THE VARSITY February 4, 2019
The University of Toronto’s Student Newspaper Since 1880
Vol. CXXXIX, No. 16
Student union election season starts with…
Scarborough
Showdown What we know about the Ford government’s changes to postsecondary education
U of T stands to lose $88 million in expected revenue, describes little communication with province Andy Takagi Associate News Editor
On January 17, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities (TCU) Merrilee Fullerton stood before a room full of media in the provincial offices east of Queen’s Park to announce that Ontario universities must cut domestic tuition by 10 per cent, provide “opt-out” options for incidental fees, and adhere to broad changes made to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). Despite some clarifications made in an earlier Varsity interview with David Piccini — the Parliamentary Assistant to Fullerton — ambiguity remains about the specifics of the
provincial mandate. The university has also not commented heavily on the issue. Meanwhile, several protests organized by student unions and other groups have occurred across the province, with more to come. In these protests, thousands of students demanded answers about what these changes will mean for them. Based on further interviews with the government and the university, The Varsity takes a look into what we know and what we don’t know about the cuts so far.
Domestic tuition cut by 10 per cent
Repeatedly described as “historic” by Piccini, the Ford government’s lead-
ing announcement is of a 10 per cent cut to domestic tuition for the next academic year, which will also apply to graduate studies, including Master of Business Administration and Juris Doctor programs. The government has also mandated a tuition freeze for the following year. Universities and colleges will have to absorb any losses in revenue, as the cut is unfunded by the provincial government. In an interview with The Varsity, U of T Vice-President & Provost Cheryl Regehr said that these cuts will take $65 million off of the university’s base budget, or $88 million from its expected revenue, since the university had planned to continue raising tuition by three per cent. In the second year, the changes will cost the university $113 million. Regehr went on to say that the impact will vary depending on individual divisions, as some divisions rely more heavily on domestic tuition income, but also said that there will be university-wide adjustments as well. “What we hope to do is find solutions that minimally impact students, $88 million, page 2
Business
Comment
Could the US Fed be disguising an impending recession? Economist David Rosenberg thinks so
Op-ed: The first student-run Black hackathon in the GTA
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feature #12 The evolution of @uoftears_: how an Instagram account grew from a place for silly U of T stories to deeply personal confessions
Arts
Science
fu-GEN Asian Canadian Theatre Company’s production of A Perfect Bowl of Phở
Snacks and networking 101 — a beginner’s guide to conference survival
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$88 million, from cover
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staff and faculty, and programs,” said Regehr. Regehr also confirmed that international tuition will not be affected by the cut, adding that the university plans to follow its already-published tuition framework. Speaking to The Varsity, Piccini declared that such changes were what he and the Ford government were elected to do. “I’ve been in meetings with… university presidents, administrators since day one. I’ve been out on campuses and have been in various universities. We’ve been here speaking to presidents as well. And they’ve all said, ‘We know a tightening of the belt is coming,’” said Piccini. However, in the interview with Regehr, the provost said that neither she nor the university had held discussions with the provincial government on the changes to the university’s funding structure, and that, since then, the university has only received directives through the Council of Ontario Universities — with no word from the provincial government or Fullerton’s office. When this was brought up to Piccini, he said that The Varsity was “cherry-picking” this policy. “Do you think it’s feasible for our government, every time it introduces legislation, to go around the province on every single piece of draft legislation introduced? That’s unrealistic,” he said. Piccini went on to say that he had received a “standing ovation” at events after bringing up postsecondary affordability, and that the 10 per cent domestic tuition
“Do you think it’s feasible for our government… to go around the province on every single piece of draft legislation introduced?” — Piccini
slash was a result of conversations at events, on campuses, and “over a kitchen table.” “So in summation, all of that has fed into this policy.”
OSAP interest rates, grants, loans
OSAP will also be undergoing dramatic changes, primarily centred around a push to provide more grants to students whose household income falls below a $50,000 threshold. To accommodate this change, the Ontario government will be shifting the program to provide more loans than grants. Interest will also begin accruing from day one after graduation, where previously, interest did not accrue on provincial loans for a six-month grace period. For students in second-entry programs or attending out-ofprovince institutions, the grantto-loan ratio will now be a minimum 50 per cent loan. When asked how these changes would help students, Piccini answered that the government needs to be “fiscally responsible” — later claiming that “you could pull up to university in a Ferrari” and still receive grants under the previous OSAP system. He returned with a question of his own, asking why the federal government does not have parity with Ontario in its grant-to-loan ratio. Emphasizing that “the sustainability of the system” needs to be ensured, Piccini also said that preserving the “integrity of the structure” of OSAP requires balancing “our own immediate interests” with the interests of students like those “in rural Ontario, whose families earn $30,000 median in-
come in [his] riding.” Regehr, who underscored the university’s high spending on student assistance, said that the university will work to “try and limit the impact of these changes on our students.” Last year, U of T spent $210 million, or eight per cent of its budget, on student aid — more than any other university in Ontario, according to Regehr.
The Student Choice Initiative: an “opt-out” from incidental fees
The last mandate from the provincial government, dubbed the Student Choice Initiative (SCI), is for Ontario universities to develop an “opt-out” system for incidental fees, which would either be labelled “essential” or “nonessential.” Already included in the “essential” category are walksafe programs, counselling, athletics, academic support, and health and safety-related fees. Fullerton also announced on February 1 that transit passes, such as the ones offered at UTM, will also be considered essential. Piccini expressed his belief that the SCI is in no way analogous to taxes, saying that he could “make that analogy ad nauseam” to all issues. Piccini said that to compare funds for “the quidditch club or [to] boycott and divest Israel… with taxes is laughable at best and worrisome at worst.” Piccini also gave the example of subscription fees for media outlets like The Globe and Mail or the National Post as a reason for why campus media should not be considered essential.
He added that the fees being considered non-essential “have nothing to do with taxes and have nothing to do with the essential services that government provides,” going on to say that “we prescribe and force feed down new students’ throats things — and from people whom they didn’t elect, programs that they didn’t vote to support.” On whether health and dental programs offered by student unions are considered “essential,” Piccini said that these will be ongoing discussions between the universities and the student unions. The University of Toronto Students’ Union currently administers the health and dental plans for full-time UTSG and UTM students, though there is an existing opt-out option for these fees. Piccini had also confirmed in a previous interview that universities will have final say on the decisions to be made about which fees are labelled “essential” or “nonessential.” Regehr, however, says that the university is waiting for a clearer mandate from the provincial government. “We just don’t know what that means and what kind of latitude is expected, and whether there are parameters around that, like [if ] certain amounts have to be optional,” said the provost. “We just don’t know that.” “We certainly support the kinds of activities that are funded by student fees. We think that those are important and really enhance the student experience.”
$113,000,000 revenue loss from tuition in 2020–2021
$88,000,000
revenue loss from tuition in 2019–2020
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“We just don’t know what [the Student Choice Initiative] means.” — Regehr
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“What we hope to do is find solutions that minimally impact students, staff and faculty, and programs.” — Regehr
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Recapping the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union executive candidates forum
Students ask about leadership experience, funding, bursaries Jayra Almanzor UTSC Bureau Chief
Executive candidates running in the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU) 2019 Spring Elections faced student questions about their experience and platforms at a forum hosted on January 29. There are two slates in this race, Shine Bright UTSC and SCSYou. Voting will take place from February 5–7 at three locations on campus. To the presidential candidates, UTSC student Ghaith Hanbali asked what experience the candidates have that makes them fit for this leadership position. Shine Bright UTSC’s presidential candidate Chemi Lhamo answered that she is a Director of Marketing for social media for the UTSC Chemistry Society. Lhamo is also the current SCSU VicePresident Equity.
“I thought that organic [chemistry] was the best thing since sliced bread,” said Lhamo. “Hence, why I wanted to help students with their lab coats, lab notebooks… I made sure I was there for them… [and] that people knew about Chemistry Society events.” SCSYou’s presidential candidate Anup Atwal was the co-president of the Scarborough Campus Punjabi Association and is the founder and President of the Scarborough Campus’ Union Reform Club. Atwal has also helped students at the Math and Statistics Learning Centre. “Student leadership… is not just being the person who’s always at the front… I do believe that part of being a leader is educating people around you.” UTSC student Sarkis Kidanian said to the Vice-President Operations candidates that they have “lots of promises…
UTMSU President Felipe Nagata elected Canadian Federation of Students– Ontario chairperson
Plans to put pressure on governments, move away from lobbying Silas Le Blanc Associate News Editor
Current University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) President Felipe Nagata has been elected to be the Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario (CFS–O) chairperson beginning on June 1. He will be replacing CFS–O chairperson Nour Alideeb, who has held this position for two consecutive terms and was also a former UTMSU president during the 2016–2017 school year. In this election, registered delegates were sent on behalf of each local to vote, with one local counting as one vote. Nagata ran uncontested for the position. Nagata told The Varsity in an email that he plans to “unite students across the province” and pressure local and federal governments to “prioritize education.” “Building capacity and bringing students together will be crucial in the fight for a more accessible post secondary education because it will be more efficient and impactful with one unified voice. There are many ways to do this like sending letters to local MPPs and rallying students to skills development and coalition building,” wrote Nagata. Nagata’s election comes at a hectic time in Ontario student politics, with the Ford government’s controversial decision to cut tuition by 10 per cent, cut student grants, and add opt-out options to formerly mandatory non-tuition fees. With the Ford government in
power, Nagata plans to scale back on government lobbying, especially with a government that he sees as having little concern for student input. “I want to spend the next year supporting students in developing a mobilization strategy. With the help of student unions and other groups on campus, we can focus on educating and mobilizing to create a sense of unity for the scary times we have ahead.” Aside from the provincial government, Nagata also has his eye on the upcoming federal election. “I want to make sure that every party has education on their platform. I wish to partake in a campaign to increase not only the student voter turn-out but also voter literacy.” Nagata called this “an essential piece” in showing the government that students “have a weight and voice.” Alideeb, the current CFS–O chairperson, is graduating from U of T this year but plans to continue her life in student politics. “Even though I’m graduating and I won’t be an elected representative anymore, I’m still going to fight for a free and accessible post-secondary education,” she wrote to The Varsity. “Especially with the recent government announcement, I feel like it’s my responsibility as a prospective graduate student, older sibling and citizen to continue this work. So where it will take me, I’m not sure yet, but I’m excited about this new chapter in my life.”
that require money” and asked them where that would come from. SCSYou’s Vice-President Operations candidate Ray Alibux replied that giving students the option to vote in and out of different levies would free up a lot of money. He said that students are paying for levies that not all students may want to pay for. “An example is the Blue Sky Solar Racing… this [money] could be going toward something like the Food Centre.” It is unclear how the union would gain money for other projects if students were allowed to opt out. Shine Bright UTSC’s Vice-President Operations candidate Kevin Turingan said that since people are going to be able to opt out of the union next year, “he can’t give… an exact answer for that.” If elected, Turingan plans to look at the funding and figure out how much money the union has before providing an answer. He said that he “would prioritize what students want.” Among Alibux’s campaign promises are lobbying for more charging stations, longer food vendor hours, an on-campus free food kitchen similar to Good Shepherd Ministries, and a recreation room. Turingan wants to introduce more food trucks, a food justice campaign, and a Presto card machine on campus. He also wants to give the SCSU Food
Centre its own room, and open it at least three times a week, instead of two. In light of Premier Doug Ford’s government announcement of changes to postsecondary education, which includes a 10 per cent cut to domestic tuition, a student asked the candidates for VicePresident Academics & University Affairs about how they might introduce new bursaries. Shine Bright UTSC’s Raymond Dang emphasized that “as soon as [he is] in office” in May, he will introduce scholarships and bursaries. He also has plans concerning petition costs and
green leadership. “A vote for Raymond is a vote for a break with the past,” said Dang. “A vote for Shine Bright UTSC is a vote for transparency, ambition, accountability, and positivity.” SCSYou’s Carly Sahagian said, “As someone who works with admissions, we offer a lot of scholarships for students.” She said, “[Student services] fees should be able to cover some of the extra services that we pay. For example, the deferred exam fee.” Sahagian wants to remove UTSC fees such as the $70 exam deferral fee and the $36 exam re-read fee.
Two slates, Shine Bright UTSC and SCSYou, are running in the SCSU elections. MICHAEL PHOON/THE VARSITY
Victoria students’ council attempting to rename Ryerson residence building, Vic One stream
Ryerson was proponent of residential school system, VUSAC says removal would be step toward reconciliation Kathryn Mannie Varsity Contributor
The Victoria University Students’ Administrative Council (VUSAC) has undertaken an initiative to rename the Ryerson House residence and the Ryerson Vic One stream, in an effort to move toward reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. These two Victoria College institutions bear the name of Egerton Ryerson, a figure notable for his many contributions to free and public education in Ontario. However, his advocacy for education didn’t end there — Ryerson was also a prominent supporter of the residential school system. Regarded as a tool of cultural genocide against the Indigenous peoples of Canada, the residential school system remains a dark blot in this country’s history. These government-sponsored schools were used to separate Indigenous children from their families and communities in order to assimilate them into Western society. These schools often set the stage for cruelty and exploitation, with many residential school survivors coming out today with stories of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. In an 1847 letter, Ryerson provided a key endorsement of the residential school system. This letter may have played a role in ultimately convincing Canada’s first prime minister, John A. MacDonald, to expand residential schools on a national level. VUSAC sees continuing to honour Ryerson as a barrier to education for Indigenous students. In a report that is set to be released to the public on February 4, VUSAC
Vice-President External Affairs Devon Wilton and President Jayde Jones wrote that during their consultation process with Indigenous student groups, “each response reaffirmed [their] commitment to pursuing a name change — every single one was in favour.” “We learned through this process that allowing the name to remain would be to continue the insult and harm caused by Ryerson to Indigenous peoples.” In a statement to The Varsity, Wilton remarked that this issue of renaming the Ryerson house and Vic One stream “has been a topic of consideration and conversation at Victoria College for years,” and that so far VUSAC has been “fortunate to receive lots of positive feedback and excited reactions” for this proposed move. However, the process of renaming, and in recent years, statue removal, often comes under fire for being too politically correct or an attempt to erase history. In response to these sentiments, Wilton said that “the irreparable harms caused by residential schools can never be explained away by changing ‘moral standards.’ We know that what Ryerson did in support of the residential school system was wrong, and we know that honouring his name at Vic is wrong too.” This report calls on the Victoria University Board of Regents and the Victoria University Senate to rename the Ryerson House and Ryerson Vic One stream by September 1. The report also includes recommendations for an alternative name: Dr. Cindy Blackstock, a notable Indigenous rights activist. Currently, six out of the eight Vic One streams are named in
honour of white men. Ryerson University underwent its own campaign to remove Ryerson’s name in 2017. While these renaming efforts never came to pass, other Canadian institutions have been active in removing names associated with colonialism from their campuses. In BC, the University of Victoria renamed Trutch Hall, one of its residence buildings, after a student campaign called out Joseph W. Trutch’s racist attitudes toward Indigenous peoples. Similarly, McGill University’s student body voted to change the name of their varsity men’s team from the Redmen, a racist slur against Indigenous peoples, though this was non-binding. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also renamed Langevin Block to the Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council in the spirit of reconciliation, as Hector-Louis Langevin was also a proponent of the residential school system. In a statement to The Varsity, Liz Taylor, Communications Officer for Victoria, wrote, “Victoria University welcomes the report and thanks VUSAC for its thoughtful work on an important issue. The Board of Regents and Victoria’s academic and administrative leaders look forward to working together to examine the important questions raised in the report, in consultation with the Vic community.” A motion to endorse this report outlining the renaming initiative passed through VUSAC unanimously at its February 1 meeting. A public letter of support will be published bearing the names of VUSAC members. Wilton told The Varsity that there will also be an online petition for students to sign in support of this move.
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New U of T sustainability report recommends “curriculum innovation,” partnerships with community Student groups commend new steps, say it’s not enough Hannah Carty Varsity Staff
Founded at a time when U of T’s decision not to divest from fossil fuel companies was under scrutiny, the President’s Advisory Committee on the Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability (CECCS) has released its second annual report. The report outlines proposals by the CECCS, though the committee does not have the power to implement its suggestions without the appropriate governance approvals. Professor John Robinson, Presidential Advisor of the committee, said that the
report aims to connect operational aspects of sustainability with academic approaches. “The first report was really just saying, ‘Here’s the approach we want to take,’” he said. “That approach was also saying [that] we’re looking for sustainability as a way to make things better, not just less bad, not just harm reduction.” The report’s suggestions are grouped under three subcommittees: Campus as a Living Lab, University as an Agent of Change, and Curriculum Innovation. “Campus as Living Lab says, turn the whole campus into kind of a sandbox for sustainability to test out, try out the most advanced possible sustainability ac-
tivities on everything the university does. Building, landscaping, social programs, everything,” said Robinson. The report proposes six “living lab[s]” that would implement sustainability projects across all three campuses. The University as an Agent of Change subcommittee seeks to make partnerships in the private and public sector outside of the U of T community. Curriculum Innovation attempts to identify existing courses that have an element of sustainability, using a “sustainability pathways” approach to help students connect with the issue of sustainability in the real world. In the area of curriculum innovation, the report proposes new certificate initiatives that would encourage all students, regardless of program, to partake in sustainability-related activities. If the proposal succeeds on a governance level, students would be able to gain recognition as a Global Citizen, Global Scholar, or Global Leader through curricular and extracurricular activities. “I think it’s a great idea because it isn’t just about the students taking sustainability as they’re focus. It’s about everybody, every student at the university, having this opportunity,” said Robinson.
Environmental student groups Leap UofT and Regenesis UofT commended the report for addressing issues pertaining to sustainability and taking steps in the right direction, but criticized it for not going far enough. Naomi Alon, co-president of Regenesis UofT, said, “Considering the amount of people who use U of T on a daily basis, there [is] definitely a need to enact… the measures outlined in the CECCS report, and also establish sustainable practices within the education of students, so they can be
mindful of environmental sustainability going forward.” However, Julia DaSilva, co-founder of Leap UofT, criticized the report for “promoting attractive eco-friendly projects while continuing to invest in the powerful fossil fuel [industry]” and “presenting surface solutions as genuine change.”
FIONA TUNG/THE VARSITY
NDP Critic for Colleges and Universities Chris Glover speaks at U of T
SIMONE SANTERRE/THE VARSITY
U of T approves Second Attempt for Credit policy change at UTM
Policy allows students to retake up to 1.0 previously passed credits for their GPA Zeahaa Rehman UTM Bureau Chief
U of T’s Committee on Academic Policy and Programs approved the introduction of a Second Attempt for Credit (SAC) proposal on January 14, which will allow UTM students to choose up to 1.0 retaken passed credits to count toward their cumulative GPA (CGPA). This policy does not apply to UTSC or UTSG students. Currently, marks received for a retaken course are not reflected in students’ GPAs, but are denoted as “extra” on their transcript. Effective May 1, the policy makes changes to UTM’s existing Repeating Passed Courses Policy, according to an email from U of T spokesperson, Elizabeth Church. “Under the existing policy, students are allowed to repeat passed courses only once and only when the course is needed to enter a program, to satisfy a prerequisite, or to demonstrate higher performance for an external credential or future graduate study,” explained Church. Data collected by the university since September 2015 shows that, out of 1,340 instances of repeated passed courses, only 10 per cent of students taking previously passed courses saw a mark decrease. Most students saw a median increase of 13 per cent. Students must designate a course as SAC before completing it for it to count toward their GPA, or else it will continue to be denoted as “extra.” The deadline will correspond with the deadlines for late withdrawal and credit/no credit. There is no restriction on the year that the student is in, the level of the course, or the campus where the course is offered. The Office of the Vice-Principal Academic and Dean consulted with UTM’s Office of the Registrar and solicited feedback from UTM Department Chairs and the University of Toronto Mississauga
Students’ Union (UTMSU). Professor Angela Lange, Acting Vice-Principal Academic and Dean, formally proposed this policy in October last year, after which it was brought to UTM’s Academic Affairs Committee. Upon the Academic Affairs Committee’s recommendation, the motion was presented to the Committee on Academic Policy and Programs for approval. “The rationale behind this [policy],” said Church, “is to give students more opportunities to recover from challenges in their first year that may keep them from entering programs that require a minimum mark in a particular course… or a minimum CGPA.” The SAC amendment acknowledges students’ efforts to improve and ensures that this effort is reflected in their GPA. The new policy will also be consistent with other U15 universities, a group of 15 Canadian public research universities of which University of Toronto is a member. The UTMSU has been advocating for the course retake policy for years, with the union releasing its policy proposal on the issue last March. However, this policy currently only exists at UTM; no similar policies have been proposed at either UTSC or UTSG. Haseeb Hassaan, President of the Arts & Science Students’ Union (ASSU), which represents undergraduate full-time students in the Faculty of Arts & Science at UTSG, wrote to The Varsity that ASSU “supports such a policy at the faculty of arts and science.” “Our counterparts at the UTMSU have also briefed us on the policy,” confirmed Hassaan. “ASSU has brought this to the attention of the deans office and has made it clear that this [policy] would be of benefit [to] students.” The Varsity has reached out to the UTMSU and the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union for comment.
