Issue 18 (Love, sex, and the UTSU) (February 13, 2023) (Volume 143)

T HE VAR SI T Y

T HE VAR SI T Y

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The Varsity would like to acknowledge that our office is built on the traditional territory of several First Nations, including the Huron-Wendat, the Petun First Nations, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit. Journalists have historically harmed Indigenous communities by overlooking their stories, contributing to stereotypes, and telling their stories without their input. Therefore, we make this acknowledgement as a starting point for our responsibility to tell those stories more accurately, critically, and in accordance with the wishes of Indigenous Peoples.

UTMSU hosts first Lobby Week, discusses ongoing campaigns with administration

Food insecurity and Credit/No Credit options major discussion points

The week of January 30 marked the University of Toronto Mississauga Student Union’s (UTMSU) first-ever lobby week, where the UTMSU petitioned UTM administration and policy makers concerning food insecurity on campus, tuition costs, policies regarding academic integrity, and the extension of the credit/no credit (CR/ NCR) deadline.

“We organized working groups that started in the fall semester and we put out a call out on our social media… for students who are interested to help draft the lobby documents,” said Maëlis Barre, president of the UTMSU.

Lobbied changes

The UTMSU’s Food Security Now campaign aims to increase the diversity of food available on campus and to ensure access to halal, kosher, glutenfree, vegan, and vegetarian options, and ensuring that staff have the necessary training to make and serve diverse food options.

“Tools used in preparing non-halal foods should not be interchangeably used in halal food preparation,” said Reagan Roopnarine, vice-president equity.

Further, the UTMSU lobbied to extend the CR/ NCR deadline so that the last day students can opt in would be after they receive their final grades. This change would give students the ability to make informed decisions regarding their standing in the course without receiving penalties or repercussions to their GPA.

need to be more Co-op programs offered at UTM to accommodate the growing demand and popularity.” The union added that UTM students should have access to an online alternative for undergraduate classes. In a survey conducted by the UTMSU, over 82 per cent of students at UTM believed they would benefit from both virtual and in-person learning.

To ease the effects of drawn-out investigations on students’ academic journeys, post-graduate ventures, and mental health, the UTMSU lobbied for a time limit for the resolution of academic offences. They also proposed that students receive written or oral warnings for their first alleged offence which would present students with a learning opportunity as well as a way to avoid academic consequences.

Future accountability and announcements

study here at night.” Noor added that the UTM administration hopes to better food service hours for the upcoming year, as well as increase gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, and halal food options to better accommodate different diets. According to Noor, student food auditors will go undercover to assess quality of food services and provide feedback to the UTMSU and UTM administration.

Noor also explained that updates on the CR/NCR extension initiative are coming in late March. In the interview, she said that the UTMSU will continue to hold UTM’s administration accountable in fulfilling its promises, saying that “we’re definitely going to obviously follow up with them a lot more.”

Online course offerings will also increase during the upcoming summer semester, as the UTM administration recognizes that more students want to travel, or have to go back to their home countries. These new offerings allow students to maintain their course load.

Additionally, to curb the current high rates of academic misconduct, Noor suggested increasing education concerning academic offenses in the form of mandatory educational modules with the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre. She explained that, “Students come from different cultural backgrounds and for them [academic offenses] may look different.”

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The UTMSU also called for increased alternatives to mainstream education, adding that “there

In an interview with The Varsity, Suraqa Noor, UTMSU vice-president of university affairs, said, “[The] hours [of food services at UTM] are not great for students who live on campus, or students who

UTM students prepare care packages for homeless shelter

Students raise awareness of and support Toron tonians experiencing homelessness

Al Aref Helal UTM Bureau Chief

On February 10, UTM organizations A Better Day Tomorrow (ABDT) and Acts of Kindness partnered to raise awareness about homelessness within the GTA. Members prepared care packages containing hygiene necessities and handwritten Valentine’s Day messages for people staying at the Red Door Family Shelter in Downtown Toronto.

The event

ABDT President Alexis Konopny, Vice President Amanda Jani, and executive member Emma Fath hosted the event. “We wanted to raise awareness about homelessness because it’s a big problem, especially in the Mississauga area,” Konopny said in an interview with The Varsity Attendees packed menstrual pads, soap bars, toothbrushes, tissues, and wet wipes into Valentine’s gift bags, adding handwritten motivational notes. According to Fath, these items are necessities and help improve people’s mental health. “It’s a confidence thing,” said Fath. “Feeling clean [is] associated with dignity.”

Sonja Pusic, a first-year student at UTM, used to work at a homeless shelter and attended the event. Pusic discussed the impact of the handwritten Val entine’s Day notes, and said that a “personal touch would really help people.”

ABDT is in the process of becoming a University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union recognized club. As such, they do not currently receive funding from banks they have approached or U of T student unions, so the ABDT executives purchased the necessities used in these care packages with their own money. As the only club generally aimed at advocating against Toronto homelessness on all U of T campuses, ABDT hopes to establish chapters at UTSC and UTSG.

“[We’re] just helping as much as we can,” Konopny said. “We’re not going to end homelessness, but a step in the right direction is what our group is looking for.”

Upcoming plans

Konopny hopes to host a joint event with an addiction centre to educate students about the comorbidities of addiction and homelessness, and to host a naloxone training session to help individuals

Noor also said that UTM administration agreed to increase the availability of alternative forms of education such as hybrid and co-op learning opportunities within the next two years. She added that, “Given that we’re coming back from COVID, students don’t necessarily have a lot of hands-on experience.”

Finally, budgeting for UTM’s non-academic scholarships will increase, allowing for more needs, merit, and sports based scholarships.

The organizers of the event helped prepare cafe packages for people experiencing homelessness. HANNAH KATHERINE/THEVARSITY

properly react during overdose situations. According to the City of Toronto, 13 overdose deaths occurred at Toronto shelters during July, August, and September of 2022. Prior to that, from October to December 2021, homeless shelters recorded 27 overdose deaths, which is the highest number of deaths to have occurred in one quarter.

The group also aims to invite University Health Network representatives to speak about the relationship between unhoused people and hospitals.

The ABDT executives also plan to organize more care package-making events. “It’s a good initiative to get people together, to collaborate, [and to promote] teamwork amongst the club,” said Konopny.

The UTMSU met with UTM administration to discuss ongoing campaigns. JESSICA LAM AND LEXEY BURNS/THEVARSITY

Lexey Burns & Al Aref Helal News Team

UTMSU hosts annual commission meeting

Students gather to discuss consent culture, grocery discounts, and fee decreases

Al Aref Helal

UTM Bureau Chief

On February 7, the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) held its annual Commission meeting, for which 50 UTM students gathered to share their ideas about student life, services, and advocacy campaigns. They also provided the UTMSU with feedback on the Commission meetings.

Student suggestions

During the Commission meeting, students split off into three working groups: the Student Life Commission, the Student Services Commission, and the Campaigns & Advocacy Commission.

At the Student Services Commission, one student suggested introducing student discounts at local grocery stores.

UTMSU President Maëlis Barre told students in

the Campaigns & Advocacy Commission about the Consent is Mandatory campaign. In an interview with The Varsity, Barre said that the UTMSU has discussed ways to facilitate conversations with students about encouraging a culture of consent on campus.

Some of the demands from students included an implementation of an online portal for sensitive topics, which would facilitate anonymous discussions among students. As well, students hoped for a feedback portal for food criticism.

Barre told attendees that, in partnership with the Sexual Education Center and the Women’s Gender and Equity Center, the UTMSU aims to develop outreach materials and a hybrid self-defense class. A student also suggested that the UTMSU offer an anonymous feedback portal discussing consent so that students who feel uncomfortable discussing their concerns publicly.

The UTMSU’s Vice-President of Campus Life

Fatima Yakubi facilitated the Student Life working group. Student suggestions from that working group included the addition of events like a women’s only pub night, a board game night, and a timed art contest.

Impact of commission meetings

At a Commission meeting 15 years ago, a student suggested that the UTMSU create a bus pass, which led to the creation of the MiWay U-Pass.

Anna Beatrice Porto, a Commission meeting attendee who transferred to UTM from McMaster, told The Varsity that she appreciated the UTMSU’s decision to host the Commission meeting. “They [UTMSU] actually care about students and what we have

to say.”

One of her suggestions included a general fee decrease for students: “As students we always want to have more money in our pockets than giving [money] to the actual university.”

In an interview with The Varsity, Thammathorn Paweewan, a member of the UTMSU Board of Directors, expressed his satisfaction with the meeting, saying it had a “friendly atmosphere.”

Berry Lou — vice president internal at the UTMSU — explained that the UTMSU will continue its outreach. Lou highlighted a daily tabling initiative in the William G. Davis Building, where he hopes “to make more connections with our students.”

21 new courses arriving in 2023–2024, including permanent online options

Bureau Chief and Associate News Editor

The UTSC Academic Affairs Committee (AAC) and the UTSC Campus Affairs Committee (CAC) met on February 8 and 9, respectively. The Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU) proposed

increasing its fees to up to $527 per semester, while the UTSC Office of Student Experience and Wellbeing (OSEW) proposed to increase its fees to up to $432.25 per semester.

UTSC Vice-Dean Teaching, Learning and Undergraduate Programs Katherine Larson also announced that UTSC will offer 21 new courses for the 2023–2024 academic year, in addition to the 17 courses proposed to the AAC in January.

Incidental fee increases

At the CAC, UTSC Dean of Student Experience and Wellbeing Neel Joshi presented the SCSU’s proposal to increase undergraduate students’ union fees for the 2023–2024 academic year.

The SCSU plans to increase its fees for full-time students by 6.9 per cent, from $493.07 up to $527 per semester, and for part-time students by 4.5 per cent, from $53.62 up to $56.05. These fee increases reflect increases in the UTSC Sports and Recreation Complex levy, health and dental plan, and Student Centre portions of the SCSU’s fees, among other components.

At the meeting, Joshi also presented the OS-

EW’s proposal to increase its fees for all students by 2.74 per cent in the 2023–2024 academic year.

This means that the OSEW will charge full-time students up to $432.25 per semester and part-time students up to $86.45. These fee increases will go toward Health and Wellness services, Athletics and Recreation, Career Services, and Academic Support, among others.

Amrith David, the SCSU’s vice-president academics and university affairs and interim president, gave a speech of approval for the OSEW fee increases. “The new increased budgets would benefit the overall student body here at UTSC,” said David.

The CAC voted to recommend these two proposals, with one abstention each. These fee increases are subject to approval by the UTSC Campus Council in March.

New courses at UTSC

At the AAC, Larson announced that UTSC will introduce 21 new courses next year.

The Department of English will add an online option for seven courses, including the program

requirement course ENGA01H3 — What is Literature? These changes aim to make courses more accessible for students and “are based on experience the department had during the pandemic.”.

The online options will also allow some courses to accommodate more students. Larson clarified that in-person versions of each of the courses will continue to run and that she projects there will be “plenty of students” continuing to take the in-person classes.

The Department of Language Studies will offer 13 of the new courses to enrich the existing major and minor in English and Chinese Translation. New course offerings include ECTC64H3 — Translating Cultures in a Polarizing World, a course designed to teach students theoretical knowledge in analyzing contemporary issues concerning cultural translation. Another highlight is ECTC65H3 — Translation and Religion, which will cover a variety of religions including Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam in the context of translation.

The AAC and CAC will meet again on March 22 and 23, respectively.

UTM governance committees approve fee increases,

as academic offense

UTM’s Campus Affairs Committee (CAC) and Academic Affairs Committee (AAC) met on February 8 and 9, respectively. At the Campus Affairs meeting, attendees discussed increases in student service fees. Members of the AAC approved a new minor in Game Studies and discussed the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in graded assignments.

AI tools and graded assignments

Amrita Daniere, interim vice-principal, academic and dean, discussed the university’s policy on the use of AI. According to Daniere, faculty should explicitly remind students that the university prohibits them from using AI tools such as ChatGPT in graded assignments. However, she explained that the university won’t be able to detect all AI use “no matter how rapidly we develop tools to detect these strategies [and] technologies.” As such, Daniere urged faculty to avoid promising that they will catch students who use AI.

Proposed fee increases

Mark Overton, dean of student affairs and assistant principal, student services, presented the administration’s proposed student fee increases and outlined what occurred at the Quality Service to Students (QSS) meeting held on January 12. The QSS is a council composed of a variety of students and administrators who work toward improving UTM student experiences. At the QSS meeting, the administration proposed increasing the Health Services fee from $60.15 to $62.16 for full-time students, and from $12.03 to $12.43 for part-time students.

They also asked the QSS to approve increasing the Recreation & Athletics service fee from $205.88 to $211.68, and from $41.18 to $42.34 for part-time students. Finally, the administration proposed increasing the Student Services Fee from $214.67 to $245.96 for full-time students, and from $42.93 to $49.19 for part-time students.

The QSS voted against all of the proposed increases. However, the CAC voted in favour, with three members abstaining and none opposed, so the motion passed.

The CAC also approved increases to the University of Toronto Mississauga Association of Gradu-

ate Students’ (UTMAGS) U-Pass fees, bringing the total fees that UTMAGS charges UTM graduate students to $260.58 per session. They also voted to approve increasing the fees charged to UTMSU and Mississauga Academy of Medicine (MAM) students.

Previously the UTMAGS students paid $236.89 and after the fee increase will pay $260.58. For the fall and winter semesters, the UTMSU fee will come to $441.76 from $406.84 per session for full-time students and $171.27 from $157.94 for part-time students, while MAM students will pay UTMSU fees of up to $539.51 per session. These fees will take effect at the start of the fall 2023 session.

Game Studies minor

Recently, the UTM library acquired a collection of almost 14,000 video games, hundreds of consoles and systems, and thousands of game-related periodicals. Larry Switzky, an associate professor in the Department of English and Drama, explained to the AAC that this is one of the largest known collections in the world.

Switzky presented the vote asking the AAC to approve a new freestanding minor in Game Studies

given the growing popularity of existing courses on digital games and narrative.

Andreas Bendlin, associate professor and vice dean, academic experience, asked what pathways the minor would offer students after they graduate. In response, Switsky said that the minor would prepare students for a growing number of masters programs offered by other universities such as the University of Waterloo and Brock University.

The committee passed the motion to approve the new minor. The UTM Department of English and Drama will start offering the Game Studies minor in September 2023.

The UTSC governance held their meetings on February 8 and 9.

UTSC and SCSU to increase incidental fees to almost $1,000 next year, pending vote

Alyanna Denise Chua and Tony Xun

UTSC

News Team

Jake Barton

Jake Barton is a second-year student double majoring in international relations and public policy and minoring in history. He is an executive for U of T New Democratic Party (NDP) Club and has helped facilitate a partnership between U of T NDP and Students Mobilizing Against Systemic Hardship (SMASH) Coalition. He is also active with Climate Justice U of T and has worked with elected officials in the Spadina—Fort York riding. In an interview with The Varsity, Barton said that these experiences “taught [him] how to be a leader in a community, how to represent a community, and advocate

UTSU CANDIDATE PROFILES

President

Caroline Bellamy, Angad Deol Varsity Editors

Jakob Kramer

Jakob Kramer is a third-year philosophy specialist. As an executive of the University of Toronto Pre-Law Students’ Association (UTPLSA), he told The Varsity that he has experience running largescale events and coordinating logistics for trips.

During his time with the UTPLSA, Kramer said he has gained the interpersonal and leadership skills needed to succeed as vice-president operations.

In an interview with The Varsity , he highlighted his three main campaign focuses: increased transparency, productivity, and value for the students. If elected, Kramer

for their inter-

The three main focuses of Barton’s campaign are student well-being, tuition affordability, and the environment. He hopes to increase the quality of meal plans on campus, make it safer, and improve its wi-fi. Barton also wants to expand the UTSU’s health and dental plan.

In terms of climate activism, Barton committed to “focus on getting RBC off campus,” because it is the largest fossil fuel funder in Canada. He also wants to advocate for better climate policy from the university, specifically from the federated colleges — University of Trinity College, University of St. Michael’s College, and Victoria University. Finally, Barton hopes to increase the UTSU’s transparency and facilitate dialogue between the union and students.

Jerico Raguindin

Jerico Raguindin is a fourthyear student double majoring in public policy and sociology and minoring in material culture and semiotics.

