March 3, 2014

U OF T ASKED TO DIVEST OIL SHARES

PG 5

PRESSURE MOUNTS ON PRESIDENT GERTLER

VOL. CXXXIV, NO. 19

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1880

3 MARCH, 2014

Contested UTSU election begins

team Unite (left) will face off against U of t Voice (right) in the UtSU elections, which begin today. jEnnifER SU/THE VARSiTy

Yolen Bollo–Kamara is the presidential candidate for the U of T Voice. This year she served as the utsu vice-president equity, and last year she was appointed to the role of vp campus life. She has held executive positions at Amnesty International U of T, and the Black Students’ Association. Last year, Bollo-Kamara promised to host a mental health awareness campaign and create an accessibility fund for U of T clubs.

She stressed that her slate wants to focus on different issues than the current executive. Bollo-Kamara emphasized lobbying U of T to implement a fall reading week, and engaging students with the upcoming municipal and provincial elections as main platform points for her slate. “This team,

we’ve called ourselves ‘The Voice,’ and we have all been involved in different capacities across campus, and we have a team that essentially represents the entire campus,” said Bollo-Kamara.

Last year’s elections saw only one slate, and record low voter turnout.

Ye Huang and his Team Unite are running on the goal of uniting U of T’s students, which they believe are in “a crisis of dissolving.” “We want to bring people together, both students and the different societies and clubs,” said Huang. When asked what experience he had to bring to the position of president, Huang cited membership in several clubs across campus, including the Chinese Student and Scholars Association and the

Chinese Debate association. He is also the president of the Alpha Kappa Psi fraternity at U of T. Other candidates that make up the Team Unite slate include Anna Yin for vp internal, Pierre Harfouche for vp university affairs, and Baliqis Olaitan Hashiru for vp equity. Huang says the slate formed after he reached out to Yin, a friend of his who he knew wanted to change the transparency of the utsu financial operations, and who he felt was qualified because of her background as a commerce student. From there, other members of the slate, such as Hashiru, heard about the slate from friends and made the connection.

COMMENT

FEATURE

ARTS & CULTURE

SCIENCE

Divestment wrong move for U of T

Exploring religion in the public sphere

Review: Good night Desdemona

Science in cinema

The U of T Asset Management Corporation currently holds $9.8 million worth of shares in Royal Dutch Shell and $7.8 million worth in British Petroleum. Toronto350, an environmental activist organization, is calling on U of T to divest from the oil industry. I disagree. The issue of divestment revolves around a few competing obligations for the university.

On Saturdays, an elevator in Mount Sinai Hospital automatically rises and falls continuously through the day, stopping on every floor. It is designed to allow accessibility to people of the Jewish faith on the Sabbath — a holy day of rest on which the use of electricity is prohibited. The Sabbath Elevator is symbolic of how religion shapes public spaces in secular society.

Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet)’s first line is a question: “What is alchemy?” This question serves as a premise for the rest of the play as it sets the tone for what is to come. This production seeks to ask questions, not just give answers.

What would you change if you could go back and take part in one of Shakespeare’s plays?

Science-related films have been under the spotlight, most recently Spike Jonze’s Her for its whimsical portrayal of the changing role of technology, and Gravity for its thrilling cinematography. Science fiction continues to be a widely popular film genre, and science and film enthusiasts alike enjoy films that balance believable science and exciting storytelling.

PG 10

PG 14

PG 17

PG 21

Sarah Niedoba

aSSociate NewS editor

The campaign period for the 2014 University of Toronto Students’ Union (utsu) elections has officially begun as of 9:00 am this morning. It will feature an incumbent slate facing off against the first opposition slate in two years.

The incumbent slate is running under the name “the U of T Voice,” and includes two members of the current utsu executive, as well as three new candidates. The opposition slate is titled “Team Unite” and is headed by presidential candidate Ye Huang.

INSIDE

CONTINUED ON PG 7

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Vol. CXXXIV, No. 19

THE VARSITY VOL. CXXXIV No. 19

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VARSITY NEWS WHAT’S GOING ON ON CAMPUS

RACHEL RISHWORTH @RISHWD

editor@thevarsity.ca

Production Manager Dan Seljak production@thevarsity.ca Managing Online Editor Murad Hemmadi

online@thevarsity.ca

Design Editor Shaquilla Singh

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Photo Editor Carolyn Levett

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Senior Copy Editor Catherine Virelli

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News Editor Zane Schwartz

news@thevarsity.ca

Comment Editor Alec Wilson

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Features Editor Danielle Klein

features@thevarsity.ca

the week in tweets

THIS WEEK

Masthead Editor-in-Chief Joshua Oliver

news@thevarsity.ca

You know you go to the best college when the @UC_Lit thows a charity drag show #amazing #UofT — Wednesday, February 26

KENDRYK GEORGE @KENDRYKTO

arts@thevarsity.ca

Most shocking transition from #UofT life to real life: there are remarkably few hand sanitizer dispensers, and they’re rarely refilled.

Science Editor Katrina Vogan

science@thevarsity.ca

— Thursday, February 27

Sports Editor Elizabeth Benn

sports@thevarsity.ca

Arts & Culture Editor Sofia Luu

Illustrations Editor Nancy Ji

illustration@thevarsity.ca

Video Editor Jamieson Wang

video@thevarsity.ca

Web Developer Natalie Morcos

web@thevarsity.ca

Associate Design Editor Mari Zhou Associate Photo Editor Vacant Associate Senior Copy Editors Lucy Genua Rose Tornabene Associate News Editors Liza Agrba James Flynn Sarah Niedoba Theodore Yan Associate Features Editor Victoria Banderob Associate Comment Editor Samantha Relich Associate A&C Editors Ishita Petkar Corinne Przybyslawski Associate Science Editors Elena Gritzan Emma Hansen Associate Sports Editors JP Kaczur Susan Gordon Associate Video Editor Alexandra Butrón

Writers

Liza Agrba, Reshara Alviarez, Elizabeth Benn, Dionne Boahene, Alexander Cohen, Emma Compeau, Sampson Coutts, James Flynn, Emma Hansen, Sarah Harrison, Kaleem Hawa, JP Kaczur, Henry Lawson, Adrienne Mallari, Emerald Misquitta, Pia Morar, Sarah Niedoba, Li Pan, Ishita Petkar, Corinne Przybyslawski, Julia Rod, Hayden Rodenkirchen, Tanya Rogova, Jeffrey Schulman, Mary Scourboutakos, Arash Shaker, Aria Shakeri, Ann Sheng, Patricia Tabascio, Katrina Vogan, Steve Warner, Victoria Wicks, Theodore Yan, Ameena Youssef Designers Kawmadie Karunanayake, Shaquilla Singh, Mari Zhou

Photo and Illustration Sadia Awan, Julien Balbontin, Trevor Koroll, Timothy Law, Denis Osipov, Clare Scott, Ann Sheng, Vivek Srikanthan, Aaron Tan, Vivian Xie, Alice Xue, Arnold Yung, Karen Zhou, Shijie Zhou

Copy Editors and Fact Checkers Faith Arkorful, Lois Boody, Lucy Genua, Danielle Klein, Malone Mullin, Linh Nguyen, Mark Recto, Nicole Sconza, Jonathan Soo, Rose Tornabene, Kelly Turner, Catherine Virelli, Katrina Vogan, Ariana Youm

LLYVELL GOMES @LLYVELL

CECILIA STRING QUARTET Majestic performances of Schubert, Harsh, and Schoenberg.

Sunday, March 10. 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Building $10.00

Why did weblogin change? It takes me an extra click to get to webmail or portal. #UofT — Thursday, February 27

SAFETY TALK AND SELF-DEFENSE WORKSHOP

UTSU ELECTION ALL-CANDIDATES DEBATE

Explore safety issues and learn women’s self-defense skills as part of International Women’s Week.

All the candidates for utsu executive positions debate.

Wednesday, March 5. 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm rawc multi-purpose room, utm Free

Thursday, March 6. 6:00 pm Bahen Centre, Room 1130 Free

VARSITY PUBLICATIONS’ SPRING MEETING OF MEMBERS Wednesday, March 19, 2014, 5:15 pm Room 200, 21 Sussex Avenue The Spring Meeting of Members of Varsity Publications, the corporation that publishes The Varsity newspaper, will be held for the purposes of: 1. Receiving the report of the Chief Returning Office for the election of directors 4. Any other business.

Membership: All full-time undergraduate students who pay the Varsity Publications fee are members of the corporation and are entitled to attend and vote at this meeting.

Proxies: Members who are unable to attend may proxy their vote by returning the form of proxy to the meeting location at least 24 hours before the meeting.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to ongoing repairs at 21 Sussex, the location of this meeting is subject to change.

For more information, or to download the form of proxy, please visit: thevarsity.ca/springmeeting-of-members

MADELEINE CHO @MCHO31 Proud to represent #UofT at @ UnleashtheNoise to help change the landscape of mental health!! Truly inspiring! #UtN2014 — Saturday, March 1

HEATHER LONGPRÉ @HSLONGPRE Congrats to all the #UofT #Engineering students joining the #IronRing club today! Savour the moment and recite proudly your obligations!

— Saturday, March 1

ESTHER MENDELSOHN @ESTHERMENDELSOH @uoftlibraries #UofT librarians are like your fairy godmothers/fathers!

Knowledgeable, friendly, &super helpful!! Make a new friend today!

— Saturday, March 1

CORRECTION An article published online on Thursday February 27 entitled: “Governing Council approves merger of TYP as students protest outside” incorrectly stated that the council moved TYP under the administration of the Faculty of Arts and Science.

This is inaccurate, TYP remains independent of the faculty.

Business Office Business Manager Timothy Sharng

business@thevarsity.ca

Advertising Manager Victoria Marshall advertising@thevarsity.ca Advertising Executives Stephanie Lau stephanie@thevarsity.ca terence@thevarsity.ca Terence Leung vanessa@thevarsity.ca Vanessa Wen The Varsity is the University of Toronto's largest student newspaper, publishing since 1880. The Varsity has a circulation of 20,000, and is published

by Varsity Publications Inc. It is printed by Master Web Inc. on recycled newsprint stock.

Content © 2014 by The Varsity. All rights reserved. Any editorial inquiries and/or letters should be directed to the sections associated with them; emails listed above.

The Varsity reserves the right to edit all submissions.

Inquiries regarding ad sales can be made to ads@thevarsity.ca. ISSN: 0042-2789 Please recycle this issue after you are finished with it.

THE EXPLAINER

THE NATIONAL SURVEY OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT 1. The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) is a survey that asks 4. Schools are measured on engagement indicators, such as teaching, and pracfirst-year and senior-year students about their university experience. This isn’t your tices, such as service learning and study abroad. average email survey — it makes a material difference in the student experience.

5. The survey is used to measure progress toward the student experience objec2. A selection of first and fourth-year students are being sent emails from presitives identified in U of T’s academic plan, and to compare U of T with its peers. dent Meric Gertler inviting them to complete the survey. It’s comprehensive, and delivers feedback for Canadian and American university administrators.

6. Want to let the administration know what you think works, and what doesn’t?

Here’s your chance.

3. In 2013, 27 Canadian schools and 20,795 students took part in the survey, a response rate of 37 per cent. U of T wants this rate to be higher.

VARSITY NEWS

var.st/news

MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014

3

Decertification referendum finally approaches GSU schedules vote to leave Candian Federation of Students

MONTREAL Dawson College CFS has not set a date for the DSU's proposed referendum. They state this is because the DSU has not provide the exam and holiday schedules necessary to set a date.

petitions have led to

Concordia University

BURNABY Simon Fraser University SFSS and CFS settled litigation out of court in 2012. Successfully decertified from CFS

VICTORIA University of Victoria Students Society

GSA, CSU, and CFS currently engaged in litigation over validity of 2010 decertification referenda.

McGill University PGSS and CFS engaged in litigation over validity of 2010 decertification referendum

UVSS membership in CFS-BC rescinded in 2012. Successful decertification referendum from CFS in 2011

Decertification petitions have led to procedural hurdles Tanya Rogova, Hayden Rodenkirchen & Kaleem Hawa VARSITY STAFF

Student union politics, long marred by in-fighting and litigation, has faced few issues more contentious than decertification.

Members of the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (gsu) began in earnest a campaign to decertify from the Canadian Federation of Students (cfs) this September, after submitting petitions to the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario (cfs-o) and cfs, requesting a referendum of the gsu’s general membership. After months of deliberation, the referendum is tentatively scheduled for later this month.

According to cfs bylaws, referendum petitions require an audit process in order to confirm signature validity and the gsu membership of signatories.

The cfs offered to internally verify student membership through a one-way searchable list. U of T’s administration rebuffed this suggestion, citing student privacy concerns stemming from their interpretation of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (fippa). U of T then suggested that a third party auditor verify the list for the federation.

Finding an auditing firm that satisfied the gsu, U of T administration, and the cfs/cfs-o was challenging, according to GSU external commissioner Brad Evoy.

Following a four month back-and-forth, the parties selected Deloitte Canada, a firm that provides financial advisory services.

One referendum will decide the gsu’s membership in both the cfs-o and the cfs. While the results of the Deloitte audit are still pending, the cfs and cfs-o have scheduled preliminary dates and campaign periods for the referendum this March. Voting is scheduled to take place in the last week of March.

Evoy is confident that the Deloitte audit will confirm the petition’s validity and that the referendum will proceed unimpeded. Should the GSU vote to separate, Evoy believes the parting of ways “will be on amicable terms.”

STALLED ATTEMPTS

However, a smooth exit is not always easy from the cfs. For example, the decertification initiative of Dawson College, a cegep in downtown Montreal, is currently stalled. The cfs has “refused” to set a date for their proposed referendum, according to Dawson Student Union (dsu) chairperson Sarah Drouin. cfs internal coordinator Brent Farrington disagreed with this characterization. He claims the cfs is waiting on the dsu: “We are now in the process of petition verification and are waiting for Dawson to provide the exam period and holiday timetables necessary to set a referendum date.”

Reflecting on the challenges faced by the dsu, former gsu external commissioner Ashleigh Ingle is adamant that the will of students is being quashed.

“The cfs is beyond being disconnected from their members; they are afraid of them. It is my opinion that the cfs would hemorrhage members if they just allowed students to hold [decertification] votes,” she noted. “They make it as expensive, as irritating and as litigious as possible. Their hope is that, buttressed by our dues, they can make themselves a force ... that students won’t be bothered to fight.”

Alastair Woods, cfs-o chairperson, believes that Ingle’s comments belie the reality of the situation.

“Just this week, students at Collège Boréal in Sudbury voted 98.75 per cent in favour of joining the cfs in a referendum that saw a 33 per cent voter turnout. Ingle is entitled to her opinion, but that opinion is not shared by students across the province who have worked together to achieve tangible victories such as changes to flat fees and tuition fee billing alongside stronger protections for unpaid interns and co-op students,” he said.

Other causes of stalled decertification attempts stem from legal action.

The Concordia Student Union (csu), the Concordia Graduate Student’s Association (gsa), and the McGill Post-Graduate Student’s Society (pgss) have been involved in lawsuits to decertify from as early as 2010.

For former gsa president Robert Sonin, the origins of the litigation are clear: “the cfs’s continued refusal to recognize the referendum results of its constituent members.”

“Following our 2010 referendum, the gsa membership voted 75 per cent in favour of leaving the cfs and, as a result, the gsa no longer regards itself as a member of the cfs. Despite this, the cfs has refused to acknowledge the [2010] referendum and so the matter was taken to court.”

Farrington acknowledges that the gsa petition was verified by the cfs and that referendum dates were set, but contends that under the cfs bylaws, the gsa referendum could not be considered valid — as the Association failed to remit outstanding membership dues to the cfs in advance of the vote. Using this regulatory framework, the cfs claims the gsa referendum was inappropriately held and believes that their decertification is illegitimate.