Glover calls out Ford government for changes to postsecondary education Alex Byrne-Krzycki Varsity Contributor
noted his dismay at the opt-out nature of student fees, saying that student unions could lose out on much of the revenue that they use for advocacy. He also claimed that the change is a political move to hamstring organizations and prevent them from fighting to reverse these and future cuts. When asked what an NDP government would do, Glover cited the party’s 2018 provincial platform, in which it committed to working toward ending interest on student loans, converting more loans into grants, eliminating the province’s policy of using private loan collection agencies to collect OSAP, and lifting the budget freeze on colleges and universities. When asked for solutions to the cuts and their effects, Glover said, “This is not inevitable,” adding that students need to organize at Queen’s Park and especially call on students in PC ridings to confront their local representatives.
Chris Glover, MPP for Spadina—Fort York and the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP) Critic for Training, Colleges and Universities, was hosted by the U of T New Democrats on January 30 to discuss the changes made by the Ford government to postsecondary education, and how these changes will impact students. Glover, a former adjunct social sciences professor at York University and graduate of Innis College, spoke to a handful of students on a cold Wednesday evening. During his opening presentation on student financial issues, he reiterated the NDP’s position on the provincial government’s reforms to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), the elimination of the six-month interest free grace period after graduation for OSAP loans, and the new optout feature for “non-essential” student fees. The Ford government’s changes to postsecondary education were not welcome news to the MPP. While Glover said that he agrees with the Progressive Conservatives (PCs) that the previous Liberal government’s Free Tuition plan was never really free tuition, he disagrees with the tuition cut, as it is unfunded. “Ontario universities... will have $380 million less in operating revenue [next year], and colleges [will have] $60 million less in operating revenue,” Glover said. “If it was a fully funded tuition cut it [would have been] a wonderful thing because you would have been paying less for the same quality of education.” While Glover had sharp criticism for the old plan under the Liberals, he did say that it allowed more students from low and middle-income families to benefit from the program, and that if it had continued, more of those students would have graduated with less debt. Glover also voiced his concerns Glover says the Ontario NDP wants to end student loan interest. about the effect on student groups. He SHANNA HUNTER/THE VARSITY
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The Breakdown: U of T policies behind cancelling classes
UTM, UTSC must give hours notice for evening cancellations, UTSG has no guidelines Julie Shi Deputy Senior Copy Editor
Toronto weathered a miserable and messy Monday as the city saw a recordbreaking 19 centimetres of snowfall on January 28. Throughout the day, U of T’s three campuses closed or cancelled classes due to the weather. With temperatures expected to remain chilly, The Varsity took a look at how and when U of T campuses decide to close.
UTM
The first campus to take action at around 10:00 am, UTM announced on January 28 that it would be closing at 4:00 pm “due to worsening weather conditions.” According to the campus’ website, notices for full-day or morning cancellations at UTM are posted by 6:00 am, with updates for evening classes and events generally made by 3:00 pm. All decisions regarding class cancellations at UTM are informed by its
chief administrative officer (CAO) and Campus Police, and made by its VicePresident & Principal. In the event of campus closure, decisions are also discussed with the Vice-President Human Resources & Equity. Prior to Monday’s closure, UTM was last closed in April due to an ice storm. According to UTM’s Weather Information page, aside from current and predicted weather conditions, factors considered before closing campus include the states of local roads, walkways, and transit operations, any closures of local and regional businesses and schools, and the consequences of closing campus.
UTSC
Freezing students walk through the wintery abyss on a cold and snowy day in Toronto. SHANNA HUNTER/THE VARSITY
Following suit less than two hours later, UTSC declared all classes and scheduled events on January 28 cancelled starting at 5:00 pm. According to its severe weather guidelines, UTSC’s decisions for morning and evening classes are posted around 6:30 am and 4:15 pm respectively. Cancellations at UTSC are also determined by its Vice-President & Principal based on advice from its
Front Campus, more like Frozen Campus. SHANNA HUNTER/THE VARSITY
CAO and Director of Campus Safety and Security. Closures are likewise discussed with the Vice-President Human Resources & Equity. Last April’s ice storm also saw UTSC close.
UTSG
While updates for UTM and UTSC evening classes were given with at least five-hours notice, classes at UTSG scheduled for after 6:00 pm were not cancelled until after 2:30 pm, with emails not sent until a few minutes before the hour. According to the provost office’s policy on class cancellations, UTSG staff, faculty, and students should be alerted of morning and full-day cancellations or closures by 6:00 am. The provost’s office gives no indication for how soon updates on evening classes can be expected. Both the Vice-President & Provost and Vice-President Human Resources & Equity are involved in determining UTSG’s status under adverse weather
conditions. Concerns from Campus Police and the Vice-President University Operations are also considered. In the event of a campus closure on any given day, including weekends, all on-campus activities and events are cancelled and all buildings are locked, with the exception of essential services such as campus security and residencerelated services. During class cancellations, all nonacademic services remain operational. Proceedings of non-academic events and operating hours for campus facilities may vary at the discretion of their respective supervisors. Students who are unable to attend classes are advised to look through the syllabi of affected classes for policies on attendance and late or missed assignments and exams. Of 16 other colleges and universities in southwestern Ontario affected, only Conestoga College, Wilfrid Laurier University, the University of Guelph, and the University of Waterloo remained open on January 28.
The Underground hosts Scarborough Campus Students’ Union executive candidates debate
Disagreements over qualifications, “Free Palestine” sign Jayra Almanzor UTSC Bureau Chief
UTSC’s student newspaper The Underground hosted a debate on February 1 for the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU) executive candidates. The presidential candidates discussed their platforms and students’ needs, and the debate grew heated over accusations of a lack of qualifications, and debate over a “Free Palestine” sign at the Student Centre. “Come up with your own ideas for once in your life” The presidential candidates answered questions about what they thought of the opposition, the most pressing needs of UTSC students, and what oppositional platform point they would like to incorporate into their own. Independent candidate John John said that the opposition promises a lot of things but “they’re not going to do anything for you.” John said that he does not have a platform and that he does not want to know what the students’ problems are. “I’m really here because I want to start a movement on campus… Come up with your own ideas for once in your life.” SCSYou’s Anup Atwal said that the
student union needs “fresh faces and fresh ideas.” Atwal also commented that John was outlining the main problem with the SCSU, but “it seems that John doesn’t actually want to do things. It’s more [to] just make the noise.” Atwal believes that financial security and academics are the most pressing needs of UTSC students. “If you don’t have financial security, you don’t eat, you don’t socialize as much… that affects your mental health and ability to perform… in the classroom.” For Shine Bright UTSC’s Chemi Lhamo, UTSC students need diverse representation the most. She provided the example of courses in which the teachers do not represent the community being taught. When asked about an oppositional platform point that she wants to incorporate into her own, Lhamo said, “I can spill you a little bit of tea. There is a lot of alignment in between [Shine Bright UTSC’s and SCSYou’s] campaign points. Perhaps because some of our campaign points were leaked prior to us knowing, because of certain implantations?” The audience both booed and clapped in response to her statement. “My opponent is utterly unqualified for the position”
SCSYou presidential candidate Anup Atwal speaks at the podium at Friday's debate as other candidates look on. JOSIE KAO/THE VARSITY
The candidates for Vice-President Academics & University Affairs were asked about what would be their biggest worry if their opponent wins. Shine Bright UTSC’s Raymond Dang said that his biggest worry was that if SCSYou’s Carly Sahagian wins, “no action will happen.” Dang said, “Number one, my opponent is utterly unqualified for the position,” to which the audience interrupted Dang with murmurs and grumbles. Dang continued, “It is my political opinion, that it is utterly unqualified —” The audience started to boo and grumble louder. Somebody in the audience said, “Don’t be rude!” Dang, referring to Sahagian’s two years of registrarial experience, said that the registrar’s office is still the same. “And additionally, we have known that [having] no DSA [Departmental Students’ Association] experience within Academics & Uni-
versity Affairs is actually harmful for the position.” Sahagian was given a chance to respond, during which she said that her Student Recruitment Assistant position at the registrar’s office did not give her any power over student services. She mentioned her other qualifications, including being a secretary for the Women’s and Gender Studies Association and serving the Campus Affairs Committee. “I’m representing every department, not only Political Science,” said Sahagian. Dang is currently the SCSU’s Director of Political Science. He has also worked with the Political Science Students’ Association at UTSC. “Free Palestine” signage The Vice-President Equity candidates were asked whether the “Free Palestine” sign at UTSC’s Student Centre creates a hostile environment for Jewish students.
Shine Bright UTSC’s Leon Tsai said that she does not think that the sign is antisemitic or anti-Jewish. She mentioned that the union supported Palestine and also Holocaust Education Week “to make sure that it’s not one or the other.” “We need to have all these discussions… to make sure everyone is heard,” she said. SCSYou’s Tebat Khadhem said that the problem with the banners is that they are “single-sided on one political issue… [so] the other side will feel marginalized.” “Our slate will make the option of putting up a poster equitable for all student clubs… as long as they are within the limits of the Charter of Rights,” Khadhem said. Voting for the SCSU 2019 Spring Elections will take place February 5–7 at the Bladen Wing Tim Hortons, Instructional Centre Atrium, and Student Centre.
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Here are your Scarborough Campus Students’ Union election candidates
Anup Atwal, President Slate: SCSYou
By Jayra Almanzor Anup Atwal, a fourth-year Neuroscience and Statistics student, is running as SCSYou’s presidential candidate. Atwal was the co-president of the Scarborough Campus Punjabi Association and is currently the President of the Scarborough Campus’ Union Reform Club. When asked why he was running for president, Atwal said, “Student unions represent something more than just positions of power and incomes for
John John, President Independent By Josie Kao
John John is a fourth-year history student running as an independent presidential candidate. He says that he is running to combat student apathy at UTSC, as he
Raymond Dang, Vice-President Academics & University Affairs Slate: Shine Bright UTSC By Josie Kao
Raymond Dang is a fourth-year Public Policy and Environmental Studies student running with the Shine Bright slate to be the SCSU’s next Vice-President Academics & University Affairs. Dang was a Political Science Students’ Association representative for three years in a row, has served on the Council on Student Services, and is the current SCSU Director of Political Science.
students… student unions function as a microcosm for… our own civic lives when we go out there and live.” Atwal said that a system that is “not working and motivating people to be civically engaged” needs to change. The SCSU’s priority for next year, according to Atwal, should be regaining and maintaining the student body’s trust, especially because students will possibly be given the choice to opt out of union fees next year under the new guidelines announced by the Ford government. On the student union’s role in activist matters, Atwal believes that student unions do not have any right to take a political stance. “What we should be doing is giving student clubs and students on campus a platform to express themselves. The union should not be the ones doing the actual activism; it should be the students doing it based on their own platforms,” said Atwal.
On his plan to deal with the provincial government’s changes to postsecondary education, which include potential SCSU funding cuts, Atwal said that he would be donating his salary back to the union. However, Atwal acknowledged that doing that is only a “temporary relief.” Before the opt-out option is implemented, Atwal hopes to speak to MPPs and ask them to justify why they think their decisions are the right thing to do. If the government does proceed with their plans to change postsecondary education funding, Atwal thinks that the SCSU does not have “much sway” in its ability to lobby. “But we have sway with the university,” said Atwal. “We need to unite as unions and build rapports with the universities… to push against something bigger, which is the provincial government. We are not alone.”
is disappointed with the lack of engagement from both students and the SCSU. In an interview with The Varsity, John said that he is running more to make a point than to win. John’s number one platform point is to abolish slates, as he thinks they are a major barrier to getting students to run for the SCSU. “People are being boxed into certain kinds of ideology all the time. They don’t really have any time to express themselves freely, and also it intimidates a lot of people from getting involved in politics.” He believes that the problem of student apathy toward the SCSU is less of a problem with
individuals and more to do with how the union is structured. However, when it comes to being involved in the SCSU, John calls on students to “figure it out for themselves.” “I don’t want them to always think someone will have some kind of ready-made answers for them.” If a candidate is making a promise, John believes that students should always be skeptical and ask the question, “So what?” When asked about what he would do regarding Doug Ford’s changes to postsecondary funding, John said that he did not really have an answer for that as he doesn’t “have a formulated platform and it’s more like getting people [to] run for themselves.”
One of Dang’s platform points is to advocate for more affordable residence spaces. Part of his plan to achieve this is to lobby the university to “give a commitment as a percentage of affordable residence homes.” “I understand it is definitely difficult, but having these conversations is necessary, long-run, if we want to create communities that interact with each other.” When asked what he would do about the provincial government’s changes to postsecondary fee frameworks, which would potentially put the SCSU at risk of losing its funding and cut university revenue, Dang is a proponent of “working with the university to find revenue streams so that it is sustainable, and not just relying on student revenue like student tuition.” He suggested federal grants, federal sponsorship, and corporate sponsorship as alternate streams of revenue. In the past year, Dang has been the subject of controversy, first when he proposed a media policy aimed at regulating
access to SCSU meetings, and then when he motioned to give the UTSC Women’s and Trans Centre money after students voted against doing so at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). When asked about the media policy, Dang said that he “absolutely never intended to make that policy about controlling media” and acknowledged that the wording of the motion was “super clumsy.” He added that he hoped the SCSU would issue a statement clarifying his record. When asked why he proposed the motion to give money to the centre, Dang said that it was because after the AGM, he discovered that the SCSU had enough money in its contingency reserve to give to the centre. However, Dang added that, looking back, he would do things differently in light of the criticism. “I would publicize it everywhere, I’d talk to students everywhere. I’d get people who were… also at the AGM and talk to them about the issue.”
Chemi Lhamo, President Slate: Shine Bright UTSC By Ilya Bañares
Chemi Lhamo, a Neuroscience and Psychology student in her fourth year of study, is leading the Shine Bright UTSC slate as its presidential candidate. Lhamo currently serves as the SCSU’s Vice-President Equity. “The reason why I’m running for president is because I want to prioritize student needs,” Lhamo said to The Varsity. “With my five years of experience at UTSC, I understand what student needs are and I know what gaps lie there.”
Rayyan Alibux, VicePresident Operations Slate: SCSYou
By Silas Le Blanc Rayyan Alibux is a third-year student double majoring in Political Science and Business Economics. This is Alibux’ second time running for the SCSU, having contended for president in last year’s elections, during which he was disqualified and then reinstated.
Carly Sahagian, Vice-President Academics & University Affairs Slate: SCSYou By Andy Takagi
Carly Sahagian is a fourthyear student studying Molecular Biology, Immunology & Disease, and Women’s and Gender Studies, who is running on the SCSYou slate for Vice-President Academics &
Lhamo was elected to her current position under the Rise Up UTSC slate in an election that resulted in a split-ticket executive. She recalled growing up as a stateless Tibetan refugee in India and said that she “has gone through a lot of adversities in life,” now working three jobs to make ends meet in addition to keeping up with academic requirements and volunteering. She also mentioned creating a mentorship program for Tibetan youth in Canada. On what her priorities would be as president, Lhamo pointed to representation. “I think I have emphasized this enough because representation is so important,” she said. “All my life I have been treated as an outsider. It’s not a sob story — it’s just a reality.” Lhamo also criticized the provincial government’s announced changes to postsecondary education funding, including to the Ontario Student Assistance Program. “The students will be affected tremendously… we’re talking about every single student,” she
said. “Those cuts for the university tuition fees means that tuition fees for international students, unregulated students, will actually increase. So now we’re talking about Doug Ford’s cuts tremendously not benefitting… our student lives everywhere.” In response to SCSYou presidential candidate Anup Atwal’s claim during Friday’s executive debate that he would donate his salary back to the union if he were elected, Lhamo called it a “noble act,” saying that “if he’d like to volunteer, I’d like to say there are many other opportunities to volunteer because I’ve been volunteering my whole life.” However, she also advised caution for the future. “If I could donate the money back, I’d definitely do it, but I live a life that is not necessarily as privileged as other people have,” she said. “That kind of step is actually dangerous, because that’s precedence, or almost a barrier, for any other future presidents.”
Alibux is a member of the Scarborough Campus’ Union Reform Club. Fellow slate member and presidential candidate Anup Atwal is the club’s current president. Alibux’ platform includes ensuring budget transparency by making financial reports and budget sheets available, lowering locker rental fees, lobbying to have food vendors open longer, and implementing online voting. Alibux also hopes to make bylaw changes that focus on budget transparency. “I don’t think the current system provides people with enough information,” Alibux said. “One thing I’d like [to see from the union] is that when they’re releasing their financial statements, they’re going to also release an Excel spreadsheet or something available online, which will show an itemized sheet of everything that was purchased.”
He also hopes to implement online voting at UTSC. “It makes things like re-evaluating levies a lot easier… Every three years there needs to be a mandatory re-evaluation of the levies that students will vote on,” he continued. In regards to a recent controversy that saw the SCSU board of directors vote to disregard a decision made at the Annual General Meeting and give additional money to the Women’s and Trans Centre, Alibux barely hesitated before asserting what he would do in that position. “It’s the students’ choice… I don’t think the board has a right to disregard their decision. I think that’s very undemocratic. And part of the whole spirit of this online voting is that students will have the choice to vote on policy," though he added that students should be as informed as possible.
University Affairs. Since she first came to Canada after transferring from Kabul University in Afghanistan, Sahagian has worked at the UTSC registrar’s office in the admissions and recruitment department for two years, and currently represents full-time undergraduates on the Campus Affairs Committee of the UTSC Campus Council. “As a leader on campus and being very heavily involved, I wanted to run in the union because the union can actually do more than that,” said Sahagian. Sahagian wants to work toward making UTSC fees, including those related to exam deferral and rereads, more accessible. Citing free exam rereads at the Faculty of Arts & Science at UTSG, Sahagian doesn’t see any obstacles to establishing the same process at UTSC.
Her other campaign points include web options for 8:00 am classes, expanding the SelfDeclaration of Illness form from the Department of Psychology to other departments, creating a course retake policy for UTSC, and establishing a system for students to write deferred exams in the same exam period. Union transparency is also a concern for Sahagian, who believes that, without term limits, certain groups can run continuously and discourage others from running. Sahagian hopes to use data and statistics from the admissions office to aid in discussion and lobbying for expanding residences for UTSC students, but also wants to look at alternatives, like townhouses, to expand residence accommodation options.
— With files from Jayra Almanzor and Josie Kao
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Tebat Kadhem, Vice-President Equity Slate: SCSYou
By Adam A. Lam Tebat Kadhem is a fourth-year student running with the SCSYou slate for the position of Vice-President Equity. Her main platform points centre around improving accessibility on campus. Kadhem is the current Secretary General for the Scarborough Model United Nations Conference, President of the Law Society of UTSC, and
Chaman Bukhari, Vice-President External Slate: SCSYou By Ilya Bañares
Chaman Bukhari, a fourth-year Public Policy and International Development student and the co-president of the Pakistani Students’ Association at UTSC, is running to be the SCSU’s next Vice-President External. In an interview with The Varsity, Bukhari said that he is running because the SCSU “hasn’t had a very positive image, and that’s in part due to abstract goals that the SCSU candidates set for themselves while they’re in
Shehtabbanu Shaikh, Vice-President Campus Life Independent
By Ann Marie Elpa Shehtabbanu Shaikh is a firstyear psychology specialist at UTSC who is running as an independent candidate for Vice-President Campus Life. When asked about her plans for further improvements in campus programming, Shaikh responded that the SCSU’s current programming was not
Public Law Director for the Political Science Students’ Association. Kadhem’s first priority would be to create an accessible study space on campus for students registered with Accessibility Services. The ideal space would include “assistive technology like ZoomText, JAWS, the CCTV, all of these tools that are used by students with disability that are normally not provided by the university,” said Kadhem. Kadhem estimated that the costs would “be around $10,000–20,000 to get the initiative started” based on “funding formulas” around furniture and other expenses. On money, she said that “there are [a] lot of departments that would love to contribute to the initiative.” She continued, “I’m sure a lot of different departments have the money, so it wouldn’t be hard in terms of getting the money.” Other accessibility initiatives
that she is planning include incentivizing student note-takers, mandating that all food vendors have braille menus, and ensuring that the campus has effective snow clearance. On the problem of equitable food at UTSC, Kadhem plans to work with the current vendors on campus to include more halal, vegan, vegetarian, and lactoseintolerant options. “It’s very frightening for someone that depends on food from this campus on a daily basis that if you forget to pack a lunch one day, you might be starving for the entire day,” she said. Kadhem specifically plans to lobby for current vendors in the Student Centre and at the Farmers’ Market to expand their food options, highlighting that they would “see a monetary benefit.” However, Kadhem said that she did not intend for the SCSU to provide “monetary kickbacks” to financially incentivize vendors to expand food options.
office.” He said that he has tried to set more realistic and tangible campaign goals, so that students can readily assess whether they have been achieved, should they choose to elect him. On the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), an organization that represents student unions across Canada, and which many member unions have left or attempted to leave in recent years, Bukhari said that it would be up to the students whether the SCSU should remain. He mentioned that he would act only as a liaison between UTSC students and the CFS. He said that his goal is to first set up a committee to see what the pros and cons are of continued CFS membership. “If the committee’s conclusion [tells] us that this is something that should be taken seriously in terms of our affiliation, and we are paying more than the value that we’re receiving in return, then it should go to a… petition, and only then should we be able to decide what happens.”