After taking a year away from student politics, Raguindin said that his investment in the issues that animated him during his term as president of the Victoria University Students’ Administrative Council (VUSAC) motivated him to run for UTSU president. “I realized a month or two ago that I still have a lot to contribute and that I do want to be able to lead but also support people in doing that work,” he said, in an interview with The Varsity Raguindin’s platform includes focusing on mental health, affordability, climate

and disability justice, and holding the university accountable for their internal policies. He also wants to strengthen existing lines of communication between the UTSU and students.

Over the past year, Raguindin served as co-manager at the Cat’s Eye, a student lounge at Victoria College. He said that this experience allowed him to connect with students in their daily lives, and hopes to bring this “boots on the ground” approach to the position of president.

Raguindin added that he wants to bring the UTSU into classes and set up tabling at student centres across campus.“We have to localize the UTSU as a union,” he said.

Elizabeth Shechtman

Elizabeth Shechtman is a second-year student in economics and bioethics.

Currently, Shechtman serves as the UTSU’s vice-president student life. She said in an interview with The Varsity that this experience allowed her to understand how the UTSU works and what students need. Shechtman has experience with three internal UTSU committees: finance, clubs, and elections and referenda. She also sits on the Board of Directors of CIUT-FM — U of T’s campus and community radio — and is a member of the Student Initiative Fund Committee and the Student Life Advisory Council.

Shechtman said her campaign focuses on growing the student aid program as well

Vice-President Operations

as expanding the mental health resources provided by the UTSU. She is particularly interested in growing the current student health insurance program. She also wants to expand the Student Commons. “I want to make that a community for all students,” Shechtman explained. She aims to continue the UTSU’s current projects of adding a café and a mutual aid textbook library to the Commons. Shechtman wants to ensure that the Commons serves as a valuable resource for all students.

Shechtman said that she sees a lot of room for improvement at the UTSU. Specifically, she hopes to work with stakeholders, help fellow UTSU executives, and increase revenue for the UTSU. She explained, “If we have more funding, we’re able to provide students with more.”

Disclosure: Elizabeth Shechtman was an associate news editor for The Varsity in the 2021–2022 school year.

hopes to increase the accessibility of the University of Toronto Students’ Union’s (UTSU) financial statements. He said students should be able to “click one document and have [an] understanding of what’s going on and how the union functions.”

Additionally, Kramer hopes to streamline the UTSU’s internal processes. He believes that the UTSU is a memberrun organization for a reason, and wants to see members bring things to the table themselves. Lastly, Kramer wants to increase the value that the union brings to the students and, if elected, he wants to make it easier for students to get involved with the union. He emphasized the importance of the UTSU to the university community.

Nick Leiper

Nick Leiper is a fifth-year history and African studies student. Leiper served as the chief of associates at the UTSU this past year and he said that he gained an understanding of the union’s strengths and the areas that need improvement.

In an interview with The Varsity , Leiper said that his experience working for non profits on national development and different community groups on campus has prepared him for the role.

If elected, Leiper wants to tackle transparency issues. He believes transparency factors into the union’s ability to collaborate with the commu-

nity, and that it is important the UTSU knows what students want so it can coordinate events and services for students’ needs.

Leiper also hopes to create services with a “material impact on students’ livelihoods and well-being.” Additionally, he hopes to build off of the success of last year’s orientation and continue to build community.

Lastly, Leiper hopes to fill the Student Commons with space for the community to gather. He described the building as being “a bit clinical.” He listed rehearsal studios, theatre rooms, and gathering spaces as potential additions to the Commons.

Samir Mechel is a fourth-year student majoring in English and literature and critical theory. Mechel believes that the UTSU could do more to expand its outreach programs and connect with students, citing low voter turnouts in the past.

Mechel has experience in community organizing as a rally marshall, as well as in the labour movement, supporting strikes and picket lines. His campaign is focused on advocating for more student grants and amnesty instead of loans, providing acces-

sible education, and fighting discrimination. Mechel is also looking to advocate for international students to be eligible for OHIP: “They live here, they work here. They study here and they should be treated like students and not just sources of money [for] the university.”

Moreover, Mechel wants campus employees to earn a living wage and to hold U of T accountable for its divestment plans.

Lexey Burns, Selia Sanchez, Jessie Schwalb

Samir Mechel

With files from Kamilla Bekbossynova.

Vice-President Equity

Micah Kalisch

Kristina Cổ

Kristina Cổ is a second-year student majoring in criminology and sociolegal studies and minoring in philosophy and critical studies in equity and solidarity. In an interview with The Varsity , Cổ said that she wants to empower “students whose voices are oftentimes unheard.” She explained, “The focuses of my campaign are empowerment, transparency, and communication.” She believes that the vice-president, equity of the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) should “centre those student voices that aren’t being listened to.”

Cổ decided to run for the

position of vicepresident equity, because she wants to prevent others from experiencing the types of equity-related issues that she and her friends have faced. Over the summer, she worked as an organizing intern for the American Civil Liberties Union. She hopes to use the lessons she learned working with marginalized groups to meet students’ concerns and needs.

Cổ wants to ensure that the U of T student body understands the UTSU’s actions. She proposed that the UTSU creates a year-round form where students can express their equity concerns and provide ideas to the union. She also mentioned that, if elected, she would focus on ensuring that the UTSU staff receives thorough equity training that includes the critical and philosophical frameworks she’s learned through her minors.

Micah Kalisch is a fourth-year student with a specialist in women and gender studies, a major in sociology, and a minor in critical studies in equity and solidarity. They are the executive assistant to the current vice president equity.

In addition to being the founder and director of the Prevention, Empowerment, Advocacy, Response, for Survivors Project — more commonly known as the PEARS Project — they have worked with the UofT Mental Health Policy Council, and have spoken at various Governing

Council meetings. Kalisch said in an interview with The Varsity that they have seen large systemic barriers to and gaps in support for students, as well as internal issues within the UTSU in terms of policies. They hope to shift the role and launch programs that support students. Their campaign's primary goals are creating a safer space on campus with a focus on antiviolence work, building meaningful connections with the community, and using the UTSU’s resources to help organizations engaging in anti-oppressive work. They aim to bolster student and financial aid, and make the vice-president equity position more student-centered.

Finally, Kalisch aims to create a more inclusive and accessible space for students.

Rebecca Sy

Rebecca Sy is a second-year neuroscience major and minoring in physiology and psychology. She was the UTSU’s life sciences director last year. In an interview with The Varsity, Sy said that her campaign priorities are accessibility, finance, and student learning programs. Sy aims to reduce wait times for student mental health resources by hiring more practitioners. She would also

Fatima Sohail

Fatima Sohail is a third-year student studying contemporary Asian studies and critical studies in equity and solidarity. Currently, she is the corporate relations manager for the U of T Women’s Association, a student group that empowers women through education and communitybuilding spaces.

In an interview with The Varsity, Sohail described the challenges students face when seeking bursaries and grants, particularly when they require

like to work toward decreasing stigmas surrounding mental health resources, especially for first-generation, international, and racialized students.

Also, Sy aims to reduce costs for students, such as textbooks and software required for classes and fees for deferring exams. She highlights that these extra costs may be inequitable and burdensome, especially in addition to regular tuition fees.

Sy aims to “create a more even playing field” in develop-

Vice-President Professional Faculties

these resources promptly. “I want to find a way where I can help all these students, because I’ve been in their position before,” she said.

Sohail’s campaign focuses on helping first generation students navigate the university. “There are resources available on campus, but oftentimes, I find that most students are unaware of these resources,” she said. She hopes to create a package for new students and hold information sessions during orientation week.

In addition, Sohail wants to streamline the UTSU’s processes so that clubs and students can receive funding more quickly. She hopes to collaborate with groups that support queer students and students of colour to facilitate an environment on campus where these students can feel comfortable.

ing skills like networking and résumé building. She pointed out that these skills are often accessed through personal connections, which some groups may not have access to.

Finally, Sy noted a lack of communication between UTSU executive members and the Board of Directors, which she attributes to the power dynamics within the union government. She hopes to see this environment improve and would encourage UTSU members to approach her as a friend.

Al-amin Ahamed

Al-amin Ahamed is a third-year student in the Doctor of Pharmacy program. They plan on bridging the gap between the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) and students in second-entry programs like their own.

As a former Faculty of Arts & Sciences student, they’ve found that the UTSU has less presence in the professional faculties. As vice-president professional faculties, they’d like to engage with students more actively and build lasting connections with student organizations.

As someone who has personally benefited from UTSU supports,

Ahamed also wants to improve the understanding of the professional faculties’ students on the union’s resources. “Leadership, scholarships, financial aid, emergency bursaries… I feel like a lot of those supports are not recognized by a lot of students,” they said in an interview with The Varsity

Ahamed is currently the president of the Undergraduate Pharmacy Society (UPS) and has also worked with the UTSU as an orientation coordinator. They’ve been working on student advocacy with the UPS and the UTSU for the past three years, including an ongoing campaign for a follow-up reading week for students in the Doctor of Pharmacy program. They hope to extend this advocacy work to represent students in other professional faculties.

Harvi Karatha is a second-year student studying engineering science.

In an interview with The Varsity, Karatha highlighted her experience in many U of T clubs and organizations across different faculties. She said that her experience gives her a diverse understanding of what professional faculty students need. She added that she will ensure that all professional faculties have an equal voice and are heard by the UTSU.

Karatha’s campaign acronym is CAMPS: “‘C”’ for cutting costs, “‘A”’ for academic support, “‘M”’ for mental health services, “‘P”’ for professional opportunities, and “‘S”’ for student needs. Karatha hopes to increase flexibility for meal plans and T-Bucks in the pro-

fessional faculties. She highlighted the high cost of tuition in STEM fields like engineering and pharmaceutical medicine, and wants to push for lower tuition. She also wants to increase opportunities for students to interact directly with professors.

Karatha stressed the need for additional mental health support within professional faculties. She said the university needs to institute facultyspecific mental health services and increase acceptance and funding.

Lastly, Karatha highlighted the issue of harassment in professional faculties. She spoke about the barriers that students in professional faculties face in reporting harassment, and said she hopes to reduce these barriers through town halls.

Maria Ebeid is seeking reelection for the vice-president, professional faculties position.

A third-year student in the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE), Ebeid aims to complete her ongoing projects.

For one, she is working to pass the credit/no credit policy for students in KPE, music, and engineering faculties. “We have created a report, and we are ready to start the conversations,” Ebeid told The Varsity

Moreover, she is working to implement gym access in the summer for second-entry students in professional faculties and extend the UTSU’s peer support program in the summer to accommodate professional faculty students with dif-

ferent entry dates.

She said that being the UTSU’s vice-president, professional faculties this year helped her understand the role. She has been talking to faculty, registrars, and students about policy changes that the students wanted to see.

Previously, Ebeid sat on the UTSU’s First Year Council and board of directors. She was also an ambassador for Women in Science and Engineering — University of Toronto chapter and an executive for U of T’s Pre-Dental Association.

Ebeid’s “top priority” is to increase communication between the UTSU and student clubs, and to increase student engagement.

Lexey Burns, Selia Sanchez, Jessie Schwalb News Team

Maria Ebeid

Harvi Karatha

Caroline Bellamy, Alyanna Denise Chua, Sarah Artemia Kronenfeld Varsity Editors

News Team

Avreet Jagdev

Avreet Jagdev is a secondyear student double majoring in political science and critical studies in equity and solidarity.

Jagdev founded a feministoriented pro-choice club, UofT Students for Choice, which advocates for the right of all individuals to make decisions about their own bodies. She is actively involved with the Ontario New Democratic Party and worked on the past provincial campaign.

In an interview with The Varsity, Jagdev said her campaign focuses on making U of

Vice-President Public & University Affairs

James Wang James Wang is a secondyear undergraduate student double majoring in political science and philosophy. He is currently a North Atlantic Treaty Organization intern, where he says he has gained experience communicating with officials.

In an interview with The Varsity , Wang said that his friends have encountered difficulties while navigating processes to get accommodations and mental health support, which inspired him to run for the position. His campaign is largely focused on simplifying the steps students must take to receive support — a change he characterized as “long

T more student-centered while acknowledging issues like affordability, mental health, and equity. She highlighted the financial struggles many students face, the underfunding of mental health services, and the ineffectiveness of campus safety.

“Tuition costs are only a fraction of the financial burden that’s on students,” Jagdev said. She also said that tuition freezes and fighting Ontario Student Assistance Program cuts can help with the financial burden. Her campaign also involves tackling food insecurity.

Jagdev wants to make the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) more prominent on campus, so students know that they’re fighting for them.

Faiz Jan

Faiz Jan is a second-year Rotman student studying finance and economics.

In an interview with The Varsity, Jan described himself as a “policy buff.” He worked as a policy analyst for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, where he worked on improving climate policy. Jan is currently an executive assistant at the UTSU.

Jan said his campaign focuses on student advocacy through an “extremely idealistic” framework. He criticized previous advocacy work for being too limited and contained, and he plans to lead policymakers to work toward ideal solutions.

Jan aims to increase student engagement by having the

UTSU expand existing services and create new ones. If elected, Jan would tackle a range of priorities including housing, transit, and peer mental health services. He also wants to offer network opportunities for students, saying that networking has been successful in helping students find jobs.

Additionally, Jan aims to address sexual and gender-based violence policies. He said that these policies are “lackluster” and that they are insufficiently enforced.

Finally, Jan believes that the vice-president public & university affairs position entails a lot of responsibilities for one position. If elected, he would split internal and external policy into two positions to more effectively work on advocacy.

Aidan Thompson

Aidan Thompson is a second-year student studying international relations. Thompson has served as the vice-president of mentorship at the International Relations Society at U of T.

In an interview with The Varsity , Thompson said that he decided to run for this position because he feels that student unions are not doing enough to stand up to the university administration and that the role of vicepresident public & university affairs is perfectly suited to make change.

Thompson’s campaign platform is built around the acronym TRACKS: ‘trans-

portation,’ ‘resources,’ ‘accessibility,’ ‘cutting down the cost of living,’ ‘kindness,’ and ‘safety.’ Thompson said his platform “really keys in on the need to redesign our university space and lay those tracks for success.”

He would like to help students get to class safer and faster and work to improve the mental health and sexual violence issues on campus.

Thompson’s platform also includes advocating for limits on grade penalties for late submissions within 48 hours of the deadline and measures to save on costs for commuter students, such as TTC fare integration.

overdue.” Although he believes that changes to bureaucratic processes can be made “very easily,” Wang acknowledged that getting the university to commit to such changes will be a “difficult” process. He also committed to lobbying the university to provide greater support for students experiencing homelessness.

In addition, Wang aims to build community within the UTSU and the broader student body. He hopes to bridge gaps between students and the UTSU by changing public opinion to increase cooperation between the union and students.

Kamilla Bekbossynova, Tony Xun, Angad Deol, Jessie Schwalb

Andrew Alvarez

Andrew Alvarez is a first-year kinesiology and physical education student. His campaign focuses on mental health and inclusivity.

Alvarez is an Afro-Latino adopted into a predominantly white community, so growing up, he often felt like an outsider. He told The Varsity that he has helped create communities where African Canadians and Latinos would feel welcome and safe. At U of T, he plans to build similar spaces.

“A big punch in the gut was when I was diagnosed with an osteosarcoma in my femur,” Alvarez explained in an interview

Vice-President Student Life

Ranveer Kalra is a second-year Rotman commerce management specialist. He wants to become more involved with the UTSU to experience co-curriculars outside of the classroom.

In high school, Kalra was involved with Toastmasters — a public speaking group — and was vice-president of education within his school’s chapter. A main responsibility of the role included hosting bi-weekly meetings with over 50 people.

In an interview with The Varsity, Kalra said that he wants to be “a voice for the student body at U of T.” He hopes to promote more interactions between up-

with The Varsity. Returning to high school after chemotherapy was a huge challenge for him, but this experience taught him to look beyond the surface and treat people well while respecting their differences.

Furthermore, Alvarez recognizes the stress students feel and aims to provide sources of support, like workshops on stress management, and connect students to learning strategists to improve their time management.

He also plans to improve connections between the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) and students by creating more opportunities for face-to-face interactions.

Alvarez recognized that these interactions declined due to the pandemic and emphasized that social interactions are essential.

Fiona Hewes

Fiona Hewes is a third-year student in cinema studies, history, and art history.

Hewes has been involved in community service since high school. They were part of the Tri-M Music Society and the National Honors Society and were responsible for organizing and running fundraising events for charities and music programs. They founded the U of T Rideshare Program, which seeks to provide safe transportation for students, and they have been an event director for the Visual Arts Club for two years.

