February 8, 2016

vol. cXXXvi, no. 16

T he UniversiTy

of

ToronTo’s sTUdenT newspaper since 1880

8 febrUary 2016

DEFERRED MAINTENANCE COST BUILDS UP Figure rises to $518 million, FCI drops by 1.3 per cent PG 3

Deferred maintenance costs have been increasing for years. SARAH NIEDOBA/THE VARSITY

UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION

UNIVERSITY AFFAIRS

Sexual violence committee releases recommendations

U of T president to decide fate of fossil fuels by March 31

Students fear report could be “ultimately ineffectual”

Meric Gertler sets deadline to rule on divestment

RACHEL CHEN

DEVIKA DESAI

The Committee on the Prevention and Response to Sexual Violence has published its final report. This comes two years after the committee was first convened in 2014.

The report’s major recommendations include: emphasizing the importance of correct language usage when discussing sexual violence; increasing and communicating the support available from the university, and the creation of a standalone policy and protocol on sexual violence. Increased university-wide education and training programs were also recommended.

“I think we are putting in this policy because this is an incredibly important issue for the university community,” said Sandy Welsh, U of T vice provost and committee co-chair. “It is there for students who have experienced sexual violence and who having the policy will give them the support and the direction that they need to have when they are wanting to come forward with a complaint.”

The possibility of targeted divestment from fossil fuels will hang in the balance until March 31, the date when University of Toronto president Meric Gertler will decide whether or not to accept the recommendations of the ad-hoc committee on fossil fuel divestment. Members of UofT350, an organization devoted to mitigating climate change impacts, met with Gertler on February 1 and confirmed the deadline.

VARSITY STAFF

ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

INDIGENOUS RIGHTS Lila Asher, UofT350 outreach chair, explained that the meeting was intended to address three issues: the timeline for the divestment decision; the interpretation of the committee’s criteria, and the addition of a criterion for divesting from companies that violate the rights of Indigenous peoples.

Continued on PG 9

Continued on PG 4

INSIDE What’s mine is yours

Winter blues

Think smaller

Comment PG 13

Features PG 16

Science PG 25

Tracing the distinction between cultural appropriation and celebration

Students and experts comment on seasonal affective disorder

U of T researchers contribute to autonomous nanosatellite project

Like a rock

UofTBog competes in annual Great Northern Concrete Tobboggan Race Sports PG 28

2 NEWS

T H E VA R S I T Y

M O N DAY 8 F E B R U A R Y 2 016 news@thevarsity.ca

Issue 16 Vol. CXXXVI

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

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James Flynn Managing Online Editor

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managing@thevarsity.ca creative@thevarsity.ca

Sean Smith Senior Copy Editor

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Iris Robin News Editor

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Victoria Wicks Comment Editor

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Alex McKeen Features Editor

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Jacob Lorinc Arts and Culture Editor

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Nadezhda Woinowsky-Krieger Science Editor science@thevarsity.ca Emma Kikulis Sports Editor

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Lisa Wong Design Editor

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Mallika Makkar Photo Editor

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Julien Balbontin Illustrations Editor Shaq Hosein Video Editor Damian Klambauer Web Developer

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Teodora Pasca Associate Comment Editor

Nathan Chan Associate Photo Editor

Jaren Kerr Associate Features Editor

Elham Numan and Diana Pham Associate Illustration Editors

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Sonali Gill and Ariel Gomes Associate Senior Copy Editors Devika Desai, Emily Johnpulle and Tom Yun Associate News Editors

THE EXPLAINER

web@thevarsity.ca

Mubashir Baweja Associate Design Editor

Salvatore Basilone Associate Video Editor

Students walk through flurries outside Sidney Smith. MALLIKA MAKKAR/THE VARSITY

Shahin Imtiaz and Shaan Bhambra Associate Science Editors

BLACK HISTORY MONTH: MOM ENTS IN BL ACK CANA DIA N HISTORY

1.

Vacant Associate Sports Editor

After escaping to Canada from the United

Mary Ann Shadd Cary was the first black female

States in 1830, Josiah Henson founded a labour

publisher in Noarth America and the first woman

school for other former slaves. He was also the

in Canada to become a publisher. She started the

first black man to be featured on a Canadian

Provincial Freeman newspaper in 1853.

stamp.

2.

4.

5.

Willie O’Ree became the first black player in the National Hockey League when he began playing

On November 8, 1946, Viola Davis Desmond

Lead Fact Checkers Ujwal Ganguly, Emilie Jones, Evan Maude, Lauren Park, and Corinne Przybyslawski

attended the Roseland Theatre in Nova Scotia

Copy Editors Kieran Buckingham, Krista Gjataj, Christine Glossop, Darya Kuznetsova, Evan Maude, Lauren Park, and Corinne Przybyslawski

designated for black patrons and instead sat on

first black member of parliament and the first vis-

the ground floor. She was forcibly removed, sen-

ible minority to be appointed Lieutenant Gover-

where she refused to sit in the balcony that was

In 2010, Nova Scotia granted Desmond an official

Parsa Jebely Business Manager

3.

On June 25, 1968, Lincoln Alexander became the

nor of Ontario.

tenced to 30 days in jail, and issued a fine of $26.

Designers Chantel Teng

BUSINESS OFFICE

with the Boston Bruins in 1957.

6.

7.

Anne Clare Cools was the first black person in the

apology and a free pardon.

Senate of Canada in 1984, after founding one of

Carrie Best founded The Clarion in 1946, Nova

Canada’s first women’s shelters, Women in Tran-

Scotia’s first black-owned and published news-

sition Inc.

paper, and was made an Officer of the Order of business@thevarsity.ca

Canada in 1979.

Cherlene Tay Business Associate Michelle Monteiro Advertising Executive The Varsity is the University of Toronto's largest student newspaper, publishing since 1880. The Varsity has a circulation of 20,000, and is published by Varsity Publications Inc. It is printed by Master Web Inc. on recycled newsprint stock.

Content © 2015 by The Varsity. All rights reserved. Any editorial inquiries and/or letters should be directed to the sections associated with them; emails listed above. The Varsity reserves the right to edit all submissions.

Inquiries regarding ad sales can be made to ads@ thevarsity.ca. ISSN: 0042-2789

CORRECTIONS In last week’s issue of The Varsity, a photo of a fraternity house featured in an article in the Arts & Culture section titled “Brothers of the arts” was misidentified as the Alpha Chi Alpha house. The house belongs to the U of T chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha. The Varsity regrets the error.

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UNIVERSITY AFFAIRS

$13 million increase in deferred maintenance over the past two years Necessary repair costs soar, FCIs shrink AIDAN CURRIE

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

The University of Toronto’s annual deferred maintenance report details a staggering number of required repairs for many buildings across all three campuses. Some structures have accumulated up to $50 million in deferred maintenance costs.

Administrative and academic buildings are rated on the Facility Condition Index (FCI). Buildings with an FCI of 10 per cent or more are considered to be in poor condition.

The university’s combined FCI is 13.4 per cent, down from last year’s figure of 14.1 per cent. The average FCI across the Council of Ontario Universities is 11 per cent.

$54,593,261

Medical Sciences Building

The majority of buildings in need of maintenance are located on UTSG, where 72 out of 104 buildings that were audited are considered to be in poor condition. UTM has the most buildings in excellent condition with nine out of 14 audited falling under that category. UTSC has more buildings in excellent and fair condition than those in poor. For the second year in a row, St. George’s Mary Hall carries the largest FCI of 52.1 per cent.

The report states that over the past five years, FCIs across all three campuses have been either flat or on the decline; it goes on to say that internal and provincial funding allows U of T to maintain or improve the condition of the buildings audited in the report.

$24,848,394

Science Wing - UTSC

Buildings are placed into one of three categories: priority one items are those that should be rectified within the next year; priority two items are those that should be addressed in one to three years; and priority three items should be addressed in the next three to five years. UTSG has accumulated $23,273,777 in priority one deferred maintenance costs, while UTM sits at $2,490,750, and UTSC at $107,607.

During this fiscal year, $18,730,000 has been spent in major projects to improve buildings in serious need of repair. The report concludes that funding for maintenance will allow for the improvement of building conditions, although it will not be sufficient to solve all of the present issues.

$20,801,508 Galbraith Building

18.2%

16.9%

THE MEDICAL SCIENCES BUILDING — ST. GEORGE The Medical Sciences Building is the the most recently audited building on the St. George Campus and is home to U of T’s Faculty of Medicine. It carries a deferred maintenance cost of $54,593,261 and an FCI of 16.9 per cent.

$1,626,215,

Kaneff Centre - UTM

23.4%

THE KANEFF CENTRE FOR MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL SCIENCE — UTM The Kaneff Centre houses the business, commerce, and management programs at UTM, as well as the campus Blackwood Gallery. The building was expanded in 2011. Its deferred maintenance cost is relatively low at $1,626,215, but it carries a 23.4 per cent FCI, the largest at UTM.

THE SCIENCE WING — UTSC UTSC’s Science Wing carries a deferred maintenance cost of $24,848,394 and an FCI of 18.2 per cent. The report does not specify when the next audit of the building will be; it only indicates that the most recent audit was in the 2010–2011 year.

51.5%

THE GALBRAITH BUILDING — ST. GEORGE The Galbraith Building is part of the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering and was completed in 1960. It currently houses the office of the registrar and first year office for the faculty, as well as the Department of Civil Engineering. It carries a deferred maintenance cost of $20,801,508, and its FCI is 51.5 per cent.

$27,795,964

$284,772

Sidney Smith Hall

44.1%

SIDNEY SMITH HALL — ST. GEORGE The central building of the Faculty of Arts & Science, carries a deferred maintenance cost of $27,795,964 and an FCI of 44.1 per cent. Both numbers are lower than the previous audit.

0.5%

Rotman School of Management

KEY: Facilities Condition Index (FCI) 0-9%

30-39%

10-19%

40-49%

20-29%

50-59%

4 NEWS

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Sexual violence committee recommends standalone policy CONTINUED FROM COVER

istration are committed to addressing sexual violence, those who make the final decisions are still more concerned with protecting the institution’s reputation and financial interests.”

U of T has support structures and resources in place for those who have experienced sexual violence, but students have indicated that they are difficult to navigate.

“The first [issue] was the issue of language,” Welsh said. “The second was the issue around how we communicate what it is that we are doing here at U of T — how we communicate the services and the resources we have that are already in place. There are some quotes in the report from students who participated in the focus groups that show clearly where we need to do better in terms of communication.

That’s why there are some recommendations around what we need to do to ensure that people can more easily navigate the systems that we have here.”

ALLEGED DISCREPANCIES IN REPORT Celia Wandio, co-founder of U of T Student Coalition Against Sexual Violence, remains unsatisfied by the recommendations.

“Upon initially reading the report, I was happy they’d included a few things students had recommended, such as a regular campus climate survey and a sexual violence ‘centre,’” Wandio said. “However, the more I look into it the more I realize that the report could ultimately be ineffectual; it almost feels like a joke. They claim to have had meetings with groups who were totally excluded from the committee’s process, and their list of sexual violence ‘resources’ includes student groups that have not been active for years.”

Focus groups were held across campus in an effort to gather feedback from students.

Discussion topics included the necessity of

The report was made public via the U of T safety website. MALLIKA MAKKAR/THE VARSITY

active bystanding — what to do when one is a witness to sexual violence. Language was another concern; students called for a broad and universally accepted definition of sexual violence.

“It views women as lesser, as objectified, as all these things, and it allows people to get away with it. It definitely needs to be addressed because sexual assault and rape is not about sex, it’s about power, it’s about control, it’s about dominance,” a UTSC student was quoted as saying in the report.

Ben Coleman, a member of the U of T Student Coalition Against Sexual Violence

and president of the University of Toronto Students’ Union, compared the final report with the draft from the committee. He alleges that a line reading “Faculty, students, and staff have the right to be safe while working, learning and residing on campus” was removed.

“Some people are suspicious that the reason a direct reference to students’ right to be safe on campus was removed from the final report was to protect the university from potential legal action, should such rights be compromised,” Wandio said. “This highlights the fact that while many members of the university’s admin-

NOT THE END The report mentioned the need for a standalone sexual violence policy and protocol, which would include a “comprehensive and user-friendly set of resources for complainants.”

“One of the important principles here was around the principle of procedural fairness for all parties, that means the respondent and the complainants, and that we have the appropriate procedural safeguards that are in place for both, especially when we are dealing with a complaint,” Welsh said.

Since the release of the report, U of T’s president and provost have been deliberating about possible next steps.

“There are commitments to consult with students, including and especially those who face disproportionate levels of sexual violence, but there is no guarantee they will follow through with this promise,” Wandio said. “There are no timelines, and one of the biggest things they need to do — which is to create a comprehensive policy to adjudicate claims of sexual violence — is barely addressed in the report, despite all the information available about best practices in developing such policies.”

“The president has said that he sees this not as the end, it’s really the beginning,” Welsh said. “This report, I think the committee felt, very strongly, was that this report is the first step and there is a lot more work to be done.”

Students may send feedback on the report to reportfeedback@utoronto.ca.

TORONTO

CAMH removes external review of Gender Identity Clinic from website Comments allegedly misattributed to Dr. Kenneth Zucker EMILY COLERO VARSITY STAFF

The full external review of the Child, Youth and Family Gender Identity Clinic (CYF GIC) that the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) commissioned and released has recently been removed from the organization’s website. In its place is a six-page “executive summary” developed by CAMH. The content of the review has come under suspicion since its release. The CAMH summary alludes to the possibility that some statements included in the initial review may be been “erroneous.” According to their website, CAMH has sent a formal letter of apology to Dr. Zucker.

The replacement of the report follows Zucker’s issue of a notice of libel against The Varsity for its coverage of the Gender Identity Clinic’s services winding down.

According to CAMH, “[the] review did not happen in isolation and was not the only factor that informed our decision to wind down the CYF GIC. The review also took place in the broader context of an ongoing comprehensive internal examination of the functional operations of all of the outpatient services of CAMH’s Child Youth and Family Program in order to improve access, alignment and ef-

ficiency. Our action plan for the CYF GIC reflects this process and CAMH’s strategy going forward.”

Regarding the active patients of the CYF GIC at the time of closure, CAMH said that “all clients and families in active treatment have been re-assigned and we appreciate the patience of all involved as we continue to make this important transition.”

CAMH did not provide any further comment about the fact-checking issues and did not verify whether Zucker is persuing legal action against them.

CAMH has plans intended to include members of the transgender community in any future services for children, youth, and families with gender identity issues, saying “It is our view that patients and families should be partners and co-creators in their care.”