On the Ford government’s recent changes to postsecondary education funding, which includes the Student Choice Initiative that allows students to opt out of certain “non-essential” incidental fees, Bukhari said that the organization would be in talks with U of T in order to figure out the student union’s future. On the cuts to the Ontario Student Assistance Program, Bukhari expressed disappointment and called it “detrimental” to the student experience across the province. “This is something that is very personal to me as well, and to my friends, and I look forward to communicating with the provincial government to make some sort of adjustment,” he said. In the end, Bukhari noted that he hoped voters would decide “not based on popularity, but based on the policy.” “In order to bring change, we need different people. We cannot expect change when we vote for the same faces.”
easily accessible. “These [initiatives] that they’re doing, they’re not public, they’re not very well [advertised]. I feel like if people get more knowledge about them, there will be more… volunteering.” Regarding her plans for orientation, Shaikh proposed icebreakers, team building group activities, and bringing in the occasional celebrity. “It’s about having fun because you’re just making new friends. It’s about building a connection, a network.” In response to recent complaints against food vendors at the Student Centre’s Market Place, Shaikh said that the restaurants need to be revamped, further proposing to cancel contracts with current vendors and do regular food inspections to ensure adequate food quality. “I think people are taking [the food] part of university
very lightly. I feel like we need to look at the whole thing and do some surveys, get what people want, to get their opinion on it, and then implement it.” When asked why she chose to run as an independent, Shaikh referenced the difficulty creating a slate and meeting fellow candidates. “In the beginning, I didn’t know many people, so it was hard to figure out who’s on whose team,” she said. “After I actually chose to [run as an independent], I started meeting with the other candidates on the other slates and honestly, most of the teams were really supportive.” Despite this, Shaikh still prefers running independently, mentioning tension faced between fellow members. “I’m actually happy that I chose to run individually, seeing all the tension between the slates.” — With files from Josie Kao
Leon Tsai, Vice-President Equity
Slate: Shine Bright UTSC By Ann Marie Elpa
Leon Tsai is a second-year student at UTSC majoring in Women’s and Gender Studies, and minoring in Creative Writing with a focus in poetry. Tsai is the current SCSU Director of Historical and Cultural Studies. She is also the External Relations Coordinator of the UTSC’s
Kalkidan Alemayehu, Vice-President External Slate: Shine Bright UTSC By Adam A. Lam
Shine Bright UTSC’s candidate for Vice-President External is Kalkidan Alemayehu, who aims to represent the diverse student body on campus and to make it easier for international students to transition to off campus housing. She is also focused on lobbying the Ontario government to protest its changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program. Alemayehu is campaigning under the name Kali Tadesse. Alemayehu has served as President of the African Students’ Association, worked with
Sarah Mohamed, Vice-President Campus Life Slate: Shine Bright UTSC By Ilya Bañares
Sarah Mohamed, a fourth-year Health Studies, Psychology, and City Studies student, is running for Vice-President Campus Life under the Shine Bright UTSC slate. Mohamed said that she has wanted to fill the role ever since her first year at UTSC, and now that the position is elected,
Women’s and Trans Centre and on work study at UTSC’s Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre. Tsai’s platform includes expanding safe spaces and accessibility services, implementing a dialogue series campaign for mental health, and lobbying the university for decolonizing discourses. She also wants to advocate for LGBTQ+-oriented services, initiatives, and campaigns. As an LGBTQ+ and bodypositive activist, Leon draws from her personal experiences as a transgender immigrant woman and as a public speaker. “I really believe that decolonizing this institution that’s not built for all of us is the way that we can all feel empowered and move forward.” Addressing improvements to the SCSU, Tsai said that there need to be conversation and community consultation regarding equity issues, especially intersec-
tional ones. “I think the SCSU is doing well in the sense that it’s trying to cover a lot of different topics of marginalization and oppression and educate that to the students.” She criticized equity within food options, specifically the need for more vegan and halal options. “Obviously checking the quality is an important thing, but also making sure that there’s vegan and halal options so that everyone gets access to food.” Responding to complaints about the Student Centre’s food vendors, Tsai said that students need to lobby and pressure the university to make changes, as unions do not have this authority. “If we want to change the food options and Market Place, we do need to lobby the university just because the student union doesn’t control those things.”
the Equity and Diversity Office, and volunteered for Let’s Talk Science, a charitable organization that encourages science education among children and youth. Speaking on her platform points, Alemayehu said that she wants to “make sure the transition for international students going from residents to off-campus housing is easier” and aims to work with an external housing company. She also suggested implementing a “lottery system” to ensure that placements in housing are randomized. She further said that she wishes to prioritize international students, as it can be harder for them to “navigate the system in this country, because they come from a different country and a different system.” If elected, Alemayehu hopes to lobby the Ontario government to “reconsider eliminating free tuition” for low-income students. To make this a reality, she plans to mobilize and continue protesting against the Ontario government’s changes to the program. In case student fees for the SCSU become optional, she
aims to raise funds for the SCSU by contacting “external sponsors” to add to the SCSU’s funding. On the topic of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), an organization comprised of student unions across Canada and that many members have attempted to leave in recent years, Alemayehu believes that it does benefit the SCSU and the student body to remain. She said that it helps students participate in programs abroad, and that the roughly $4 semesterly fee that students send to the CFS–Ontario is “not as much compared to what we gain from it, even though the system could be improved.” Explaining what she thinks could be improved, she said that there is a perception among students that the CFS National “doesn’t do much for students,” but noted that the CFS–Ontario does do good advocacy work on behalf of students. She credited the CFS’ lobbying efforts for convincing the previous provincial government to raise grants last year, though she acknowledged that it has been reversed with the current government.
“there’s nothing going to stop me from running.” As part of her portfolio, Mohamed wants to hire two orientation co-coordinators this year, rather than one senior and one junior leader. “I want to hire two co-coordinators that do the work equally and actually manage the team together rather than one doing everything, the next person just being their assistant,” Mohamed said, recalling her experience as a junior coordinator, when she felt that there wasn’t much to the role. Mohamed is also campaigning on moving some parts of orientation to inside the new Exam Centre, so that attendees won’t tire from being under the sun. She also wants to improve food options during orientation. “I want to make sure that food is better this year,” she said. “I’m going to try to make sure that the places that we reach out to are places that students actually want to pick from.” For example, in-
stead of having pizza for all three days, she would try to find variety by asking students for their preferences via Google Form. On the SCSU’s current clubs funding model, Mohamed said that there was a lot of confusion from students. “I had trouble understanding how [the] SCSU’s funding worked for clubs because they didn’t really have an individual who is relaying that information,” she said. “Yes, they have [the Vice-President] Campus Life who is responsible for funding and everything, but there wasn’t really any workshops.” She said that she would create a tip sheet on how clubs can get funding and potentially reach out to first-year students to explain the process.
— With files from Josie Kao
— With files from Josie Kao The Varsity was unable to reach Shine Bright UTSC VicePresident Operations candidate Kevin Turingan for an interview.
Business
February 4, 2019 var.st/business biz@thevarsity.ca
Jiaying Gu on econometrics, policy making, improving the education system
David Rosenberg delivers Rotman talk on impending US recession
Gluskin Sheff chief economist suggests Feds are disguising a market downturn
UTM assistant professor wins 2018 Polyani Prize for researching innovative statistical methods Zeahaa Rehman UTM Bureau Chief
Imagine that university professors are graded on a bell curve based on their teaching qualities, not unlike how students are sometimes graded. This method of evaluation assumes that their quality must be ranked according to the bell curve and that they cannot deviate from it. This would result in many capable professors unfairly receiving poor evaluations, which are used as a basis for restricting promotions, or worse, letting them go entirely. This is the type of error that UTM Assistant Professor Jiaying Gu hopes to avoid. Gu works in the Department of Economics at UTM and specializes in applied econometrics — a branch of economics that uses statistical methods to analyze economic data. “I enjoy the fact that econometrics is a collection of tools that allows data to tell a story,” wrote Gu in an email to The Varsity. “[It] is a collection of methods that allows one to learn something useful from the data.” She currently develops these very tools and is pleased that her methods are being used in empirical economic work. Her development of new statistical methods to better understand economic data that can’t be easily measured — like innate ability or personal preference — won her the 2018 Polanyi Prize in Economic Science. The Polanyi Prize, named after U of T chemist and Nobel Prize recipient John C. Polanyi, is awarded each year to up to five young researchers conducting postdoctoral research at Ontario universities. Gu was honoured alongside U of T faculty members Husam Abdel-Qadir and Jason Hunt, who won the Polanyi Prizes in Physiology/Medicine and Physics, respectively. Gu is researching teacher evaluations, which typically consists of learning about an individual teacher’s quality from the test results of their students. Despite teacher quality being a leading question in education economics, the method currently used to answer it was formed in the 1960s and relies on linear shrinkage with the assumption that the distribution of quality follows a bell curve. This method is problematic, according to Gu, as its data is too diverse to be analyzed one way and because “policy makers have been
using these evaluation results (explicitly or implicitly) to make personnel decisions.” Gu wants to relax this “normality assumption” to develop a method that more accurately evaluates teacher quality, with a particular focus on the impact of professors’ individual teaching styles, which can be difficult to observe. “I believe the new method benefits not only academic researchers towards a better understanding of how teacher’s quality influence students’ test outcome and long run economic outcomes, but also provides a more reliable framework to educators and policy makers in designing better policy to our education system.” Gu received her undergraduate degree in economics from Fudan University in Shanghai, before pursuing a master’s degree in the subject at the National University of Singapore. Gu has been at UTM since obtaining her doctorate in, of course, economics, from the University of Illinois. Despite her extensive education in the subject, however, Gu wasn’t always drawn to economics. “[My] choice was neither a well-informed nor a wellthought decision,” she admitted. She added that in China, where she comes from, university admissions are very competitive, especially when it comes to economics. “For some reason, everybody thinks that doing economics in College leads you to a high paying job.” “So, I thought, it must be a good thing if I can get myself into it,” wrote Gu. “It [was] during my Master’s study in Singapore that I start to appreciate the beauty of economics. I [realized] I may have a thing for Econometrics.” “There are no universally good methods when it comes to data analysis. Some methods may work extremely well under one setting but fail miserably under another.” Gu encourages students to challenge themselves with more math-heavy courses in the early stages of their undergraduate careers, even if they prove difficult. As for her own research, she is still deciding on what kind of problems she will examine next and what methods she will make for them. “This is the serendipity in doing research,” wrote Gu. “There [are] always new things to learn and new things to investigate.”
Rosenberg’s talk was titled “The Year of the Pig (Lipstick Won’t Help!).” SHANNA HUNTER/THE VARSITY
Vaibhav Bhandari Varsity Staff
The Rotman School of Management hosted David Rosenberg for its Investing Experts Speaker Series on January 29. Rosenberg is the Chief Economist and Strategist at wealth management firm Gluskin Sheff, and he was previously the Chief North American Economist at Merrill Lynch Canada. He reflected on current market forces through his experiences in investing from within the private sector. The talk was titled “The Year of the Pig (Lipstick Won’t Help!),” referencing the Chinese zodiac and riffing on the famous porcine expression of putting lipstick on a pig. Rosenberg said that branding changes being undertaken by the US Federal Reserve System (Fed) are a futile attempt to disguise an impending economic downturn.
If you’re on time, you’re late
With a commanding tone and sardonic remarks such as “economists are accountants with personality,” Rosenberg delved into the topic at hand by introducing a key principle of investing: “Be cognizant of what’s priced in.” Referencing Donald Coxe, one of his mentors, Rosenberg relayed the prescription to “beware of the front cover affect.” Much like how the freshness of viral memes are played out by the time they appear on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, he said that stories that appear on the front pages of financial magazines aren’t novel and that their problems have already been factored into the price of equities. With the investor’s goal of buying low and selling high, this provides little margin for profit. “You want to buy the page B16 story on its way to page A1. Now when it gets on page A1, the story is over,” he said. Despite the length of the current decade-long US economic expansion, it was his self-described contrarian thinking and a front page story in The Economist, titled “The bull market in everything,” that led Rosenberg to heed his own advice and prepare for the economic downturn of a bear market and possible recession.
Monetary policy
Rosenberg emphasized the significance of interest rates in understanding market behaviour. “Interest rates! That is what is
important, because when you’re talking about stocks, or bonds, or real estate, anything that generates an earnings stream, you have to know where interest rates are going or you’re going to be completely lost.” After the 2008 market crash and resulting recession, lower interest rates set by the Feds were used to induce spending as a means for recovering and reinvigorating the stagnant market. This was followed by quantitative easing (QE) — a large scale purchase of government debt and private assets by the central bank. While an unusual policy move, QE became a popular mechanism for central governments to introduce cash into the market when they were unable to lower interest rates much further. According to Rosenberg, these policies have led to a ballooning of the stock market not reflected by the economy: “If I had constrained the stock market to what the economy had actually done, the S&P 500, you should know, would’ve peaked at 1,850, not 2,940. And the excess, that gap, is all about the excess Fed liquidity pumped into the system through artificially low interest rates and quantitative easing.” The high, apparently healthy, numbers of the stock market index superficially conceal the relatively weaker health of the economy.
A bloating system
In addition to the artificial ballooning of the stock market, Rosenberg noted other trends that have strengthened his conviction of an economic slowdown. In particular, he pointed to high corporate debt-to-GDP ratios. Such high leverage situations have often preceded recessions. Focusing on corporate debt, Rosenberg emphasized that “we have never had a more junkier corporate bond market than we do today.” He added that even the quality of bonds is poor, with 50 per cent of investment grade bonds rated BBB. This is the lowest rating for an investment grade bond, with lower graded bonds classified as ‘junk’ and considered high-risk or speculative. Rosenberg explained that the response to the current high leverage will be corporate deleveraging. This would in turn lead to recession because of the sacrifices in capital spending.
Recession is coming
Based on correlative analysis, Rosenberg presented a relationship between levels of employment and recession cycles. Low unemployment, as is currently the case, was often followed by recession and a shrinking job market, while high unemployment signified a potential for sustained growth. “They call the unemployment rate a lagging indicator,” Rosenberg said. “I don’t think it’s a lagging indicator. It is actually a great recession indicator.” In Rosenberg’s view, economic health markers are clearly trending in a downward direction. Yet some might argue that these are tenuous relationships with interrelated causes and effects, a classic case of the chicken and the egg. As common wisdom goes, cycles end, bubbles burst, and a bull market transitions into a bear one. So when will this period of boom hit a dead end? The answer, for Rosenberg, is that we might already be in it.
Know your Biz terms! Bear market: When the prices of stocks or bonds decrease by 20 per cent or greater due to market pessimism.
Bull market: When the prices of stocks or bonds rise or are expected to rise over an extended period.
S&P 500: A stock market index that aggregates 500 of the largest US publicly traded companies by market value.
Comment
February 4, 2019 var.st/comment comment@thevarsity.ca
A principled defence of voluntary student unionism
Opt-out option for incidental fees could improve political participation, democracy Sam Routley UTSG Campus Politics Columnist
As part of its omnibus announcement on changes to the postsecondary education financial framework, the Progressive Conservative (PC) government announced that students would be able to opt out of university-defined “non-essential” fees that are placed on top of their tuition fees, starting in the 2019–2020 academic year. Subsequently, several groups have indicated that the policy will seriously compromise the effectiveness of student organizations and services. In being funded by student fees, these groups rely on a broad pooling of payments from all enrolled students. The opt-out option, in their view, would not only mean a significant decrease in available funding, but also unstable and fluctuating yearly budgets. This presents us with an intriguing question: whether students should be able to choose to not pay for a non-tuition service. Despite what seems to be a universal fightback against it, there are advocates of the move, at least in principle, in the campus community. Some perceive that many of these services are useless and a waste of money, or that some funded organizations act in ways antithetical to their mandate. A primary argument among advocates is a moral claim, wherein students, as the rightful custodians of their money, ought to be able to pay for what they choose. I do not buy this argument. It assumes a consumerist logic that everything ought to be treated like a market. Student representation cannot be framed within this relationship. It relies on the collective pooling of resources to work toward the broader benefit of students as a whole. You pay expecting someone to benefit, even if that person may not be you. In deciding to not contribute, you must follow by not gaining benefit from it, lest you behave hypocritically. But since student organizations will likely be open to all, regardless of contribution, a student who opts out would still be able
to use and benefit from that service. This potential free-rider scenario weakens the practicality of this first argument. I am instead supportive of a second argument: that in facing the possibility of losing funds, student groups will make a greater attempt to align to student needs, thereby increasing accountability and democratic legitimacy. With this would come regular attempts to convince students of the merits of spending decisions. My main concern here is the degree of student apathy or dislike toward their representatives. The main benefit from this opt-out policy may be an increase in the average student’s sense of stake and interest in student politics. At this point, it should be clear that I am only speaking of elected student unions, because they claim to represent and advance the interests of all students. This means that other fees, such as those for clubs, student media, and services, should be exempt from the opt-out option. While these groups are in some sense democratic and service-based, they do not claim the same level of universality and authority as student governments. The opt-out option of student union fees can be thought of as another democratic mechanism, much like slate elections and referendums. It is direct democracy at its purest: not just providing an option to reject spending allocations, but to determine the amount of funding. It seems that, at least in theory, this would increase student union accountability. For these organizations, no dollar will be taken for granted. Instead, student representatives will have to justify all spending to the campus community. This is given impetus by the recent scandal at Ryerson University, in which it alleged that up to $273,000 may have been spent by Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) executives on improperly authorized purchases. At UTSG in 2017, the St. Michael’s College Student Union collapsed after similar financial decisions were made public. And let’s not forget our own University of Toronto Students’ Union’s (UTSU) quartermillion dollar scandal from a few years ago. With an opt-out option, it is unlikely that student unions will receive significant funding from their students next year.
Instead, they will slowly need to gain back student trust and respect, to the point that students feel the organizations are using their financial power to invest in positive and student interest-based programs. A potential objection here is that such a process will result in total instability. For instance, it would be difficult for representative groups to implement longterm goals, since they will have little knowledge of what will come in the future. My response is that democracy itself is inherently unstable. However, an increase in accountability is not my main concern. Student representatives at U of T seem to have sufficient accountability mechanisms in place. These include annual elections and various membership-approval requirements in different organizations. But these mechanisms have become defective and inefficient from a lack of student involvement. This academic year, the UTSU drew criticism as it failed to maintain quorum through to the end of its Annual General Meeting (AGM). Meanwhile, after also losing its AGM quorum, the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (UTGSU) will be required to hold a special meeting for its membership to approve its draft financial statements. The UTGSU’s General Council also recently voted to reduce the special meeting’s required quorum from 300 to 150 members. In other words, rather than find ways to increase participation, it has opted to simply cut the required level of participation. Election turnouts have also been abysmal year after year. The only reason that a remarkable 25.3 per cent of students voted in last year’s UTSU executive election is because students were concerned about the simultaneous U-Pass referendum. In other words, a vote on a direct allocation of money saw much more student interest than any other student election. Student representative decisions have been confined to a small set of campus activists who, although well-intentioned, are not always able to understand and voice the concerns of all students. In this year’s UTSU AGM, several important decisions that impact over 50,000 students — the split with the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union, the ban on slate campaigning, and the condemnation of the provincial free speech policy — were decided by less than 250 people. Voting, although seemingly simple, can often be overlooked and forgotten due to the busyness of student schedules. But where fees that students may opt out of are paid with tuition, it is unavoidable. Students, in enrolling for another semester, must make a conscious evaluation of how they believe student groups ought to work, and the power they themselves have in the opt-out. My hope is that the opt-out option can give students an opportunity to think about what their respective unions do, and the potential influence they can exercise over them. This will work against student apathy, and encourage participation in other democratic mechanisms. The result may be a snowball effect that sees substantial democratic returns in the years to come. Sam Routley is a fourth-year Political Science, Philosophy, and History student. He is The Varsity’s UTSG Campus Politics Columnist.