In an email to The Varsity,

Hewes wrote that the primary focus of their campaign is student safety. If elected, they hope to implement a ridesharing program that would grant students $10 in Uber or Lyft credits each week, eligible to be used between 11:00 pm and 5:00 am. The goal of this program would be to ensure students can travel home safely from campus.

If elected, Hewes would also prioritize communication between the UTSU and the student body, and would encourage greater student involvement. They also wish to host events to allow students to network and foster a sense of community.

Glen Xian Quan Hung

Glen Xian Quan Hung is a first-year student planning to major in political science.

Hung has been involved with student governance and was selected as a proctor for the Arts & Science Council. He has also worked with his local MPP on case studies that focused on immigration and passport issues, and other campaigns during the 2022 provincial elections.

Hung’s platform includes advocating for more studentorganized groups and more communication between

colleges and faculties. He aims to promote events that involve students and faculty, orientations that are not exclusive to first-year students, and an environment where staff and students can socialize and engage with each other.

In an interview with The Varsity , Hung mentioned logistic issues within student life. He believes that social media is one of the best ways to connect with students and reach more people, and it can help build a strong community.

per-year and first-year students because he believes that firstyear students can learn from upper-year students. Kalra also aims to host more intercollegiate events. Additionally, he wants to increase club funding and help establish clearer communication between clubs and the wider student body.

If elected, Kalra hopes to increase promotion of UTSU events. He also plans to send the student body more emails about the UTSU. Kalra added that he wants “to make everyone feel connected to this university” by increasing student engagement.

Catherine King

Catherine King is a second-year student in political science and contemporary Asian studies. Her two main goals are community and club communication.

In an interview with The Varsity, she said, “My campaign really focuses on building community, because I feel that our campus is so large, it’s really hard to find.” She added that she struggled with this in her first year and aims to help firstyear students, international students, and anyone new to campus find community.

King became involved with the UTSU as a first-year. She then realized that she is passionate about event planning. She was the social director at the Innis College Student Society and is currently the event coordinator at Jack.org UTSG, a mental health advocacy group.

According to King, the UTSU could improve how clubs get their information and fast-track the funding process. Her overarching commitment is to bring “more of the student bodies’ voices into whatever I do.”

Hannah Yin

Hannah Yin is a second-year student in peace, conflict, and justice, contemporary Asian studies, and political science. Her previous experiences include taking part in Woodsworth College Orientation, and various course

Ayesha Narang

Ayesha Narang is a second-year psychology and cognitive science double major. Her previous experiences include participating in peer leadership at New College Orientation this past year, as well as being a member of the New College student and residence councils. “It’'s just given me a chance to really get insight into what other people want, and again, just kind of made me see how much I enjoy doing this.”

Narang is running on a platform that wants to put students first, including advocating for improving the transition to university life for first-year students,

unions and clubs. Yin was the logistics director for Woodsworth College Orientation this past fall, and was responsible for planning and implementing orientation events.

In an interview with The Varsity, Yin outlined three main focuses for her campaign: organizing the largest in-person orientation to date with events also offered to upperyear students, incorporating student feedback when plan-

and improving transparency regarding resources available to students. She told The Varsity that, after serving on the orientation team, she realized that “we give them that one week of really kind of prepping them but then nothing after that, which I do feel like it’'s a little unfair.” She would also like to focus on mental health, such as making resources more visible.

Finally, Narang would like the UTSU to improve how it represents students. This would look like planning more inclusive events around holidays — to account for students of different backgrounds — and improving accessibility.

ning events and implementing rules, and prioritizing equity in her work.

Yin also voiced her commitment to improving communication within the UTSU, as well as between the union and the student body. She said that if she were to be elected, she would work on including more student feedback in the UTSU’s work and would seek to improve student body engagement.

Ranveer Kalra

Kunal Dadlani, Andrea Zhao, Kamilla Bekbossynova, Lexey Burns, Maeve Ellis, Angad Deol News team

The

Hiba Faisal, Sarah Stern, Whitney Buluma

Varsity Contributors

Varsity

The Merriam-Webster dictionary’s first definition of love is a “strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties.” From my vast internet search of “define love,” it seems that the definition of the word has never been more subjective and ambiguous than it is now. But, this shouldn’t be surprising. After all, ‘love’ is in the eye of the beholder.

Given the many diverse takes on love, The Varsity asked three writers to define what love is to them.

Love cannot be defined

I have been tasked with defining the word love, and I can tell you right now that I failed. It is an impossible task. A strong emotion like love cannot be defined. Love is an endless feeling that overwhelms our beings, consumes our present, and controls our future. As we all fade into oblivion, love remains. It is one of the only things that remain timeless and immortal.

Love is a shapeshifter. It is both a hoax and a truth. It is unconditional at its best, and impossible at its worst. When you have love, you float up in the sky, weightless. When you do not have it, you search for the light: a source that will give you love. Even buried in the clouds, you find light sweeping in and guiding you to a safer path. Love consumes every corner of darkness and gives you a path to follow and a purpose to uphold. That’s what love is.

Love surrounds us, protects us, and, most importantly, makes us human. Love is more than a feeling; love is its own entity. Love teaches us to be stronger and to care deeply and unconditionally even when we feel lost. Love teaches us to care for ourselves and those around us. Love is everywhere, it’s endless, and it’s infinite. Thus, we can feel the existence of love, but we cannot define it.

Hiba Faisal is a fourth-year student at University College double majoring in English and political science and minoring in history.

Forum: Define love

asked three writers to reflect on the meaning of love

Quotes as a medium for defining love

I keep a list of quotations that each call to memory different faces and experiences that remind me of love. These quotations have been my medium to understand and define love, without the vulnerability of reflecting on the concept in my own words. My adolescent view of love as turbulent and hopeless was affirmed in Emily Brönte’s writing: “If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger.” I had never been in love at this point and gathered my understanding of the concept from Brönte’s writing. From her, I absorbed the idea that love must be just as painful as it is

romantic.

I claimed to love people almost arbitrarily because I craved a feeling so consuming that Brönte’s Catherine Earnshaw seemed to be the only character with whom I could resonate. I hoped to escape that ideal in university, but I couldn’t. I dreamt up a love in my head and found solace in Carson McCullers’ The Ballad of the Sad Cafe: “Often the beloved is only a stimulus for all the stored-up love which had lain quiet within the lover for a long time hitherto… It is for this reason that most of us would rather love than be loved.” McCullers’ take on love made me realize that I never wanted to be the tar-

Further on in university, I was finally able to relate to love outside of a miserable character. My boyfriend was listening to “Sara Smile” by Daryl Hall and John Oates because my name rang out When I feel I can’t go on, you come and hold me / It’s you and me forever / Sara smile.” Serenity defines my renewed idea of love, and this new definition outweighs my previous illusion that love is inherently mea-

At each point along my journey of understanding love, I’ve used the quotations of writers to define what love means to me.

Sarah Stern is a third-year English and European affairs student at Victoria College.

Love is an ethical exchange

Love is, at its core, an ethical exchange. In All

About Love: New Visions, bell hooks distinguishes between “cathexis” — investing emotional energy in someone — and love. She argues for a concrete definition of love as a combination of “care, affection, recognition, respect, commitment, and trust, as well as open and honest communication.”

Beyond the initial intangible deep affection, love is rooted in deliberate, consistent actions undertaken to enrich the life of another person, to contribute to their spiritual growth, and to transcend our fundamental human loneliness — to the extent that such a thing is even possible.

Cathexis is easily confused for love. Social context plays a role in how we express cathexis, the types of cathexis we (de)value, and even the extent of cathexis we consider “appropriate.” Part of what differentiates cathexis from love is that, as bell hooks argues, “love and abuse cannot co-exist.” Of course it is possible — maybe even inevitable — to sometimes hurt those whom we love, but to continuously devalue, disrespect, and neglect someone is incompatible with loving them.

bell hooks’ definition of love is robust as it applies to a wide range of situations with a focus on the ways we can ethically relate to one another. Her definition can even scale up; aspects of love like care, respect, commitment, and trust are crucial foundations for building community. Love is not passive, not accidental, not even instinctual. Love is a verb, a ‘doing’ word, and a consistent choice. Love is the acceptance of a reciprocal ethical responsibility to care for each other.

Whitney Buluma is a third-year student at UTM double majoring in psychology and English.

To each their own, but cyber cheating is still cheating On loyalty and love in a digital age

Isabella Liu Associate Comment Editor

It goes without saying: it must suck to be an Adam Levine fan right about now.

It’s been months since the lead singer of legendary pop rock band Maroon 5 was exposed for cheating on his wife Behati Prinsloo, and the internet has yet to forgive him. Truth be told, it’s not looking great for Levine; with floods of incriminating screenshots now floating around the greater half of social media, the definitive consensus is that he’s finished for good.

It’s interesting to note, however, that the scandal has been relatively entirely digital — not to get too analytical over pop culture drama, of course. Much of what’s been speculated, rumoured, and claimed is thus far unconfirmed, ranging from whether or not he really was in a year-long relationship and how many women he’s gone after — the “real stuff.”

Unlike 2022’s other large marital mishap of the year, there is no evidence Levine has been in physical contact with any of these women, no hardline proof that catches him in the act with an engaged employee — Mr. Fulmer, are you reading this? No, what we know and has been based entirely on text messages, Instagram Direct Messages (DMs), and the Tinder Escapades.

Adam Levine and the online affair

In some manner, Levine’s scandal gives a nod to the technological way adultery controversies have evolved in the modern age. After all, such a fall

from grace by way of TikTok and Instagram DM histories would’ve been highly unlikely two decades ago, to say the least.

It’s become shockingly apparent in recent years that the modern rendezvous with ‘The Other Person’ is no longer limited to late-night escapes under the shadows of a back alley street lamp or a quiet shameful date disguised behind ‘working late’ excuses to your significant other. In the last 25 years, the internet has made it so that people are able to much, much more conveniently and covertly look the other way — dating apps, messaging, sexting.

Yet, among all this, the question has been raised: does this really count as cheating?

As far as we know, Levine’s affair was conducted fully through the screen, made up of zero physical contact. Thus, the argument has been made, for him and countless others, that this isn’t true cheating. Without any actual sexual contact or intercourse, it’s supposedly hard to quantify whether a few text messages constitute infidelity. Sure, it’s mentally sickening, and perhaps it’s “emotionally unloyal” to praise someone else. But hey, nothing was actually ordered off the menu.

Love, loyalty, and the digital age

Maybe I’m a little naive for this, but nothing has ever made less sense. The idea that a line exists between physical and emotional intimacy, and that it needs to be distinguished, is pure bullshit. In any given relationship, an act of love goes both ways — what feeds into your feelings will ultimately seep into physical attraction, and vice versa.

Intimacy extends far beyond just the intertwining of arms and legs; it is the talking and the laughing, the unspoken boundaries that a relationship lines out. Talking, as passive as it may be, is still a wrench in the system.

Then there’s the issue of trust and loyalty. Entering a monogamous relationship inherently entails the binding of oneself to one — and only one — other individual in all acts of love and affection. It’s a mutual, yet unofficial, contract predicated entirely on trust. When that singular binding agent is lost, it all falls apart — and it certainly doesn’t only take sex to do that. Loyalty encompasses a dedication in name, body, and mind. Such so-called “emotional” cheating is just as devastating to trust as physical cheating, and any idea otherwise is no more than an excuse to evade responsibility.

Of course, the rules of cheating differ for ev-

eryone; what may count as a violation for one relationship is a Saturday night swinger for another. Maybe you’re okay with them chatting up the strangers in their requests box, or maybe you refuse to let them even go near Kendall Jenner’s Instagram. The important thing is the boundaries you have set with each other, digital or not, and all — even the slightest — things they might do that cross them. The bottom line: to each their own lovers, cyber infidelity is still infidelity.

But hey, that’s just me. What would I know about the life of an adulterer? Maybe I should ask my cousin’s ex-boyfriend next time.

Isabella Liu is a second-year student at Victoria College studying public policy and international relations. She is an associate comment editor at The Varsity

Eleanor Park

Associate Comment Editor

Carrie Bradshaw –– the eternally influential main character of the iconic HBO series Sex and the City (SATC) –– is a sex columnist. SATC revolves around Bradshaw narrating the sex and relationship dilemmas that she pens into her weekly column. Bradshaw, alongside her circle of three friends, pushes viewers out of their comfort zones with women’s sex talk. The liberated sex talk frequently found in SATC is one of the reasons why the show is a trailblazer, even two decades after it first aired. The show set a precedent that transformed the way sex is depicted in the media. It is for this reason that I was stunned when even in a show that is based entirely on liberated sex talks, discussions on sex are sometimes still met with cues to read the room. Watching this, I couldn’t help but realize that, even two decades after SATC, public talk about sex is still perceived as more vulgar than it is empowering. Although SATC pushed the limits on how we talk about sex, it seems, however, that it was still not enough to destigmatize sex talk. Public discourse over sex must continue to be encouraged because open discussions allow for a broadened worldview and an understanding of the common but unspoken struggles of sex.

Twenty-first century and its pseudosex liberation

It’s hard to even imagine that there was ever a time when the infamous line uttered by Rhett Butler in Gone With the Wind –– “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn” –– was on the verge of being

Forum:

Sex means something different to everyone. To some, it’s a way of expressing love. To others, it’s a casual weekday activity. Regardless, if one thing about sex is for sure, it’s that no one knows sex better than college students.

The Varsity asked three writers to reflect on what sex means to them.

Sex is grounded in respect for yourself and others

Through art and science, there have been many attempts to understand sex. This is demonstrated in the erotic writings and imagery spanning various civilizations, cultures, and eras. What we’ve learned from these explorations is that human sexuality is complex, that sex isn’t the same for everyone, and that not everyone wants it.

Is it wrong to say that sex is not necessarily perverted but has suffered great perversion?

I could be argumentative and list things like the detriment of porn, the increasing youth access to violent and reductive portrayals of sex, and the stigma around quality inclusive sex education that protects and informs us. Fundamentally, sex is about finding pleasure for yourself and creating it for someone else.

Importantly, sex is fully encompassed by consent. Consent — like sexual pleasure and performance — is an active and ever-changing response. You sense another person’s movements and signals. There’s a mutual sort of rhythm, a promise of tension and embarrassment. What makes sex great is the consensual surrender of both sides and a constant communication of countless sensations and subtleties.

Sex exists with and without love. Whether it’s

censored in 1939 because of how offensive the word “damn” was. Luckily, the times are changing, and there have been drastic shifts in recent years in how we talk about explicit content. In the twenty-first century, it only takes watching one PG-13 movie to realize that we’re now living in a new age with less censorship of explicit content. Overall, discussions on sex and sexuality are now less censored in the media, news outlets, and our daily lives.

In particular, specific discussions over sex and sexuality have been less scrutinized and more encouraged. This is demonstrated in the increase in the number of shows like Sex Education, Euphoria, and Never Have I Ever that all commonly embody narratives that normalize sex while portraying various types of sexualities and relationships.

One pivotal transformative moment in the way sex is depicted in media, which I’m sure everyone is familiar with, was the release of Fifty Shades of Grey. The entire trilogy, which amassed over one billion internationally at the box office, pushed the boundaries of the way sex is conventionally portrayed in film. As a result of Christian Grey’s whips and handcuffs, niche and unconventional sexual preferences paddled up to the surface of discussion. A young, innocent university student becoming immersed in a young billionaire’s BDSM lifestyle was a cultural reset in how we talk about sex.

As much as the general public likes to indulge in sexual liberation in the media, standards shift when matters get personal. Although the Fifty Shades series was a cultural reset, I still remember the release of the movies being met with

hushed whispers about the sexually explicit content. Even the very people who bought tickets to watch Fifty Shades of Grey set a record high for the online purchase of movie tickets from Fandango, one of the top movie ticket booking systems, with 29 per cent of their site’s domestic tickets being sold to view the whipping-infused movie. It is comical to think that so many people preferred purchasing an “intro to BDSM” ticket in the comfort of their homes rather than facing the scrutiny of the box office cashiers.

While we may chuckle at this, we also need to ask ourselves how liberated we actually are when it comes to openly talking about sex. The reality is that we cannot destigmatize discussions around sex when we continue to create grey areas on permissible topics of sex discourse.

Where does all the lonely sex talk go?

In recent years, conversations on sex — in person and on the screens — have become safe havens for concerns and questions about sex. This

is a step forward in destigmatizing the way we talk about sex.

