September 10, 2018

THE VARSITY September 10, 2018

University of Toronto's Student Newspaper since 1880

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Vol. CXXXIX, No. 2

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U of T community radio sued for defamation by former labour union president

Unifor organizer Lisabeth Pimentel suing over allegations of racism, harassment Kathryn Mannie Varsity Contributor

U of T’s community radio station, CIUT 89.5 FM, has been caught in the crosshairs of a dispute involving organizers from two major labour unions in Toronto: Unifor and Unite Here. Lisabeth Pimentel, former President of Unite Here Local

Comment

The “eerie hypocrisy” of Doug Ford as defender of free speech

75 and current organizer at Unifor Local 7575, is suing CIUT for allegedly allowing defamatory content about her to be aired on its radio shows.

CIUT is one of many defendants in a case that started as an internal conflict within Unite Here Local 75, which has now escalated into a multi-party defamation lawsuit with $500,000 in damages on the line.

Unite Here and Unifor both represent workers in a variety of industries, including hospitality, airport industries, and manufacturing.

The lawsuit The case stems from Pimentel’s claims that a number of her former colleagues at Unite Here made comments on air alleging that her leadership was plagued with “racism, discrimination, harassment and bullying.”

According to the court filings, the majority of the alleged defamatory comments were made on social media, including Facebook and Twitter. However, a few of the statements identified in the statement of claim, which commenced the lawsuit, were made as a part of interviews broadcasted by CIUT and posted on the internet as podcasts.

CIUT, page 3

Feature

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Mental health and university bureaucracy: one student’s story

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18-year-old U of T student drowns at engineering survey camp Incident took place at Gull Lake in Minden

Josie Kao News Editor

An 18-year-old U of T student, Anand Baiju, drowned at Gull Lake in Minden on September 4 during U of T’s Survey Camp for engineering students.

An investigation into the death is currently being carried out and a postmortem has been ordered by the coroner.

Sergeant Peter Leon, Central Region media relations coordinator for the Ontario Provincial Police, told The Varsity that so far there is nothing to suggest that the death was suspicious.

“My understanding is the individual who is now deceased was with a group of people in the water. For reasons unknown at this time, he became separated from that group.

When they commenced the search for him and located him, they immediately removed him from the water

Arts & Culture F*ck, Sh!t, D@mn The origins of swear words

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and commenced first aid and CPR.” Emergency responders were called to the camp on Deep Bay Road around 4:45 pm and took Baiju to the hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

According to Leon, the student was from the Mississauga area and his family has been contacted.

The death was first confirmed by a statement from the U of T Engineering Society and the Civil Engineering Club.

“All of us process tragedies differently and at different times. Do not hesitate to reach out for support,” read the statement. “We express our condolences to all those who have had the good fortune to know the deceased.”

“Today, our attention must be with those affected by this terrible tragedy,” said Cristina Amon, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, in a U of T press release.

“The thoughts of our entire commu-

Science

Save the safe injection sites

nity are with the family and friends of the student who died.”

A GoFundMe campaign was started the day after Baiju’s death by his friends and family to raise money for a funeral service. As of press time, the campaign had exceeded its $20,000 goal.

The rest of the week’s programming has been cancelled and the other students returned home Tuesday night.

The survey camp is meant to train Civil and Mineral Engineering students in land surveying and engineering project management. The facility has been in operation since 1920 and is located in Minden, which is about 100 kilometres north of Peterborough.

If you or someone you know needs help processing this event, you can visit the Health & Wellness Centre at the Koffler Student Services Centre at 214 College Street or over the phone at 416-978-8070.

Sports

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Playing it forward: when athletes give back

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CIUT, from cover The lawsuit claims that on January 30, 2018, Melissa Sobers, a U of T graduate and member of Unite Here, was a guest on CIUT radio show WeAreUofT, during which she spoke about how she was assaulted by another staff member. The claim also alleges that Sobers claimed on the air that Pimentel informed the assailant that Sobers was accusing him of assault, putting her “into an even more vulnerable position.”

The claim further states that Sobers further remarked on air that Pimentel “was going to such lows to dismiss the voices… of racialized people who had built the union. To not have to listen to them, to not have to listen to them question her leadership. That is how far she was willing to go.”

Rik Hockley, former member of the executive board of Unite Here Local 75, was also a guest on The Taylor Report, a CIUT radio show. The lawsuit claims that on February 21, 2018, Hockley alleged that there was a racial divide between white people and people of colour within the office and that some of the rank-and-file organizers were “being treated like criminals.”

Because these allegedly defamatory comments were broadcasted by CIUT on its radio programs, Pimentel is also seeking damages from the station.

“I filed this lawsuit because facts matter,” wrote Pimentel in an email to The Varsity. “The allegations that CIUT published are false.”

“There is a dispute about the takeover of a Canadian local union of hospitality workers by its USbased parent union. Instead of addressing the merits of this dispute, the supporters of the US parent union turned this into an unwarranted personal attack on me, and CIUT allowed itself to be used as their pawn,” wrote Pimentel.

She added that the case can end much more quickly if CIUT would “apologize and admit that… it failed in the most elementary of journalistic ethics by failing to contact me before it participated in an attack on my integrity.”

Pimentel also added that her lawyers have been in contact with CIUT’s lawyers since the lawsuit was filed.

cured on the grounds that some of what Pimentel claimed never happened. In addition, the statement of defence claims that Pimentel had harmed her own reputation through her actions, and that they were allowed to say what they did because of qualified privilege.

Qualified privilege is one of the defences for defamation in the Canadian judicial system and can be used in cases where a person has a legal or moral duty to give a defamatory statement because it is in the public interest. A statement protected by qualified privilege cannot be made with malicious intent.

The defendants claim that “they had a duty and an interest in communicating their respective views on the internal conflict.”

CIUT has likewise engaged lawyers and announced their intention to defend.

Legal background According to Brett Caraway, a UTM Assistant Professor teaching internet law, Pimentel may have a good chance of winning her case against CIUT. “In Canada, and in Ontario specifically, the need to protect the reputation of individuals actually gets more weight than freedom of expression,” Caraway told The Varsity.