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What do Ford’s reforms mean for campus journalism? The opt-out model of student fees threatens more than just The Varsity Morag McGreevey Public Editor
The Ford government’s postsecondary education reforms potentially foretell a precarious future for campus journalism. Premier Doug Ford recently sought to justify the government’s new opt-out model for “non-essential” student fees by pointing to the controversy unfolding at Ryerson University. The Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) has allegedly racked up $250,000 in credit card debt. On Twitter, Ford linked to the CBC’s coverage of events and wrote: “I’ve heard from so many students who are tired of paying excessive fees, only to see them wasted and abused.” However, as other journalists have noted, in linking to the CBC’s article, Ford’s tweet overlooked a core component of the story: the news was first reported by The Eyeopener, Ryerson’s student newspaper. Campus newspapers perform vital investigative and communicative roles, holding student organizations and university administrators accountable for their conduct. These campus institutions are also largely financially dependent on student fees, which, at public universities, are ultimately beholden to provincial policies. As Editor-in-Chief Jack Denton wrote in his recent letter, “money from student fees comprises the majority of our revenue and we could not survive without it. The financial uncertainty of whether or not we would receive enough student fees in any given semester… would debilitate our operations.” In other words, the provincial government’s postsecondary policy reforms pose an “existential threat” to campus journalism as we know it. Supporting strong campus journalism is neither a liberal nor a conservative value. It is, instead, a shared Canadian tradition that reflects our collective commitment to free press and engaged democracy. Student journalism is a vital component of U of T’s identity, as it is for academic institutions across Ontario. In addition to providing a robust exchange of ideas and information, The Varsity offers critical training for students who may shape the field of journalism. Of course, the journalism we support must be thoughtful and productive. In response to Ford’s tweet about the Ryerson scandal, The Varsity published a photograph of the RSU executive Edmund Sofo and Ford posing together at an Ontario Progressive Conservatives Youth barbecue in August. The decision to publish the photograph was criticized by readers, who failed to see how the image was newsworthy in this context. In my opinion, this criticism is well-founded. The Varsity’s reporting seemed more akin to a political campaign response than appropriate journalism. However, The Varsity’s shortcoming in this respect doesn’t delegitimize its broader function in our community. Indeed, the existence of the public editor column, in which I am free to criticize the newspaper and its editorial decisions, demonstrates the seriousness with which The Varsity undertakes its mandate. As the public editor, I typically look inward, holding The Varsity accountable to journalistic standards and mediating the relationship between readers and the newspaper. But, with the newspaper’s future jeopardized, I find myself in the unusual position of looking outward and examining the consequences of the Ford government’s political reforms on students’ capacity to produce high-quality journalism. Relegating student journalism to a hodgepodge of volunteer efforts and social media commentary — which is one possible outcome of these reforms — would be a profound disservice to U of T. It would reduce the quality of the news conveyed, diminish our collective role in training future journalists, and denigrate a symbolic space in which we, as a community, can engage in thoughtful self-reflection about who we are, what we represent, and the values to which we aspire. Morag McGreevey is The Varsity’s Public Editor and can be reached at publiceditor@thevarsity.ca.
10 | THE VARSITY | COMMENT
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Fight the fees — including the hidden ones Cost and ineffectiveness make microtransactions unjustifiable
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Neeharika Hemrajani & Hyerin Jeong Varsity Contributors
In recent weeks, students have expressed outrage on Reddit about the increasing phenomenon of “microtransactions,” which, in this context, refers to mandatory third-party subscriptions in certain courses for class participation grades and charged on top of tuition. This includes services such as Top Hat, iClicker, and EcoLab. The University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) is consulting students on their experience with microtransactions and advocating for the elimination of these fees. Below, two students argue against microtransactions with regard to their cost and ineffectiveness.
An inflated cost for a fraction of a grade
Microtransactions are commonly used in courses across multiple disciplines, but it is difficult to know if a professor will ask students to make a purchase until one enrols in the course and sees the syllabus. Hence, it always comes as a nasty surprise when a professor stresses that a device or app must be purchased for a small percentage of the final grade. Often, these prices are justified by professors who appeal to ‘enhanced learning’ or ‘interactive classrooms.’ Still, these microtransactions come at a steep price and will undoubtedly add up over the years. For example, many math and science courses like MAT223: Linear Algebra I and IMM250: The Immune System and Infectious Disease require Top Hat, a software allowing instructors to give online in-class questions and homework to students. The cheapest option for Top Hat is a four-month subscription costing $26, leaving many students in the position of wondering whether that five or 10 per cent of their grade is worth the cost. The most infuriating microtransaction, though, is the iClicker. I cannot stress enough that an iClicker is a very simple piece of machinery whose only function is to record a multiple choice response. Yet the U of T Bookstore charges a hefty price of $47.50, which comes to $53.70 after tax. Unwilling to pay that price, I resorted to ordering one for $5 off Kijiji, despite the risk of getting a
dud or being murdered by the seller. Sadly, I’m not the only one who has done this. Some students even consider dropping out of courses altogether to avoid microtransactions. What is even more baffling is that there are numerous websites that could serve as free alternatives to Top Hat, McGraw Hill, or iClickers. One example is Poll Everywhere, which is also often used by professors. Poll Everywhere functions similarly to Top Hat or an iClicker by allowing students to answer online multiple choice or short answer questions for class participation and homework. If free alternatives exist with the same functionality, then microtransactions are wholly unjustifiable. Many students, including myself, have joked that professors must be sponsored by companies to have microtransactions in their classes. Interestingly, the use of Top Hat requires students to pay, but not professors, and Financial Post suggests that the popularity of Top Hat among professors is because they don’t have to pay at all. Of course, some professors will argue that no free alternatives provide a learning experience as good as the microtransaction-funded ones. However, Poll Everywhere has been successfully implemented for large courses such as STA220: The Practice of Statistics I. Quite frankly, providing students with a better learning experience should be the job of the professor — not some learning software with a fancy name. If microtransactions are truly ‘essential’ for a course, then these fees should be subsidized by the university, rather than being imposed on students on the first day of class. It unethically requires students to pay again for a portion of their grade. Students are already hard-pressed for cash after paying their hefty tuition, and this financial stress will only continue to grow as long as the university remains insensitive to this issue. Mandatory microtransactions that affect grades should be eliminated because of the financial burden it places on students and the free alternatives that are available. There should be no extra costs for participating in class. Hyerin Jeong is a second-year Physiology and Cell & Molecular Biology student at New College.
You can’t put a price on participation
When I found out that some of my classes had additional costs for services that were for marks, I was pretty disgruntled. Although they have been termed ‘microtransactions,’ I do not believe that the term suitably addresses the detrimental impacts these services can have. From MindTap to iClickers, their common purpose is to ostensibly encourage class participation and force students to develop stronger memorization-related study habits. But the extent to which they serve this purpose is questionable. For one astronomy class I took, 21 per cent of my final grade was allocated to material from a Mastering Astronomy subscription and using iClickers in lectures and tutorials. Granted, I scored highly, but I was well aware that this was not a true reflection of my abilities. It is fairly simple to score 100 per cent on an online, multiple-choice assignment with the textbook beside you. Some students even try to leave iClickers with friends instead of coming to class — a recurring problem that our professor outlined in the syllabus as having tremendous repercussions if caught. But this shows that making iClickers in lectures mandatory does little to encourage participation: the ‘participation’ involved in answering clicker questions is very forced. Although the questions are meant to provoke thought and engagement with the material being covered, most students tend to depend on peers to respond. Similarly, the use of online services for homework does very little to challenge the student academically, with answers to all questions freely available online and no way of disciplining students to complete the assignments truthfully. Learning itself is a choice, and students who choose to not make the most of these tools are only harming their own academic experience. To an extent, I stand in defence of some of the crucial benefits these services could potentially offer. With MindTap for psychology, students were forced into a regime that required consistent memorization of key concepts, thus avoid-
ing cramming the night before an exam. The technology here supports the idea that spaced out study sessions boosts the ability of the brain to memorize dense content by repetition. However, by making this a mandatory component of the final grade, professors are disincentivizing students from developing these study habits for themselves. A classmate commented that that it is almost like a ‘check-inthe-box’ that they are obligated to do because they know there is a deadline to complete the task weekly and they can’t afford to sacrifice that portion of their grade. But at what cost? For most, this ‘check-in-the-box’ attitude means that they devote less time to using these resources as intended and consider them as just a small portion of their grade, rather than an intellectually beneficial way to interact with the course. The objective of increasing student participation is sacrificed for the sake of incentivizing students to participate in the first place. I strongly believe that a student cannot be forced into study habits that they don’t already have, regardless of any benefits. To me, microtransactions seem like an effort to regulate attendance, which is a fair demand. But you can’t really put a price on participation. To me, the solution to this matter is two-fold: subsidize these costs and make them optional. The primary benefit of subsidizing microtransactions is that students from favourable socioeconomic backgrounds will no longer be advantaged compared to those struggling to afford a percentage of their grade by buying these services. However, this in itself does very little to address the question of participation. Subsidization in conjunction with choice will do more to encourage students to participate in a way that accords with their individual learning abilities. Putting a price on participation will not improve or change study habits. Learning should be a choice, not one that students have to dish out extra cash for. Neeharika Hemrajani is a f irst-year Humanities student at St. Michael ’s College.
FEBRUARY 4, 2019 | 11
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Letters to the Editor Re: Photos show Doug Ford with Ryerson Students’ Union executive connected to credit card controversy “Breaking news: Here’s a photo out of hundreds that were taken at an event in which hundreds of Youth attended. How is this news-worthy?” — Riley Moher (from web) “This is honestly pathetic journalism. The whole purpose of this article is to create an implicit, or even explicit, association between the RSU’s corrupt leadership and the PC party. That’s it. There’s no journalistic value besides that. The students learn nothing new about the scandal or about the PC party. I seriously thought I was reading the Beaverton for a minute there.” —Tanzim Draco Rashid (from web) “Why does it matter if Doug Ford met with Jordan Peterson?” — Gordon M Hardy (from web) Re: Canada’s racism: I feel scared and sad “Back in my day, there weren’t openly incels/alt-rightists so-to-speak but I’m angered how this Trumpian/Fordian rhetoric is baring its presence at U of T.” — Christine Odunlami (from web)
From left to right: Temisan Iwere, Kyra Stephen, and Ayan Gedleh. Courtesy of ANIQA RAHMAN
Op-ed: Black tech matters
NSBE U of T reflects on the first university-student run Black hackathon in the GTA
Ayan Gedleh, Temisan Iwere & Kyra Stephen Varsity Contributors
On January 26, the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) U of T chapter hosted NSBEHacks, the first student-run Black hackathon in the GTA. It was held at the Myhal Centre for Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The event brought together students, professionals, and tech-enthusiasts from across the province to spend 12 hours solving company challenges. NSBEHacks was co-founded by the three of us — young, Black women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). To some, the need to highlight these particular aspects of ourselves — particularly our Blackness — will be viewed as a form of divisive identity politics. In fact, we are well aware that for many, the very notion of a ‘Black’ hackathon may be uncomfortable. However, we hope that you are able to sit with this discomfort for a little bit as we describe the significance of having Blackcentred STEM events like NSBEHacks. It is first important to recognize the origin of NSBE itself, which was founded in 1975 by undergraduate students at Purdue University, shortly after the civil rights movement had ended. Their mission was to promote the recruitment and retention of Black students in engineering. Despite the desegregation of schools in the 1950s and the Civil Rights Act passing in 1964, Black students still faced systemic challenges accessing basic services, including intense opposition from local school districts when trying to attend public schools. As a result, the creation of NSBE represented more than just a university club. It offered Black students, and the Black community more generally, a safe space to simply exist and work toward a better future. Decades later, Black youth remain underrepresented in educational institutions and higher-income employment, and overrepre-
sented in correctional facilities. In the GTA, based on 2006–2011 data, Black students are disciplined more harshly than their non-Black peers, and they are more likely to be streamed into non-university-track programs. Black youth are also more likely to grow up in poverty, reducing their likelihood of enrolling in university. In the professional world, Black youth are underrepresented in most STEM fields — especially in the booming high-tech industry. For those who do pursue a postsecondary degree, many self-select out due to ongoing discrimination in the classroom. The NSBE U of T chapter was founded in 1999, to continue and expand on the legacy of its founders with a focus on establishing a safe, reputable, and prominent space for Black high school and university students to learn, mentor, and network among themselves and within the wider STEM community. NSBEHacks was introduced as a part of this wider effort of creating a safe space, where Black students who are currently studying or who may be interested in STEM fields can connect with other Black and non-Black hackers. We wanted to provide Black students personal and career development opportunities that they may not always find accessible or welcoming in traditional tech settings. We wanted to create a space where both Black and nonBlack students have the opportunity to challenge their biases against the ability of Black students to perform in STEM industries. Overall, we wanted NSBEHacks to be a Black-centred event to help alleviate some of the pressure and alienation that often comes with embodying the only Black representation in a space. Regardless of their programming experience, we encourage Black students to get involved and benefit from the opportunities that hackathons provide. With these goals in mind, we think that the first NSBEHacks event was a resounding success. With sponsorship from U of T and major
“You were correct. White nationalists are a tiny minority at U of T, and almost everyone who isn’t them dislikes them. However, putting up posters like these doesn’t take more than a tiny minority. That’s kind of the point of posters - they allow organizations to project a much larger presence than they could with their human numbers alone. You’re right to speak out against messages like these, but don’t let them ruin your experience of U of T, Toronto, or Canada as a whole. White nationalists would love it if they did.” — Andrew Heyman (from web)
companies, including Google, IBM, Shopify, Bloomberg, and McAfee, we were able to organize workshops, programs, and networking sessions led by Black professionals. Students left feeling empowered with new skills and having formed new friendships with fellow hackers of diverse backgrounds. And NSBEHacks is just one of our projects. This past academic year, our chapter hosted several other events aimed at supporting Black students in the GTA. In October, we hosted a day-long high school conference designed to foster and support Black interest in STEM. The conference also aimed to dispel any fears or myths young students may have developed about their own abilities to succeed as Black youth in the field, by providing a series of hands-on projects led by various STEM groups. We have also established a mentorship program that connects Black undergraduate students at U of T to alumni working in the industry. The program developed out of our popular Meet a Mentor event, where students were given the opportunity to speak with, seek advice, and gain insights from NSBE alumni. All these events address important parts of NSBE’s mandate to improve the experience of Black students in STEM. NSBEHacks in particular has been our biggest and most innovative event of the year. This is only year one, and with all this success, we hope that it will continue to grow in the future. We also hope that Black students are given the space to have a stronger presence in tech spaces and STEM programs. Because Black tech matters.
Re: UTSG classes cancelled as of 6:00 pm “History is today — UTSG closed but not due to war” — Will Zeng (from web)
Ayan Gedleh is the Programs Director of NSBE U of T and a fourth-year Industrial Engineering student at the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. Temisan Iwere is the Vice-President of NSBE U of T and a fourth-year Computer Science Student at St. Michael’s College. Kyra Stephen is the President of NSBE U of T and a fourth-year Computer Science student at Woodsworth College.
Re: Bug affected student GPAs on ACORN, U of T says “nervously opening ACORN because I submitted the academic history to grad school application…” — Jamie Chen (from web)
“Yet they did that a quarter before 6… For people who were departing before that time like myself, still had to go through all the troubles of getting to school only to be told that class is canceled…” — Linda Wang (from web) Re: UTM, UTSC closed for the morning due to weather “If the headine is about UTM and UTSC, why is the picture of Trinity College?” — Angelo Gio Mateo (from web) Re: UTM Campus Conservatives: UTMSU’s official opposition “Dont you have to be elected to be an ‘official opposition’? Otherwise you’re just a lobbying group?” — Garnet Shredder (from web) “When other campus institutions fail to hold their student unions to account, campus clubs like the Conservatives must step in to voice support for the interests of students. Great work UTM Campus Conservatives!” — Ontario PC Campuses( from web) Re: Ending the silence on sexual violence “Our new, 60 page report shows how U of Toronto continues to fail survivors of campus sexual violence. Thanks The Varsity for the scathing coverage of UofT’s practices.” — Silence is Violence - University of Toronto (from web)
12 | THE VARSITY | FEATURES
An exclusive interview with @uo The story behind all the stories Writer: Stephanie Bai ith over 6,000 Instagram followers W amassed over the span of a few months, @uoftears_ (or “U of Tears,” not “U of T Ears” as the admin has requested I distinguish) is the new confession account that has trickled into conversations across the student body. As of February, there are well over 4,000 confessions ranging from describing firsts — first kiss, first time having sex, first fail in a course — to slapstick posts about the various bowel movements of students, whether they be confined to a bathroom or not. There are even more controversial confessions, like Confession #216, which reported that the student allegedly “like[s] pineapple on pizza.” There are other secrets on this platform too, of the genre rarely shared without the blanket of anonymity. People write about their worst depressive episodes, their suicidal tendencies, and their family troubles — some posts are penned with an overwhelming sense of loneliness. The admin of uoftears_ manages and disseminates a wide variety of voices and stories, all from one account. I wanted to know why she does what she does — why she created this platform, how she is impacted by all of the confessions she receives, and what her perspective is after the success of her account. I sat down on the phone with her and she told me, on the condition of anonymity, about the story behind all the stories. TV: Are you the only person with access to this account? uoftears_: Yeah, it’s only me. TV: So when you graduate, what plans do you have for the account? uoftears_: I’ve been thinking a lot about it. I don’t think I’m going to continue writing it, but I will definitely look for someone to run the page because I do want the account to continue. TV: Does anybody know who you are? Like your close friends? uoftears_: The only people who know who I am are my roommate and two friends from high school. But no one really knows who I am. TV: So why did you start this account? uoftears_: I think there were a lot of reasons I started this account. If you look at other accounts that do similar stuff with mine, it’s not really a platform to share personal things, but I wanted to make mine a platform for people to be able to share how they’re feeling anonymously. And I’m trying to just make people more aware to start people talking about the issues that we’re having at our campus.
TV: Would that be the purpose of your account, this sense of community that you’re creating? uoftears_: I guess, yeah, I wanted a sense of community. I wanted people to know that they aren’t alone. I know sometimes it’s a huge campus, it’s easy for you to feel like you don’t have anyone. But I wanted people to have a place where they can share how they feel, what’s happening in their lives, and know that they’re not going to be judged. Or they can at least get a positive response from other people. That’s really why I wanted to do it. TV: So how do you choose whether or not to post a confession? I’m just curious about clarifying the process. uoftears_: When I look at the Google Form, it tells me I have “x” number of confessions. Normally, it’s like 100 or something. For me, a confession is where someone is admitting to something that they’ve done or something that they feel. So for example, if they’re talking about a crush, there’s no actions taking place, so I don’t post those. I look for ones that are repetitive. I read all of the confessions, delete the ones that don’t meet the criteria, and then I read them again and I keep skimming them down until there’s 20 left and then I post those. TV: Beyond just the darker confessions that you get, because there are a significant amount on there, I’ve got to say there’s some pretty weird confessions. Like Confession #3751 involved somebody taking a dump in a urinal, for example. What’s your reaction to confessions like these? uoftears_: I get really weird ones. Today, I got one about someone that stalks people in bathroom stalls — they just stay there, and then they jerk off to people peeing. I like getting the weird ones because it’s a good buffer in between some of the harder ones to read. Even though I know some of them are fake, it’s a good laugh for people, so I post some. Because at the end of the day, it’s an Instagram account. It’s a place to read funny and stupid things too.