A group of doctors launched a petition on January 11 expressing concern over the “apparent firing” of Dr. Kenneth Zucker. It is addressed to the CAMH Board of Trustees and has 509 signatures as of the time of writing.

“We object to these actions because they appear primarily politically motivated and to have been rationalized and justified, after the fact, by public statements extremely damaging to Dr. Zucker’s professional reputation,” reads the petition.

M is ully a liated with o T. MAX STERN/THE VARSITY

“The CAMH’s decision to post anonymous, unverified, and unexamined claims seems incomprehensible unless to bolster their shaky bases for closing the Clinic and firing

(and attempting to humiliate) Dr. Zucker,” the petition continues.

Dr. Zucker’s lawyers did not respond to The Varsity’s request for comment.

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ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

From ThD to PhD Students question novelty of PhD in theology program, petition university to permit degree change after graduation

EMMA COMPEAU VARSITY STAFF

The University of Toronto has formally created a PhD in theology in conjunction with the Toronto School of Theology (TST). Students at the TST and faculty members at U of T are debating the claim that this PhD is an entirely new program, arguing that it is identical to the existing Doctor of Theology.

In 2013, The Varsity reported that the proposed changes were up for review by the U of T Quality Assurance Process. The review examined joint programs offered through TST and U of T, resulting in recommendations that addressed the “below standard quality” of the Doctor of Theology. Students who are pursuing or currently hold a ThD from the university are currently unable to transfer their title to a PhD. THE CHANGES Donald Wiebe, a member of Trinity College’s Faculty of Divinity and a supervisor of both ThD and PhD students, has been an outspoken opponent of the process since its inception in 2013. Wiebe argues that the PhD is the “gold standard for employment in universities” and that this regulation is unfairly preventing past graduates from holding a title that is earned through the same process that new PhD students will go through.

Wiebe argues that the change from the ThD to a PhD in theological studies is simply a change in title, and therefore does not fit the university’s criteria for a new program.

According to the university’s degree program approval protocol, unique programs must have “substantially different program requirements and substantially different learning outcomes” from existing ones.

Wiebe says that he has not yet received adequate response from the university explaining why these changes — which he describes as minor — qualify as substantial enough to change the program entirely.

Althea Blackburn-Evans, director of news & media relations at U of T, maintains that U of T considers the PhD to be a new program. She added that students must apply, be granted admission, register, and complete the new program to be awarded the PhD. Currently, the ThD and PhD programs share a student handbook, which outlines nearly identical processes for the two pro-

The university’s PhD in theology has caused a stir among students and professors at the TST. RUESHEN AKSOY//THE VARSITY

grams. The hanbdbook refers to the two programs in tandem, calling them the “ThD/PhD.” The new program proposal published by the Governing Council states that, “TST also offers an approved doctoral degree, the Th.D.: the plan is to close that conjoint program once the Ph.D. is operational.”

STUDENT REACTIONS Students who entered the program in 2014 may complete a bridging course to graduate with a PhD in Theology rather than a ThD. Students who entered prior to that date are not eligible to do the same.

Andrew Woodward, who entered the program in 2013 and is expecting to complete his ThD this year, is appealing the university’s ruling on his endeavour to participate in the bridging program. Woodward’s appeal is set for consideration at Governing Council this term.

Woodward claims that he has to work harder than PhD holders to explain to potential employers that his degree is critical and non-secretarial. A PhD is beneficial, says Woodward, because it is already widely known as a critical degree. He adds, “One wonders why the university even bothers having its ThD accredited by the agency if it’s not going to follow the agency’s imperative that students be allowed to choose which

name they would like.”

Other students have objected to the structure of the program, including Stephen Hewko, a doctoral student. Hewko submitted a petition signed by several other students to U of T president Meric Gertler, which argues that unless the university can provide evidence of substantial differences in program requirements and outcomes, it is morally, ethically, and legally obligated to permit ThD students to change their degree to PhD upon graduation.

Following review from the Quality Council, the PhD was approved for government funding. Wiebe regards the Quality Council’s review with suspicion, stating that they have “in no way made a case for this being an entirely new program.”

Wiebe submitted documentation to the university which demonstrates the “identical program requirements.” He claims that it has been ignored.

Weibe argues that the similarity of the two programs is akin to plagiarism. “[The process] is kind of wicked… it’s definitely unfair,” he says. Wiebe went on to state that “it’s quite problematic when the university expects students to follow. The ThD is still being funded as it was before but the university has sought new funding for the PhD program. The ThD and PhD are both joint degrees, conferred by both U of T and the TST.

BACKGROUND On October 3, 2013, U of T provost Cheryl Regehr argued that “the changes are so significant we will have to take it through as a new program.” The emerging result: the development of a PhD in theological studies was determined to be more research-focused than the current ThD. Ontario’s Quality Council and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities approved the new program in December 2013. It was then approved by U of T in October 2014.

The legitimacy of the decision-making process is also under scrutiny. Wiebe states that the ThD program was reviewed in 2012 as part of a cyclical review that takes place every five to six years, and that the TST agreed to not follow program regulations and consider the possibility of a PhD in Theology.

Wiebe says that a report sent back to reviewees contained allegedly problematic comments. Wiebe claims that these comments were eventually quietly removed. This report was resubmitted in April 26, 2012 and went on to the Committee of Academic Program and Policy. According to Wiebe, the university breached the protocol of their review processes on both occasions.

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

The new war on drugs Students advocate for drug reform in Canada labs and sold on the street.”

Tara Gomes, a scientist working for the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network (ODPRN) describes pain as “difficult to manage” and that there “isn’t a lot of training for it in medical school.”

It’s not that opioids should not be used, but once someone shows addictive tendencies doctors should be able to refer patients to a case-dependent addiction treatment. Tara Gomes emphasized “there is a place for these drugs in clinical practice,” Gomes said.

ANDREEA MUSULAN VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

From April 19–20, the United Nations will be holding a General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) to discuss global drug policy for the first time since 1998. U of T students from the Canadian chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (CSSDP) hope to be in attendance.

CANADIAN STUDENTS FOR SENSIBLE DRUG POLICY (CSSDP) The Canadian chapter of the CSSDP focuses on harm reduction and a scientific approach to drug policy, say Daniel Grieg, a leader within the organization, and Kyle Lumsden, a dedicated member.

In an email exchange with The Varsity, Greig emphasized that restrictions of scientific inquiry into psychedelics hinder medicinal development.

“Drugs are inappropriately classified in present policy. For example, psychedelics are currently being explored… for their therapeutic properties and are also contributing to research in how we think about consciousness and the brain. If it does turn out that psychedelics are useful and safe medicines, then we will be effectively withholding treatment from people suffering from mental illness,” he said.

Greig emphasized the importance of lifting barriers to research. “Ultimately, we need to not only minimize the negative impacts of drug policy, we also need to maximize the possible benefits. Harms are things such as the disproportionate criminalization of the poor and people of colour, as well as the unnecessary deaths caused by lack of available knowledge. The benefits are such things as useful research tools, the development of more effective mental health treatments and tax revenue.”

Lumsden outlined the focus of his interest in drug policy reform: “The widespread harm of alcohol and violence associated with black markets for illegal drugs pose the greatest threat to society and can be improved with

DIANA PHAM/THE VARSITY

evidence based public policy. Multiple studies show that when police have a successful takedown of a drug network, there is a spike in violence afterwards due to a vacuum of power; other criminal groups compete for their share of the market indefinitely.”

Nazlee Maghsoudi is the strategic advisor for the CSSDP, the knowledge translation manager for the International Centre for Science in Drug Policy (ICSDP), and a U of T graduate. She said that the reality is that “prohibition has endangered young people” despite the war on drugs rhetoric, which claims to be aimed at “keeping children safe.”

Maghsoudi believes that UNGASS is “drug policy’s moment in the sun, in terms of approach.” According to Maghsoudi, the UN’s drug policy approach has grown outside of the

UN because “the global drug policy regime is divorced from human rights” even though non-progressive countries execute their inhabitants for possession or consumption.

She also believes that there are many barriers to reaching the consensus needed for the construction of an international framework through the UN. CANADA’S OPIOID PROBLEM According to an article in the Globe and Mail article, “Canada is the world’s second-largest per capita consumer of opioids and the fallout is being felt across the country. The article indicates that between 2009 to 2014, at least 655 Canadians died as a result of fentanyl, a powerful opioid that is available by prescription and is also manufactured in clandestine

PRESCRIPTIONS The Triplicate Prescription Program (TPP) and Prescription Review Program (PRP) were created in part to address the opioid prescription problem facing Canada.

Wende Wood, a pharmacist and a graduate from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, recently moved to Alberta, where the TPP is currently in effect. According to the College of Physicians and Surgeons’ website, “TPP collects prescribing and dispensing data for listed drugs. When the data meet certain criteria, physicians and others involved in the care of the patient are alerted, provided with information and directed to resources to support them in providing safe care.”

Saskatchewan has a PRP that performs a similar function.

Wood said that these prescription monitoring programs have not caught on because providing three copies of the same prescription is tedious for doctors to fill out.

MARIJUANA AND TORONTO’S DISPENSARIES Under the current framework, marijuana is legal as a prescribed medication. To obtain this prescription, one must register for a mail order from a licensed producer, or obtain a doctor’s prescription for a health-related issue, whioch must be taken to a local dispensary.

The dispensaries are not authorized by Health Canada.

CAMPUS POLITICS

ASSU executive removed from offce Natalie Petra impeached, executive cites continued absences as a reason EMILY JOHNPULLE

ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

The Arts & Science Students’ Union (ASSU) removed Natalie Petra from its executive, effective January 27, following her absence at two previous, consecutive meetings.

According to the ASSU constitution, “Any Executive member who is absent for two (2) consecutive Executive meetings shall be in jeopardy of losing their seat.”

The constitution also states that upon receiving reasoning for repeated absences, “The remaining Executive members must, by a majority vote, accept the reason(s). If the majority does not accept the reason(s) or if no reason(s)

have been submitted, the member shall lose their seat.”

The Executive Committee reviewed Petra’s absences and unanimously found the reasons presented to be insufficient.

“This is not a decision the executive took lightly. We realize the implications of removing an individual from the executive committee,” read the committee’s press release.

“Based on a pattern of behavior, the Executive [Committee] felt they could no longer accept the actions of this executive and felt voting to not accept their explanations of absence was the only appropriate course of action,” said Abdullah Shihipar, ASSU president, in a statement to The Varsity. Shihipar declined

an opportunity to comment on his working relationship with Petra.

Some students have taken to social media to discuss the ASSU’s decision to remove Petra, who has engaged in online conversations with unnamed account holders on reddit.

Several of these users have claimed to have been present at ASSU council meetings, Petra’s contribution to which is in dispute. Petra, writing from her own reddit account, said that she intends to appeal the decision and that she can provide documentation of which the ASSU executive was hitherto unaware.

The ASSU council is comprised of course union representatives and is responsible for initiating policies. The role of the ASSU’s

Executive Committee is to implement the policies that come from the council, as well as work with the administration and other student groups to improve the academic experience for Arts & Science students.

The committee considers this decision to be final; there will be no appeals process.

“Our elections will be in March, so the position will be vacant until our Spring Elections. The Executive are confident we will be able to continue to host events and serve Arts [&] Science students during this time,” said Shihipar.

Petra said that she is exploring her options, declining to comment further on the ongoing proceedings.

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THE INTERVIEW

“Tell the truth” The Governor General on education and transitions HAYDEN RODENKIRCHEN VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Senior university students dread being asked about their plans for the future.

David Johnston, the Governor General of Canada, sensed this trepidation as he addressed students from across the country at the annual Loran Scholar’s Forum on February 5. Johnston spent an hour warmly discussing education and students’ transitions to the “real world”: in particular, the importance of seeking out diverse educational and professional experiences to find meaning and a sense of lifelong learning in one’s career.

“I’ve had great experiences with student papers,” Johnston says, joking that he was once treated to an impromptu interview while giving blood in Montreal.

“I guess it is possible to get blood from an old stone.”

The Governor General addressed a crowd of students last week. PHOTO COURTESY OF SGT. RONALD DUSCHENE, RIDEAU HALL

INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES Educated at Harvard, Cambridge, and Queen’s, His Excellency David Johnston served as principal of McGill University and president at the University of Waterloo after many years as a legal scholar — a career path which has influenced his strong views on education and the role of universities in Canadian society.

“What you’re looking for an education to give you is the ability to think. And when I say ‘think’ I mean think broad and deep. We may be in the danger of trying to focus too much on the deep at the expense of the broad and ideally what you want is both,” Johnston says.

It is an insight relevant to U of T, where students often roll their eyes in disdain at breadth requirements. Johnston sees mandatory courses outside of one’s field of study as integral to a student’s long-term ability to draw connections and meaning from their education.

“One hundred years ago when I was an undergraduate... if you majored in international relations or government as I did, you had to take one to two courses outside of social science. That would be a natural sciences course or two or humanities courses or two,” he recalls.

Johnston says that he once took a humanities course taught by Krister Stendahl, who later became the bishop of Sweden. He says that Stendahl took a multi-disciplinary approach to teaching the Bible. He remembers the experience as being “quite wonderful.”

Other undergraduate courses left a visceral impression on Johnston’s life; specifically, the course that was taught by Nobel Laureate George Wald. “I remember he came in one morning –– there were 1,000 kids in the class, there would have been 2,000 but that

was the largest classroom. And he said, ‘this is a very fateful day for me: 50 years ago on this day I almost took my own life,’” Johnston says. “That certainly got us sitting up.”

According to Johnston, he was very bright and precocious, doing his PhD around the age of 21. “I was 23 on a post-doc and I was working on a particular mechanism, as set of interactions in the brain with respects to vision. For six months I could get nowhere.

I was just hitting my head against a wall,” he states.

Johnston describes a bout of depression he experienced one evening. “I left my apartment because I was afraid of doing something dangerous,” he says. He went to the lab where he was working and the sight of his experiment triggered a panic attack. “As soon as I saw [my experiment] I had a panic attack thinking: ‘I’ve got to go back.’”

While he was in the lab, another experiment caught his eye. “My eyes strayed to an experiment from a different sub-discipline... and all of a sudden I looked at my experiment and the question which was killing me from a different angle and that was the beginning of my solution,” he says.

For the Governor General, Wald’s lecture was a moment of epiphany — a moment when “the light went on.” “[Inter-disciplinary experience] begins by permitting you to triangulate and look at problems from a different angle. You begin to appreciate the importance of bringing other points of view and using those other emphases.”