Nevertheless, I’m still hesitant to declare that conversations surrounding sex are fully destigmatized in society. As common as it is to pass by a group of girls in a U of T college dining hall discussing their sex life, there are times when they also would shush whoever is speaking about the matter.

The hush-hush attitude toward sex talk implies there is a time, place, and occasion for discourse on sex. This internalized stigma over sex talk is rooted in generations of conflating discussions about sex with an unsophisticated part of culture. We will never fully be free in how we talk about sex until we address our internalized stigma around so-called crass talk. And just like that, we are not as liberated as we thought.

Eleanor Park is a second-year student at Trinity College studying English and religion. She an associate comment editor at The Varsity

with your ‘forever’ or your one-night stand, sex involves a commitment to an enjoyable experience. It can be meaningful or casual, emotional or fun. And of course, there’s a proper time and place for it. Sex can also often carry a performer’s guilt with it, as our perceptions are laden with certain imagery, behaviours, and roles to fulfill.

But, at the end of the day, the most important aspect of sex is that it is grounded in bodily respect. Find your own dignity before you seek it in someone else.

Mia Rodrigo is a first-year student at Victoria College studying political science, sociology, and English.

Sex is confusing

When you are younger, the idea of two people ‘sleeping’ together means nothing. There are countless moments when I would be watching a film and, upon seeing women fretting over ‘sleeping’ with their partners, I would shrug before muttering, “What’s the big deal with sleeping with others?”

Turns out, as I realized over time, sleeping with others is quite a big deal! Sex also becomes an especially pivotal concept in your life when you realize that you are its product. But sex is, above anything, thoroughly confusing –– before, during, and after. I remember having walked out of my first sexual relationship with the same questions I had walking into it. How much is enough or too little? How can it become more gratifying?

All the while, how can you remain extra cautious? The only way you would know is to have more of it.

While my understanding of sex has remained fixed throughout the years, the major shift in thought lies in how much I value the psychologi-

cal connection between the people involved. I no longer see why sex must be preconditioned with a relationship or any emotional bond in particular, whereas others may find it irrational to have sex with others based on pure physical attraction. As Samantha Jones from Sex and the City once charmingly put it: “The right guy is an illusion… Start living your lives!”

Eleanor Park is a second-year student at Trinity College studying English and religion. She is an associate comment editor at The Varsity

Sex is overrated

As far as we’re concerned, sex is ‘that’ thing. It begins when we’re children. Years before we sit in the classroom and watch birthing videos, we hear about sex through the grapevines. It’s that thing, the taboo subject Mom and Dad won’t tell us about. As far as we’re concerned, sex is jumping on the bed together — a signal to the stork that you want a baby, of course.

Later on in the years, when the innocence has washed off, it’s a little less about theorizing and a little more about gossiping and experiencing.

Still, sex is that thing: the ‘Big V’ we all talk about losing; the end goal of any budding relationship;

and sometimes, how we measure an individual. As far as we’re concerned, sex is intimacy, sex is pleasure, sex is everything.

Our entire lives, sex has been painted as the holy grail of physical contact, of romance, of adulting after dark. To a certain extent, it’s sort of understandable — after all, reproduction and life itself are rather important, to say the least.

But still, it’s not everything. Intimacy comes in many different forms, and pleasure isn’t all about sticking the ‘pencil in the bagel.’ We treat it as such a big deal from the moment we’re born, and yet, if it’s not baby-making you have in mind, there’s really no “it factor” to the act. Sure, sex feels amazing — for most people — but so is being loved by your partner. Or being drunk before the hangover. Or eating cake. You don’t see people placing labels all over that. Romance and intimacy exist just fine without sex. Sex isn’t all that, really. It’s just sex.

As far as I’m concerned, sex is overrated. Just eat a cinnamon bun and call it a day.

Isabella Liu is a second-year student at Victoria College studying public policy and international relations. She is an associate comment editor at The Varsity

We should be able to talk about sex

Our internalized stigmas against sex prevents us from freely talking about it

What does sex mean to you?

The Varsity asked three writers to reflect on the significance of sex

Mia Rodrigo, Eleanor Park, Isabella Liu Varsity Contributors

We’re not as liberated as we think when it comes to talking about sex. VURJEET MADAN/THEVARSITY

Sex is confusing and overrated, but grounded in respect. VURJEET MADAN/THEVARSITY

To reduce the potential of dangerous porn, we need proper content screening

Porn can be detrimental to both performers and users

Leah Cromarty Varsity Contributor

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of sexual violence, racism, and dark porn content.

Whether or not you watch porn, you probably know what to expect. Some of these expectations may include heteronormativity, lack of contraceptives, or just terrible acting. But, these are relatively minor concerns when you consider just how dark porn can get. The very dark side of porn websites can include downright violent and racist videos.

In 2021, Pornhub’s own users reported over 20 per cent of the site’s videos for inappropriate content, which was then removed. Those removed videos, which violated Pornhub’s terms and conditions, may have already been posted, viewed, and shared by the time they were taken down.

Content is removed when it demonstrates non consensual sex, the potential of child sex abuse, hate speech, or similar violations. Videos like these can have an influence on the people that engage with them, portraying dangerous practices as the norm in sex. There is no justification for why these videos were made public, which is why we need a more thorough screening process before videos are posted.

A gendered industry

I think many women will agree when I say that, with few exceptions, porn is generally not made for us. This is understandable, given that men made up 71 per cent of Pornhub’s Canadian viewers this year. However, this overwhelmingly male audience doesn’t justify the misogyny present in the industry.

Far too many videos portray a gender imbalance, with women characterized by submission and men by dominance. Dynamics like this can be harmful to both sexes. Common themes in porn about how men and women should act can lead to incorrect assumptions about masculinity, feminity, and sexual orientation, idealizations of certain power dynamics, and impossible expectations about sex amongst society at large.

Very often, women are objectified in porn:

Hiba Faisal Varsity Contributor

Maybe this season is about you.

Valentine’s Day is a popular occasion where we as a society all come together to remind everyone of our love for one another. It’s an occasion to spoil our loved ones and romanticize our lives. All in all, Valentine’s Day is just a motif. Society designs itself with hearts, flowers, cupid and love notes — all items we are encouraged to buy and share with the people we love. But I wonder, how many of these occasions do we take to show ourselves the same form of love and gratitude?

This isn’t meant to be a sappy, woke article on all the ways we should love ourselves. This article is just a gentle reminder that on the most extravagant day of love, we should show love to ourselves too. In fact, expressing love for ourselves shouldn’t be limited to a day. It should be a lifestyle. I think we need to remind ourselves on a daily basis that we have more power and say in who we are.

It’s hard to love yourself when society tells you all the reasons not to. Society often forces us into neat little boxes that limit our power and diminish our voices. By organizing our-

a woman’s personal agency is reduced to her sexuality. Studies have established that frequent porn consumers, compared to those who watch less porn, are more likely to dehumanize women, seeing them as mechanical robots or animals.

The obsession with ‘exotic’ stars

Many porn consumers also tend to fetishize — or at least seek out — certain ethnic groups and the stereotypical roles they play. Within Pornhub’s top searches, various terms refer to racial groups, including Black, Asian, and Latina performers. Japanese ranks highest here in second place, narrowly beaten by ‘hentai’: a genre of Japanese anime with hyper-sexualized characters. Western pornography set with Asian stars tends to use racist tropes like “yellow-face sex” and “geisha sex” or fall back into the script of a shy, submissive Asian woman with a dominating white man.

Furthermore, Black men are often portrayed as experienced and deviant to contrast with the virgin white women they are paired with. This trope makes it seem as though the man is corrupting the woman. Even trending Pornhub terms like “thick Latina” or “BBC,” short for “Big Black Cock,” show how users characterize different racial groups. Stereotypes like this could easily influence real-life interactions and

pline, sadism, and masochism –– on porn websites blurs the boundary between sexual violence and normal, consensual sexual practices. Though most videos are assumed to be consensual, some still fall into a grey area.

In a self-reflective study conducted in 2021, a random sample of heterosexual men was asked about their preferences in porn. Nearly 16 per cent reported they prefer videos featuring rape, and more than half of respondents preferred aggressive porn. While most of the users acknowledged that porn was often unrealistic, the findings suggest that there is still a connection between porn consumption and aggression. The gender imbalance of the industry comes into play here too, as men are more likely to engage in most of the verbal and physical aggression, and these behaviours are more likely to be targeted at women.

Another study analyzed the various videos that were advertised to first-time users on the top three pornography sites; one in eight of these videos portrayed sexual violence, excluding consensual BDSM. When video titles include words like “drugged,” “forced,” and “teen,” I can’t help but question the expectations this content sets. Further, there is no definite way of knowing if assault or other crimes are taking place in these videos, especially with the rise of amateur-made porn.

poor camera work; without vetted filmmakers and known actors, amateur porn has greater potential for illegal practices like assault.

The solution is simple

In spite of these concerns, pornography is still widely accessible and easy to upload. The possibility of human trafficking, underaged stars, assault, or other illegal content on porn sites demonstrates the necessity of thorough content investigation. We need human moderators to screen videos and guarantee that they are not dangerous.

Dangerous porn does not have to be criminal either; targeted sexism and racism in porn can have consequences too. These videos can cause harm if they get through to someone easily influenced or, worse, young. For some users, misogynistic or violent porn could have a lasting effect on their notions about sex and their treatment of other people.

Given the scale of the porn industry and its resources, there is no justification for the amount of unsafe porn that has been made available to users. By not addressing these potential dangers, we are supporting an industry that presents stereotyping and violence as natural occurrences in sexual activities.

Leah Cromarty is a third-year student at University College, studying philosophy, English,

selves into boxes, it makes it easier to compare ourselves with others. But the truth is, you have the power. You are your own unique person. Stop letting societal standards define your value and let yourself believe in your own merit. Give yourself the same kind of love, understanding, patience and kindness that you give others — because you deserve it.

It’s okay if you need time to learn how to love yourself. It’s okay if you aren’t ready for that journey. It’s okay to be scared. Learning to love yourself means learning to be your own friend. It means learning to be your own saviour. It means acceptance. Forgiveness. Love. You don’t need to have it all figured out. Let yourself make mistakes. Find a way to love the best and worst versions of yourself.

Quick disclaimer, I don’t have all of this figured out either. With that said, when Valentine’s Day comes, I’ll be buying myself a bundle of roses, making heart-shaped pizzas, and gorging on chocolate. I deserve it. So do you.

Maybe this year, we can choose to love ourselves.

Hiba Faisal is a fourth-year student at University College double majoring in English and political science and minoring in history.

I’m a manager working for McDonalds. One late night shift I was closing the store with this new crew member that had just started there and was his first day. After midnight we had closed the drive thru and the lobby and we’re getting ready to leave for the night when he kissed me and had shown interest to take things further. This led to me picking him up onto the counter and starting to suck him off. A couple minutes later I heard a voice and thought it was him at first, but quickly realized it was the regional managers voice speaking to us through the security camera

Running naked with my crazy ex on a beach. Later more tourists came so we were stuck at the end of the sand pit extending into the water body... It got cold and we couldn't leave until these I was sleeping on the upper bunk bed, when my bed started shaking. Then, I smelled sweat and heard kissing sounds from the lower bunk bed. I couldn’t sleep, so I waited for them to finish. My ex girlfriend's parents were super homophobic, and mine were kinda iffy about our relationship. We had a hard time finding anywhere that we could have sex without the fear of being caught. Thankfully, we happened to play on the same hockey team, so after a practice one time we stayed back in the change room and did the dirty there. 10/10 to be honest, except we both smelled...

He was a park ranger... I was a wild bear. Ours was a forbidden love, but our innate primal desires were stronger than the townsfolk's ideals. It was a dark and stormy night when we shared breadsticks and cheese under the children's play structure. He looked me in the eye as he wiped cheese from my fur. Alas, my hunger grew, and the breadsticks would not suffice. I ate him. He

It was supposed to be a normal coffee date but then I had a work emergency so I took him with me to pick up magazine proofs and then taught him the basics of the publication's style guide

Guys in English.

All of them equally to a T. Astrophysics.

Check out The Varsity on social media for the full confession stories and much more!

Head over hologram

In the age of the internet, can e-dating hold a flame to in-person relationships?

I met Aiden in our senior year of high school on an internet forum for prospective college students. I was a debate kid gunning for a prestigious university, hoping to escape my suffocating Ontario suburb. He was a popular Division 1 athlete with a

Our story isn’t unique. According to a Pew research study on online dating trends in the US, in 2022, 44 per cent of current or recent dating app users prioritised finding a long-term partner. 22 per cent of users reported using dating apps to find new friends, and 40 per cent reported wanting to date casually. For some, platforms like Tinder or Bumble are solely a launchpad to an in-person meetup. In other situations, like ours, people who carry out their relationships online rarely or never meet in Solely dating online leads to a paradoxical tension. On one hand, some studies have found that touch is a vital component of most intimate relationships and can lead to a happier romance. Other experts have argued that online communication fosters strong relationships by helping people with similar

According to psychologist Robert Sternberg’s triangular theory of love, the three components that are essential to a successful relationship are intimacy, passion, and commitment. Intimacy encompasses feelings of closeness, connectedness, and bondedness. Passion involves sexual attraction, and commitment leads to shared achievements and plans made with

While writing this article, I interviewed members of the U of T community and drew on my own experiences to explore the advantages and pitfalls of dating strictly within the digital space.

Though the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, it’s important to distinguish e-dating from online dating. Online dating is when people use digital interactions to find and contact one another through the internet; once an initial connection is made, an in-person tryst is arranged for a romantic courtship process to begin. An e-dater, however, is someone who uses internet messages and virtual conversations to carry out an exclusively online relationship.

Digital relationships have been around for decades. In 1965, two Harvard students designed Operation Match, the first computer dating service. Participants answered a 75-question survey about their ideal partner and perfect dates. Once received, their answers were run through a computer to assign six potential love matches, which they’d receive weeks later through the mail.

However, the phenomenon of online dating rose to prominence in the late ’90s, when social spaces first appeared on the internet. In this uncanny rhythm, couples communicated through emails or pic-for-pic swaps — unless you had access to a webcam, in which case, you could try to make out your partner’s blurry, low res visage on MSN. These communication methods led to a reflexive stigma about those who sought partners online. Because adopters of technology were considered to be either shy or ‘sleazy’ at the time, some people assumed that online dating was for sexual predators, ‘nerds,’ the ‘desperate,’ or those who were ‘socially inept.’

Today, polyvalent modes of communication such as voice messaging, video calling, and instant picture sharing have enquality time together online, thus enabling them to mimic the intimacy, passion, and commitment that comprise Sternberg’s triangle of love. Apps are also able to mimic traditional dating rituals. For example, platforms such as Spotify and the Netflix Party extension give couples the option to listen to the same music or stream the same movies in real time; with Google’s Arts & Culture collection, they can tour art museums digitally; and they can attend a digital con-

Physical touch can also be replicated. Using Bluetooth, gadgets like touch bracelets, cuddle bears, and kiss transfer gadgets can connect to mobile apps. When one person is near their phone with the app running, they can touch their item to trigger their partner’s item to vibrate, move, or light up, no matter

According to Alexandra Gustafson, a U of T PhD student specializing in the philosophy of love, these imitations of in-person activities indicate that e-dating is “not ultimately satisfactory on “We want some kind of physical connection, we want the experience of listening to music with the person, even if we aren’t able to do that in person,” Gustafson told The Varsity. “The fact that we’re looking for ways to replicate the in-person experience in these e-relationships suggests that there’s something miss-

even allow users to change their location settings, enabling daters to escape the tyranny of proximity.

However, one more personal reason for dating digitally is explained in Helene M. Lawson and Kira Leck’s 2006 study, “Dynamics of Internet Dating.” In their paper, the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford professors write that modern capitalist society encourages interactions between people to be selfish and exploitative. Trust, an integral component in building strong, meaningful connections, has been destroyed, resulting in a society of unattached yet vulnerable people. This loneliness from a lack of friendship, in turn, prompts many people to forge connections on the internet.

Decorporealization, the separation of body and mind, may be part of e-dating’s appeal. With in-person dating, the body is the primary vessel for romance; it is the main way we present ourselves to potential mates, experience attraction, and express intimacy. But for those who do not identify with their bodies, the emphasis on physicality can be mentally challenging and cause feelings of insecurity and anxiety that make it harder for them to date.