Inferences aligned with this can be found in both the Ontario Libel and Slander Act as well as in case law. In the 1995 case of Hill v Church of Scientology of Toronto, the Supreme Court of Canada decided to reject the American “actual malice” standard from precedence that gives more protection to broadcasters from being sued for defamation. Actual malice

establishes whether broadcasters knowingly or with negligent disregard publish something that was untrue and defamatory; it also places the burden of providing this proof on the plaintiff.

Caraway also pointed to the fact that radio programs are treated as traditional broadcasters with a publishing role in the eyes of the law. According to Caraway, radio programs have the ability to edit their content in some capacities, and by way of actively engaging and interviewing people, radio shows have a degree of control over what they disseminate.

This set of conditions — Ontario’s tough defamation laws and the classification of radio shows as broadcasters — is why Caraway believes that Pimentel could have a strong case.

Defamation lawsuits have been on the rise since the advent of the internet. Some attribute this to a lack of public understanding that social media users are legally liable for their posts and comments.

Even though Caraway said that he does not “want to live in a world where people are scared to call racism out.” He warned that “if you’re going to [call out racism or prejudicial behaviour], I wouldn’t be flippant about it. And I would definitely take into consideration that you may end up in a courtroom.”

The Varsity has reached out to Sobers and Hockley for comment, but has been unable to secure a response. CIUT declined to comment.

Disclosure: The Varsity has previously engaged the services of Cavaluzzo LLP.

The defendants’ responses In the months following Pimentel’s lawsuit, the defendants hired lawyers themselves and announced their intentions to defend.

All of the defendants except for CIUT were represented by the same law firm, Cavalluzzo LLP, and filed a joint statement of defence in which they asked that the “action be dismissed with costs.”

The statement of defence included background allegations of what the defendants called the “chaos, dysfunction and bitter internal conflict” within Unite Here during Pimentel’s tenure.

The defendants claim that no defamation had oc-

GHEYANA PURBODININGRAT/THE VARSITY

City Council approves one-year freeze on building demolitions in Kensington Market

Surprise move intended to prevent destruction of heritage buildings Silas Le Blanc Varsity Contributor

Demolitions in Kensington Market have been halted for one year in a surprise move by Toronto City Council.

According to Joe Cressy, Ward 20 Trinity— Spadina Councillor, the freeze was put in place at the end of July in order to give city staff more time to designate Kensington as a heritage conservation district.

Cressy told The Varsity that he wants city staff to study the area before developers make any more decisions.

“There was a real risk that we would see a rush to demolish properties within Kensington Market in advance of that new conservation district coming in,” said Cressy. “And so the demolition freeze, which is a heritage conservation district bylaw, was put in place to put a pause on demolitions for one year until the completion of the district."

He added that freezes were “a common and an

effective tool that the city frequently uses when we’re reaching the final stages of heritage conservation districts.”

Cressy claimed that the freeze will not affect housing supply at all, and that there could still be development projects in the future.

However, because of the freeze, he said that it’s unlikely that there will be any new buildings in the next year until it’s decided whether or not to give Kensington a heritage designation.

“The city of Toronto has more than 20 heritage conservation districts,” said Cressy. “Heritage conservation districts are designed to protect the unique character of special areas within the city of Toronto, whether that’s a historic neighborhood like parts of the Annex or whether it’s Queen Street West, and ensuring that it retains its vibrant, independent retail fronts as opposed to big box.”

In the past, there have been cases when developers tore down buildings with historical significance despite pushback from heritage preservation supporters. City Council wanted to ensure

that this would not be the case in Kensington.

Getting a building protected under the Ontario Heritage Act is a long process, and in some instances, the developers start demolition before it can be implemented. This is what happened when a 110-year-old Bank of Montreal building was torn down in January 2017, despite public outcry.

In 2015, Kensington Market was designated for consideration under the Ontario Heritage Act. Since then, four of six applicants for demolition were permitted.

In the past year, these heritage preservation groups have seen great success. This August, the Toronto Preservation Board approved a “midtown focus plan,” which, in an unprecedented move, added 258 buildings to the heritage registry.

When asked what he hopes will come of the demolition freeze, Cressy responded, “To ensure that as we are completing a heritage conservation district, we don’t see our rush to demolish our heritage before we have a chance to protect it.”

Scarborough student union apologizes for food quality issue at frosh Student claims she saw dead, caterpillarlike bug in food Josie Kao News Editor

The Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU) has issued an apology for a “food quality issue” that occurred during its orientation.

SCSU’s frosh week, which took place from August 29–31, apparently employed a deficient food vendor, though the union did not say what the problem was or how many people were affected by the food.

In a statement to The Varsity, the SCSU wrote that “upon receiving a food complaint the union stopped serving the food.”

“Since Frosh, the Union has met with the food vendor, and after inspection from Health and Safety, it has been confirmed that the issue stemmed from the food supplier for the vendor, rather than the vendor itself. The vendor has assured the Union that they immediately switched suppliers upon receiving the complaint.”

First-year student Ellen Eshenko told The Varsity that they were given Chinese food that contained broccoli, cabbage, and rice. As she was eating, she saw a dead, green, caterpillar-like bug on a piece of broccoli. Eshenko described the bug to be the size of her fingernail.

She added that the “SCSU executives were really nice about it and so worried about it they took my info down.”

The statement that the SCSU posted on Facebook on September 6 read, “We would like to reassure you that all food vendors at Frosh were fully screened in accordance to the appropriate measures of UTSC, as well as sampled prior to ordering for the event.”

“However, despite our best efforts, we are disappointed with one of the vendors of our event. In response, we have been taking thorough measures to investigate and resolve the matter.”

The statement was signed by all SCSU executives and it included a note to contact SCSU President Nicole Brayiannis at president@scsu.ca for any further inquiries.

The SCSU added that executives “would be attending Food Handling courses” in preparation for future events.

The union’s three-day orientation, which was called Infinity, cost $65–80 to attend and was open to all incoming firstyear UTSC students. According to the event website, tickets are non-refundable.

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The Breakdown: What happens if the UTSU and the UTMSU separate UTSU projects roughly $82,800 loss in yearly revenue from UTM students until 2023 Adam A. Lam Varsity Contributor

A University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) committee has recommended that the organization terminate its membership agreement with the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU).