DIVERSIFYING EDUCATION Johnston says that it is imperative for Canada to build on Wald’s philosophy of the value of diverse perspectives. Johnston believes that

such a perspective can challenge complacency in Canadian higher education and society at large.

When asked about post-secondary education reforms, Johnston said that students from different parts of Canada and around the world should make up a student body.

“We have a very attractive public education and it should be open to the world much more than it is now,” he says.

Johnston goes on to say that only three per cent of Canadian students study abroad at some time in their academic career, a rate that he feels should be at 100 per cent.

Johnston formed this opinion through raising his five daughters, each of whom pursued educational exchanges.

“First, the curiosity which a child naturally has is enhanced [by the opportunity to study abroad]. Second, their tolerance, in the best sense of that word, is enhanced; they don’t just accept that you’re different — they are interested in why and appreciate that you’re different. Third, their judgment becomes better, because they don’t accept one side of the story, the first version. They look for other explanations. And fourthly they become more empathetic; they have a greater capacity to walk in somebody else’s shoes, feel a sense of empathy for a person.

And those are very important experiences in terms of education,” says Johnston about the benefits of going on exchange.

WHAT ABOUT THE FUTURE? Such an analytical view of undergraduate experiences may be daunting for students planning their future, questioning in broad terms how to spend their lives after university. Putting himself in an undergraduate’s shoes, Johnston recalls feeling similarly when

choosing between law school and a promising hockey career.

“At the time I [thought of] two things: one is what interested me and I guess that that’s quite self centred, and the second was where could one have an impact. I suppose that’s self-centred too in the sense that you’re looking for your own satisfaction but it comes out of trying to feel that you’ve made some kind of difference,” he says.

Johnston says that his most formative postgraduation experiences were the mistakes — an important perspective for students at universities such as U of T, where the pressure to demonstrate success in a linear sense can be enormous.

“Often in interviews I ask people ‘tell me about one of your great mistakes and then what you learned from it.’ People say ‘oh I can’t tell you that, you’ll think I’m a loser.’

To break the ice a bit I say, if you put that question to me, ‘you got a few days so I can tell you all of them?’ You learn — you try to learn — from your mistakes and you try to learn how to spot erroneous paths. And you also learn that if you make a mistake, don’t hide it,” he says.

When it comes to that fateful question: “what are your plans for the future?” Johnston acknowledges that students needn’t obsess over the right answer.

His advice for students is the same thing that he tells his children: “Tell the truth — always tell the truth for two reasons: one is its the moral thing to do but secondly, if you don’t tell the truth you forget what you’ve said and the tale comes out different.”

8 NEWS

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President considers fossil fuel divestment committee recommendations

Members of UofT350 rally for climate justice, which includes lobbying for fossil fuel divestment. MILAN ILNYCKYJ/CC FLICKR

CONTINUED FROM COVER

“Our goals were to encourage him to divest, push for the decision to be released this semester, get him to consider our input on the criteria, and agree to work on a criteria based around Indigenous rights,” said Amanda Harvey-Sanchez, UofT350 campaign lead.

“Indigenous rights were clearly addressed in our brief on divestment and in a presentation we gave to the committee, and so we were disappointed when there was no mention of this in the committee’s recommendation,” she explained.

“The committee acknowledged the social injury caused to people worldwide from the direct impacts of climate change; however, the committee failed to acknowledge the social injury caused by extraction and pollution, which disproportionately impacts Indigenous people.”

At the meeting, Gertler agreed to bring the topic of Indigenous rights to the newly-struck Truth and Reconciliation Commission committee at U of T. “[Gertler] agreed to ask the U of T committee that is currently forming to discuss the implications of the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission if they will think about a divestment criteria,” said Asher.

THE TIMELINE Both Asher and Harvey-Sanchez believe that the meeting was positive. “Getting to

this point has been a long time coming,” said Harvey-Sanchez.

Harvey-Sanchez stated that she was “generally pleased” with the outcome of the meeting.

According to Harvey-Sanchez, Gertler was receptive to their concerns and he recognized the importance of U of T taking meaningful action on climate change.

Harvey-Sanchez added that although Gertler did not commit to divestment, he “seemed sympathetic to the idea.” She added that UofT350 is happy with a guaranteed response by the end of March.

According to Asher, in addition to the March 31 deadline, Gertler committed to receiving input from UofT350 in the form of a report. This report is set to be delivered to him by February 25.

per cent of their revenue from non-conventional or aggressive extraction,” should be considered for divestment.

The committee has left the definition of “non-conventional or aggressive extraction” to the university.

The second criterion focuses on firms ‘that knowingly disseminate disinformation concerning climate change science or firms that deliberately distort science or public policy more generally in an effort to thwart or delay changes in behaviour or regulation’.

The report listed ConocoPhilips Co., ExxonMobile Corp., Peabody Energy Corporation, Arch Coal Inc., Alpha Natural Resources LLC, Cloud Peak Energy, and Westmoreland Coal Company as examples of companies that meet the criteria listed above.

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS The main recommendations from the fossil fuel divestment committee include evaluating whether the actions of a fossil fuel company disregard the “1.5 degree threshold.”

The 1.5 degree threshold refers to any company whose actions contribute to a rise in the planet’s temperature by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. The committee recommended that U of T come up with a method by which to determine which companies are at fault for a ride in global temperature.

Additionally, the committee emphasized that companies which “derive more than 10

CAMPAIGN FOR FOSSIL FUEL DIVESTMENT The battle for fossil fuel divestment first began in March 2014, when the divestment campaign delivered a petition to the administration, asking for the university to “fully divest from direct investments in fossil fuel companies within five years and not make any new investments in the industry.”

The Presidential Advisory Committee on Fossil Fuel Divestment reviewed the petition.

One year later, the committee released a report recommending ”immediate and targeted divestment from fossil fuel companies.”

Currently U of T has invested roughly $32.4 million into fossil fuel companies, the majority of which is in pooled funds along with a small number of direct holdings.

The petition asked for divestment only from the university’s direct holdings.

“There is no straightforward way to determine exactly how much the university may invest in fossil fuel companies,” explained Althea Blackburn-Evans, director of news & media relations at U of T. “The University of Toronto Asset Management Corporation (UTAM), which manages investments on behalf of the University, identifies various investment strategies that are then carried out by fund managers. The majority of those strategies are complex and, as a consequence, are implemented largely through pooled investment funds.”

There are no current plans to schedule another meeting between UofT350 and the administration unless prompted by the university. Both Asher and Harvey-Sanchez maintain that they plan to ensure that Gertler keeps his promise of a decision by the promised deadline.

“UofT350 maintains that divestment is the right choice ethically and financially and is an important aspect of climate leadership for any respectable University, and we hope that President Gertler will fully agree with us by his deadline,” said Asher.

CAMPUS POLITICS

Former UTSU executive director Sandra Hudson hired u io t re re e t tive t or U iver it Hiring process marked by delays TOM YUN

ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

Sandra Hudson, former University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) executive director, has been hired by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) local 3903. Hudson is to serve a six-month term as CUPE 3903’s temporary staff representative.

CUPE 3903 represents teaching assistants and sessional lecturers at York University. All three units of the union went on strike at York University last year, around the same time as U of T’s CUPE 3902.

According to Maija Duncan, CUPE 3903 communications officer, the process by which Hudson was hired was delayed due to “a pro-

cedural question of whether or not the high number of abstentions at the meeting counted towards the vote total.”

A CUPE 3903 statement on Hudson’s hiring stated that the hiring committee submitted its endorsement for a candidate at the January 7 General Members’ Meeting (GMM). An executive committee meeting was scheduled for January 12 in order to ratify the decision.

Before this meeting could take place, a member of the hiring committee told CUPE 3903 chairperson Jen Cypher that there were hiring committee members who wanted a final meeting to discuss their recommendation.

This occurred a day before the executive committee was scheduled to meet. As a result, the

executive committee meeting was postponed and Cypher was informed a few days later that the hiring committee would not be meeting.

The executive committee approved Hudson’s hiring on January 19.

“We are hoping to learn from the complications and delays of this hiring process, and will form a committee to write a report and make recommendations in order to ensure that future hiring processes run smoothly and in a timely fashion,” read a portion of CUPE 3903’s statement.

Duncan declined to comment further: “We are not willing to comment on the decisions of the hiring committee, which does its job under conditions of confidentiality for obvious reasons,” she said.

The minutes from the GMM at which Hudson’s hiring was brought to the union’s membership have not been approved and are not available to the public.

Hudson is currently in the midst of a legal dispute with the UTSU. Hudson served as executive director of the UTSU until her departure at the end of April 2015. The UTSU alleges that Hudson fraudulently obtained cheques for overtime hours, amounting to a total of $247,726.40. Hudson is countersuing the UTSU for $300,000 in damages, alleging that the UTSU had a plan to treat her harshly and to humiliate her once the new executives took office.

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SCSU

UniTSC runs unopposed in SCSU elections Candidates hope to increase campus equity, connect with Scarborough community STEPHANIE GIBBON VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

UniTSC is the single slate in the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU) elections.

Composed of presidential candidate Jessica Kirk, vice president, academics & university affairs candidate Thomas Woo, vice president, equity candidate Nafisa Mohammed and vice president, external candidate Sitharsana Srithas, the slate hopes to form the new union executive committee.

According to Srithas, UniTSC is “a team of compassionate and ambitious students who eagerly anticipate serving the Scarborough Campus and the surrounding local community.”

Each member of UniTSC has something unique to offer. Jessica Kirk brings a wealth of experience to her new position; as former vice president, equity, Kirk has long campaigned to ensure that UTSC is a place where all students, regardless of ethnicity, are treated as equals. She first became involved in SCSU when she organized a walkout supporting Michael Brown, who was a victim of anti-black violence, in 2014. This led to the creation of the Scarborough Campus AntiRacism Subcommittee, which evolved into the Racialized Student Collective.

“My experience will serve as a good foundation, in terms of ensuring that all practices fulfilled by the union are equitable,” said Kirk.

Thomas Wood feels that in his role as associate to the former SCSU vice president, academics & university affairs, he “learned about what is required to be a VP AUA in the best way possible, by being there and doing the work.”

To fulfill UniTSC’s various campaign promises, Wood added that they will need to employ “a variety of creative strategies.”

“Some may require lobbying efforts at Governing Council, while others may require that meetings be set up with municipal governmental representatives or the University’s upper administration. There are also campaign points which require ongoing consultation with students at the Scarborough Campus,” Wood said.

Sitharsana Srithras is keen to see the SCSU involve itself in the larger community. “I have gathered most of my social justice advocacy experience as a Tamil Students’ Association [TSA] executive for three years at UTSC. These past two years, I have been the president of TSA. This experience has taught me a lot about the importance of establishing connections with community organizations and the Scarborough Campus,” she said.

Nafisa Mohammed rounds off the slate. She is experienced in equity work and was the associate to the former vice president, equity.

“At the Scarborough Campus, I have engaged with equity work through my executive role with the African Students’ Association, being

a co-president in 2014–2015.”

Earlier this academic year, Mohammed moved to establish the Racialized Student Collective as an official Equity Service Centre under SCSU. “This secured physical safe space on campus for racialized students at UTSC. My experience advocating for safe space on campus, as well as navigating spaces as a black Muslim woman, remind me about the importance of engaging in equity work,” she said.

“We also want UTSC students to know

that equitable practices are at the core of all the goals we are working toward,” Mohammed added. “Making the University experience more accessible can take form in many ways, and we hope that all the goals we have set out to accomplish help to break down the barriers that prevent students from accessing post-secondary education.”

Voting ran from February 2 to February 4. Unofficial results are expected in the next few days.

The new e e uti e o the S S will take o

e on May 1,

16. MAISHA ISLAM/THE VARSITY

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Notice to Members: Spring 2016 Elections

The UTSU is your Students’ Union. We are governed by a Board of Directors elected by YOU. Our aim is to provide services and events that save YOU money and enrich YOUR university experience.

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COMMENT var.st/comment

8 F ebruary 2016

comment@thevarsity.ca

What's mine is yours e di ere ce et ee cu tur

ro ri tio

d mu ticu tur

i ter ctio

EMMETT CHOI

VARSITY COLUMNIST

L

ast fall, citing concerns of cultural tionality has experienced more oppression and appropriation, the University of Ot- who is appropriating from whom? tawa’s student federation suspended Of course not. These are not instances of raca yoga class that was taught for sev- ism, but rather, multiculturalism at work. When en years by Jennifer Scharf, a white human beings live together, they influence, imwoman. When the class resumed this January, press, and seek to imitate one another. A truly Scharf was gone; she had been replaced by diverse community is not one where distinct Priya Shah, an Indian instructor. cultures from foreign lands live in physical or Shah has suspicions that her hiring may imagined enclaves, shielding every aspect of have been nothing more than a thinly veiled their traditions from those who are different attempt to achieve superficial diversity, rather from them. On the contrary, it is one where than a legitimate effort to mitigate cultural customs are shared and the foreign becomes appropriation. The student federation did not familiar, not just for education but for fun. give her instructions to approach the class This is not to say that cultural appropriafrom a more authentically Hindu perspective, tion never occurs; it is just that we ought to and she has no plans to do so. reserve this label for incidents that are truly Throughout the Western world, student representative of harm, lest it lose meaning. activists are levelling accusations of racism Surely there ought to be consensus around the against anyone who dares to explore a culture notions that acts such as wearing blackface, or religion of which they are not a hereditary naming a sports team with a racial slur, and member. At Oberlin College in Ohio, stu- donning a religious headdress that one has dents complained that serving bánh mì on no personal affiliation with are all examples the wrong type of bun was an “appropriative” of actually appropriated and unacceptable act commited by the cafeteria staff. In Bos- behaviour. Acts such as these are wrong not ton, the Museum of Fine Arts came under because they are decontextualized from their protest after launching an event where visitors origins, but because the origins themselves are were invited to try on a kimono resembling racist. The purpose of wrongful appropriation the one depicted in Claude Monet’s painting is not to share in another’s culture so much as “La Japonaise.” This occurred despite the local to insult it.

Deputy Consul of Japan's insistence that the museum’s program was in fact THESE ARE NOT INSTANCES OF RACISM, BUT RATHER, perfectly fine.

At worst, these claims of cultural MULTICULTURALISM AT WORK. appropriation are dishonest; at best, they are misplaced.