The first post made on uoftears_ was actually on September 22, 2018, and it consisted of a picture that read “u of t confessions” with a caption telling people to submit confessions and tag friends. The only comment on it read: “Stop is this high school over again,” which, admittedly, is a valid point. Though there are plenty of other universitybased anonymous sharing accounts, there is something reminiscent of high school about a confession account. Maybe it’s because it takes on the mantle of the grapevine gossip
transmission, or maybe it’s because you get the same outlandish confessions of unlikely sexual situations and bodily functions that echo certain stereotypical high school guys. You have the commenters who have become staples of the page, like @whatjoelthinks, and you have the fairly active engagement of people who know a bit too much about other people’s lives — without really knowing them at all. This is like high school, but that sense of community is also changed. Due to the extremely high number of submissions, the admin has had to pare down the voices to 20 per day. Even though her process of evaluating confessions is straightforward and she prides herself on maintaining an eclectic mix of posts, readers can still glean fragments of her personal beliefs and priorities from what she picks. During our conversation, she mentions the posts about sexual assault that she receives. She explained how it’s become important to her for to show students to know that there are survivors on campus that still haven’t received the treatment or investigations that she believes they deserve. She mentions that she feels like the school has failed some students, whether in terms of mental health or adequate support overall. In cases like these, a confession takes on a whole new shape. It is a vehemently personal statement to make, and it also coalesces with certain topics that the admin advocates for. That’s not to say that uoftears_ is one massive social justice crusade, but rather that with a page like this, the person behind the virtual account will still bleed through. TV: You emphasize this anonymity a lot for your account. All names, if they’re included, will be taken off the confessions, and all the confessions are completely anonymous. So what do you think is the power and significance of being anonymous for confession accounts like yours? uoftears_: I really wanted it to be a place that anyone felt safe sharing stuff with, regardless of what it was, because some of the stuff is really dark and it’s really sad, but I think it’s about just giving them the voice to say what they need to say and knowing that they can be 100 per cent anonymous. TV: How has your U of T experience changed after creating this account? uoftears_: To be honest, it hasn’t changed too much. I think the funniest thing is when I’m at parties or when I’m out with a big group of friends, sometimes they’ll start talking about the account and I pretend like I don’t know it at all. People will say, “Oh yeah, I send in confessions all the
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time!” And I’m like, “Yup, I’ve read every single one of them.” TV: That must be a very unique position you’re in. uoftears_: It is. TV: To be able to know so many personal things about people. uoftears_: Yeah, it really is. Most of the time I have no clue who is sending it in because of the way that I set up the Google Form. But sometimes, they’ll include names, so that’s when I actually do get to know things about people, but I never share any of it. Literally, never. TV: How has receiving these confessions changed the way you see students on campus? uoftears_: I think having this confession page just validates what my thoughts were already. TV: What were your thoughts? uoftears_: U of T is notorious for being a cutthroat school, I guess. Which is not always the case depending on your program and depending on the people you surround yourself with. But I think it does take an emotional toll on a lot of people, and I had a feeling that this was the case, but seeing all of these posts… And these are just the people who are sending them. I’m sure there’s hundreds more. For every one person who sends it, there could be 10 other people feeling the exact same way, but just haven’t confessed it.
This is an odd paradox in which anonymity becomes intimacy. Of course, you’ve got the funnier confessions, some of which supposedly from Rotman students, that leave you a little concerned for the wellbeing of some people in that faculty. Then you’ve got people who confessed to taking dumps in urinals or being high in every lecture. It’s a diverse set of voices, and it’s supposed to be, as the account is meant to be representative of an entire university. But in other confessions, with topics ranging from heartbreak to devastation to complete emotional turmoil, you read secrets from people that you never would have heard from otherwise. There are no faces to the words, which fosters an unique sense of intimacy. At our core, the account suggests, we’re all driven by and impacted by similar forces. Who writes the confessions? Anybody and practically everybody, if you really think about it. If you read a particular confession about loneliness or insecurity that you really relate to, it could’ve been written by any of the hundreds of faces that jostle past you on
King’s College Circle. It could’ve been from the girl who sits next to you in MAT137, the boy who lives a couple doors down from you in Lower Burwash, a person you’ve seen again and again in the dining hall. Any face, any time, anywhere. Who’s to say it couldn’t be your very best friend? TV: What types of confessions do you usually get the most of, do you think? uoftears_: I get a lot of confessions about wanting help on courses. I also get a lot of people talking about crushes like, “Oh my God, the girl I saw today in the blue shirt and brown shoes, I thought you were so cute!” I also — it’s actually really hard, but I get a lot of people saying that they’re depressed, and they want to die. I get a lot of suicidal confessions. Those are the hardest ones because sometimes I can’t post all of them and I want to. I don’t want to silence people, but some days, I’ll go days without getting any, and then some days, I’ll just get a bunch, and then it’s overwhelming. TV: On that whole topic of getting overwhelmed by it, from the sheer number of depression or dark confessions you get, is it kind of numbing to a certain point after you’ve seen so many? uoftears_: No, it’s really, really… At the beginning when I started the account and I first started getting suicidal confessions, I was debating if I even wanted to post them. But then I was like, “No, the reason I started this account is so people can share how they’re feeling, so I’m going to be posting them.” Which is one of the major differences between my account and any other university account. At first, it was really hard for me. In the caption, I didn’t know what to caption it. At the very beginning, I comment more as a friend and I wanted to be supportive, but people were saying, “Stop pretending to be people’s friend.” You can see now I always post a couple links — a set amount of links — with the suicidal ones. And the only reason I changed the way I approach things is that I wanted to stay a neutral platform and I wanted to give people resources that could actually help them. It looks like I probably became more of a bitch, but it’s not like that. It’s so hard… Every single confession that I get about depression, mental health, suicide, anything — it never gets numb. I’ll always feel something for that person, and I always feel like I want to do anything I can for this person.
TV: This question is a little more personal, but when you see these posts about mental health, do you ever relate to any of them? Do they ever trigger you sometimes or negatively impact your own sense of mental health? uoftears_: I do have mental health problems, and I do see a therapist. When people say, “Oh, you don’t relate to us, you don’t know I’m going through,” — I do know what you’re going through. I’ve been there, I’ve had really tough days, really tough weeks, really tough months. Sometimes people notice that I’ll go inactive for a couple of days, and the number one reason I do that is because if I get a day where I get a lot of suicide confessions, it’s just really hard. Sometimes it does trigger stuff. It’s what motivates me, in a way, because I empathize with them. It motivates me to keep sharing their stories.
The first published confession that explicitly mentioned suicide was Confession #667. Before then, there were some about depression and suicidal tendencies, but #667 was the first to flat out declare suicidal intentions. Since then, more and more students have confessed their mental health issues to the point where suicidal confessions are nearly commonplace on the feed. The choice to post these confessions potentially puts both the administrator and her readers at risk — there’s a fine line between sharing and encouraging, even if only accidentally. Suicide or mental health problems can be idealized or romanticized if they aren’t dealt with properly. If the admin had decided against posting confessions about mental health and suicide, she wouldn’t have opened the floodgates to more people confessing those secrets. She wouldn’t have to read about people’s worst moments every day. She faces these concerns every time she reads a confession about mental health, and she deals with the fallout in her own mental state. She tries to balance a neutral, non-judgmental platform with offering support to suffering students. For example, she posts links to give her followers more resources. These links are a start, as they show the confessor, and people who identify with them, that these mental health issues require attention and treatment. uoftears_: I remember this one person, and they were like, “Maybe not everyone clicks the link, but I clicked it, and it saved me.” So that’s why I keep posting those. TV: Yeah, it’s the small victories. uoftears_: I just want to help people. And I’m not a professional. I don’t know what I’m doing. But I’m just trying to do it the best way I know how.
Arts & Culture
February 4, 2019 var.st/arts arts@thevarsity.ca
Theatre Review: A Perfect Bowl of Phở From U of T’s Drama Festival to Factory Theatre, Nguyen’s play doesn’t miss a beat
A Perfect Bowl of Phở is in currently in its third generation. It began at the U of T Drama Festival in 2017, was then put on at the Paprika Festival in the summer of 2018, and is now being performed at the Factory Theatre until February 10. Courtesy of DAHLIA KATZ
Ronan Mallovy Varsity Contributor
Rating: 3.5/5 stars Halfway through fu-GEN Asian Canadian Theatre Company’s production of A Perfect Bowl of Phở, actress Kenley Ferris-Ku appears onstage as a waitress in war-era Vietnam. She delivers a monologue that is informative and sincere, telling of how she served phở to American soldiers by day and hid Việt Cộng soldiers in the attic by night. It is a monologue about the Tet offensive and the legacy of the restaurant that hid those soldiers. It is also a monologue about phở itself. For this reason, it serves as a good entry point to the show, and it is as near to per-
A century of feminist literature
On motherhood, modernity, and monsters Isabel Armiento Varsity Staff
Though feminist literary criticism became a robust field in the 1960s, the rich discussion it has produced borrows from earlier, as well as modern, texts. The way we challenge and consume gendered literature is often reflective of the text’s cultural climate, and thus in focusing on select texts from the various feminist periods — Herland from first-wave feminism, The Golden Notebook from second-wave feminism, and Dept. of Speculation from fourthwave feminism — we can see the progression of feminist criticism, as well as the unique contributions that each wave offers. Respectively written in 1915, 1962, and 2014, the texts span a century and each explore various facets of feminist thought. Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s first-wave feminist novel Herland follows the tale of three plucky male explorers, who stumble across an all-female utopia. Told somewhat
fect as this ‘phở show’ gets. Ferris-Ku’s performance is confident and firm, and playwright Nam Nguyen’s dialogue is no less powerful. The scene is also unlike anything else you’ll see in a show filled with meta-theatrical gags, lightning-fast rap numbers, and dialogue that jackhammers at the fourth wall. Phở is not so much a distinct narrative as it is a variety show honouring the eponymous dish, with every cast member skillfully juggling several roles, occasionally even trading places with one another. Tying it all together is the arc of the playwright himself, played — mostly — by a wry and witty Kenzie Tsang, as he works out the show from its inception to the final product.
The audience is made to feel like what it is seeing is a work in progress, which isn’t entirely false. First showcased at U of T’s 2017 Drama Festival, fu-GEN’s production is the third iteration of the show — each one markedly different from the last. Questions of what the show is even about and whether it’s getting its message across are discussed openly onstage. Yet, rather than bringing in new dimensions, these moments can read as overly didactic lessons on dramaturgy and do more to bar the audience from engaging fully and critically with the show. As someone who knows admittedly very little about Vietnam, I think the show would benefit from more scenes like Ferris-Ku’s, and few-
er tangents into self-doubt. In a show that does a brilliant job of being simultaneously entertaining and educational on the subjects of Vietnamese culture and history, Phở triumphs when it is sure of itself. Watch as an extremely outgoing little girl (Meghan Aguirre) unleashes a lyrical torrent about bringing phở to school for World Cultures Day and you can’t help but be mesmerized. Watch as a white devil of a trendy phở chef (Brendan Rush) tears off his shirt to squeeze lime juice over the pentagram on his chest and you’ll be peeing yourself with laughter. Watch — or more accurately, read — an unflinching experiment in exposition as a gruesome story of Vietnamese
refugees set adrift is projected onto an otherwise motionless stage and you will marvel at the risks that this show is willing to take with its material. Despite its occasional missteps, there is no denying that A Perfect Bowl of Phở is a compelling piece of experimental theatre that you don’t want to miss. This latest iteration is the strongest yet — a good sign for the future if it’s as much of a work in progress as it claims to be. This show may indeed be well on its way to becoming a perfect bowl of phở.
problematically through the perspective of Vandyck Jennings and his heavily caricatured sidekicks — one a sappy woman-worshipper and the other a cynical womanizer — this idyllic matriarchy is depicted as a flourishing hub of art, technology, and social values. The rhetoric stinks of sexist condescension in the same way Jennings’ overly chivalrous companion does, however, and reminds us that we need failure and complexity for female characters to be plausible and interesting. While Herland’s celebration of womanhood is uplifting, the novel is told through the lenses of men, who are afforded growth while women are depicted as stoic, flawless goddesses — a flattering portrait, certainly, but lacking the robustness and nuance necessary for an effective feminist text. Despite this, it is refreshing to watch a male character realize his own latent misogyny: “Those ‘feminine charms’ we are so fond of aren’t feminine at all,” Jennings muses, “but mere reflected masculinity — developed to please us because they had to please us.” While Gilman’s text relies too heavily on male narration, Doris Lessing’s The Golden Notebook works to invert this androcentrism. Told through the lenses of Anna, a writer and communist, and her fictional Ella, a character who Anna has created as an outlet for her own meditations, the text is steeped in female thought and ideas. Despite
Lessing’s witty and insightful writing, however, The Golden Notebook harbours stereotyped views of feminists; they’re depicted as strident, bitter, communist, childless, unmarried, and sexually promiscuous. The text also offers a strange thesis on female orgasms, posing that vaginal — rather than clitoral — orgasms are somehow purer or more authentic. Though this text defines feminists narrowly, it also entwines feminism with art, free thought, and creativity in a powerful way. While Anna’s relationship with love is shaky, her relationship with herself and her art is unwavering. Anna’s catharsis is found not through intimacy with her lover but in escaping him; away from him, her writer’s block dissipates and she is left with the “spontaneous creative faith” that is her version of love. Jenny Offill’s Dept. of Speculation differs from the other two texts as its politics are less apparent. Beautiful fragments of narrative weave together to form the story of a writer falling in love, marrying, and having a child — a life reminiscent of Lessing’s view of a ‘feminist’ lifestyle. Dept. of Speculation is a haunting mix of sadness and tenderness, depicting a flawed narrator struggling to make her identities as mother, wife, and writer intersect seamlessly. Ultimately, this is a book about motherhood, about the joy, exhaustion, and loneliness of having a child. Offill’s prose forms
a nuanced portrait of motherhood, with the narrator’s frustration with her unfinished novel offset by her infinite love for her child. The simplicity of a narrative, such as Offill’s, told through the meditations of a complex, interesting woman, is needed in modern discussions of feminist literature, so that the many facets of womanhood can be celebrated and
criticized, uninterrupted. “My plan was to never get married,” Offill reflects. “I was going to be an art monster instead.” However, Offill was wrong. Women almost never become art monsters, because art monsters only concern themselves with art, never mundane things.
A Perfect Bowl of Phở and Fine China are playing as a double-bill at the Factory Theatre until February 10.
CHRISTINE LE/THE VARSITY
FEBRUARY 4, 2019 | 15
var.st/arts
Oscar snubs 2019
You Were Never Really Here — directed by Lynne Ramsay
And the nominees aren’t: films that the Academy rejected this year Michelle Krasovitski Varsity Staff
From festival season all the way to the end of the year, 2018 was a great year for movies. Critics and viewers alike celebrated films from a wide range of genres, including horror and animation, with films like Hereditary and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Unfortunately, this success was not reflected by the 2019 Oscar nominations. Though the nominees for the 91st annual Academy Awards, to be held on February 24, had plenty of surprises — The Favourite, one of the best movies of the year, to name one — the Oscars ultimately fail to give recognition to movies that truly tear apart and redefine elements of cinema. So here is a list of some snubs that, despite their lack of Academy love, deserve your time.
Blindspotting — directed by Carlos Lopez Estrada
By far my favorite movie of the year, Blindspotting is an inventive and ingenious study on gentrification, following Collin (Daveed Diggs) as he attempts to finish his final three days of probation without getting into any trouble. From green juice to vegan burgers to Uber, Blindspotting’s stances on the social and economic landscape of America are incredibly insightful and refreshing. Blindspotting does
Lynne Ramsay is one of the most exciting directors working today. We Need to Talk About Kevin, her previous film, garnered critical and international acclaim. However, last year’s You Were Never Really Here has unfortunately fallen under the radar. The film follows Joe ( Joaquin Phoenix), a veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, who tracks down missing girls for a living. Ramsay is sharp and cold in her directing. Her handling of brutal violence is effortless, allowing the movie to progress in a sequence of events that alarmingly raises the stakes the further it runs. You Were Never Really Here is very challenging but extremely rewarding — Ramsay deserves all the praise.
not beat around the bush: racial profiling, police brutality, and the nuanced use of African-American vernacular are all key themes of the movies — brought together by Collin and Miles (Rafael Casal) who, sooner rather than later, will be cemented in the pantheon of loveable on-screen duos.
Hereditary — directed by Ari Aster
Toni Collette makes Hereditary. It’s as simple as that. Collette’s character, Annie Graham, is the centre of the film, which is as terrifying and shocking as it is mind-numbingly tragic. Hereditary is hard to put into words: it seamlessly dismantles so many tired tropes and clichés in the horror genre, effectively paving a way for a new era where monsters and boogeymen are replaced by strained familial dynamics and an absence of serotonin. Hereditary doesn’t blur lines in its approach to mental health: seek help, take care of yourself, don’t ignore your symptoms, or literal horror will ensue. You know a horror movie is effective when the terrifying demeanor of demons and cults is second only to the fraying family dynamic helmed by the matriarch Collette depicts on screen.
First Reformed — directed by Paul Schrader
Book Club: Shyness and Dignity
Dag Solstad explores what inevitably shapes our fate: what we can control and what we can’t control
Shyness and Dignity was first published in 1994 and confronts ideas of identity and the understanding of the ‘self.’ Courtesy of AMAZON
Shirkers — directed by Sandi Tan
First Reformed does actually have an Oscar nomination: Paul Schrader is nominated for best original screenplay. But Ethan Hawke gave such a startling performance in this film that this list would be remiss without mention of him. First Reformed attempts to cut the cord between religion and environmentalism, to separate
interests of faith from interests of the planet. Hawke’s Reverend Ernst Toller grapples with reconciling what he knows, what he believes, what politicians say, and what science proves. Hawke delivers a performance that is frenzied, frustrated, but, most importantly, urgent. To divulge anything else would be a disservice to you.
In 1992 Singapore, a teenage Sandi Tan directed and filmed an indie movie, assisted by her film-loving group of friends and her American mentor Georges Cardona. Once the movie was done, however, Cardona vanished with all of the footage. The film is recovered 20 years later, and thus begins Shirkers, a documentation of Tan’s personal odyssey of coming to terms with her younger self ’s vision, excitement, and ultimate betrayal. Shirkers stitches together snippets of Tan’s original movie — also called Shirkers — and her present-day journey, making for a memorable tale about ambition, one that both celebrates and cautions against the youthful naïveté all of us are familiar with and, at times, still susceptible to.
Harrison Pierce Daly Varsity Contributor
meaning in an ostensibly insignificant line direction in Henrich Ibsen’s play The Wild Duck. The finding inspires Elias to think innovatively about the play’s dramatics and its discussion of fate. In spite of his passionate delivery, his students remain listless and unmotivated. Frightened by their mass boredom, Elias ultimately resigns himself to defeat. He leaves the school frustrated. Struggling to open his “collapsible” umbrella outside, he enters into a fit of rage, beats it savagely in front of spectating students, and cusses at one of them ruthlessly. All at once, Elias realizes his downfall. Certain that his teaching post will be terminated, he despairs over the bleak economical and social future awaiting him and his wife. His crisis triggers a sequence of recollections and speculations, interwoven with daydreams and regrets, that follows throughout the rest of the novel until the very end, when he must return to his current life and face his presently doomed future. Shyness and Dignity takes on the form of a stream-of-consciousness narrative, full of winding run-on sentences and multi-page digressions, moving from one fixed idea to the next with the swiftness of pen strokes. The narration exhausts itself in bridging each detail and implication to create an intricately connected web of thoughts and ideas. However, its variations and detours never stray beyond what is truly at stake. Even the most seemingly banal details inevitably fall under the two categories suggested in the title: shyness, the natural yet inhibiting
force; and dignity, the great motivator and stimulant. Apart from its style, the novel’s preoccupation with agency, chance, and fate is a recognizable quality in existentialist literature. Echoes of Albert Camus and Knut Hamsun can be heard all throughout, and any reader of Milan Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being will find themselves in familiar territory. What makes Solstad’s novel especially interesting, however, is its relative lightheartedness and penchant for comedy. One can easily imagine the umbrella scene as a slapstick gag in silent comedy. Yet its pervasive and subtle humor never compromises its sincerity. Miraculously, the novel strikes a brilliant balance between the comic potential of existential dilemmas and the gravity they implicate in our lives. It views our world through a sharp lens, capturing the quiet dramas we harbor daily with equal amounts of grace, sympathy, and amusement. Shyness and Dignity is the perfect introduction to an author whose work is only recently gaining a wider readership among English-speaking readers. It is a novel that reintroduces familiar existential ideas and unpacks their newfound significance while maintaining a sophisticated style, so as to represent subtle workings of the conscience. Its ethos can be summed thusly in one of the most important lines in The Wild Duck, a proto-existentialist remark that still resonates due to its universality and urgency: “If you take the life-lie away from an average person, you take away his happiness as well.”