The csu organized a referendum similar to that held by the gsa. The results were, once again, both overwhelmingly in favour of decertification and ultimately rejected by the cfs.

The students’ unions and the cfs differ in their interpretations of both cases. On the one hand, the gsa and the csu see themselves as no longer being cfs members and have accordingly stopped paying membership fees.

The cfs, who sees the decertification results as illegitimate, still expects payment of membership fees and has

TORONTO University of Toronto GSU preparing for decertification referendum scheduled for last week of March, following seven-month approval process. thus countersued the two student unions for outstanding membership fees.

Ultimately, the two legal cases involving the gsa and the csu were combined under the same legal counsel in January 2013.

The PGSS at McGill has faced similar legal proceedings with the cfs following an April 2010 referendum that saw 86 per cent of voters in favour of decertification. While the reasons for cfs refusal to accept decertification in this are different, litigation remains the ultimate result.

PROUD SUPPORTERS

Not all cfs constituent unions are dissatisfied with the federation’s leadership.

Gayle McFadden is the vice president of campaigns and advocacy at the York Federation of Student (yfs).

“The YFS is a proud local of the Canadian Federation of Students. In fact, I ran and won the most recent yfs elections on a platform of working together with students across the province and across the country through the cfs” said McFadden.

Ryerson Student Union (rsu) director of communications and outreach Gilary Massa, similarly spoke positively of the federation.

“We believe that working together with students across the province and across the country through the cfs is important and necessary.”

She continued, “the rsu has not made any attempt to decertify from the Canadian Federation of Students. Nor do we have an interest in doing so. We are active members of the organization, and believe that students at Ryerson benefit greatly from our affiliation with the cfs.”

DEPARTURES

At least two student unions have successfully decertified from the cfs. The Simon Fraser Student Society (sfss) settled out-ofcourt in December 2011. This settlement followed a three-year legal battle after which the SFSS paid an undisclosed settlement.

The University of Victoria Students Society (uvss) decertified from the cfs subsequent to a successful referendum in 2011. The Canadian Federation of Students’ British Columbia Chapter (cfs-bc) did not recognize these results as constituting a decertification of the uvss from cfs-bc, however.

In response, the uvss scheduled a March 2012 referendum on decertification from the cfs-bc. The cfs-bc rescinded the uvss’ membership before this referendum could proceed, citing outstanding membership fees of approximately $160,000.

As of press-time, none of these funds had been remitted to the cfs-bc. The uvss denies that fees are outstanding. Reached by phone, the cfs-bc claimed that, from their perspective, the funds remain outstanding, though they are not in a position to say whether they will litigate in the future.

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VARSITY NEWS

Vol. CXXXIV, No. 19

news@thevarsity.ca

Student groups concerned over federal budget UTSU, CFS, OUSA believe budget prioritizes older people over youth James Flynn

ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

Canada’s 2014 federal budget prioritizes older Canadians over young people, say a number of student groups. Announced on February 11, the budget features spending of around $45,000 for each person over age 65, compared to around $12,000 for each person under age 45. The Canadian Federation of Students (cfs), Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (ousa), and the University of Toronto Students’ Union (utsu) have expressed concerns over the budget.

Dr. Paul Kershaw, a professor at the University of British Columbia (ubc) School of Population and Public Health and founder of Generation Squeeze, a campaign aimed at increasing government spending on Canadians under age 45, argued that today’s young Canadians are affected by lower wages, higher costs of living, and worse environmental conditions than ever before.

However, Kershaw noted, federal government policy continues to focus on the aging population.

Kershaw pointed to an approximately $12 billion annual increase in spending on Old Age Security and medical care for people over 65 since the last federal election, compared to a $2.2 billion annual increase in spending on people under 45 over the same time period. He believes that increasing government spending on people under age 45 from $12,000 to $13,000 would allow the federal government to make

substantial policy changes to support young people, including more affordable child care, shorter work weeks, and lower student debt levels.

“Nobody wants government budgets to protect spending on seniors at the expense of investing in their kids and grandchildren,” Kershaw argued. “Unfortunately, governments will continue this trade-off until we build a powerful organization that speaks up for younger Canada.” Kershaw emphasized that the policy changes could be made while safeguarding medical care and retirement income for the aging population.

Jessica McCormick, national chairperson of the cfs, also asserted that the federal budget fails to meaningfully address issues facing youth. McCormick’s concerns centre on youth unemployment and student debt. In the past, the cfs has called on the federal government to address student debt by expanding the Canada Student Grants Program. The program provides non-repayable financial assistance to students based on financial need.

McCormick also emphasized the importance of intergenerational equity, arguing that gains for older generations should not come at the expense of young people. “In the past, students have supported campaigns for retirement security, and we have received support from retirees on our campaigns for accessible post-secondary education,” McCormick noted. “It’s unfortunate that the federal government has ignored the needs of youth in the budget,” she added.

utsu president Munib Sajjad said that the students’ union stands behind the cfs. “The federal budget has failed to address the growing student debt crisis and the lack of accountability over post-secondary education funding that the federal government continually ignores,” Sajjad said, adding: “To not address student and youth unemployment is short-sighted and destructive to our society’s future.”

Like McCormick, Sajjad characterized federal government policies on student debt and youth unemployment as inadequate, noting that national student debt exceeds $15 billion and youth unemployment for workers aged 20–29 stands at 400,000. While Sajjad rejected the idea that young people and elderly people should have to compete for government resources, he emphasized that the government seems unwilling to invest in youth.

Stéphanie Rubec, manager of media relations with the Department of Finance, brushed off concerns that the budget failed to address young people. “While Canada has one of the highest youth employment rates among its Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (oecd) peers, ranking ahead of countries such as Germany, the United States, Sweden and Spain, more can be done to ensure young Canadians are receiving the training they need to realize their full potential,” she said.

Rubec pointed to a number of new and existing programs that support training and employment for young people. For example, the

BY THE NUMBERS

$12 000

3000

Number of full-time Spending for each Canadian under age 45, internships in STEM fields compared to $45 000 and the skilled trades over for each person over the next two years funded by the budget age 65

400 000

$15 billion

Number of unemployed Canadians aged 20-29

Approximate amount of national student debt

budget introduced the Canada Apprentice Loan, a program that expands the Canada Student Loans Program to provide apprentices registered in certain skilled trades with access to over $100 million in interest-free loans annually.

The budget also included $40 million for up to 3,000 full-time internships for post-secondary graduates in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and the skilled trades over the next two years. McCormick claimed that this program is inadequate, as it only helps about one per cent of currently unemployed youth between the ages of 20 and 29.

Rubec also pointed to over $10 billion in existing government support for post-secondary education through loans, grants,

and other investments. “Canada places at the top of the rankings of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (oecd) in terms of post-secondary educational attainment, thanks in part to these federal supports for students,” said Rubec.

McCormick claimed that this government support fails to address the underlying issues of high tuition fees and student debt. “Financing post-secondary education through student debt is an unfair model that results in low- and middle-income students paying more for their education than students who can cover the costs up front,” she noted, adding: “these measures do nothing to address the significant barriers many students face in accessing higher education.”

GSU election results announced Results must be ratified by gsu before considered official Sarah Harrison

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Polls for the Graduate Students’ Union (gsu) executive election closed this Thursday, and the results are out.

Procedure mandates that the results be ratified by gsu council members before they are considered official.

The next gsu meeting is slated to take place at the end of March.

Only two positions were contested: external commissioner, and academic and funding commissioner. External commissioner was determined by just two votes, with Leah Bender edging out Bethel Woldemichael. As external commissioner, Bender will supervise lobbying efforts and the organization of any campaigns the gsu involves itself in.

Hussain Masoom succeeded in his bid for academic and funding commissioner Div. 3 & 4 against Michael Jones, a fellow PhD chemistry student. Masoom will have the same responsibilities as Walter Callaghan, who won in the physical and life sciences division.

Susanne Waldorf will return as civics and environmental commis-

sioner, focusing on civic engagement and the promotion of environmental responsibility. Soleaha Shams will become the finance and university governance commissioner. She will be required to oversee audits and liaise with the university administration on financial issues.

The position of internal commissioner will be filled by Nickie van Lier, for which she will act as a go-between with course unions. Callaghan will assume the role of academic and funding commissioner in division 1 & 2. He will focus on representing academic and funding concerns to faculty in the humanities and social sciences division.

Reflecting on the election process, chief returning officer Natasha Jamal expressed concern for the lack of student engagement. Out of a membership of over 15,000, less than 200 students voted. Low voter turn-out is a problem the gsu has often faced.

“This year’s turnout is consistent with previous years’ turnouts,” says Jamal. Her concern stems from the lack of success targeted gsu initiatives had in countering voter apathy this year. “We had invested time and resources in Election Engagers with

The elections for the Graduate Students’ Union concluded Thursday. CArolyn levett/tHe vArsity

the hope of bringing out more people to vote,” she continued.

The results of Elections Engagers showed that students were predominantly too busy to vote, did not know why the elections mattered, or did not feel connected to any of the candidates.

Jamal believes that this is part of a larger problem. “This perceived disen-

gagement…is really a systemic issue as more and more graduate students are finding that they have less time to inform themselves on what’s happening on campus beyond their academic studies,” she says.

Jamal reflects that this lack of engagement perpetuates the inability of graduate students to improve their situation. “I don’t see how else

graduate students can better their lived realities unless they are able to understand the importance of their involvement and find whatever time they can to serve in what little institutional spaces they have voices and autonomy in,” she remarks.

Official election results will be announced by the GSU at the end of March.

VARSITY NEWS

var.st/news

MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014

U of T pressured to divest fossil fuels Toronto350, UTSU, call on university to divest Liza Agrba

ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

Pressure is mounting for U of T to divest from its holdings in fossil fuel companies. A local activism group called Toronto350, as well as many other prominent student groups, are calling on the university to pull all its direct stock holdings from fossil fuel companies. Activists say that the fossil fuel companies’ harmful environmental and social impacts give the university an ethical obligation to divest.

“The university is meant to make the future better for students. While we’re burning fossil fuels, we’re changing the climate, and guaranteeing a worse future for those students.

Every student will be affected by climate change,” said Stuart Basden, president of Toronto350.

U of T’s two largest single-company holdings, listed by The University of Toronto Asset Management Corporation (utam) in March 2012, are $9.8 million in Royal Dutch Shell plc, and $7.8 million in bp plc. Also listed was a $5.8 million investment in Rio Tinto plc, a mining company with large fossil fuel reserves. utam does not list all investment quantities.

U of T president Meric Gertler declined to comment on whether he thinks investing in fossil fuel companies is ethical, or on how he plans to address the concerns of student groups: “It would not be appropriate for me as president to express a view or position on the specific issues pertaining to the fossil fuels divestment debate until the process outlined in the university’s policy has been allowed to run its course,” he said.

In an extensive brief called “The Fossil Fuel Industry and the Case for Divestment,” Toronto350 argues that a massive redirection of investment from fossil fuel energy sources will help curtail the serious environmental effects of global warming. U of T’s divestment, they argue, would play an important role in leading this move.

The brief details the scientific evidence for the role of fossil fuel energy sources in climate change.

Toronto350 contends that the fossil fuel companies’ business plans are out of touch with the disastrous environmental consequences of their activities. The brief also argues that divestment is in line with U of T’s divestment policy and Statement of Institutional Purpose, which includes “a resolute commitment to the principles of equal opportunity, equity and justice.”

“If future generations are to have equal opportunities, they cannot inherit a planet that has been impoverished by uncontrollable climate change,” reads the brief.

Further, Toronto350 argues that divestment would be a financially feasible, and possibly beneficial, move for U of T. They argue that much of the value of fossil fuel companies is illusory, since the increasing severity of climate change will negatively affect their value. Toronto350 argues that attractive alternatives to U of T’s holdings in fossil fuel companies exist, including the renewable energy sector.

THE FOUR SEASONS: A CYCLE OF THE SUN

DIRECTED BY JEANNE LAMON Toronto350 is calling on U of T to divest from fossil fuels. shijie zhou/The VArsiTy

Toronto350 was founded in June 2012. Since then, its divestment campaign has garnered the support of many prominent student groups, including the University of Toronto Students’ Union (utsu), the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (GSU), the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union, the University of Toronto Environmental Action (utea), the Victoria University Students’ Administrative Council, Trinity College Meeting (tcm), and the Muslim Students’ Association. Thirteen faculty members have also endorsed the brief.

Other prominent supporters include environmental activist and academic David Suzuki, former Toronto mayor David Miller, and American Indian environmental activist Winona Laduke.

“The utsu believes that our university should operate based on ethical guidelines. As a university, we have a lot of pull as far as the priorities of our government. The fossil fuel divestment debate is similar to when students successfully mobilized to get the university to divest from companies operating in apartheid South Africa,” said Munib Sajjad, president of the utsu.

On March 6, Dimitri Lascaris — a U of T law alumnus who was named one of the 25 most influential lawyers in Canada in 2012 — will formally present the divestment brief to U of T president Meric Gertler, on behalf of Toronto350. Toronto350 will ask U of T to declare its intention to divest from fossil fuel companies, and immediately stop making new investments in the industry. They will ask the university to divest from Royal Dutch Shell within one year of receiving the brief, and divest all its direct stock holdings from 200 other companies with large fossil fuel reserves within five years of receiving the brief.

Toronto350 likens the ethical and legal basis of their proposed divestment plan to U of T’s past decisions to divest from tobacco companies and companies operating in apartheid South Africa. They argued that in these situations, although there was no official legislation prohibiting the activities of these companies, U of T took a stance based on the companies’ socially injurious activities. “Although no Canadian legislation currently exists limiting the extraction and burning of fossil fuels, which directly causes climate change, U of T should

act in response to the strengthening consensus among governments, scientific organizations, and financial institutions,” reads the brief.

The utea has collaborated with Toronto350 on the divestment campaign throughout the year. “Denying climate change is like arguing for a flat earth right now. The scientific community is in agreement on this issue,” said Ben Donato-Woodger, head of the utea. “Young people are losing out tremendously because of the actions of those in power right now, and it is a structural, systematic injustice against young people to have people who won’t be paying the price make decisions that will harm the next generation,” he said. “Failing to divest would be a clear act of not caring about their students.”

Sarah Levy, vice-president of the Trinity College Environmental Society, noted that the motion to endorse divestment from fossil fuels passed by a narrow margin in the tcm. Levy said that those who voted against the motion felt that a student government should not endorse a political issue. “I believe that climate change is not an inherently political issue. It’s often politicized, but what people need to recognize is that it’s a fact, it’s something that’s going on in our environment. Similarly to when we divested from tobacco companies 30 years ago, it concerns something that poses a direct threat to people,” she said.

Toronto350 is part of a larger organization, called 350.org, founded in 2008. 350.org now has a global network of environmental activism groups in more than 188 countries.

“All of our work leverages people power to dismantle the influence and infrastructure of the fossil fuel industry, and to develop people-centric solutions to the climate crisis,” reads a statement on their website. Nine colleges and universities in the United States have committed to divesting from fossil fuels.

Michael Kurts, U of T’s assistant vice-president, strategic communications & marketing, said that the president will be in a position to appoint an ad hoc committee upon receiving the divestment brief and accompanying attestations. “The committee may seek additional information and advice from the utam and others before arriving at any list of recommendations in response to the brief,” he said.

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Vol. CXXXIV, No. 19

VARSITY NEWS

news@thevarsity.ca

Governing Council election results announced Six newcomers and two incumbents elected to university’s top governing body Alexander Cohen VARSITY STAFF

After a month-long campaign, U of T’s Governing Council has a new slate of student governors. Results from this year’s Governing Council elections were released last Tuesday, with six newcomers and two incumbents elected to represent the university’s students on its highest decision-making body.