A definition of cultural appropriation offered in a recent article in The Varsity deThat being said, it should also be recognized scribed the phenomenon as occurring “when that the mere blending of cultures does not those of a dominant cultural group selectively result in one usurping the other as the true use, practice, or wear pieces of another, often creator or owner of a certain item or pracmarginalized culture, in a way that is decon- tice. Yoga will always be Indian, bánh mì will textualized from its roots.” If understood this always be Vietnamese, and the kimono will way, many facts of of everyday life in a nation always be Japanese. like Canada — and certainly in a city like ToTo divide ourselves into those who are alronto — could be construed as disrespectful, lowed to wear, eat, or play a certain thing and hurtful cultural appropriation. But is this re- those who are not — by virtue of our race, ally what’s happening? religion, or ancestry — would be to discard The aforementioned definition implies that decades of progress toward mutual underdecontextualization is inherently wrong. This standing and peaceful coexistence. Traditions would mean that any use of a cultural item or are dynamic, especially here in the multiculpractice must remain 100 per cent true to its tural West. This is not evidence of racism but origins, lest it become appropriative. of tolerance.

So when white teenagers play lacrosse, a game invented by First Nations peoples well Emmett Choi is a fifth-year student at Victoria before the European colonial era, are they ap- College studying philosophy and American studies. propriating an entire sport? When a restaurant His column appears every three weeks. offers Mexican tacos with Korean-style meat, should we stop and try to calculate which na-

JULIEN BALBONTIN/THE VARSITY

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M O N DAY 8 F E B R U A R Y 2 016 comment@thevarsity.ca

Should students care about the American presidential election?

In the grand scheme, the presidential race is trivial THEODORE YAN

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

It is not often that simply caring about something in this country causes any grave harm. With regards to those Canadians invested in the outcomes of American presidential elections, this is doubly true.

At the very worst, passing comment on the seemingly constant candidate debate schedule or self-righteously posting exaggerated poll results on Facebook every week is likely only to bore everyone around you.

'Should' is a difficult word; I’m not willing to argue in favour of U of T students avoiding the ongoing American presidential election campaign simply because there is no real obligation to pay attention.

Really, students don't need to care about the American presidential election for an entirely different reason: because it doesn’t matter.

It's not that the election just doesn't matter to Canadians specifically; the campaign is generally of little consequence to most audiences when we remember that, in the American system of checks and balances, the President wields surprisingly little power. It doesn't really matter who comes to occupy the presidency at the end of this cycle because whoever they are, they will remain a relatively small, though not completely inconsequential, piece in the machine that is American government.

DIANA PHAM/THE VARSITY

This isn’t a matter of political cynicism either; hamstringing the executive branch of the American government is written into the design of the whole system, and it shows. President Obama’s most meaningful domestic legislative success thus far is the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a sweeping health care socialization initiative most notable for, in fact, not socializing health care. On all other political priorities — from gun control in the face of multiple mass shootings to

emissions control in the face of climate change — America has made minimal legislative progress in the last eight years.

What matters in America is congress — which is akin to our parliament — in that it actually creates and votes on the country's legislation. The ACA, for instance, was passed by a clean party line vote in the senate (all voting democrats voted 'yes' and all voting republicans voted 'no'). The American executive, so intently focused on one individ-

ual, is the most digestible branch of the federal government, but all of its notoriety is worth nothing when compared to the actual power wielded by congress.

One only needs to look at the number of articles and studies concerning political gridlock in the US to see how weak the US President is in the face of a hostile congress.

In 2013, the US government shut down for more than two weeks, because two chambers of congress failed to pass resolutions concerning

the appropriation of funds for the 2014 fiscal year.

This is on top of the well-trodden issue that the American legislative agenda is controlled to an enormous degree by political donors. Influence is exerted overtly by the publicized focus of specific laws passed and also more insidiously by the numerous benefits and earmarks handed out within the footnotes of legislation.

There are numerous obstacles between the individual who wins the presidency and their ability to implement their political priorities.

It is a wonder the office continues to garner as much attention as it does.

This is not to say we should dismiss American politics as a whole.

Rather, there is no pressure to concern ourselves with whomever happens to find themselves in the 'seat of power' because they will be far from the most influential force in American politics.

Theodore Yan is a fourth-year student at New College studying political science.

This article is part of a response to "The Question." Check out the online interactive feature in the Comment section of The Varsity website.

Back to the drawing board The New Democratic Party is in need of leadership reform JACK FRASER

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Students following the ongoing US presidential election have surely been counting themselves lucky to be in Canada because our system of government can seem downright regal in comparison.

A fundamental difference between our systems is the number of viable parties Canadian voters can choose to support and the consequent lack of polarization. With so much attention being paid to improving Canada’s electoral system, it’s easy to lose sight of the representative purpose of the parties themselves. The benefit of having more than two major parties is that voters can choose a candidate who represents their opinion more closely. It can be damaging to the entire system when ideological diversity is lost.

If Canada only had two major parties, voters would be made to

settle for candidates who barely represent their beliefs. Currently, Canada has three nationally viable parties: the right-wing Conservative Party of Canada, centrist Liberal Party of Canada, and left-wing New Democratic Party (NDP).

This should, theoretically, provide voters with options that are roughly reflective of their political opinions.

Unfortunately, the NDP’s drift — or arguably, lurch — to the centre during the last election threatens the crucial distinction separating them from the Liberal Party. For the health of Canada’s political climate, the NDP needs to reassert itself as a distinct, principled, progressive party. This challenge cannot be confronted by their current leader, Tom Mulcair.

During last fall’s election period, August polls projected that the NDP were poised to win when Mulcair — who had previously considered jobs with both the Liberals and Conservatives — announced

that his party would advocate for austerity measures. Given that this stance is generally considered a conservative policy, many considered it a ploy to widen the party’s support among moderate voters.

This strategy backfired. The Liberals outflanked the NDP on the left, and the rest is history. Since then, there have been countless editorials asking why, if the NDP suddenly wants to be centrist, the party even exists as a separate entity from the Liberals. When a party is facing an existential crisis of this magnitude, something is clearly wrong with their strategy.

Caused by Mulcair’s austerity gamble, Canadians are left with the misperception that the Liberal Party offers a truly progressive platform. Yet, the NDP remains to the left of the Liberals on almost all major issues that many U of T students hold dearly — such as raising corporate tax rates and programs aimed at reducing climate change.

Mulcair has lost his ability to articulate these positions because of his reputation as a political opportunist. The NDP needs a leader who can energize the left, has true progressive credentials, and will be able to provide a credible alternative to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

There are plenty of candidates who understand the needs of students more than the Liberal Party and Mulcair currently do. Former Halifax MP Megan Leslie would be an ideal choice: alongside her popularity in Ottawa, she also served as the deputy leader of the party and received widespread acclaim as the opposition's environmental critic. MPs Nathan Cullen and Niki Ashton are similarly qualified and will likely compete for the leadership position in Edmonton if it becomes available.

The NDP platform is centred on issues that affect students disproportionately across the country, like economic inequality and climate

change, yet many responded to the sunny ways and anti-austerity of Trudeau. It is unlikely that Mulcair can make a credible case to represent them in 2019.

If the NDP wants to remain relevant, it will have to differentiate itself from the Liberals and demonstrate to Canadians the value of a principled, truly progressive party.

The first step in this difficult process is the selection of a leader prepared to confront that challenge.

If the NDP becomes too similar to the Liberals, it will hurt not only progressives but also the health of our political system. Drifting towards a two-party system harms everyone; we should be invested in the way the NDP grapples with their leadership issue in months to come.

Jack Fraser is a third-year student at Innis College studying international relations.

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No safe place in cyberspace A call for increased privacy protections

MIRKA LOISELLE/THE VARSITY

EMA IBRAKOVIC

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

When I was 10 years old, my cousin told me how hackers could take control of my webcam from anywhere in the world and watch what I’m doing. I went to bed that night terrified that some creep halfway across the world was watching me sleep, and I grew up to be one of

those people paranoid about online privacy, putting masking tape over my webcam.

While my cousin’s story may have seemed like a cheap scare at the time, it has become reality. Recently, CBC News reported that Shodan is a search engine that indexes computers and devices, including “nanny cams, security cameras and other connected devices around the world that don't ask for a username or password.” Users can find videos from all over the world, ranging from a child sleeping on a couch in Israel to an elderly woman stretching in a Polish fitness center.

The particularly terrifying thing about this engine is how it can gain access to more than just webcams. One of Shodan’s features allows users to see “The Big Picture,” which according to their website means tapping into “power plants, Smart TVs, refrigerators and much more.” Not only that, but Shodan gives away your unique IP address, allowing users to put a physical location to the image.

While it seems like an extreme case, Shodan reveals several problems with the way we interact with the Internet and technology.

First, as various devices become increasingly diffused into our daily lives, our individual actions to combat privacy infringements are getting correspondingly more onerous. Most of us do not have spare time, nor technical

knowledge to actually ensure each of the devices or platforms we use is completely secure.

Even if we did, many of our actions remain exposed through other means we cannot control. If you’re not on Facebook, your friends are, and there are probably photos of you that you don’t know about. It doesn't matter if you don’t keep location settings on in your phone — your location can still be determined by tracing which Wi-Fi networks your phone has picked up on. If you’re anywhere in public, you can bet on the fact that you're being surveyed in some way. Cameras are inexpensive and ubiquitous, from corner stores to traffic lights and everywhere in between.

Nearly 70 years after Orwell wrote 1984, Big Brother really can watch you at home.

A significant consequence is that this information can be translated into consumer behavior data to sell to corporations. Indeed, Shodan boasts to provide corporations with a “competitive advantage” by allowing them to tap into “empirical market intelligence” through the search engine. By showing a client who is using their product and where, companies can create more targeted advertising to manipulate consumer behavior.

Citizens being watched, recorded, and manipulated by corporations erodes the principle we enshrine in a liberal democracy; that is,

individuals being able to act on their own free will with minimal intervention. Yet, we seem to be desensitized to these dangers — after all, Facebook has been doing it for years now.

The normalization of this behaviour, however, is no reason to excuse it; in fact, it provides even greater impetus to protest and fight back. On an individual level, we can certainly attempt to keep on top of privacy settings by protecting our various social media platforms and devices with complex passwords and turning off location services for certain apps.

It is imperative, however, for top down legislative cyber regulation to come into effect. Simply giving consumers the option to make their technology more secure puts an unreasonable onus on the regular citizen to police their own behaviour, when it is in fact the government’s responsibility to ensure our protection. The scope and magnitude of this problem is hardly manageable for the citizenry to even attempt to combat.

Ema Ibrakovic is a first-year student at Victoria College studying social sciences.

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A R T I C L E B Y N A D E Z H DA W O I N O W S K Y- K R I E G E R ILLUSTRATION BY MIRKA LOISELLE

I

t is no secret that winter in Toronto can be hard.

Dragging yourself away from the fire to get to the pub on a Friday night can be a Herculean task for anybody, especially when the thermometer reads –20˚C outside.

It is likely that you are starting to notice the words seasonal affective disorder (SAD) on more and more people’s lips. Although one third of Canadians report feeling worse off in the winter, for a small portion of the population, the common experience of feeling ‘down’ when it’s cold outside turns into a full-blown debilitating disorder sharing many similarities with depression.

SAD is diagnosed by a medical professional, but it has also taken on a colloquial meaning for those who suffer through winter weather rather than enjoy it. It is understandable when tired students turn to clinical terms with self-explanatory names to make sense of their, otherwise unexplained, lack of motivation.

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, only two to three per cent of Canadians experience SAD in their lifetimes. As with many mood disorders and mental illnesses, understandings of SAD differ between the public, the patients, and the medical community. We spoke to several SAD-suffering students and mental health professionals to work through the facts and myths surrounding this disorder.

tients lose their motivation and energy. I would look at [SAD] almost as related to energy regulation as I would just a pure mood disorder.”

Although Levitan distinguishes between SAD and having sad feelings, the differences remain somewhat ambiguous.

Polly*, an undergraduate student at U of T, describes how her SAD causes lethargy, a symptom which affects her schoolwork during the winter semester. “...[N]o matter how important [my homework] is, like it can be like a 20 page paper and I’m just like ok later.

[Later] never comes.”

The disorder has also led to problems with Polly’s social life and self-worth in addition to school work.

“I think in second-year and third-year [my SAD] was the worst, because that’s when it got like the darkest.

I was just never leaving the house and I didn’t fully understand why,” she says.

Ali*, a fourth-year psychology student, describes similar difficulties. “I guess I’ve been experiencing the effects [of SAD] probably pretty much since I came to Canada,” he says. “I usually just experience a lot of lethargy, like it’s hard...for me to get going in the morning.”

Lack of motivation left Ali confused and helpless prior to diagnosis, resulting in devastating academic consequences.

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, s y s t a iri

This is a condensed version of this article. You “Actually that’s how I sort of in retrospect realized that I was having problems with SAD,” Ali reflects.

“In first-year...my motivation to get out of bed and go to school plummeted, and basically just wasn’t there anymore,” he explains.

Ali almost failed high school, and then he failed his first year of university as a result of his SAD. AN EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS It is not clear how the complicated relationship between the brain and the body affects the onset and treatment of mental illnesses — a puzzle which continues to challenge researchers and health care professionals. Whereas most mental illnesses can be diagnosed through physical symptoms of the body, mental states are heavily influenced by diet, exercise, and environment.

Levitan believes that environmental factors may contribute to SAD more than other mood disorders. “If you think about your day-to-day biology and mood, it’s profoundly affected by light and dark cycles,” he says.

“They’re a fundamental aspect of nature, of biology, and life on the planet.”

Levitan’s research on SAD has led him to believe that the way our bodies have evolved is more connected to our geographical location than we may expect.

According to Levitan, “We all have body clocks within us, and those body clocks are very sensitive to changes in light.” Levitan believes that the root cause of SAD may lie in the body’s attempt to regulate energy, given these natural ‘clocks.’

This would also explain why fatigue and carbohydrate cravings are a common symptom of SAD. “I think that when the fall [and] winter comes there are changes [in the body] to help us adapt to the winter time that perhaps during the ice age were very helpful to us in terms of conserving energy and avoiding problems,” he adds, “and so I sort of see SAD as a natural process that has an evolutionary significance.”