Lucas Granger, a member of the Ad Hoc Negotiations Committee, presented the recommendation at the UTSU’s August 15 board meeting.

“It’s really serious, and I want everyone to think about that, because it’s a big move in the way the UTSU is structured,” said Granger.

That recommendation is “contingent on expected negotiation results,” said UTSU President Anne Boucher at the board meeting. Both Boucher and UTMSU President Felipe Nagata declined to comment on the specifics of these expected results.

The agreement, effective since April 30, 2008, was a bid to “co-ordinate and

adding that “the numbers are more positive than would have been anticipated.”

How will the UTSU make up for lost revenue?

The UTSU plans to cut spending to “pursue efficiencies,” with Boucher vowing that she “would never be able to responsibly make cuts to its advocacy, services, or programming that could contribute significantly to campus life.”

The UTSU also plans to request donations from alumni, as well as to increase cash inflow by opening for-profit services run by the UTSU’s commercial subsidiary, which include renting conference spaces and running a café. Finally, the UTSU is considering an increase in the UTSU levy to offset the loss in revenue.

According to the UTSU President, separation would increase revenue and freedom in governance for the UTMSU. MARGAUX PARKER/THE VARSITY

streamline resources” of the UTSU and UTMSU. But on January 25, 2018, the UTMSU and the UTSU began talks to renegotiate the agreement, jointly citing a need for the UTMSU to secure greater independence in governance and to better represent UTM’s student body.

The goal of the talks was not to rip up the agreement, but to “strengthen the contract,” said then-UTMSU President Salma Fakhry. That sentiment was reinforced by then-UTSU President Mathias Memmel, who said that the UTSU was “cautiously optimistic that the current agreement can be amended to the satisfaction of both parties.”

But by February, the UTSU and UTMSU released an identical announcement that “the parties aren’t able to reach an agreement,” and that they “have agreed to hold a vote on whether or not to terminate the agreement.” If the agreement is terminated, UTM students will no longer be represented by the UTSU. Talks stalled, so the previous executives agreed to leave further negotiations “to the new executive teams [of 2018–

All Ontario universities must develop free speech policies, says provincial government

Policies must be in place by 2019 Josie Kao News Editor

The provincial government has mandated that all universities in Ontario draft a policy on freedom of speech by January 1, 2019. This follows Premier Doug Ford’s campaign promise that he would “ensure publicly funded universities defend free speech for everybody.”

In a press statement released on August 30, the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities announced that every publicly-assisted college and university will have to develop and publicly post a policy that includes a definition of freedom of speech and principles based on the University of Chicago Statement on Principles of Free Expression, developed in 2014.

Free speech policy According to the government, the policy must apply to faculty, students, staff, and management alike and uphold principles of open discussion and free inquiry.

The policy should also explain that “the university/college should not attempt to shield students from ideas or opinions that they disagree with or find offensive.”

“Speech that violates the law is not allowed,” according to the press release.

For student groups, failure to comply with the policy in the future could mean a severance of financial support or recognition.

The release also states that schools should “encourage student unions to adopt policies that align with the free speech policy.”

In order to ensure that universities are following through, all schools must prepare annual progress reports for the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, beginning in September 2019.

“If institutions fail to comply with government requirements to introduce and report on free speech policies, or if they fail to follow their own policies once implemented, the ministry may respond with reductions to their operating grant

2019] should they choose to continue.”

The new 2018–2019 UTMSU executives first met with their board on April 27, and the new UTSU executives first met with their board on April 28.

The Ad Hoc Negotiations Committee within the UTSU, chaired by Boucher, first met on July 20 to secure an agreement. The committee met a second time on July 27 to discuss the financial impact of a potential separation and to issue a recommendation.

Joshua Grondin, UTSU Vice-President University Affairs, estimated that the UTSU could expect a revenue decrease of $82,000 per year from a loss of UTM student revenue.

Where does the money come from?

UTM students pay one fee and three levies to the UTSU each year, according to the Membership Agreement. The UTSU then transfers the entirety of the UTM students’ portion of both the UTSU Daycare Levy and the UTSU World University Service of Canada Levy to the UTMSU, along with 75 per cent of the UTSU Orientation Levy and 85 per cent of the UTSU Society/

Membership fees. The UTSU retains the remainder of the funds.

Where does this money go?

The UTSU has budgeted the remaining 15 per cent portion of the UTSU Society/Membership Fees, which amount to around $82,800 per year, for eventrunning and advocacy work.

Grondin said at the July 27 committee meeting that this advocacy work includes UTSU representation on behalf of UTM, since the 2008 agreement prohibits the UTMSU from representing itself in campus-wide negotiations, such as with Governing Council.

In the 2017–2018 period, the UTSU earned $1,950,508.62 in total revenue and gains. The non-remitted revenue from UTM students accounts for 4.2 per cent of that.

Boucher further projects that lost UTM student fees would result in a sub-10 per cent reduction of revenue that the UTSU would expect to receive in 2022.

In response to Boucher’s projection, Granger said that “it’s not that much of an impact,” to which Boucher agreed,

What are the benefits of a UTSU-UTMSU separation?

For the UTSU, a separation would allow the UTSU to provide services currently offered by the UTMSU and vice versa, which is currently prohibited by the agreement.

According to Boucher, the UTMSU would receive increased freedom in governance and increased revenue from UTM students, enabling it to offer services that it could not operate before. Nagata did not discuss any benefits to the UTMSU from a separation.

How would the separation be ratified?

The recommendation of the ad hoc committee is non-binding. One of two processes must be undertaken for a separation to occur.

The first is a three-quarters majority vote in favour of terminating the agreement in a joint meeting between the UTSU and UTMSU Board of Directors, followed by another three-quarters majority vote in favour of terminating the agreement at the Annual General Meeting between the UTSU and the UTMSU board members and executives.

The second option is a two-thirds majority vote in favour of terminating the agreement in a similar joint meeting, followed by a simple majority vote in a joint referendum.

funding, proportional to the severity of non-compliance,” according to the press release.

U of T’s response U of T has had policies on freedom of speech in place since 1992. Titled the Statement of Institutional Purpose and the Statement on Freedom of Speech, they state that freedom of speech means “the right to examine, question, investigate, speculate, and comment on any issue without reference to prescribed doctrine, as well as the right to criticize the University and society at large.”

