February 8, 2021
THE VARSITY The University of Toronto’s Student Newspaper Since 1880
Vol. CXLI, No. 17
One award. Many tweets. Thousands outraged.
Political science department will not rescind controversial recipient’s scholarship following student backlash, demands Arjun Singh’s public views alleged to contradict award’s goals of equity, inclusion
Hannah Carty News Editor
Content warning: this article contains discussion of sexual assault, gender violence, and self-harm. The Department of Political Science at U of T announced on Thursday that, upon review, it will not be rescinding the David Rayside Undergraduate Scholarship from recipient Arjun Singh. The review follows widespread student backlash against Singh receiving the award, including two petitions with roughly 5,000 signatures combined, as of time of publication, that have asked for the department to rescind the scholarship. The demands derive from allegations that public comments made by Singh, who has claimed that “social justice is a bad idea,” are exclusionary and harmful to marginalized communities, and are therefore contrary to the aims of the scholarship, which focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion. Singh denied the allegations in an email to The Varsity, claiming that his arguments “are neither sexist nor racist, nor as similarly characterized.” According to the department’s webpage, the David Rayside Undergraduate Scholarship is for students who have “enhanced inclusion of historically marginalized populations: for example racialized minorities, women, Indigenous communities, immigrants and refugees, people with disabilities, sexual minorities.” Given to nine recipients this year, the $1,000 scholarship considers “academic achievement and financial need.” The scholarship’s application requires students to submit their transcript, a 300-word statement describing how their co-curricular activities promote the values of the scholarship, and two letters of reference. Singh’s public views called into question Students have pointed to Singh’s Twitter account — no longer publicly accessible — and blog posts to justify their allegations about his public views. In his email to The Varsity, Singh defended
that his arguments are “rational and contestable.” Singh has been criticized for his support of the deportation of undocumented immigrants and family separation. He has also tweeted out the phone numbers of both the Canadian and American immigration enforcement agencies, writing, “If you see/suspect an illegal immigrant in your vicinity, notify the @ICEgov hotline.” He has claimed, without substantiation, that “illegal immigrants support organized crime.” Singh’s public views on sexual violence have also drawn negative attention. In a tweet, he has defended low conviction rates among rape cases — equating a lack of conviction to a lack of guilt. In 2018, The Washington Post noted that only a fraction of sexual assault cases are reported, and only a very small portion of which ultimately results in conviction. On his blog, he has also claimed that survivors should not be called such because sexual assault is not “violent in totality – like murder, torture and terrorism.” He argued that they should instead be called ‘accusers’ — and that calling them ‘survivors’ assumes guilt of those accused and thus unfairly stacks the odds against them. Students have responded that such argumentation negates experiences of sexual violence. Singh has also associated violence with gender equality, tweeting, “To men/women: if someone of the other gender slaps you, don’t just stand there. Show some ‘gender equality’ and give them one right back.” Singh has further compared abortion to self-harm, tweeting, “Pro-choice activists often claim that people ‘have the right to do what they want with their bodies.’ That’s ridiculous and untrue… If you try maiming yourself, you’ll be sent to a sanatorium.” Calls for rescission, transparency A group of political science students who also received scholarships from the department released an open letter claiming that Singh has publicly expressed views in their classrooms that are harmful to marginalized groups, and asking the department to rescind the scholarship. The
letter was addressed to acting Chair Robert Vipond, Associate Chair and Undergraduate Director Dickson Eyoh, and Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science Melanie Woodin. “It is clear from our own experiences with Mr. Singh, in addition to his posts and writings online, that his actions and beliefs are antithetical to the values this scholarship promotes,” they wrote. Two Change.org petitions also have been circulating calling for the scholarship to be revoked due to the views Singh has publicly expressed. Singh’s lawyer wrote a letter to Change.org, with Woodin copied in the letter, in an attempt to remove the petitions for being defamatory to his client. “There is no reason whatsoever to think that the decision was somehow made considering that which not ought to have been considered or that somehow the Dean was misled in making the discretionary decision to award Mr. Singh the scholarship,” Singh’s lawyer wrote. “The decision of the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science is reasonable and should stand.” The letter also criticized the petitions for trying to make the scholarship be awarded “based on a popularity contest,” and noted that “universities are not about conformist views but of opening minds.” Following the claims from Singh’s lawyer, Change.org removed Singh’s name from the petitions. However, the petitions still remain active. The Arts and Sciences Students’ Union has called for the student concerns to be reviewed, as well as greater transparency in awards processes, departments to review their guidelines for giving scholarships, and departments to ensure they have diverse selection committees for awards. Other groups echoed these calls for greater transparency, including the University of Toronto Students’ Union, the Association of Political Science Students, the International Relations Students’ Society (IRSS), and the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU). The IRSS and the SCSU also called for a review of the decision.
Department’s decision, fellow scholars’ responses After announcing that it was “actively looking into the matter” on Tuesday, the political science department’s statement on Thursday concluded that “all of the scholarships were awarded in a manner that was consistent with the rules set out in the application process.” It wrote that the application dictates that scholarships are awarded solely on the basis of the information and documentation provided by the applicants themselves. In an email to The Varsity, Singh wrote that he has not been contacted by the department regarding the review. Some of the other scholarship recipients wrote in a second open letter that following the department’s decision to not rescind the award, they “urge the department to review its commitment to equity in light of repeated student concerns.” “The department is effectively conveying to students that all they have to do to win this award is just say they have worked to support marginalized communities, even if their public statements create the opposite effect,” the recipients wrote. They also added that the department’s conclusion to the situation “makes it appear as if it is more concerned with the technicalities of the application process than the stated intent of the award.” Helen Ho, another recipient of the David Rayside Undergraduate Scholarship and one of the letter’s signatories, wrote in an email to The Varsity: “As an Asian woman and fellow recipient of the award… I have not felt Mr Singh’s comments are particularly ‘understanding’ or ‘inclusive.’ ” “I am particularly hurt when I think of the work myself and my fellow recipients have done to try and actively promote inclusivity,” she added. Amelia Eaton, another political science scholarship recipient, said in an interview with The Varsity that the department “is abdicating the real responsibility that they have to students, not just to make sure that the awards have some integrity… but also to show all students that they are willing to be anti-racist, and to advance equality for women, and to be a safe place for refugees and immigrants.”
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Students lament loss of in-person ceremony as spring 2021 convocation moves online for second consecutive year Vol. CXLI, No. 17 21 Sussex Avenue, Suite 306 Toronto, ON M5S 1J6 (416) 946-7600 the.varsity
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Six other Ontario universities make similar announcements due to COVID-19
Lauren Alexander Deputy News Editor
U of T has announced that the spring 2021 convocation ceremonies will not be held in person due to health and safety concerns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, a virtual convocation ceremony will take place on June 23 at 12:00 pm. This is the second year in a row that in-person convocation ceremonies have been moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. U of T had previously said that spring 2020 graduates would not be able to attend a later convocation ceremony. No further details are available so far about how convocation will be held or if there will be a postponed in-person component. The change comes as U of T has indicated that the summer semester will likely take place predominantly online, and as lockdown and travel restrictions in Ontario have grown increasingly
strict over the past month. Six other postsecondary institutions in the GTA announced that they would not be holding in-person convocations due to COVID-19 at the same time, including Centennial College, George Brown College, Humber College, Ryerson University, Sheridan College, and Seneca College. Following this announcement, students took to social media to express their sadness at having such a significant milestone interrupted by the pandemic. The Varsity talked to two U of T students who are set to graduate in June. Khushee Luhar is a biology specialist and psychology major who is completing her final semester. “I knew it was coming, so it wasn’t surprising,” she wrote in an email to The Varsity. She agreed with the decision to move convocation online to prioritize health and safety, but she added that it’s “a disheartening feeling knowing you won’t get to have a traditional graduation experience, especial-
ly after putting in so much work the past 4 years.” Luhar feels a sense of loss for the photos and memories she would have had from the milestone. “It’s just a memory we won’t ever get to have so it did kind of ruin the spirit of graduating,” she wrote. Francesca Herrera, another student graduating in June, is completing a major in sociocultural anthropology and minors in sociology and french, and feels similarly to Luhar, writing that she was disappointed but not surprised by the announcement. She feels that the university could have handled the situation differently, noting that other universities have promised in-person ceremonies later on. Herrera has looked forward to convocation since she started her education at U of T, writing that she was mainly excited about “the idea of having my family come to Toronto from back home (Lima, Peru) to watch me walk the stage and receive my diploma.”
Trinity College Meeting passes amendment to degender head of college positions No gender diversity quota will be required for any position
Rachel E. Chen Trinity College Correspondent
On February 1, the Trinity College Meeting (TCM), Trinity College’s student government body, held its sixth meeting of the academic year, successfully passing an amendment to degender all head of college positions. The changes will go into effect for the winter 2021 elections, and are designed to better include non-binary and gender fluid people. The motion proposed that all heads positions — which are heads of college, arts, and non-residence affairs — would stop having gendered designations of “male” and “female,” and instead be called “Heads of College,” “Heads of Arts,” and “Heads of Non-Resident Affairs” in order to promote greater gender inclusivity in upper-year governance. The two head of college positions are the highest positions in the TCM. Amendment passes The TCM had passed a motion to degender the year heads positions in November. The year heads positions represent students in their year, while the overall heads positions represent students at the whole college. At that meeting, the amendment to degender the overall heads positions was first put forward,
where it was debated by attendees and ultimately shelved. The initial motion at the November meeting tried to remove ‘male’ and ‘female’ titling from all heads positions, and a sub-motion was brought up within the meeting to include that no two people both identifying as male or female could be in the position at the same time. However, a restriction on having two people of the same gender identity at once “actually forces people to align or declare that they are of a specific gender in order to be qualified to hold these positions,” said Head of College Ingrid Cui at the February meeting. The amendment in its current form sets no gender diversity quota for any head position. The changes to the amendment were also discussed with the Equity Committee, which discussed the amendment at its most recent meeting and endorsed it. Chair of the Equity Committee Dylan Alfi spoke in favour of the motion at the TCM meeting. “Coming to terms with one’s gender identity in an institution that has forced such strong binary choices when it comes to rising to positions of leadership is extremely isolating, extremely damaging, and can be very harmful to individuals engaging in that experience,” Alfi said.
The Trinity College Meeting held a meeting on February 1.
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Long-term concerns Some expressed concerns over the college’s long-term commitment to inclusive governance. The amendment, therefore, included ways to make sure these positions could continue to best represent Trinity College’s students. It proposed trying to get more students involved in the college’s activities — especially commuters and Black, Indigenous, and other racialized students — in order to move away from only having popular students be elected to governance positions. The amendment also proposed that information about elections be more accessible to all students.
Mental health and sexual violence support If you or someone you know is in distress, you can call: Canada Suicide Prevention Service phone available 24/7 at 1-833-456-4566 Good 2 Talk Student Helpline at 1-866-9255454 Ontario Mental Health Helpline at 1-866-5312600 Gerstein Centre Crisis Line at 416-929-5200 U of T Health & Wellness Centre at 416-9788030. Warning signs of suicide include: Talking about wanting to die Looking for a way to kill oneself Talking about feeling hopeless or having no purpose Talking about feeling trapped or being in unbearable pain Talking about being a burden to others Increasing use of alcohol or drugs
Acting anxious, agitated, or recklessly Sleeping too little or too much Withdrawing or feeling isolated Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge Displaying extreme mood swings The more of these signs a person shows, the greater the risk. If you suspect someone you know may be contemplating suicide, you should talk to them, according to the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention. Where to find sexual violence and harassment support at U of T A list of safety resources is available at safety. utoronto.ca The tri-campus Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre’s website is www.svpscentre. utoronto.ca Individuals can visit the centre’s website for more information, contact details, and hours of operation. Centre staff can be reached by phone
at 416-978-2266. Locations: U of T downtown Toronto campus: Gerstein Library, suite B139 U of T Mississauga: Davis Building, room 3094G U of T Scarborough: Environmental Science and Chemistry Building, EV141 Those who have experienced sexual violence can also call Campus Police to make a report at 416978-2222 (St. George and U of T Scarborough) or 905-569-4333 (U of T Mississauga). After-hours support is also available at: Women’s College Hospital Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Care Centre (416-3236040) Scarborough Grace Sexual Assault Care Centre (416-495-2400) Trillium Hospital Sexual Assault Care Centre (905-848-7100)
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UTSC Indian Students Association criticized for omitting farmers’ protests in initial Republic Day post
ISA acknowledges demonstrations demanding revocation of new laws in follow-up statement Alexa DiFrancesco UTSC Bureau Chief
UTSC’s Indian Students Association (ISA) has faced criticism following an Instagram post celebrating India’s Republic Day without addressing ongoing farmers’ protests in India. The protests — which have been happening since November, with some large ones happening on Indian Republic Day — are challenging new laws that, by minimizing the government’s role in the agriculture industry, could drive farmers further into poverty. Critics have said that the omission of any mention of the protests ignores the struggles of the farmers, and some feel that the post and subsequent statements imply support for the Indian government, rather than the farmers, from the ISA executives. The protests mostly consist of Sikh farmers, a minoritized ethnoreligious group in India, who demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi repeal the laws. Modi leads the right-wing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. The ISA later released a statement acknowledging the protests and expressing solidarity with the farmers. Concerns The image, posted on Instagram on January 26, featured an illustration of three Indian landmarks. Underneath the illustration were the messages “Happy Republic Day” and “26 January.” The post’s caption read: “Republic Day signifies the spirit of an independent India, however we still continue to deal with tension within our land and it is important that we are aware of and understand the struggles taking place back home.” “With that being said, let’s take this day to reflect and further educate ourselves with credible sources. We, as a nation, are here because of the sacrifices made by people of all faiths and today is the day we respect them and honour their legacy.” The statement concluded, “Jay Hind,” which means “victory to India.”