A CONTENTIOUS DISORDER As is often the case when it

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Chill mu y d

THE TRUTH ABOUT SAD As with depression and other mood disorders that can result in depressive episodes, simply feeling ‘down’ is not the same as having SAD. “[I]t’s characterized by a fairly distinct set of symptoms, and those symptoms include not necessarily a sad mood,” says Dr. Robert Levitan, Cameron Wilson Chair in Depression Studies and professor in the departments of psychiatry and physiology at U of T. Levitan explains that whereas SAD is characterized by oversleeping and carbohydrate cravings, many people with non-seasonal depression will experience insomnia, loss of appetite, and weight loss. “[SAD] is somewhat of a different syndrome when you

“ If ink you th day-tour look ood, out yo b m a d n a at the ology i b overall ected y f a f d a y l number found les... o c r y p c s k ’ of sympit nd dar ental a toms and t h g i by l it doesn’t ndam u f a e r always e, of r hey’ u T t a n necessarily n t of aspec involve sadd life o n a , y ness,” he adds. biolog planet.”

“Typically what we the see is more that pa-

can find the full feature online at thevarsity.ca. comes to mental illness, physicians do not agree on the definition — or indeed, the origin — of SAD. The overlap between SAD symptoms and regular depressive symptoms contributes to why disagreements surround the disorder.

Dr. Edward Shorter, Jason A. Hannah professor of the history of medicine in the Faculty of Medicine at U of T and a cross-appointed professor of psychiatry, goes so far as to say that SAD may not even exist. “I think [SAD is] a kind of construct that [has] been imposed on the world of affective [mood] disorders,” he states.

Shorter considers the depressive symptoms caused

by SAD to be legitimate, but is not convinced that the disorder stands on its own. He believes that it is more likely that sufferers of regular depression are provoked by difficult experiences in the winter.

“Depression can be profoundly biological experience, to be more likely trigger[ed] by your genes or some terrible personal crisis,” he says. “Or whether the sun is shining that particularly February day.”

Levitan, however, sees SAD differently. “It definitely exists,” he states. “It’s just that you have to see a lot of patients with depression to understand the difference between somebody with a true seasonal depression versus somebody who says they’re seasonal but probably aren’t.”

Although the most effective way to categorize SAD still remains unclear, the medical community has agreed on a temporary classification outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) — the main standardized text that North American doctors use to diagnose mental illness. Seasonal affective disorder is coined in the fourth edition of the text, known as the DSM-IV. In the fifth edition of the DSM, SAD is classified as a sub-disorder under depressive disorders.

SAD no longer stands alone in the DSM, but researchers agree that the harm it could cause is real.

“Real depression is characterized by anhedonia — the inability to experience pleasure,” Shorter says. “That means you don’t get pleasure from your children or grandchildren. You don’t get pleasure from working out. You don’t get pleasure from anything.”

ctive l affe ona

“The specific way it works is still not completely understood,” Levitan says, “[but] I see it very much as a stimulant... not unlike a psychostimulant drug that boost the levels of different systems in your brain so that they’re functioning normally.”

Support for this theory may be found in the usage of SAD lamps to treat jet lag, Levitan suggets. “Jet lag is, when you think about it, in some ways is similar to [SAD],” he says, “it’s just something that happens very quickly when your body is out of sync with respect to the day and night cycle.”

Along with regular sunlight, or imitative sunlight, proper nutrition may also be key in combating SAD. There have been several studies in recent years indicating that SAD might be a consequence of not having enough vitamin D in the body.

Some have even suggested that seasonal changes in sunlight affect the circulation of vitamin D3 — the chemical responsible for keeping us energetic and motivated — the lack of which results in fatigue and lethargy.

Despite inconclusive research evidence, the vitamin D treatment of SAD has caused a large stir among the psychology as well as the nutrition communities, and many SAD sufferers have already taken it upon themselves to self-medicate using this method.

“I actually have a SAD lamp [at home]...but mostly these days I find that just taking large doses of vitamin D keeps me ‘up’,” says Ali. Ali says that he “stumbled onto” vitamin D when a doctor prescribed it to him, and he credits this discovery with immense improvement in his life.

“It seems kind of weird that a couple of pills that you can get for a couple of dollars was one of the reasons I like failed my first year and you know lost thousands of dollars doing that,” Ali adds.

Fourth-year English student Anya Zaporozhchenko, also cites vitamin D as a simple, cheap remedy for students with SAD. She emphasizes the importance that students with SAD treat their disorder as they would any other illness. “I think it’s important to take time for self-care. Maybe schedule something indoors with your friends, even if you have work,” she says. “You know, you gotta pick a night to do something indoors and cheer yourself up a little bit.”

For Zaporozhchenko, openness and understanding within the U of T community is integral to helping SAD sufferers manage their illness. “It’s nice to even be able to talk about things,” she says. “It sounds so silly, but it’s nice, even when I’m talking to my friends who also struggle with mental health issues. Even when you say ‘try this medication, I tried it. These are the side effects that I got’...[M]aybe, there’s a new hobby that keeps you motivated a little bit. It’s nice to be able to talk about that sort of thing.”

Though antidepressive drugs, vitamin D supplements, morning light therapy, nutrition, and exercise have all been suggested by mental health professionals as effective treatments, it is clear that none are universally effective.

“ [M hope i ]y s that peopl more e will becom of the e awa f a ct tha re menta t thes l illnes ses ca e sorts of really n af fe small ct you s c a le, af f per for on a ect yo mance ur sch , or af life, an ool f e FINDING TREATMENT, c t your d can GETTING THROUGH take t he ste social Antidepressive drugs ps to g better such as Zoloft and Proet .” zac are the general practitioner’s ‘go-to’ solution for many problems involving depressive symptoms; specialists, however, are beginning to believe that medication is not the only form of treatment.

One type of non-chemical treatment for SAD gaining popularity is light treatment; the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health SAD clinic uses devices known as ‘SAD lamps’ to treat their patients. The lamps are specially designed to imitate the light of the sun by radiating light at the exact same wavelength. Shorter credits the effectiveness of SAD lamps to placebo effect. Levitan, on the other hand, sees things differently.

Students have taken note, meanwhile, that SAD lamps and vitamin D supplements are both accessible to patients who may not have access to psychiatric health care and those without a diagnosis.

STUDENTS HELPING STUDENTS Due to the confusion within the mental health community surrounding SAD, the denial from many parents and educators about its existence, the extent to which it affects student lives, and the societal stigma that is still present, many students have found it necessary to take SAD treatment into their own hands.

For example, last year Auni Ahsan, Victoria College director at the University of Toronto Students’ Union, launched a SAD lamp campaign with funding from Vic Student Projects, a program where Victoria College student initiatives can obtain financial support.

Ahsan successfully procured $785 dollars to purchase three SAD lamps that students can borrow from the VUSAC (Victoria College Students’ Administrative Council) office for free at any time.

“I think that something really prominent about seasonal affective disorder is that it’s both like underdiagnosed and underrepresented,” Ahsan says. “A lot of people suffer from symptoms of it or even the clinical diagnosis of it, but [are] not really... aware of it.”

Ahsan believes that awareness of SAD and accessibility of treatment go hand in hand. “I think that a big part of the campaign, or a big part of getting SAD lamps, is you need to have the lamps here,” he explains. “And you need to start having a campaign about awareness for the fact that students might be suffering from this issue, so that they become more aware of it and more willing to use the resources that are here.”

Levitan agrees that the free availability of SAD lamps is a great resource. “I think it’s a wonderful idea,” he says of the initiative. “The advice I have is that early [in the day] is better... you can still benefit later [in the day], but often the way it works is to reset your biological clock so that you’re waking up earlier, and that ability to wake up earlier is often what makes people feel a lot better.”

He also explains the most effective way to use the lamps, “I would say a half an hour is good; [students] can study while they use the light... the light should be in front of them but they shouldn’t be staring right at it.”

After realizing the simplicity and usefulness of the SAD lamp program, Ahsan decided to extend it to the greater St. George population and brought the idea to the UTSU in 2015. He obtained funding for the UTSU to buy four additional SAD lamps, which are currently available for use in the basement of the UTSU office.

Ryan Gomes, UTSU vice president, internal explains that a poster awareness campaign to advertise the lamps is underway. “I expect [the posters] to reach out all over campus, hopefully from as far as here at VUSAC to all the way down at Bahen,” says Gomes, “because I think that this is a disorder that affects people all across campus.”

Both Gomes and Ahsan recognize the importance of solidarity when it comes to mental illnesses within the community. Even for those not diagnosed with SAD, there are many U of T students who may suffer from winter blues.

“There’s no harmful side effects from the SAD lamps for the most part anyway,” Ahsan concludes. “But like my hope is that more people will become aware of the fact that these sorts of mental illnesses can affect you on a really small scale, affect your school performance, or affect your social life, and can take the steps to get better. And we hope we can help with that.” *Name changed at individual’s request.

With files from Clara Osei-Yeboah

var.st/arts

ARTS&CULTURE

arts@thevarsity.ca

8 F ebruary 2016

Twenty-Two Troubles Theatre paired up with the UC Follies to create What She Said. REUT COHEN/THE VARSITY

The makings of a play In the lead up to the U of T Drama Festival, we tracked a UC Follies production REUT COHEN

T

ASSOCIATE ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

he logistics of a theatrical production can be complicated. Finding a performance venue, or even just a rehearsal space, can be an arduous process. Fortunately, the Twenty-Two Troubles Theatre company — founded by three U of T drama students — heard about a UC Follies initiative that would provide them with administrative and creative support. They were taken on as the Follies’ incubator project, which came with a conditional spot in the annual U of T Drama Festival.

The company is curated by Madeleine Heaven, Sophie Munden, and Carmen Kruk. It will soon premiere What She Said, an experimental piece that uses the real words of real women to create a story.

The journey from inception to performance has been a long one. Munden has always wanted to work ‘in verbatim,’ but was daunted by the prospect of gathering enough raw material for an entire play. Once she, Heaven, and Kruk began working together, they started to discuss what they “wanted to say with the work that [they] were doing in theatre.” They decided to collect true stories of women, hoping that “sharing these stories [would] expand the cultural understanding of what it means to be a woman.”

The support of the Follies has been helpful, says Kruk. “They were very clear with us [that] if we ever needed anything, we could go to them for support, whether for administrative reasons or artistic reasons.”

They began by interviewing different women. The process was difficult at first, as the directors found it hard for the women involved to open up in such an intensely personal setting. Eventually, the team decided that the best way to move forward would be to approach the interviews as conversations, by gathering groups of about six or seven women and participating in the conversations themselves.

“We never asked anybody to speak about something that we didn’t feel comfortable doing ourselves,” Kruk says. The questions became more specific, but the atmosphere was more conducive to personal connection. What they learned from this process, says Munden, was that “you can ask people anything and they’ll talk about the things they want to talk about.

They’ll find a way to get there. People often found a way to talk about what they needed to talk about, regardless of the format of the question.”

The participation of the directors themselves in the interview process also created a deeply personal connection with

the material. When the three started combining the stories of their interview subjects into composite characters, something felt off. “It felt like we weren’t doing their stories justice if we started putting them together to make characters out of them,” says Kruk. They agreed that “if we wanted to tell narratives, the best way to do that was to use the words of the females to whom the narratives belonged,” says Heaven.

Though the production has been in progress for about a year, it wasn’t until the winter holidays that the script was finally written. Even now, Kruk says, “We’ve been making little changes here and there.” The script has a conversational but deeply intimate tone. It deals with themes of miscommunication, self-perception, and belonging. It’s about how people can isolate themselves in their own worlds but have more in common than they think. “When you’re doing a show that’s about women’s narratives, you’re going to get things that are difficult to talk about,” Heaven says.

Rehearsal for What She Said is an exercise in organized chaos. There are seemingly endless questions to be asked and answered about everything from the arrangement of the boxes that comprise the sparse set, to the precise number of seconds an actor will need to bounce her leg nervously. Everything is complicated by the busy schedules of everyone involved, and sometimes the actors even have to rehearse around another’s absence.

There is no central message though, and the directors make a point of saying so. Kruk says, “The heart of it has always been to try to do justice to the stories and to the girls who shared with us.” Munden adds, “The important thing is that [the viewers] listen. I think that’s pretty much what it is for me, is that they just take a moment to listen to other people.”

Twenty-Two Troubles Theatre's What She Said will debut on Thursday, February 11 at Hart House Theatre.

Spearheaded by three U of T drama students, What She Said is an attempt to capture what it means to be a woman. REUT COHEN/THE VARSITY

M O N DAY 8 F E B R U A R Y 2 016

T H E VA R S I T Y

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Sharing public spaces The AGO's latest exhibit explores urbanization and domestic life in Beijing LOLA BORISSENKO VARSITY STAFF

On Saturday, January 30, contemporary Chinese artist Song Dong opened his latest art exhibit, Communal Courtyard, at the AGO. The exhibit is a tribute to Beijing’s rural living spaces and features more than 100 vintage wardrobes linked together. Collectively, they form a series of labyrinth-like pathways, an artistic homage to domestic life in rural China.

The installation is part of Dong’s The Wisdom of the Poor series, a project that began in 2005 and focuses on low-income communities in and around Beijing.

At first glance, the wardrobe doors appear to be quite similar. Each appears to be crafted from the same wood, and all are the same shade of ochre. As it turns out, however, the differences amongst these wooden entranceways are based upon the scraps of history left on each one.

Bits of wallpaper, scratches, nails, and pencil sketches help form our impression of the individual who once owned this piece of furniture.

Mirrors and stained glass windows are spread out amongst various pieces of furniture as well,

Artist Song Dong uses wardrobes and doors to replicate rural life in Beijing. JESSIE ZHANG/THE VARSITY

and viewers are caught off guard by sudden reflections of themselves as they walk past.

Through the glass windows, visitors are able to see others walking through the parallel pathway.

If a door is positioned close to another wardrobe, people are able to see both a glimpse of their reflection, and the silhouettes of other people walking by.

Shared living spaces were crucial to Dong’s development of Communal Courtyard. The wardrobes and wooden doors are all taken from traditional households in Beijing prior to the city’s rapid urbanization. Dong displays these household possessions in order to demonstrate his respect for both specific Chinese homes and the suburban environment as a whole.

In an interview played on screen the exhibit, the artist notes how he hopes to draw attention to Beijing’s rapid urbanization through depictions of a nation’s history. Since the Communal Courtyard is part of a larger collection, Dong notes how he strives to “incorporate the state of poor people wisdom into [his] work.” Dong shows how a community is “sharing public space” and preserves it through an interactive installation of linked vintage wardrobes.

The overall enthusiastic mood in the gallery contributes to the visitors’ interest. As new viewers walk in, their curiosity is attracted to those who have already started exploring the Communal Courtyard.

rom t um i to d i the evolution of dance in the 2010s Where did dabbing come from and why is everyone on U of T's Snapchat story doing it?