The internet offers a metaphysical reprise from corporeality; online, people can escape the horrid trappings of the body and be judged solely by their spirit. The decentralized and democratic nature of the internet offers an escape from the suffocating conditions of reality. As Lawson and Leck wrote, “online setting[s] allows [people] to select which aspects of themselves to reveal to their online companions.”

People now have the radical agency to present themselves however they want — to embody their secretly desired personas — without fear of social reprisal. This ability to separate from our shells enables individuals to finally express themselves freely and authentically. Online dating allows you “to be who you are in a way that’s not determined by your outward appearance,” said Gustafson. “And that can be empowering.”

Reflecting the outside

While the ability to control one’s image and presentation while e-dating can be liberating, in that very same vein, it can also be deceitful. Catfishing is the act of pretending to be someone different to trick or attract other people on social media. In 2020, cybersecurity blog Techsheilder reported 1,054 catfishing reports in Canada, the third-highest global number. Sometimes, however, it’s not different personas that people create; according to the 2008 study, “Separating Fact From Fiction: An Examination of Deceptive Self-Presentation in Online Dating Profiles,” 81 per cent of online daters share information about themselves that contains “deviations” from the truth. The study elaborated that men lied more about their height and weight, and women were more likely to lie about their relationship history and social status.

Gustafson finds this behaviour troubling: “Because you and your partner both have the ability to represent yourselves however you want, you can create an idealized relationship.” But, if both parties are consistently in performance, how authentic is the love that they have created?

As Gustafson said, “One popular theory is that love is the valuing of a person… we value people for their good qualities, their kindness, [and] their funniness.” She added that, when we represent ourselves as having more good qualities than we actually do, or as having solely good qualities, we “may create the conditions for people to fall in love with us.”

“There’s some kind of uncanniness to falling in love with digital personas, because we can present the best version of ourselves,” Gustafson continued. “It’s this very huge abstraction from who we are in real life.” Gustafson explained that, because we can edit our photos and curate our online personas, our realities fade.

This is the common argument against e-dating. In the comment sections of cringe compilations and sardonic Twitter threads, people joke that e-romance is invalid because you cannot fully verify the person on the other side of the screen: what if your partner is a catfish or putting on a skillful act? Hence, e-love is laughed at for being a ridiculous roleplay.

But even in traditional dating, people are never their full, unabashed selves — at least at the beginning of a relationship. We are always mindful and deliberate in revealing different sides of ourselves. For example, you may act differently around your partner than when you are with your family. Or you may behave more sensibly when dating women versus men. Perhaps you wear different clothes and makeup around your crush. The issue of artifice is not exclusive to e-romance; online or in real life, when it comes to social dynamics, everyone crafts a filter of the self, abstractions of the being.

If e-dating has proven to be secondary to in-person relationships, why do so many people seek romance in the digital An-

The first and most obvious answer is the number of potential options. In 2020, Pew Research Centre found that 49 per cent of American dating app users found it easier to find a partner online who shared their hobbies and interests. You are much more likely to meet someone who likes archive fashion, ambient techno, and Hegel on Discord than at a bar in your hometown — in my case, an Ontario suburb. Some digital spaces, such as Tinder,

Experiencing ‘real’ love is therefore not dependent on the medium. Essayist Tim Kreider wrote, in his 2013 essay, “I Know What You Think About Me,” that “If we want the rewards of being loved, we have to submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known.” This is a message for both real-life and online daters to consider.

When the college acceptance cycle came around, Aiden committed to Berkeley, while I decided to stay in Toronto. We called it quits before we held hands; yet, for a long time after, I couldn’t utter his name without feeling like my heart would implode.

Katherine Li has a crush

U of T student plays songs from Crush(ed) EP at the Drake Underground

“Who here is single?” Katherine Li asks. The audience cheers. She smiles. “I’ve found my people.”

The 19-year-old rising artist has just finished playing “Miss Me Too,” the closing song off her debut EP, Crush(ed). It’s the evening of January 30, and she’s the third artist of the night to take the stage at the Drake Underground, an intimate live music venue on Queen Street. The free-entry show she’s playing was organized by School Night, a monthly music industry showcase with a past roster that includes Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Dua Lipa, and Hozier.

Katherine tells the School Night crowd that this year’s Valentine’s Day marks a year since the release of her first song. Her music isn’t about love so much as it is about longing, though.

Over the course of six songs, Crush(ed) follows the emotions of unrequited romantic interest through several stages. There’s the giddy first stage of falling, followed by loneliness and anger, all topped off with the bittersweet, lingering longing that comes with fresh acceptance that this particular love won’t work out. The songs’ lyrics are clearly melancholy, but Katherine’s voice brings a brightness to even the saddest of the EP’s tracks.

In true TikTok musician fashion — Katherine has just over 440,000 followers on the platform — there are moments on the EP that capture a sense of Katherine as an average teenager. Before the recording stops on “Wish You the Worst,” a voice that might be her mother’s calls

Katherine’s name, muted as if from another room. “Miss Me Too” opens with a spoken admission: “I just woke up, so it might be a little rough,” Katherine says. The song proceeds to be anything but.

So it’s no surprise that Katherine is a natural in front of the Monday evening crowd, delivering one of the more polished sets of the evening despite being the only musician to take the stage solo that night. Katherine’s mom, Maggie Li, watches from the left side of the stage, wearing her daughter’s merch: a hoodie that reads “CRUSHED” in a colourful, candy-like font. After the show, Katherine greets at least a dozen audience members with hugs and excited conversations. She blows a kiss to one of them before ducking behind the green velvet backstage curtain with her mom.

The night feels like one of those sparkling, precious moments from the early days of an artist’s accelerating career. In 2022, American Eagle paid Katherine over a hundred thousand dollars to take part in a back-to-school advertising campaign, accompanied by a TikTok challenge that garnered over three billion views. In December, she was the central character in a New Yorker feature exploring the collision between TikTok and the music industry. The night of the concert, a documentary crew is there to take footage of her, and not long after the show, a song of hers will air on BBC Radio One alongside tunes from Maisie Peters and Alexander 23.

Katherine Li may have only given her first live performance in August 2022, but she seems to be on the cusp of something bigger and better, just around the corner.

Jadine Ngan Editor-in-Chief

Katherine beams after playing the closing notes of Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi — the only cover included in her set.

Katherine addresses the audience in between songs: “I want to get to know you guys a bit better,” she says.

Katherine looks out into the crowd while playing “We Didn’t Even Date,” a song exploring the emotions of getting too attached to someone that you’re not in a relationship with — but wish you were.

Katherine opens her set with an acoustic guitar rendition of “Happening Again,” the first song off her 2022 EP.

“This next song is very special to me. It’s about the person you never had a chance with,” Katherine says before closing her set with her most popular release to date, “Never Had a Chance.”

True-Blue daters: who pays the bill nowadays?

U of T students on the cost of dating and straight gender norms

Angelina Siew Varsity Contributor

Got plans this Valentine’s Day? Just remember that the cost of dating is going up, and traditional gender roles are breaking down, so be

an increasing pressure to tip, which could add up to “crazy triple-digit price tags for a single date.”

Kristen Lee Pack, a first-year student in digital enterprise management, mentioned another factor of the high cost of dating, explaining The Varsity that people may go overboard with spending if they feel the pressure to impress their date with a

However, Chris Deogrades, a specialist in biological chemistry, contends that this extravagant

dent, agrees that dates can be fun and meaningful even if they don’t involve expensive outings. “Dating is as expensive as you make it… everything can be budgeted and everything can be adapted to our possibilities,” she explained in an email to The Varsity

Statistics speak

On average, the cost of going on dates as a single person has increased by 40 per cent over the last 10 years, according to a 2022 TIME survey of 5,000 single Americans.

The loaning service Lending Tree surveyed 1,578 US consumers in 2022 and found that nearly one in five individuals decide not to go on dates due to inflation concerns, with 22 per cent of millennials likely to incur financial debt as a result of their dating spending habits. Furthermore, 77 per cent of active daters believe that having more money would make dating 54 per cent of the men surveyed answered that in a heterosexual pairing, men should pay for the first date. Women, however, were more partial to splitting the bill or giving responsibility to whoever initiated the date, regardless of gender. Gen Z participants echoed this sentiment more often than older

Does gender still matter?

So how should a couple deal

Maya Buttigieg, a second-year student studying biology and chemistry, explained in an email to The Varsity that she still appreciates the classic gesture of the man paying for the first date, especially if they initiated it. However, she notes that gender roles are increasingly fading, and men shouldn’t have to pay for every date afterward.

Kaikatsishvili noted that, while paying for the other person on a date is a caring gesture, it is not just something that only one gender should do.

Risco maintained that, “Whoever asks [the other person on the date] should pay one or two times,” and after that the couple should split the bill for every date.

Pack agrees. “I do not believe gender should matter in regard to going on dates. On the first date, the person who initiated the date should pay,” she explained. She pointed out the significant financial burden for one person having to pay for every single date.

Deogrades believes that people should plan dates that they will be able to pay for themselves. However, he suggested that the responsibility for paying may “change on a case-by-case basis,” depending on how much each person orders at a restaurant, for instance, and what each person’s financial situation is. In general, he doesn’t think there should be any concrete rule for who should foot the bill.

Every couple will have to decide what they feel is right for them — but dating frugally, defying gender roles, and splitting bills are all fair game this Valentine’s day.

People are busy. With long work weeks, school, and other activities, work-life balance for young professionals has been taking a hit. In the quest for love, busy schedules could hamper people’s ability to meet new people. As a result, they may often turn to meeting people at their workplace.

Dating a coworker, while not against the law, could have several professional and personal implications. Nonetheless, such office romances are becoming increasingly common.

A common occurrence

According to Vault’s 2017 Office Romance survey, 57 per cent of respondents had engaged in a workplace romance of some sort, with one in 10 saying that they met their spouse at work.

While younger people are more likely to be happily single, significant dating trends like this may still be true for our own generation since many people will have their network largely based on their workplace. After all, if you are spending 40 hours a week somewhere, you might as well take the time to meet the people you spend long hours with.

The main appeal of dating someone in your workplace is that it is an easy and natural way to meet new people. Global News reported in 2019 that a survey by Report Linker found that 27 per cent of US adults look for potential dates at work. The physical proximity at work and the “mere-exposure effect” — a psychological phenomenon where in simply being around someone often makes it more likely that we will like them — are some explanations for why we might fall for coworkers, in the same way that classmates might catch feelings for each other.

Meeting people at work may help reduce the burden of navigating intimidating dating apps or otherwise finding people online. People are busy, and naturally, they look for those around them who are available.

Workplace-related concerns

Since there are no laws barring workplace

that may limit personal relationships at work, such as a ban against public display of affection, preferential treatment, and more. These rules may fall within policies that ensure professionalism, or simply protect employees from sexual harassment and abuse in rightful anticipation of what a bad relationship fallout might entail.

worker is another story. As an employee, it is important to consider all the factors involved, as well as your workplace’s policies regarding romances, harassment, and conflict of interests. Pay attention to whether these policies were in your contract, if managers or human resource employees actually implement them, and whether you trust that these people have had the training to handle a situation of conflict. Additionally, dating a coworker of a different seniority level creates a power imbalance and a potential conflict of interests.

A student weighs in

Quinn Moroz is a third-year student in the Life Sciences program. She wrote in an email to The Varsity about her experience dating a coworker. Moroz met her boyfriend while working at a COVID-19 vaccine clinic. Since the clinic was going to shut down eventually, Moroz did not consider the potential fallout from a breakup.

“For us, I think the timing and situation were just right for a work relationship, and we were both good at keeping it completely professional, but at the end of the day it seems that workplace romance is difficult to do correctly,” wrote Moroz.

relationships, it is difficult for an employer to outright ban relationships between employees. Plus, people might simply hide their relationships. However, this doesn’t mean that employers have no power over the matter.

Employers are free to set workplace policies

For these reasons, employers may want to know about a workplace relationship. Some companies may even have a disclosure policy if you are dating a coworker, and dishonesty may be a sufficient reason for dismissal. Whether or not you should date your co-

“Balancing a relationship with work and school requires some planning and sacrifice on both our ends,” added Moroz on how she balances her relationship commitments. “Something that worked for us is looking through our calendars to put at least one hour of time aside to talk, usually at night before we go to sleep, to check up on our relationship and air out our grievances so there’s no resentment undermining our relationship.”

If you’re hitting it off with a co-worker, then a workplace relationship may just work out for you — but be prepared to handle the extra complications.

Arts & Culture

February 13, 2023

thevarsity.ca/section/arts-and-culture arts@thevarsity.ca

In defence of the rom com

Varsity Contributor

Valentine’s Day was not a big deal where I grew up. Nobody celebrated it or cared. It was just one of those things that you saw advertisements for and realized was happening. Everything I know about the holiday comes from a much more global source. The romantic comedy.

While I was young, I was exposed to what seemed like the golden age of romantic comedies, spoiled with choice with classics from the late ’90s and early 2000s, a period of time when some of the best rom coms were made, but the modern rom com follows a tradition that is much older, dating back to at least Shakespeare.

Sure enough, some of my favorite rom coms are modern retellings of literary classics. 10 Things I Hate About You which is a rendition of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew or Clueless, which is a retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma, or my favorite from the list and in my opinion the most “comedy” out of these movies, She’s the Man, which is a rehashing of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night

And yet, in the past 10 years or so fewer rom coms are seen. Or, at least, it seems that fewer have as much of a cultural impact as the movies that I have mentioned. The mid-2010s saw a trend of heightened criticisms of the rom com. A Washington Post piece from 2016 declares the genre dead and reviews the criticisms lauded at it.

These criticisms are, for the most part, very understandable.

Romantic comedies seemed like the only

avenue in which female stars could rise for the longest time. Think of Julia Roberts in Pretty Women or Meg Ryan in You’ve Got Mail or even Angelina Jolie in Mr. and Mrs. Smith — it seemed that if you were an actress you had to confine yourself, you were either a ‘serious’ dramatic performer to the likes of Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, and Julianne Moore or you were ‘relegated’ to the rom coms. There was no in between.

At some point, the very premise of the rom com also came under attack; why is it that women were seen as only good enough for romance? Why were they left to be saved and swept away and stripped of agency to find the ever-alluding perfect relationships? Why is it that a lot of these rom coms involved women being proven wrong about relationships or settling down? There is something archaic in believing that women have to eventually conform and find happiness and fulfillment in a romantic relationship.

And speaking of archaicness and conformity, why is everyone white and straight?

All of these criticisms are more than warranted. But something in me still rises to defend the rom com. My experience has been that female roles have been limited in every genre — what that limitation means of course differs. Whether it’s being fridged in superhero movies or brutalized in fantasy to get “stronger,” the norms imposed on women in the media have not changed. A part of me can not help but question why it is that the one genre that is overwhelmingly low stakes and often absent from explicit violence directed against women is the one being most attacked for misogynistic views.

Recent years have also seen an increase in diversity in rom coms. This increase was heralded by the movie Crazy Rich Asians, but while that film is backed by the most marketing compared to other rom coms with similar diversity, one can also find rom coms like The Love Birds Always Be My Maybe, and Someone Great, which all feature non white leads, or Fire Island, a retelling of Pride and Prejudice featuring an Asian gay friend group. But I would even go further and state that diversity has always been present in the rom com.

Even in the heyday of the rom com, there were multiple featuring diverse casts. Think of Deliver Us from Eva, another Taming of the Shrew retelling starring Gabrielle Union and LL Cool J, or Our Family Wedding, which chronicles the struggles of a Mexican and African-American

family to get along when their kids decide to get married, and stars America Ferrera and Lance Gross. Or Imagine Me &and You, a queer rom com about a florist falling in love with the bride at the wedding she is working at. The issue, to me at least, has been less about the diversity available, and more about the systemic backing that these movies lack in comparison to their white, straight counterparts. Not to mention that there is a wealth of rom coms from other regions, such as from the Bollywood or Japanese and Korean film industries.

If you have sworn off the rom com, I hope you might give it another chance, especially one featuring people who are different from you. Because after all, isn’t that what the rom com is all about? The idea that love is universal.

Why you should give this often mocked genre a chance

Jwan Omer

Recently, rom coms have been criticized. VURJEET MADAN/THEVARSITY

Dating app fatigue

The challenges of online dating

Paige France Varsity Contributor

With over 8,000 sites, over 1,500 apps to choose from, and 300 million adults using dating apps worldwide, it is hard to dispute the staggering reach and success rates of dating apps.