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After the post was published, students voiced concerns in the comment section about the absence of any mention of the farmers’ protests. Some have interpreted the use of “Jay Hind” in the original post to be a show of support for the Indian government rather than the farmers. Similarly, criticisms have risen that the ISA is not supporting all Indian students, as the protests consist mostly of Sikh Indian farmers. In an email to The Varsity, an Indian UTSC student who wished to remain anonymous because they plan to bring the ISA’s actions to the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU) and Department of Student Life, expressed their concerns about the posts. “As a cultural club, I would hope that the [ISA] represent the Indian nationality as a whole, irrespective of religious identities within that nation,” the student wrote. “But their tonedeaf caption and cryptic messaging very clearly implied which narrative the executive team was believing.” “I, and many other students, were appalled
by the caption and also offended that a cultural club failed to recognize the minority group under attack to push a Hindu nationalist agenda.” However, other Indian students disagree with this sentiment. Third-year UTSC environmental science student Avee Gandhi wrote to The Varsity, “[The ISA] decided to share a post on the Indian republic day and state and [sic] unbiased open-ended statement on the current events and wished for a peaceful end to the recent events and wished everyone a happy republic day.” He added that the phrase “Jay Hind” — victory to India — “was used for its non-religious stand meaning and hence was accepted across India.” Gandhi also wrote that the protests are not divided by religious lines. ISA, SCSU responses On Tuesday, the ISA removed the post’s comment section. Hours after, it posted an Instagram story addressing the situation. “We share our national holidays as means to
celebrate our history and how far we have come as a nation,” the ISA wrote. “We support the rights of the farmers to peacefully protest and we do not support the abuse of power by the government to shut down the internet whenever they please.” The ISA also clarified that it removed the comments section because of “bullying and harassment” happening in it. On February 4, the ISA posted an additional statement addressing the protests in India, which reads: “As an association which represents Indians across UTSC, it is upsetting to see that India is currently divided. We hope that all human rights are reinstated so that we can prosper and thrive to be a unified, diverse and beautiful country.” In its statement’s caption, the ISA encouraged students to sign the Change.org petition linked in its Instagram bio. The petition, titled “Save the Sikh farmers in India, save their land and save their lives,” intends to bring awareness to the issue. In response to allegations that the comment in the ISA’s original post about using credible sources was being critical of current information about the protests, the ISA wrote: “It is important to use news sources that are accurate and provide a whole overview of the topic being investigated. We were by no means saying which sources are right or wrong.” The SCSU released a statement on February 4 expressing solidarity with protesting farmers in India. In the statement, the executives wrote that they “denounce any acts of injustice placed by the current government of India.” The SCSU continued: “Farmers deserve dignity, justice, and their rights to be met and addressed. Farmers globally are integral to the survival of people and communities, and their livelihoods must be defended and honoured.” “We also recognize that these events impact the lives of the diasporic community and we send our love.” The ISA did not respond to The Varsity’s request for comment.
Ontario announces changes to strengthen sexual violence, harassment policies at postsecondary institutions Proposed reforms aim to reduce fear, stigma for students reporting assault
Jessica Han Associate News Editor
The Ontario government is strengthening the current sexual violence and harassment policies for postsecondary institutions, including U of T. Currently, postsecondary institutions must have policies that provide students with information regarding the response process to sexual violence or harrassment. U of T’s policy launched on January 1, 2020, and details how it responds to allegations. However, the newly improved policies aim to better “protect complainants,” increase safety on campuses, and reduce stigma and fear for students who are seeking to report an allegation. The changes that the Ontario government is proposing are based on recommendations from the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, an organization that represents roughly 150,000 postsecondary students in the province. One major part of the changes is to protect students from “irrelevant questions about their sexual history.” In addition, students would not face any consequences from their institution for “a minor violation of an institution’s policies related to drug and alcohol use at the time the alleged sexual violence took place.” A spokesperson for the Ontario government wrote in an email to The Varsity that the changes build on action the government took in 2019,
when it announced that all publicly-assisted postsecondary institutions must annually disclose the number of sexual violence reports and the supports provided to survivors to the institution’s governing board.
In addition, the changes “would also make Ontario one of the only Canadian jurisdictions with these protections specifically outlined in legislation or regulation,” according to the spokesperson. The amended sexual violence and harassment policies
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario. RYAN CHOW/THEVARSITY
have not yet been drafted, but when they are, “the Ministry of Colleges and Universities will consider input from interested stakeholders.” “Our government has zero tolerance for sexual assault, harassment and any other forms of violence in our communities,” the spokesperson wrote. “We believe that no one should have to worry about sexual violence on or off campus.” Angela Treglia, Director Sexual Violence Prevention and Support, wrote in an email to The Varsity that U of T is following the proposed amendment and “will continue to ensure that the University’s policy aligns with all legislative requirements.” Treglia wrote that U of T is “heartened” that its initial view of the proposed amendments revealed that these changes will align with its current practices. She also added that U of T remains “committed” to reducing barriers for students who are affected by sexual violence and harassment, and providing resources to support these individuals. Despite changes to policy, some U of T students are still concerned about the school’s response to sexual violence. They have said that the university’s centralized body for sexual violence support is not accessible enough. The Varsity attempted to reach out to Silence is Violence at U of T, but learned that the collective is not active at this time.
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“Exploring the Hidden Curriculum”: Funké Aladejebi gives seminar on race, gender in Canadian education
Assistant history professor’s HSA talk based on oral history of Black women teachers
Grad Minds launches mental health peer support initiative for graduate students Similarity in experiences, ease of access appreciated
Isabel Armiento Graduate Bureau Chief
Grad Minds, a mental health committee at the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union, launched a peer support initiative last month aimed at promoting graduate student mental health. The program will “connect grad students who are looking for support dealing with stress with a peer who will listen, care, and refer to other mental health resources as necessary,” according to the Grad Minds team.
“Exploring the Hidden Curriculum: Race and Gender in Canadian Schools” took place on February 1.
COURTESY OF HISTORY STUDENTS ASSOCIATION
Jadine Ngan Associate Features Editor
What can the oral histories of Black women educators tell us about exclusion in Canadian institutions? On February 1, Funké Aladejebi, an assistant professor in the Department of History answered that question in a seminar presented by the U of T History Students’ Association called “Exploring the Hidden Curriculum: Race and Gender in Canadian Schools.” The hidden curriculum and the paradox of Canadian multiculturalism According to Aladejebi, who specializes in Black Canadian history, the “hidden curriculum” isn’t a deliberate educational agenda. Rather, as Frances Henry, who originally coined the term, describes it, it’s a concept that accounts for “the different beliefs, assumptions, attitudes, and expectations that teachers bring into schools.” The hidden curriculum is particularly useful for understanding Canadian school systems, Aladejebi said, because we often think of multiculturalism and racism as dichotomous. “People often believe that we cannot have a school — or even educators, for that matter — who are actively promoting and encouraging diversity while also believing in implicit biases and stereotypes.” However, Aladejebi’s research revealed that contradictory ideologies are often embedded in Canadian institutions. In the early 2010s, she interviewed several Black women educators, Canadian-born and Caribbean immigrants alike, who taught in Ontario between the 1940s and 1980s. She found that the hidden curriculum was pervasive in school settings: her interviewees faced gendered racism in everyday interactions.
Black women teachers’ qualifications questioned “Employment equity programs in the 1980s led to substantial gains for women educators, especially surrounding equal pay and access to administrative positions,” Aladejebi said. However, some school administrations and educators used the existence of those programs to suggest that Black women educators were not qualified for their jobs. In the 1980s, Sheryl, a Canadianborn Black educator, was hired as viceprincipal of a Windsor school. Sheryl’s colleagues attributed her professional achievement to equity quotas. She told Aladejebi, “When I got that appointment, some of the teachers said that: ‘well you were a shoo-in when you went to the interview because you are Black and you are a female.’ ” Aladejebi found that, in response to that “racialized pressure,” Black women sought out additional qualifications and recertifications. They felt like they needed to prove themselves, which subsequently increased their stress levels and workloads. “Not-quite belonging” While staff rooms allowed other educators to take breaks, forge relationships, and share knowledge, those spaces became sites of both subtle and overt exclusion for Black women educators. Harriett, who served as principal of a Catholic Elementary School in mid-1970s Toronto, still remembers a game that her peers played. “They would leave her sitting alone in the staff room,” Aladejebi said. “Whenever she moved tables to go and sit with this group, they would all leave.” In response, Harriet followed those educators around until she gained ac-
ceptance and acknowledgement in the staff room. The hidden curriculum was present in Harriet’s story: “white educators and administrators were unable to see their own biases,” Aladejebi said. Another educator, Tamara, was completely barred from the staff room at her Toronto school. She refused to eat her lunch in the basement as she was instructed, but told Aladejebi that in order to avoid jeopardizing her job, she “wandered during lunchtime” instead of going to the staff room. Even when Black women educators were permitted into staff rooms, they encountered conversations containing racial slurs and stereotypes. “As a result of the both subtle and overt ways that Black women experienced exclusion, they often occupied not-quite spaces of belonging in Canadian schools,” Aladejebi said. Pedagogies of resistance and dismantling the hidden curriculum Despite the precarity of their positions, Black women educators actively resisted the hidden curriculum. They re-interpreted curricula to reflect more diverse perspectives and used Black experiences to inform their teaching. In their hands, education became “a tool for social transformation and communal survival.” Today, creating systemic change remains challenging, said Aladejebi. “Much of our education system has not shifted or adequately restructured its frameworks to create more inclusion for racial minorities.” Racialized educators should not bear the responsibility of change alone, she argued. Educators and the Canadian public need to “do more to dismantle implicit stereotypes and assumptions within schools.”
How it works Students who sign up for the program will be connected to a peer supporter who can help them navigate university resources, as well as offer them social and emotional support. According to the Grad Minds Peer Support website, the program is not meant to provide crisis support or replace professional mental health services. The Grad Minds peer support team consists of five graduate student volunteers from varying education backgrounds. The core team of Grad Minds wrote in an email to The Varsity, “Our trained peer supporters offer support for students’ mental health by listening with empathy, and making students feel heard, seen, and understood.” According to Grad Minds, peer supporters “will also suggest additional mental health resources to students if they sense that they would benefit from therapeutic intervention.” The number of peer support sessions offered will vary according to each student’s needs. Support sessions can be scheduled up to once a week for up to an hour at a time, and are currently being conducted over Zoom. Graduate students can sign up for peer support by submitting an intake form available through the Grad Minds Peer Support website. Peer supporters reflect Michelle De Pol, a first-year master’s student at the Institute of Medical Science, is one of the five Grad Minds peer supporters. De Pol was involved in peer support throughout her undergraduate degree, both as a mentor and mentee, and joined Grad Minds’ initiative to continue engaging with peer support initiatives throughout graduate school. “Feeling supported can create a sense of belonging and make it easier to handle stressful moments and dif-
ficult situations,” De Pol wrote in an email to The Varsity. “Even if the other student is going through something that I have never experienced myself, we always have the shared experience of being a university student, which can foster trust and empathy within the peer-support relationship.” De Pol emphasized that peer support isn’t a replacement for counselling. However, she believes that for many students, the program may offer a “quicker way to access support” than more conventional ways of accessing mental health treatment. She added that “some students may feel more comfortable speaking with a peer at first” than with a therapist or counsellor “due to the shared experience of being a university student.” Grad Minds Volunteer Coordinator Audrey Kao expressed a similar opinion to De Pol. Kao wrote in an email to The Varsity, “Unlike institutional support, our peer support initiative offers a here-and-now shared experience between peers, which may allow peers to feel more comfortable speaking about the issues they’re dealing with.” “Grad Minds recognized that there is great interest from students for more peer support programs to be put in place at U of T,” Kao wrote. She added that this is the first peer support program at the university just for graduate students. “We believe that an initiative that offers peer support for grad students by grad students provides our community with the invaluable resource of a listening ear who understands the unique stresses of being in grad school,” Kao explained. She added that peer-to-peer support is especially important for graduate students because they “deal with a number of unique stressors, such as those that come along with research and dissertations, and professional development.” De Pol added that peer support may help with graduate students’ feelings of alienation, as they may struggle with navigating the university or the city. She noted that students may also be experiencing more isolation during the pandemic. “During these tough times, grad students might need more support managing their mental health and academic stress, and more opportunities to build community - and that is where our peer support initiative comes in,” wrote Kao.
GHEYANA PURBODININGRAT/THEVARSITY
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UTSU January BOD meeting: Student Commons, executive reports
Discussion of benefits, tuition, equity events Savannah C Ribeiro Varsity Staff
The University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) held its ninth Board of Directors meeting of the 2020– 2021 academic year on January 31. The board discussed the current status of the Student Commons, and the executives presented their reports. The reports highlighted updates about health and dental benefits, the university-mandated leave of absence policy (UMLAP), tuition, and equity events. Student Commons During a presentation on People & Culture at the UTSU, which focused on the development of the commons and its benefit to UTSU staff and members, UTSU General Manager Suzanne Belleau noted that the Student Commons hopes to open soon, 14 years after the project’s approval. The project has faced repeated delays due to the difficulty of renovating the old building, such as dealing with asbestos. People & Culture is the UTSU’s newly established framework, which will develop the union’s goals around serving students and meet organizational goals with a focus on equity. It will also facilitate internal and external cooperation.
UTSU Vice-President Operations Dermot O’Halloran confirmed that any retail opportunities in the Student Commons would be staffed by students. He noted that concrete plans will have to wait until construction is further along. Belleau added that there is a plan to hire “at least” 15 additional students as staff over the next 18 months. Executive report highlights During the presentation of his report, O’Halloran highlighted that the UTSU and the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (UTGSU) are in favour of implementing a credit system through Studentcare, which is the broker for student benefits for the two unions. A credit system would allow students to be reimbursed for health and dental claims without needing a Canadian bank account. If this system were implemented, international students would be able to access health care and dental services. However, during a meeting with the Office of the Vice-Provost Students (OVPS) and the other student unions, discussions on implementing a credit system were shut down. Regarding the UMLAP, UTSU President Muntaka Ahmed wrote that the Office of the Ombudsperson needed to take an “unbiased ap-
The UTSU held its January board meeting on January 31. SAMANTHA YAO/THEVARSITY
proach to their communication and stances regarding ongoing issues at the university.” The policy, which has met considerable student opposition in the past, allows the university to put a student on mandated leave without academic penalty if the university believes the student is a risk to themselves or others. Vice-President Public & Uni-
versity Affairs Tyler Riches wrote that according to the OVPS, the university is still “finalizing its consultation process for the UMLAP,” which will be occurring beginning this year as part of the three-year review. Ahmed wrote in her report that the university’s response to demands for a tuition decrease since classes
moved online has been “largely the same as it had been over the last few months.” Alexandra McLean, Vice-President Equity, highlighted a number of events that are being planned for February as part of the UTSU’s annual eXpression Against Oppression program.