Ben Coleman and Nabil Arif were elected in the highly comtested Category I, representing full-time Arts & Science undergraduates. Arif, a student at the utm, ran far ahead of the pack with 1057 votes, easily winning first spot. Coleman, of New College, had a tougher time; his 641 votes put him only 87 votes ahead of utsc’s Kevin Rampage, who finished third. Kriti Bhatt of Trinity College was in fourth place with 370 votes, while the remaining 10 candidates each got fewer than 200 votes.

Arif and Coleman both currently serve on the University of Toronto Students’ Union (utsu) board of directors. Arif currently represents UTM, while Coleman serves as an atlarge Arts & Science director.

In Category II, representing full-time undergraduates from the professional faculties, Andrew Girgis and Padraigin Murphy were elected from a field of seven candidates. Girgis, a twoterm incumbent governor from the Faculty of Pharmacy, was re-elected with 195 votes. Murphy, of U of T’s law school, garnered 137 votes.

Murphy said she looks forward to addressing several challenges her faculty faces: “There is a great deal of interest at the law school right now in administration and governance.” Engineering’s Anastasia Aksnis was third with 102 votes.

The race for the part-time undergraduate category saw Susan Froom and Susan Murray emerge victorious from a pool of four candidates. Trinity College’s Froom led the field with 85 votes. Murray, who studies part-time at Woodsworth College and currently sits on the Woodsworth College Council, finished second with 72 votes. She made clear that the concerns of mature students will be a focus of her time on Governing Council, citing concerns held by mature students such as raising children while attending school.

The graduate students’ Constituency I, which represents students in the social sciences, saw a two-person race. Caitlin Campisi of oise defeated Michael Dick of

Governors prepare prior to the February 27th governing council meeting. AAron tAn/tHe vArsity

the Faculty of Information, 174 votes to 58 votes.

The single seat in Constituency II, which represents graduate students in the physical and life sciences, was considerably more contested. Alexandra Harris, an incumbent governor from the Faculty of Nursing, won with 135 votes — 28 votes ahead of

Dan Weaver in the Faculty of Physics. Harris cited the experience of international students as being particularly important to her, saying that “ensuring that international students are well-supported (financially and otherwise) and having the opportunity to engage in university governance has, and will continue to be, one of my top priorities.”

Woodsworth student newspaper loses all funding as $39,000 gala goes ahead Woodsworth Howl one of a number of clubs whose funding has been cut Emma Compeau VARSITY STAFF

The Woodsworth College Student Association (wcsa) has encountered severe financial problems and has suspended its funding of at least five student clubs until further notice. wcsa has an annul operating budget between $160,000 and $180,000, which is largely comprised of student fees and is supplemented by revenues such as locker rentals and event revenue. According to Tom Gleason, vice-president of internal affairs at the wcsa, the wcsa receives student fees through compulsory non-academic incidental fees collected by the university on behalf of the association which amount to $7.50 per semester per student.

For the release of student fees, the wcsa must present audited financial statements each year, including a third party report on the financial health of the association. The audit then moves to the University Affairs Board, which meets to decide if student fees will be released. If the student fees are not released, they will then be withheld until the next audit is complete.

Tariq Haddadin, vice-president of financial affairs at the wcsa, says that when he came into office he encountered a financial disaster including missing records and two incomplete audits, resulting in the wcsa receiving only part of their expected annual student fees. While there are varying accounts of what became of the records, the records went missing during a period of office renovations. Since last year, the wcsa has been eating into its savings, and in an effort to protect the dwindling of funds, Haddadin worked with an executive team and signing authorities to come up with a new financial policy for the wcsa resulting in all unnecessary activities being cut or pushed back.

Responding to allegations of a lack of financial transparency at the wcsa, Haddadin said: “I

The Howl, Woodsworth’s student newspaper, has had their funding suspended. trevor koroll/tHe vArsity

would say there is extreme financial transparency where it is sought.”

The wcsa has 27 board members, some of whom receive funding to pursue initiatives throughout the year. The wcsa hosts yearround events and also offers support to clubs and other affiliated groups such as the Woodsworth Howl newspaper and the Mature Students Association. Following the financial hardship, some new clubs such as the Ping Pong club had their funding completely cut, while other pre-existing groups such as the Arts Society, Movie Club, and Woodsworth Howl suffered severe financial cuts. Other activities affected include trivia nights, a chocolate decadence event, and reductions in the size and cost of the annual Woodsworth leadership

conference. According to Rhys Smith, the president at the wcsa, students involved in the wcsa activities are predominantly Woodsworth students, however events allow opportunities for non-Woodsworth student involvement.

The Woodsworth Howl is Woodsworth College’s student newspaper, and has been in existence since 2005. In previous years, the Howl produced monthly issues and received all of its funding from the wcsa amounting to $5,000. This year, when the Howl went to publish they were denied by their publisher due to insufficient funds. Lucinda Ro, the editor-in-chief at the Woodsworth Howl, said “We didn’t know about the financial issues for the longest time. I feel like they should share this information, especially

when it comes to money.” The Woodsworth Howl is considering turning its production online, following an offer from the wcsa to advertise in the wcsa weekly newsletter which is emailed to all Woodsworth students. Ro plans to run for vice president external at the wcsa in an effort to change the state of affairs.

One event which was not cut is the upcoming annual Woodsworth gala on March 21, which cost the wcsa $39,500.

According to Haddadin, the gala is an end of year event which honours Woodsworth students and acts to enhance student experience. The gala is taking place at the Westin Harbour Castle, totalling $36,000 in venue costs. The wcsa placed their payment for the gala in December, and executive members claim to have not known about the severity of their financial situation until mid-January. Once the payment is made, cancelling the event would mean only receiving a fraction of the payment back. According to Gleason, “At a certain point it becomes more cost effective to have the event and make money off of ticket revenues than to cancel the event and lose the payment.” Tickets for the event are $45 for Woodsworth students and $55 for guests, and the wcsa is expecting an attendance of 270 students.

According to Gleason, Haddaddin, and Smith, the wcsa constitution mandates that there must be an annual gala which is better or equivalent to those in years prior. Ro says that the wcsa interpreted that as putting more money into the event, instead of simply making it better.

Liza Nassim, the dean of students at Woodsworth College, says that although members of the administration encourage student societies to provide the required audits, groups such as the wcsa are ultimately independently responsible for how they wish to spend their fees, and of their of internal processes.

var.st/news

VARSITY NEWS

MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014

7

Six colleges, EngSoc, Phys Ed. now support defederation Divisions write joint letter to Student Societies Summit as UTSU elections begin Theodore Yan

ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

Numerous questions on the structure of student governance at U of T remain unanswered as the end of the 2013–2014 school year approaches, bringing with it the University of Toronto Students’ Union (utsu) elections.

After a year of discussion at the Student Societies Summit, the divisional student societies and the utsu are no closer to consensus. If anything, they have drifted further apart.

“At the beginning, I would say it’s accurate to say that the ncsc, traditionally, we haven’t really been involved, and we haven’t been really confrontational when it comes to external parties,” said Ashkan Azimi, president of the New College Student Council (ncsc).

At the beginning of the summit, the ncsc and Woodsworth College Students’ Association (wcsa) did not initially support the defederation referenda held last year by the Victoria University Students’ Administrative Council (vusac), the Engineering Society (Eng Soc), and the Trinity College Meeting (tcm). “With utsu specifically, we didn’t really have a formulated opinion at the beginning,” said wcsa president Rhys Smith. Those stances have evolved since that time.

“I think the biggest catalyst in that was the utsu agm,” said Smith. “Several of our council members attended, and we were quite disappointed to see how the financial documents and the audit procedures were handled.” utsu president Munib Sajjad has repeatedly dodged questions about why the utsu ran a $52,404 deficit last year — including when asked at the Annual General Meeting (agm). Following the meeting wcsa wrote a letter to the utsu complaining about how they handled these financial matters, which eventually led to a general consensus amongst wcsa that the utsu was in need of reforms.

Azimi said that a number of issues with the utsu became apparent to him and Craig Maniscalco, vice-president, admin of the ncsc, throughout the summit meetings. “There are issues about advocacy; there are issues about the vagueness of some clauses in the by-laws and constitution of the utsu, and those things need to be fixed,” said Azimi.

The University College Literary and Athletic Association (UCLit) has not changed its take on defederation. “The UC Lit supports the right of divisional student societies to join or

CONTINUED FROM COVER Luis Moreno is running as an independent candidate for the role of vp external. Moreno attended the Scarborough campus for two years and held the position of social science director during his time there. He has since moved to the St. George Campus, and feels his experience working on at the Scarborough campus in addition to his volunteer experience working for political campaigns outside of the university will qualify him for the position. Unwilling to specify which parties he worked for, Moreno cited working as both a general and social media volunteer as experience that would serve him well in the position.

When Team Unite and Moreno were asked if they felt not being as well known on campus as the members of the incumbent slate would hurt them, their outlook was positive. “As much as it is worrisome in some ways, it can also be an advantage,” explained Yin. “People won’t associate us with the issues the current executives have been dealing with. Ultimately if people believe in us, they’ll vote for us. They’ll vote based on the different slates platforms, not who they are.”

College leaders Rhys Smith (left), Ben Crase (centre), and Ashkan Azimi (right) on the steps at Simcoe Hall . sadia awan/THe VarsiTy

leave the union, and collect fees from students accordingly, based on the outcome of a fair and democratic referendum process. This has been our established stance since October,” said UCLit president Nishi Kumar.

These opinions culminated in the drafting of a joint letter to faculty members of the Student Societies Summit from several divisional student societies. The societies argued that the outcome of the summit must be a recommendation to Governing Council to change university policy. This letter recommends that U of T must specifically define and enforce the requirement that student societies be “open, accessible, and democratic.”

Further, the letter argued that utsu’s arrangement with the utm Students’ Union (utmsu) must be terminated or offered to other student societies. “Currently, utm students’

utsu fees are returned to the utmsu, so that the utmsu can run services which the utsu would run if it were able to operate an office at utm. In essence, this is a fee diversion arrangement between the two organizations. In spite of having their fee returned to their local student society, utm students have full voting rights in the utsu,” says the letter.

This letter was signed by divisional societies representing every college except Woodsworth, as well as Eng Soc and the Kinesiology and Physical Education Undergraduate Association. Smith explained that wcsa could not approve the letter because it was drafted immediately after its previous board meeting.

He added, however, that he personally agreed with the contents of the letter.

“I want to say something about the utsu,” added Azimi. “ncsc and the utsu

are currently collaborating on a culture show event, and what I want to say about that is, I have no problem collaborating with the utsu; I believe they are an asset to the University of Toronto. At the same time, I believe there are some fundamental changes that have to be made.”

Smith stated that the best way for students to advance changes at the university is to stay informed by attending general meetings and any board meetings they can, taking advantage of opportunities to learn as much as possible and advance their own ideas.

“A decision needs to be made. The summit meetings we’ve been going to, we’re all students; we’re all busy, and just leaving things as they are would be a big insult to all the participants, as well as the professors and the chair,” he concluded.

Cameron Wathey is running for his current position as vp internal. Last year, Wathey ran on the promises of policy town halls, a new and improved utsu website, and a better homecoming — all of which are he feels he has achieved in his time with the utsu. Going forward he hopes to improve ohip for international students, put a cap on international student fees and improve relations between the utsu and both its board of directors and the various college student societies.

Other members on the team include Najiba Ali Sardar, for vp equity, Grayce Slobodian for vp external, and ZiJian Yang for vp university affairs. Sardar is a third year student who has spent her time at U of T involved with the South Asian Aliance, and a working as both a frosh leader and a first year mentor at Woodsworth college. Sardar stressed the slates commitment to a fresh look at ideas: instead of pursuing the pedestrianizing of St. George, they will instead be pushing for a crosswalk between Hart House and Queens Park. If elected Sardar would focus on feminism on campus and labour rights, specifically where they pertain to unpaid internships.

Slobodian is a second year student who acted as vp campus life at the University of Tornto Mis-

sissauga Students’ Union this year. She wants to prioritize affordable transit and campus polling stations for municipal and provincial elections.

ZiJian Yang is a fourth-year student currently serving as the Woodsworth director on the utsu board of directors. In the past he has also served as the events executive for the Chinese undergraduate association. He hopes to review the academic appeal process and continue to advocate for a policy that allows students to drop credits without penalty.

The election comes near the end of a turbulent year, with key questions about the membership and structure of the utsu still hotly debated across campus. As the Student Societies Summit winds down, both Engineering and Trinity College students want to leave the union. The utmsu’s drammatic exit from the summit on February 10 adds another dimension to the election. The entire St. George Roundtable, with the exception of Woodsworth college — although Woodsworth president Rhys Smith personally supports it — signed a letter stating that groups who have been asked to leave the union should be allowed to. It also stated that a system similar to the one that has been established between the

utsu and the utmsu — where student fees paid to the utsu are largely remitted to the utmsu, although Mississauga students retain the right to vote in utsu elections — should be available to any division that requests it.

This Thursday, March 6 at 6:30 pm in Bahen 1130 an All Candidates Debate will be held for both slates to discuss their platforms.

Luis Moreno. jennifer su/THe VarsiTy

8

Vol. CXXXIV, No. 19

VARSITY NEWS

news@thevarsity.ca

Students concerned over relocation of Transitional Year Program UTSU, APUS argue that student consultation inadequate James Flynn

ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

Last Thursday, Governing Council passed a motion moving the Transitional Year Program (typ) from its current home at 49 St. George Street. to Woodsworth College. Despite students protesting outside, and last minute appeals from the University of Toronto Students’ Union (utsu) and the Association of Part-Time Undergraduate Students (apus), the motion passed overwhelmingly. There were no votes against and three abstentions for the motion. Under the plan, 49 St. George will be demolished and serve as the future site for the Centre for Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ceie).

Charmaine Williams, associate dean, academic at the FactorInwentash Faculty of Social Work, has been appointed as Provost Cheryl Regehr’s accessibility advisor. In the position, she will oversee the typ’s transition. Both utsu and apus have expressed concern over the move for years. apus president Susan Froom said she is not opposed to the space at 49 St. George being used as a new home for the ceie, but noted that it should not come at the expense of the typ.

“We’d like to see a similar, fabulous space be created for typ.

That means it needs to have enough space,” she noted. According to Froom, the new home has about half the usable space of the program’s current location.

Froom also expressed concern over the program’s ability to provide the same level of student services, including childcare and academic counseling, at the new home. “We’re not entirely pleased with the vote, in that it didn’t take into account the needs of typ,” Froom noted. “But there still is time to address this issue.” Froom expressed hope that Williams will address concerns, and urged university administration to continue consultations with typ students, faculty, and staff. apus interim executive coordinator Danielle Sandhu noted that the move was just one in a series of attempted changes to the typ. “There is a long history of the administration seeking to change the structure and autonomy of the Transitional Year Program, arguing that such changes would benefit the program,” she noted. “However, students, alumni, faculty, and the directors of the program have all been clear: such changes would only undermine the program’s ability to achieve its mandate and deliver support to marginalized students.”

Regehr would not address questions regarding space issues at the new home, or the initial process that picked the site at 49 St. George, directing questions to Scott Mabury, vice-president, university operations. She also directed questions regarding completion dates for the construction project to Mabury.

A package circulated to Governing Council members by the TYP Preservation Alliance — a coalition of students, alumni, and community members who support the Transitional Year Program — alleged: “This move would put typ under the administration of Woodsworth College.” Regehr denied these claims. “Everything about the structure of the typ remains exactly the same,” she said. “It’s only a physical move at this point. There are no plans at all for any kind of administrative restructuring.”