The 26-year-old policy also states that “every member should be able to work, live, teach and learn in a University free from discrimination and harassment.”

In a press release from U of T, President Meric Gertler said, “Our principles have served us well and must continue to guide our practices. It’s important that members of our community understand the university’s policies on how we address these issues.”

“We have a responsibility as a university community to ensure that debates and discussions take place in an environment of mutual respect, and free of hate speech, physical violence or other actions that may violate the laws of the land,” he added.

In response to the Ford government’s announcement, U of T club Students in Support of Free Speech (SSFS) told The Varsity that it is “happy to see the Ontario

U of T has had a free speech policy in place since 1992.

SUMAYYAH AJEM/THE VARSITY

Government making a commitment to the cause of free speech in Ontario universities and colleges.”

SSFS is a club that fights for the rights of students in regards to freedom of expression. It has hosted some controversial events in the past, including a rally in support of the Halifax ‘Proud Boys’ in July 2017.

“We remain cautiously optimistic as we await the full policy, and look forward to the work of Minister [of Training, Colleges and Universities Merrilee] Fullerton,” said the SSFS. “We hope this policy ensures the rights of students to express themselves freely while maintaining a respectful environment free from harassment and discrimination.”

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Yemeni community stages protest against Canada’s arms deal with Saudi Arabia

Protesters in front of Chrystia Freeland’s office call for end to $15 billion deal Ann Marie Elpa Varsity Staff

Yemeni protesters and allies gathered on September 8 in front of Chrystia Freeland’s constituency office at Spadina Avenue and Bloor Street West to protest Canada’s arms deal with Saudi Arabia. Canadianmade combat vehicles have reportedly been used by Saudi Arabia in its war in Yemen. The conflict was labelled by the United Nations as the worst humanitarian crisis of 2018, with at least 16,700 casaulties since it began in 2015, though the count could be much higher.

Over two million people have been displaced by the conflict.

The protest comes in the wake of growing Canada-Saudi tensions after Freeland, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, called for the release of two human rights activists in Saudi Arabia on Twitter. As part of its response to Freeland's message, Saudi Arabia announced that Saudi students studying

at Canadian universities had to leave the country.

Protesters gathered at around 2:45 pm, holding signs calling for Freeland to take action and immediately stop the arms deal.

The group of roughly 50 were affiliated with groups such as the Yemeni Community in Canada, the Canadian Defenders for Human Rights, and the Canadian Peace Coalition.

Protesters held signs depicting the victims of war crimes as young as nine years old.

Firas Al Najim, a member of the Canadian Defenders for Human Rights and one of the participants in the protest, criticized the Canadian government’s decision to sell arms to Saudi Arabia, saying that it makes the country “an accomplice to war crimes” and adding that “the government should speak up for human rights in the war-torn Yemen.”

The deal, initiated by the Harper government in 2014, is for $15 billion

in armoured vehicles, and aims to create 3,000 jobs in the manufacturing sector — mainly in London, Ontario.

The protest comes after an August 9 airstrike on a school bus which killed 51 people, including 40 children. Some 79 people were injured, 56 of whom were children. The Saudi-led coalition airstrike has been condemned by Human Rights Watch, which called it an “apparent war crime.”

The fighting in Yemen has been going on for more than three years, and involves Saudi Arabia, allied Sunni Muslims, and the Houthi rebels who control much of northern Yemen and the capital, Sana’a. The rebels drove Yemen’s government into exile in 2014.

“Many innocent people will be victims of these weapons. I totally understand that these weapons are creating job opportunities in Canada, but it is coming in the interest of Yemeni innocent blood,” said Hamza Shaiban, President of the Yemeni Community in Canada.

City of Toronto releases updated St. George Secondary Plan report

Councillor Joe Cressy proposes amendments to enforce conformity with zoning laws

Councillor Cressy has met with U of T approximately 20 times. SHANNA HUNTER/THE VARSITY

Ilya Bañares Deputy News Editor

A municipal staff status report to City Council is recommending that new developments within UTSG prioritize pedestrians and cyclists, adhere to distinct attributes of newly proposed “Character Areas,” and preserve existing heritage buildings while expanding open and public spaces.

The report is a part of the City of Toronto’s Secondary Plan for UTSG, which provides a planning framework to manage changes and new developments on campus. It outlines specific policies on how the land can be used and how future projects should be laid out.

Two amendments to the status report proposed by Councillor Joe Cressy of Ward 20 Trinity—Spadina were also passed at the Toronto and East York Community Council, which represents the area that UTSG is located in. The amendments were passed without discussion on July 4.

One of the changes requested that city staff report on U of T properties adjacent to the campus, and to report “on the controls that are necessary to ensure

conformity with existing Neighbourhood zoning.”

Cressy’s second amendment also requested city staff report on ways to enforce zoning rules, and it stated that “if/when the University acquires property in adjacent neighbourhoods that any exemptions… are not transferred with the University’s title to their offcampus neighbourhood holdings.”

This amendment effectively means that any exemptions U of T currently has with regards to zoning will not be applied to any future developments outside of existing UTSG boundaries.

The status report is the second preliminary report completed by city officials. The Toronto and East York Community Council initially adopted a motion to begin public consultation on the Secondary Plan in early 2017.

The new Secondary Plan was proposed with the goal of developing the areas in and around the university with flexibility — in other words, preserving historically significant buildings while adapting to the institution’s growing needs.

Community responses When contacted by The Varsity, Cressy

said the Secondary Plan was still in its preliminary stages and the final report has not yet been submitted, with consultations still ongoing.

“The Secondary Plan and all the details will be coming back in the new year and so there are questions outstanding related to properties outside of the Secondary Plan area,” he said.

“As part of the Secondary Plan review, we want staff to report on whether those mechanisms are needed or not.”

Cressy said that he’s met with the university to consult on the plan approximately 20 times, and that the plan has undergone an “extensive process.”

“I think there were vast, vast improvements in how the university is considering issues like heritage protection, public realm, movements, and walkability,” said Cressy. “In many ways the St. George campus holds some of the best public realm and green spaces in all of the city and it’s a jewel.”