UTM town hall discusses plans for summer, fall 2021 course delivery, vaccinations Some in-person delivery anticipated for beginning of next academic year
Hafsa Ahmed UTM Bureau Chief
On February 2, UTM held a Virtual Town Hall with Vice-President and Principal Alexandra Gillespie. The event began with a conversation with Professor Sal Spadafora, Special Advisor to the President and Provost on COVID-19. The next part of the meeting included discussion about post-pandemic priorities and a question-and-answer session with participants. UTM officials revealed that the summer semester will offer 83 per cent of courses online only, while the fall semester is still in the works. Spadafora expects that U of T will not be able to mandate vaccinations for all students, but said that there will likely be options for unvaccinated students to physically distance or study remotely. Upcoming summer and fall 2021 plans The director of academic planning and policy and research, Anita Srinivasan, gave a breakdown of summer course delivery. “For summer courses at UTM, we’re offering 315 courses… We are offering about 83 per cent of those courses as remote only, and at the other end of the spectrum, one per cent will be in-person only.” Srinivasan said that 16 per cent of courses would offer some form of
dual delivery. Srinivasan said that the campus administration is hoping that by early April, it can start letting students know what is planned for fall 2021: “we’re working all of that out now.” When asked if the upcoming exam schedule could be revealed earlier for students, Loretta Neebar, Registrar and Director of Enrolment Management, answered that the software that makes the schedule relies on course enrolment to create a conflict-free plan, so the schedule will not be released earlier for students. “We have to wait for certain points in time, for certain drop dates to happen, in order to create the most student-centred, friendly exam schedule that we can,” Neebar explained. Concerning the upcoming reading week, Gillespie advised members of the UTM community who live in residence to not travel, citing new restrictions on travel and the lockdown, as well as new variants of the virus and the attempt to roll out vaccinations in Canada. “We all need to play our part,” she said. “The finish line… is not exactly approaching, but it’s in sight.” Current questions and concerns surrounding COVID-19 Looking past summer, Gillespie noted that UTM will still deliver virtual courses in the fall for students who cannot safely attend in-
UTM President Alexandra Gillespie. COURTESY OF DREW LESIUCZOK
person classes during that time. When asked whether students would be required to be vaccinated once in-person classes resume in the future, Spadafora answered that as of now, they would not, and that he doesn’t believe the university would have that jurisdiction. “If you don’t want to get vaccinated, you may be asked to take precautions [like] distancing and mask wearing,” he said. “I think we’ve always got to [be] understanding and do what we can to protect ourselves and each other, and acknowledge
that there can be those [who] can’t [get vaccinated]. There may be those [who] won’t and just need more time.” When asked whether current vaccines will be effective against new variants, Spadafora answered by saying that the current vaccines are “quite effective” and can potentially cover new strains. “All that we can do to limit reproduction of the virus [and] spread of the disease will help us stay ahead of the variants,” he said. Spadafora expressed that while
there is a sense of hope around Ontario and Canada starting to get case counts under control recently, the vaccine rollout is a concern since Canada needs to “play a bit of catch up.” However, looking ahead, Spadafora is optimistic about late spring, saying he anticipates that the vaccine will begin to flow in by then. “The knowledge that we’ve gained about the pathogen… has certainly had a shift from a paradigm of fear to one of emerging knowledge and respect,” said Spadafora.
Business & Labour
February 8, 2021 vrsty.ca/business biz@thevarsity.ca
Financial snapshot: university’s net income, net assets increase despite pandemic recession
Outstanding debt drops below $1 billion, $984 million in maintenance costs projected Sarah Folk, Anastasiya Gordiychuk & Spencer Y. Ki Business & Labour Team
On February 3, the Business Board of the Governing Council met to review U of T’s current financial status and consider the university’s economic forecast until the end of April. Despite all three campuses being shut down amid an internationally lagging economy, the university is projecting a net income $34 million greater than the previous year’s. This rise in income was reported to accompany a $60.9 million decrease in outstanding debt. The rest of the meeting also covered U of T’s extant $1.07 billion in ongoing capital projects, $794 million in deferred maintenance costs, and efforts to recruit international students. Increasing net income The financial forecast was assembled by U of T Chief Financial Officer Sheila Brown, who projected the university’s total net income for the 2020–2021 academic year to be $475 million. This figure is derived from projected revenues of $3.803 billion over projected expenses of $3.328 billion, and is an increase from the 2019–2020 academic year’s $441 million actual net income. This forecast would see U of T’s net assets rise to $7.195 billion by the end of the year — up from $6.431 billion at the beginning. Due to the unpredictability of investment returns, U of T’s annual net income forecasts always include a substantial margin of error. Brown’s projections have historically been conservative, with the university often seeing tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars more in net income than predicted. To calculate the $475 million figure, Brown used a hypothetical investment return rate of seven per cent. Alternate predictions in her report were a more conservative $457 million from a return rate of five per cent, and a more optimistic $502 million from a return rate of 10 per cent. “Our normal practice with the investment return is that we do not project it forward,” Brown said. “What we do instead is we take the return that we’ve earned to November 30, we assume there’ll
be no further change, and we build the forecast on that basis. And then we provide a sensitivity analysis so that you can see what changes in investment return will do to these numbers.”
REBECA MOYA/THE VARSITY
Decreasing debt Brown also presented the Status Report on Debt, which found that U of T’s actual outstanding debt dropped from $1.006 billion in 2019–2020 to $946 million this year. Of this, external debt accounts for $710 million while internal borrowed funds stand at $236 million. In accordance with U of T’s debt strategy — which has been in place since 2012 — the university’s debt policy limit for 2020–2021 is $1.85 billion, but it is expected to increase to $2.273 billion by April 30, 2026. “For this year, our conclusion from this report is that the debt strategy is prudent,” Brown said. “Based on the projected capital projects that are expected to go ahead by 2026, this strategy is expected to deliver an appropriate amount of debt to enable both projects to go forward.” While the strategy has adequate capacity to support the university’s capital plans by 2026, future initiatives will require the revision of the debt strategy. “We are working on an expansion and a revision of this debt strategy to incorporate the off balance-sheet or indirect debt… generated through partnerships that are likely to arise as a number of these projects go forward,” Brown said. She emphasized that the university has enough resources to finance construction projects that are currently under active consideration. “We don’t see any need for external debt over the next couple of years,” she continued. “In fact, our projections indicate that it will probably be longer than that.” Brown added that taking on more external debt might be needed only if the university changes its capital plans or wants to speed up the construction. “The university treats debt as a scarce resource
that we allocate very carefully,” she said. “But we do believe that we do have some additional capacity that could be developed, particularly in those cases where we can enter into partnerships with others for projects that will be revenue-generating for the university.” Expanding capital projects U of T Executive Director of Capital Projects Adrienne De Francesco presented the Capital Projects report and provided updates regarding capital projects currently undergoing construction. U of T has seen a 6.7 per cent increase in student population in the last five years and has many capital projects planned to accommodate this growing population. Currently, the university has $1.07 billion in reserves for capital projects and infrastructure, the most developed projects of which De Francesco spoke on. On the refurbishment side, they described the FitzGerald Building renovation as “a very good example of adaptive reuse,” noting that “typical of historic old buildings, you always discover something you didn’t expect.” They also reported that the Robarts Commons expansion is expected to be completed by the spring despite delays caused by the building’s steel structure. Regarding new initiatives, De Francesco described how the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Centre West is set to have 22,900 square metres of tenant space with an additional 2,300 square metres of underground parking. They also provided updates on the Landmark Project, noting that geothermal drilling would continue for two or three more months before excavation for the garage structure can begin.
SPENCER KI/THEVARSITY
Growing maintenance concerns The backlog of 2020’s deferred maintenance costs was $794 million across all three campuses. The university also has an estimated $984 million in future obligations for deferred maintenance, which does not include utility infrastructure and asbestos removal. The cost of deferred maintenance for the university was 23 per cent higher per square foot than the 2019 provincial average cost. The university’s level of investment in deferred maintenance is also only 0.72 per cent of the building replacement value — putting us far below the provincial average of 1.45 per cent and even lower than the national average of 2.07 per cent. U of T Chief Operating Officer of Property Services and Sustainability Ron Saporta explained this disparity in the report on deferred maintenance. “Historically, deferred maintenance focused solely on our building assets, but the university owns quite a lot of other assets,” Saporta said. “On the St. George Campus, for example, we have one of
the largest and oldest district energy [systems] that provides heating and cooling and electricity to the majority of our campus.” To evaluate the condition of campus facilities, the university uses a facility condition index (FCI), calculated by dividing the total cost of existing deficiencies by the current replacement value of the facility. The FCI index has been steadily climbing over the past three years and is currently at 15.7 per cent. The university audits the facilities every five years. Saporta explained that U of T prioritizes deferred maintenance through level of risk. “What comes up to the top is some of our most important building systems. We have our roofs, fire protection systems… and then elevators,” said Saporta. “[By using] this as a metric to make investments into deferred maintenance, we also start to see the risk scoring of these priority systems start to go down over time.” UTSG’s deferred maintenance needs currently take up 75 per cent of the university’s priority deferred maintenance. However, ongoing capital projects have aided in eliminating $45.5 million in deferred maintenance costs. Saporta also noted that U of T saw a $79 million decrease in deferred maintenance liability this year, with the majority of the decrease due to capital projects. A university for the world Professor Joseph Wong, U of T’s interim vice-president international, also delivered his annual report on international students, international partnerships, and international experiences. During the 2019–2020 academic year, recruitment efforts attracted international students from 161 countries. For the fall 2020 admission cycle, the university introduced new international scholarships, which helped attract students from regions that previously saw less applicants. “Of course, our international students represent an extremely important revenue stream to the University of Toronto,” Wong said. “But they also are of extraordinary value to the U of T community, transforming how we teach our learners, learn how we conduct research… [and] how we prepare our graduates for future careers.” Despite the pandemic, Wong reported that U of T was able to build new partnerships with institutions around the world. “We have introduced five new international doctoral clusters on a range of topics and partners: from cities and urban infrastructure with the University of Manchester, to advanced manufacturing with the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology,” Wong said. Four years ago, only 16 per cent of U of T undergraduates participated in an international learning opportunity, a figure which could have risen to 25 per cent last year if not for COVID-19. According to Wong, the university had aimed for the figure to reach 33 per cent by 2022, but the pandemic has affected those plans. The next meeting of the Business Board is scheduled for March 17.
Comment
February 8, 2021 vrsty.ca/comment comment@thevarsity.ca
U of T’s refusal to rescind a controversial scholarship is a tacit approval of harmful speech
The political science department’s inaction sends a dangerous message to marginalized communities
Sagal Mohamoud Varsity Contributor
Content warning: this article includes discussions of sexual violence and suicide. The University of Toronto considers itself to be Canada’s leading institution, with values including not only academic excellence, but the promotion of equity, diversity, and inclusion. It is reasonable, then, to assume such an esteemed institution would grant awards to students who reflect these values. However, the recent actions of the Department of Political Science call this into question. The David Rayside Undergraduate Scholarship is an award granted by the Department of Political Science to students who promote “greater public understanding of social and cultural diversity and enhanced inclusion of historically marginalized populations.” The department gave this scholarship to Arjun Singh, a student whose public statements are staunchly opposed to social equity and diversity. It was a move met with much controversy, with many students calling for the scholarship to be rescinded. Yet, the department did not act upon these concerns, announcing within days that it has determined that “all of the scholarships were awarded in a manner that was consistent with the rules set out in the application process.” The department also seemed to suggest that Singh’s inflammatory public statements did not disqualify him from receiving an equity-based award. However, it is important that we examine why these calls to action were necessary — and, by extension, why the department’s decision to take no action is harmful to not just the university’s own values, but to all of its marginalized communities. Singh’s tweets on undocumented immigrants, whom he believes should be deported, are a perfect place to begin. He wrote: “Illegal immigrants support organized crime.” In another tweet, he even included Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s contact information, as well as the CanBorder tip line. Undocumented immigrants are frequently blamed for increasing crime rates; the connections made here are tentative at best and amplify misconceptions about undocumented immigrants that paint them as a homogeneously heinous threat to our society. Singh’s inflammatory tweets contribute to racial stereotypes that, as history has taught us, often
REBECCA ROCCO/THEVARSITY
lead to a surge in hate crimes. However, a 2018 report by NPR revealed that undocumented immigration does not lead to an increase in violent crime. Immigrants are thus scapegoated for the United States’ crime problems. This example alone is troubling, as it serves to endanger vulnerable immigrants who are undocumented, and is thus sufficient cause for the scholarship rescission. However, I’d also like to focus on Singh’s public expressions on sexual violence. In an essay titled “ ‘Believing Survivors,’ ” Singh wrote that there should be a deliberate change in how we talk about sexual assault victims. More specifically, Singh argued that they are not technically ‘survivors,’ but rather ‘accusers,’ writing that “From a logical perspective, sexual assault per se is not a crime that always threatens the mortality of a victim.” The essay seems to tie itself up in pedantic details to derail and delegitimize the issue of sexual assault. With these pandering justifications, Singh argued that sexual assault is not on the same level as unequivocally terrible crimes such as murder, torture, and terrorism. He introduced an inflexible hierarchy of crime to take legitimacy away from the trauma experienced by victims of sexual assault. With an argument born from technicalities and pointed language analysis, Singh’s public expressions contributed to the harmful rhetoric that vic-
tims of sexual assault are to be treated less seriously than victims of other crimes, suggesting that they belong on a lower rung of a ladder of suffering. The term ‘survivor,ʼ Singh continued, is a term used “to elicit empathy more than the truth.” Here, he seems to displace responsibility from the offenders onto the victims for even voicing their experiences. Furthermore, choosing to describe victims as ‘accusers’ elicits particularly insidious and harmful undertones. Singh’s lack of engagement with sexual trauma in favour of some banal argument about prevailing democracy is extremely harmful. As Cathy Caruth wrote in her introduction of Trauma: Explorations of Memory, traumatized people “carry an impossible history within them, or they become themselves the symptom of a history that they cannot entirely possess.” Sexual trauma is not instantaneous like a bullet wound, it is pervasive, unsettling, and often permanent; it cannot and should not be minimized. Singh heartily misused statistics to support his points: “As to future psychological issues – particularly the issue of suicide (which 2/3 of victims never consider, and nearly 90% never attempt).” However, the source he provided within his essay to support this claim, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), framed these statis-
tics differently. According to the RAINN, 33 per cent of women rape survivors contemplated suicide and 13 per cent of women rape survivors attempted suicide. Furthermore, RAINN, contrary to Singh’s conclusion, added that “the likelihood that a person suffers suicidal or depressive thoughts increases after sexual violence.” There is even more evidence to support this research. A study that examined the relationship between sexual abuse and suicidal behaviour in women found that 50 per cent of those who attempted suicide had experienced sexual abuse. A province-wide study in 2018 found 23 per cent of students and 17 per cent of U of T students experienced a non-consensual sexual encounter during that past academic year. As an institution that has made a commitment to recognizing that “sexual violence is a serious issue that undermines the health, well-being, and security of individuals, communities and society,” U of T should find it antithetical to reward an individual whose public statements delegitimize the very issue that plagues so many of its students with such a prestigious equity award. Singh’s public expressions have consistently undermined the David Rayside scholarship’s goals. If the Department of Political Science truly believes that this scholarship was awarded in a legitimate manner, then it must reconsider how scholarships are awarded altogether. It is nothing short of a moral failing on the department’s part that the author of such public expressions can be rewarded with an equity scholarship intended to uplift marginalized groups. Calls for accountability are so often dismissed as ‘cancel culture,’ and marginalized groups who are rightfully angry at rhetoric that will disproportionately affect them are painted as a vengeful mob out for blood — simply for daring to speak up. Let me be clear: the Department of Political Scienceʼs decision to award this scholarship to Singh and its refusal to rescind it has revealed that those who publicly express harmful views as an exercise of freedom can win awards under the name of equity and justice. It is a harsh reminder of the pervasive systems of oppression that plague marginalized groups to this day, and it sends a clear message to marginalized communities at U of T: we do not matter. Sagal Mohamoud is a third-year English student at St. Michael’s College.