Protesters outside Simcoe Hall were barred from entry; Governing Council was in lockdown with security guards at the doors. aaron tan/tHe Varsity

Sandhu took issue with this, noting that in 2009, university administration moved to imbed the typ in the purview of the Faculty of Arts & Science. “Through protests and lobbying, the move was cancelled,” she noted. “Since then, the program has suffered budget cuts and a reduction in faculty, resulting in the elimination of a number of support services for the students in the program,” she said, adding, “One has to wonder why.”

Sandhu noted that the typ’s home is a key part of the program’s success. “The space in which the typ exists is centrally conducive to its success — it is a home for racialised, indigenous, low-income, and socially disenfranchised students and their families,” she noted. “This is a step towards integration in the Faculty of Arts & Science.”

Regehr also maintained that there are no plans to reduce the number of students in the typ. She did note, however, that Williams is going to conduct a review of the university’s access programs, including the typ. The review will look at demand and required supports for the university’s access programs.

Sandhu asserted that the university’s consultation with typ stakeholders have been inadequate. “I have been involved in the Transitional Year Program Preservation Alliance for a couple of years, and I have not seen or heard of the central administration meeting with students, student representatives, alumni and faculty of the typ to talk about the future of the program,” Sandhu noted. “We have hosted many town

halls where we have had over a hundred people attend to talk about the importance of preserving and supporting this program, but have not had the Provost join us to clarify the fate of the program.”

Sandhu called on the university to establish a task force on the needs of the typ, to be done in consultation with members of the typ community. She also called on university administration to restore the typ to its full capacity, in terms of funding and faculty, and keep the program autonomous and distinct from Woodsworth College.

“When we talk about the future of buildings and academic programs, we often talk about the specifications, the efficiency, square meters, streamlining and so on. But the future of the typ should not come down to a formula,” Sandhu said.

“It should come down to a question of the university’s commitment to access and equity, and ensuring that all students regardless of their background, have access to a world-class education.”

For her part, Regehr reiterated her support for the typ.

“There’s been no talk about any change to the allocation to typ. This is a great program,” she said. “We have a lot of great access programs in different parts of the university, and that is a key part of the commitment of University of Toronto: to ensure that people have access in non-traditional ways, as well as traditional ways.”

NEWS IN BRIEF University leads to better life outcomes than Bruce Kidd appointed interim principal of college, trade school: COU UTSC

Fair Elections Act criticized for limiting voter access

According to a report from the Council of Ontario Universities (cou), Ontario university graduates are most likely to find a well-paid job in their field. The council is reacting to several recent articles claiming that a university degree is not an effective job preparation tool compared to college or trade certificates.

The 30-page report, titled “University Works,” published February 25, argues that university graduates have fared better overall during the recession. Since 2008, employment for young university graduates increased by 21 per cent, while job opportunities for graduates with trade and college certificates increased very little or decreased.

According to the report, university graduates also have the highest income, both immediately after graduation and throughout their lives. They earn 50 per cent more than college graduates and twice as much as high school graduates. The report asks Ontario’s youth to consider this new information when planning their paths after high school.

Opposition parties are accusing the federal Conservatives of “loading the dice” in their favour with a new electoral reform bill, called the Fair Elections Act. The bill contains provisions that would prohibit being vouched for by a friend or colleague as sufficient identification to vote. It would also prevent Elections Canada from continuing its campaign encouraging young people to vote.

David Christopherson, deputy leader of the ndp, argues that the bill is largely about voter suppression. In particular he suggested that the bill is designed to keep young, anti-Tory voters away from the ballot box. Marc Mayrand, head of Elections Canada, agrees that the bill would limit access to the vote, though he would not call the changes voter suppression.

Mayrand also expressed concern about being prohibited from campaigning to young people, a demographic that has previously had very low voter turnout.

—Pia Morar With files from The Globe and Mail & The Toronto Star

utsc has a new interim vice-president and principal: professor Bruce Kidd, who is currently the warden of Hart House. Kidd will serve from February 27 to March 1, 2015, or until replaced by a successor. Kidd previously served as dean of the Faculty of Physical Education and Health. In addition to being a former Olympian, he is also an accomplished scholar — widely published on the topics of sports, and the intersection of sports with politics and culture.

The appointment comes as the Scarborough campus prepares to host the Pan Am games in 2015. Rita O’Brien will be serving as Acting Warden of Hart House in Kidd’s stead. Kidd is replacing Franco Vaccarino, who is leaving to become the new president of the University of Guelph.

—Sarah Niedoba

—Liza Agrba With files from The Huffington Post

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2014

comment@thevarsity.ca

Toronto350 campaign neglects to consider U of T’s current dependence on fossil fuels Divestment is not the right way to start a conversation about U of T’s relationship with climate change

Li Pan

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

The U of T Asset Management Corporation currently holds $9.8 million worth of shares in Royal Dutch Shell and $7.8 million worth in British Petroleum. Toronto350, an environmental activist organization, is calling on U of T to divest from the oil industry. I disagree.

The issue of divestment revolves around a few competing obligations for the university. We want to be a world leader in combatting climate change. At the same time, our university has a moral and legally binding fiduciary duty towards U of T staff and donors to maximize returns on investment made with their pension funds and donations. Furthermore, U of T is an academic institution and it should not be taking political stances. Toronto350 addresses these two concerns in its excellent brief, with copious amounts of supporting evidence. Nevertheless, I find their arguments unconvincing.

Anticipating future regulation of carbon emissions, Toronto350 argues that divestment from the oil industry is financially beneficial to the fund. I am unconvinced of this position; as developing countries across the world increase their demands for

Protest against the keystone pipeline. PHoTo coUrTesy of ToronTo350

fossil fuels, impending regulation of the industry seems unlikely. I will concede the debate on financial viability. Even though divestment doesn’t help, given the abundance of available options, it is unlikely to hurt the fund either. More importantly, exceptions to fiduciary duty can and have been made before.

No matter the financial consequences, divestment is morally

and legally justified if companies cause social injuries. In 2007, U of T divested from the tobacco industry on these grounds. Toronto350 is claiming the same ground this time. However, the case is not nearly as strong for the oil industry. In the US, tobacco companies were successfully sued for indemnities in the mid 1990s and they were forced to put health warnings

on their packages as early as the 1960s. Despite all this, the first campaign to have the university divest from tobacco actually failed in 1991, because the responsible committee didn’t believe the definition of social injury had been met.

In contrast, it may well be true that climate change is causing recent severe weather events. No one has proven in court that they were harmed as a result or that oil companies should be held responsible for climate change. Therefore, a case for social injuries cannot be made. Indeed, a similar divestment campaign was rejected last year at McGill for this exact reason.

One might wonder whether pedantically sticking to the definition of social injuries is meaningful.

It probably isn’t. Definitions and procedures can always be changed.

However, in this case, this definition is protecting us from straying too far away from our core missions as an academic institution. Indeed, this definition delineates the level of activism we are willing to engage in; it tells activist organizations that an academic institution will not take any political stance unless there is overwhelming consensus on the issue.

That consensus is simply not there. As an institution, U of T

is not taking the strong stance necessary for divestment. When divestment succeeded in 2007, tobacco products had already been banned indoors. In contrast, while we pride ourselves on keeping our carbon footprint per student well below the average of large institutions, fossil fuel is still vital to the functioning of our university.

As students, while we are all conscious of the negative effects of global warming, few are outright condemning the use of traditional energy. Indeed, it would simply be hypocritical of us to condemn oil companies while using their products on a daily basis.

Divestment is an act of sanction that should follow a stance our university has already taken. It cannot lead the debate and precede that stance. I do not wish to defend the oil industry or argue against climate change. However, in working towards a greener world, we should not neglect our other principles and missions. Divestment from oil is not wrong. However, it should take place only after we agree to take a much stronger stand on climate change than we currently do.

Li Pan is a second-year student at Trinity College studying mathematics and economics.

Barriers to entry U of T's Governing Council does not allow international students to sit on the board Dionne Boahene

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

As we draw nearer to the close of the academic year, we find ourselves once again in the midst of the election season for student leaders across U of T. The election period for the university's Governing Council was a particularly quiet one, and now that the results have been released, our new governors have their work cut out for them.

As U of T's highest governing body, the council endeavours to effectively govern and manage the university, its policies, budgeting, and planning. Alongside the ex officio President and Chancellor, the council is composed of 48 members, some elected from the student body, faculty, staff, alumni, and others appointed by the provincial government. However, only Canadian citizens can sit on the council. This requirement has caused irritaion, as it prohibits international students from holding these positions.

The mandate of the Governing Council is to handle university affairs; academic policy making falls directly within this jurisdiction. Seeing as international students are an integral part of

the student body and their academic careers at the university are affected by the decisions of the Governing Council — much like domestic students — one would think that they too should be afforded an opportunity to partake in these decision making processes. There is no reason why international student can't be involved in such tasks as appointing the university president, fixing employee salaries, appointing and removing staff members, and conducting examinations.

One could entertain the argument that as a Canadian university, it may be in U of T’s interest that its governing board is composed of predominantly Canadian representatives. But as the university welcomes over 10,000 international students a year, it would be fitting to see these opportunities afforded to all students inclusively.

Perhaps some compromise can be found. One suggestion would be to allow international students to sit in these governing positions up to some designated quota. As the representatives are elected, there could arise no issues of preferential selection for students from certain countries.

It must be noted however that this is not a phenomenon unique

The University of Toronto Act 1971 precludes international students from serving on the Governing Council. JULIA MALowAny/THe VArsITy

to U of T. It seems to be a common clause in university governing legislation across the country: McMaster’s act also required Canaidan citizenship. Furthermore, credit must be given where credit is due. In comparison to other universities in the gta, ours does have significant student representation on its governing board: eight of the 50 elected positions are filled

by students which makes for 16 per cent representation on the council. That means we beat out Ryerson, whose students make up 12.5 per cent of its Board of Governors, and leave York in the dust, whose students constitute six per cent of their Board.

The Governing Council legislation incorporating the clause of citizenship as a requirement was

amended over 30 years ago. Perhaps it is due time to consider a revision. Particularly at our fine U of T, drenched as it is in boundless global citizenship rhetoric, it would be fitting to see these opportunities extended to all.

Dionne Boahene is a third-year student studying economics and international relations.

var.st/comment

VARSITY COMMENT

MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014

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Changes to flat fees policy hurt U of T Massive loss of revenue will damage quality of education Jeffrey Schulman

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

The University of Toronto has gone down a dark path. Last December, at the behest of the University of Toronto Students Union (utsu) and its allies, Ontario’s Liberal government arbitrarily imposed the phasing out of U of T’s flat fees policy. I have already outlined some of the problems with this policy change, but its true cost has only now become apparent.

With the cost to U of T anticipated at $16 million the new policy will drain resources from the Faculty of Arts & Sciences, whose students had previously paid the fees.

U of T recruits far fewer tenured faculty members than the number of phds it produces. Many undergraduate classes are already too large, leading to limited available spaces, and a mad scramble at enrollment time on rosi. Students even tell tales of professors altering course structure — usually by increasing the workload — so as to reduce the class size by persuading students to drop the course. Quite simply, the Faculty of Arts & Sciences doesn’t have enough staff to adequately teach its 23,000 students.

The recipe for disaster the utsu and its faction have created will severely limit the ability of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences to hire professors. Faculty will be hired at below replacement levels for years to come, even while the undergraduate population of the St. George campus continues to increase. Graduated students will find it even harder to find places in the workforce as more is asked of them to make up for teach-

ing work which would otherwise be taken care of by full-time professors.

The lobbying of the utsu and its supporters has resulted in severe damage to the university experience of ordinary undergraduates, the availability of employment for phd students, the workload of professors, and the competitive position of the university and, by proxy, the city, province, and country on a global scale. We’ve suffered some serious damage.

So what can be done to remedy the situation? There is a role to be played by the student body, by campus leaders, and by the provincial government to save us from the current crisis.

The simplest course would be for the Minister of Training, Colleges, and Universities, Brad Duguid — or a potential replacement after the coming elections — to reinstate U of T’s original flat fees policy. However, it is unlikely that Minister Duguid will suddenly admit to his error.

This leaves the province with a couple of options: it can either directly compensate U of T for its losses, or increase per student funding to universities — which has fallen by 30 per cent over the past decade. In fact Liberal and PC ministers have left Ontario last among the provinces in per-student university funding for 15 years. While remedying perstudent funding is a necessary step for the province (my home state of Massachusetts just increased public university funding by 16.8 per cent), it seems highly unlikely with a minority government about to face a public skeptical of new taxes.

That leaves another idea which has been bandied about recently: provincial funding reallocated on

The Faculty of Arts & Science is expected to suffer most from the changes to flat fees. CArolYn leVeTT/THe VArsiTY

the basis of specialization. The province could come to see U of T as an institution where it would get greater value per dollar due to U of T’s world class research facilities, central location, and ability to attract international minds to the region. While this would help to alleviate U of T’s precarious financial position, more steps will still need to be taken.

U of T students will need to make clear that a high quality education is of paramount importance. Given that the province has also capped domestic tuition increases — and international tuition can only be raised so far before U of T loses its cost advantage with US institutions

— the best means of doing this would be for students to vote for a levy to fund operations of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences. A $650 Arts & Science student academic enhancement levy would probably make up the costs inflicted by the utsu.

This leaves us with the issue of student leadership. The current political class at the St. George campus seems overwhelmingly opposed to the university administration. This opposition is not based on logical grounds, but rather out of resentment of authority, a sort of champagne socialism on the part of students attending an elite university in a wealthy country.

Our future education will ultimately require the emergence of a

new breed of campus leader who will stand side by side with President Gertler and Provost Regehr to look after the university, staff, students, and community while sharing in the commitment to fund and maintain our institutions. The current political class has become so enthralled with their self image as revolutionaries that they celebrate destroying the very bedrock of public education upon which modern values are suspended. It is time for a new movement; it is time for change.

Jeffrey Schulman is a first-year student at Trinity College studying classics.

Mississauga mayoral elections offer new opportunities for student engagement With Hazel McCallion stepping down, candidates will need to appeal to every demographic, including students Stephen Warner

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

For many U of T St. George students, the City of Mississauga is nothing more than a far-away land beyond the borders of Etobicoke where students from utm study. In fact, when I posted a blog article about transit issues in Mississauga, a friend from Toronto suggested that Toronto's budget might be better used to create transit in Scarborough, rather than in Mississauga.

Mississauga is its own city, despite what some may think. We have our own budget, our own issues, and a mayor who is 93 years old and wins every election by a landslide. But after 36-odd years, Mayor "Hurricane" Hazel McCallion will not be seeking another term in office.

What does this mean for utm students? It puts them in a very different position compared to those who study downtown. Unlike Toronto, which has three university campuses in its downtown core alone with

an additional smattering of university and college campuses across the city, Mississauga has only utm and a couple of college campuses to its name. Which means — by virtue of there being less of them — that students in Mississauga have a much more difficult time having their concerns heard.

However, with McCallion leaving office, Mississauga is ripe for political change. With a slew of potential mayoral candidates — as well as potential council candidates hoping to cash in on the municipal shakeup — they are going to need to appeal to the needs of every citizen. This means that, for the first time in about a dozen elections, students in the city have an opportunity to have their concerns heard by candidates seeking nomination.

In a previous article, I advocated for students to run for office in order to make a stand against politicians ignoring their views, but that is not the only way to get your point across. Without McCallion around to win with 76 per cent support,

candidates will have to fight for every vote they can get, and cannot afford to ignore any demographic of the city, including students.

While Toronto debates the merits of subway versus light rail transit, Mississauga is moving ahead on its first lrt project along our busiest corridor. As students, what other transit priorities do you have? Do you want a light rail along Dundas Street to get to campus, more frequent service along arterial roads such as Cawthra and Burhamthorpe Roads, or something else entirely?