LAUREN TURNER/THE VARSITY
The existentialist novel — however it may be defined — is a modern invention. Following the devastation of World War II, its intellectual vanguards developed a philosophy to more deeply express the human experience. These novelists relay existential concepts while paying special attention to detail and voice in style and transience and nuance in psychology. Ultimately, their philosophical inquiries articulate the tangible and invisible forces driving our alienation from the modern world. Yet the existential novel can be seen as dated, bordered by conventions and overshadowed by succeeding literary movements that consider the ambivalence of our ontological condition from a greater variety of narrative and philosophical angles. Existentialism is anachronistic — a uniquely twentieth century literary enterprise. How else to revive the genre if not through emulation, parody, or kitsch? Enter Dag Solstad, Norway’s most celebrated contemporary writer, whose 1994 novel Shyness and Dignity breathes new life into an otherwise exhausted literature. His work is fully absorbed in its specific literary tradition while grounding its concerns in our unique and present-day anxieties. Its axis revolves around Elias Rukla, a “rather sottish senior master in his fifties” teaching Norwegian literature at a secondary school in Oslo. Midlecture, Elias discovers hidden
16 | THE VARSITY | ARTS & CULTURE
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Years of sexual misconduct allegations from underage women hasn’t affected his success — but is time finally up for R. Kelly? 2019 is the year that we finally hold R. Kelly accountable Kelly Anne Johnson Varsity Contributor
Content warning: discussions of sexual violence. Robert Sylvester Kelly, or R. Kelly, is one of the most well-known R&B artists in the music industry. He has sold up to 100 million records globally, including singles such as “Ignition (Remix)” and “I Believe I Can Fly.” He wrote Michael Jackson’s hit “You Are Not Alone,” and has collaborated with various artists such as Chris Brown, Lady Gaga, and Celine Dion. R. Kelly’s success, however, has been clouded by dozens of sexual abuse claims involving girls as young as 14. Lifetime’s highly anticipated, six-part docuseries, Surviving R. Kelly, provides commentary from journalists, activists, and celebrities on the decades of sexual misconduct allegations against R. Kelly. Initial reports concerning R. Kelly were brought to media attention through his controversial relationship with his teenage protégée, Aaliyah. The release of her debut album, Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number, which Kelly produced, gave rise to speculations of a romance that led to a secret marriage. This marriage, although denied by R. Kelly, was supported with the release of an alleged marriage certificate that declared Aaliyah’s age as 18 — even though records show that she was 15 and Kelly was 27 at the time. In 2002, the artist was indicted on 21 counts of child pornography after a sex tape showing him urinat-
ing into the mouth of a 14-year-old girl was released. Although he was eventually acquitted on the remaining charges in 2008, the fact that he continued to be a prominent figure in the music industry — even after the wide distribution of bootleg copies of his tape — is upsetting. Television shows such as Boondocks and Chappelle’s Show undermined the severity of his charges by adding a comic spin to the incident. Additionally, R. Kelly’s album release in 2003 justified support for him despite these revelations about his predatory behaviour. In 2012, R. Kelly released his memoir, Soulacoaster, that revealed that he was molested as a child growing up in the South Side of Chicago. In a 2016 interview with GQ magazine, the artist recounted being abused by a female relative for six to eight years. Shockingly enough, when asked about his thoughts on the experience, Kelly referred to the abuse as a “generational curse,” in which members of his family, who were victimized as children, became abusers when they grew up. Although this is an attempt to come to terms with the trauma of his sexual abuse, this claim is unusual considering that R. Kelly has denied all allegations of sexual assault made against him over the years. Amid the controversy surrounding Surviving R. Kelly, celebrities such as Chance the Rapper and Lady Gaga have taken to social media to condemn the R&B singer, even removing their collaborations with him from streaming platforms. Furthermore, RCA Records dropped R. Kelly from its record label and prosecutors in Chicago and Atlanta have reportedly launched investigations
into the sexual misconduct claims against him. But while these actions are much needed, they are long overdue. Despite the amount of attention that Surviving R. Kelly has brought to the artist’s history of sexual abuse, it is important to note that it simply restates allegations that have been disclosed to the public in the past. It is no secret that R. Kelly preys on Black girls; a simple Google search reveals a plethora of disturbing evidence that dates back as far as 1994. Historically, Black women and girls have been cast in society as essentially ‘unrapeable.’ Common stereotypes that portray them as loud, angry, barbaric, and whorish have contributed to the idea that they are incapable of being victims of sexual assault and are undeserving of the same responses afforded to white women in the same circumstances. What would have happened if R. Kelly’s accusers were white? If society would be willing to hold R. Kelly accountable for alleged actions against white women, why has it taken so long to respond to his exploitations of Black women? Why has it taken until 2019 for the voices of R. Kelly’s survivors to finally be heard? However, this is not just a problem that can be blamed on the shortcomings of society at large. The Black community has also played a role in perpetuating decades of R. Kelly’s sexual offences. This is part of a larger dilemma that has seen this community ignore to his abuses for “the sake of racial solidarity,” as suggested by journalist Sesali Bowen. On separate occasions, both Chance the Rapper
On January 31, Philadelphia declared that R. Kelly was unwelcome in the city. ANDREW STEINMETZ/CC FLICKR
and Ohio State University professor Treva Lindsey have elaborated on this, explaining how the Black community has become “hypersensitized to [Black] male oppression.” The most prominent view of the Black community centres on the struggles of Black men living in the racist climate of the United States, where they are criminalized because of the colour of their skin. This creates the perception that the negative actions of one Black man are representative of the entire Black population. As a result, there’s a sense of protectionism around the image of the ‘Black man’ that overlooks his treatment of Black women — especially, in the case of R. Kelly, where the allegations of sexual misconduct against him have taken a back seat to his prominence in the entertainment industry. In the age of Time’s Up and #MeToo, a number of male celebrities have faced consequences for their inappropriate actions against
women. However, R. Kelly has not faced the same reality as these men. Movements such as #MuteRKelly have been successful in cancelling his concerts and limiting his radio play, yet this progress continues to be offset by his fans who have taken to social media to discredit survivors and by individuals who continue to stream his music. By continuing to listen to R. Kelly’s music, we are fostering the belief that R. Kelly is untouchable, and undeserving of the same punishments that we have given to other male celebrities who have used their status to exploit women. There are too many allegations against R. Kelly for us to continue to ignore them. It is time for us to stand in solidarity with the survivors of his sexual misconduct. R. Kelly has not been indicted on any counts of sexual misconduct, and as of press time, continues to deny all allegations against him.
Overlooked: The Sopranos Millennials and Gen Z have failed good TV Margaret Pereira Varsity Contributor
The So-
pranos may seem like an odd choice for The Varsity’s “Overlooked” column, boasting over 20 Emmy awards. However, it is ripe and waiting for a generational rediscovery. Despite being instantly absorbed into the zeitgeist of the early 2000s, the television masterpiece has been criminally ignored by those who exist on the millennial and Gen Z border. Part of the reason for this is likely its lack of presence on streaming services like Netflix. The Sopranos follows the chronicles of New Jersey mobster Tony Soprano, masterfully portrayed by the late James Gandolfini. Tony is brash and unapologetic, but as he juggles his daily life of crime with his familial duties, he begins experiencing severe panic attacks. With Edie Falco as Tony’s wife, Carmela, who shows a fascinating contradiction of subservient mob wife
In 2016, Rolling Stone listed The Sopranos as the greatest TV show of all time. DIARIO CRITICOV/CC FLICKR
and strong-willed personality, these characters serve as an example of the show’s impeccable and unique characterization. The effect of this character-based plot is that each episode contains a complete story arc, allowing for painfully grounded human characters to weave between bits of mafia spectacle. In the current TV landscape, where characterization and story have largely
been thrust to the wayside to make way for splashy plot devices, The Sopranos seems transcendent. Nuanced characters, however, should not be mistaken for morally upright ones. The inherently crude world in which the Soprano family and its associates exist creates violent plotlines and dredges up disgusting and deplorable supporting characters. Characters’ biases and reprehensible
actions are shown yet condemned, and this tension manages to get at themes of loyalty, trust, love, and justice, much deeper than television does today. This cathartic ride, combined with the detailed depiction of the scandalous world of organized crime, creates a quality of television that has remained unmatched to this day. The Sopranos, at its core, is a show about a family like any other, who
just happen to live in a horrific and fascinating world. Though the lack of bingeable-ness may turn some off, experiencing the show in all of its glory for the first time is a revelation. As you learn each character’s neurosis and desires, it starts feeling like you’re visiting old friends — scotch-swirling, ratwhacking, criminal friends, but friends nonetheless.
Science
February 4, 2019 var.st/science science@thevarsity.ca
Highlights from the Arts & Sciences Students’ Union Research Conference
Students showcase their research at the second annual ASSU conference
ADAM A. LAM/THE VARSITY
The Arts & Science Students’ Union (ASSU) Undergraduate Research Conference took place in Sidney Smith Hall on Friday, January 25. The second annual conference brought together students from the natural sciences to the social sciences. Students communicated the methods, results, and impact of their work by delivering talks and presenting posters to conference attendees. In an interview with The Varsity, ASSU Executive Victoria Chen noted that the conference was valuable to both listeners and presenters. For attendees, going to research talks enables them to learn about other disciplines. For presenters, delivering research talks enables them to develop their public speaking and science communication skills.
Highlighting environmental science research
In his opening remarks, Faculty of Arts & Science Dean David Cameron drew attention to research led by Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (EEB) undergraduate Cole Brookson. Brookson presented his findings on microplastics — pieces of plastic less than five millimeters in size — which had been found in 87 per cent of the double-crested cormorants sampled in the Great Lakes. The cormorant is a species of seabird. Brookson and his colleagues were surprised to find microplastics in the digestive systems of cormorants from an unexpectedly wide geographic range, from Hamilton Harbour to eastern Lake Michigan. The high quantity of microplastics in the Great Lakes is especially concerning because its consumption can be deadly to seabirds, causing starvation due to a false perception of fullness. Digesting plastic can also cause hormonal problems. While the results of Brookson’s study do not present direct risks to human health, they do demonstrate how improper plastic waste disposal can impact wildlife. “Plastic can take hundreds to thousands of years to biodegrade, if it ever does at all,” said Brookson. “When you don’t manage your waste properly, when you don’t have effective mitigation strategies, you end up having this persistent pollutant that just never goes away.”
From health to human geography
Presenting his research findings on the hepatitis B virus (HBV), immunology major Seungwoo Lee explained how the introduction of lactose into donated white blood cells (WBCs) could
Agnostinids and trilobites found to be long-lost relatives Javiera Gutierrez Duran Varsity Contributor
Research presented at the conference included discussions on the effects of microplastics on seabirds.
Adam A. Lam Associate News Editor
Link between ancient arthropod groups unearthed
reduce binding of the galectin protein to T cells, which are immune cells. These T cells attack HBV-infected cells that die off when galectin binds to them. In 10 per cent of HBV patients, binding has reduced the number and effectiveness of T cells, which could make them more susceptible to cancer. These findings could be used to mitigate the risk of developing cancer in some patients with HBV. Lee showed that introducing lactose into human WBCs blocks the reception of galectin by T cells, boosting the number and effectiveness of T cells. These findings could give rise to better treatment options for patients with HBV, and reduce their risk of developing cancer. Neuroscience student Alexandra Kassikova showed how transforming the astrocyte brain cell into the oligodendrocytes brain cell could be a promising treatment option for multiple sclerosis. Kristina van Veen, who studies human geography, showed how emojis are changing the way we communicate. She highlighted how emojis can take on unique interpretations within small social groups, and how their inclusion in text could lead to misinterpretation. Evelyn Ullyott-Hayes — a student studying Middle Eastern civilizations — used a software program called JSesh to translate the Middle Egyptian text written on an artifact that is part of a collection in the Royal Ontario Museum.
Agnostinids are a group of extinct early arthropods and have long confounded scientists on where they fit in the evolutionary tree. PhD student Joseph Moysiuk and Associate Professor Jean-Bernard Caron from the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology have discovered that agnostinids may be a sister group to trilobites. The findings were published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B on January 29. The fossils used for the study come from the Burgess Shale fossil deposit in Kootenay National Park and Yoho National Park in British Columbia and are kept at the Royal Ontario Museum. The Burgess Shale is significant due to its age and what specimens it preserves. This fossil deposit dates back to the Cambrian Period, which was over half a billion years ago. During this period, the Cambrian Explosion occurred, during which “the first representatives of most major living animal groups appear in the fossil record for the first time,” wrote Moysiuk in an email to The Varsity. Furthermore, the Burgess Shale has preserved specimens exceptionally well, beyond just bones and shells, but also soft tissues such as nervous systems and digestive tracts as well. Modern examples of arthropods include insects, crabs, and spiders. Trilobites lived over 250 million years ago and, physically, “can be thought of as resembling a modern horseshoe crab, although they are at most very distant ‘cousins,’” wrote Moysiuk. Evolutionary relationships can be traced by looking at shared characteristics between species. To determine where agnostinids fit with other arthropods, their fossils were used to note
the similarities in “the armor and soft tissues of trilobites and other groups,” wrote Moysiuk. While they share some similar characteristics with trilobites, agnostinids, which lived almost 100 million years ago, are eyeless and have dumbbell-shaped bodies. Furthermore, there are six pairs of limbs located in the head of the agnostinid. In comparison, trilobites have four pairs and the mouthparts in a modern insect’s head are actually modified limbs. The agnostinid specimen used in the study had preserved soft tissues, specifically the limbs. Moysiuk explained that the “first pair of limbs in agnostinids are long sensory antennae. These are followed by oar-like swimming appendages and several sets of walking legs.” The relationship between the groups was established through a phylogenetic analysis, which “resulted in an evolutionary tree in which agnostinids and trilobites are more closely related to each other than to any other group,” added Moysiuk. This finding led to a grouping in which agonostinids are part of a sister group to certain trilobites. The study found that the shared characteristics were of soft tissues and the armour — specifically the tergites, or shield-like plate covering, and cephalic shield, which covers the head area. “The close relationship between trilobites and agnostinids, despite the difference in [the] number of head limbs, supports the notion that the composition of the head in early arthropod groups may have been evolutionarily variable, in contrast to its general stability in many modern groups like insects or spiders,” wrote Moysiuk. Moysiuk noted that the best preserved specimen was from Marble Canyon, an area first mentioned in 2014 in Kootenay National Park. “This study is just one of a number of exciting discoveries that have come out of this site, with many more to come!” Further research into the head region of arthropods and the development of early trilwobites is needed to determine the relationship between the groups with greater specificity.
Where art meets science
Patrick Fraser, a physics and philosophy specialist, spoke about how ghost imaging in experimental quantum physics may have implications for how we define the representation of objects. In classical imaging, said Fraser, we visualize objects because the light reflecting off of them is registered by our eyes. But in ghost imaging, using quantum optics, researchers are able to observe particles that are highly correlated to, yet physically distant from an object under study. These particles then let us create a precise image of the distant object. Current philosophy contends that photos are “representative of the objects they depict in some direct contact mechanism,” but for this to stay true, only a small number of interpretations of quantum mechanics can remain true. To accept a larger number of interpretations, said Fraser, we may have to dispose of this intuitive definition. Disclosure: Tom Yun, former Managing Online Editor, was a moderator at the event. Ibnul Chowdhury, current Comment Editor, presented a talk on research at the event. Neither are directly mentioned in this article.
Joseph Moysiuk led research that uncovered the origins of agnostinids. Courtesy of JB CARON/ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM
18 | THE VARSITY | SCIENCE
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Moving toward trans-inclusive health care in Canada U of T researchers advocate for affirming and personalized health care practice for LGBTQ+ individuals Arushi Jaiswal Varsity Contributor
Canada’s transgender population continues to face challenges from transphobia and discrimination, which, among other factors, influences their health and development. Recent efforts by the Canadian government and affiliated agencies address issues that LGBTQ+ communities face. In 2016, the Canadian federal government passed Bill C-16, which amended the Canadian Human Rights Act to include gender identity and expression as one of the prohibited grounds of discrimination. In the health care setting, LGBTQ+ individuals face multiple barriers that contribute to the disparities in the management and care of these individuals. Alex Abramovich, Assistant Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and Independent Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), has been studying the health care needs of LGBTQ+ youth for more than a decade. From his experience working with young trans people, Abramovich wrote to The Varsity that this population has an unmet need for mental and physical care. Many transgender individuals are “unable to come out and speak honestly about their identity and healthcare needs because they may not know whether or not it will be safe to do so,” wrote Abramovich, explaining how gender identity affects access to health care.
He added that some trans youth do not even have a family physician due to “previous experiences where their gender identity and sexual orientation were pathologized.” To address the urgency for improved health care accessibility by trans populations, Abramovich recently co-authored an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) that provides comprehensive steps for physicians to follow to become more trans-inclusive and trans-competent. One of the recommendations listed in the article was to privately ask all patients what name and pronoun they go by, instead of making assumptions based on perceptions of their voice, appearance, or name and sex listed on their health card. Another key recommendation made in the article was to ensure that patients are addressed with a gender-affirming approach that does not view gender variance as pathological. “These are just some of the things that health care professionals can implement immediately,” wrote Abramovich, expanding on the purpose of publishing such health care recommendations. Staff Physician and Adolescent Medicine Specialist at St. Michael’s Hospital, Joey Bonifacio, argues in a review article recently published in CMAJ that adolescents’ mental health improves when they receive gender-affirming care. Bonifacio mentions that primary care providers are equipped with some published medical guidelines on providing care for the transgender population. However, practice is hampered by a lack of experi-
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ence and training in trans health issues. He suggests that primary care providers support trans adolescents with gender dysphoria by facilitating discussions about the “timing of social transitioning, reviewing and overseeing the potential use of medical management, and connecting them with local community resources and supports.” Besides improving the management and care of trans individuals, U of T-affiliated researchers suggest that routine data collection can “contribute to evolving norms in Canadian society regarding sexual orientation and gender identity.” Currently, there is a lack of national and territorial data on trans populations, mainly because there is no standardized way of collecting and analyzing data about gender identity. Andrew Pinto, Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at U of T and Staff Physician at St. Michael’s Hospital, tackled this challenge with his research group by examining how Canadian patients react to being asked routinely about sexual orientation and gender identity. By administering a sociodemographic survey of all patients in the waiting rooms of St. Michael’s Hos-
pital on a regular basis and later conducting semistructured interviews with 27 patients, Pinto and his research group found that the majority of patients appreciated the variety of options available for both the sexual orientation and gender identity questions. However, some patients felt discomfort in answering such questions, and some felt that their identities were not reflected in the options despite efforts to provide diversity in survey responses. Based on these research findings, the authors suggest that an open-ended option such as “Identity not listed (please specify)” could be included in addition to prespecified options. They also suggest that health care organizations should set the stage for asking these questions by explaining how the data will be used and ensuring that clinics are LGBTQ+-positive spaces. Pinto and his colleagues hope that further research will be done in a variety of Canadian and international settings in consultation with LGBTQ+ communities, as such data can help organizations identify health inequities and build a framework with improved and inclusive care.
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How to survive a 2 conference Tips for a first-timer or seasoned conference-goer Clara Thaysen Varsity Contributor
Conferences can be jarring, especially for students. Spending hours — sometimes days — with your brain turned on, networking with your science idols, and potentially presenting your work is a lot to handle. Despite this, conferences can make up the most exciting moments of your degree. Follow along for tips on how to not only survive a conference, but also how to make the most out of your experience — whether it’s your first or your 50th.
Before the conference
1
Set a goal Ask yourself what you want out of the conference. Is your plan to network and set up future collaborations? Maybe you just want to soak in as much information as possible. U of T PhD student Samantha Athey follows a method that she learned from the Hello PhD podcast, called the 3-2-1 plan: “I plan to meet 3 potential collaborators, reconnect with 2 colleagues and leave the conference with 1 new idea or project to take back home!” Regardless of what your goals are, articulate them before you go, so that you can stay on track once you’re there.
Decide which talks you want to go to If you are going to a large conference, there’s a good chance that there will be multiple talks happening at once. Look at the conference schedule ahead of time, and make note of the talks that you are most interested in. There are typically only a couple of minutes between presentations and it is much less stressful when you already know where you’re going next.