Op-ed: Turning on cameras should not be a requirement for participation in class Zoom etiquette must be more lenient for students
Basmah Ramadan Varsity Contributor
Virtual learning is a struggle as it is, but with the added expectations of Zoom and Blackboard Collaborate, it teeters on the edge of becoming unbearable. It has been almost a year since postsecondary institutions switched to virtual classes, and professors need to understand that classes are not getting any easier. While it’s understandable that professors enjoy seeing students when delivering their lectures, they tend to overlook that turning on cameras can prove to be uncomfortable for some students. Professors should not force their students to turn their cameras on by allocating marks toward participation to entice them. Turning one’s camera on should not dictate a student’s grade in the course, and the expectation that, as students, we need to have them on is unrealistic. Professors should be mindful of the very real phenomenon of Zoom fatigue. This fatigue is a
result of spending an extended period of time on virtual modes of communication. Sitting behind a screen for hours upon hours doing readings, attending lectures, and writing assignments and midterms is mentally and physically exhausting. The additional expectation for students to turn their camera on fails to take into account that it is easier said than done. We all live in different environments, and expecting students to let others see their background and home is awkward and uncomfortable to say the least. Professors need to recognize that, as a result of the lockdowns that have been issued, students are working from home alongside other family members. As such, the expectation to have the camera turned on not only intrudes on the personal space of the students, but also on their family members. As a Muslim woman who wears the hijab — the traditional covering of hair and neck — being put on the spot to turn on my camera is simply not an option. Professors need to recognize that living environments
and habits differ, and they must accommodate accordingly. A recent article published by CBC examined the effects of Zoom fatigue. According to the article, numerous hours on video conferencing applications is often tiring because users “feel like they’re performing for the camera more than they would while meeting colleagues in person.” This same idea extends to students who feel the need to maintain their appearances for many hours of online classes. If professors truly want to see us and hear what we have to say, they need to work to make their classes more interactive rather than in the style of a lecture that doesn’t require much engagement. Allowing students to engage with the information being presented to them makes the hours behind the screen worth it. In doing so, professors may help alleviate the Zoom fatigue that results from many hours of online classes. Additionally, professors need to be patient
with students. They need to trust that students who do not have their cameras on are still listening. Even if they are not engaging, that does not mean that they are not present. Let students feel comfortable rather than forced to turn their cameras on. It’s a slow process, and professors should not assume that students are comfortable turning their cameras on after only a couple of classes. Online classes and the etiquette that surrounds them are things that we are still struggling to come to terms with. In the meantime, it is important that professors extend grace to their students and give them room to create comfort in what could already be an uncomfortable learning environment. Basmah Ramadan is a third-year international relations, equity, and political science student at University College. She is the University College director for the University of Toronto Students’ Union and the vice-president social advancement for the Muslim Students’ Association.
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COMMENT
comment@thevarsity.ca
Graduate students are not getting enough mental health support Accommodations that are needed to manage online schooling are lacking
Keltie Hamilton Varsity Contributor
This academic year has been exhausting. For public health students like myself, the constant need to be informed on the pandemic is simply an added layer of stress. Among all of this, graduate students are not being granted the kinds of leniency and accommodations necessary to navigate this stressful environment. So many students are at a breaking point, and it’s only the fourth week of classes. Graduate school is known for its rigour and ability to challenge your mental capacity, but is that really what students need right now? Before COVID-19, lecture material was taught; it wasn’t uploaded into pre-recorded videos or added to a neverending reading list. Discussions with peers occurred so your thinking could be challenged. You learned in a group and had informal study groups after class. A 2021 graduate student is so far removed from what they signed up for. They didn’t sign up to be siloed in their homes because of a pandemic with no access to peers unless a group chat is started or initiative is taken to meet outside of lectures. Nor did they expect to have to pay attention for three hours in a Zoom lecture with no breaks. None of this is normal, and some of us are at a breaking point. But what happens when we reach that breaking point and seek help? The simple answer is, not enough. In 2019, U of T reported having 90 counsellors for 90,000 students, and recently, a blog made to recount student mental health experi-
FIONA TUNG/THEVARSITY
ences at U of T reported wait times of at least two months. When I advocated for student wellness in a lecture, I got referred to program-specific resources and was told to reach out with any concerns. I was told that our complaints would only get students who are concerned about conflicting deadlines and mental capacity an accommodation letter at best. Just this week, my cohort reached out to request some flexibility in two competing assignment deadlines, each worth 20 per cent of our mark, and the professor responded that “competing deadlines will be a reality after you leave school and this is the time to grow and develop the skills to manage and meet multiple deadlines.” This felt like a strange discon-
nect from the narrative being told by administrators at U of T about taking care of mental wellness during these “unprec-
edented times.” This is not the time to preach time management to a group of graduate students. Getting into graduate school and succeeding in online classes has required us to learn Herculean time management over the past year. Many of us are adult students who are well-versed in time management, and we are requesting extensions or flexibility because that’s what we have been taught to do in work settings for competing deadlines.
This year, many of us are completing our graduate degree in our childhood bedroom, removed from the academic experience and isolated from peers. We have miraculously adapted to this new, exhausting way of learning. We need compassion, and we need support. The burnout and exhaustion students are experiencing is dangerous, with 72 per cent of young adults experiencing a decline in their mental health since the pandemic began. We need student mental health to be treated like the crisis it is. So, to professors: ask us if we are okay, but mean it. Give us breaks during our three-hour Zoom lectures. Get rid of time zone-dependent deadlines to ensure equity. Consider student mental health in course planning, and be willing to meet reasonable requests halfway. Restructuring classes to reasonably test knowledge in a home-testing environment is important, as many of us do not have access to a steady internet connection and a quiet space for three hours. Be empathetic, and remember that we’re just humans who love to learn — that’s why we’re showing up this year instead of deferring until in-person classes resume. There is no perfect solution to this, but one thing is certain: we need to be kind. We need to be empathetic and understanding of each other. This online style of teaching is here for the foreseeable future, so we should learn to maximize learning while striving for mental wellness. Collaboration to improve the academic experience could save lives. Keltie Hamilton is a graduate student at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.
Op-ed: More student representation is needed in U of T governing bodies The student voice is unfairly captured, despite contributing money
Justin Patrick Varsity Contributor
U of T’s governance structures are far from conducive to student advocacy. While student positions exist within a number of these structures, they are underrepresented, with not enough seats to carry or block motions. This is a likely reason why there are regular tuition increases. In order to combat this, we need to advocate for more and better student representation in U of T’s governance structures. The U of T Governing Council is the university’s highest decision-making body, which can determine whether tuition fees increase. The Governing Council also appoints U of T’s president. According to the U of T website, it has “50 members - 25 members from within the internal University community, including administrative staff, teaching staff and students, and 25 members external to the University, including alumni and Lieutenant-Governorin-Council appointees.” Students only make up eight of the 50 seats — 16 per cent — divided into four full-time undergraduates, two part-time undergraduates, and two graduate students, despite tuition and other fees accounting for 63 per cent of U of T’s budget in 2020. By contrast, 17 are government or presidential appointees — 35 per cent — 12 are teaching staff — 24 per cent — eight are alumni — 16 per cent — and two are admin staff — four per cent — all of whom can arguably benefit from tuition increases without bearing the additional costs. For student representatives on the Governing Council to enact change or block a motion, they must negotiate with these non-student stakeholder groups. To show an indication of how well this politicking has worked, domestic tuition fees for first-year engineering students increased from $7,420 in 2006– 2007 to $14,180 in 2020–2021 — a 91 per cent increase — despite inflation only increasing about 23 per cent since 2007. For international students in the same year and program, tuition increased from $18,900 in 2006–2007 to $60,440 in 2020–2021 — a 220 per cent increase.
When the money is on the line, students can be easily outmanoeuvred by the other stakeholders, leaving their votes in opposition to tuition increases relegated to symbolism. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. Other universities around the world have adopted different models that include more student representation in their governance structures. At universities in Scotland, such as the University of Aberdeen, the University of Glasgow, and the University of St. Andrews, a rector who chairs the equivalent of the Governing Council is directly elected by students. Mondragón University in Spain operates under a more cooperative model whereby students have more of a say in decision-making by being considered partners of the university, which helps level the playing field between students and other stakeholders. Other ways of restructuring universities have been theorized, involving a trust system where students are included as beneficial co-owners of university assets to help prevent privatization, as well as more horizontal decision-making structures that give students more authority — and perhaps even autonomy — in certain aspects of university governance. At the far end of the spectrum is the case of the medieval University of Bologna, where students rose up and took control of the university through a fee boycott, which led to the equivalent of the campus student union being the highest decision-making body instead of something like the Governing Council. A concerted campaign advocating to increase representation on U of T governing bodies, starting with the Governing Council, could lead to increases in the proportion of student representatives. This could be implemented through lobbying student and non-student Governing Council members, raising awareness on social media, campaigning through petitions and physically-distant demonstrations, convincing U of T’s student unions to mobilize their students and resources to help, and building a coalition of community and external organizations that can provide additional promotion and support. Such a grassroots campaign would likely have to be
Having more students in positions of power or creating avenues for representatives to connect with student union representatives could help students advocate for themselves. RYAN CHOW/THEVARSITY
combined with a Governing Council motion to add more student seats or increase their proportion. However, there are other possible motions that could enact similar effects or help with the process, including allocating more funds, resources, and staff to student Governing Council representatives to help them engage their constituents about important issues, increasing caps for student representatives on Governing Council sub-bodies like the Business Board, and ensuring that student representatives are well-compensated for their work. There are other ways that student representation on the Governing Council could be restructured. For example, what if student representation on the Governing Council consisted of delegates from U of T student unions who are already elected by students instead of holding separate elections for another set of representatives? Conversely, what if Governing Council student representatives had some kind of role in their respective student unions and were elected via the student union electoral system instead
of one created by the university? What if there was some kind of forum where students elected to governing boards and student union executives met regularly to develop unified strategies toward enacting policy goals? Developing ways to better integrate student unions into university decision-making processes could lead to students having more say as a collective and could help prevent the chance of student governments being circumvented. While a multi-year campaign would likely be needed to increase student representation, the benefits if successful would be immense. Justin Patrick is a PhD student at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and is the president of the International Association for Political Science Students. He served as the internal commissioner of the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union from January to April 2019. He was also a governance and policy analyst for the University of Toronto Students’ Union from June to September 2019.
Editorial
February 8, 2021 vrsty.ca/comment editorial@thevarsity.ca
This isn’t just about one problematic recipient — U of T must fix its scholarship vetting process
Boutique Rental Living at College & Spadina
David Rayside award scandal reveals a systemic disregard for equity Many elements of recent events suggest need for better practices. SAMANTHA YAO/THEVARSITY
The Varsity Editorial Board
Over the past week, students have expressed outrage after the Department of Political Science awarded the David Rayside Undergraduate Scholarship — which honours work on advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion for marginalized communities, alongside academic achievement and financial need — to Arjun Singh. No one questions Singh’s academic achievements — we are sure they are stellar. If he were awarded a scholarship purely based on that standard, then there would be no controversy. But it should be clear to anyone reviewing Singh’s statements on the internet that they demonstrate problematic and harmful views on sensitive social issues ranging from undocumented immigration to sexual violence. No one questions Singh’s right to express his views as he sees fit on Twitter or on his blog. But his views should not be free from criticism, scrutiny, or consequence, especially when the scholarship in question is, at its core, about the kind of views a student advances in the community around them. And so, for a recipient who’s so openly adversarial to social justice to subsequently be rewarded for it doesn’t just violate the spirit of the award. It tarnishes its credibility and integrity — it undermines the honour experienced by past, fellow, and future recipients doing great work for marginalized communities. Above all, it communicates how little such communities matter to the department. Following widespread calls to rescind Singh’s scholarship, the university reviewed the matter and announced that the reward was “consistent with the rules set out in the application process,” as the application form claims that decisions “are based solely on the information and documentation you [the applicant] have provided” — in other words, the application form, a personal statement, two letters of reference, and a transcript. According to Singh himself, he was not contacted about the department’s review of the decision. If the department felt that it was not necessary to ask Singh about these concerns in relation to the personal statement he submitted for his application, this draws doubt about the thoroughness of the review and the department’s willingness to correct oversight. Moreover, the Faculty of Arts & Science is aware that Singh has hired a lawyer to challenge the campaign to rescind the scholarship, and so perhaps it has decided that taking action at this time would be too risky. If so, this kind of calculation is disappointing — especially for such a powerful institution. And ultimately, the department’s steadfast defence of the decision to reward Singh only serves to raise troubling concerns about the vetting process that goes behind selection. Indeed, having decisions be based solely on the information provided by the applicant is ripe with flaws. A scholarship that measures one’s character and commitment to social justice should require more — the selection committee must, at the very least, independently and rigorously vet the candidate outside of what they have submitted in the application.
A simple Google search in Singh’s case would have been sufficient to raise a red flag. It’s also questionable as to how the letters of reference were able to credibly justify Singh’s commitment to social justice in light of his publicly expressed views — and whether there should be more rigorous inspection on these letters as well. Recipients of the David Rayside scholarship should have a clean record in the area of equity. Even a shred of doubt about one’s record should compel the selection committee to double check their decision. This raises other possibilities: did this decision initially happen because there weren’t enough applicants to begin with? If so, then this raises other concerns about the outreach and accessibility of the award — especially to marginalized students who belong and work in the communities that the scholarship concerns. Was it because there was more emphasis put on academic achievement than the actual spirit of the award? If so, then this would demonstrate that equity, diversity, and inclusion may be of performative interest to the department, but are ultimately negligible in substance. If so, the department should be free to award students like Singh — but it should not try to feign any semblance of social justice. Any way you look at it, what is clear is that U of T departments must re-evaluate the entire structure of how they award scholarships — from ensuring a wide pool of applications to vetting the candidates. If academic achievement is able to overshadow one’s personal statement, it is necessary to better cater scholarships toward character and equity. The Singh controversy must not be understood as an isolated or individual incident. Over the summer, Massey College announced Margaret Wente as a member of the Quadrangle Society. Wente, who ultimately resigned following backlash about the decision, was accepted into a community that expects members to “retain an appreciation and respect for academic pursuit” — despite long being publicly criticized for plagiarism, not to mention making pseudo-scientific claims about race. If U of T wants to pride itself on its academic prowess, it must ensure that members who are rewarded are held to the highest standards. If divisive figures are celebrated while contradicting the spirit of the awards or appointments they receive, U of T only serves to undermine its own reputation. All U of T academic units must take this incident as an inciting point to review their selection and outreach processes for awards, scholarships, and appointments. They must ensure a rigorous standard by which such matters as public behaviour and commitment to equity are not a matter of bonus points, but are non-negotiable. They must ensure that selection committees themselves are diverse in composition and take social justice seriously, and they must ensure that students from marginalized communities are made to feel welcome, encouraged, and worthy in these processes. The Varsity’s editorial board is elected by the masthead at the beginning of each semester. For more information about the editorial policy, email editorial@thevarsity.ca.