And transit is not the only issue concerning students. Do you have ideas for the redevelopment of the City Centre area? Are you concerned about your future job prospects in the city? My point is not to advocate for a specific stance on an issue, or even to advocate for a particular issue at all, it is simply to remind utm students that you do have a voice. Just because the current career councilors have ignored the needs of students is no

Arnold Yung/THe VArsiTY

indication that those same career councillors must remain in office for another four years.

The choice is obvious, utm:

stand up for your rights, and have your voices heard.

Stephen Warner is in first-year studying English and political science.

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EDITORIAL

VAR.ST/EDITORIAL

Fair Elections Act would suppress the student vote

KAREN ZHOU/THE VARsiTy

The federal Conservative government recently announced the Fair Elections Act, a controversial proposal to amend the Canada Elections Act. Ironically, the act is being criticized for taking steps to suppress voter turnout by implementing new rules for verifying who is an eligible voter at the polls. This new piece of legislation poses significant issues for minority voters, low-income families, and, unfortunately, students.

At present, eligible voters can vouch for another person's eligibility, such as a roommate or neighbour, at polling stations, allowing them to vote. The Conservatives’ proposal places unnecessarily stringent limits on reasonable and useful forms of identification, which will inevitably prevent young people from voting.

One form of identification targeted for elemination is vouching. While the act will leave 39 indentification options, these are often onerous or impossible for students or marginalized voters. Other identification options — including providing phone bills, bank statements, or ID — work for voters who have a well-established life in the riding. Students — who often live in a given riding for only one federal election, and marginalized citizens — who might not have a mailing address or ID — rely on vouching to facilitate their democratic right.

While it has been presented as a measure to crack down on voter fraud in Canada, the Fair Elections Act really represents a direct attempt on the part of the federal Conservatives to suppress voter turnout among groups that habitually oppose them. By ending the practice of voter vouching, the government risks effectively disenfranchising entire demographics, from new citizens to students.

Another troubling detail is the lack of any convincing evidence that individual voter fraud is a major problem in Canada — one that calls for a legislative solution. The Conservatives have cited Elections Canada research, saying that it shows vouching is problematic. However, many experts have conivincingly argued that the Conservatives are distorting this research for their political purposes. That the Conservatives have chosen to target vouching, without proving that it is really a problem, speaks volumes on their motives. These are political, not public-spirited.

In addition to eliminating vouching, the act includes new limitations on the implementation of online voting. Under the current election laws, the testing and implementation of electronic voting by Elections Canada, as well as other forms of alternative voting, is permitted, as long as it is approved by Canada's chief electoral officer and a parliamentary oversight committee. Under the Conservatives’ proposal, online voting in any form would have to be passed by the House of Commons and the Senate. It’s worth remembering that the latter body is itself unelected and currently has an iron-clad Conservative majority.

Many believe that implementing online voting at a national level would drastically improve voter turnout by increasing ease and accessibility. In particular, online voting would almost certainly increase youth voter turnout. With the bill in place, the Conservative government would have to appove any move to implement, or even test, online voting. This power is better left in the hands of Elections Canada, which is an arms-length and impartial organization.

Experts such as Jon Pammett, a political science professor at Carleton University, argue that the chief electoral officer should decide when online voting should be implemented, and that the Senate shouldn't have a say in the matter. With the act, he argues, the decision would be rendered "more difficult, if not impossible."

The measures proposed in this Act will make it more difficult for demographics who generally oppose the Conservatives — including students — to vote. Youth voter turnout is already dropping. Steps should be taken to encourage student voters, not bar them from the polls.

Any genuine attempt to ensure fairness in this country’s elections is a progressive step in the right direction, but the Act is not such an attempt. By placing unnecessary barriers between voters and the democratic process, the Conservative government is making a calculated move to frustrate a demographic that has traditionally supported its opponents.

The Varsity's editorial board is elected by the masthead at the beginning of each semester. For more information about The Varsity's editorial policy, email comment@thevarsity.ca.

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comment@thevarsity.ca

LETTERS TO

THE EDITOR Vol. CXXXIV, No. 18 | February 10, 2014 Re: ASSU wants private tutors out This e-mail is regarding the recent assu Campaign concerning the optional alternative undergraduate education.

As a tls student, I found that the tls seminars to be extremely helpful.

Not only did tls help me succeed in many courses, the staff were also role models and dedicated people willing to help the students at the University of Toronto succeed.

In response to the arguments and points mentioned in the article, I believe that the seminars are highly effective. The seminars do not replace lectures but rather just compliment and further supplement to what we already have learned. In addition, I don't believe the few members of the assu team has the right to choose and express the opinion of the collective University of Toronto student body that entails over thousands of students.

As students, we should have the fundamental right to choose and express what we feel benefit us the most. Finally, the seminars are very cost effective when it comes down to hourly pay and is competitive if not cheaper than private tutors.

I support the continuation of External Tutoring Services provided by the many groups out there at the U of T campus.

— Jesse I am writing to you to provide my honest opinion on the on-campus private tutoring group. I really benefited from these seminars from the company Toronto Life Sciences. It is our right to choose which seminar that we want to go to.

I pay to go to these seminars because I think the information they are covering is very useful in terms of preparing me for the tests. Sometimes, the tutorials are very slowly covering few questions in an hours. I think the outside seminars are great alternative for me to be more prepared.

So I sincerely hope that these seminars can be kept for future generations to come.

— Xuanli Wang Re: Divisional leaders question UTSU’s financial arrangement with UTMSU "I would like to encourage our friends from other student societies to respect the will of students that have decided to participate in the organizations they choose to affiliate with in a democratic manner."

So, Raymond, why won't you also encourage the utsu to respect the will of students who have clearly indicated they don't want to pay the utsu any fees? Why won't you encourage the utsu to establish a similar deal with any other student society that has requested it?

How is it "democratic" that the utsu arbitrarily decides who gets a special deal? Does your idea of "democracy" have anything to do with what students actually want and have voted for themselves, or do you think democracy comes in the form

of secret contracts between your organization and the utsu?

— Mauricio Curbelo (from web) Re: STEM programs gender gap needs closing I wholeheartedly support and agree with the fact that all should have an equal opportunity and I agree that our history and media have skewed that opportunity. I also agree that we definitely should have more women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (stem). However, equal opportunity does not yield equal results. People inherently have different interests and skills.

And the "10 Groundbreaking Women Scientists Written Off by History"?

Sure they did great things. Lots of people have great things, men and women. As a "first year student at Trinity College studying philosophy and political science" I don't expect you to know any of them, why? Because you don't study science. Unless you're a big dark matter buff why do you have any reason to know who Vera Rubin is?

I encourage you to survey some high school math and science classes. From my experience (in Toronto), the ratio is around 60/40 males to females. In first year chemical engineering it's also about 60/40. Yes, it's unbalanced, but is that really something to worry about? How many males are in the average fine art or fashion design program? Very few.

Do you see males claiming inequality and unfair treatment? The whole attack on the patriarchal nature of the system is definitely not going to solve the problem.

I encourage you to actually look at some statistics from the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and maybe speak to some people there.

Perhaps our female dean.

— Sam Cherniak (from web) Re: Governing Council approves merger of TYP as students protest outside I dont understand why changing the administration of a program in order to make it more effecient is a negative thing ... ? Sometimes I feel like people just protest for the sake of protesting rather than for any subsantive reasons.

— 4thyear (from web) Re: Humanizing U of T one photo at a time Harvard and Yale are not more difficult, they just let in a smaller, higher-quality cohort of students.

The problem with U of T is that with its massive expansion, a lot of standards in terms of admissions, but also expectations of professors in terms of teaching have dropped.

Now they're pushed to publish instead of teach and TAs do most of the grading. But hey, it's an enormous school and different from department to department, and it has fantastic research come out of it.

That can't be denied. I'm still proud to attend.

— Valentina (from web)

Letters to the editor should be directed to comment@thevarsity.ca. Please keep letters to 250 words. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

Shifting intersections

By Katrina Vogan

The evolving relationship between religion and medicine in Toronto’s public sphere On Saturdays, an elevator in Mount Sinai Hospital automatically rises and falls continuously through the day, stopping on every floor, one after the other. It is designed to allow accessibility to people of the Jewish faith on the Sabbath — a holy day of rest on which the use of electricity is prohibited. Without the elevator, few of the hospital’s services wuld be easily accessible to those of the Jewish faith who keep the Sabbath.

The Sabbath Elevator is symbolic of how religion shapes public spaces in secular society. The narrative of religion in public medicine is complicated. Ethics, public policy, and theology all offer different lenses from which to examine the issue.

According to Professor Pamela Klassen, director of U of T’s multi-disciplinary Religion in the Public Sphere initiative, “[Religion in the Public Sphere] got started as an initiative to bring together the university, students, faculty, not only from the Department of Religion, but also the law school and other places where people are asking questions… what is the role of religion in public spaces?

We are a secular society — what does that really mean? And how does religion play a role in those kinds of spaces of what some might call neutrality? …[W]hat is the status of religion in society?”

Holy History and modern medicine Many medical institutions in Toronto can trace their histories back to religious communities. Three of the city’s current hospitals — St. Joseph’s Health Care Centre, Providence Hospital, and St. Michael’s Hospital — were founded by the sisters of St. Joseph’s Convent. The sisters also founded the House of Providence to care for Torontonians who could not afford other health care.

While Christian doctors in early Toronto easily found work, Jewish doctors faced discrimination from the established medical community, and were shut out from employment opportunities.

In August 1913, four Jewish women led a fundraising campaign, raising $12,000 to found the Toronto Hebrew Maternity and Convalescent Hospital in Yorkville in 1923, which was renamed Mount Sinai Hospital in 1924.

Teaching medicine was also a matter of faith. “If you look back at the nineteenth century, most of the medical schools were set up by the religious — by Christian organizations. Trinity College had a medical school, so did Victoria College — they all had their own medical schools before they federated with the University of Toronto,” says Klassen.

The sisters of St. Joseph passed the administrative duties of their hospitals over to lay boards in the mid-1990s to refocus on grassroots initiatives. In the twentyfirst century, religious congregations are generally no longer the primary founders of hospitals in North America, but religion continues to impact healthcare.

“Largely, people argue that the process of medicalization — where medicine gains more and more power in our society — was also a process of secularization,” says Klassen, “I don’t totally buy that… I think secularization is too much of a linear concept to think about what the role of religion is in various hospital settings today.” communication and accessibility The diversity of faith that now characterizes Toronto can cause challenges for hospitals that are steeped in the Christian tradition.

In Canada, Islam is the fastest growing religious demographic. In 2007, the Muslim Medical Association of Canada (mmac) was founded. It aims to unite Muslim Canadians in the medical field to provide advocacy and services to a

growing demographic in Canada and the medical field.

Dr. Raza M. Naqvi, the chair of mmac, emphasizes the importance of communication in building an equitable health care system: “The differences in culture between patient and physician often create communication gaps that can be difficult to address unless both sides are aware of the issue… As in most situations, we hope that more open and clear communication of the needs of all involved will help to address this.”

This need for communication is addressed in Canada’s Charter, which specifies the universal right to access without discrimination.

According to Marylin Kanee, director of diversity and human rights at Mount Sinai, “When we haven’t addressed everything possible around access and equity, there becomes a need for accommodation… [Y] ou can’t always anticipate every situation, our world changes a lot constantly, and even with the best intent, you miss stuff. So that’s when people come forward, and we need to give individual accommodation.”

Often the greatest challenge for hospital staff is not the process of providing accommodation, but communication.

“We’re in a really, amazingly complex place… it is entirely possible that within two days, a patient may have contact with 40 people who work here,” says Kanee. Patient information — including any religious needs — has to be communicated to every member of staff, and there is not always an accessible repository for this information.

The problem with accommodation is that it happens on a case-by-case basis, and can be easily forgotten in the hectic daily operations of the hospital. Policy and official documentation become powerful tools, policy changes outlast and overpower institutional memory, and documents can become the foundation of a shift in practises — a shift from working in the sphere of accommodation to working in the sphere of equity.

Kanee describes one of her most recent initiatives: documenting the official safety procedures around smudging.

“I could not find it in a policy anywhere,” she says. “We had done it, we had decided as a group, we worked with the fire marshall

to ensure that we could do smudging in the hospital — but that’s not written down anywhere. So if [the current staff] disappears, we don’t know about it. So that’s why policy is important… So that anyone can find it, so that nobody can say, ‘We don’t have a policy on smudging, so you can’t do it.’” caring for tHe spirit Access to religion in hospitals is more than avoiding a lawsuit. Academic studies show that people with access to religion often heal faster and more completely. Respecting religion positively impacts mental health, which in turn impacts recovery times. Disrespecting a patient’s religious needs can cause great distress, negatively impacting their health. Faith communities can also act as support networks.

In Toronto’s hospitals, access and respect for religion are a matter of ensuring complete care for a person. According to Joanne Davies, the Ecumenical Chaplain at Mount Sinai and Chaplain at St. John’s Rehab, “Spirituality is what grounds you. And often that comes from something other than what the religious institution and dogmas and doctrines provide. It comes from somewhere else entirely. And it’s cliché, but it’s true — it can be something as simple as being outside.”

Though spirituality encompasses religion, Davies stresses that hospitals should still aim to consider religion as a factor in patient care. “Sometimes a person’s own spirituality is affected deeply by their religion, and not always in a healthy way. So you do need to know,” she says, citing the example of lgbtq patients who experience exclusion in some religious communities.

Davies’s role is as a counsellor and as a communicator. She helps patients conceptualize and articulate their spiritual needs, and offers validation and support for those who need different care because of their religious identity.

“And if someone has that religious belief that I don’t, or because medicine believes one thing and religion believes another, neither are wrong,” she says, “so that’s where it’s a real communication — as a chaplain, that’s where I would help a patient articulate, ‘I

can’t have that, I can’t be part of that, and this is the reason’ so that each side can hear, and everyone gets the best care that is possible.” striving for equity When asked if accessibility and equity concepts affect the physical structure of hospitals — if concerns about equity shape the design of spaces, or the location and amount of space given to certain services — Kanee pauses.

“It should,” she says, “how hospital buildings are built… every inch is specified…

What is this inch for? How many of these inches do we need for this or for that?”

Further challenges are posed by the fact that many different needs must be considered when building spaces or designing policies in the hospital. Even within the subcategory of religious accessibility, religions

may have practises tha The creation of th Mount Sinai, for exa a committee.

“We actually pulle were interested in d from a wide range including atheists, s at the table,” says K together to figure ou that space, but also a space that wouldn ing to the needs of o fend others.”

The room has praye and a small table that and is attached to a w ment was carefully con clusion; for example, dominate the room.

at contradict. he spiritual oasis of ample, was done by

ed together staff who designing that space of religious groups, o we had everybody Kanee. “We worked ut what we needed in how we could build n’t be accommodatone religion, and of-

er mats and kneelers, t can serve as an altar, wudu room. Each eleonsidered before its inno one artifact could

“How does your religion impact your health?”

Aruba

Second-year, health studies socioeconomic data as a first step in analyzing patient demographics in an effort to identify areas of need. diversity of approacHes While hospitals may welcome patients of all faiths, it is harder to write a policy that can solve the problem of the desire to have a place that you belong to — a space to which your community can lay some measure of claim, and that in turn can rely on the community for support.

“The other side to the role of religion in hospitals is this philanthropic side, so that communities feel attached to hospitals and, increasingly, the hospitals depend on this philanthropic funding,” says Klassen. She cites the Brampton Civic Hospital as an example, where the Sikh community raised over $2.5 million for the institution.

“A community [thought] that its needs were not being met, and they wanted to bring religion into the secular setting in various ways,” says Klassen. Currently, the name of the Guru Nunak Emergency Services Department acknowledges the role of the Sikh community in the hospital.