Christine Burke, U of T Director of Campus and Facilities Planning, said that the university wasn’t consulted on the amendments.

“We haven’t responded because those are items that will come up in the next few months and when it comes before [the Toronto and East York Community Council] and council,” said Burke. “But no, the university wasn’t consulted on the amendments and we haven’t discussed them with the city at this time, but we’re happy to do so. We don’t anticipate any impact whatsoever from these additional resolutions.”

Cressy added, “We want to ensure that as the city continues to grow, that collectively the university and the city can benefit from this historic campus.”

According to Burke, the next step for U of T is to start receiving details about the plan from city planning staff. The final report is expected in early 2019.

Roughly 50 people showed up to the protest. ILYA BAÑARES/THE VARSITY

Two large phishing attacks hit U of T in June Attacks described as “sophisticated” and “malicious” Silas Le Blanc Varsity Contributor

A large University of Toronto department became the victim of a sophisticated phishing attack on June 4 in which the scammer supposedly impersonated the department chair and asked students to buy and scan pre-scratched iTunes gift cards.

The attack was sophisticated enough that the targets were not able to detect it, as it didn’t have the mistakes or inconsistencies of a typical phishing email.

Just over two weeks later, another large phishing attack was carried out on university employees, this one described by U of T’s Information Technology Services website as “malicious.”

In broken English, the attacker said that he had gained access to the victims’ webcams and had recorded videos of them watching pornographic material. He threatened to release the footage if the victims refused to pay him in Bitcoin.

U of T declined to provide further information on the attack, although Mike Wiseman, Acting Director of Information Security, told The Varsity that the attackers “were trying to obtain money by fraudulent

means.” The university would not divulge how many people were involved, whether anyone had lost money or gave out sensitive information, or what direct action the school was taking in response.

“With phishing, the attacker will have motives to get something out of the phishing attack,” said Wiseman. “[They] may be looking for login credentials, they may be looking for a way to collect money, and in this case they were trying to do the latter.”

U of T has set up a website in order for students to be more informed about data safety and phishing attacks. Security Matters keeps a list of reported attacks on record, allows students to report on incidents, and has a calendar of events around the importance of data safety.

Wiseman advises students to be cautious when clicking on links or giving up personal information online.

“Try to take some action in your mind before doing things like clicking these links or attachments, in order to validate what you are about to do,” he said. “I would say if you can’t validate, if you feel uncomfortable, if you feel concerned about what you’re looking at, then don’t do anything, don’t click the link, don’t take the action that the message is trying to get you to do.”

MICHELLE KIM/THE VARSITY

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Ontario Human Rights Commission releases new policy on accessible education

Broader definition of disability, policy comes in wake of university-mandated leave of absence approval

A major focus of the policy is on the “duty to accommodate.” SHANNA HUNTER/THE VARSITY

Abhya Adlakha Varsity Contributor

The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) released a new Policy on Accessible Education for Students with Disabilities on August 29.

This policy reflects a broader definition of disability, recognizes that education is important to a person’s development, and provides students with up-to-date information about their human rights and responsibilities.

It also reminds schools of their obligation to maintain accessible, inclusive, discrimination-free,

and harassment-free spaces, along with recommendations on how to effectively meet legal obligations under the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Significance in relation to the UMLAP The policy’s release comes months after U of T passed its new University-Mandated Leave of Absence Policy (UMLAP) in June.

The UMLAP allows U of T to put students on a mandatory leave of absence if their mental health affects their ability to complete their schoolwork, or if it poses a risk to themselves or others.

An early version of the policy was criticized

strongly by OHRC’s Chief Commissioner Renu Mandhane, who sent a letter to the university asking it to delay the policy’s approval.

According to the letter, sent in January, “the Policy falls short of meeting the duty to accommodate under the Code, and as outlined in the OHRC’s Policy on ableism and discrimination based on disability.”

The letter also said “the Policy appears to allow decisions to be made by University administration who do not have any specialized training on human rights or risk assessment.”

After this letter, the university withdrew that version of the UMLAP, but proposed another version in May, which was passed.

What’s in the new OHRC policy?

The new OHRC policy addresses “the evolving legal definition of disability and its implications for education providers.’

It also recognizes that “disability” includes “both present and past conditions,” as well as a subjective component based on the perception of disability.

The new policy also discusses ableism, negative attitudes, stereotypes, and stigma toward students with disabilities.

It states that “providers have a legal obligation under the Code to not discriminate against students with disabilities, and to eliminate discrimination when it happens.”

A major focus of the policy is on the “duty to accommodate,” which was also one of Mandhane’s main criticisms of the UMLAP. “Under the Code, education providers have a legal duty to accommodate the needs of students with disabilities who are adversely affected by a requirement, rule or standard,” reads the policy.

The OHRC’s letter notes that “the decisions to exclude a student from school due to alleged health and safety risk without sufficient objective evidence… may constitute discrimination.”

It also adds that students with disabilities cannot be judged to be incapable of fulfilling their educational requirements unless proper accommodation has been provided and the capabilities of the students have been assessed.

The new policy also recommends that schools and postsecondary institutions collect quantitative and qualitative data to understand any barriers that may exist, and to identify and address any concerns that may lead to systemic discrimination.

The Breakdown: Orientation weeks 2018

A look at the more niche events you may have missed Ann Marie Elpa Varsity Staff

Orientation week brought in tens of thousands of eager first-year students at three campuses, seven colleges, and numerous faculties. While large frosh events, such as those organized by the colleges and faculties, brought together the class of 2022, several student organizations and unions created their own events catering to smaller groups on campus. The Varsity spoke to some of the organizers involved in these smaller and niche orientations.

Though some colleges organized their own LGBTQ+ friendly events, the Sexual & Gender Diversity Office is hosting a Queer Orientation for students who identify as LGBTQ+ from September 24–29.

Over 42 events will be taking place at all three campuses including a Queer & Trans Students of Colour Discussion and Social, as well as a session in collaboration with the Multi-Faith Centre, titled “What is Qu(e)erying Religion?”

A smaller orientation was also held for mature and transfer students on September 4–5, with information sessions on campus resources at U of T.