Online dating services allow us to network and connect with new people. With the launch of Match.com in 1995, there was a recorded increase in interracial marriages, maybe owing to the app’s ability to browse the viable dating pool with a greater level of safety and security from prejudice one might otherwise encounter. Among the LGBTQ+ community, a “sexual revolution” was coined and sparked with the release of Grindr in 2009. With a reported 70 per cent of same-sex relationships beginning through dating apps, it would be imprudent to deny the benefits of online dating.

Knowing that you have a catalogue of options has not been lost on people who are vying to find their next forever. Over 300 million people use dating apps worldwide. With dating apps’ overwhelming popularity, resisting the temptation to download these virtual matchmakers, for myself, has proven difficult.

The fear of missing out is constant when it comes to the dating world. After hearing your friends — who promised to lie about the origin of their union being a bee-decaled app — talk about how perfect they and their partner are together at what was supposed to be singles game night, it is easy to give in. Navigating the dating world is difficult, and my singlehood gave me the push I needed to set up a profile, pick six of my best and least catfishy photos,

hand select three meaningless prompts that will make my future husband know I was indefinitely and unequivocally the one, and press “OK.” However, the assurance of “I’m just window shopping” quickly turns into “why hasn’t he texted me back by now,” and “are we still on for Saturday night mojitos?” Though an estimated 40 per cent of current users have confirmed they have begun a serious relationship through these apps, 20 per cent have reported to have experienced significantly heightened levels of psychological distress from swipe-based dating apps.

My on-again, off-again, hate-to-love, love-tohate relationship with online dating has caused

me to download the trifecta — Bumble, Hinge, and Tinder — three times each, just to become immensely disappointed with the target audience the artificial intelligence brutally curated for me. It is all fun and games until swarms of boys pretending to like Taylor Swift, holding fish, using my name as some cute and sexual pun, and telling me — with my staggering fivefeet-eight-inches stature — that they normally don’t date tall women creep into my Bridget Jones Friday nights.

If I learned anything from PSY100 — Introductory Psychology — it is that it takes merely seven seconds to know if I am physically attracted to someone. More organic, less technologically advantaged means of finding love allow you to better weed out the swarms to whom you would otherwise not be romantically attracted to, leading to significantly less failed attempts at dating and responses to the ques-

tion of my favourite colour. It’s yellow, by the way.

Perhaps this is an inevitable tradeoff with dating apps — access to a wider variety of matches allow for more chances at immediate success, but also more chances at failure. With what the kids like to call “vibes” being pertinent to solidifying an honest connection with someone, dating apps fail in the sense where connecting people who are single is prioritized over those who are compatible. The real-world approach allows for easier-to-read body language, less ambiguity on what each party is looking for in a relationship, and knowing sooner whether there is a connection that could be pursued.

The sad reality of these apps is their unpredictability and their promotion of hookup culture, putting the focus of dating on looks and whether my date was able to finish the lyrics to my prompt with an easy Google search. The inorganic nature of online dating — through its awkward expression of romantic, sexual, or physical interest — has inhibited an overwhelming majority from enjoying the spontaneity of love, those first glances and look down smiling moments, and the iconic meet cutes that get retold at family dinners.

Maybe I won’t get the ‘walk around the corner and the brooding brunet knocks over my books’ rom com moment, but surely I won’t be settling for an ‘are you the girl on the right or the left?’ disaster. I know by this point that putting my sanity on the line to be that 40 per cent, with the risk of that 20 per cent, is just poor odds.

Is this my time to keep waiting for my Prince Charming? Do I finally listen to my happily dating friends when they tell me “it comes when you stop looking”? Do I just have to cry into my ice cream tub watching Bridget Jones dance to “All By Myself” for the hundredth time? Yes, yes, and unequivocally, yes.

Many women and men I courted over the following year threw around “slay” and “queen” constantly in what struck me as very nonbestie scenarios. Just my luck. Was I being repeatedly friend zoned or was my experience symptomatic of a greater “slay” oversaturation in society? My increasing frustration with being queen-bombed compelled me to investigate the evolution of the meaning of “slay” and “queen.”

America seems to be a ‘bottom-up’ culture. This means that its cultural trends are largely set by the masses or marginalized classes of the social ladder instead of those with the structural power. Sociolinguists have observed this bottom-up journey of AAVE from Black America to the rest of the world via pop culture and the internet. Words such as “slay” and “queen” come from one American subculture in particular: the American LGBTQ+ ballroom and drag scene.

“Slay” first emerged in the ballroom scene during the ’70s–’80s and first came to prominence in Paris is Burning , a 1990 documentary. The documentary was one of the first and most notable examples of gay men and trans femmes of colour gaining greater media representation. It shines a light on the New York ballroom scene, where LGBTQ+ racialized people competed in flamboyant runways and dance battles while forming a strong community in a world that pushed them to the margins.

persona, that of a sassy, ‘fierce’ individual. Not to mention the show’s large woman viewership. Over time, LGBTQ+ AAVE words have diffused up the echelons of society. This dialect has made quite the journey.

What will be the fate of “slay” and “queen?” Will they join words like “on fleek” and “lit” in the graveyard of slang once deemed cutting edge? Most people mean no harm when using popularized jargon — even I sometimes find “slay” making an involuntary appearance in my vocabulary. Environments shape the words we use.

However, something sinister can be said about the way the mainstream recycles Black and queer expressions and hollows them of their sincerity. The aforementioned British study by Ilbury observed that the deployment of AAVE in Twitter altercations “reduces the speakers’ commitment to the pragmatic force of their message.” Outside its original context, “queen” tends to sound superficial, an almost patronizing word for girls you’ve just met in a club bathroom or girls you don’t respect but praise with a tinge of irony. And “slay” has recently taken on a blasé din. Who can blame me for bemoaning these words when they’ve been overused and warped into a caricature of their original meaning?

One evening, at the beginning of my second year of university, I sat in a cramped, eclectic bar with my first-ever Hinge date. We had already spent a couple of hours chatting, and the ice in our drinks had begun to melt.

“I’m just gonna go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back,” I announced, rising from my chair.

“Okay, slay!” was her response.

‘Slay.’ A word with many meanings and many iterations. At that moment, I experienced it in a new, startling context. This was not the last I would hear of it over the course of the evening,

either. As the date progressed, and so did our flirtatious advances, I could not shake that word from our discussion. Slay decorated every one of her sentences. The evening drew to a close and we kissed goodnight. As I waved goodbye, she called out, “Goodnight, queen!”

Slay? Queen? Had this become the novel language of love, and I just hadn’t gotten the memo? The vocab reserved for hyping up your platonic besties seemed to permeate my dating life. I thought this was a one-time occurrence, but she didn’t represent the last of my romantic encounters littered with saccharine, appropriated African American Vernacular English (AAVE).

Throughout the documentary, members of the community offer their definitions of ballroom jargon, such as “realness” and “shade.” The exposure the ballroom scene received in the documentary exposed their vocabulary to the masses, as did the appropriation of this type of culture by pop stars like Madonna.

However, what truly took LGBTQ+ AAVE from niche queer culture to the vocabulary of straight men I’ve met on dating apps is the phenomenon of RuPaul’s Drag Race . As gay culture gains a wider audience through popular media, the effervescent spunk of a onceunderground language becomes irresistible to modern viewers. One study by Christian Ilbury linked the use of these terms in the online vocabulary of white gay men in the UK via drag culture as a way of socially signalling a certain

The oversaturation of slay has indeed proven detrimental to the original communities who started it. Straight men mock and look down at girls for their shrill queening and slaying. And queer women like myself agonize over these trendy words for muddling an already marginalized romance. Given how LGBTQ+ AAVE has evolved to connote patronizing irony, you can imagine my horror of hearing it tossed around by love interests. Only in the corners of the city’s ballroom scene can we still witness genuine “queens” or hear “slay” being used with real enthusiasm instead of as an off-hand, catch-all phrase.

To conclude, I need not plead with the masses to stop tossing around “slay” and “queen.” It is not my place to do so and, regardless, the grim reaper of time and our fickle linguistic trend cycle will do the work for me. But please, use another adjective if you think I’m cute.

JAYLIN KIM/THEVARSITY

We’ve ruined “slay” The ubiquitous words being warped by our cultural sassy moment

Milena Pappalardo

Associate Arts & Culture Editor

CHERYL

Into the Woods : The musical about wishing for more

This U of T campus theatre production stems from found family, storytelling, and beans

Miran Tsay Varsity Staff

The butterfly effect is strong in the woods. Every action has a greater and even more chaotic reaction.

In the musical Into the Woods, instead of taking the neat and tidy happily-ever-after handed to them on a silver platter, classical fairy tale characters wish for more. Cinderella, Rapunzel and her witch, Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk, and Little Red Riding Hood do get more than they wish for, more than they know what to do with.

Presented by the St. Michael’s College Troubadours at Hart House Theatre, U of T students and creatives have poured their souls into bringing Into the Woods to life from February 9–11. The crew will run four shows — scheduled for 8:00 pm every day and one matinée show at 2:00 pm on Saturday. Tickets are currently available online on Hart House Theatre’s website or by in-person pick up at the Hart House HUB Main Information Desk.

Working on this musical since August 2022, Director Paul Meyer and the devoted cast and crew have been assembling the masterpiece bit by bit. The day I was fortunate enough to sit in on a rehearsal, the crew was working with some props — like the boots of a giant and moving bookshelves — to implement them into the impressively fast-paced scenes and intricate choreography.

“It’s a very fragmented show,” said Joshua Kilimnik, the actor behind Jack, to The Varsity “There’s just a lot of things that happen all over the place.” Things like the stealing of golden eggs, brotherly agony, a baker and his wife who love, cows coming back to life, and lessons being learned — or not.

Meyer’s take

Originally performed on Broadway in 1987, Into the Woods has racked up 764 broadway performances over the past few decades, even being made into a movie in 2014. When Meyer rewatched Into the Woods this past summer,

he once again fell in love with the themes of the musical. “Act I is very much a story of individual wishes. But they’re not happy after. But we see in Act II, when they come together as a community, that’s when they find each other.” This sense of found family and collected questing has never been quite this relevant, especially for the theatre community, which struggled through the pandemic.

On top of the show emphasizing community, Meyer approaches the musical with questions woven into the narrative. He recast the Narrator as a younger, teenage girl instead of an old man like in the original, who is “living in our society and is seeing all these divisions and all of these pressures. She resorts to the world of fairy tales where she’s like, ‘these are the stories I know and cherish,’ but she realizes that these aren’t as good or as nice as we think about them.”

While many childhood fairy tales end in a happily-ever-after, their messages and themes are deeper than the surface level. Meyer and the cast make you think about humanity, about the cookie-cutter ideas we accept easily.

The puzzle pieces

The show is no less than a musical monster, with Stephen Sondheim’s compositions running for just under three hours. There are many cogs and gears involved with getting Into the Woods on its feet and running, from orchestral substitutes to stage managers to the actors. It’s a feat of coordination and teamwork.

When you attend a show, Tara Costello — a U of T alum and the show’s lighting designer — is likely working the lights in the booth behind your head. “We have a lot of effects going on in this show because it is such a campy, over the top… fairy tale.” Jonah Nung and Ariane Prescott, the music director and associate vocal director respectively, coached vocals. Assistant stagehands and crew are running around, swapping and fixing and moving props. Oh, and Abigail Lewis, the stage manager, oversees all of the controlled chaos. She and her assistants smooth out bumps in the show and handle loose ends.

Not to mention the orchestra — sound effects and the feeling of live music that nothing else can replicate. It’s a mountain of a team. The clockwork relies on each role, each little bit of magic to get Cinderella home before midnight.

Found family first

Mia Rebelo, who plays Little Red Riding Hood, and Nicolas Cikoja and Emma Kidd, who play the Baker and the Baker’s Wife, respectively, sat down with The Varsity after a three-hourlong rehearsal. Their discussion had barely started before Kilimnik walked in with pho and Siobhán Gyulay, the incredible voice behind the witch, took a seat beside Mia. Actors popped in and out of the room, changing out of costumes and joking.

At the end of the lovely half-an-hour discussion, Meyer, other actors, and even some of the crew were in on the conversation, bouncing off one another and poking fun at it all. Their easy demeanour and friendships are testament to the themes of Into the Woods — the casual bonds that grow when working on a craft everyone’s passionate about and the community that develops and translates to Meyer’s and the original Into the Woods’ message.

When asked about good moments during the process, Kidd first talked about working with Cikoja. He returned the sentiment moments later: “I don’t think I could be anywhere near as successful with some of those moments if I didn’t have you in some of those scenes.”

The cast is also always quick to mention everyone else involved behind the scenes. Nung went through a daily check-in with the crew: how they feel on a scale of 1–10, their intentions for the day, accessibility notes, and a funny little question to lighten things up. Emma Faith, who plays Cinderella, said that this practice encouraged their friendships and bonding. “19 people thrown into a room together,” Meyer reflected on the cast. “Going from that first read through to everyone being comfortable with one another… It’s been really great.”

Everyone always circles back to how rewarding it is to see all of their hard work come together, to the support system they’ve got.

“Seeing everything come together; like today, I must say, was one of my favourite rehearsals so far…” Meyer said. “Not only have the cast elements and performances come together so far, [but] so have the technical parts. The set, the costumes, the lights, and the sound… The cast and the crew and the creative team and the orchestra — everyone is doing such a great job.”

Cikoja, referring to all the work behind the scenes and on the stage, says: “It really did take a village to put this show together.”

Two midnights down

When I went to see the musical this past Friday, the audience was delighted by the production’s organized discord. There was reverberant cheering for the actors after their big songs, laughter after perfectly timed jokes, and a standing ovation at the end of it all.

The live music and in-sync lighting were incredible. Costello’s red lighting during character deaths and warm spotlights on the princes during the number “Agony” tied everything together. Nung conducted the live band, adding dramatic sound effects and accents to the actors’ storytelling. The grandeur was only amplified through the smoke machine and quick changes — and magic laced in all of the performances.

Seeing Gyulay’s full costume, the collapsing bookshelves, and Milky White — a cow — in all their glory brought the story to life. There was so much effort and love put into every aspect of the show, I can’t properly articulate how clear it was in everything that happened on and off stage — Meyer’s director’s note in the programs, the laces on the giant’s boots, a fake-blood stunt, and the emotions behind the vocals. The community of storytellers paid homage to the original Into the Woods while still incorporating Meyer’s novel takes, coming together to take the audience into the fantastical world that makes you wish — with caution.

The cast and crew developed real connections while developing the project. COURTESY IAN WAN

Could AI fall in love?

We’ve given machines intelligence, but could we give them emotions?

Ashiana Sunderji Varsity Staff

In November 2022, artificial intelligence (AI) research laboratory OpenAI launched ChatGPT, and the idea of revolutionary human-like AI has become one of the forefronts of technological discussion. ChatGPT is an AI model that imitates human speech and engages with users in a conversational manner, and its potential for human mimicry and passing the Turing test has led many to inquire whether or not AI could experience sentience. A prevalent topic in computer science and neuroscience has been the development of AI applications that approach the possibility of experiencing feelings and sensations.

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, one question of interest is whether AI could ever fall in love.

The extent of love in machines

We start our investigation by asking what love is.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines love as “a strong affection for another” or “the object of attachment, devotion, or admiration.” This begs the question: can AI experience a feeling or an attachment towards something, or is it stagnant in its beliefs based on a series of programming?

To take the definition further, we can look into the science behind love, which anthropologist Dr. Helen Fisher, who studies behaviour, and her team at Rutgers University broke down. They look at love as three distinct categories, each with specific neurotransmitters and hormones that are responsible for it. Lust, which is driven by testosterone and estrogen; attraction, which involves dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine; and attachment, which

is driven by oxytocin and vasopressin. By this definition alone, we obviously might conclude that AI will never experience love, at least not in the way that humans do. However, this does not mean that it is impossible for users to interpret an AI as experiencing love. Humans might interpret its generated content as emotional. In fact, early last year, Google engineer Blake Lemoine published a transcript of his conversation with LaMDA, Google’s own internal AI chatbot, sharing his belief that LaMDA had gone sentient. He lost his job because of his decision to post the interview, but he firmly believed in the emotional and sentient capacities of the AI. If Lemoine’s beliefs are true, then the same could happen as more models become publicly available.

Do you love someone, ChatGPT?