AYLA SHIBLAQ

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Dancing and I have a weird relationship. Most of the time I assume that my dancing skills are similar to Tinashe’s, when in reality they’re more like Carlton from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Flailing my limbs in all directions, I wind up injuring those around me both physically and psychologically. For those of you wondering why everyone on our university's Snapchat story is dabbing, we've compiled a brief timeline of this decade’s most popular dance moves and how they came to be.

2010: THE YEAR OF THE FIST-PUMP 2010 was a good year for doctors and chiropractors everywhere. From the whiplash resulting from Willow Smith’s “Whip My Hair” to the pulled leg muscles of the “Stanky Legg,” 2010 marked a year of aggressive dance statements and long medical bills. Also, Jersey Shore was going through its second season, inspiring its audience to fist-pump their way through the nightclubs. Needless to say, it was the worst of times.

2011: THE YEAR OF THE DOUGIE Remember the Cali Swag District? Of course you do. The short-lived rap collective was responsible for an infectious dance move called the Dougie that defined 2011. Chances are you couldn’t pull it off, but there was at least

one student in your high school class that could pull it off surprisingly well. Nonetheless, you weren’t alone — after all, the song was titled “Teach Me How To Dougie.”

2012: THE YEAR OF GANGNAM STYLE YouTube views skyrocketed, parody videos ran amok, and before you knew it, everyone was singing along endlessly to K-pop artist PSY’s “Gangnam Style.” The song was undeniably catchy, to the point that everyone around you was shouting “AYYYYY SEXY LAD-AY” while riding an invisible horse.

Despite the dougie-ing and fist pumping that preceded it, nothing was ever quite as ridiculous as Gangnam Style.

English Dictionary, the release of Nicki Minaj’s "Anaconda" brought new meaning to the art. It was at this point that twerking not only required a low-to-the-ground stance and speedy hip movement, but it allowed for other options as well, such as the infamous wall handstand.

2015: THE YEAR OF HOTLINE BLING Thanks to the "Hotline Bling" dance, our cherished 6ix God crying at the club became not only acceptable but stylish as well. Fakecalling your ex and pretending to use a tennis racket became the highest form of art.

2016: THE YEAR OF THE DAB This brings us to the Dab. After years of trendy dance moves, the Dab is nothing but another brick in the wall and perhaps the defining move of 2016. Unlike the previous dance moves, which are awkward and difficult to muster, the Dab is perhaps the simplest dance move yet, begging the question of whether or not this actually qualifies as a dance move. As the illustration instructs: stand up straight, point your arms upwards on a diagonal axis, and look down at your feet.

Congratulations, you’ve just dabbed.

2013: THE YEAR OF THE HARLEM SHAKE If it wasn’t for the Harlem Shake, the Gangnam Style dance may have never gone away.

It seems as though the only thing that can put a cork in one popular dance move is another, perhaps crazier, dance move. Even better, the Harlem Shake required collaboration with others in order to pull it off. At one point, an entire Con Hall lecture participated.

2014: THE YEAR OF THE TWERK Although twerking rose to fame in 2013 when the word was added to the Oxford

ELHAM NUMAN/THE VARSITY

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All you need is Lovebot Matthew Del Degan is behind little robot drawings around the city turned into stickers, concrete robots, posters, toys, and more. Over the years the Lovebot has evolved from an art project to a large-scale movement.

Now, what started in the streets of Toronto has attracted international attention. On the occasions that Del Degan receives criticism for his art — which he notes happens from time to time — he is dismissive, saying, “We all just need a hug.” Despite the challenges, he has remained committed to his vision of expanding the Lovebot movement.

One of many Lovebots scattered throughout the city. MADDISON THOMPSON/THE VARSITY

SANA ALI

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

In your travels around Toronto, you may have come across a small imprint or sticker of a robot with the outline of a heart on its chest.

Meet Lovebot, designed by graffiti artist Matthew Del Degan for a cold and unwelcoming city. “We are not robots in this concrete

jungle,” he assures me. “We have the ability to love.”

IN THE LABORATORY Del Degan recounts sitting in a streetcar, joking and laughing with another man whom he believed to be homeless when he noticed that the other passengers around them appeared like robots lost in their

own digital worlds. With Lovebot, he aimed to create a design that represented the joy we’re capable of.

“It's been blood, sweat, and tears, many times for all three,” Del Degan tells me. He had developed the design for a sculpture project in university, while studying product design. It began as a clay sculpture of a robot with a heart, which soon

LEARNING TO LOVE In 2013, there were 100 concrete Lovebots placed around the city.

The locations were chosen aiming to monumentalize acts of kindness which had taken place in the corresponding location. The project also intends to acknowledge parts of the city that provide something good for the community, like food banks or homeless shelters.

“Each Lovebot has a story of love and kindness attached to it,” Del Degan says. One of the locations chosen, for example, is next to the A & C Games shop at Spadina and College. He chose the game shop because it offered people the opportunity to play games and interact with others in person, as opposed to simply buying a game and leaving.

The community that the shop fosters, in Del Degan’s opinion, warrants a Lovebot.

The various Lovebots seen around the city are captured and shared on the Instagram page @lovebottherobot or accumulated under the hashtag #loveinvasion. They vary from life-size renditions of the robot to smaller stickers that can be found outside restaurants or coffee shops.

The art is supported by volunteers and enthusiasts who work to place the robot around the city and to maintain the website. When new Lovebots are placed in Toronto, the website’s map is updated to show where each and every Lovebot is situated.

NEXT STEPS Meanwhile, Del Degan is mapping out the next steps of his artistic career. "I'm working on many things,” he says. “New works of art, a massive spectacle or an art show…a shareable sticker package that my fans can use to share the love.”

Next September he'll be pursuing a masters in interdisciplinary media arts and design, but before that he’s headed to Japan to showcase his art.

“Life is my playground,” Del Degan says emphatically. “I live that way until I'm done living... a lot of what's built Lovebot is a way of life and philosophy.”

Coming to a podcast near you A theatre company from the Distillery District is transforming plays into podcasts JOHN SHUTT

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

When searching for theatre in Toronto, the Distillery District can be one of the best places to look. The neighbourhood is buzzing with artists and actors and is home to some of the best production companies in the city.

In the digital age, however, going out to see live theatre is far less common than going out to a movie or simply watching something at home.

One particular theatre company from the district has found a workaround they hope will get people back into stage drama. Expect Theatre, formed in 1996 by YorkU graduates Laura Mullins and Chris Tolley, is adapting to the tech driven times by creating PlayME, a series of podcasts intended to broadcast contemporary Canadian plays.

The idea for PlayME came a decade ago while they were writing a radio play for CBC Radio. Tolley explains, “We were present for the recording and found the whole process of creating an audio play really fascinating. With the rising popularity of podcasts, it made sense to us to pair our audio knowledge with our theatre skills.” This realization, combined with the financial challenges that come with funding a production, forced Tolley and Mullins to develop a new way of achieving their

goals; they did so by creating their own work and showcasing original Canadian content.

Podcast series like Serial have proven that the medium is becoming an increasingly popular way for listeners to absorb information and entertainment. Tolley and Mullins explain that their goal for PlayME is to publicize performances and make them available to podcast users. Needless to say, the visuals of a performance don’t matter in this context; as long as the actors’ voices are of a high calibre, the performance will allow for an enjoyable podcast. The two pledge to include both established playwrights and up-and-comers looking to find their voice.

With lack of diversity such a prominent subject in visual arts, Expect Theatre has made it a priority to represent Toronto’s diverse population. Tolley says that this has been their goal since the formation of the company.

“From day one we realized we couldn’t engage our audience unless we reflected our audience… Since the very beginning, we’ve been dedicated to producing work that helps tell the stories of diverse cultural communities,” Tolley says. As an example, he cites their second play, Better Angels, which tells the story of a Ghanaian woman who moves to Toronto to become a nanny.

Tolley admits that the number of people attending theatre on a regular basis has been

Expect Theatre is located in the Distillery District. RUESHEN AKSOY/THE VARSITY

declining, as has theatre coverage from radio and TV news outlets. With the rise of podcasts and other new media formats, however, he hopes that more listeners from Canada and other parts of the world will rediscover the theatre industry, albeit in a different format. “In just our first two weeks, we’ve seen a massive number of people subscribing to PlayME, and we’ve had listeners from as far

as Cyprus, Germany, and Ireland,” he says.

As this new venture grows, the entrepreneurs hope that it will increase interest in attending the actual shows. Tolley believes “that the Internet can help Canadian theatre reach a global audience, letting people enjoy art in a more contemporary, ‘on demand’ way.”

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M O N DAY 8 F E B R U A R Y 2 016 arts@thevarsity.ca

Living in a material world UTSC's Doris McCarthy Gallery opens its latest exhibit, Material Girls DANIEL SAMUEL VARSITY STAFF

The “feminized body” and “capitalist desire[s]” are two themes explored in the Doris McCarthy Gallery’s latest exhibit, Material Girls.

Running from February 3 to April 9, the exhibit tackles new wave feminism as it pertains to the visual arts from varying cultural backgrounds.

Jennifer Matotek, director of the Dunlop Art Gallery in Regina, Saskatchewan, co-curated Material Girls with assistant curator Blair Fornwald and curator of education and community outreach Wendy Peart. The exhibit is a collaboration between the curators, with each of the three registering their own unique influences.

“As female co-curators ourselves, while we collectively agreed on who to include in the exhibition, we each see the works in the show from different perspectives, and all of the works speak to our perspectives,” Matotek says. “Blair's interest is in the idea of excess and feminine excess in particular; Wendy's interest is in the tactile quality of the materials, and how they include consideration of the human body in various ways; and my interest is in how various works in the show utilize pattern and repetition from various cultural perspectives.”

Colour — an operative medium throughout the exhibit — fills every blank space in the gallery. Most of the gallery is thematically pink.

The exhibit itself utilizes a combination of different works and styles, from self-portraits, paintings, and photography, to various abstract structures.

“The 'white cube' look that galleries and museums have adopted is not neutral and not particularly inviting,” says Matotek, explaining the excessive use of vibrant colour schemes. “It is our hope that through the design and layout of the exhibition, and our approach of turning the gallery into a kind of packed teenage girl bedroom, we can create a different kind of artviewing experience.”

Material Girls provides viewers with humanistic commentary on a number of social justice issues.

Sara Anne Johnson’s photographs were supposedly meant to portray female sexuality, but Matotek believes they're intended to portray “sexuality in general.” The exhibit is impactful and thought provoking and attempts to “write an essay about contemporary art history" that "presents many different ideas."

“Alex Cu Ujeng's wallpaper is a graphic (and I don't mean explicit) representation of the female body,

but in doing this, reminds us of something opposite — about how we are literally always surrounded by representations of phalluses in the forms of tall buildings although we never really think about it or talk about it,” says Matotek. “Allyson Mitchell's work is a representation of the female body, using found craft likely fashioned during the period of first wave feminism.

Moreshin Allahyari's work looks at how the female body is viewed in a conservative Muslim world.”

Matotek conceptualized the exhibit’s premise on the notion of female artists increasing their presence in the world of visual arts. Material Girls builds upon the movement towards gender equality, especially in an industry which is often billed as male dominated.

“I think we are at a place where having an all-male show, or largely male show, is so common that to have an all-female exhibition somehow feels radical,” Matotek says. “I would like for us to be in a place where we can have an all-female show, and acknowledge that that's what it is, or we can have an allfemale show, and not acknowledge that that's what it is."

Material Girls focuses on female artists increasing their presence in the visual arts.

KASSANDRA NERANJAN/THE VARSITY

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The exhibit provides commentary on social justice issues from an all-female perspective. KASSANDRA NERANJAN/THE VARSITY

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ADVERTISEMENTS 23

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Live and Let Live A

ccording to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, as high as 28% of gays and lesbians have been threatened or injured with a weapon; twice as many gays and lesbians have suicidal thoughts and attempt suicide and one in four transgender persons attempt suicide. As well, incidences of depression, drug and alcohol use, poor school attendance record, is much higher in gays and lesbians and studies have linked these problems to harassment and abuse.

And sadly, many parents do not accept their gay children, so young gay people are more likely to be homeless. Where parents reject gay children the incidences of suicide can be as high as nine times the rate for the general population.

These are shocking statistics, but things used to be a lot worse. Incidences of blackmail, denial of employment, housing, and opportunities to work in government have declined, but the fact remains that being gay, lesbian or transgender remains a singularly oppressive existence for some people.

Gays and lesbians are your classmates, friends, acquaintances and relatives. According to the Williams Institute (UCLA), 11% of Americans (presumably, Canadians as well), acknowledge same sex attraction, and about four percent, acknowledge being gay or lesbian.

If you want a world where no one is assaulted or driven to self-loathing or to suicide because of sexual orientation, here are some things you could do: 1.

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Treat everyone kindly and do not judge or stereotype people on the basis of sexual orientation.

Remind yourself often why it is wrong to victimize others.

Do not make sexual orientation an issue in your decisions.

Do not encourage or be entertained by people spreading hate.

Make gays and lesbians feel welcome and safe in your circle.

Refrain from telling gay/lesbian jokes.

Avoid using hateful and defamatory language.

Stand up for victims.

Lend your voice to organizations that promote a safe, happy, and loving environment for people.

Gently remind those who use religion to justify prejudice, that hate and discrimination come from people, not from God. (God is love).

The Compassionate Listening Society of Alberta wedaretolisten.com

var.st/science

SCIENCE 8 F ebruary 2016

science@thevarsity.ca

In conversation with Michelle French D UN T

IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY TESTING IN THE ERA OF PRECISION MEDICINE: CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSES

Winner of numerous teaching awards, the public health professor is respected by students and peers alike

Hosted by Avrum Gotlieb, MDCM, FRCP, this series presents Dr. Emina Torlakovic whose research area focuses on hematopathology.

Monday, February 8 4:00–5:00 pm Medical Sciences Building 1 Kings College Circle Rm2170 Admission: Free

Michelle French discusses how her enthusiasm for science translates to the classroom. SHAAN BHAMBRA/THE VARSITY

SHAAN BHAMBRA

ASSOCIATE SCIENCE EDITOR

A common complaint regarding U of T professors is that while they are excellent researchers, they don’t excel as educators. Yet, there are still professors capable of instilling a love for the subject that they teach in their students. Dr. Michelle French of the Department of Physiology is one such professor.

French, who teaches and coordinates a variety of courses in the department, has received teaching awards from U of T nearly every year since 2003. Most recently, she’s taught a course she designed, Biomedical Research at the Cutting Edge.

A small seminar, the course focuses on teaching first-year students fundamental research techniques, and how to interpret biomedical research. The success and quality of the course is a clear indicator of French’s dedication to improving undergraduate education.

