinary thinking. Anreiter’s work as a PhD candidate Anreiter completed her PhD in the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at U of T, and was supervised by Dr. Marla Sokolowski. As part of her studies, Anreiter wanted to understand how genetics and environment could influence behaviours. She studied this by looking at the foraging gene of two strains of fruit flies with distinct foraging behaviours: the rovers and the sitters. The rovers are more active and are usually willing to travel farther for food, while the sitters are less active and tend to travel shorter distances to forage. “When the food is in the middle of the arena,
you have a trade-off of safety versus getting to the food,” explained Anreiter in an interview with The Varsity. “So you can see this difference in rovers and sitters... It’s a circular arena, food is distributed in the middle, and you can see that sitters tend to hug the edges, while rovers are much more exploratory.” An earlier paper published in 2017 by Anreiter and her colleagues described how they were able to genetically engineer the foraging gene to transform sitters into rovers. Challenges along the way Anreiter had to overcome multiple challenges to accomplish what she has. “The way that our publishing system works is very positive-resultoriented. It’s very hard to publish negative results, and there are many arguments to be made,” she remarked. “We ended up publishing this really nice story about this one epigenetic regulator that regulates individual differences, but that wasn’t the only regulator that we looked at,” she continued. Epigenetic engineering makes modifications to an organism by altering which genes are expressed, rather than directly changing the DNA sequence itself. However, her research team looked at many other regulators that did not show a positive result. “So there’s a lot of work that goes into this project that is never published because the results are not positive,” she elaborated. She further acknowledged the challenges that she experienced as a PhD student, but she advised students to not get discouraged when a
project seems to come to a dead end. “It’s not the end of your PhD; it’s not the end of your research. You just change gears a little bit and continue with something new,” she concluded. Next steps for future research Anreiter’s work opens up many possibilities for future research in epigenetics. One of the significant findings in this study was that the effect of epigenetic regulators is dependent on the strain of fruit flies. In other words, “You have an interaction where the epigenetic modification is dependent on a genetic difference, and that’s an interaction which… when I started my PhD, [people] weren’t looking at,” she said. “And that applies not only to fruit flies, not only to feeding behaviour, but applies broadly to animal research.” Currently, Anreiter has undertaken a project in computer science, where she aims to develop a new computation mechanism to examine epigenetics modifications in RNA as a required component of the Schmidt Science Fellowship. Offering advice to undergraduates about graduate studies, “Don’t do grad school because you are just not sure what you want to do, because grad school can be really, really tough,” she remarked. “But it is also really rewarding in my experience.” “If you are excited about research, if you are excited about science, it is a really cool environment where you can really have the freedom of developing you own interests.”
Anreiter’s work opens up many possibilities for future research in epigenetics. COURTESY OF DR. INA ANREITER
U of T professor wins grant to study how online psychotherapy can help children with inflammatory bowel disease Dr. Sara Ahola Kohut is investigating the viability of acceptance and commitment therapy
Valeria Khudiakova Lead Copy Editor
Dr. Sara Ahola Kohut, a researcher at the Hospital of Sick Kids and an assistant professor at U of T, received a $50,000 grant from Crohn’s and Colitis Canada to research the promise of online acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) workshops in supporting children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and their families. What is inflammatory bowel disease? IBD is an umbrella term for two conditions characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract: ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Symptoms of these diseases include abdominal cramps and pain, diarrhea, fever, and unintended weight loss. In an interview with The Varsity, Kohut, who has been researching IBD since 2014, pointed out that the main challenge for patients with IBD and their families is dealing with uncertainty. “Young people living with IBD don’t know when they may have a flare or be in pain, nor when that pain might end.” She noted that this makes planning day-to-day activities and for the future extremely difficult. Constantly coping with this state of unpredictability may cause severe anxiety, and research has found that the risk of depression and anxiety disorders is much higher in young people with IBD than the general population, which Kohut hopes to change through her work. Dealing with uncertainty and stress ACT is a relatively new form of psychotherapy which encourages patients to accept things and events that are out of their control and commit to making changes that could improve their life. Unlike most other therapies, ACT does not aim to change unpleasant thoughts, feelings, and sensations. Instead, it employs mindfulnessbased strategies to help the patient reduce their feelings of stress and change their relationship with their pain by accepting their struggles as they are, rather than trying to avoid them. People experiencing chronic pain often ex-
haust themselves fighting off everything that reminds them of it — not only the obvious unpleasant physical sensations, but also any related thoughts or emotions. However, their attempts to drive off the pain may be futile — this is where ACT comes to the rescue. The skills one learns through ACT are transferable to a variety of situations, making them especially valuable for dealing with the unpredictability of IBD. Kohut explained that “in moments of [overwhelming] or intense frustration, ACT skills can help you pause and choose to act in ways that are aligned to who you most want to be as a person.” Benefits of ACT In Kohut’s clinical experience, ACT has been a popular and successful approach for young people with IBD. This finding led her to develop a new series of online ACT workshops, which focus on helping the participants recognize their values and “develop skills [that] allow them to incorporate their values into their everyday choices and behaviours.” ACT also helps participants “to respond instead of react to what is happening around [them].” Through this, young patients’ relationships with their families may begin to feel more calm and relaxed, especially during unpleasant moments, such as when receiving injections or taking medication. Kohut also aims to create a program that is accessible and enjoyable for parents of children with IBD. She moves to teach them to navigate parenting in a way that aligns with their values as a family, which may support them in dealing with the constant challenges of IBD, while also helping them to “model positive adaptation… to IBD so that their kids will be able to emulate that approach.” There is currently no cure for IBD, yet Kohut’s novel approach may give the 7,000 Canadian children living with IBD and their families hope for a better future.