In other cases, established services do not seem capable of addressing specific concerns of new communities. Religious communities then turn inwards, creating new services to address these needs.

Naseeha, from the Arabic word for advice, is a helpline created in the gta in 2006 directed towards Muslim youth. It provides anonymous peer-to-peer counselling services similar to those of Kids Help Phone, but with an informed consideration of its callers’ religious backgrounds.

“The idea originated from the awareness that many youth feel they have no one to turn to for help with their problems,” says Yaseen Poonah, executive director of Naseeha.

The phone line allows callers to be defined as they chose, with their faith as merely one facet of their identity. “Muslims come in all shapes and sizes; Muslims are not a homogeneous group, and there is no cookie-cutter solution,” says Poonah. “We simply provide a safe and inclusive avenue for youth to discuss what’s on their mind.”

In the context of “one of the most ethnically diverse — and one of the most religiously diverse — places in the world,” Klassen notes, adding, “the relationship between the religious and the secular just keeps changing.”

Religious communities and ideals occupy a unique space in Toronto’s medical community. There is tension in this space — between the old and the new, theory and practise, and resources and need. It is a space beyond accommodation — changing, growing, and transforming a secular society.

“My faith grounds me... Spiritual health is just as important as physical health. When the two have a point of confluence like prayer, that makes everything amazing.”

Simeon

Third-year, engineering science

“My religion, as a Christian, means that my identity and my perception of self-worth is not based purely on my academic performance or future career path. Although it doesn’t mean I don’t need to try my best... it takes a lot of stress off school. ”

Melanie

Fourth-year, health and disease

“It does impact my mental health! ...Hinduism [teaches me that] to be real is to understand self-realisation... I think it really affects my positive energy!”

Ola

Second-year, psychology

“I’m not religious in the traditional sense...but it’s important for me to live my life helping people. That affects my health pretty powerfully.”

Shafquat

Third-year, engineering and math

“My religion teaches me patience, and without it, I would probably be dying because I go to U of T.”

Read an extended version of this article online at var.st/intersections.

Another broader equity-focused research initiative in hospitals are the Local Health Integration Networks (lhins).

Established by the Ontario government in March 2006, lhins are not-for-profit groups that work with the local health services to spearhead research and work into health service priorities of their geographic region.

The Toronto Central lhin recently completed a pilot project that collected patient demographic data in order to examine both demographics and the best way to collect that demographic information. Titled “We Ask Because We Care,” the study reported a patient participation rate of over 85 per cent — an overwhelming success.

The study has already effected policy change: the Toronto Central lhin has directed its hospitals to begin collecting

Photos by Denis Osipov and Alice Xue. Top: St. Michael’s Hospital; bottom: Mount Sinai Hospital.

Grace

Second-year, pharmacology

Learn more about the Muslim Medical Association of Canada in a Q&A with Dr. Razi M. Naqvi at: var.st/mmac.

“I’ve never thought about that question before..I’m not really religious.”

ARTS & CULTURE

VAR.ST"ARTS

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2014

arts@thevarsity.ca

Exploring gender, economic justice, and race through sneaker culture Hart House panel discussion focuses on the social and cultural importance of the shoe in mainstream society Victoria Wicks VARSITY STAFF

“Sneaking into the Big Leagues,” a panel discussion hosted last week at Hart House, did more than highlight sneaker culture’s emergence in mainstream society. It reflected on how a seemingly ordinary item — the sneaker — provides an accessible starting point for examining complex issues, such as gender constructs, economic justice, and racial hierarchies.

Panelist introductions immediately indicated discussion was going to be packed with a variety of critical perspectives.

Elizabeth Semmelhack, senior curator of the Bata Shoe Museum, found it interesting that sneakers reflect changing concepts of masculinity. While society historically expected only women to be concerned with their appearances, the growing sneaker culture represents an increased obligation for men to conspicuously consume fashion.

Dalton Higgins, a journalist often regarded as Canada’s leading expert on hip-hop culture, discussed how sneakers have evolved into a necessity for survival. After travelling to five different continents, Higgins was “disturbed” after seeing a worldwide trend of low-income, povertystricken youth killing one another over a pair of the “hottest sneakers.” He identifies this trend as one of the many symptoms of capitalist Western imperialism.

Sneaking into the Big Leagues uses sneakers to explore social and cultural issues. BRANDON ZORAS/THe VARSiTy

The official discussion began, with moderator Lance McCready, an assistant professor of Urban Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, questioning whether the Bata Shoe Museum was an appropriate place to host an exhibition on sneaker culture. This is in light of the exhibit, Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture that is currently going on at the museum until the end of May. The panel also considered the importance of the Bata Shoe Museum in educating the public about sneakers as central to our society’s

historical narrative and crucial to sustaining our economy. Other comments suggested that the mainstream absorption of counter culture sometimes signifies the “death” of that counter culture’s importance, as the subversive origins of the culture are ignored. Cultural appropriation and Macklemore’s recent Grammy wins in the Rap category were duly noted.

On the issue of social identity, U of T student panelist Brian Kuo spoke about his first pair of Air Jordan N1 basketball shoes as a symbol of rebellion against his coach. Kuo also alluded to

the psychology behind consumption — paying hundreds of dollars for one pair of shoes makes little economic sense, but wearing sneakers that athletes like Michael Jordan endorse invokes a feeling of acquiring said athlete’s work ethics.

Dion Walcott, co-founder of community movement Toronto Loves Kicks (tlk), brought a more hopeful perspective regarding sneaker culture’s largest beneficiary. He acknowledged capitalist corporations exploit consumers by perpetuating sneaker hype — nevertheless, his experience working with marginalized communities show him that sneakers provide a “window into youth culture,” acting as a conversation starter and basis for forging meaningful relationships.

Despite occasional clashing views, the discussion’s atmosphere remained accepting, cordial, and safe for expressing all contention — attendees included. This was most aptly exemplified when an attendee stood up to say: “sneaker culture is kind of a joke.” His nearly 10-minute long argument was permitted and thoughtfully responded to by the panelists.

As part of the Pan Am games umbrella for Hart House, this panel discussion succeeded in its goal to present sneakers, like the Pan Am Games themselves, as a platform for the celebration and the critical analysiss of identity and diversity.

On March 12, a similar event, “I Got Sole” will be held at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus (UTSC).

Library Series: Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library A bibliophile's paradise on campus Ishita Petkar

ASSOCIATE ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

For book lovers, the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library is nothing short of paradise. With stunning architecture and precious books of every shape and length, using the resources at Fisher can seem like a real treat. The best part of all?

Everybody gets to handle the books.

“Our attitude here is that we’re a library not a museum, so we want people to use our items,” says John Shoesmith, Fisher’s outreach librarian.

“The only things you really see behind glass are what you see in the exhibitions here… we always tell people, 'Don’t be afraid of the books!'”

And what an array of books there is, with approximately 700,000 volumes, the open stacks themselves can only feature about one-seventh of the collection itself, with the rest stored away safely below the library. Fisher’s collection strengths include: history of science and medicine, theology, philosophy, European literature, history of books and printing, Darwin, and Canadiana, just to name a few. They also have manuscript and archival material from writers such as Margaret Atwood and Leonard Cohen, as well as Frederick Banting’s notes on topics such as his discovery of insulin and Nobel Prize.

“When people think rare books, they always think it must just be really old books, but in fact rarity takes all forms, and so we want things that are being produced today that have a real rare value," says Shoesmith. This includes Canadian

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library currently has over 700,000 volumes of rare books in holdings. ANDRew lOuiS/flickR

small and fine presses, featuring publishers like Barbarian Press, who skip the computer in favour of a 500-year-old hand-printing process, first begun by Gutenberg.

Recently, Fisher has acquired two highly publicized collections: the General James Wolfe letters and Allen Ginsberg’s photo collection. “The Wolfe letters were a long time in the making, but it was held up in Britain because there was concern that we were taking something that was culturally important to the United Kingdom out of the country,” explains Shoesmith. “But we made a case for the fact that Wolfe really had such a strong role to play in Canadian history that the letters would find a good and proper

home here.” Once catalogued, these 270 letters will join the rest of Fisher’s Wolfe collection, which includes the annotated copy of Thomas Gray’s Elegy Written in A Country Churchyard, that Wolfe was carrying with him to the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759. (A little trivia factoid: Wolfe’s copy of Gray’s Elegy was purchased as U of T’s ten millionth book in 1987).

The Ginsberg photographs were a donation from the Rossi Family Foundation in Montréal and includes 7,000 photographs.

Some of the larger format pictures were sent to the University of Toronto Art Centre, but the bulk of the collection remains at Fisher. “They essentially chronicle Ginsberg’s early years dur-

ing the early Beat period; so William Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, Gregory Corso, all those major figures are captured by Ginsberg’s camera, up until the 1990s,” Shoesmith adds enthusiastically.

“Ginsberg lived such an incredible life, not just as a poet but as a major cultural figure, so we’re really lucky to have those!”

In today’s online world where so much emphasis is placed on digital accessibility, Fisher has a rather unique viewpoint on digitization.

“Digitizing is not preservation; it's another means of accessing the work and is certainly not a replacement for the actual object itself,” details Shoesmith. “When we digitize things, the real hope for us is that it intrigues people enough to come in and look at the actual item themselves, and I think that does happen. I mean, you could download off the Internet archive the first edition of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, but there’s something special about holding the original 1813 copy in your hands.”

While Fisher can initially seem intimidating to undergrad students, Shoesmith and the rest of the staff are putting a lot of effort into making it seem as friendly as possible. “We have our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram — we’re trying to do all the social media stuff too,” laughs Shoesmith. To use the collections, all you need is to get a Fisher reader card at the front desk and send in a request for the book you want.

Fisher is always open for anyone to use, even the public, and with such a wealth of collections, it’s easy to find a reason to spend an afternoon poring over old books in this beautiful library.

var.st/arts

VARSITY ARTS & CULTURE

MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014

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Goodnight Desdemona's playful goodbye for Hart House Theatre Contemporary take of Shakespeare's Othello and Romeo and Juliet preserves feminist themes of the original 1998 production Harry Lawson

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet)'s first line is a question: "What is alchemy?" This question serves as a premise for the rest of the play as it sets the tone for what is to come. Directed by Carly Chamberlain, this production seeks to ask questions, not just give answers.

What would you change if you could go back and take part in one of Shakespeare's plays?

On one hand, it is the playful sense that makes it successful. Lesley Robertson is excellent as the dorky young English professor, Constance Ledbelly, who leads the performance with strength. Ledbelly is a character living in the shadow of Claude Night (Nicholas Porteous), a fellow academic who abuses his seniority and has Constance do all his dirty work.

Ledbelly is hardworking, diligent and even allows for her work to be published under Night's name.

When he reveals that an Oxford post beckons, Ledbelly is 29, left in a dead-end job, and depressed. She decides to throw away the contents of her office, to leave work and start fresh — only to miraculously vanish into the magical bin herself It is with this narrative turn that the play bursts into life. Thrust into Shakespeare's Othello, Ledbelly instantly reveals Iago (Nathan Bitton) for what he is, a jealous meddler, distorting the narrative trajectory. The

Lesley Robertson as Constance Ledbelly (left) and Nicholas Porteous as Claude Night.

strong feminist stance of Ann-Marie MacDonald's 1988 play is preserved in this 2014 production, as Ledbelly sides with Desdemona and gives her the prominence she was denied in the seventeenth century. Her presence liberates both Desdemona and Juliet, to hilarious effect. Turning away from Desdemona and addressing her audience in one of the play's funniest moments, Ledbelly whispers, "Shakespeare really toned her down, ey?"

Ledbelly's aim, both in reality and in the magical parallel world of Othel-

lo and Romeo & Juliet, was to prove that the two tragedies were initially comedies. Ledbelly talks of the possibility of a posthumous doctorate, which is a concept that is as uncomfortable as it is funny. The alliance of levity and seriousness has its roots with the Bard, and is but one of many devices employed by MacDonald in writing back to Shakespeare.

Ledbelly's self-discovery ultimately takes place in her subconscious. It is there that she rediscovers her sense of self. She learns from Desdemona and Juliet just as they learn from her, and

Nathan Bitton as Romeo (left) and Robertson as Constance Ledbelly. SCOTT GORMAN/HART HOUSE

the three heroines dominate stage time throughout. Ledbelly pledges to Desdemona that she will "stand out in that field and cry, 'Bullshit!'"

The feminist stance suggests that no more will be taken.

She provides the answer to both her existential musings and her academic research. She unknowingly solves her thesis question, performing the role of wise fool and rewriting Shakespeare's plays from a feminist perspective.

Although prior knowledge of Othello and Romeo & Juliet en-

riches the play it is not absolutely essential. Aside to the strong (and at times hilarious) feminist disposition of this performance, we are reminded of Shakespeare's sense of play. The gaze into Shakespeare's parallel universe provides some of the plays funniest moments: revealing herself to be unmarried, Ledbelly is perceived to be "a virgin oracle," and Romeo is a crossdressing adolescent seeking literal "butt-love." Whether you are a lover of Shakespeare or not, this production is definitely worth a watch.

The best things come in threes

An interview with triple threat producer, DJ, and vocalist Anna Lunoe things that it’s cool that you’re not doing it, but it never goes away. It was scary because it’s so competitive, but if you want to do it, you just do it. I figured, “If after six months I was broke, I could just come back.”

Corinne Przybyslawski

ASSOCIATE ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

After opening for Toronto’s very own The Weeknd last October, Anna Lunoe revisited Toronto last month for her own headlining show at the Drake Hotel. Within the music industry, she’s regarded as a modern triplethreat, making a name for herself as a talented producer, vocalist, and DJ. With support from Diplo, collaborations with Flume and Touchsensitive, and now a spot on the billing at this year’s Coachella, the Australian musician talks about how leaving Sydney for Los Angeles helped her raise herself onto her own pedestal.

The Varsity: How did you find your footing in the industry?

Anna Lunoe: I crashed a radio station.

I heard they were doing a station board meeting, so I figured it would be normal for me to just show up. I turned up and at the end of the meeting, I introduced myself, told them I wanted to give it a go. I was on the reception desk for a while, but someone pulled out on the all-night show. It went well, and one thing lead to the next — it all happened very quickly.

TV: What drove you from Sydney to LA?

TV: How did you know it was coming together?

AL: Fandom is a really nice idea. It took a few people noticing to see the little things that I had managed to achieve, the few songs I managed to pump out.

You need to understand that no one really goes in knowing exactly what they’re doing every time. Nothing’s a given. It’s like waiting for an idea or a stream of consciousness to send you in a direction. Don’t think anyone sits down and writes hits.

MEDIA PHOTO

AL: Australia is so far away from everything else that there’s a real culture of travelling overseas. For me to move away, it’s kind of opportunistic. Australia is awesome, but it’s really small.

Playing [the same city] 10 million

times, you want to see everything else.

I felt like I had to relocate for a while to keep moving and growing. What happens is if you’re a creative person, you have a desire to do something. You can convince yourself by doing other

TV: So music was something you always wanted to do?

AL: I was a really music-obsessed kid. I glorified people and things in the industry. It was sort of unhealthy for me because it made me feel like I was different from them and could never be that. It’s really nice to show your appreciation, but never think that anyone’s better and has anything that you can’t achieve. You obviously have an opinion, but it’s going to take a while for your skills to catch up to your opinion. If your

first attempts sound amateur, that’s because you are amateur. You just need to keep working.

TV: Do you remember anything about the first show you played?

AL: I think it was New York. I was really intimidated. It was a weird feeling of thinking: "What if I don’t get this crowd, what if they don’t get me?" but that’s the feeling at pretty much every gig you go into. My best advice would be to research the place, get to know as much as you can. You want to feel like you understand exactly what you’re doing rather than just throwing yourself into the deep end.