UTM

This year, the Mississauga campus is expected to welcome its largest incoming class ever.

In the weeks leading up to the start of school, UTM hosted orientation events catering to international students, as well as for parents and families of incoming first-year students.

The international student orientation took

Other orientation events included Queer Orientation and International Orientation. SHANNA HUNTER/THE VARSITY

place on September 8, and it was a collaboration between the Centre for Student Engagement and the International Education Centre.

The event was not just for incoming international students, but also those new to Canada including permanent residents, landed immigrants, refugees, and newcomers with international experience who might be otherwise considered domestic students.

UTM’s International Student Orientation was the first of its kind on the campus, emerging from a user survey and feedback from the university’s international student centre. Programming included panels on social and cultural adjustment in Canada, as well as finding necessary information for immigration requirements.

“The International and New-to-Canada Student Orientation program [offered] opportunities for students to meet students with similar interests through interactive activities, learn about on/off campus services, and hear

from students and alumni from UTM about how to succeed as both an international and new-to-Canada student,” said Dale Mullings, Assistant Dean of Students & International Initiatives at UTM, in an email to The Varsity.

Another similar orientation session for students new to Canada will be held on September 19 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm for those who otherwise could not attend the first event, typically due to study permit issues.

UTM’s Parent and Family Orientation, held on September 1, saw more than 700 families of incoming students. The orientation aimed to connect families and students to academic and personal resources on campus. Panels were held on specific subjects, including “Residence Parents and Families,” “Engagement Outside the Classroom,” and “University Fees and Financial Aid.” A special session was held for parents of newcomer students providing resources for immigrant services.

UTSC

The Scarborough campus is also hosting an International Student Orientation, with programming scheduled from September 4–17.

“The International Student Centre has been organizing UTSC International Orientation for over 10 years,” wrote Don Campbell, Media Relations Officer at UTSC, in an email to The Varsity.

“Each incoming international student is invited to an orientation workshop where they learn about [the University Health Insurance Plan], international programs and services, and review any immigration information they might need.”

Orientation programming at UTSC’s International Student Orientation included trips to local malls, downtown Toronto attractions, and an excursion to Niagara Falls. Students will also be matched with International Student Advisors throughout the first semester to discuss important subjects such as exam preparation, immigration information, and overall guidance.

SEPTEMBER 10, 2018 | 7

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UTSU recommends terminating membership agreement with UTMSU

Budget, failed motion also discussed at August board meetings Adam A. Lam Varsity Contributor

A University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) committee has recommended that the UTSU terminate its decade-old agreement with the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU). The recommendation was announced at the UTSU’s Board of Directors meeting on August 15 and came after months of negotiations between the two student unions.

Following the August 15 meeting, an emergency UTSU board meeting was called on August 22 to discuss the UTSU’s 2018–2019 Operating Budget, which included large increases in areas such as office supplies and transportation. The jump in these line items was attributed to the upcoming opening of the Student Commons, which was recently delayed from Fall 2018 to January 2019.

The board meetings also saw some tension between board members and executives, with directors questioning late executive reports. In an unusual move, the board also voted down a motion presented by the executives, which proposed moving up the date of September by-elections.

Termination of UTMSU agreement Since 2008, the UTSU and the UTMSU have been in an Associate Membership Agreement (AMA) that has linked the two groups in areas of governance and services. All UTM students belong to both unions, and the UTSU remits a portion of fees paid by those students back to the UTMSU. Talks began in January 2018 to renegotiate the

AMA, but they have apparently broken down since the UTSU’s Ad Hoc Negotiations Committee has formally recommended that the AMA “be terminated, contingent on expected negotiation results,” according to UTSU President Anne Boucher.

A termination of the agreement would mean a huge restructuring of how both unions function, changing everything from the makeup of their boards to the services that they provide. For instance, the UTMSU would be allowed to conduct its own advocacy work, which the current AMA does not permit.

2018–2019 budget The August 22 emergency meeting was called to discuss the budget because the documents were released “too late for people to be able to review it in time,” according to UTSU Vice-President University Affairs Joshua Grondin. The budget wasn’t released until a few hours before the meeting by Vice-President Internal Tyler Biswurm.

Notable increases include office supplies, which went up from $1,500 to $10,000, as well as a doubling in the budget for transportation from $5,000 to $10,000.

Biswurm said that the increase in office supplies reflect one-time costs due to the imminent move to the Student Commons building.

For transportation, Biswurm explained that the uptick was to fix mistakes in last year’s budget, which underestimated the cost of transportation and resulted in overspending by $2,483.25.

According to Biswurm, the discrepancy also happened because “transportation expenses that should have been charged to the Transportation account were mistakenly categorized” into the wrong accounts, such as for events and conferences.

Tension at board meeting In a rare turn of events, a motion failed at the August 15 board meeting. The motion was to move the notice of the UTSU’s by-elections from September 20 to September 6.

Boucher explained that the motion “would have allowed students more time to consider running in the UTSU by-elections.” The positions available for running include those in Kinesiology, Theology, and Law, along with possible positions available due to the resignation of members.

But board members “pointed out that [September 6] may be too early for students to properly consider candidacy, and suggested the election period range be shortened in lieu,” wrote Boucher in a statement.

Innis College Director Lucas Granger wrote to The Varsity that he voted against the motion because releasing the by-elections notice “on the first day of classes leaves first-years specifically in the dark,” since the notice may be crowded out by other backto-school announcements.

Also brought to issue at the meeting were the many missing Executive Reports, which are monthly summaries that each UTSU executive is mandated to present at board meetings.

Reports from Biswurm, Vice-President Equity Ammara Wasim, and Vice-President External Affairs Yuli Liu were all missing. Biswurm also did not submit his June Executive Report.

When asked by Granger why his reports were missing, Biswurm responded, “It has mostly to do with the fact that I’m bad at scheduling.”

Biswurm explained that he dedicated more time to writing the operating budget and apologized for not having his reports up.

“I figured, if you want me, I can give a verbal report, but there is no written version. It’s not written at all; I would not be able to submit it now.”

The absence of reports was also raised by Academic Director of Social Sciences Joshua Bowman, who said at the meeting, “I’m concerned with the fact that I’m unaware of what the Vice-President Equity is doing, due to the fact that the Executive Report was not submitted.” Wasim responded that it was “done on time,” but her assistant did not submit it to Biswurm.