I wanted to know if there was anything that ChatGPT loves, so I asked the bot, “What do you love?” The response was, “As an AI language model, I do not have personal emotions or opinions. My purpose is to assist users in generating human-like text based on the input provided to me. Is there anything specific you would like to know or discuss? I am here to help.” I got a similar response when I asked about its interests or its feelings about a certain topic.

To understand these responses, we can take a look at how ChatGPT learns and speaks. As a language processing model, ChatGPT undergoes thousands of human interactions that exist in the form of conversations. An article in the Atlantic expresses that ChatGPT cannot even understand how complex the human language and conversation truly is, and is only generating words in response to particular inputs. Through exploring these examples, the model understands various patterns, and can

then extrapolate the necessary information and sentence structure to create the right response to your query.

Just looking at its program structure, it would be a far reach to say that ChatGPT has achieved sentience, despite how much it may seem that way. We know that at this current point in time, ChatGPT cannot display love, interest, or a particular feeling toward something, either due to its learning and training structure or because of checks put in place by its programmers.

Although the magnitude of what it can perform makes us feel as though we might be communicating with an actual human or some sort of decision-making tool that is capable of formulating its own opinions and beliefs, it is important to remember that AI bots such as ChatGPT are regurgitating sentences based on a set programming and not based on their own interpretation of a question in a given moment.

Should we let AI fall in love?

As AI develops, we also need to consider what capacities we give them. A lot of these decisions are entirely in our control, and these

questions are fundamentally rooted in what-ifs and ethics.

As of now, it is not possible for a bot to have sentience. Nonetheless, AI has begun to change the way that we communicate. For instance, I have heard people express that they have used ChatGPT to refine emails for professionalism or social media captions for concision.

While these implementations of the tool might seem innocent, they may take away opportunities for us to better our own writing, and we might stop exercising the creativity that is innate to humans, sacrificing our skills for efficiency. Taking this further, there is a growing concern that, should we begin to rely on this bot for conversational skills, we might use AI as a means of communicating with others, losing human connection that is so important to human beings and our society as a whole.

While AI might not be able to experience love directly, this does not mean that it does not have the potential to facilitate many of our conversations that allow us to establish bonds with other people, and in so doing, it robs us of the chance to feel something — maybe even love.

Lovefool: on the neurobiology of love and lust

How your brain reacts to different kinds of attraction

Edvina Bahar Varsity Contributor

Think of the last time you had a crush — palms all sweaty, eyes flickering, heart beating out of your chest. For the longest time, people thought that the heart was behind all of this, but as it turns out, the brain was the mastermind controlling the sensation of love.

To understand this, we can break down romantic love into categories: lust, attraction, and attachment. Scientists believe that different chemicals control these categories in your brain. Testosterone, estrogen, dopamine, and norepinephrine control lust and attraction, while

oxytocin, vasopressin, dopamine, and serotonin control the feeling of love.

But what is lust? It’s not just one of the seven deadly sins, is it? Lust is thought to be driven by sexual gratification and is often attributed to the evolutionary need to reproduce.

Naturally, rewarding and pleasurable activities are vital to the human experience and survival. Activities such as sex rely on the brain’s reward circuitry. The main chemical behind the circuitry is dopamine, the ‘pleasure’ neurotransmitter, and some endorphin activity, also known as the body’s natural morphine.

These chemicals drive the desire for lust and keep you returning to that one person. Dopa-

mine, released by your hypothalamus — the hormone control center of your brain — creates the feeling of euphoria and the ‘feel good’ state. The entire reward circuit, including the hypothalamus, also becomes activated when a person takes opioids!

Now, let’s get physical about love.

What does it feel like? People in love often describe love as feeling secure, safe, light, and airy. Like wanting a hug and being hugged all the time. It feels habitual, natural, and warm, but still exciting.

And all of this is due to a chemical called oxytocin. Oxytocin is often known as the cuddle hormone and the chemical of love. It drives behaviours such as trust and social cooperativity. It’s the chemical that spurs the bond between a mother and her child, and even orgasms. Even shaking hands or hugging a person can release oxytocin in our brains.

It is a powerful hormone, and researchers have found that it is actually an “amplifier” hormone, meaning that whatever strong emotion we are feeling at a specific moment, it amplifies that. When it comes to the feeling of love, it strengthens trust, feeling of security, and bonding. Both oxytocin and vasopressin — a hormone controlling blood pressure — have also been found to “deactivate” the regions of the brain associated with negative emotions, social judgment, and assessment of others’ intentions and emotions.

I guess that is why people say love makes you blind!

Interestingly, the reward system also plays a role in love. Some areas of the brain that are involved in love are the medial insula; anterior cingulate; hippocampus; and, in the subcortex, parts of the striatum and probably also the nucleus accumbens, which together make up the reward system. This system provides that euphoric feeling using dopamine signalling, which keeps your attachment to your partner intact.

Human attachment also employs a push-pull mechanism that overcomes this social distance by deactivating the networks used for critical social assessment and assessing their intentions and negative emotions while bonding you and your partner through the involvement of the reward system.

All of this is to say that the power of love is apparent. It takes over our social interactions and cognitive circuitry and even affects a lot of the decisions we make daily! It is the biggest motivator and exhilarator of the human experience — dare I say, even more potent than lust? Nonetheless, these emotions, experiences, or whatever you might want to call them, are complex in their neurobiology and have ups and downs. But they might be one of the most significant factors why the human race has survived for as long as it did!

As we learn more about the mechanisms and neurobiology of love and lust, it becomes increasingly clear how so many human interactions rely on these feelings and why understanding them can be key to understanding human behaviour.

The capacity for an AI to feel attachment is both an ethical and logical conundrum. AUGUSTINE WONG/THEVARSITY

Not all cuddles and love

How a chemical of love can lead to hate

Seavey van Walsum Associate Science Editor

You may have heard that oxytocin, the hormone responsible for social bonding, is called the “love hormone” or “cuddle chemical.” This is because of its role

cial or physical closeness. These warm fuzzies break down into a whole host of physiological and neurological changes — from lowered blood pressure and cortisol levels to increased trust, pain threshold, and immune function. One study even considers oxytocin “nature’s medicine” and highlights the potential of its role in aiding treatments for schizophrenia, depression, postpartum depression, eating disorders, and — more dubiously — autis-

is universally good. But even the cuddliest kittens can have claws.

A cousin to dopamine and serotonin — neurotransmitters that regulate mood and reward — oxytocin is part of the holy trinity of neurochemical happiness. Oxytocin’s modulatory interaction with its cousin neurotransmitters in the nucleus accumbens — the reward centre of the brain — leads to the feeling of satisfaction after social interaction. This serves an evolutionary function to ensure survival in a group. As such, it is not surprising that oxytocin also motivates aggression and protectiveness. In the same way oxytocin helps bond a mother to her child, it facilitates maternal aggression to protect her baby.

However, this defensive aggression is the same mechanism that creates ingroup bias — the preference for one’s group and bias against others.

A 2019 study tested this through the administration of oxytocin during a group game. The researchers found that participants in groups given artificial oxytocin became more coordinated in “attacks” toward others as well as more open to accepting personal loss for the greater gain of the group. They even noted that participants’ ability to track the other group’s defense strategy increased and groups with oxytocin were more likely to attack when the other was most vulnerable. In short, the oxytocin group became more ruthless.

study tested the link between oxytocin and xenophobia. They observed Dutch individuals dosed with oxytocin and how they resolved a series of five ethical dilemmas — which included a problem with a lifeboat without enough space and the classic trolley problem — and they found that Dutch citizens were more comfortable exchanging the life of a Mohammed to save a Maarten.

Oxytocin is great at building social bonds but not necessarily at making a better society or relationship. However, this can lead to an increase in trust in and possessiveness of people in situations where that is unwise and unhealthy. For example, a mean best friend or aggressive partner will be excused for behaviour that would be intolerable from a stranger; you may see an acquaintance who gives you hugs as more trustworthy or your relationship with them as more important than they truly are.

Oxytocin is a cuddle hormone, a treatment, and a social bonding agent, but above all, it is most important to also think of it as an emotional amplifier. It can increase longevity and intensify an orgasm but also cause negative emotions that manifest as extreme envy and aggressiveness. Because of its benefits, though, it’s being considered as a treatment for certain diseases. If we begin to prescribe oxytocin as medicine, we need to treat its interactions with our environments the way we consider drug interactions.

tic behavioural

Oxytocin’s benefits and clinical effectiveness can lead to the misconception that it

Oxytocin increases ingroup trust, coordination, and bonding, but it also facilitates inverse feelings toward outsiders. Evolutionarily, this is because sharing information and resources with others makes us vulnerable — so it is unwise to do so with everyone.

Outside of group games, this bias and remnant evolutionary behaviour can have xenophobic implications today.Dutch scientists in a 2011

Loving yourself

The science of narcissism

seeking, increase survival and expedited reproduction, as scientists believe that historically, people preferred mates of higher

Not all narcissistic behaviour is negative, aggressive, or self-serving. Some positive traits associated with this personality trait include confident leadership, self-confidence, and overall well-being. However, those with more extreme narcissism traits and high scores on questionnaires assessing narcissism, such as the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, exacerbate these positive and negative traits and may lead to an official diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder. These individuals are known to seek attention and praise, engage in an overwhelming amount of bragging, and exhibit whatever other behaviours they deem necessary to Narcissistic behaviours manifest in two ways: grandiose narcissism, evidenced through aggressive and exaggerated behaviour, and vulnerable narcissism, which appears as introverted and anxious behaviour. Grandiose narcissism is closer to what most people think of when they hear about a narcissist; on the other hand, vulnerable narcissists still display the same self-importance, but by thinking they are far worse rather than far better than others. Researchers have traditionally only explored grandiose narcissism when considering social media use

Is social media really a catalyst for charisma and flamboyance?

Results looking at social media use and narcissism are mixed, but the general consensus

Much of the science on oxytocin is very new and focuses on its positive effects. This creates a logical fallacy in perceiving it as solely “good.” Much research remains to be done on the negative effects of oxytocin before it is ready for commercial or clinical distribution. Nonetheless, hasty optimism is high.

Could we have bonded with oxytocin a little too fast?

is narcissism and social media use seem to be connected.

Generally, research shows that those with higher levels of grandiose narcissism spend more time on social media, including sending more tweets, having more friends or followers, and posting selfies more frequently. However, it is important to note that the nature of this relationship is unclear. It is hard to generalize personality traits and specific behaviours — like social media use — across multiple generations and types of platforms. For example, social media use among Gen Z and Gen X may be just as frequent but split across the generational gap of TikTok and Facebook.

Anonymity also plays a role. Users on platforms like Twitter or Reddit are more likely to be anonymous than those on Facebook or Instagram, and this anonymity drives differences in the use of these platforms amongst narcissistic individuals. For example, in one study, college students scoring high in the superiority facet seem to prefer the anonymity of Twitter; whereas those who scored high on exhibitionism preferred Facebook. Either way, the internet affords anonymity and a sense of removal, which give people the opportunity to exhibit narcissistic behaviours without fearing repercussions.

The relationship between narcissism and social media acts as a feedback loop. Narcissists are more likely to use social media, and prolonged social media use seems to predict grandiose narcissistic traits. Particularly, image-based platforms like Instagram or Facebook have been shown to increase narcissistic behaviour over time — especially when compared to more text-based platforms like Twitter.

Overall, if you notice an increase in selfies and narcissistic behaviour from individuals on social media, you wouldn’t be wrong. Social media does seem to be an easy and direct channel to convey narcissistic traits, and the fact that it is so easily accessible seems to result in being even more narcissistic than before. However, it is important to keep in mind that these traits have been around for as long as humans; it is just easier to notice and trigger them now, thanks to a wide range of social media platforms.

CHRISTINE LE/THEVARSITY

Lauren Vomberg Varsity Contributor

Are fetishes acquired or inherited? On the origin of fetishes

Fetishes are non mainstream sexual interests in non genital body parts, inanimate objects, or behaviours. But why do some people have fetishes while others do not? Are fetishes acquired, inherited, or both? This topic is debatable, but evidence suggests that fetishes may be inherited.

What are fetishes?

Using an extensive sample survey, Claudia Scorolli — an associate professor and researcher in the Department of Philosophy and Communication Studies at the University of Bologna — and her colleagues classified the objects of fetishism into three categories and six subcategories. The three categories are body, objects, and behaviours.

The six subcategories are parts or features of the body like feet or weight — including body modifications like tattoos; an object usually in association with the body, like shoes or headphones; an object not usually associated with the body like dirty dishes or candles; a person’s own behavioural habits like biting fingernails; the behaviour of other persons like smoking; and interactional behaviours like domination, humiliation, and roleplay.

Some may think fetishes are rare, as they are non mainstream sexual excitements. However, re-

sizing about a behavioural fetish known as BDSM — bondage, domination, submission, sadism, and masochism. These results may make it less embarrassing to admit and discuss fetishes.

Despite these statistics, fetishism was once considered to be a mental illness, similar to non heteronormative sexualities and non cisgender identities. But now, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, fetishism

sulted from early life experiences, later experiments contradict this thesis.

In 1966, Stanley Rachman — a psychologist at the Institute of Psychiatry, Maudsley Hospital and former professor emeritus in the Department of

object-related fetishes may be more related to earlylife events.

A behavioural fetish may reflect an individual’s personality. An example of such a personality trait is sensation-seeking. The Kinsey Institute’s research fellow Justin Lehmiller identified a pattern of interest in BDSM fetish among sensation-seekers.

is considered a disorder only when it causes “significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.” Gloria Brame, a sexologist and self-proclaimed fetishist, iterates that fetishism isn’t a hobby, but a legitimate sexual identity instead.

Psychology at the University of British Columbia — conducted a study to investigate whether a fetish was a conditioned response. Participants were first shown photographs of naked women, followed by a picture of women’s black boots. Following this, the image of black boots was found to induce sexual arousal successfully.

cent findings counter this belief. In a 2016 study of 1,040 Canadians, 26 per cent of participants reported engaging in some form of fetish activities at least once in their lives.

In other studies, over 60 per cent of male college students and more than 50 per cent of female college students reported fanta-

Unfortunately, fetishism researcher Giselle Rees has found that people with fetishes are still stigmatized and discriminated against as unhealthy, sick, or ‘crazy.’ Rees explains that one popular myth about people with fetishes is that they “need their fetish to have sex.” As such, those with fetishes are considered “abnormal.” However, Rees explains that people with fetishes can regularly engage in and enjoy conventional intercourse without their fetish.

What causes fetishes?

While initial theories claimed that fetishes re-

Explainer: Why the world seems brighter around those we love

How evolution enables emotional stimuli to dilate the pupil and brighten the world

Anthropologist Katharine Gates theorizes that some fetishes are a result of simulation of the brain circuit involving smell and memory. Since the olfactory, memory, and emotion centres of the brain are tightly connected, a certain smell could become a trigger that connects with emotional contents and memories. This theory may explain air freshener fetishes, as well.

Further, neuroscientist Vilayanaur Ramachandran provides a neurological explanation for foot fetishes. In the brain, sensory information from the feet is processed adjacent to sensory information from the genitals. In this regard, there may be some “neural crosstalk” between these two brain areas. Fetishization is less likely to occur for body parts whose cortical representations are far from that of the genitals.

Do fetishes have a genetic component?

Fetishes tend to be permanent. In their 2007 paper, Scorolli and her team proposed that body-related fetishes may be genetic, while

Julia Kim Varsity Contributor

When one looks into the eyes of someone they love, the world appears to brighten up a little. This phenomenon, however, is not merely a warm psychological feeling –– it is also rooted in physiology.

Pupil dilation, or mydriasis, is a physiological response that the autonomic nervous system mediates. The sympathetic division of this system consists of a network of nerves that help regulate the flight-or-fight response. A variety of stimuli, such as danger, stress, and strength of emotion — including that of love — can activate the sympathetic response and cause the pupils to dilate, among other physiological changes.

To understand why pupils dilate in response to such agents, consider the body’s physiological response to danger, like when a human needs to escape a dangerous animal in a forest. First, the visual cortex located in the occipital lobe of the brain assembles the visual image — a grizzly bear — processes the threat, and sends signals to the parts of the brain that activate the sympathetic nervous system. This activation causes the iris dila-

Sensation seeking has a genetic basis related to the dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) gene, which encodes the dopamine receptors that receive and relay biochemical signals from dopamine. A rare mutation of the DRD4 gene with 7-repeat sequences (7R) results in a version of the gene that encodes dopamine receptors less sensitive to dopamine. This means that people with the DRD4 7R+ allele need to participate in more thrilling activities to achieve the same level of pleasure as someone with the normal DRD4 gene.