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THE VARSITY
FEATURES
“To build cities for peopl
Renee Jagdeo’s campaign to be T Reflections from the 19-year-old U of T student who ran on a platform of green initiatives, accessible housing Furqan Mohamed Varsity Contributor
Renee Jagdeo knows how it feels to be counted out. As a racialized young woman with progressive ideals who ran to be Toronto’s youngest city councillor, she has faced countless doubts regarding her power and ability to hold office. A second-year student at U of T studying human geography and urban planning, she ran in the Scarborough-Agincourt ward by-election to replace Jim Karygiannis in the Toronto City Council in 2020. Her platform included expanding greenspace in Toronto; supporting businesses, renters, and workers during the COVID-19 pandemic; and developing more accessible housing and public transportation. On January 18, the race was called for Nick Mantas, and he was declared elected to the Scarborough-Agincourt ward. Even so, Jagdeo and her campaign have left an imprint, encouraging us to think differently about who we think is ‘deserving’ or ‘qualified’ for public office. Jagdeo’s run reflects a newfound energy — of people typically locked out of power taking it upon themselves to make change happen. Why she wanted to run Like most communications done in pandemic-life, I had my conversation with Jagdeo over Zoom. She was confident, warm, and eager to discuss her run to represent the neighbourhood of Scarborough-Agincourt. “I don’t currently live in that ward,” she said. “I’ve grown up and currently do live in a ward that just faces… similar issues and… physical constructs that lead to those types of issues.” When asked about why she ran, she explained, “I wanted to be able to kind of encourage young people like myself to be able to develop the confidence — or at least give them a platform — to voice their ideas and concerns in a more established way.” Jagdeo mentioned that she ran specifically for the Toronto City Council because
the term length would have allowed her to hold that role for two years during a very turbulent time in her life, rather than potentially committing herself for four years. At first, hearing a university student describe a city council seat the way one would describe an internship or a work-study program surprised me. Still, upon further discussion, I realized that Jagdeo wasn’t being funny or even curt about the possibility of having this position. Her tone indicated that it wasn’t the power or attention that attracted her to this role, but rather the possibility of building on work she was already doing. As an urban planning student, she has long learned about the history of cities’ and governments’ influence on their operations today. Being in politics would be a more tangible foray into the realities of changing a city from the inside. Policy matters quite a bit to Jagdeo, who started her first year at U of T in the Munk One program. Their group project was geared toward infrastructure and the environment. “We had been working on a green wall initiative,” Jagdeo said. The idea had been to use living architecture like green walls, which has plants installed in them, in underground spaces in Toronto, such as within TTC subways or even the PATH, Toronto’s underground pedestrian walkway. “Your mental health and well-being [are] impacted from being in underground spaces, and putting plants there could very much so impact that in a [very] positive way,” she said. “In terms of finding ways to mobilize it, I guess being a city councillor would definitely help with that.” Of course, people run for office intending to win, yet Jagdeo speaks of her loss with just as much enthusiasm. “I guess the dream goal would have been to get the role, but you kind of just put things into context and realize that might not be what you get.” Regardless of the outcome,
the tenets of Jagdeo’s platform remain crucial to her. “The housing market in Toronto is ridiculous,” she said. “That’s not new. But we are seeing people experiencing homelessness for the first time because of the pandemic, but also in extreme ways where it is concerning — to not only their own health, but public health.” Building her team As she was 19 years old when she ran, her campaign brought on many criticisms, mainly stemming from doubt of her capability because of her age. “A lot of people were like, ‘oh, why don’t you join student council instead?’ And it’s like, that’s cool, but do city councillors then go to student councils to ask them how they feel about the city, and then ask them to solve problems?” Jagdeo said. Her campaign for city council was managed by Zoë Johnson, a U of T student pursuing a double major in public policy and contemporary Asian studies and a minor in
economics. Jagdeo met Johnson in the Munk One program. “She kept me accountable, but also kept making sure that it was a positive experience,” Jagdeo said. When I called Johnson, she was eager to discuss the race and explain why she signed on. Johnson had the same earnest tone as Jagdeo when talking about the campaign, and she spoke in a confident manner that made it clear why she was asked to manage the campaign. “It was quite simple,” she told me. “I had worked with Renee. I knew we believed in a lot of the same things.” She cited a mutual passion for local politics and grassroots movements as an example of an interest they shared. Johnson’s understanding of politics is shaped by her experience working in Liberal MP Chrystia Freeland’s constituency office as a high school student. Upon leaving high school, she took a step back from politics. “After the 2019 federal election, I kind of
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le as opposed to profit”:
Toronto’s youngest city councillor had this moment of reckoning where I didn’t actually know if the amount of work that I was putting into it was for something that I truly believed in,” she said. However, she felt that Jagdeo’s campaign would be a good opportunity to invest herself into something she believed in. “I definitely felt, over the pandemic, kind of a search for meaning, to put it lightly,” Johnson explained. “[The campaign] was something that could get me out of bed and something that I was excited to work on and think on… I knew [ Jagdeo] was never doing this for clout or publicity, but rather dedication to local causes that we kind of spent a lot of the past year talking about.” Working on the campaign allowed Jagdeo and her team to focus on the issues that mattered most to them. Transit, in particular, resonated with Jagdeo and Johnson as both of them grew up in Toronto. “I’ve taken the subway everyday since I was in grade four to and from school.” In an email after we spoke, Johnson reiterated how impor-
tant transit was to their team, writing that the “campaign ran on creating high-speed bus lanes to bridge the gap” in infrastructure inequality. When it came to getting the campaign started, Johnson explained, “The threshold to enter city politics is much lower if you’re an independent, or if you’re a youth.” She cited the fact that those running in a particular party needed the party’s support, whereas Jagdeo only needed the initiative.
I was next to Renee, and a person stopped, brought their husband, brought up their child, and they were like, ‘Oh my gosh, we love you. We’ve seen you on the news.’ ” However, this enthusiasm had its limits. “Can’t get over the 19-year-old thing” is what Johnson recalls the person saying in their next breath. Johnson shook her head with a small laugh. “That disconnect between really believing in someone and… still not being able to fully accept someone that young in a Facing backlash and controversy position of power… it was shocking.” During the race, there were some surprises that In an interview with NOW Magazine, the team came across while trying to get Jagdeo said, “Outside of the uplifting spirJagdeo’s platform heard. Being a new face it amongst my peers, I realized there are in uncharted territory can have incredible 40-year-olds that look down on me because ripple effects. “I was, at first, quite surprised I don’t have seniority. But their seniority with the amount of press that Renee got,” doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve always done said Johnson. While canvassing, she was also good things. I might be starting out, but I heartened to see the campaign receive genu- know that I’m doing good things.” ine interest from those living in the commuTake the city councillor whose seat Jagdeo nity. was running to replace. Karygiannis might “I vividly remember going canvassing, and have been an established public figure, but the by-election race took place because he was removed from office after a court battle over his 2018 municipal election campaign, for which he was accused of overspending. On the other hand, Jagdeo’s campaign was held together by progressive ideas and led and staffed by youth. “Outside of my parents, it was people my age that [were] helping out with the campaign,” Jagdeo noted. “It kind of just became a collaborative process of young people in my community, using it as a vessel for just bringing to light things that we care about, given our reality.” However, Jagdeo still faced drawbacks and backlash on the campaign trail. “I went through all the Facebook comments, and you do start to see a lot of comments because I am a racialized young woman,” Jagdeo said. “Like expected, except I ignorantly have just not subjected myself to discrimination before. So reading comments like that, I was like, ‘oh, this really exists. People really don’t want young peoRunning for office has changed Jagdeo for the better.
COURTESY OF RENEE JAGDEO
ple involved in politics. They are very much so attacking me for my skin colour, which is strange.’ ” The politics of representation can be complicated. “I’m someone that definitely does value being able to see people like me succeed,” Jagdeo said. “Being able to see a person of colour who’s also a woman — I’m like, yeah, I can do that too.” Yet I was also curious about the nuances she experienced. As a young racialized woman myself, it seems like in my circles and with other marginalized youth, we are increasingly interrogating how the inclusion of groups such as youth, women, and racialized people can be tokenized for appearance’s sake. When I asked Jagdeo how she dealt with that, she nodded thoughtfully. Her proposed solution? Just run. “The faster we do that, I think the less we will become a glamorous fetishized idea.” What’s next for her? In the interview with NOW Magazine, Jagdeo also added, “Claiming spaces that we’re not supposed to be in is important. I saw this opportunity as a way to put myself somewhere I’m not supposed to be and try and justify my presence there.” She mentioned that after the race she held an open Zoom call with youth who were interested in politics as well. Speaking to them, she discovered that some were considering running in the next two years as well. So what’s next for Jagdeo? In terms of her political plans, she told NOW Magazine that she has no plans to run again in two years, but she still wants to be involved in city politics in some capacity for the people and those who support her and share her goals. After all, Jagdeo said with an easy smile, she is most inspired by her peers. “I am fascinated by people who don’t require leadership positions to succeed or to make an impact.” Jagdeo and her run are inspiring too, but in my conversations with them, both her and Johnson stressed that there is a positive change to be made outside of electoral politics and that students are more than capable of leading that change. “I think there’s so much capacity in the peers that I’ve met in my single year at U of T,” Johnson added. “So many people have bright ideas, and I don’t think they need to wait.” Running for office has changed Jagdeo too, but it’s been for the better. “I think it’s changed me in terms of my priorities,” she said. “Those have just become a lot more defined.” As for the future, Jagdeo seems optimistic and hopeful. She may not be a city councillor, but she’s still looking forward to graduating and rooting for Toronto as a student and a citizen along the way. “I hope we will continue to build cities for people as opposed to profit,” she said. “I hope that communities will continue to grow in a loving and sustainable way.”
Arts & Culture
February 8, 2021 vrsty.ca/arts arts@thevarsity.ca
How indie bookstores near campus are dealing with COVID-19 Speaking with Seekers Books, A Different Booklist, Doug Miller Books, Flying Books
Emma Paidra Varsity Contributor
When it comes to being a student, there’s really only so far a person can get without books — which is to say, not very far at all. While the University of Toronto Bookstore is a great resource, sometimes students need an obscure book or a lower price. That’s where Toronto’s local and used bookstores come in. Though there are plenty of bookshops nestled in the area around UTSG, the pandemic has changed what being a bookseller in downtown Toronto looks like. The Varsity spoke to four bookstores around campus to find out how COVID-19 affected them. Seekers Books One such bookstore that is so nestled within the Annex you might miss it — though I hope you don’t — is Seekers Books. Located at the intersection of Bloor Street and Borden Street, Seekers sits just below street level. I had the opportunity to speak with Seekers’ co-owner, Patrick Balson, about how COVID-19 has impacted his business. Balson first fell in love with Seekers as a ninth grader skipping school. “[My friends and I] walked in, and these guys were behind the counter… having a little meeting of the minds… They were having a conversation about the reptilian brain… I was just watching these dudes talk with my mouth agape, and my mind was being blown the entire time.” Though I only spoke to Balson over the phone, his passion for people and the spaces that bring them together is unmissable. In his words, “When you’re walking into my store, you’re walking into my living room.” As far as he’s concerned, “people are the primary thing; bookstores are actually a gathering space.” Of course, with the limitations put in place to combat COVID-19, no one is gathering in Seekers. To continue providing for customers during the pandemic, Balson, like many others, has shifted his business’ model to curbside pickup as the primary purchasing method. “Of course, if somebody comes to the door, I might go outside and give them a hand… with whatever they need,” he explained. When I asked Balson about his vision for Seekers post-pandemic, he told me, “We don’t have any really big plans to change how we’ve been doing it. Used bookstores are used bookstores.” As for right
now, “The decline in customers is thrillingly high,” Balson lamented. “The best way to [support Seekers] is to call and ask… You get your answer right away.” If you’re near Seekers, I highly recommend giving Balson a call. His store is open seven days a week from 1:00–8:00 pm, and even if he doesn’t have what you were looking for in stock, you’re guaranteed a good conversation. A Different Booklist Another Toronto bookstore worth noting is A Different Booklist, located at 779 Bathurst Street, which specializes in literature from the African Caribbean Diaspora and the Global South. A Different Booklist’s experience weathering the pandemic is a bit of a contrast from Seekers’ experience. The store’s co-owner, Miguel San Vicente, took some time to speak with me over the phone. “The two are tied together, right? The success of the business and the challenges of the business are part of my challenges and my success,” San Vicente told me when I asked how the pandemic had affected his job. “At first, there was a serious drop in our sales because, naturally, we had to close,” he explained. “But it so happened that George Floyd was murdered in front of the whole world by the police, and that led to an explosion of protests across North America and other parts of the world.” After the surge in Black Lives Matter protests and heightened attention to systemic racism, people started buying books to educate themselves on anti-racist thought and activism. However, as San Vicente pointed out, many folks purchasing these books “look for the place where they can get [them] the cheapest, which is generally the bigger stores.” “They’re buying from… large, white enterprises that profit really from our pain,” San Vicente said. He asked that those who want to practice equity do so with their purchases and “try to buy from the… community that is affected by these issues.” When I asked San Vicente about his plans for A Different Booklist after the pandemic, he laughed: “Oh, well, our plans are to have a big party!” Especially considering that A Different Booklist is not only a bookstore, but a community hub, San Vicente really can’t wait to reopen. “We decided to establish a separate organization called A Different Booklist Cultural Centre as a non-profit organi-
zation [that] carries on cultural activities… That’s what we have now: we have the bookstore in this space and also a cultural centre.” Doug Miller Books When it comes to sales, other booksellers have not been as fortunate. Doug Miller, owner of Doug Miller Books at 650 Bloor Street West, explained, “If it wasn’t for the fact that my landlord had lowered my rent, I would probably not be here today.” Thankfully, Miller, who began buying used books at garage sales to sell when he was a kid, managed to adapt his used book business to a curbside pickup model. When I spoke to him, he was in the process of adding comic books to his website. But even with the new additions Miller is making to his website, the pandemic has not been easy for him. He estimated that, before the current lockdown was put in place, “less than half ” of the people who usually come to sell their used books came. He blames the lesser-known pandemic of 2020 for this: drop-cleaning frenzies. When people began sorting through their basements and closets, “all that stuff went on people’s front lawns,” explained Miller. “The things they got rid of, they got rid of already outside on the lawn, so they had nothing to sell.” The decline in people selling their old books is a big shift from pre-pandemic life. Prior to the pandemic, “A person would bring in maybe a bag or 25 boxes [of books]. It ranges from person to person,” Miller told me. “But right now, no one’s bringing in material.” He shared with me the ways in which buying used books is, in many ways, a game of luck. “You might wish for [a specific book], but if no one brings it in, you’re not getting it.” Of course, surviving as a small business throughout the pandemic isn’t exactly a steady gig, either. To support Miller’s business, check out at his website. If you’ve recently come down with a case of cleaning antics, bring your used books to Doug Miller Books. Flying Books The last bookseller I had the pleasure to speak to was Martha Sharpe from Flying Books. Sharpe, a Montréal native, has plenty of experience in the book industry. Before opening Flying Books, she worked at House of Anansi Press. Inevitably, her
knowledge and passion for good writing bled into her business model. Prior to COVID-19, Flying Books sold books in “flights” of curated, hand-selected literary works. “I was sort of playing with the idea of flights of you know, like wine or whiskey or beer,” Sharpe explained to me. When I asked her if the flights were still being selected throughout the pandemic, she said, “Not as frequently, mainly just because I had to change everything to online last March.” Although the flights didn’t make much sense during the pandemic, Sharpe quickly figured something else out. “I decided to offer free delivery and, again, just went with the flight theme and called [the deliveries] airdrops.” “Luckily, it’s gone well, and people are really ordering airdrops,” Sharpe went on. It has gone so well, in fact, that Flying Books published its first book during the pandemic, Happy Hour by Marlowe Granados. When I asked Sharpe about the experience of making the Flying Books publishing debut during COVID-19, she said, “The more I thought about it… [I] realized the book is called Happy Hour, and people need a happy book to read during a time like [the pandemic].” Another way that Flying Books has accommodated the pandemic is through altering its classes and workshops to an online format. And yes, that’s right: on top of being a high-quality bookstore and now publisher, Flying Books also offers writing workshops and classes with professional writers. Though it’s not the same as being in person, these online writing resources play a big role in keeping Flying Books feeling like the indie bookstore and community hub that it is. “Initially, when the lockdown happened, we just postponed everything,” Sharpe said. However, once it became clear that things wouldn’t be opening back up any time soon, Flying Books transitioned its workshops to being online. To anyone seeking a way into the writing community, Flying Books might just be it. The pandemic has certainly been hard on all of us, but being a bookseller right now poses its own unique challenges. So, what are you waiting for? Get online and show your support for people like Balson, San Vicente, Miller, and Sharpe. After all, the Toronto book world wouldn’t be what it is without them.