TV: Are you excited to be a part of Coachella's lineup this year?

AL: I’m super excited about Coachella because it’s Coachella — it’s legendary.

I also don’t want to get too excited because I’ve played a lot of big festivals, and you could get a really good slot and have an amazing time, or you could have a side stage and just have just an average gig. I’m going to prepare for it, try and do something really special, but my whole thing this year is to be like, “Yeah, cool, I’ll do that.” Maybe if it was my first year DJing and I was at Coachella, I would be shitting myself, but I’ve been DJing for years. I should be able to do this.

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VARSITY ARTS & CULTURE

Vol. CXXXIV, No. 19

REVIEWS ALBUM: Sam Roberts Band — Lo-Fantasy Sam Roberts Band’s fifth studio album Lo-Fantasy is filled with a mix of edgy ‘80s vibes and synth-infused tracks. The overall mood of the album makes you feel as if you were lazing around in the summer sun, the perfect soundtrack to accompany you during your treks across campus during this cold, harsh winter.

While disc one is made up of eleven original tracks, disc two holds eight remixes of a few of the originals, including two remixes of their radio hit single “We’re all in this together.” While everyone claims that “originals are always better,” the remixes add a surreal vibe, and the mix of varying beats and rhythms are intrinsically done to produce a remix that you’ll probably end up listening to more than the original itself. From mellow tunes to stadium anthems, Lo-Fantasy deserves a listen.

— Emerald Misquitta

arts@thevarsity.ca

Explore the abandoned worlds of Mike Nelson at Amnesiac Hide Exhibit is British artist's first time showing in Toronto

FILM: Winter’s Tale (2014)

FILM: That Awkward Moment (2014) That Awkward Moment centers around three friends living in New York City trying to maintain their single lifestyles. Issues arise when the trio encounter love and must deal with the repercussions.

The film had an interesting and modern spin on dating, contrasting monogamy with open relationships.

This movie adds humour to the somewhat tense and “awkward” romantic situations many of us might have experienced. This movie did an excellent job casting characters that are real and relatable. Viewers will be able to understand the emotions the characters try to convey.

As opposed to many movies of the same genre — 21 and Over and The Hangover, for example — That Awkward Moment developed a cohesive plotline with both romantic yet dramatic elements. I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys college humour, but prefers less crudity.

— Julia Rod

Patricia Tabascio VARSITY STAFF

Amnesiac Hide, presented by the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, consists of four immersive installations that require viewers to check their gallerygoing intuitions at the door, and become fully immersed within each of Mike Nelson’s abandoned worlds. The installations are presented separately, in four individual rooms, and in no particular order. This allows the viewer to pick and choose which installation to view first.

This exhibition includes three new works by Nelson. Eighty Circles through Canada (The Last Possessions of an Orcadian Mountain Man) is a doublesided installation. The first side of this work consists of a wooden shelving unit that holds the abandoned possessions of Nelson’s late friend Erlend Williamson. These shelves display a wide range of Williamson’s possessions, including clothing, toothbrushes, small animal trinkets, and photo albums.

On the other side is a projection slideshow consisting of 80 photographs taken by Nelson during his journey from Banff to Vancouver. These images display deserted fire pits, which the artist describes as a rudimentary mark of civilization in isolated locations that the viewer would have previously thought to be untouched by man.

Another piece, Double Negative, which was commissioned for the Power Plant, includes a series of photocopiers that are surrounded by pieces of paper.

These pieces of paper contain the unpublished writings of Williamson’s experiences while travelling. Each copier is accompanied by a different section of his writings. Certain words or sen-

illustrations@thevarsity.ca

— Adrienne Mallari

Mike Nelson's Amnesiac Hide exhibition consists of four separate immersive installations. PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE POWER PLANT

tences, either placed on the floor or draped over photocopiers, are inflated over several pieces of paper.

Gang of Seven is an installation that consists of materials Nelson found on the shore of Vancouver beaches. The artist created faux campfires, sailing ships, and sea monsters, all from the washed up debris. He drew inspiration from science fiction literature, in which he imagines the ocean as a “gigantic organism.”

The Power Plant is the second gallery to ever host Nelson’s fourth installation, Quiver of Arrows. This piece is the most

Illustrate for The Varsity

The visually stunning cinematography of Winter’s Tale has the aura of Anna Karenina meets Titanic. The film is an adaptation of the novel by Mark Helprin, shifts from New York in the 1890s, 1914, and present day 2014.

The voice-over narration, is spoken by the lead character, Beverley Penn (Jessica Brown Findlay) is poetic — veering on the edge of philosophical.

The film’s soundtrack is done by Hans Zimmer and Rupert Gregson-Williams, which adds to the film’s overall mystical nature by adding a sense of romance and fantastical artistry.

Unfortunately, the attempt at adding an element of fairy-tale falls flat with the film's narrative. The problem lies in the missing details which make the plot rather confusing. How or why the characters can perform miracles and the reasoning behind why demons pursue the lead characters are never explained. The plot moves quickly without supporting explanation. Overall, this movie is visually stunning, but might only be enjoyed by those who have read the book.

immersive of the four installations. A series of four trailers are seared together and placed on stilts. With the removal of its’ wheels, the trailer can no longer relocate. The viewer is able to navigate through each of the four trailers, each of which contained objects belonging to former inhabitants. While walking through this installation, the viewer is able to inquire about the individuals that inhabited these spaces, making assumptions about their daily lives, interests, and addictions.

Amnesiac Hide is truly a remarkable exhibition — the opportunity for

the viewer to navigate and become a part of the installations is like nothing I have experienced before in a gallery setting. The abandoned space of each work encourages the viewer to consider the objects within the installations, formally owned by real people or fictional characters, and imagine both what the owners of these objects were like as people and the stories behind why they possessed certain objects.

Amnesiac Hide is at the Power Plant until May 19 2014. Admission to the Power Plant is free.

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var.st/

MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014

19

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Calculated net present values.

Then netted a 10-pounder.

“Last month, I joined a team in San Francisco to start working on a Silicon Valley project.

Come to find out, a few of the clients share my passion for fly-fishing. And some of the best in the world is just a short drive into the Northern Sierras.

Needless to say, when we head out on weekends, we take the phrase ‘Gone Fishing’ to a whole new level.”

See every amazing angle at exceptionalEY.com.

20

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Membership: All full-time u ndergraduate students who pay the Varsity Publications fee are members of the corporation and are entitled to attend and vote at this meeting.

Proxies: Members who are unable to attend may proxy their vote by returning the form of proxy

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t Essays t Thesis papers t Applications t Résumés t Cover letters t Presentations t Speeches Editing by Robyn editingbyrobyn@yahoo.com www.editingbyrobyn.blogspot.com

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SCIENCE VAR.ST/SCIENCE

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MARCH

2014

science@thevarsity.ca

Science in the cinema

After the Academy Awards, U of T professors talk scientific realism in film

RESEARCH RECAP Mourning in the Facebook age

MEDIA PHOTO

Linh Nguyen & Emma Hansen VARSITY STAFF

Science-related films have been under the spotlight, most recently Spike Jonze’s Her for its whimsical portrayal of the changing role of technology, and Gravity for its thrilling cinematography. Science fiction continues to be a widely popular film genre, and science and film enthusiasts alike enjoy films that balance believable science and exciting storytelling.

The Varsity spoke to two professors from the Cinema Studies Institute about the intersection of science and cinema. Professor Charlie Keil spoke about the nature of science fiction and the importance of technological realism. Keil teaches several courses in the film studies department at U of T and specializes in the transitional era of early American cinema.

Professor James Cahill is a specialist of French cinema who also explores the areas of experimental media and film pedagogy. He spoke with The Varsity about the coevolution of science and cinema.

The Varsity: Why do you think people watch science fiction films?

Charlie Keil: They envision technology a few steps beyond the technology of what we have now, and that is one of the appeals of science fiction. The reason that people find this notion of seeing the future depicted so interesting is because it puts to image things that you can otherwise only imagine or write down. That allows people to almost vicariously live in the future.

TV: What, in your opinion, is the benefit of scientific plausibility in films? Why does it matter to you?

CK: I’m inclined to say that if you

watch science fiction with an eye to how plausible it should be or how accurate it should be in terms of its relationship to current scientific experimentation, you’re looking at it for the wrong reasons. These films aren’t conceived on that level; they don’t have to have that degree of accuracy.

It’s about the whole experience, and science is simply being enlisted to engage you. People are much more likely to buy into the premise of the film if the possibility is rooted in current scientific knowledge.

The Varsity: One of your research interests is “the relationship between scientific uses of cinema [and] cinematic uses of science.” Could you elaborate about this relationship?

James Cahill: In many ways, the basic cinematic apparatus emerged from scientific research, particularly in astronomy and physiology, where researchers in the century began to try to use multiple cameras and then serial high-speed mid nineteenth century photography, to capture forms of movement too fast or too slow for the human eye. So the history of cinema is not just the history of commercial entertainment, of telling stories, but of a form of optical media that could be put to many different uses, of which the most popular is storytelling.

TV: Do the Oscars tend to assign merit to films based on scientific plausibility? Should they?

JC: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — let’s not forget that last word — should assign merit to excellent, innovative, and courageous filmmaking, regardless of subject. Whether they actually do this is another question. Where pre-

sentations or representations of scientific information have real-world effects or are supposed to represent actual historical situations — like a biopic about Marie Curie or Louis Pasteur — such films should be held to the highest standards of fidelity.

But I honestly cannot think of an example of a film where it was specifically celebrated by the Academy for its scientific plausibility.

TV: When the film Gravity came out, Neil deGrasse Tyson publicly listed its scientific inaccuracies, and simultaneously claimed to enjoy the film. Are science enthusiasts or film critics genuinely bothered by implausible science?

JC: Pleasure and critique not necessarily being so easy to separate, nor should we presume that all scientists, enthusiasts, or film critics share the same tastes or thresholds to which they are willing to be taken along by a film. Often, a film’s artistry — or lack thereof — determines this: how skillfully the director and her team, the actors, the screenwriters, etc., deploy their craft, and — in the case of a fictional film — the plausibility of the events within the universe being presented.

Something I’ve learned from my own research in the history of rigorous scientific filmmaking is that the truth is almost always more interesting and stranger than fiction, and that the most striking examples of surrealism often emerge from the context of scientific imagery and a disciplined method of empirical observation.

TV: Another common issue in science cinema comes with the introduction of technology. In the film Her, for example, an operating sys-

tem is given something resembling sentience. Do you have a problem with this as a science enthusiast and a film expert?

JC: Absolutely not! In fact, I feel quite the opposite. I think one of the primary jobs of art and popular culture is precisely to experiment with and explore the issues of its time, and that, to my mind is what Her attempts.

The creative geography of the film, mixing Los Angeles and Shanghai, cues attentive spectators to reading the film’s issues as both a reflection and refraction of the present: both familiar and slightly askew.

The issues Her addresses — but also represses or leaves unexamined — are particularly pressing in the face of concerns regarding intelligence, surveillance, tracking, conceptions of privacy and intimacy (which are always historically determined), but also the basic question of what constitutes presence and community — what it means to be together.

What I appreciated about Her was that, in spite of its melancholy, it wasn’t simply a hand-wringing, cautionary tale. It explored both the alienation and intimacy enabled by increasingly sentient technologies and platforms, and credited the audience with at least some capacity to think about these issues alongside the film.

TV: Do you have any further comments?

JC: Only that I hope Professor deGrasse Tyson didn’t make those tweets while watching the film in a theatre. That would be unforgivable.

Interviews have been edited for length and clarity. Read the full interviews at thevarsity.ca.

Before social networking sites, people usually learned about the death of a loved one by phone call, newspaper obituaries, or radio announcements. Today, Facebook not only instantaneous informs us about the event, but also provides a platform for loved ones to “continue an online relationship with the deceased for personal and collective expression” according to. a study led by U of T’s Faculty of Information (iSchool) librarian Kathleen Scheaffer and utm professor Rhonda McEwen.

By analyzing Facebook’s features, such as memorial pages and profiles, and conducting surveys and interviews, the researchers found that the ability to publish comments, wall posts, and photos immediately following a death provides Facebook mourners with “a quick outlet for their emotions and a means of timely group support.”

However, users can also unintentionally affect the online persona of the deceased, so that it may instead reflect how his or her Facebook friends remember them. Moreover, posting on the profile of the dead can sometimes create a competitive environment among mourners, raising unsettling questions such as, “who loved her the most?”

To avoid the negative impact of turning the deceased individual’s memory archive into a social one, the authors outline three recommendations: Facebook should offer flexible “digital estate options” for everyone, freeze the profiles and accounts of the deceased, and disable direct messaging and online searches for these individuals.

— Ann Sheng

Mental health disorders predispose teenage women to pregnancy A recent study from the University of Toronto Department of Psychiatry reports that teenage girls affected by mental health disorders show a higher pregnancy rate than their healthy peers. The study, lead

by Dr. Simone Vigod, adds that while the overall rate of teenage pregnancy has been decreasing for the past two decades in Canada, the trend is slower amoung teenage girls affected by major mental health problems.

Many believe that adolescent girls are not yet emotionally or socially prepared for motherhood. Furthermore, this phenomenon disproportionately affects racial minorities. While the study did not consider related issues — such as miscarriages and abortions — and did not prove causation, it revealed a poorly understood association between teen pregnancy and mental health.

The study was recently published in the journal Pediatrics.

—Aria Shakeri & Arash Shakeri

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VARSITY SCIENCE

Vol. CXXXIV, No. 19

science@thevarsity.ca

This is your brain on health food Nutrition’s impact on cognition in young people Mary Scourboutakos VARSITY ConTRIbuToR

Taking data out of context is one of the major issues contributing to the confusion that surrounds nutrition.

A classic example is the effect of nutrition on the brain: though scientists often focus on the role of nutrition in the prevention of cognitive decline in older adults, their findings often get extrapolated to the general public. This results in claims that may or may not be true for everyone.

Therefore, when it comes to the effect of food on cognition, the big question for university students is: can food or nutritional supplements actually boost cognition in a healthy, young brain? In the first of this twopart series, we’ll explore the effect of water, ginkgo biloba, and blueberries on cognitive function in young people to discern whether their supposed benefits could possibly influence one’s academic success.

WATER

There are some interesting mechanisms that have been proposed to explain the link between water and cognition. Because dehydration is recognized as a state of stress, it causes the body to release cortisol, which has been shown to decrease memory function. Meanwhile, other mechanisms suggest that dehydration can impact neurotransmitter signalling. This can modify blood brain barrier permeability and, subsequently, cause central nervous system distress.

Despite uncertainty surrounding the mechanism, research on this topic has demonstrated that water can improve cognitive function and even mood. However, many of the most promising studies have been conducted in children and results are often confused by inconsistent experimental factors like degree of dehydration.

A study conducted by researchers in the UK investigated this phenomenon in university students. Though it was only an observational study, the study found that students who drank water during the exam scored 5 per cent higher than students who did not drink anything during the exam. Moreover, this effect was observed even when controlling for the student’s academic abilities, as determined by their coursework grades.

Thus, based on this finding, I think it’s a wise idea to always bring a bottle of water with you into an exam.

GINKGO BILOBA

Though it’s technically not food, ginkgo biloba is a popular supplement that’s often touted to be a memory enhancer. Like water, it is thought to modulate neurotransmitters, in addition to being an antioxidant. Despite some studies showing ginkgo biloba to have a dose-dependent effect on improving attention in young adults, a systematic review of trials in healthy people showed no effect.

That being said, we can’t completely conclude that there is not benefit, because traditional remedies such as ginkgo biloba are often taken as a preventive measure. Therefore, while the evidence suggests that it won’t help your gpa right now, it is still possible that there are long-terms cognitive benefits.