Bowman later wrote to The Varsity, “We as students consistently have to work with deadlines when handing in essays or submitting projects. Our elected Executive should be no exception, especially when acting on our behalf.”

In other business, the UTSU continues to leave two student positions on the CIUT 89.5 FM Board of Directors unfulfilled. CIUT is U of T’s campus radio station, and its board reserves two seats for UTSU appointees, which have been vacant since March 4.

This vacancy came after then-appointees, Boucher and former UTSU executive Stuart Norton, resigned, citing “antagony, intimidation, and dismissal” in response to their criticism of CIUT’s handling of a “sexual harassment complaint” by CIUT host Jamaias DaCosta against a co-host. They also accused CIUT of an “undemocratic” elections process.

Justifying the continued vacation of the student positions, Boucher said that the voices of new appointees “were not something that [CIUT] wanted to hear,” and she would not “feel comfortable sending a student into that situation.”

The meeting was peppered with board tensions over missing executive reports, among other issues.

ADAM A. LAM/THE VARSITY

Toronto lawyer convicted in murder of U of T clerk out on bail Man alleges jurors misunderstood prosecutors’ evidence

Allan Lanteigne (left) was killed in March 2011.

COURT EXHIBIT

Ilya Bañares Deputy News Editor

A Toronto lawyer convicted of conspiring with his lover to kill his husband, a University of Toronto clerk, has been released from prison and is under strict house arrest while he appeals the judge’s ruling from June.

Demitry Papasotiriou-Lanteigne, along with his boyfriend Michael Ivezic, a Mississauga father of three, were found guilty in June of first-degree murder in the death of Allan Lanteigne, an accounting clerk who also worked part-time as a caterer. Both men were sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for the next 25 years.

Lanteigne was beaten to death in his Ossington home in March 2011. His body was discovered by investigators the next day, just steps from his doorway. Soon after, police identified his husband and Ivezic as potential suspects.

During the trial, jurors heard from prosecutors that the couple had murdered Lanteigne for the $2 million life insurance payout and any other benefits Papasotiriou-Lanteigne would receive as a surviving spouse.

Prosecutors also said that PapasotiriouLanteigne repeatedly asked his husband for money, and once Lanteigne refused, he sent him an email the day of his death requesting that Lanteigne call him once he got home. “Don’t dilly dally on your way home buying shoes and shirts and crystal balls,” wrote Papasotiriou-Lanteigne.

This email, the Crown alleged, was used to lure Lanteigne to his home, where Ivezic awaited to bludgeon him to death.

In a report from The Canadian Press, Papasotiriou-Lanteigne alleges that the jurors misunderstood the email in question and that his communications with Lanteigne and Ivezic are under interpretation.

Under the conditions of his bail from the Court of Appeal, Papasotiriou-Lanteigne will remain inside his house under supervision from his mother, stepfather, and stepfather’s mother, and he will have to wear a GPS ankle bracelet.

Ivezic remains in prison.

Next week’s Feature will contain what we know of Allan Lanteigne's story and his untimely death.

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September 10, 2018 var.st/comment comment@thevarsity.ca

Ford’s forcing of ‘free speech’ inhibits freedom

The PC government’s tying of postsecondary funding to free speech on campuses is an ironically coercive tactic that reflects antipathy toward critics of oppression Meera Ulysses Varsity Contributor

On August 30, Premier Doug Ford delivered on his campaign promise to prioritize ‘freedom of speech’ on university and college campuses. A statement issued by the provincial government indicated that Ontario schools that receive any amount of provincial funding are required, by January 1, 2019, to develop and implement policies that would foster freedom of speech and the free exchange of ideas both on campuses and within student groups.

If compliance is discovered to be insufficient, schools could face funding cuts. On an individual level, the government also recommends that students who present themselves as barriers to freedom of speech should be subject to campus disciplinary measures.

The idea of a government compelling freedom through threats and coercion indisputably contains a certain irony. There is also an eerie hypocrisy about Ford suddenly heralding himself as the defender of freedom of speech, being that one of Ford’s first actions upon taking office was to require that school teachers teaching sex ed only use a syllabus from the ’90s, essentially omitting any information dealing with gender identity, sexual orientation, or consent.

A casual reader might be confused about Ford’s seeming oscillation on the concept of the free and open exchange of ideas. However, any person who has some insight on what freedom of speech means in a modern Canadian context will be less flummoxed.

Ford’s enactment of this policy follows a trajectory which can be traced back to the University of Toronto in late 2016. The issue of free speech became contentious shortly after a series of vindictive public pronouncements were uploaded to YouTube by Professor Jordan Peterson.

In some of them, the professor adamantly and furiously denigrates the racial sensitivity training that he and his colleagues were required to undergo. In others, he angrily refuses to use genderneutral pronouns, such as they and them, on the grounds that he does not desire to be recruited

FIONA TUNG/THE VARSITY

into transgender ‘ideology.’

The uproar over free speech that followed was not aimed at Peterson’s concerningly public targeting of soon-to-be-protected marginalized groups, but instead was directed at various parties of students, trans people, and Black activists who expressed concern and anger over the professor’s statements.

The connection between Peterson and the free speech policy goes deeper. Just before it was announced, the two men publicly met at an Ontario Progressive Conservative Youth BBQ at Ford’s home and discussed the issue of free speech on campuses. It seems that Peterson, frustrated at the reactions to his public speeches, discerned a potent way to bar the expressions of those who disagree with him.

So rests the self-defeating foundation underlying this distorted iteration of freedom of speech: that one should be free to flout whatever speech one wants. And no matter how dangerous, harmful, or cruel the ideas contained within, any reactions are wholly unwarranted and should be discredited — preferably with legal measures, says the Ford government.

If, hypothetically, free speech were to be truly admired and respected, the freedom to respond, protest, or otherwise react to others’ ideas would be given equal priority. There can be no legitimate freedom of expression without the freedom to express criticism. The current idea of free speech seems to subsist with narrow focus and intent: to allow social conservatives to express controversial opinions without consequence.