3
Contact people you want to meet No matter how confident you are, meeting researchers from your field can be nerve-wracking and difficult when everyone else at the conference has the same plan as you. Contacting the people that you want to meet ahead of time is a great way to guarantee that you’ll actually meet with them, and this proactiveness will set you apart from other networkers — unless everyone else reads these tips too and the system is now saturated.
During the conference
4
Bring snacks Just because food is provided doesn’t mean that it’s going to be good. I have had conference food that ranged from chef-made seafood platters to lukewarm cheese pizzas. Bring healthy snacks that you enjoy in case your conference has catered food that’s only going to leave you groggy. In this same vein, don’t drink coffee at every coffee break. There will likely be multiple breaks, but no one needs that much caffeine.
5
Get comfy While conferences call for some level of professionalism, which will vary between fields, don’t feel the need to dress to the nines. You will carry yourself
much better in clothes that you are comfortable in, rather than ones that you think other people will want to see you in. That being said, it is generally better to be overdressed than underdressed.
6
Ignore the fear of missing out and skip talks that you’re not interested in Conferences are exhausting. Sitting out from a session will help conserve your energy for topics or people you actually want to listen to. Don’t feel guilty about this — I promise that you won’t be the only attendee playing hooky.
After the conference
7
Explore! This tip is subject to your supervisor’s discretion, but leave yourself a couple of days before or after the conference to explore the areas outside the conference building. There’s a good chance that you would have never visited the location if it weren’t for the event, so take advantage of your situation. It’s also a good idea to explore before the conference, instead of after, when your brain is fried.
8
Follow up with the fruits of your networking labour Don’t take it personally, but with the overload of information that conferences bring, people you had long fruitful conversations with might forget you. Even if you did not set up a specific collaboration, emailing the people you networked with within a few days of the conference is a great way to keep that relationship alive.
9
Give yourself a pat on the back You survived! Now go hang up your lanyard name tag as a badge of honour.
The proposal for a national electronic health record
Can a single electronic health record for primary care benefit Canadians? Ashima Kaura Associate Science Editor
Canada should rebuild its overly complicated health record system from the ground up, argues Dr. Nav Persaud in a new Canadian Medical Association Journal editorial. Persaud, Staff Physician at St. Michael’s Hospital and Professor in Family and Community Medicine at U of T, cites the inability of electronic health record (EHR) systems to connect with each other — their lack of ‘interoperability’ — as motivation for his op-ed. “It’s because we’ve been using these systems for so long and they still function so poorly,” Persaud said in an interview with The Varsity. “We still fax records between clinics and in between settings. Patients still have to call to make appointments. We often don’t have important information that we need when we’re seeing patients. It’s a frustration that I have daily… I think a big change is needed based on my view of the landscape.” Currently, there exists a myriad of EHR sys-
tems across the province. EHRs contain all interactions of a patient with health care services, including primary care, hospital admissions, and lab and imaging test results. The storage of health information has improved drastically with technology, turning paper-based pain to electronic ease. Yet sharing patients’ medical history among jurisdictions requires fax machines or physical mail, and leaves clinics and hospitals with fragmented information that may affect patient care. To improve information transfer and portability, Persaud suggests implementing one EHR system across Canada. Timely data exchange via a national EHR would not only improve the referral system, but could have potential longterm benefits. “In the longer term… the data could be more useful. We could find people, for example, who are due for colon cancer screening. Those people, if they agree, could receive reminders for that. We could also use it for — assuming all of the appropriate approvals are in place and people agree — certain research purposes that could end up improving the way care is delivered or help us to detect benefits or harms of medications by looking at large datasets,” Persaud said. However, there are many barriers to the implementation of a single national EHR. “I think unfortunately the EHRs that are commonly used today are owned by companies like TELUS that, in my experience, put profits ahead of patients,” Persaud said. In an investigation published in the Toronto Star in 2017, it was found that TELUShealth, Ontario’s largest EHR provider, was inserting e-vouchers for brand name drugs into its soft-
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ware. A single national EHR may be susceptible to similar marketing schemes if owned by one profit-driven provider. “Clearly we need better governance than exists today,” Persaud said. In addition to governance, the reluctance of primary care providers to change an already established system may prevent plans for a national EHR from moving forward. But Marie Rocchi, Professor in the Faculty of Pharmacy and expert in technology based communication in health care, believes a national EHR may be unnecessary. “The main advantage of a national EHR would be portability. But how problematic is this? Potentially for students, and those travelling but, in the scheme of things, probably not worth the billions of dollars of investment required. If it’s not a political issue (for example, national Pharmacare), I doubt it’ll get traction,” Rocchi wrote in an email to The Varsity. “Great strides have been made in many provinces with fully functioning EHRs. Do I think patients are harmed by lack of a national EHR? No. Do I think patients are harmed by fragmented information? Yes, definitely, and it’s frustrating and expensive. But this is changing… and patients having more control of their information is part of the solution.”
Science Around Town Emily Deibert Varsity Staff
Considering the Human Dimensions of the Urban Forest Professor Andrew Almas will explore the idea of the urban forest and how it differs from natural landscapes at this Lecture Me! series event. Date: Tuesday, February 5 Time: 7:00–8:30 pm Location: Mississauga Central Library, 301 Burnhamthorpe Road West Admission: Free Surveillance and the Contradictions of Digital Power: From Isaias Afewerki to Edward Snowden Online surveillance, cybersecurity, and privacy are of growing interest in today’s digital age. Dr. Victoria Bernal from the University of California, Irvine, will touch on these topics of her research in this New Frontiers Seminar Series lecture. Date: Wednesday, February 6 Time: 12:00–1:00 pm Location: Arts & Administration Building, 1265 Military Trail, Room 160 Admission: Free Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon about Women in STEM Celebrate this year’s International Day of Girls and Women in Science by creating and updating Wikipedia pages for Canadian female scientists. This event will also feature a short crash course on editing Wikipedia. Date: Thursday, February 7 Time: 4:00–8:00 pm Location: Gerstein Science Information Centre, 9 King’s College Circle, Alice Moulton Room Admission: Free with registration Galactic Archaeology with Stellar Siblings PhD candidate Natalie PriceJones will discuss her research on the search for stellar siblings at this month’s AstroTours event. Date: Thursday, February 7 Time: 8:00–10:00 pm Location: Bahen Centre for Information Technology, 40 St. George Street, Room 1160 Admission: Free The Greater Picture: Philosophical Issues in Modern Physics This panel will bring together professors of philosophy and physics to discuss some of the most profound scientific questions in the universe. Date: Friday, February 8 Time: 4:00–6:00 pm Location: McLennan Physical Laboratories, 60 St. George Street, MP Grad Lounge Admission: Free
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2019 GOVERNING COUNCIL ELECTIONS: Student Candidates’ Statements Voting Period: Monday, February 4, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. to Friday, February 15, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. Online voting will take place on U-electT at voting.utoronto.ca and through a secured website for post graduate medical trainees. Full-Time Undergraduate Students, Constituency I (Faculty of Arts and Science, University of Toronto Mississauga, University of Toronto Scarborough)
Xiaoyi Du Xiaoyi is a third-year international student from China, currently studying at Computer Science Program. She will work on those goals: Against any form of tuition rise; Provide extension for students when several school work deadlines coming together; School should pay more consideration on international student’s significant festivals, such as Chinese New Year; Helping students to find real study group in either courses. Please Vote for Xiaoyi, and voting for those goals!
Apefa Adjivon Apefa is pursuing a double major in Diaspora & Transnational Studies and Women & Gender Studies. She has held leadership positions in various on-campus groups, including Public Relations Officer of the Black Student’s Association and Equity Co-Chair for Victoria University’s Students Administrative Council. Off-campus, she has advocated for equity within several organizations, including the United Nations and Toronto City Hall, whilst founding a woman’s organization herself. As an active member of the U of T and Toronto communities, and a marginalized student herself, Apefa looks forward to sharing honest reflections on students’ experiences and equity needs with the governing council.
Adam Gomes I am a third-year student at St. Michael’s College studying neuroscience, pharmacology and Portuguese. I have held various leadership positions in the past and am currently the undergraduate student representative on the Advisory Committee for the Dean, Faculty of Arts and Sciences. In this capacity, I work directly with various senior university administrators to select a successor for Dean Cameron. I am seeking a Governing Council position to continue being an active member of university governance and to aid in directing the university’s future growth through input of various ideas from the undergraduate population. I can be reached at adamdc.gomes@mail.utoronto.ca
Bakiza Al Khalili During my time as a student ambassador, I became very passionate about UofT and the education, services and environment it provides to its students. If elected, I would strive to be a strong student representative on the council, focusing on our shared beliefs, specifically in supporting mental health initiatives and an accessible education, while keeping the university’s best interests in mind. As a supporter for a green environment, I would also strongly support policies that would benefit the environment and move us forward to an even greener campus. Together, I believe we can guide UofT to its boundless potential. URL: www.voteforbakiza.ca
Yining (Elin) Gu Vote for Yining Gu! I am a second-year student in UTSC, I want to represent you in the Governing Council. Since I am in the special role of representing both the diversity of UTSC campus and international students’ group, so I can especially speak out for these special students. During the days in my governing council, I will try my best to help to accommodate what students want in our university, such as more delicious and healthier food in the campus, more opportunities in research. Please vote for these changes to the students’ life which I personally care the most.
Varda Anwar Hello! I am currently enrolled in my third year and am majoring in Political Science and Criminology. I believe I can bring a unique perspective to the governing council. While the council has done a great job, there is no better way to bring change than to include voices like mine. I am an open ear to any and all who want their voices heard, that they may have felt, were not heard previously. As next year is my last year, I want to be able to have a positive, meaningful impact on the school and its constituents. Thank you.
Alim P. Gurler UofT is known as the best post-secondary institution in Canada. Yet, many students battle mental health problems such as depression, and anxiety daily. Even though we have extraordinary services in campus to help fight such mental health issues, I believe that we still have a long way to go before every student is healthy. I hope to take part in helping to achieve that. It’s my opinion that UofT should invest more resources into student life by organizing events such as concerts and shows just as other universities across Canada do and I aspire to turn these opinions into reality.
Farid Babayev Dear fellow students, since the first day of university life I have set a goal to become the leader of student society in University of Toronto- to improve minor details as well as resolve devastating issues. My focus is on keeping the main thing the main thing: direct communication with students, understanding their concerns and resolving them as soon as possible. During 2019, I would like to concentrate on issues such as Breadth Requirements (many students tend to refuse to do their dream minor because the courses do not fulfill their BR) and lack of Co-Op on St. George campus.
Jaanikah Kaneshakumar Hello! My name is Jaanikah Kaneshakumar and I am running for the position of a student member registered in the Faculty of Arts and Science. I recognize this position in the Governing Council is a valuable means of being a part of a team that is involved in improving the academic endeavour and longterm university life of students. I hope to work collectively with the administration of the university to encourage decisions that work in the best interest of the student body to support a successful year. I would appreciate your vote for me to serve on the Governing Council.
Juliano Baggieri As someone currently serving as an executive member of CleanSMC at St. Michael’s College, and who actively participates in university events, I recognize the heightened responsibility that coincides with representing the student body in Governing Council and the importance of listening to student needs. I am driven to be the voice for all student concerns at the University of Toronto, all the while upholding my personal standard of honesty, integrity, transparency, and passion. I hope to provide students with the best university experience possible, as I intend to speak for a unified student body with your support.
Tselmuun Khaliun Dear friends, it is important that, as we pursue academic excellence, we stay true to our values and advocate for diversity, inclusion, equity, environmental friendliness, harsher policies toward sexual violence and affordable tuition, transportation and housing for all students including local and international students. Moreover, it is important that the university continue to support students’ mental health. If you agree with any of my visions, vote for me and I will represent you for the best of my abilities. Having held executive roles at different student organizations and been socially active, I am well equipped for leadership and cooperation role!
Ciprian Eduard Bangu My name is Ciprian Bangu, but my friends call me Chippy. I am a 2nd year Philosophy and Political Science major. I was born in Romania, but have lived in Canada and Norway most of my life. I am running for Governing Council to ensure that the voice of the students is emphatically represented in the governing body who’s decisions affect both their academic, and day-to-day lives. If elected, I will channel the experience that I have gained representing the student body throughout high school, and employ the analytical skills gained from my field of study, to accomplish this goal.
Bryan Liceralde My name’s Bryan Liceralde, and I’m a responsible, enthusiastic student who’ll commit himself to make the university a more international institution like Yale, Oxford and Cambridge. I’ll advocate for more specialized programs so that students can just earn a degree in the subfield of their main academic disciplines. Moreover, I’ll fight for the deregulation of academic rules through abolishing the science and humanities breadth requirements that students must meet. I’ll also advocate for international students’ rights to pay domestic tuition fees. Finally, I’ll push for new study abroad programs with Harvard, Yale, Oxford and Cambridge.
Ethan Bryant The students of University of Toronto Mississauga deserve a strong voice for student welfare and progress at the governing council. I will fight for better mental health services and be a strong voice against the recent destructive mental health policies that our university administration implemented, against the will of their students. I will push for more co-op opportunities at UTM and more diverse programs and classes so that students who study here have every opportunity to excel. If elected I will be a loud, passionate voice for the wellbeing and success of UTM students. Pui Chi (Clare) Chan As a 2nd year Life Science student, I am running as your undergraduate student representative on the Governing Council. I consider leadership and perseverance as paramount to any tasks being implemented. With my previous leadership experiences at New College as a House Representative, at the Faculty of Arts and Science as an Undergraduate Science Curriculum Committee member and a Student Ambassador at U of T, I hope to create an embracing study environment for you and turn your opinions into notable changes. To make that happen, I humbly ask for your warm support. Please vote for me! Thank you! Andrea Chiappetta Hello, friends of UofT! My name is Andrea Chiappetta. I am majoring in Political Science here at the St. George Campus and hope to earn your vote for Governing Council. Since my first year, I have made student voice my priority. I am ready to be your voice on the council after serving on the Faculty of Arts and Science Council, and representing you on the Academic Board. I have not stopped working for my fellow peers, and will not stop now. Vote Andrea!
Ramtin Taramsari As a fellow student, community member, and young adult, I greatly value and am actively involved with extra-curricular activities. I hope to bring my many advantageous qualities and experiences to the “Full-Time Undergraduate Student” position, and in doing so will tirelessly strive to better the experience of those whom I will represent. Through rigor and passion, I promise to serve the undergraduate student population of our university with the utmost level of respect and confidence. Above all else, I cannot wait to have the opportunity to engage in student affairs, activities, and events with you all. Thank you! Vishar Yaghoubian As a member of the community at the University of Toronto, I intend to represent YOUR VOICE. I have held roles in student leadership and community building for seven years, including President of the Mental Health Committee, student advocate for four NGO’S, and community developer in Ecuador. My goal as a member of the government council at U of T is to ensure that student wishes are HEARD and mobilized into prompt ACTION. The U of T student experience should live up to the international reputation of our school, including mental health supports and value for our tuition dollars. Runqun (Helen) Zheng As a student currently studying both the sciences and the humanities, and who currently serves as a 1st year voting member for the Arts and Science Council, I believe that I will accurately represent everyone as a member of the Governing Council. If elected, I guarantee to bring my enthusiasm, knowledge, and my smile to every single meeting to ensure that YOU have the best experience at the University of Toronto. I hope that every student here can have a top-notch education while having the time of their lives! Vote for Runqun (Helen) Zheng!
Full-Time Undergraduate Students, Constituency II (Professional Faculties) Brittny Eileen Carter I cannot promise you that by electing me, ProFacs will receive riches and glory beyond our imagination, or that you will pass your exams and graduate with honours. However, I will work to ensure your well-being in this University. I believe our time here should go by in a comfortable and fair manner, with no questionable decisions and no poor allocation of resources. I will uphold this conviction in the Council. I am running to be your loyal representative. Let’s work together to make the University better for us now, and better for students in the future. Thanks! Phil Cuvin My name is Phil Cuvin. I am a first-year undergraduate student at the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. Throughout high school, I served as the head of timekeeping at my school’s athletics department, and as editor of my school’s yearbook. I was also the captain of my school’s trivia and robotics teams. As a member of the Governing Council, I will serve this University in a judicious and loyal manner, represent of the interests of the undergraduate student body, and support policies that ensure the University’s continued relevance and academic authority in coming years. http:// individual.utoronto.ca/philcuvin Andrew Girgis I was privileged to serve on the Governing Council for three consecutive terms from 2012-2015 and was dedicated to fulfilling the diverse obligations expected from a steward of the University. I was privileged to serve for the Executive Committee, the Academic and Business Boards and the Committee on Academic Policy and Programs to name a few of my roles. Outside of University governance, I authored several peer-reviewed articles and was a recipient of a national award for an innovative start-up business. I am committed to applying my accrued experience with your continued support and continue shaping our University moving forward.
Prahalad Ravi Forward - that is the ultimate growth goal. Be it for the betterment of the overall student academic experience or the overseeing of the business aspects of the University, working alongside senior members of the council and providing my insights is an opportunity for a growth in unison between ourselves as members of the community. As a Rotman Commerce student, academic, budget and multi-year resource allocation planning are key traits that I hope to attain and administer as a potential embodiment of Constituency I, Undergraduate Student population at UofT.
Mallory Estelle Jackman As a member of the Governing Council, I will endeavour to uphold the best interests of The University while acting as a representative of the views of all learners within Professional Faculties, including the Faculty of Medicine. My sentiment for government has been cultivated through my current appointment as an undergraduate student representative on the University of Toronto Academic Board, my position as Charity Representative for the Faculty of Medicine Class Council, and participation in advocacy initiatives at Queen’s Park through the Ontario Medical Student’s Association. I hope to be elected as one of the undergraduate student voices on this council.
Annie Sahagian As a current student representative of all 14,000 UTSC full-time undergraduate students on the UTSC Campus Council and its standing committees, I have been involved in making decisions and discussing important issues facing students and the university administration. Furthermore, I have been involved in many on-campus associations such as the Biological Students’ Association and worked in many departments both at UTSC and UTSG such as Convocation Hall, School of Continuing Studies, UTSC Office of Registrar and the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union. I believe that the skills that I acquired through my undergraduate experience will allow me to represent UTSC effectively.
Chelsea Zhao The experience of Engineering Idol competition benefits me to be an asset. The scientific fair has improved my communication and cooperation skills, and get me well prepared for the broad meetings. Debating experience has improved my skills in persuading and leading. Moreover, I am always dedicated throughout the preparation process, and I will also be devoted in the future. Last but not least, I have learnt how to make use of time wisely under pressure and in the shortage of time. If you want better governance for the school, I will be your best choice.
ADVERTISEMENTS | FEBRUARY 4, 2019 | 21
2019 GOVERNING COUNCIL ELECTIONS: Student Candidates’ Statements Graduate Students Constituency I (Humanities and Social Sciences)
Lynne Alexandrova As your Governing Council rep, i’ll mobilize rich Canadian and international perspectives from studies and teaching at 5 universities, in 4 different countries. UofT-affiliated since 2006 in various positions, currently near PhD-completion (SJE-OISE), i’ll recruit comprehensive experience representing graduate students at all levels of student governance and participation on departmental and faculty-level councils and/or committees. I’ll be your winning voice for accessibility broadly defined, channeling diverse voices into Governing Council’s policies, stretching the current limits of procedure and student positions. I’ll relentlessly advocate for the university to make space to prepare students for knowledge-guided leadership in various domains of the larger society, including academia. Samantha Chang Samantha Chang is a PhD candidate (Art History) committed to enhancing graduate student experience. Samantha’s past service in the Academic Board, Agenda Committee, Arts & Science Council, Graduate Curriculum Committee, GradLife Advisory Committee, and the 10,000 PhDs/5,000 MAs Projects, as well as current positions as Alumni/Postdoc Liaison and Faculty-Student Liaison of the Graduate Union of the Students of Art, and Invigilator for Test and Exam Services put her in contact with a vast array of students. Samantha welcomes the opportunity to be the voice for Graduate Students, Constituency I on Governing Council (2019–20). For more information, please visit http:// www.vote4samantha.wordpress.com Mohamed-Hashim Elkareem High and Great Expectations are core values that have defined leadership for me and driven my personal and collective life stories of success. Leaders with low expectations are by default setting up themselves and US for failure. Instead, as your graduate student representative, I’ll lead by example and set up high expectations for myself and others, while respecting our diversity and planting the seeds of human-motivation. I’ll give back to our university and contribute to its sensemaking and decisionmaking a platform of open governance. VOTE for ME on Election Day and let our voices be heard. Reach me at mh.elkareem@utoronto.ca Honeida Salih Honeida Salih graduated from Carleton University with a BA Honours degree in Political Science and a concentration in Public Affairs and Policy Analysis. She is currently a part-time student at OISE completing a M.Ed in Educational Leadership and Policy. Honeida is also the Coordinator, Academic Governance and Indigenous Learning at OCAD University in the Office of the Vice-President, Academic and Provost. She works closely with the Indigenous Education Council and the University Senate and its committees. Both her academic and professional experience illustrate a wealth of knowledge in, and a strong commitment to, public affairs, public policy and academic governance. https:// www.linkedin.com/in/honeida-salih-a130a5a4/ Tony Scott DISSENT, DISOBEY, DISRUPT. These actions are necessary, because the governing council does not represent us, and actively works against our welfare. Yet their power is illegitimate and vulnerable. My candidacy is thus a call to action, a revolt against the arbitrary rule of this corporate, undemocratic, reactionary council. Three times have I protested in that council, twice for labour, once for fossil fuel divestment. In September 2018, I shut down their first meeting, confronting the immorality and idleness of the president and his executive, though they would rather you did not know. As your governor, we can do much worse.