REBECCA MICHAELS/THEVARSITY
FEBRUARY 8, 2021
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Narrating mental health struggles
The slog of picking through these events can be exceedingly difficult — but these are stories worth sharing Mikaela Toone Associate Arts & Culture Editor
Content warning: this article contains mention of suicide. A couple of years ago, I was a renowned documentary filmmaker with a mandate given from God to capture the way light bends. My singular purpose was to witness lamp beam particles dance in the vape cloud of a stranger who missed the last train. Unfortunately, days later, when my divine commission ended, I slept for 18 hours and let plaque build up on my teeth, absolutely certain of the fact that nothing mattered and it would all be over soon. Though a good chunk of me is defined by illness and my fluctuating proximity to its burning core, the above is among the first times I’ve ever written it down. This shift occurred recently, on a certain telecom company’s mental health awareness day. After reading oodles of essays, tweets, and Instagram stories detailing journeys with mental illness, I’ve started to question my commitment to secrecy around my experience. It should be easy, after all — psychiatry is chock-full of narrative. “When did your troubles start?” “Tell me about your childhood.” “Do you know why I’m keeping you here?” These questions are the basis of diagnosis, treatment, and hospitalization, and they all require us to tell a story. However, despite the fact that I answer these questions on a regular basis, I’ve found it impossible thus far to tell my story of bipolar disorder. In an attempt to shake this writer’s block, I sought guidance from members of the U of T community. Historic conceptions of mental health struggles According to Andrea Charise, an associate pro-
fessor in the Department of Health & Society at UTSC, “the widespread practice of writing about oneʼs illness is really a phenomenon that emerged in the mid-19th-century.” Prior to this conversation with Charise, I, perhaps naïvely, hadn’t imagined that the people in past centuries would write their own tales of mental illness. I certainly wouldn’t be sitting here typing without modern medicine. Alas they did, and gracefully too. For example, in the book A Mind That Found Itself, early twentieth-century author Clifford Whittingham Beers described his mind’s unraveling as “a point where my will had to capitulate to Unreason — that unscrupulous usurper.” Later, at the start of the HIV/AIDS crisis, a slew of changes hit the illness memoir genre, moving it beyond the written form. As Charise explained, “Suddenly visual modalities like photography, film, and even theatre and dance became options for expressing the complexities of individual illness experiences.” Storytelling methods have also expanded and will continue to expand with the progression of digital technology. As an example, Charise points to the “hospital selfie”: people posting photos of themselves, mid-illness or injury, on social media, for all to see. While the TikTok algorithm shows me quite a few psych ward tour videos — I’m still wondering how they know — my documentary filmmaking days are behind me. I’m set on fulfilling this task with writing, and luckily, a number of authors on campus are willing to divulge their secrets. Storytelling around campus In 2019, Bao Li Ng, a fourth-year life sciences student at U of T, wrote a poignant essay about her time at university with bipolar disorder. Ng wrote to The Varsity that bipolar disorder can’t follow a straightforward story structure, explaining, “It’s not that my illness can’t be a story — it just doesn’t have the rules I expect it to have. Putting it down into these rigid arcs doesn’t do your experience justice.” Instead, when writing, Ng advised to “focus on something specific — a
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moment, a feeling, a relationship,” as opposed to the disease as a whole. Another quality that renders bipolar disorder difficult to narrate, according to Ng, is that “there’s no foreseeable ending, no ‘cureʼ, because it’s a lifelong disorder.” Ng wrote, “All we have is this constant middle — and that kind of ambiguity is terrifying.” Prior to being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I was experiencing mania and depression and pegged them as natural, temporary byproducts of a youth properly lived. I saw myself 10 years down the line with a column, a nice sleepy dog, and the critical distance to write witty prose about my burning desire to do dangerous things. However, when I was diagnosed, these choices became fates. I entered, as Ng put it, the “constant middle,” where I look to the past and see myself barrelling through periods of sadness and delusion, and look to the future terrified I might repeat the past. Narrating this jumble of events, psychological and physical, when my mind has been altered and my memory damaged, feels like identifying every light particle in a vape cloud. As such, Ng’s strategy, to focus on the “specific,” is advice I intend to follow. Daniel Scott Tysdal, an associate professor in the Department of English at UTSC, has written numerous works that touch on his experiences with depression. A key piece of advice for capturing a complicated illness, Tysdal suggested, is to explore different written forms, as he has done himself. In his piece, “A MAD Fold-In Poem,” Tysdale addresses his depression directly, referring to it as “you,” and describes its cruelty with accusatory venom. By the end, the viscous force is perverted by “the magic of bringing nib to page and penning life with urgency and patience.” From there, the reader is prompted to fold the page over and read what has become of the mutated voice, echoing magazines with cover images that can transform with a “fold-in” feature. With that crease we find the same poem stacked with hate on the other side; however, most of the phrasing is erased and what remains is a handful of words plucked from the vitriol that serve as a hopeful reminder. Perhaps the only way to arrive at innovative structures, such as foldable depression, is to steer clear of them completely, at least at first. Tysdal wrote that “what matters most is not worrying about structure. Just get it out. Get those words on the page. Compose and explore without judgement or censoring.” Sharing our stories Even if I did write the perfect story, why should I share it?
Ng believes that bipolar stories should be shared as “it’s part of the world the same way anything else, like lily-pads or the colour yellow.” The decision for Tysdale to share his works and possibly be met with stigma wasn’t as clear cut. Eventually, dishonesty about hiding this significant part of his life crept in and though “that fear remained… this other feeling overwhelmed it.” Natalia Espinosa, a fourth-year anthropology student, didn’t have much time to mull over her decision to tell her urgent story. In October 2019, Espinosa was handcuffed by campus police officers at UTM while seeking help for suicidal ideation. Espinosa’s attending nurse told her to call the campus police, as per U of T protocol, for a 10–15-minute conversation. However, once the police officers arrived — and despite the fact that she offered to leave with the police willingly — Espinosa was handcuffed and made to walk through campus, and for another hour in the emergency room, in restraints. “The experience changed me in ways I cannot wholly explain,” Espinosa said. She felt it was her responsibility to share her story to “keep other students safe,” recognizing that the injustice she faced was a systemic issue and might happen again. This decision to open up to the public was made more significant by the fact that for Espinosa, “the fear of stigma is something that I personally feel I have not fully overcome.” That happy ending we said wouldn’t happen Despite the potential snap judgements and the discomfort of vulnerability, in talking to these writers and professors, I’ve come to the conclusion that the slog of picking through manic, depressed, and antipsychotic-induced torpid state memories is worth it. I’ve also realized that capturing the whole truth of something so important and pervasive within myself is unnecessary. I’ll probably spit tales out, like rotten teeth, one at a time for the rest of my life. One side effect of this exercise that I didn’t anticipate was that I’d thoroughly enjoy reading others’ stories of mental illness, from my peers here and from my peers spewing with the same symptoms as me in another century.
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THE VARSITY
ARTS & CULTURE
arts@thevarsity.ca
Deleting Tinder for personal growth
Cultivating individuality, reconnecting with West African roots during lockdown Joel Ndgomi Arts & Culture Columnist
This lockdown has been tremendously tough on everyone. Personally, the rigid regulations in Toronto have awakened different feelings in me. After the novelty of the first lockdown wore off — whipped coffee and endless Netflix binges — I found myself feeling lonelier than usual. While I was surrounded by my loving family, I longed for the friendly, teasing laughter of my high school friends. I was also isolated from the social spheres of my work and U of T. Being stuck in my room and confined by the four walls of my house, I felt eager for social contact. Despite the countless FaceTime sessions, I ended up downloading Tinder — and other dating apps — to seek some excitement in the comfortable routine of my days at home. Because of the increased time spent in isolation, I began to blur the lines between relationship and friendship. In other words, I was obsessively checking to see if there was a ‘match.’ As I excessively swiped and imagined numerous romantic possibilities, I realized that these addictive habits sometimes put me in a toxic mindset — scrolling through dating apps became an allconsuming distraction. Eventually, I deleted the app. As someone who tends to over romanticize things, this helped me
avoid unnecessary emotional labour. Strangely, for the first time in what felt like forever, I finally found more time to be alone with my thoughts — not necessarily in a bad way. Usually, the distractions of work and commuting served as good excuses to ignore my individuality, my personality. I realized that if there is ever a good
than daydream about a potential ‘someone.’ The fixed mindset of wanting to be in a relationship obscured the importance of my own individuality and personal growth. Personal development has looked like reconnecting with my old artistic hobbies, including reading and writing poetry. I also picked
JESSICA LAM/THEVARSITY
time to be single, it’s probably now. We are in a lockdown that feels neverending, which in turn grants us the time to develop ourselves rather
up my flute for the first time in a long time and was very excited about practising again! As musical notes smoothly danced around my room,
I felt reconnected to past memories and former aspirations. Focusing on myself has also involved reconnecting with my family. I know this sounds cliché, but I often took their presence for granted because of the monotonous rhythm of daily life. In addition, focusing on my individuality has included navigating the metaphorical diasporic mess I find myself in. As an Italian-born West African, I have not always been able to clearly define my identity. Throughout the lockdown, I have taken the time to learn my mother’s Ivorian dialect, Baoulé. I have also come to appreciate that learning my native dialect is an inherent process of decolonization, given that my first language is French. This has also helped me decolonize my understanding of self in the West African diaspora in other ways. To further ground me in my cultural heritage, I have also been exploring West African methods of storytelling. I have always been attracted to story-based narratives, so this has been a rewarding way of working on my own individual story as a West African in Canada. All in all, I do not think I could have accomplished any of the above without deleting my trio of dating apps. Reconnecting with myself has granted me the valuable possibility of cultivating my individuality, without the prospects of a relationship on my homescreen.
Bringing people together through tarot cards
Turning to occult practices to cope with uncertainty and even ethical difficulties got me a deck. Since then, I’ve acquired two more decks. The second I won in a contest and the third I got as another Christmas present. In times of stress, I’ll do a small reading by flipping over a card to focus my day. Other times, they serve as something like a party trick. If there’s a lull in conversation, I’ll turn to my deck and ask if anyone wants a reading. Usually, the response is pretty enthusiastic. Though I haven’t suddenly started believing that they can predict the future, I have grown interested in their use, history, and unique storytelling power. Something about them has always pulled people in, now and in the past.
Marta Anielska Associate News Editor
I first got into tarot cards the year before I started my undergraduate at U of T. It started off as a joke with my parents — an absurd part of my Christmas wish list given that my family is not the kind to believe in occult practices. The absurdity became a genuine interest, and when I didn’t stop asking, my parents gave in and
Let’s get spiritual! In a 2019 New Yorker article, Christine Smallwood suggested millennials fueling the resurgence of astrology weren’t necessarily looking for certainty, but rather a way to cope with uncertainty. The same could be said for tarot and other occult practices. Alyssa Davies, a fifth-year student double majoring in equity and sexual diversity studies, said that while she tends to practice more with crystals than tarot cards, she’ll often listen to collective readings on YouTube. “I don’t necessarily believe that someone could do tarot reading for you on YouTube… but it’s more for that little escape,” Davies said. “It also kind of helps me get a feel of the cards more too.” Davies added that tarot cards connect her to people she would have never talked to otherwise. Sometimes, she advertises free tarot readings on her Instagram story, and she’ll get responses from people she’s only met in passing. “They’ll trust me to do a little reading for them.” Roya Adel, a second-year student double majoring in archaeology and near and Middle Eastern civilizations, said that she was originally too scared to use her deck before finally trying it out in a social setting. “The very first time I used it, I was like, ‘Okay, this has to be fucking real,’ ” Adel told me in an interview. “I got a reading that this girl would be dumped… and then the next day, she got dumped.” When I asked why she believed in tarot, Adel’s answer was straightforward: “Why not?” Her family has always been interested in astrology, and the way
she was raised, there was never any point in denying the mysteries of spirituality. It wasn’t hard for her to extend her belief to tarot. Davies’ thinks about her belief in occult practices a little differently. “Me saying I believe is more about [there being] this one thing I practise that I think benefits my life.” Divination and play Tarot cards were first created in Italy early in the fifteenth century, and were modelled on the standard deck of playing cards adapted from Islamic Mamluk cards. However, there is debate surrounding their intended purpose. The deck was most likely made with gameplay in mind, but the cards were later adopted as tools for divination. The history of tarot cards is complicated by their relationship to a variety of minoritized groups, most prominently the Roma people of Europe. Fortuneteller stereotypes originate in European employment discrimination that forced Romani women to earn money from practices such as palmistry and tarot reading. However, it seems that many no longer associate tarot cards with Romani culture. When I mentioned the connection to Adel, she was surprised she hadn’t thought of it herself. “What’s so interesting is how much tarot has been watered down that [I] didn’t even remember that stereotype,” Adel commented. Davies added that while she would like to believe that young people getting into occult practices are learning their backgrounds, she has her doubts. She emphasized the importance of ethically sourcing products like sage, which is burned as a part of many Indigenous ceremonies. Today, many decks on the market also appropriate symbols from Jewish and Indigenous imagery. While tarot is not a closed practice, artists like Edgar Fabián Frías have said that the appropriation of Indigenous imagery in modern tarot decks bothers them. They added that part of what makes tarot beautiful is its meaning to each individual, as card meanings can have connections to a person’s culture and personality. Frías expressed excitement at the thought of all the diverse tarot traditions that could evolve out of people creating and buying decks meaningful to them.
Tarot has a rich history that many don’t know.