In an interview with The Varsity, French discussed her approach to teaching, and how best to improve Science education at U of T. The Varsity: What drew you to science as a career?

Michelle French: “Ever since I can remember I wanted to be a medical doctor. I am not sure whether this was something that came from me or from my parents. So in high school

and university, I focused on subjects that would prepare me for medical school. But I do have a[n] inherent interest in biology and physiology in particular. I really enjoy learning about how the body functions — from the cellular to the whole organism level.”

TV: What was your educational path like?

MF: “BSc U of T Physiology specialist, Zoology major; MSc U of T Physiology, PhD University of Western Ontario. [This was followed by] two four-year post-docs. One at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research in Melbourne Australia and a second at the Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute in Toronto.”

TV: What difficulties did you face in your own science education?

MF: “My first two years at U of T were tough. I did not realize how much I had to work outside lectures and labs to actually learn the material. This changed when a fellow student described his studying approach (two to three hours per hour of lecture — reading the textbook and redoing lecture notes). My marks improved in third year and an independent research course with Drs. Otto and Anna Sirek in the Department of Physiology in fourth year started me on a research path.”

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TV: How do you attempt to make science [easier] to learn for your students?

MF: “I think that the key thing is to convey enthusiasm for the topic.

When lecturing, I like to start with a case to draw the students into the lecture. I also create learning breaks (usually multiple choice questions) to help students refocus and I repeat and summarize as I go through the lectures. In my smaller classes, mainly, I try to incorporate opportunities for students to work in groups and learn from each other.

I often think that the best learning opportunities come when I am helping the students to discuss and work through the material on their own or in groups rather that straight lecturing. For this to work, of course, you need to have a committed class, but I find that U of T students are highly motivated and willing to engage in these types of activities.”

TV: What do you like about education at U of T? What could be improved?

MF: “I think that U of T provides unparalleled brea[d]th and depth of areas of study for students to pursue.

Whole new academic paths can be opened up to students who decide to take an introductory course in an area that they know little about initially. I also think that U of T has maintained its high academic standards and that a degree from U of T is valued in

the outside world. In terms of what could be improved… I would like to see more classrooms that can be configured in multiple ways to allow for small group work in addition to lectures. I think that often students to look for the easy path with their undergraduate education. Partly this is driven by the desire [or] need to get high marks for professional schools, but I think that students should also make sure that they take courses that challenge them and build a solid foundation for future studies or for their career.”

TV: Why do you think you’re ranked highly as a professor with students?

What could other professors do to improve their teaching styles?

MF: “I think that you should ask the students… But perhaps they can see that I do genuinely care about them, their learning and their future. One thing that I have learned is to try not to be too defensive when reading teaching evaluations and to try to learn from them and modify accordingly while still maintaining the academic rigor in the course.

Students should know that we do read our teaching evaluations, they are incredibly important for making teaching improvements.”

THE INFLUENCE OF ONGOING COGNITIVE NEURAL PROCESSING ON LEARNING AND MEMORY Ebbinghaus Empire series presents Katherine Duncan, assistant professor at U of T’s Department of Psychology, whose research focuses on the study of neural and cognitive processes relating to human memory.

Wednesday, February 10 12:00–1:30 pm Sidney Smith Hall 100 St. George Street Rm3130 Admission: Free

#DMZSESSION: THE SHARING ECONOMY Hosted by the DMZ at Ryerson University, this panel discussion focuses on companies like Airbnb, Uber, Zipcar. Panelists will discuss the state, startup opportunities, and the future of the sharing economy.

Wednesday, February 10 3:00–4:00 pm 10 Dundas Street East Sixth Floor Admission: Free

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Think smaller: nanosatellites may be the future The University of Toronto Institute of Aerospace Studies Space Flight Laboratory has successfully demonstrated the use of autonomous spacecraft for piloting nanosatellites ALEXANDER GOMES VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

The first satellite was launched by the USSR in 1957, signalling the begining of the twentieth century’s space race and igniting humanity’s fascination with the final frontier.

The Sputnik satellite was the forerunner to the nearly 6,600 artificial satellites that have since found a home in Earth’s orbit.

Each of these satellites are controlled by human pilots back on earth, which increases their operating expenditure. With this expense in mind, the University of Toronto Institute of Aerospace Studies Space Flight Laboratory (SFL), in collaboration with Deep Space Industries (DSI), recently announced the first successful demonstration of autonomous spacecraft maneuvering using two nanosatellites.

Nanosatellites have gained popularity in recent years because of their small, lightweight builds. This allows for cheaper production and ease of transportation in an industry where every pound matters. Working together with other nanosatellites, these devices can replace a single large satellite and provide more flexibility. They are able to adapt to tasks such as deep space asteroid mining operations.

Traditional, resource-laden human control of satellites is not feasible for the synchronized interactions of large nanosatellite flocks, resulting in a need for autonomous operation. SFL and DSI’s recent trial is revolutionary because a single satellite has never before autonomously

programmed another to execute propulsive maneuvers, completely operator free.

“This experiment was a key demonstration of a critical capability for multi-spacecraft asteroid missions, as well as constellations of spacecraft in Earth orbit,” said Grant Bonin, DSI’s chief engineer. “It was also a first step in demonstrating ship-to-shore command relay in-space, which could potentially reduce the difficulty of communicating with very small spacecraft at long range.”

The trial made use of two Canadian Advanced Nanospace eXperiment (CanX) nanosatellites CanX-4 and CanX-5, which were designed, built, and launched by SFL in June 2014.

Working in partnership with DSI during the trial, SFL operators performed a DSIdefined experiment in orbit, in which CanX-4 autonomously programmed CanX-5 to thrust itself into a higher orbit without any operator input beyond SFL’s initial programming.

Operators at SFL’s Mission Control Center in Toronto and data from the Joint Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base confirmed the success of the procedure.

“The experiment was an important risk reduction exercise for DSI, which intends to use small spacecraft for initial asteroid prospecting missions in the next five years,” says Bonin.

“The ability to relay commands from spacecraft to spacecraft, and perform in-space maneuvers autonomously, without operator inter-

JULIEN BALBONTIN/THE VARSITY

vention, is a critical capability that has major implications for mission-level redundancy — not just for asteroid missions, but also for low-cost Earth orbit constellations. This also shows that, if necessary, we can take the operator entirely out of the loop during a mission, which can translate into significant savings.”

The Space Flight Laboratory at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies

develops state-of-the-art space technology at low cost without sacrificing quality or introducing risk. This project signals the start of what SFL and DSI expect to be a fruitful partnership that brings cutting-edge, low-cost space technologies and to the market, while also enabling low-cost asteroid missions.

Accupedo, others, miscount steps U of

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HARIYANTO DARMAWAN VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Researchers from U of T have found that several of the most popular smartphone pedometer applications misrepresent their sensitivity and the accuracy of their step counts.

The new study ran a series of tests on three free pedometer apps — Accupedo, Moves, and Runtastic — in a number of controlled and free-living settings. Participants were asked to complete walking, running, and stair-climbing tests while holding the phone in their hand and wearing a traditional pedometer on their hip. In each instance, the traditional pedometer performed better whereas the phone apps were generally under reporting steps by more than five per cent. In some cases the phone apps were off by more than 20 per cent.

The researchers also incorporated a driving test to see if the phone was smart enough to know if it was in a car. The result was equally discouraging, as each app failed to distinguish a slow car ride from a walking pace.

Technological inaccuracy in the fitness world complicates an already precarious public health climate in North America

Research suggests that apps may not provide accurate step tracking. NYIMA GYALMO/THE VARSITY

— Statistics Canada reported that only 15 per cent of adults are meeting the recommended level of physical activity, which is 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week. With walking at 80 paces a minute considered moderate

activity, the gravity of the situation becomes clearer. A whopping 69 per cent, are spending their waking hours in sedentary activity. The advent of on-demand TV like Netflix and Shomi brings with it a new age of inactivity.

ed t Self-monitoring can be an effective strategy to increase physical activity; it has been known to play an important role in producing behavioural change. “Accurate self-monitoring is important to establishing positive behaviour change,” said Krystn Orr, the lead author of the study.

“First by writing down your behaviour, such as steps, you become accountable to yourself.

Secondly, self-monitoring can also highlight areas of improvement, providing a method for creating and monitoring your progress towards a goal. Lastly, self-monitoring can lead to creating an action plan or physical activity schedule,” she added.

But if the applications that we rely on to self-monitor our physical activity are not accurate, they may defeat the whole purpose of a positive behaviour change.

“By having significantly negative error percentage, i.e. under-reporting of steps, users may become discouraged when working towards a step count goal. The individual may give up from a sense of low self-efficacy,” Orr added.

In short, the researchers would not recommend using these smartphone pedometer applications.

26 SCIENCE

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M O N DAY 8 F E B R U A R Y 2 016 science@thevarsity.ca

Stem cell therapy for the heart Collaborative study between Columbia and U of T makes headway in heart regeneration therapy

U of T’s McEwan Centre for Regenerative Medicine in the MaRS Centre . TOSIN MAIYEGUN/THE VARSITY

CONNIE LIU

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

The use of stem cells in regenerative medicine is not a new concept in the world of biomedical research. Developments in the field are often glamorized as the future of medical research.

Yet behind celebrated discoveries, there persist lesser publicized mechanistic difficulties.

With heart complications on the rise, significant research funding has been dedicated to the discovery of novel ways of using stem cells in the cardiovascular system. In the case of heart disease, the therapeutic success of engineered cardiomyocytes, although promising, has been limited by the history of arrhythmic complications associated with its integration into heart muscle.

In a collaborative study conducted by Columbia University and the McEwan Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Toronto, researchers are making headway in heart regeneration therapy.

Recently, they have presented the first evidence for programmable cardiomyocyte beating — a potential method for reducing arrhythmia.

These heart cells, cultured from human embryonic or induced pluripotent stem cells, were subjected to electrical stimuli with varying frequencies. After only one week, the cardiomyocyte treatment and control groups

showed significant discrepancies in cell organization and maturity. Aligned with previous findings, this study shows that electrical stimulation frequency alone can determine the maturity levels of cardiomyocytes.

Unique to this study is the discovery of beating rate adaptation by the heart cells in response to a specified frequency of electrical stimulation. Characterized by rapid depolarization, an action that maximizes intercellular communication, and the expression of a gene called hERG, the ability of these cardiomyocytes to alter their beating rate to match stimulation frequency is remarkably long-lasting.

Not only can this frequency-dependent adaptation be maintained for two weeks even after removal of the stimulus, it can also evoke a similar behaviour in unstimulated neighbouring cells.

This conclusion is a step towards effective stem cell therapy for the heart.

The “modelling of disease, reliable drug testing, and [the] therapeutic applications of cells,” as listed in the published paper, are all possible applications of this electrical conditioning technique.

The researchers indicate that future studies will focus on the integration of electrically stimulated cardiomyocytes into damaged heart tissue.

Columbia and U of T collaborate on regenerative medicine study. PHOTO COURTESY OF NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP

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Bill seeks to stop genetic discrimination Bill S-201 currently in senate committee LUKE JEAGAL

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Picture this: U of T transfers you out because of your DNA. While it may sound like a twisted joke to most, this is exactly what happened to a Californian student back in 2012. He was told that because of his genes, he could no longer attend his middle school.

Although he was allowed back to school after his parents took this act of ‘genetic discrimination’ to court, it seems farfetched that a ruling was ever needed to resolve the issue in the first place. “It feels like I’m being bullied in a way that is not right,” he commented in an interview with NBCNews TODAY. It is worth noting that the decision was made because of a potential health risk to two students suffering from cystic fibrosis.

Bill S-201 is currently going through committee revision in the senate, after its second reading. It was first introduced in 2013 as S-218 and subsequently tabled, only to be reintroduced as the Genetic Non-Discrimination Bill by its sponsor Nova Scotia senator James Cowan, a long-standing liberal and lawyer by trade.

Dubbed as “an Act to prohibit and prevent genetic discrimination,” it was first referred to the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs and later to the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights. S-201 prohibits “genetic testing of any person as a condition in exchange for ‘providing goods or services to that individual’” (3.1a) or as part of a contract. This ensures that the results of genetic testing cannot be collected or used without written consent, though it does not apply to healthcare industry professionals such as physicians, pharmacists, or researchers.

The legislation pertains to giving citizens and employees the right to refuse genetic testing, the choice to disclose results of genetic testing, and the need for written consent if results are to be disclosed. This law would be enforced by a fine of up to $1 million and/or five years jail time if indicted; or up to $300, 000 and/or up to 12 months in jail for a summary conviction.

It also includes provisions to various conventions including the Canada Labour Code, the Privacy Act, the Canadian Hu-

man Rights Act, and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act. According to the bill, this is done: to extend the aforementioned rights to employees; to incorporate these rights into our human rights; to ensure our personal information now includes our genetic material; and to classify information from genetic testing as personal health information.

According to experts and officials, we are currently lagging behind in terms of legal protection. In contrast, our neighbours to the south have already imposed a Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act in 2008 and anti-discrimination laws for genetics and health insurance in most states. There are exceptions such as Alabama, which only prohibits the use of genetic information for denying coverage for applicants with sickle cell anemia, because it outlaws considering a “predisposition for cancer in risk selection or risk classification.”

In a 2014 Second Reading Debate, senator Cowan made reference to various pediatricians, geneticists, and even celebrities, notably Angelina Jolie, in an effort to convince

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his fellow senators that advancement in personalized genetic medicine and research will be beneficial to adults and children alike, but it was being hindered by fears of consequences in insurance and employment. Citing Dr. Ronald Cohn, co-director of Sick Kids Centre for Genetic Medicine, Cowan emphasized that the lack of protection against genetic discrimination was “preventing many Canadians from benefiting from extraordinary advances in medical research.”

On a separate occasion, prominent scholars and researchers have also voiced their concerns for the urgent need for protection against genetic discrimination, including bioethicist Kerry Bowman of the University of Toronto.

The senator ended his speech by raising questions of his own: “Does it achieve its objectives? Are there unanticipated consequences we should be aware of? And of course, are there ways in which the bill could be improved?”

While this bill will be beneficial in advancing genetic research and personalized medicine as it is intended, cautions remain in the broader political landscape.

var.st/sports

SPORTS 8 F ebruary 2016

sports@thevarsity.ca

Skule slams the slopes U of T engineers compete in annual concrete toboggan competition ANSTON EMMANUEL VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

The 2016 UofTBog team with their sled, The Black Pearl. PHOTO COURTESY OF UOFTBOG

The University of Toronto Concrete Toboggan Team (Uof TBog) is a Skule club that designs, builds, and races in the largest engineering competition in Canada. The goal is to create a fully functioning, five-passenger toboggan complete with mechanical braking and steering systems, that can maneuver and speed to the bottom of a mountain the fastest. The catch, however, is that the toboggan’s framework needs to be composed entirely of concrete.