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Sports
December 2, 2019 var.st/sports sports@thevarsity.ca
How exercise could positively benefit international students’ mental health
Thesis broadens limited research on physical activity of international students in Canada Adam A. Lam Science Editor
The mental health crisis affects international students in unique ways due to additional stressors such as acculturation — the changes that result from contact with culturally dissimilar people, groups, and social influences. A recent thesis by Douglas Enrique Rosa, who recently completed his Master of Science at U of T’s Department of Exercise Sciences, dealt with how exercise could supplement psychotherapy and psychiatry, particularly for vulnerable international students. Rosa completed a literature review and conducted two studies to submit his thesis under the supervision of Dr. Catherine Sabiston,
a professor at the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education and Canada Research Chair in Physical Activity and Mental Health.
Why do international students face so much stress at universities? In one of Rosa’s studies, he analyzed data from domestic and international students from a 2016 national health survey that involved 605 international students and 4035 domestic students. “We did notice that international students are experiencing the same amount of stress, the same amount of high mental illness as domestic students,” Rosa told The Varsity. Rosa found in his thesis that students generally reported high levels of stress, which was significantly correlated with mental illness symptoms. Yet Rosa also found a significant negative association between mental illness symptoms and physical activity, and conversely a positive relationship between exercise and mental health. “Physical activity could be one of those good positive avenues to help international students feel better on campus whenever they come to our university,” remarked Rosa. However, according to the survey analysis, only 12 per cent of international students and 15 per cent of domestic students met the World Health Organization’s physical activity guidelines of at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week. To follow up, Rosa’s second study involved interviews with 12 international students as an initial small-scale study. The participants reported different sources of stress, including financial concerns, difficulty connecting with peers, perceptions of discrimination, and high academic stress. These combined factors limited the time they perceived to be available for physical activity.
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Though exercise does not directly resolve the major sources of stress affecting international students, Rosa wrote in his thesis that three major studies have associated exercise with increased cognitive performance — such as improved attention, reading accuracy, and memorization. Rosa concluded in his thesis that physical activity could be an effective coping strategy for international students to adapt to the stresses of entering their new university environment. His studies could be useful for advocates’ plans to better accommodate international students, noted Sabiston to The Varsity. The implications of Rosa’s research Rosa’s studies have enabled researchers to better understand the barriers to physical activity among international students on campus, wrote Sabiston, which could help “suggest ways to initiate actionable strategies targeting international students specifically.” Reflecting on his research, Rosa said that physical activity is an important part of his life. While advocates often do an effective job at highlighting the importance of physical activity, he noted, there can be ways to improve the messaging for international students. “[Rosa’s] work is the tip of the iceberg in the overall care and support for this important group of students on campus,” Sabiston wrote. “Now we can test some of the suggested ways to intervene and see if they work to improve physical activity and mental health.” As a direct result of Rosa’s studies, Sabiston’s faculty secured a grant from the International Students Experience Fund. The grant has enabled the team to improve activities geared toward increasing the physical activity of international students, holding focus groups for answering lingering questions from Rosa’s research, and drafting unique messages for physical activity, according to Sabiston. “Douglas’s findings supported the need for more tailored or directed attention on international students within Sports and Rec on campus,” she wrote.