LEONARDO CHIODA/CC FLICKR
Science
February 8, 2021 vrsty.ca/science science@thevarsity.ca
Gender nonconformity in childhood: teaching kids to be more accepting of their peers How UTM psychologists are studying how such youth are being treated
Angel Hsieh Varsity Contributor
Content warning: this article contains mention of suicide and self-harm. In recent years, societal perceptions of gender have been rapidly shifting and evolving to include a host of ways for people to express and identify themselves. One particular way our understanding has developed is in recognizing gender nonconformity, which the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Discrimination defines as any type of gender expression — including use of clothing, hair, and body language — outside the typical norms of masculinity and femininity. Gender nonconformity can also go by other names, such as gender diversity and gender variance. Gender nonconformity among children is a research area of particular interest for psychologists who are interested in how social perceptions of gender behaviour develop as we grow older. Researchers at U of T are no exception. The Biopsychosocial Investigations of Gender (BIG) Lab at UTM is conducting studies on gender nonconforming (GNC) children to see how “poor peer relations, generic risk factors, and parental attitudes” affect their psychological wellbeing. Ongoing research on how children perceive and react to GNC peers reveals ways that GNC kids are affected by the way they’re treated. The lab’s findings offer directions for adult role models, such as parents and educators, to foster acceptance of GNC peers among young children. Expression versus identity In an interview with The Varsity, Doug Va n d e r Laan, an assistant professor of psychology and the director of BIG Lab, defined ‘gender nonconformity’ as “gender-related behaviours, interests, and… identification that [don’t] align
with norms associated with one’s birth gender.” Expressing GNC behaviour does not mean that one is transgender or non-binary, nor does it mean that one has gender dysphoria. GNC is an umbrella term for varying physical expressions of gender, whereas being transgender or non-binary comes from one’s innate sense of self. Gender dysphoria, meanwhile, is a psychiatric clinical diagnosis. According to VanderLaan, a diagnosis of gender dysphoria requires significant prolonged distress over one’s gender. “There has to be an incongruence between one’s experience [of ] gender and their birth assigned sex.” Confusion over the definitions of these terms often occurs because the conditions for a gender dysphoria diagnosis are similar to the criteria for identifying GNC children. Children’s perception of GNC behaviour One recent publication from BIG Lab documents an interesting method for measuring children’s perception of GNC behaviour. The researchers studied a group of boys and girls aged four to five years old who were reported to be cisgender by their parents. Each child was shown four short video clips illustrating an example of a gender-conforming or gender-variant boy or girl at random. Gender-conforming behaviours involved boys playing with toy cars and girls playing with dolls, while gender-variant children swapped those roles. Afterward, participants were presented with photos of the four target boys and girls featured in the video clips. Each participant was given 10 gold star stickers and instructed to divide them between themselves and the four target children. Children were told that they could keep the stickers they allocated to themselves, and were asked to rank each target child based solely on their behaviours in the video clips. Results from the study showed substantial “social preference” for gender-conforming children among participants, both in how they distributed their stickers and their rankings of the target children. Children in the videos with the same gender or gender-typed behaviours as the participants themselves were more likely to be chosen as playmates, although the magnitude of this
preference was shaped by age and gender. Among older children, boys shared more target stickers with target boys displaying genderconforming behaviours than girls did with target girls. But among younger children, girls had a stronger preference for gender-conforming girls than younger boys did for gender-conforming boys. From this, the researchers concluded that, overall, children prefer illustrations of genderconforming children of their own gender over GNC children. When asked to comment on the result of this study, VanderLaan pointed out that “children tend to desire to interact with people who have interests that are similar to their own,” including gender expression. Those who are perceived as GNC are generally less popular than their gender-conforming counterparts, although this phenomenon is more pronounced in older GNC boys than GNC girls. VanderLaan related this differential treatment in GNC boys to the prevalence of patriarchy in society. Because men tend to have dominant social status or superior positions to women, there’s an association of masculinity with power. VanderLaan posited that this created the double standard in peer treatment of GNC boys and girls among older children. How are GNC children affected, and what can parents do? Among GNC children, there is a strong correlation between poor peer relations and lowered psychological well-being. VanderLaan described how a “minority stress model” may offer an explanation for the impact of poor peer relations. The main concept behind this model is that minoritized groups are likely to experience stigma and discrimination. In the case of GNC children, they are more likely to experience victimization and exclusion by their peers than children who display gender-conforming behaviours. The lack of social acceptance may drive increased anxiety and distress among GNC children, and in severe cases, the experience of social rejection is linked with increased self-harm and suicidality. VanderLaan also mentioned studies conducted by other researchers showing positive peer relations as “a reliable correlate of psychological
well-being… among [GNC] children and youth.” According to VanderLaan, parents who want to raise children to be more accepting of their GNC peers should pay attention to how their own behaviour influences their children. He suggested that adults who display both masculine and feminine characteristics enable children to be more accepting of diverse gender expression. Besides being a role model, parents can adopt a more ‘liberal’ attitude toward gender expression. GNC children benefit greatly from a warm parenting style that is responsive and accommodating to their needs. Open dialogues between parents of children build a secure base that provides support for GNC children when they encounter challenges outside of home. In classroom settings, it is important for teachers to avoid differential treatment of GNC children and teach their pupils the value of acceptance, according to VanderLaan. For instance, when a boy is teased and ridiculed because he is wearing a pink shirt, it is a great opportunity for educators to intervene. Calling out the discriminatory behaviours teaches children to recognize and challenge sexist remarks, and helps them learn to accept differences in their GNC peers. Gender beyond a Canadian context One of the questions that emerges from the BIG Lab’s research is how children understand gender differently around the world. VanderLaan cautioned that it’s still too early to claim definite results, particularly since his team has only replicated its results once per country and city. Nevertheless, some replications have aligned with Canadian results, including a study conducted in Hong Kong indicating that Chinese children also view GNC children negatively. Although parents can play a role in reducing biases against GNC children, VanderLaan maintained that the classroom environment has a part to play as well — particularly when it comes to challenging discriminatory behaviour. “[Educators] might help children to identify when… someone is being sexist, and what to do when they hear someone be sexist,” VanderLaan said. Children can be taught to rebut common sexist tropes, like the idea that some colours are appropriate only for boys and some for girls. “You might teach them to say, ‘There’s no such thing as boys’ colours and girls’ colours,’ ” he added. “The idea is teaching children to recognize these instances and challenge them.”
Researchers at the Biopsychosocial Investigations of Gender at UTM study gender expression in children. MZ85/CC FLICKR
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THE VARSITY
SCIENCE
science@thevarsity.ca
Probing the underexplored: the curious interests of three U of T scientists Hummingbirds in flight, colliding stars, and number theory contributions
Tahmeed Shafiq Science Editor
Scientists at the University of Toronto produce a wide variety of interesting research, a lot of which is generated from very specific, seldom-heard topics. Here are three researchers who’ve made their niche probing the underexplored. Hummingbird metabolisms Kenneth Welch Jr. is an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at UTSC, and he has studied hummingbird metabolisms for over a decade. Hummingbirds aren’t just pretty to look at — they’re also fascinating case studies of extreme metabolisms. They beat their wings at such a terrific speed that they need to eat every half an hour. According to Welch’s calculation, a flying hummingbird has no stores of energy to rely on; they hover almost exclusively on the nectar they have consumed within the past hour. One way that Welch’s lab studies hummingbird metabolisms is to look at how much oxygen the birds consume, as they need oxygen to break down the sugars and release carbon dioxide. One way to track oxygen consumption is by measuring ‘VO2 max’ — the volume of oxygen per unit of body weight used in a certain amount of time. In an interview with The New York Times, Welch
said that a hummingbird’s VO2 max can go up to 60 millilitres per gram of body weight per hour — many times that of an average human. In a more recent study, Welch’s lab looked at the impact of certain insecticides on hummingbirds. The lab found that neonicotinoid insecticides — some of the most common and toxic insecticides on the market — quickly reduce a hummingbird’s energy expenditure temporarily, which can be dangerous for animals that burn through their food so quickly. The life and death of stars Maria Drout studies the life of stars — how they are born, how they change over time, and ultimately how they die. She was an associate researcher at the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics before becoming an assistant professor at the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics. Drout achieved high-profile success in observing a highly-energetic stellar merger between two neutron stars, the superdense remnants of massive stars that have collapsed inward. In 2015, researchers at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory began to detect gravitational waves — previously undetected ripples in the fabric of space time that Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity predicted. In 2017, Drout’s team was responsible for detecting visible light from one such gravitational wave event: a collision between two neutron stars so in-
Maria Drout studies the life and death of stars at the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics. NASA/ CC WIKIMEDIA
tense it produced a ‘kilonova’ explosion, one step up from a regular supernova. In 2019, Drout was awarded the prestigious Polanyi Prize in Physics, a $20,000 prize that is named for University of Toronto Nobel Laureate John Charles Polanyi. The kilonova event that Drout and her team observed was regarded as the start of ‘multi-messenger’ astronomy, by which astronomers can detect multiple types of signals coming from the same event to study it better. Their data also showed hints that massive neutron star mergers can produce heavier elements — a process which regularly occurs in the merger of non-neutron stars. Since then, an American-European team confirmed in 2019 that the merger did create new elements after they reanalyzed the data and found the presence of the element strontium. The rich field of number theory Jacob Tsimerman is a U of T alum and associate professor in the Department of Mathematics. He is best known for his contributions to number theory, the study of the properties and relationships of whole numbers. In 2015, Tsimerman was awarded the Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology & Research Academy Ramanujan Award for his research. The prestigious $10,000 award is given to mathematicians working in fields related to the work of the genius mathemati-
Jacob Tsimerman is a U of T alum and professor in the Department of Mathematics known for his contributions to number theory. WALLPOPER/CC WIKIMEDIA
cian Srinivasa Ramanujan. Award winners have to be below the age of 32 — the age Ramanujan died. Number theory is a wide field of mathematics research that has rich applications to cryptography and computer science. Many results in the field are fiendishly complicated, but some of them are so straightforward that they were proved centuries ago. A great example of this is ancient mathematician Euclid’s proof that there are an infinite number of prime numbers, which dates back to around 300 BCE. As prime numbers are only divisible by one and themselves, they are valuable for cryptographers looking to build secure encoding systems. The search for larger and larger primes for cryptography has spanned decades — the current record-holder has over 24 million digits. Tsimerman’s prize was awarded for his partial solution to the Andre-Oort conjecture, an openended question about Shimura varieties — complex mathematical objects that can be described by points along a curve. His proof of the conjecture was only a partial success, however, as it is still being proved in other cases and with different assumptions. The oldest version of the conjecture was proposed in 1989, but the work is ongoing. “Mathematicians are sometimes too quick to dismiss the possibility that we can solve something,” Tsimerman said to Quanta Magazine in 2020. “Math is really hard, and people sometimes overlook things.”
Kenneth Welch Jr. studies hummingbird metabolism at UTSC’s Department of Biological Sciences. VJ ANDERSON/CC WIKIMEDIA
“Not Done” By Rebeca Moya
Send your comic submissions to illustrations@thevarsity.ca
FEBRUARY 8, 2021
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U of T’s student-run podcasts bring new insights to science communication Information dissemination and beyond
Podcasts have become a powerful medium for information in recent years, and science communication is no exception. If you are a science enthusiast keen on podcasts, you might be familiar with dynamic shows that make science accessible and engaging, like RadioLab, 60-Second Science, and The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe. How about Earth News Interviews or Raw Talk? If you haven’t heard about them, they are two remarkable student-run podcasts at U of T with a specific focus on science communication. Despite having distinct subject matters and styles of delivery, both shows strive to introduce unique perspectives to science communication and make it more accessible. Bringing what’s underground to light Earth News Interviews is presented by undergraduate students Dean Hiler and Sofia Panasiuk, the vice-president and sales representative of the Undergraduate Earth Science Association, respectively. The show features discussions with experts on major topics in the field of earth sciences accompanied by an in-depth dissection of relevant journal articles. In an interview with The Varsity, Hiler and Panasiuk said that since creating the podcast in June, they have set a clear purpose of making the earth sciences more mainstream. They are approaching this goal in various ways. The first thing that distinguishes Earth News Interviews from other science communication podcasts is how personal it is. The show is not only unique in its engaging conversational style, but special through the series of personal questions they pose to their guests. As Hiler explained, “We want students to kind of recognize themselves in the professors’ stories… you don’t know what your future holds, but you can kind of see a resemblance of yourself in these professors’ lives.” The perspective Hiler and Panasiuk bring as undergraduate students is another valuable feature of the podcast. They both emphasize the fact that they are not experts and are learning
along with the audience. “It might be surprising, but [when reading papers] we are usually not too familiar with the concepts either,” Panasiuk admitted. “And we have to do the background.” In an interview about continental plate collisions, trying to make sense out of the idea of two plates colliding, Hiler asked the week’s guest, “I guess it’s like Play-Doh and you push it together?” Questions and analogies like this make Earth News Interviews particularly ap-
the podcast suggests the importance of cooperation in the field of medical science, and the diverse perspectives featured in the podcast demonstrate medical science as an extensively diversified discipline. “With the tuberculosis episode, we covered both public health all the way down to the molecular biology element of it,” said executive producer Jesse Knight in an interview with The Varsity. The creators also focus on a scope of featured topics that address important conversations of this day and age, such as “social determinants of health perspective and people who may have barriers accessing health care,” according to Knight. Signing off In effect, the expansion of topics seen on Raw Talk and Earth News Interviews signals what’s especially meaningful about these two student-run podcasts at U of T: they are attempting to not just foster science communication, but also use it as a vehicle to raise awareness for prevalent social issues. Yagnesh Ladumor, another executive producer and show host for Raw Talk, connected this goal of awareness to a recent episode on the Moderna vaccine: “One thing that we can do using our position, experience, [and] knowledge base is disseminate information… We specifically did that episode to drive some science communication and drive some of this myth away from the vaccine… I think that’s a great position to be in.” Panasiuk and Hiler find themselves in a similar position when discussing the climate crisis through the lens of earth science. As Hiler said, “When you have these big [kinds] of abstract concepts, like climate change, there’s this… barely perceptible increase in the global average temperature… [and] that kind of scale [is] hard to relate to.” “If you can, while you’re interviewing an expert in a field, ask them to give you examples… It’s good to tie [things] down to people’s everyday experience.” If you’re interested in podcasting and science communication, Raw Talk is hosting a twoday “Podcast Festival” on February 27–28 with workshops from professional science journalists about starting in audio. Speakers will include RadioLab sound designer Jeremy Bloom and Globe and Mail writer Tanya Talaga.
/T HE VA RS ITY
Mai Ge Varsity Contributor
Getting personal with medicine Compared to the eight-month-old Earth News Interviews, Raw Talk has a longer history. Established in 2016, Raw Talk started with guestbased episodes that aimed to foster connections between students and researchers within the Institute of Medical Science (IMS). Now, the show is on its fifth season with a team of 40 people. It has evolved to adopt topic-based episodes, involving the voices of multiple experts from all institutions in the discipline. In the course of its development, diversity has been a key factor in making Raw Talk acces-
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proachable. Producing the show and working to make concepts accessible has helped Panasiuk acquire skills that are extremely important in the science discipline: “The skill of being able to read research papers is very, very important… personally, I’ve found that reading these papers has really helped me to get to know what the format of a scientific paper is, how to collect data… [and] how to make it flow nicely.”