Julien BalBontin/tHe Varsity

BLUEBERRIES

Blueberries have been shown to be quite beneficial for the aging brain. However, according to PubMed, there appears to be no research exploring the effect of berries on cognition in young people. Nevertheless, this illustrates an important concept: lack of evidence does not necessarily mean that there is a lack of effect.

So even though it hasn’t been systematically proven, a regular dose of berries is always a good idea,

because with the countless antioxidants they contain, you simply can’t go wrong.

Overall, despite the fact that university students are notorious for overlooking the importance of nutrition, what you eat can have an effect on your brain. Next week, we’ll explore the effect of carbohydrates, omega-3s and the Mediterranean diet.

Mary Scourboutakos is a PhD student in the Department of Nutritional Sciences.

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Personal Credits Notice

If you received a Common Experience Payment, you could get $3,000 in Personal Credits for educational programs and services.

The Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.

The healing continues.

Since 2007, almost 80,000 former students have received a Common Experience Payment (“CEP�) as part of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. CEP recipients are now eligible to receive non-cash Personal Credits of up to $3,000, for either themselves or certain family members, for educational programs and services.

Personal Credits of multiple CEP recipients can be combined to support a group learning activity.

How can I get Personal Credits? Each CEP recipient will be mailed an Acknowledgement Form. If you do not receive an Acknowledgement Form by the end of January 2014, please call 1-866-343-1858. Completed Acknowledgement Forms should be returned as soon as possible and must be postmarked no later than October 31, 2014.

What are Personal Credits? Personal Credits may be used for a wide range of educational programs and services, including those provided by universities, colleges, trade or training schools, Indigenous Institutions of Higher Learning, How do I redeem my Personal Credits? Once approved, or which relate to literacy or trades, as well as programs and you will be sent a personalized Redemption Form for each services related to Aboriginal identities, histories, cultures individual using Personal Credits at each educational entity or languages. or group. Once the Form is received, CEP recipients have the option of provide it to the educational entity or How much are Personal Credits? sharing their Personal Credits with group listed. The educational entity or Adequate funds are available for each certain family members, such as: group must then complete and mail back CEP recipient to receive up to $3,000 š Children š Spouses in Personal Credits, depending on your the Redemption Form postmarked no š Grandchildren š Siblings approved educational expenses. later than December 1, 2014.

Which educational entities and groups What happens to unused Personal Credits? The value of are included? A list of approved educational entities and unused Personal Credits will be transferred to the National groups has been jointly developed by Canada, the Assembly Indian Brotherhood Trust Fund and Inuvialuit Education of First Nations and Inuit representatives. If an educational Foundation for educational programs. entity or group is not on the list, please consult the website for more information.

For more information, including how Personal Credits can be Will I receive a cheque? No. Cheques will be issued directly redeemed by certain family members of CEP recipients that are deceased, visit www.residentialschoolsettlement.ca or call to the educational entity or group providing the service.

1-866-343-1858.

Who can use Personal Credits? CEP recipients can use the full amount themselves or give part or all of their Personal The IRS Crisis Line (1-866-925-4419) provides immediate Credits to certain family members such as a spouse, child, and culturally appropriate counselling support to former grandchild or sibling, as defined in the terms and conditions. students who are experiencing distress.

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2014

sports@thevarsity.ca

Men’s swimming wins nationals for second straight season Blues men’s swimming team wins both OUA and CIS championships, women’s wins OUA championship, and comes fourth in CIS championship Elizabeth benn SPoRTS EDIToR

For the second consecutive year, the Varsity Blues men’s swimming team won the Canadian Intercollegiate Sport (cis) title, this time in their home pool. The women’s team placed fourth in the cis, and both teams took the Ontario University Athletics (oua) titles at the beginning of February.

Coach Byron MacDonald stated in an interview with The Varsity at the beginning of the season that he hoped to lead this year’s men’s team to another title, and while recognizing that the women’s team would not be able to compete at the same level nationally as the men, he hoped that they would swim strongly and challenge their opponents. MacDonald was awarded once again with the cis men’s coach of the year award.

The women’s team swam undefeated until the cis championship, where it placed fourth. The championship was dominated by the ubc Thunderbirds who won their third-straight cis title, finishing the tournament with 802.5 points; the runner-up was the University de Montréal Carabins who finished with a score of 405.

In the ouas, the women came out on top of the Western Mustangs 823–692, winning their first title in six years.

Zack chetrat won four medals at this year’s championship. photo courtesy of the varsity blues

The men’s swimming team has won 18 national titles. photo courtesy of the varsity blues

Standing out for the women’s team this year was Vanessa Treasure, who captured the title of oua mvp. Treasure won five gold medals at the oua championships, including a record-breaking 200m breast stroke performance at 2:28:99.

While the men’s team swam to its second-straight cis title, it did not swim an undefeated season

like the women’s team. The men placed first in all of their Canadian meets, but placed second in their stint at the University of Nevada, losing to Nevada by a 92-point differential. The Blues dominated in the cis championships, however, totalling 690 points, beating the silver medal Thunderbirds, who finished with 609.5 points.

Zach Chetrat led the team once again, winning one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals in the cis championship. He also dominated in the oua championships with three gold medals and one silver in his four competitions, including the 200m f ly, of which he broke the 10-yearstanding oua record in his rookie season. He captured his fifth straight oua all-star and cis allCanadian titles.

While the team will see key players leaving the team next year, such as Zack Chetrat, Frank

Despond, and Zach Summerhayes, the Blues should not be worried about their team’s future. At the ouas, rookie swimmers accounted for 40 per cent of the team’s medals. Women’s team swimmer Cino Ling made the top eight finals in all four of her events, while national team member Paige Schultz re-joined the team. On the men’s side, the team added six strong swimmers who will be sure to continue to work to bring a third cis championship win to U of T in the 2014– 2015 season.

Behind the scenes: UTSC Athletic and Recreation Centre UTSC Athletic Centre to add facility for students, staff, community, and to host Pan Am Games Ameena Youssef

VARSITY conTRIbuToR

Offering activities such as soccer, baseball, tennis, squash, mma, archery, and dance, the utsc Athletics and Recreation Centre has something for everyone. The center opens its doors for utsc students and staff to explore new sports and clubs while getting involved in their community, meeting new people, and enjoying their physical activity.

With the amount of programs growing each year to accommodate the growing student body, the effort that is put into running the venue is crucial. Even though the student body is always in and around the facility, the staff constantly works to keep the facility operating smoothly.

Scott McRoberts, the director of athletics and recreation explained

the importance of his staff: “Each member of my team comes into work every day thinking of new ways to push the envelope. This centre runs so well because we are constantly thinking, not how to make sure things operate, but how do we make changes.” The centre is always looking to improve and grow the participation of the students, by listening to what the students want and broadening horizons for them.

“Who says that a university student that didn’t have the opportunity to join a sports team, or learn how to dance or skate in high school can’t learn now? We are always trying to engage as many students as possible,” said McRoberts.

McRoberts explained that the centre works with all of the programs and departments within the university to continue to grow in order to meet and accommodate the needs of the students, faculty,

and community members. With programs such as MoveU, Learn to Play, First Year Fit, pace, and interhouse teams, the centre has created an environment where students from all backgrounds can come and learn for the first time how to play a sport, play competitively on a team, or just stop by and play a good game with their friends.

While the centre currently works well to accommodate its growing number of members, anticipation for the new Athletic and Aquatics Center is building within the utsc community. The facility will open for use in the fall of 2014. During the summer of 2015 it will be closed to its members as it will be used for the 2015 Pan Am/ Parapan Am Games. This new facility will include two Olympic-size swimming pools, an Olympic diving tank, a rock climbing wall, a running track, cardio and fitness

studios, as well as four fiba-sized basketball courts that can double as volleyball, badminton, and soccer playing areas.

With this new facility in place, the utsc Athletic Centre will be able to grow current programs and accommodate new ones. For instance, the Dragon Boat Team will have access to train in the pools, and a new group has been formed in response to expanded features because of the center: the rock climbing club.

This new facility will be open to students, faculty, and community surrounding the university after the Games. “The center has a tremendous opportunity to allow those in the community to have access to a facility that is safe and accessible, and it is important to integrate the outside community with the university community as both sides can benefit,” says McRoberts.

With sheer size of this facility, McRoberts and his team are able to plan out a schedule that accommodates every active member of the community. There will be programs organized especially for students, women, and outside community members, as well as rental slots for outside groups.

The athletic centre will enable utsc to actualize their mission to “striving to create a respectful and inclusive environment that promotes opportunity and overall well-being.” The facility will bring opportunities to student at utsc due to its ability to host major international events, such as volunteer and job opportunities during the Pan Am Games.

For students looking to explore new interests while staying fit and healthy, the Athletic Centre at utsc is open seven days a week and available to all U of T students.

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Vol. CXXXIV No. 19

VARSITY SPORTS

sports@thevarsity.ca

Women’s volleyball wins OUA bronze for third-straight year Blues women’s volleyball played strong season, beating rivals, to continue OUA success streak JP Kaczur

ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

The U of T women’s volleyball won bronze in the Ontario University Athletic (oua) championships for the third year in a row.

Fourth-year veteran Charlotte Sider was named Second Team All– Canadian, while Tessa Davis was named to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (cis) all-rookie team, after their strong performances this past season. “It was nice,” said head coach Kristine Drakich, “but it was a tremendous team that helped them get this honour.”

Drakich’s emphasis on the totality of her team was evident when discussing the Blues’ slow start in the preseason when they posted a 2–7 record: “It’s [preseason] where you identify the gaps on your team. It was a very successful, but maybe not in the results.”

Drakich used the preseason to acclimate several rookies to the team, as well as to get the veterans ready to play with them. Nonetheless, the team started the season slowly (2–2), including losses to both Torontobased rivals, the Ryerson Rams and the York Lions.

After identifying the gaps that they had as a team, the Blues were able to fill them as they went along by employing their diverse roster — 14 of 16 players in the program received significant playing time throughout the season. “The beauty of this team was we were able to move around people seamlessly,” Drakich said. The team began to gel, defeating the McMaster Marauders 3–0 while beginning a seven-game winning streak, eventually finishing tied for first place by the winter break.

Throughout the rest of the season, the Blues were neck and neck with Ottawa and York for first place in the oua east division. The Blues went on a six-game winning streak to overtake Ottawa and York, allowing them to finish in first place in the division.

Before advancing to the final four, the Blues had to face their downtown rivals, the Ryerson Rams. The Rams had defeated the Blues 3–1 earlier in the season. However, the Blues were not the same team and swept the Rams 3–0 to assure themselves a place in the final four.

In the semi-finals of the final four, the Blues faced the McMaster Marauders after beating them earlier in the season. The game began with an intense first set that went to extras (35–33).

Blues celebrate after a win; the team posted a 17-5 record this season. CArolyn levett/tHe vArsity

Drakich noted that: “Both teams were a little nervous off the start.” The Blues would go on to lose 3–1 to the Marauders. “We didn’t play as freely as we did the majority of the year,” Drakich said.

However, the Blues rebounded the next day, defeating the

Varsity Blues women’s hockey showing improvement over 2013–2014 season Women’s hockey finishes season with 18–5–1 record and first OUA playoff series win since 2008 Sampson Coutts VARSITY STAFF

The Varsity Blues women’s hockey team had a stellar 2013-14 campaign. After posting an 18–5–1 record in the regular season, the Blues won their first Ontario University Athletics (oua) playoff series since 2008, before losing a close semifinal to the second-ranked Laurier Golden Hawks. Though five Blues are graduating, the team has tremendous depth at all positions, and it is not unrealistic to assume that they will again contend for the oua title in 2014–2015.

Up front, the biggest loss is captain Kelly O’Hanlon, who led the team in regular season points with 21 in 24 games and has been a mainstay on the first line for the past several years. Thankfully, aside from O’Hanlon, whose offensive prowess and leadership cannot be overstated, the forward core remains largely intact. First-line sniper Taylor

Day and her linemate Sonja Weidenfelder will be back, as will the second line of Alie Brind’AmourMcClure, her sister Courtney, and veteran Amanda Ricker.

The Brind’Amour-McClure line was a revelation this season, particularly in the playoffs. In the post-season, the Brind’AmourMcClure sisters combined for 14 points in the Blues’ six games, while Ricker scored a huge goal in the deciding third game of U of T’s first round matchup against the Western Mustangs.

Energy third liners Kristi Riseley and Jacqueline Scheffel, enter into their third and fourth seasons, respectively, will also be back, but their linemate Ragan Danford will not. The departures of O’Hanlon and Danford leave the door open for fourth-liners Katherine Gale, Arden Cowley, and Alessandra Bianchi to potentially move up the depth chart.

On defence, the Blues will miss assistant captains Stacey Oue and Marlie McLaughlin. Oue in particular played crucial defensive minutes

in the playoffs for the Blues. Despite these losses, U of T should be able to compensate, with veterans Caitlin Maikawa and April Looije, rookie standout Rebecca Bourgeois, fellow rookie Autumn Garnham, and senior Mary Claire Geneau all returning.

In goal, there is no concern, with star goaltender Nicole Kesteris returning for a fifth year. Kesteris had a stellar season, leading the oua with a .948 save percentage and being named a first-team all-star for her efforts. She is very fast, her rebound control is unrivalled, and she gives her team a chance to win every game.

With Kesteris in goal again next year, and with a large core of returning players, it seems fair to assume that the Varsity Blues will be serious contenders for the oua crown. The 2014-2015 season may, however, be a do-or-die season for the team. With Kesteris entering into her final year of cis eligibility, the Blues might not have as good a chance at putting another banner in the Varsity Arena rafters for quite some time.

Guelph Gryphons for third place in the tournament. “The bronze is such a hard match; I was proud the team came ready to play,” said Drakich.

Although the Blues didn’t win a championship, the team has a

bright future. Out of the 16 athletes in the program, at least 13 of them will be returning. “As disappointing as the end result was in many ways,” Drakich said, “I’m very excited to move forward. The core group is back again.”

Grace Bannerman places third in CIS championship Blues women’s wrestler wins her first CIS medal Reshara Alviarez VARSITY STAFF

The University of Toronto Varsity Blues women’s wrestler Grace Bannerman earned her first medal at the Canadian Intercollegiate Sport (cis) championship this past Friday. Bannerman won the bronze medal in the women’s 82kg category at the tournament in Fredericton, New Brunswick. She finished second in her pool earning a spot in the bronze-medal match, which she then defeated Regina’s Emily Forester to claim the third spot on the podium.

Bannerman is certainly not new to the sport. She has been wrestling for six years and has enjoyed her most successful season thus far. Last semester, she placed first overall in the women’s 82kg division in November at the McMaster Invitational. On February 1, she won fourth place at the Western Open in London, Ontario, and also earned the silver medal at the oua Championships in early February.

With regards to preparation for these past tournaments, Banner-

man said that, “I just plan to train hard and tweak my game as best I can so that I can go into every match prepared for a tough fight.

I’ve found that you can never make any assumptions.”

She expresses great passion for the sport, noting: “Wrestling is a crazy thing. I never thought it would become so integral to what I do and who I am. Wrestling asks more of you, mentally and physically, than almost anything else in life. You are continually reminded that you can be better, and it makes you want to be better.”

Bannerman, as well as other team members, are grateful for the opportunities provided to them as a part of this dynamic team.

They hope to see more students at U of T take an interest in the sport in coming years.

According to Bannerman, “Any athlete is capable of anything on any given day. And the beauty and the hell of wrestling is the pin — you can dominate someone for five of six minutes but if they pin you, you lose.”

In her rookie season, Bannerman placed sixth overall at the cis Championship in the 72kg event.

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UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO STUDENTS’ UNION LOCAL 98, CANADIAN FEDERATION OF STUDENTS

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