Blues swimmers make a splash at the OUA divisional championships
Both men and women win handily at home Sara Fredo Varsity Contributor
The Varsity Blues men’s and women’s swimming teams both took first place at the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Fairweather Division Championships, hosted at home from November 23–24. They topped the University of Waterloo Warriors, University of Western Ontario Western Mustangs, and Laurentian University Voyageurs with ease. From the first to the last event, the atmosphere on the pool deck and in the stands was electric. Each team had their own corner, where swimmers would scream their support for their teammates between races. One half of the 50-metre pool was dedicated to warm up, while the other half was used as the short-course competition pool. There was hardly a quiet moment during the weekend-long event, and the Blues teams were among the loudest and most supportive groups in attendance. Their exuberance matched their performances, as the women finished 298.5 points ahead of Western, and the men 360 points ahead of Waterloo. Both topped their
respective rankings. Leading the women’s events was veteran standout Hannah Genich, who notched a firstplace finish in her two relay and four individual events. Following Genich’s success were rookie Abby McDonald, who secured five overall wins, and Estonian national team swimmer Aleksa Gold, who scored three wins. Rachel Rodé claimed two first-place finishes, and Kate Rendall, Georgia Kidd, and Sarah Polley each rounded out the Toronto team with one leading time as well in solo events. Beyond their wins — which were plentiful, with a Blue landing atop the podium in all but one race — there were impressive swims from other Blues swimmers like Claire Howard. The sophomore hit U SPORTS-qualifying times in three different events, and is poised to be a big competitor for the Blues this season. On the men’s side, four Blues snagged a pair of wins each. Veterans Osvald Nitski and Matthew Mac swept the 100- and 200-metre butterfly and backstroke events, respectively, while
Graeme Ayl ward won the 100and 200-metre breaststroke medals. Rookie Bernard Godolphin shone in the distance events, clinching first in the 200- and 400-metre freestyle races. Nitski, Mac, and Aylward also teamed up with veteran Cameron Kidd to win the 200-metre medley relay. The relay teams were strong for the men, with five out of the six finishing on the podium across three relay events. Kidd, Ethan Fazekas, and Chris Ruus, who all had single
The swim team found success at the Fairweather Division Championships. COURTESY OF SEYRAN MAMMADOV/VARSITY BLUES
wins of their own, all played important roles on the relay teams as well. The victorious Blues will next compete in the new year, when they head to London, Ontario, on Saturday, January 11 for another matchup with the Western Mustangs.
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DECEMBER 2, 2019
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Blues women’s hockey back to their winning ways
Toronto beats York 2–0 to snap losing streak, defeats Waterloo 2–1 Sara Fredo Varsity Contributor
Blues vs Lions The Varsity Blues women’s hockey team downed the York University Lions 2–0 on Thursday, November 21. The Blues are now in second place in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) standings. Eager to snuff out a two-game losing streak, Toronto found themselves struggling to contain the Lions early on. With powerhouse defender Cristine Chao in the box early for checking, the Lions kept Toronto firmly in their end. Despite the pressure, goaltender Erica Fryer was unfazed, calmly performing a couple tough saves early on. As the Blues found their rhythm, they began seriously challenging their opponents, using the speed of forwards Breanna Berndsen and Juliette Blais-Savoie to pressure the York defense. After a hard hit on Blues Captain Stephanie Ayres, Toronto opened the scoring on the ensuing powerplay. Berndsen, alongside rookie sensation Natasha Athanasaskos, set up Jana Headrick, who smashed her shot low past York goaltender Serena Vilde for her first goal of the season. York looked to have evened up the match with barely a minute to go in the period, but their goal was overturned after an appeal to the referee. The second period was another back and forth battle, as the Lions fought to score a goal. Time and time again Fryer was an absolute brick wall, as York was powerless to put anything past her.