Dhanela Paran My fellow peers at the University of Toronto, my primary goal is to provide Governing Council with the perspectives of graduate students from the Social Sciences and the Humanities. I’m a PhD student in the Department of Social Justice Education and have 7 years of experience working in student services as a Program Coordinator and Student Leader. I’m committed to working with the council and you to ensure that the needs of graduate students are understood in the creation of fair policies and student services. Let’s work together to make governance accessible for graduate students! Thanks so much. L.P. Veilleux I am a Master of Public Policy student at the Munk School, a member of the undergraduate class of 2016, and am passionate about incorporating student voices into decision-making processes, enhancing supports for students’ mental health, and improving the student experience overall. I would bring to this position a long track record of on-campus involvement through intramural activities, Student Leadership Initiatives, and previous experience in student government, in addition to having lived both on and off campus. Finally, thanks to past work in Government, I have deep knowledge of how to act as an advocate within complicated governance structures.
Changmo (CJ) Kim Hello! I’m currently a 1st year Master’s student in Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology. Like you (and every other student), I study, sleep (or lack thereof) and have existential crises every week. Here, I’ve noticed that we have a fairly low voter turnout for any political matter, and honestly, I get it. Issue reports are often biased or abstract, making it hard for you to decide what’s right. I’m here to change that. If voted, I’d start short monthly videos clarifying agenda items to inform and educate students of what’s going on to make informed decisions. There’s hope, vote Changmo. fb.me/votechangmokim Tina Zhao Tina is a PhD candidate in the Department of Immunology at UofT. Her research project, which is a joint collaboration, focuses on finding a novel vaccination strategy for HIV. She has previously held a Masters’ level NSERC award and currently holds a doctoral NSERC award for her research potential and scientific achievement. In her spare time, she enjoys helping others and teaching. She has mentored/tutored upwards of 80 students to help them reach their scientific potential. Her empathetic nature and passion for solving complex problems with innovative approaches drive her to improve the student experiences in university community.
Graduate Students Constituency II (Physical and Life Sciences) Samuel Delage My name is Samuel Delage and I am a first year Masters student with the Department of Cell and Systems Biology and current member of the 2018-2019 Arts and Science Governing Council. I completed my Life Sciences Undergraduate Degree at the University of Toronto, majoring in Health & Disease and Genome Biology. During my undergrad, I played Varsity Football and held several on campus positions involving student experience and satisfaction. I have been able to make an impact as an involved member of the University of Toronto community. With your support, I hope to continue being a voice for students. Daniel Hidru Daniel Hidru is a Computer Science PhD student who aims to continue his service to the University as a member of Governing Council. Currently, he is the President of the Computer Science GSU, the Co-Chair of Massey College’s Quarter Century Fund, and a member of the Faculty of Arts and Science’s First-Year Foundations Council. Over the past year, he has contributed to graduate student health by organizing wellness workshops and enrolling 90+ students for mental health training. The breadth of his experience (governance, financial, academic, student life) will allow him to make decisions that are in the best interest of the University. https:// ca.linkedin.com/in/danielhidru Amin Kamaleddin “The Highest Result of Education is Tolerance”. Having your trust in me, together with my experience as a Vice-President for International Students’ Caucus and contributions to the Neuroscience and Engineering communities at UofT will enable me to: Improve the mental health resources and Facilitate transparent access to information for the graduate student body; Assure that UofT continues its efforts toward the improvement of students’ communication and interpersonal skills that are essential to their career development; Build a community of inclusion where EVERYONE is welcomed; and, Consult regularly with graduate students and Coordinate efforts centered around their common interests and concerns. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kamaleddin/
Students registered at UTM and UTSC are also encouraged to vote in the elections for the Campus Councils and their Standing Committees.
Voting Period: Monday, February 4, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. to Friday, February 15, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. Online voting will take place on U-electT at voting.utoronto.ca and through a secured website for post graduate medical trainees. Questions about the Governing Council elections process may be directed to the Chief Returning Officer, Mr. Anwar Kazimi (416-978-8427; anwar.kazimi@utoronto.ca), or the Deputy Returning Officer, Mr. Patrick McNeill (416-978-8428; patrick.mcneill@utoronto.ca).
Sports
February 4, 2019 var.st/sports sports@thevarsity.ca
The importance of stretching
Blues women’s basketball lose rivalry contest against Ryerson Rams defeated the Blues 53–42
Here’s what to do after you finish a workout
Daniela Ruscica Varsity Contributor
The Junior Blues gymnastics team raised $1,100 for breast cancer research at Friday night’s game. HENRY ZHAO/THE VARSITY
Matt Barrett Varsity Contributor
The Varsity Blues women’s basketball team fell short of a win at 53–42 against the Ryerson Rams on Friday night. Despite the Rams gaining a big lead in the third quarter, the Blues tirelessly fought back and made it a close game. The Blues wore all pink on Friday in support of the U SPORTS Shoot for the Cure campaign, and the Junior Blues Gymnastics team did a fantastic job of raising over $1,100 toward breast cancer research. In the first quarter, Toronto opened the scoring, with Samantha Robertson finding Nada Radonjic on a baseline cut for a quick layup. Not long after, Charlotte Collyer would feed Radonjic down low again for two. Radonjic would finish with a team high of 10 points. The second quarter saw the intensity of both sides reach a new level. Players were forcing steals and diving on loose
balls as neither team wanted to give the other an advantage. The Blues took the lead early on and would go back and forth with the Rams until halftime, with Ryerson up 21–16. Robertson’s tenacious playing style represented Toronto’s resilience throughout the second half. In the third quarter, after a foul call didn’t go her way, she responded by hitting a contested three on the ensuing possession. Ryerson’s full-court press earned them multiple steals and their vigorous zone defense helped them to a 19-point lead midway through the quarter. The Blues collected themselves and began piercing Ryerson’s defense in the fourth. With two and a half minutes to go, the Blues were back within nine but couldn’t quite catch the Rams, and were defeated 53–42. Teamwork requires players to fulfil different roles and not every role gets rewarded on the stat line. A big shoutout goes to Jessica Muha for relentlessly taking on Ryerson’s six-foot-four
offensive powerhouse, Sofia Paska. A good four inches above the next tallest woman on the court, Paska led her team in scoring, rebounds, and blocks, finishing with a double double. Blues guard Fiorella Granda, who has been out with an injury, spoke after the game about the team’s mutual support. “It’s a nice community,” she said, “You have people going through what you’re going through.” Toronto has seen many players cycle through the injury list. When asked about players overcoming setbacks, Granda brought up Ariana Sider, who had suffered a concussion earlier this season. “She came back stronger and better. Now she starts. Now she’s a leader.” Sider embodies the team’s adaptive nature by making the best of difficult circumstances. The Blues have now lost four in a row, but as they’ve shown in the past, this is a team who can get up after being knocked down.
TFC sell star striker Sebastian Giovinco
Giovinco will be remembered as one of the best players in TFC history Oscar Starschild Varsity Staff
Toronto Football Club (TFC) fans saw the unnecessary loss of their club’s greatest all-time player as TFC sold star franchise player Sebastian Giovinco to the Saudi Arabian AlHilal Football Club last Wednesday. Fans will be sad to see him go, as the fruits of Giovinco’s labour while donning the #10 uniform included numerous distinctions. Straight in with his debut TFC season in 2015, Giovinco scored the franchise’s first-ever MLS hat-trick and went on to amass 38 regular season points with 22 goals and 16 assists, to earn himself the MLS Golden Boot. He was also named MLS Newcomer
of the Year, and was selected for the MLS Best XI, an award reserved for the league’s best 11 players. He capped the season by winning the league’s MVP award. The league best summarized this season by declaring TFC’s signing of Giovinco the “Transaction of the Year.” In 2016, Giovinco took to even greater heights, brushing off the previous year’s playoff loss to 401 Derby rivals Montréal Impact. TFC progressed to the deepest extent possible, moving into the final seconds of the club’s first ever MLS Cup Final, only to lose at home in a penalty shootout to the highly defensive Seattle Sounders. TFC may have lost the final, but they won the
hearts of fans and inspired the people of Toronto. And then came the 2017 season, which wasn’t just a crown-jewel season in club history, but actually comprised three crowns as the club won its firstever domestic treble — no small feat. By the season’s end, Giovinco had exacted his revenge, marching the club to a second consecutive MLS Cup Final and assisting Jozy Altidore’s game-winning goal to soundly vanquish the Sounders and lift the club’s first MLS Cup. Across all competitions, Giovinco has scored a total of 68 goals over 114 appearances for TFC. As a result, he was voted as an MLS All-Star for four consecutive years from 2015–2018, and named to the MLS Best XI for
After hammering out your cardio, lifting weights, and giving your all at the gym, don’t leave without giving your body the proper cool down it deserves. Proper stretching is easily overlooked, but it is just as important as the main workout itself. Completing a stretch sequence after a workout has its benefits, and your muscles will thank you for it. Cooling down after a workout brings your body back to a natural climate, while also helping to relax your heart rate. By dedicating five or 10 minutes to lowintensity stretching or activity, you’ll be giving your body some additional time to recover. For a cool down, consider light stretching or walking for five minutes until your heart rate falls below 120 beats per minute. Stretching should be held for 10–30
three consecutive years from 2015– 2017. It also translated to winning the 2016 Best MLS Player ESPY Award, and helped win TFC many other accolades — the Trillium Cup and MLS Playoffs Eastern Conference Championship in 2016 and 2017, three Canadian Championship from 2016–2018, and of course the Supporters Shield and MLS Cup in 2017. In team sports, the saying goes that no individual is bigger than the team. But the exceptions to the rule are also there, especially when the Brazilian squad, having lost star player Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, was trounced 7–1 in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. And for Torontonians, as new sports make their way into the burgeoning sports market, special and exceptional individuals emerge too. Like, for example, Vince Carter, who single-handedly put Toronto on the basketball map during his tenure with the Toronto Raptors.
seconds, and the key is to remember to breathe. Stretching properly after a workout will not prevent pain entirely, but it will minimize muscle soreness. Stretching helps eliminate lactic acid that the body produces when muscles are exhausted, which in turn relaxes them. When muscles are used repeatedly in a workout, they quickly tighten, and light stretching is a way to relax them and prevent injury. In addition, through the cool down, you can gain increased muscle flexibility by targeting muscles that will generate a greater range of motion. You can also prevent injury by relaxing the contracted muscles. The process of cooling down is just as important as warming up, as stretching also relaxes your mind and relieves stress. Furthermore, it is a way to be more aware of your body and respond to its needs after working out.
SKYLAR CHEUNG/THE VARSITY
All things considered, Giovinco was a special and exceptional player for TFC and arguably put Toronto on the soccer map. In Toronto, if you’re lucky to climb over the high bars and shoulder the burdens of experiencing a Toronto Maple Leafs game, you’ll quickly notice how the energy and enthusiasm for hockey is zapped by the silent rows of high-brow business suits that litter the stadium, more interested in making deals than enjoying sport for sport’s sake. But when you go to the BMO Field, very few collective experiences compare to hearing the songs and feeling the rhythms of the fans, and seeing the faces of people from the world over, all coming together to enjoy a simple but beautiful game. And none of this would be possible without a star player like Giovinco cementing our place on the soccer stage. He put us on the map. Let’s never forget him.
FEBRUARY 4, 2019 | 23
var.st/sports
Tri-Campus Gym Breakdown: Athletic Centre
WEEKLY BOX SCORES BASKETBALL
How to stay active at the Athletic Centre Isaac Consenstein Varsity Contributor
The Athletic Centre (AC) stands as a large red and beige brick at the corner of Harbord Street and Spadina Avenue, accessible for students and Toronto residents alike. Classes, training sessions, and drop-in programs are available to all members throughout the week. The building hosts more activities, people, teams, and classes than I will be able to list. Even though indoor track season and a wide assortment of activities at the AC can create a sometimes hectic environment, it goes to show that the gym is incredibly well-used. National swim meets and track meets have been hosted by the AC. Olympic and professional athletes go through its doors to use the facilities. It holds an Olympic-sized pool, a smaller pool, three different basketball gyms, a gymnastics room, a dance room, a fencing room, squash courts, ping-pong rooms, and spacious locker rooms. Members of the AC create a welcoming mix of young and old people who get to come together and use the facilities to gain strength, play games, swim, run, and much more. Starting at the third and highest floor is the field house: a large room with a 200-metre track surrounding four full-sized basketball courts. On the edges, there are various workout machines that are almost always available for use. If you want to play basketball, volleyball, tennis, or attend drop-in classes like Zumba, be sure to check the AC’s online schedule and look at some class reviews in The Varsity. If you’re into basketball, after 4:00 pm, there is almost always at least one court available for basketball, but on Monday through Thursday after
7:00 pm, there are always intramural basketball games while classes are in session. Also, before waltzing onto the court, be careful and look both ways! There are often incredibly fast members of the track team sprinting, older gym members trotting, or young children running on the track, none of whom you want to bump into. On the edges of the field house, there are several mysterious big yellow doors. Most of them lead you outside of the building, so to all the explorers reading this: be warned, for you may end up outside in the cold wearing your gym clothes. If you have any other questions or concerns about using the field house, you can always consult a blue shirt for assistance. The second floor has an additional basketball gym where the varsity basketball and volleyball teams used to play before the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport was built. The gym now hosts the badminton program, field hockey practices, and various other programs and teams throughout the week. In addition, there is the Clara Benson student lounge, a dance room, and many offices. The first floor welcomes guests with friendly staff at the help desk where there is a customer service desk to talk about membership, a café, a lobby with couches, and the pool gallery. However, the strength and conditioning centre is the cornerstone of the first floor. This is where people go to improve their strength using a wide array of push, pull, and lifting machines. There are plenty of free weights and benches for nearly everyone to use the weight they need. This part of the gym tends to get very busy, but most exercisers are very cooperative and friendly when
asked to share equipment, so feel free to communicate with your fellow gym-goers. Staff members in red shirts keep track of how many people are in the room and ensure that people are using equipment properly and wearing close-toed shoes. When it gets full, they will post a sign telling members that they are at capacity, and members must wait until some people leave. Unfortunately, there is no natural light, and the lighting is very white, which can turn some gym-goers away. The sweaty smell and stuffiness can become overwhelming, so if some of your workout can take place elsewhere, I recommend retreating upstairs to the field house. Or you can take advantage of women’s only hours or quiet hours to make your workout experience more peaceful. Once again, if any challenges arise or if you have general questions while working out, staff members are certified physical trainers and will always be happy to give some workout advice or act as a spotter. Finally, we enter the basement. The basement has both men’s and women’s locker rooms, which include showers and steam rooms. This is also where to go when accessing the pool deck. Also hidden along the east side of the building’s bottom floor are the fencing and gymnastics rooms, which I will not attempt to explain how to get to. As a basketball player, occasional exerciser, and staff member at the AC, I am incredibly grateful for the recreational space that it has provided me, and for the friends I have met while playing and working there throughout my years as an undergrad.
MEN’S 88–69
February 1 Ryerson Rams
Varsity Blues
February 8
Varsity Blues
@
Laurentian Voyageurs
February 9
Varsity Blues
@
Nipissing Lakers
WOMEN’S 53–42
February 1 Ryerson Rams
Varsity Blues
February 8
Varsity Blues
@
Laurentian Voyageurs
February 9
Varsity Blues
@
Nipissing Lakers
VOLLEYBALL MEN’S February 1 Varsity Blues
3–1 (25–19, 17–25, 25–18, 25–22)
Ryerson Rams
February 10
Trent Excalibur
vs
Varsity Blues
February 22
York Lions
vs
Varsity Blues
WOMEN’S 3–1
February 1 Varsity Blues
25–18, 21–25, 25–20, 25–20)
Ryerson Rams
February 10
Trent Excalibur
vs
Varsity Blues
February 16
Varsity Blues
@
Lakehead Thunderwolves
Disclosure: Isaac Consenstein works at the AC.
HOCKEY MEN’S January 28
6–1 York Lions
Varsity Blues
February 2 Varsity Blues
5–4 (SO)
Ryerson Rams
February 7
Varsity Blues
@
Guelph Gryphons
February 8
Laurier Golden Hawks
vs
Varsity Blues
WOMEN’S February 1
4–2 Varsity Blues
Brock Badgers
February 2 Ryerson Rams
The Athletic Centre boasts many facilities that host a variety of activities and sports from swimming to squash. SHANNA HUNTER/THE VARSITY
6–5 (OT)
Varsity Blues
February 9
York Lions
vs
Varsity Blues
February 15
Varsity Blues
@
Waterloo Warriors
24 | THE VARSITY | DIVERSIONS
FEBRUARY 4, 2019
ACROSS 1. Bowling pin wood 6. Stadium regulars 10. Flanders of fiction 14. “Manhattan” director 15. Buffalo’s lake 16. Having the skills 17. Ashcan School painter 18. Nits, eventually 19. Appaloosa’s relative 20. Puts under a spell 22. Partial prefix 23. Cereal container 24. Oscar-winner Hayward 25. Autocrat’s worry 29. Laryngeal woe 32. Still kicking 33. Cooler residents 37. Prop for Chaplin 38. Circuit-board wrecker 39. Energy field, of sorts 40. Tires out 42. Quell, as concerns 43. Stood up to 44. Atlas features 45. Extract metals by heating 48. Many chiliads 49. Angel’s prop 50. Acted like a control freak 57. Again from the top 58. Quite excited 59. Embargo target 60. Green hue 61. Hardly captivating 62. Pacific island 63. Deposited, as eggs 64. On the way, in a way 65. Aromatic chemical
18/19
DOWN 1. Brewer’s preparation 2. Adversary’s antithesis 3. Rainspout sound 4. Pastrami preference 5. Lend dignity or honor to 6. Oscar’s “The Odd Couple” pal 7. Grand Canyon’s loc. 8. Heading on Santa’s list 9. Doesn’t raise or fold 10. Wombats, bandicoots, etc. 11. Violas’ pit neighbors 12. Vicuna’s kin 13. Bolshevik hero 21. Day care attendee 24. Hoagie 25. Hare vs. tortoise event 26. Flair or gusto 27. It climbs the walls 28. Caused a spill 29. Felt deeply 30. Convoy components, often 31. “Blood and Sand” cry 33. Cordage fiber 34. Game guide 35. Shucks! 36. Asserts 38. Bag, zoologically 41. Chocolatier’s vessel 42. Mouseketeer notable 44. Charged particle 45. Must, in a contract 46. Fervor 47. Incense resin 48. Figure skating figure 50. Artist’s light touches 51. Wolfish look 52. Haunted house noise 53. Valentine’s Day deity 54. Go on and on 55. Head start, say 56. Diary opener
Hart House Theatre Season
A Weekend of Competitive Theatre: Student written, directed, produced & performed Adjudicated by Autumn Smith
FEBRUARY 7–9, 2019 7:30 pm curtain
Hart House Theatre and The U of T Drama Coalition Present the 27th Annual
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
DRAMA FESTIVAL
COMPETING GROUPS Ember Island Players St. Michael’s College Troubadours Trinity College Drama Society UC Follies UofT Improv UTM Drama Club Victoria College Drama Society and more... BOX OFFICE Adults $12 / Students & Seniors $10 416.978.8849 / tickets.harthouse.ca
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