Besides sexual fetishes, the DRD4 gene also influences several sexual behaviours, such as virginity status, sexual fantasies, sexual unfaithfulness to a committed partner, extra-relationship sex partners, and sexual novelty. In general, compared to individuals with the normal DRD4 allele, those with 7R+ are more active in sex and have more risky sexual behaviours.

This shows that there might be interesting evidence about behavioural fetishes as they relate to personality traits and their genetic basis, but more evidence is needed to corroborate and strengthen this relationship. For now, it appears that early life experiences, learned behaviour, neurological connections, and genetics all contribute to fetishism. With the progressive destigmatization of fetishism, there will likely be more research about the origin of fetishes.

tor muscle to contract, pulling the iris outwards and increasing the pupil’s size. With an enlarged diameter, the eye is able to capture more light and optimize the amount of visual information the brain receives. The person is then better equipped for survival.

In a similar manner, the pupils dilate in response to increased cognitive activity, mental effort, and emotional arousal. Researchers have measured fluctuations in pupil size and reactivity in response to a wide array of stimuli. Although these changes occur on a minuscule scale, they have a profound impact on modulating our emotional experience. For attraction, this connection is thought to be due to the release of hormones and neurotransmitters in the brain associated with feelings of excitement and attraction. In particular, dopamine and norepinephrine are neurochemicals associated with feelings of excitement, attraction, arousal, and interest.

Thus, whenever someone looks into the eyes of a person they love, there is a world of intricate psychological and physiological responses that are taking place. In more senses than one, love indeed appears to make the world a brighter place.

Ruoyan Li Varsity Contributor

How to get your sexercise on

Exercises that will make you great in bed — and the science behind them

Hargun Kaur Rekhi Associate Sports Editor

At its core, sex is an athletic endeavour. It necessitates a combination of endurance, agility, raw strength, and poise. Without a doubt, engaging in sexual activity can be challenging for many reasons, but practice and preparation can ease the burden regarding expectations about performance. Even if most of us might be redshirted this sex season, there are workout regimes that can help foster the fortitude needed to endure sessions of wicked power plays regardless of the arena.

Working out: The OG enforcer

Before The Varsity spills the beans on the workouts that work, it’s important to analyze the impacts of exercise on sexual performance.

Simply put, exercising does its job. It’s not a miraculous solution, but repeated efforts compounded over time can produce impressive results. Physical activity improves the circulatory system by stimulating blood flow. This can mean better erections, vaginal lubrication, and clitoral sensations. According to a 2018 study in the Journal of Health and Education Production, cardiovascular endurance predicted a woman’s level of arousal.

The American Psychological Association reports that consistent workouts can decrease feelings of anxiety and depression, which are culprits that can hamper sexual activity. When doing it in the bedroom — or anywhere else — confidence speaks volumes. A study published in 2000 in the International Journal of Sport Psychology noticed improved self-confidence in participants after just six

For the love of roids

The effects of performance-enhancing drugs on sexual health and behaviour

Andrew J Stephen Varsity Staff

Content warning: This article mentions body dysmorphia.

For many gym goers, self improvement is the goal. However, even with consistency in the gym, progress can reach an inevitable plateau. This stall in progress can be discouraging, and could result in people turning to performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) in pursuit of continued rapid progress.

In this digital age, comparing oneself to others’ social media presence can be dangerous, especially in the gym industry. Fitness influencers post glorious pictures on social media, and not every fan knows that they might be on PEDs. This can harm one’s self confidence and may exacerbate one’s body dysmorphia, as they compare themselves to the incredible physiques built with the as-

sistance of steroids.

There has been a recent surge in social media users and influencers alike joking about using PEDs, coining terms like “trenything is possible” — a play on words for the use of trenbolone. Though this content may be satirical, trivializing the use of PEDs could lead to unintentional consequences. These consequences are particularly unfavourable for couples and individuals exercising, whether in the gym or in bed. For sexually active individuals who choose to abuse PEDs, there are numerous sexual health consequences that no one would want, especially right before Valentine’s Day.

Many PEDs are available under the counter to the public, each having unique, and sometimes, unexpected effects and consequences — especially when dosing isn’t facilitated by a medical professional. Non-medical usage of such drugs is illegal in Canada and can involve dosing substantially higher than typical medical doses.

Blues toppled in tough matchup against McMaster Marauders

months of exercising. Additionally, exercise is preventive medicine for diabetes and high blood pressure. These conditions can cause erectile dysfunction by clogging tiny arteries in the penis.

Developing the right muscle base

Once you make the decision to work out, the hardest part is finding an effective workout and getting started. The easiest way to find the best workout is by considering the muscle areas that activate during intercourse. At the core of sex are well-developed core muscles. Core exercises like modified curl ups or side bridges are good options. A developed core can increase ejaculation control and orgasm power. Upper body durability assists in supporting your body weight and pursuing more acrobatic endeavors. Exercises like planks, push ups, or Pendlay rows improve upper body development. Pelvic floor muscles are also essential during intercourse as they allow for stronger, longer-lasting orgasms. Kegels, glute bridges, or the Hang Power Clean can produce effective results since they specifically target pelvic muscles. Being flexible can be an asset for a variety of positions. It can also prevent injury and decrease the chances of cramps. Flexibility can be developed

by doing yoga positions like the full body bridge or pigeon pose. Pilates is also a good option for increasing flexibility.

Lastly, doing cardio such as interval training or exercises like the toes to bar can help improve stamina and strengthen heart muscles. It will also result in more endurance, making sessions last longer.

Bang-bang play: Important stuff

Exercise is dependent on personal needs. The exercises mentioned above are useful, but less can sometimes mean more when it comes to fitness. It’s better to start small and work your way up than to burn out by doing too much!

Finish line

Whether you love or hate sex, affectionate touch is helpful for emotional well-being since it facilitates feelings of belonging and acceptance. But having sex unprepared is like writing a test after procrastinating the whole semester. You may get very good grades, but chances are you were barely hanging on. So, the next time you get a chance to ride the boot-knocking rollercoaster, try to do a couple of quick push ups beforehand. If your date looks concerned, don’t worry — that’ll just make you more mysterious.

Despite the variety of PEDs available regarding fitness, especially weightlifting and bodybuilding, the most common culprits are the widely known class of anabolic androgenic steroids (AASs). Whether administered orally like Dianabol and Anavar or via injection like trenbolone, AASs function primarily by imitating hormones our bodies naturally produce, thus increasing protein synthesis in cells to a supraphysiological degree. This increase explains why some people may use steroids to accelerate muscle growth from resistance training when they feel their growth has plateaued.

Nonetheless, these drugs may have consequences for one’s sexual health, especially when

users stop dosing — referred to as ‘cycling off’ — in bodybuilding. When steroid users cycle off, studies have shown they can experience issues such as erectile dysfunction and decreased libido. Research also suggests women who use AASs can experience changes in their menstrual cycle.

Though longitudinal studies are still necessary to reach definitive conclusions about AAS usage’s implications for sexual health, there are several known repercussions of long-term use of AASs unrelated to sexual health, like mood swings and cardiovascular problems. These consequences shouldn’t be neglected as they could have indirect effects on sexual health and behaviour.

Conclusively, research suggests that sexual dysfunction can result from increased exposure to high doses of AASs, which confirms the necessity for continued research and prudence for everyone, not just couples, when considering steroid use.

and went to the bench, which seemed to be an opening for the Blues to extend their lead.

Marauders

shooting was red hot in win over the Blues

The Varsity Blues women’s basketball team entered a matchup on Friday night against the McMaster Marauders following a loss to the Brock Badgers on February 3. The Marauders, who are first in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Central Division, promised to be another tough opponent for the Blues. The Marauders’ star guard Sarah Gates, who leads the OUA in points with a whopping 26.1 per game — seven more than the runner up guard Ariane Saumare of the Western Mustangs — proved to be a worthy opponent and challenge for the Blues defense.

What happened

The Blues opened the game quickly with a three pointer from guard Ellen Ougrinov and didn’t look back throughout the first quarter. They were able to keep up with the Marauders’ elite offense and keep the game close for the entirety of the quarter. The game was played at a high pace, which benefitted the Marauders, as they are second in the OUA in points per game. However, with six steals, the Blues forced them into turnovers early and had a four-point lead at the end of the first quarter thanks to a buzzerbeating layup from guard Charlotte Church.

The Marauders tied the game up at 24 early in the second quarter with quality defense, which gave the Blues an offensive edge. With 7:29 left in the first half, Gates picked up her second foul

Unfortunately, the opposite occurred, as the Marauders were able to get open shot after open shot with good ball movement, creating a 10–0 run. The Blues were able to regain some momentum after a steal from guard Faith Joseph led to a layup by guard Lauren Boers, but they still went into the half down by 12. After scoring 24 points in the first quarter, the Blues only mustered six in the second, allowing the Marauders to soar away with the lead.

The Marauders remained hot coming out of halftime and extended their lead to 21 just six minutes into the second half. The Blues continued to struggle throughout the third quarter and shot just 17.6 per cent from the field. They entered the fourth quarter down 63–45 with the Marauders controlling the game thanks to great team play — evidenced by their 14 assists in the third quarter. In the end, the Marauders’ offense proved too much for the Blues’ defense to handle, and the game ended with a final score of 88–57 for Marauders.

After the game, in an interview with The Varsity, Blues forward Sabrina Nero talked about how hard the team had been working for this matchup, saying that they “had the game plan all week.”

What’s next

The Blues took another loss against the Waterloo Warriors on February 11, in their last home game of the season. The Blues match up with the Marauders again on February 18.

Mac Bell Varsity Staff

Saaya Malhotra fights her way to the basket.

COURTESY OF NATHAN CHING/VARSITY BLUES MEDIA

Exercises can help bring a couple together. ZEYNEP POYLANI/THEVARSITY

Performance enhancing drugs are gaining popularity in the athletic community. COURTESY OF MARCO VERCH PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER/FLICKR

Blues fall 6–5 to York Lions in overtime loss on Senior Night

Despite 4–1 comeback, Purboo forced Lions into overtime

Alessia Baptista Varsity Contributor

On February 10, the Varsity Blues men’s hockey team played their last regular-season game against the York Lions at Varsity Arena. Despite a stellar performance from Purboo and the boys, the Blues lost to the Lions in overtime with a 6–5 defeat.

What happened

Fan attendance was high for the Blues’ last game in celebration of Senior Night. Graduates Captain Colin Paradis, Kyle Potts, Steve Elliott, Ross Krieger, Brendan Bornstein, Eric Jackson, Owen Guy, and Quinn Hanna were awarded for their commitment to the team throughout their university careers.

The first period started off strong for the Blues defensively, with several memorable saves by goaltender Jett Alexander. Unfortunately for the Blues, Lions forward Brock McLeod scored, leaving the score 1–0 at the end of the first.

Leading into the second period, Lions forward Klim Georgiev scored at the eight minute mark. The Blues came back with a goal on the power play by forward Owen Guy, assisted by forward

Krieger and defender Emmett Serensits. The Lions followed with a goal from defender Brendan Browne and another by McLeod. On their second powerplay of the period, Blues forward Cole Purboo scored the team’s second goal, with assists from defender Ryan Barbosa and forward Owen Robinson, ending the period at 4–2 for the Lions.

The Blues came out of the locker room ready to make a comeback. The start of the third looked good for the Blues, with a goal at three minutes into the quarter by forward Potts, assisted by Elliott and Barbosa. Lions forward Derek McVey put a damper on the Blues’ success, scoring the team’s fifth goal of the game.

The Blues came back strong at the end of the third period, with an unassisted goal by Krieger. After an excellent assist from Barbosa and forward Nick Wong, Purboo was set up perfectly for his second goal, forcing the game into overtime.

With the game tied at 5–5, overtime ended quickly with a goal three minutes in for the Lions, scored by defender Xavier Pouliot. Despite the 6–5 loss, the Blues played well, with notable performances by Purboo, Barbosa, and Alexander.

What’s next

After the game, the Blues are fifth in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) West, and Toronto Metropolitan University Bold are fourth. The

Blues are set to take to the ice against the Bold in classic fashion for the OUA Queen’s Cup playoffs. The OUA has not yet released the game schedule.

Tomi Johnson secures career high in huge 66–51 win against the Marauders

Blues early lead leaves Marauders with no hope for late-game comeback

Victoria Paulus Varsity Staff

On February 10, the Varsity Blues men’s basketball team faced the McMaster Marauders for the first time this season. The two teams met at the Blues’ home court, the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport, and the whistle blew for game time at 8:00 pm.

Prior to this match, the Blues lost two back-toback games and looked to regain their winning streak.

In an interview with The Varsity, Blues forward and former Marauders forward Tomi Johnson said that, leading up to this game, the team trained hard to prepare for the win.

On top of training, Johnson said, “Later on in the week [before each match] we scout based on the opponent we’re playing, so it takes a lot of fo-

Blues lose last home game of the season in 69–61 upset to Warriors The

Victoria Paulus Varsity Staff

After their big win against the McMaster Marauders on February 10, the Varsity Blues men’s basketball team were looking to finish their last home game of the regular season with a blowout against the Waterloo Warriors.

As the two teams gathered at the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport, the fans filled the stands to show their support for the Blues.

What happened

From the start of the match, the Blues were met with an aggressive, fast paced opposing team. The Warriors were quick to take an early lead and finished the first quarter ahead of the Blues with a score of 23–11.

Determined to regain control of the game, the Blues applied tight defensive coverage and shut down the Warriors offensively. They attacked the

key with the same aggression the Warriors displayed in the first quarter and closed the goal gap to five points in favour of Waterloo.

After the half, both teams were evidently determined to finish every scoring opportunity they curated to get ahead.

However, near the end of the third quarter, the Warriors took the lead again and went up 51–43.

Despite the Blues’ efforts to catch up, their slow start to the match got the best of them and they were unable to shut down the Warriors in the final quarter; the Blues fell short with a final score of 69–61.

Although it was not the result the Blues were hoping for, guards Callum Baker and Iñaki Alvarez led their team both on and off the court. They presented outstanding leadership and encouraged their teammates to walk off the court with their heads held high.

Baker secured 22 points, three assists, two re-

cus throughout the whole entire week.”

What happened

Both the Blues and the Marauders started off strong in the first quarter, and the teams were tied 12–12 by the end of it, going into the second quarter.

Hungry to take an early lead in the second and get ahead of the opposing team, the Blues started connecting with strong passes and finishing their goal scoring opportunities. Johnson scored nine points, putting the Blues up 34–23 at halftime.

Although the Marauders planned to close the 11-point gap, the Blues tightened up on defense in the third quarter and shut the Marauders down.

Johnson’s teammates, guards Iñaki Alvarez and Callum Baker, secured 11 points between the two of them, which helped put the Blues up 50–35 at the end of the third.

In the last quarter, the Blues got more creative

with their offense movements and the Marauders were unable to keep up. With Johnson’s hustle and the Blues’ determination to come out on top, they were able to secure the win with a final score of 66–51.

Johnson finished with a crushing career high of 12 points over his former team, with five rebounds, one assist, and a steal.

“It was a good game — we were ready from the jump,” Johnson said. “We stayed together from the jump, and we stayed together throughout the whole game, so it was a good team performance overall.”

What’s next

After a loss against the Warriors on Saturday, the Blues sit in fourth place in the Ontario University Athletics central division. They have one more game against the Marauders on February 18, before playoffs begin.

bounds, and a steal, while Alvarez finished with 20 points, five rebounds, three steals, and two assists.

The dynamic duo did it again.

What’s next

The Blues now sit in fourth place in the central divi-

sion of the Ontario University Athletics standings, with a 13–8 overall and a 0.619 win percentage. On February 18, the Blues face the Marauders again at McMaster University and hope to bring home a second win over the Marauders this season.

Forward Ben Woodhouse races to get to the puck.

COURTESY OF SEYRAN MAMMADOV/VARSITY BLUES MEDIA

Iñaki Alvarez leaps toward the rim for a layup. COURTESY OF SEYRAN MAMMADOV/VARSITY BLUES MEDIA

Iñaki Alvarez looks for a passing lane. COURTESY OF SEYRAN MAMMADOV/VARSITY BLUES MEDIA