Toronto was tenacious in their defending as well, but repeated penalties made it difficult for them to get much offensive momentum going. Veteran Jessica Robichaud had a handful of good chances to score, including a shot that just barely missed as the buzzer went off, but the Blues weren’t able to notch another goal that period. York’s frustration was palpable as the third period started, and their play began to break down as they became rougher. Using their skills to chop at the chippy York players, Toronto finally padded their lead thanks to a rocket of a shot by Gabrielle De Serres, made off of a Mathilde DeSerres and Chao assist. York pulled Vilde with two minutes left in a futile attempt to gain a goal back, but ended up taking a penalty soon after and having to return her to the ice. Gabrielle almost got a second goal on a brilliant breakaway in the dying seconds of the game, but her shot was well saved by Vilde. Blues vs Warriors Given the state of the game, you would have had no idea that their previous matchup had ended with Toronto suffering a 5–0 loss. One week after the blowout, the Blues women’s hockey team stormed back to topple the Waterloo Warriors 2–1 on home ice. The November 30 win puts Toronto back in second place on the OUA leaderboard behind York by one point and with two games in hand, and with
Waterloo in third behind by only a single point. Cristine Chao and Lauren MacDonnell were the heroes of the night, and rookie MacDonnell notched the first game-winning goal of her university career. Erica Fryer once again put on a goalkeeping clinic, stopping 24 shots on the way to the Blues’ narrow win. Toronto started the game off with a literal bang, as captain Stephanie Ayres headed to the penalty box for an early hooking. This set the tone for the rest of the game, which was fraught with tension and aggression. Adrianna Noble was a thorn in the Warrior defenders sides, refusing to let them body her off the puck. The sister duo of Mathilde and Gabrielle De Serres caused further headaches to Waterloo with their physicality and speed. Toronto’s scrappiness paid off when Chao smashed a Madelyn Walsh pass off a Waterloo player and into the net, leading the Blues into the second period with a 1–0 lead. Waterloo’s frustration began showing, as the second period got off to a start. Only three penalties were called, but plenty more were apparently missed by the referee — if the Waterloo fans’ cries of anger were any indicator. One penalty was Toronto’s, coming off of a wellexecuted trip from Meagan Barry to prevent a one-on-one on Fryer. The Toronto defense was
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Warriors from causing too much trouble. When shots did get past, Fryer was all but unstoppable, smothering anything that came near. The Warriors were finally able to figure out Fryer in the third period, when they took advantage of a missed Toronto breakaway and capitalized on the counter attack. Undeterred, Toronto began to push heavily for the go-ahead goal, peppering the Waterloo net from all angles and jumping defenders. With just under five minutes to go, MacDonnell sent in a shot that looped over the Waterloo goaltenders shoulder, and she was promptly mobbed by her jubilant teammates. Toronto successfully defended the desperate Warriors attacks to hang on for the win. The Blues won’t return home until the new year, when they will face the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks on January 10.
Women’s basketball team upset defending national champions in a 76–66 decision Blues earn second win of the season against the McMaster Marauders
Laura Ashwood Associate Sports Editor
After a slow start to the season, the Varsity Blues women’s basketball team came out hungry for a win on November 30 — and it showed. The Blues were the clear underdogs in their second match against the defending national champions, the McMaster University Marauders, but they fought hard until the last quarter to secure their second win of the season before heading into the second month of their season.
Early on during the first quarter, Blues forward Nada Radonjic got off to a hot start, marking the beginning of a streak that led to a stellar gamehigh of 22 points. The Marauders were not letting up easily though, and the score stayed close until the end, with expert offensive plays by Sarah Gates, a guard for the opposing team. Despite their aggressive approach, McMaster kept shooting long and missing, and participated in rough plays that eventually led to their forfeiture of the win. Toronto scored big points off of multiple free throws, especially into the second quarter. At the end of the third quarter, Toronto secured their lead after an unsportsmanlike call against McMaster, leading to two successful free throw shot by guard Samantha Robertson. With a 56–46 l e ad -
ing going into the final quarter, the Blues held on tight until the end for the win. Although the Blues kept their heads down and fought to their winning finish, they had issues keeping possessions on rebounds, giving the Marauders undeserved second chances throughout. Luckily, a series of three-pointers from the likes of Radonjic and guard Ellen Ougrinov kept the Marauders on their toes. Blues standouts on the court included forward Sarah Bennett, who had a big night on the boards, racking up 15 points, 14 rebounds, and one assist to help the team to victory. Robertson came in hot in the second half to pick up where Radonjic tapered off in the first, tallying an impressive 15 points herself. The Toronto bench made an excellent job of cheering the team on, rivalling even the crowd’s enthusiasm. The nail-biting finish saw Toronto rack up a total of four points for the season so far, and snag the fifth place in the Ontario University Athletics Central division.
The Blues deliver a hometurf victory to an excited Saturday night crowd. COURTESY OF HENRY ZHAO/VARSITY BLUES
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DECEMBER 2, 2019
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