The 2016 team, composed of 30 engineering undergraduates, arrived back from the five-day competition in Ottawa on January 31. The competition was the culmination of 10 months of hard work that the team had devoted to developing their unique design.

The competition, which was inaugurated in 1972, is known as the Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race (GNCTR); it brings together over 21 teams from across Canada, and one from the US. Attracting over 500 students, all of whom gathered at Edelweiss Valley in Wakefield, Quebec to put their sleds to the test.

U of T co-captains Matthew Frade, a mechanical and industrial engineering student, and Ozan Coskun, who is completing his professional experience year, said that their most memorable moment from the competition was watching their sled, The Black Pearl, complete its first run.

The Uof TBog team have been strong contenders in the GNCTR every year since the ‘90s. This year the team took home both the most original award and most innovative honours for their carbon-fibre composed toboggan cage and pilot-themed design. The team also placed in the King of the Hill competition, taking home third place for the fastest toboggan.

If you were wondering how fast a concrete toboggan can go, or how teams bring their sleds back up the skihill, Matt and Ozan note that their safety board reviewed design reaches 50 km/h and further, and that they employ a snowmobile to lug the 275lb monster back up the hill.

When asked why they take part in this unique activity, Matt and Ozan note that like most engineers, their team takes great pride in a challenge, the innovation required, and the practical application of the skills they’ve gained through education.

The GNCTR has an entire component dedicated to showing the most school-spirit, one award the Uof TBog team refuses to give up without a fight.

In typical Skule fashion, the high-spirited team engage themselves in the nature of the competition.

The five-day experience comes complete with a hotel stay, visits to the downtown core, exhibitions, and plenty of beverages. The event also gives the contributing students a chance to network with other engineers from various schools across the country, in addition to providing both recreation and rivalry.

Following the competition, Uof TBog will begin preliminary recruitment in an effort to put together another winning team for 2017.

Go big or go home Students and their love of supplements ADIT DAGA

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Professional athletes and weightlifters have been using supplements to increase muscle mass and help with recovery for a long time. ‘Iron Guru’ Vince Gironda was known to drink a concoction of raw eggs, protein powder, and heavy cream after working out, and athletes like Oklahoma City point guard Russell Westbrook and professional race car driver Danica Patrick are both spokespeople for the supplement brand Six Star Pro Nutrition.

Although you’d be hard pressed to find a student who drinks raw eggs, U of T does have a multitude of students who use supplements like protein powder or creatine as well as other preworkout and post-workout blends. Bolstered by the popularity of protein shakers, the supplement industry is booming and students are some of its top customers.

Realizing that the student demographic is increasingly in-demand of workout supplements, Jacked Scholar an e-commerce supplements provider has created a place for students to shop for, and buy their favourite supplement brands.

Travis McEwan, founder of Jacked Scholar admits that, “the market in this demographic has never been bigger.” Jacked Scholar has even gone so far as to employ more than a hundred “campus ambassadors” for the company.

According to the global consulting firm McKinsey, knowledgebased consumers are driving the recent attention to supplements.

In their study of supplements, the company notes that 96 per cent of adults who use the Internet have used online resources to help them make decisions about their health and fitness choices.

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What does it take to be an all-star?

Students weigh in on professional league exhibition games RAGHAD A.K.

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Every year, millions of hockey fans take a mid-season break to watch the NHL All-Star Game, an exhibition weekend that aims to showcase the leagues’ best players.

All-star games have taken root in many professional sports leagues — most notably the NFL Pro Bowl, the MLB Midsummer Classic, and the NBA All-Star Game.

Traditionally, league officials determined all-star rosters, which remains only partially the case today.

For the NHL All-Star Game, 40 players are selected by the league’s Hockey Operations Department to compete on four seperate teams, and four individual captains are selected by fans through an online voting system. Once the fans have elected them, the four appointed captains get to select their teams based on the 40-athlete pool.

“I do enjoy the all-star festivities,” said U of T graduate student Shakeeb Ahmed. “Having the captains pick the team gives it a certain pond hockey feel to it.”

For Ahmed, the NHL All-Star Game is so enjoyable because there’s nothing to lose. Athletes get to showcase their individual skills, like hardest shot and fastest skate time, and with games using a three-on-three format with modified rules, some pressure is relieved. “[It’s] not so seri-

ous” he said, “like the rest of the NHL season. I think the game is of course for fun and entertainment [and] I also think it’s a way to showcase the immense talent in the league.”

Lindsay Boileau, a business management student at Ryerson, prefers the all-star skills competitions to the actual games, citing the modified rules and nonchalant play from athletes as a deterrent to watching the game. “I personally don’t look forward to the All-Star Game each year,” she said. “Player’s aren’t trying their best and are going easy on each other. So it’s not very entertaining for me to watch personally.”

Undoubtedly an opportunity to watch players let loose and have some fun — something professional leagues often forget — allstar weekends breed conversations surrounding who actually benefits from the exhibitions.

Proceeds from the NHL All-Star Game go directly to players’ pensions, but is the event all fun and games, or does the league have a hidden agenda?

According to Ahmed, the exhibition’s only underpinning is that it gives host cities like Nashville, this year’s host, the opportunity to rake in a lot of added business. “[The All-Star Game] gives the city hosting it gain sales and revenue in large quantities in a short period of time,” he said, adding that this doesn’t just mean demand for NHL merchan-

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dise but for various businesses and attractions in the city as well.

Boileau, for one, expresses more cynicism, admitting that she doesn’t see a point in the NHL’s hosting an All-Star Game, which looks like a money-grab to her. “Now you see players refusing to attend the AllStar Game after being voted in by fans,” she said. “This has led the NHL to suspend players for one game after the all-star break. So to me it just looks like a way for the league to make extra money.”

A self-proclaimed Leafs and

Penguins fan, Boileau cites the John Scott controversy as a prime example of the NHL’s sticky hand in the all-star festivities. She agrees that this All-Star Game was defined by the audience the AHL goon drew, which had non-hockey fans tuning in to watch the exhibition. “This All-Star Game in particular probably did spark the interest of people who wouldn’t normally watch hockey. This is due to the media surrounding John Scott, an enforcer who wasn’t well known in the NHL. But this nor-

mally doesn’t happen, that a goon gets voted in.”

Overall, the NHL All-Star Game and the events leading up to it is made for entertainment purposes: to showcase the ‘not-so-serious’ side of different athletes. For every fan that enjoys All-Star Games, whether it’s the skills competitions or John Scott’s game-winning goal in the final, there are multiple players, coaches, and officials who revel in the opportunity to watch players just have fun.

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T H E VA R S I T Y

M O N DAY 8 F E B R U A R Y 2 016 sports@thevarsity.ca

“The surfing of the north” The Varsity talks to U of T’s ski and snowboard club about the importance of winter sports

“Protein Powder is like icing on top of the welldisciplined cake.”

CATHERINE MACTINOSH/THE VARSITY

VANESSA HAN/THE VARSITY

EMMA KIKULIS SPORTS EDITOR

CONTINUED FROM PG 28

Although we’ve been enjoying an unprecedentedly warm February, it doesn’t mean that quintessential winter Canadian sports are out of the question for fun and exercise this season. A good old-fashioned Canadian winter isn’t absolutely necessary for many winter sports.

Alexander Magony and Layan Zananiri, co-presidents of the University of Toronto Ski and Snowboard Club (UTSSC), explained, “The conditions have actually been better than other years, surprisingly.”

Open to the public, the UTSSC provides the opportunity for everyone — from those who have participated in winter sports for their entire lives, to people who have never seen snow before — to partake in some of Canada’s favourite pastimes. The club’s upcoming reading week trip — five days at Mont-Sainte-Anne and Le Massif — is the UTSSC’s main event and promises authentic winter conditions.

The Varsity sat down with the copresidents to discuss how the club plans on promoting winter sports and how undervalued winter sports are on campus.

sort of vibe like you’re making something good out of a bad situation since its cold and everyone is sort of miserable so it gives a kind of excitement to the winter season and snow… I feel like everyone who’s into winter sports tend to be more easy going [and] tend to be more social, it’s not very intense. It really is like the surfing of the north.”

The Varsity: What are some of the benefits of winter sports that students may not be aware of?

Alexander Magony: “I find that winter sports in general have this

TV: Do you find that the cost of winter sports could be a barrier as to why some people do not participate?

AM: “It’s definitely one of the biggest barriers. It just depends on how

TV: How does the UTSSC promote winter sports on campus without a crucial element of winter: snow?

Layan Zananiri: “Our club is only recreational… it’s not like we’re going out searching for people who are amazing at snowboarding or amazing at skiing. Our only purpose is to promote skiing and snowboarding and community feel. So a lot… of the things that we do involve group stuff — it’s all about making friends and building [a] community.”

AM: “Skiing and snowboarding is in and of itself a very social sport…

I know for me, being in pre med there’s a very certain type of population of students [in my program] and when I came to the ski club it felt like I was meeting all the other students…or there’s a general feel to the socialization within class.”

much value I guess you get out of it… so it just depends on how you kind of justify it. It’s definitely expensive in an absolute sense and I’m sure that’s a barrier to many people.”

LZ: “But for what it is, when you’re comparing what we offer [compared to]… how much people usually pay for going out for seven trips to a mountain it’s affordable for people who are really interested in it.”

TV: Do you get a lot of people joining the UTSSC that have never skied or snowboarded before? How do you ensure they have a positive experience?

LZ: “So we actually offer free lessons for the first two trips up to Mount St Louis and we’ve had people that literally have never seen snow before — they’re coming from the Middle East, like literally have never felt temperature below five degrees…and so we coach them through that. We’ll teach them… through the trails how to ski and [how to take a lift] which is not easy the first time.”

AM: “Skiing and snowboarding is kind of nice to because you can kind of go at your own pace so as long as you’ve learned to stop and turn, which is what we try to get down in the first weeks. You can pretty much self teach yourself just by doing it at your own pace, how you’re comfortable and just moving up slowly.”

LZ: “Yeah, après ski!”

Companies like Jacked Scholar target the university demographic, hoping to entice students with cheaper prices on name-brand goods, and out-compete both local supplement stores and chains like GNC. It makes sense because e-commerce can provide a better price on a given line of products for students.

Annette Latoszewska, a U of T student and former Jacked Scholar U of T representative, uses various supplements when she has the time to commit to a workout routine. “I like to complement [my routine] with supplements. Cellucor C4 preworkout, not picky about my protein so it’s whatever is decent and cheap for post-workout and then I’ll use Cellucor SuperHD twice a day for fat burning,” she said.

Latoszewska also explained her duties while affiliated with the company; she was tasked to “promote the brand to generate sales. When your discount code is associated with the sale online, you get the credit [commission].”

Despite the fact the Latoszewska did not purchase supplements from the company, citing “cheaper options” she does admit that there is earning potential for those willing to put in the requisite time and effort.

Nevertheless, McEwan is confident that the market at universities

only has more room to grow. “We’re getting to the point where we can be pickier about the type of students that we accept into the campus rep program,” he explained.

Another advantage of having supplements on campus is that it provides for an innovative testing lab. According to the McKinsey study, “new products will be offered as fads [and] go in and out of vogue.”

Because U of T is like a Mecca for diverse groups of people, campusspecific supplement companies have the perfect ecosystem to observe what supplements work and what supplements don’t.

Whether or not students will be interested in the long-run is an entirely different matter. Danny Lee, an economics student at U of T is aware of the campus presence and is firm when he advises students to “follow a workout schedule and eat right. Protein powder is like icing on top of the well-disciplined cake.”

Supplements represent more of an idea to students than a reality — the idea of what’s possible. The truth is in the name. These producst are intended to supplement your normal, healthy diet, not replace it. So at the end of the day make sure that what’s at the end of your fork is more important than what’s at the bottom of your supplement bottle.

M O N DAY 8 F E B R U A R Y 2 016

T H E VA R S I T Y

SPORTS 31

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Blues basketball felled by Badgers U of

f i to m e u

DANIEL CENTENO VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

The Varsity Blues (4–8) fell 71–77 to the Brock Badgers (10–3) Friday night at the Goldring Centre’s Kimel Family Field House.

Despite leading for the majority of the game, the Blues couldn’t sustain their momentum into the fourth quarter, allowing the Badgers to finish with a slim lead.

The Blues were led by forward Devin Johnson’s 20 points and forward Daniel Johansson’s 18 points. For the Badgers, point guard Johneil Simpson led the squad with 22 points.

The game started strong for the Blues after a 7–0 run ended the first quarter with a 19–14 lead.

The Blues continued strong play in the second by leading 35–32, before Brock’s Zachary Angelini hit a buzzer beating threepointer to conclude the first half in a tie.

The third quarter saw the Blues and Badgers exchanging multiple blocks and fouls, both teams executing defensive plays.

At the five minute mark, Blues’ Johnson landed awkwardly while chasing down Brock’s Tyler Brown on a fast break. Unscathed, he would continue to play out the rest of the game.

The Blues regained the lead at 49–46 thanks to Miroslav Jaksic’s two handed dunk, but the

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Badgers responded with a quick three-pointer on the next possession and two free throws from Dani Elgadi, which edged the Badgers ahead 51–49.

The strong defensive effort continued for the Blues; they ended the third with two steals and two fast breaks by Manny Sahota and Wilson Torres, entering the fourth with a one point lead over the Badgers.

With the game tied at 63 late in the fourth, the Badgers went on a 6–0 run that would be the downfall of the Blues. Despite two crucial charges from point guard Sage Usher and precise shooting from Johnson, the deficit was too high to make up and the Blues trailed 74–68.

The difference quickly grew to eight points, before Usher managed to draw a foul at the three-point line with only seconds left in the game. He made two of three free throws to end the game 71–77. The loss puts the Blues to the third spot in the OUA East Division.

The Blues’ Johansson was named player of the game. He finished off with 18 points, five rebounds, and one block in 31 minutes of play.

The Blues will return to action on February 12, when they host the Algoma University at the Kimel Family Field House.

The Blues couldn’t hold off the top ranked Badgers. RUESHEN AKSOY/THE VARSITY

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M O N DAY 8 F E B R U A R Y 2 016

T H E VA R S I T Y

DIVERSIONS 32

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The Varsity will post the answers to this puzzle in the next week’s issue.

Answers from Issue 15

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