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sible. The previous seasons of the podcast have allowed them to speak with a variety of guests — you hear soundbites from not just the researchers, but also students working on the topic and sometimes patients of the disease being discussed. In recent seasons, Raw Talk has been working to improve the diversity of guests and their perspectives, and to cover a wider range of topics. By incorporating guests outside of IMS,
U of T team finds the world’s oldest water — once again Tahmeed Shafiq Science Editor
Years of study are shedding light on subterranean environments and the life they support
returning to the Kidd Creek mine for years. Just a 20-minute drive north of Timmins, Ontario, this mine has produced samples which have been setFor over seven years, a team of researchers at the ting the record for the world’s oldest discovered University of Toronto has been delving into the water since 2013. Most recently, the team has depths of a mine in northern Ontario, looking to taken samples that are 2.7 billion years old. discover ancient water that is more than two bilIn its paper analyzing the sample, the team relion years old. ported the presence of acetate and formate salts, The team at the Department of Earth Sci- which would have been produced by geochemical ences, led by U of T professor and Canada Re- processes that could also support life. The team search Chair Barbara Sherwood Lollar, has been also found microbes in some of the samples, as Sherwood Lollar revealed on CTV’s Your Morning. The presence of life in such a stagnant environment has led the team to believe that the mine could be a useful way to understand life on other planets. Many of Earth’s organisms live in environments with oxygen and sunlight, but underground biomes could help scientists understand how different life would be without them — which may be the case on other planets. U of T researchers have sourced 2.7 billion World’s oldest water year old water from the Kidd Creek mine in The Kidd Creek mine forms northern Ontario. ROBYN JAYCC/THEVARSITY part of the Canadian Shield,
a large geographical area that spans most of North America and is composed of rocks that are billions of years old. The most recent sample was taken from a highly saline stream 2.4 kilometres beneath the surface. The researchers were able to date the water samples because they knew the age of the surrounding rock. The presence of certain radioactive isotopes within the rock suggested that the rock 2.4 kilometres under the surface was 2.7 billion years old, so the U of T team concluded that the water samples must be of the same age. In their newest paper, the researchers explained how a chemical analysis of the water could shed light on the role of the carbon cycle in deep subterranean environments. Above ground, carbon atoms naturally pass through various environments: they are absorbed by plants as carbon dioxide or through the soil, pass into animals once those plants are eaten, and eventually return to the soil and atmosphere once their holders decompose. Underground there are fewer lifeforms to participate in this process, so geochemical effects tend to pass carbon around. Volcanoes, shifting tectonic plates, and sinking masses of heavy material all keep carbon atoms flowing underground and connected to the surface cycle as well. Life on other planets Scientists are interested in the deep carbon cycle
because it is more closely analogous to the conditions on other planets. Life on Earth’s surface depends on the surface carbon cycle, but that process is sustained by photosynthetic life, sunlight, and oxygen — three things that other planets cannot be assumed to have in abundance. It is more likely that the local environments of watery planets thought to be suitable for life have something resembling Earth’s deep carbon cycle. Thus, by finding pockets of life on our planet, we can better model other planetary systems. Subterranean chemistry, temperature, and pressure conditions provide unique environmental extremes to test the limits of what life can endure. The more diverse conditions in which we find microbes, the more we can broaden our understanding of where life could be found in the universe. “One of the reasons I wanted to be a scientist was the discovery on the ocean floors in the 1970s that life down there was not driven by the sun’s energy,” said Sherwood Lollar in a 2018 interview with U of T News. “It was not photosynthetic life, but life dependent on chemicals,” she added. Understanding the chemistry supporting life deep below our feet may ultimately be key to understanding how life could evolve far beyond our planet.
Sports
February 8, 2021 vrsty.ca/sports sports@thevarsity.ca
How to toboggan like a pro A survivor’s guide to sledding Laura Ashwood Sports Editor
In these trying times, I have found myself scrounging for joy in the simplest of pleasures. Thanks to the plummeting temperatures and increased lockdown protocols in Ontario, outings and outdoor activities have become much scarcer than they were in the summer months of the pandemic. So, I treat every opportunity I get to frolic in the outdoors with my roommates with the same enthusiasm as I would have a night on the town a year ago. Such was the mentality I brought to the table when one of my roommates suggested a night of tobogganing. As a seasoned sledder, having cut up the hills all through my childhood, how could I not jump at this opportunity for not only time outside, but exciting, physically active time, which is hard to come by at the frigid end of January? So, that evening, we skipped arm in arm, magic saucers in hand, to Bickford Park. It was evident that we were not the only household to come up with such a bright idea: there were little friend groups bunched incrementally at the top of the hill, piling up on sleds together, or sending one of their members off. We staked out a lane for ourselves on the hill and began what was sure to be an evening of fun. Or so we thought. On one fateful run, my friend and I huddled together on a single saucer ready to catch some real speed. We even got one of our roommates to spin-push us for maximum rotation down the hill — an advanced move. As we spun down the hill, two novice sledders cut into our lane — stopped right in our line of fire — and laid back, observing the sky. I hollered, yelped, screamed — and yet, it was too late. The collision was fantastic: appendages smashed together, and I was left splayed on the bottom of the hill, stunned. Indeed, this event was tragic. But I can’t be defined by my lightly bruised shin. I knew, in that moment, that I must write a piece to let the public know, as a veteran sledder, the lay of
the land to prevent this from messing up anyone else’s ‘taboozing.’ 1. Choose your lane Stake out the right lane for you! Want speed? Find the steepest section. Want cool jumps? Find a bumpy one. 2. Stay in it This one is pretty self evident. Use your feet and hands to steer and brake and shift the weight in your body to make sure your line is as straight as possible. If you’re doing ultra-cool tricks — such as toboggan surfing or spin moves, you get the picture — just send out a prayer and hope for the best. 3. Have the right gear Dress for chilly temperatures, and prepare for the possibility of getting snow everywhere. I suggest some hefty snow pants! Also, your choice of sled is important: Canadian Tire sells great ones for both singles on the slopes and those looking to team up with roommates. Garbage bags and collapsed cardboard boxes are also options, but they will not get you the real speed you’re probably going for. 4. Respect the walk-up lane No one wants to sled down bumpy, trodden hills. If you’re visiting a hill that has been sledded on lots, there will be areas of slick, packed down snow, ideal for speedy sledding. To walk back up the hill after your run, try to preserve these ideal lanes; find the area where everyone has been walking up, and respect it! 5. Absolutely no lollygagging! When you finish your run do not — and I repeat, do not— sit at the bottom of the hill for long. This is how collisions happen. Besides, it really exposes you as an amateur. Learn from my mistakes, dear sledder. Take this guidance to the hills. Good luck!
FIONA TUNG/THEVARSITY
Testing UTrain: Stretch and release Do the workouts really work? Alex Waddell Varsity Staff
Once you are enrolled in the U of T Virtual Fitness Studio, you’ll receive an email every Sunday with the updated Zoom link, the schedule, and any new announcements regarding weekly programming. This week, I was delighted to receive notice of a new class being offered by Harthouse: Stretch and Release. This new class started on February 3 and is hosted every Wednesday at 11:00 am. Stretch and Release invites students to “a mindful stretch practice to help ease pain and release tension.” Harthouse has always offered Flexibility Fusion, which is a similar class that I’ve never taken, but I was interested in and excited about this new class, so I thought I’d try it out! This was my first UTrain class where I didn’t have to change into workout gear, and it was a nice break from the monotony of my class schedule. Sadaf, the instructor, welcomed us to the class and asked us to grab a chair and a broom, which we would use in the stretches. I didn’t have a broom so I grabbed a Swiffer instead. I definitely felt a bit silly at first holding both ends of the Swiffer, but I quickly got over my embarrassment because my back loved the
stretches. This class was going to focus on hips and thoracic mobility, all of which are especially important now that we spend so much time sitting in front of our screens. We started the class with broom moves — picture me holding both ends of the Swiffer behind my back and doing windmills with my arms. We then switched to more classic standing stretches. I am a very flexible person, so the more traditional stretches didn’t do much, but I loved the addition of tools — like the chair and the broom — to intensify each stretch. Later, we practised some moves with the broom on a chair, learning stretches we could easily work into our day. Finally, we moved to the mat and practiced good, postured sitting with a wall and ran through a cycle of down dogs, up dogs, and bird dogs. I have never before done stretching for a full hour, so I found it hard to keep my attention. However, Sadaf was very engaging, and I really did feel more relaxed after the class. If you are planning to join sometime later in the semester, Sadaf will be incorporating resistance bands and weights into the class, so make sure you bring those — and a broom.
Stretch and Release focused on stretching using everyday objects. MAHIKA JAIN/THEVARSITY
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Get your game on with this Shrek-themed workout The sweat starts coming and it don’t stop coming
Megan Brearley and Nathalie Whitten Senior Copy Editor and Creative Director
As the pandemic soars on and gym doors remain barred, we’re all left to our own devices at home in our own ‘swamps.’ Of course, as U of T Sport & Recreation and fitness influencers have moved online, there is no shortage of online workouts, and YouTube has a splattering of various exercise videos. Among this shift to online workouts, however, another being has emerged: themed workouts that are customized to pop culture phenomena. Scrolling through, we decided to try a Shrek-themed highintensity interval training (HIIT) workout and let you know what’s up. The Shrek-themed workout in question, titled “SHREK HIIT WORKOUT-SHREK IS LOVE. SHREK IS LIFE. SHREK IS WORK,” is offered by Emily of emkfit, a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. She endearingly calls her followers “clowns,” which is exactly what we felt like as we were doing some of the goofy dance moves. Her philosophy is “wrong and strong,” and she encourages her followers to dance along as best they can and own their mistakes. Throughout the video, she offers alternatives to the more high-impact moves and encourages everyone to work at their own comfort level. Her channel is also home to a number of other themed HIIT workouts that are perfect doses of nostalgia, ranging from Mamma Mia, to Hamilton, to Just Dance. You’re probably wondering by now: ‘What exactly makes it Shrek-themed?’ Besides Emily’s green workout outfit, the answer is the pumped up soundtrack, plot-inspired moves, and an epic 40-second dramatic monologue of her dancing with her pug. We warmed up with the quintessential Shrek song: “All Star” by Smash Mouth. Following along with neck stretches and body rolls, we wondered what adventures were to come. Expect to hear all of the classic tunes — we were particularly excited by the Fairy Godmother version of “Holding Out for a Hero” and the equally epic dance moves that came with it in a perfect mid-workout crescendo. Despite the cheesy aerobic moves, this workout was no joke. The workout only runs about 25
minutes, but the short time frame is made up for through quick, tight movements and choreography, as Emily incorporated full-body exercises and tried-and-true HIIT techniques that left us sweating and sore the next day. Do you know how many muscles are activated by pretending to ride a noble steed and looking out for Princess Fiona? A lot. If you are a beginner, you will probably find these moves understandably silly and unexpectedly challenging. We recorded high heart rates and sweated like, well, ogres, so remember to hydrate before, during, and after completing this workout! Emily frequently stops to give you 10 seconds of rest during each song, which is a perfect hydration and breathing break. We recommend this workout for the Shrek lover, the HIIT fanatic, and anyone looking to spice up their life in lockdown. It’s important to remember that a good workout routine has layers, and, as the fitness world can feel intimidating, s o m e t i m e s laughing it out while you sweat it out is the best way to get back into a sustainable workout routine.
What the Health: Carbohydrates Are carbs really the devil? Or are they misunderstood? Angad Deol Associate Sports Editor
MILIDAE CLAIRE UY/THEVARSITY
Healthy and budget-friendly guide to the grocery store A healthy list that won’t take a bite out of your wallet Saving money doesn’t have to mean eating processed junk — try for yourself! JACK PANKRATZ/THEVARSITY
Angad Deol Associate Sports Editor
If you’re anything like me, a trip to the grocery store is one way to get some fresh air in the midst of this neverending pandemic. Of course, it’s also important to make sure what you bring home with you to make it through the lockdown is healthy. It’s quite easy to rush to the freezer aisle, but it’s better for you in the long run to stop and browse the produce instead. Below are some of the best foods you can grab while making sure you don’t spend too much — I’ll even share a recipe that you can try! Step one: get your protein If you have a carnivorous side, try avoiding processed foods commonly found in the freezers and instead opt for a low fat, fresh option, such as chicken breast. One serving of chicken breast — roughly 85 grams — clocks in at a whopping 24 grams of protein, which is great for maintaining muscle mass and tissue maintenance in the body. Don’t worry if you’re vegetarian — you can get
your protein fix from plant-based products, such as quinoa, which has eight grams of protein in a cooked serving of one cup. Step two: fruits and vegetables Canada’s food guide recommends getting lots of fruits and vegetables; in fact, they should be taking up half your plate. Some great fruits and veggies you can grab at the market include apples, which are high in fibre and are a great all-around fruit; carrots, which are high in antioxidants and potassium; and spinach, which is full of iron, vitamins A and C, and magnesium. Of course, all these items can be gathered for a good rate. Apples and carrots both clock in at an average of under $5 per kilogram, and frozen vegetables allow you to get more for a lower price. All in all, fruits and vegetables give you great nutritional value for a decent price at the checkout aisle. Step three: bring it home to make dinner How can you make a good, healthy dinner? Here is a recipe I use quite often for chicken breasts with veggies.
Ingredients: 1 chicken breast A pinch of salt A pinch of pepper A pinch of paprika A pinch of cumin 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon minced ginger 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup of spinach 1 apple Directions: Take the chicken breast and marinate it with the salt, pepper, and paprika, along with garlic, ginger, cumin, and just a bit of olive oil. Then pop it in the oven to bake at 400 Fahrenheit for 20–25 minutes, and that way, you’ll avoid adding excess fat from cooking and frying oils. Chop up the spinach, carrots, and apples and drizzle with olive oil to get a nice side salad for the chicken breast.
My entire life, I have always been told to avoid carbohydrates at all costs. In media or when talking to friends and family, one message was always very clear: carbs are the devil incarnate. However, as I’ve grown older, I’ve actually come to see the benefits of having a balanced diet that includes carbohydrates. So, it’s time to reach a verdict — are carbs really the macronutrient to avoid? First and foremost, let’s get some background information on carbohydrates. There are two kinds of carbohydrates you can consume in your diet: simple carbs — also known as sugars — and complex carbs — also known as starches and fibres. As you can probably tell based on this list, carbohydrates are a great source of fuel in your diet. In fact, carbohydrates are mainly turned into glucose by the body — the sugar that is the gasoline to our body’s engine: the brain! Many weight loss diets tell you to avoid carbohydrates in order to ‘burn fat.’ Of course, the downside of this is that you end up losing a lot of fuel for your body — you may lose weight, but you’ll likely be miserable doing so. Instead, you should consider finding healthier ways of incorporating carbohydrates in your diet, such as by eating foods that are nutrient dense. Whole grains, such as quinoa, are not only full of fibre, but have protein as well — another source of energy for the body and a big contributor to muscle and tissue maintenance. Fruits and vegetables contain dietary fibres, as well as essential vitamins and minerals. You should avoid juices and grab a whole fruit to limit spikes in sugar levels. Also, be sure to avoid refined carbs such as white bread products, and instead, opt for wholegrain options, such as brown rice and the aforementioned quinoa.
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FEBRUARY 8, 2021