Unsurprisingly, this idea is quickly discarded

when the controversy is from the other side of the political spectrum, or when the disparaging is directed from the disenfranchised to the privileged.

We can turn to the example of Palestinian-Egyptian-American Randa Jarrar, a Professor at California State University, Fresno, who came under fire this spring for her tweet about recently-deceased Barbara Bush: “Barbara Bush was a generous and smart and amazing racist who, along with her husband, raised a war criminal.”

Calls for her removal from her position at the university quickly followed en masse, and the university was quick to state that her words were “beyond free speech.” Outrage from the crowd that had ferociously defended Peterson was mysteriously absent.

Perhaps this selective outrage is not so mysterious when one places the current uproar about free speech within the trend of a movement deemed by its supporters as anti-political correctness. In today’s political climate, it is for the most part no longer appropriate to openly and unapologetically say disparaging things about marginalized groups.

The federal government has taken legal measures to attempt to deter persons or institutions who might discriminate or compel violence against disenfranchised groups. For instance, Bill C-16 added gender identity and expression to the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination, while Motion 103 calls for the development of approaches to reducing systemic discrimination against Muslims in Canada.

The increasing inappropriateness of publicly proclaiming ones’ hatred or distrust of marginalized

groups requires that these reactions go underground — disguising themselves in clever cloaks. One of these cloaks targets political correctness, which asserts that the increased impropriety of speaking disparagingly about marginalized groups is itself oppressive and in opposition to the principles of freedom. This is the factory wherein the disguise of ‘free speech’ is manufactured.

It is a clever ploy: when the anti-political correctness brigade frames their argument as fighting for freedom, it is difficult to disagree with them without being attacked as a person who opposes freedom.

Ford’s motion will likely go unchallenged for these reasons. On the surface, the discourse of fostering academic freedom and the open exchange of ideas seems unequivocally good, and a thing that should be unanimously desired by all Ontarians. Only by reading the fine print and placing the motion within the current political climate do its true intentions surface.

Campuses in Ontario stand to lose autonomy when they are required to be ideologically aligned with the state. And as with Ford’s infamous sex ed snitch line, the methods of policing that come with this bill are ambiguous. That the institution of the state would intervene and decide what kinds of discourses are appropriate and inappropriate on campus is contrary, not conducive, to the freedom of expression.

Meera Ulysses is a second-year Equity Studies and Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations student at New College.

Apply to be a part of the Comment team!

If you’re passionate about contributing to the opinion pages of The Varsity, consider joining the team! The Comment section is now looking for eager contributors to become volunteer associates and columnists.

The associates help the Comment Editor manage the production process — and there are two positions with distinct focus areas available. The first will help with the first round of edits for incoming articles, inputting for print production on weekends, and assisting with pitches. The second will be responsible for audio projects: namely,

expanding the scope of the section’s podcast series, Comment Up Close, as well as recording Audio Articles. Both associates may be required to assist in each other’s focus area as needed, and they will be free to pursue side projects that enhance the scope of the section.

The columnists contribute opinion pieces to the section on a tri-weekly or monthly basis, each focusing on a specific beat or area. There are five beats, and therefore five positions, available: UTSG campus politics, UTM campus politics, UTSC campus politics, current affairs, and student life.

The campus politics columnists must be students attending the corresponding U of T campus, and will comment on policies, actions, and elections as they relate to the governing structures on their campus. The current affairs columnist will analyze topics that go beyond the campus, whether locally, nationally, or globally, that affect students, such as important legislation and social movements. The student life columnist will examine issues that concern livelihood and well-being, including academia, accessibility, mental health, and equity.

To find more information about each position, as well as the application form, please visit the following links: For associates: var.st/ associatecomment For columnists: var.st/columnist Applications are due on September 17! If you have any questions, please contact the Comment Editor at comment@thevarsity.ca.

10 | THE VARSITY | COMMENT

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Scrutinizing the new TTC two-hour transfer policy While the policy seemingly benefits low-income folks, the PRESTO-only condition threatens structural violence against homeless people Eddy Wang Varsity Contributor

While riding on the TTC is fairly straightforward, it is not necessarily enjoyable. Compare our transit system, for example, with Vancouver’s aesthetically superior SkyTrain system, which is a joy to ride and affordable for University of British Columbia students at just $41 a month.

Meanwhile, U of T students are stuck with failed U-Pass deals, unaffordable transit costs, and transit officers with multiple complaints filed against them.

With the arrival of the two-hour transfer policy, however, it may seem that the future is bright for the TTC. In fact, we are receiving a benefit that is long overdue, and according to the only comment about the policy in Rocket-Riding Memes for Toronto-Oriented Teens — a Facebook group of over 1,000 members dedicated to TTC memes — the TTC finally “joins the civilized world.”

Discussing the policy, Mayor John Tory comments, “You can get on five times if you want to make five different stops, as long as it’s within the two hour period.” On the one hand, my immediate response is to ask where one could possibly go

to make it to five different stops in two hours. On the other hand, I understand how being able to go to multiple stops in one transfer will lower the cost of living for low-income folks and students.

In this way, the policy is clearly a good thing: we no longer have to pay for briefly leaving a transit vehicle. For students, the main advantage is being able to commute to and from a one-hour class while only paying one fare. The more adventurous students could add extra tasks to that journey.

However, I’m opposed to the fact that the policy requires the use of a PRESTO card and is embedded in a plan to get rid of tokens by the end of 2019. This is not only because I’m suspicious of the increasing domination of technology in our lives, but also because I worry that the dominance of PRESTO is a manifestation of structural violence towards the homeless.

Simply put, phasing out tokens results in phasing out easy access to warm places to sleep for the homeless during winter. Being forced to have a PRESTO card, with its $6 start-up cost plus a

PEARL CAO/THE VARSITY

Reflecting on Saudi-Canada crossroads

The Saudi withdrawal of students from Canada demonstrates an urgent need to re-evaluate how we advance human rights in global politics

PRESTO users can now leave and enter the TTC, within a two-hour window, on a single fare.

SHANNA HUNTER/THE VARSITY

minimum $10 initial deposit, puts a hamper on homeless entry into the TTC. Compound that with the difficulty in registering and confirming lost PRESTO cards when homeless, and we begin to see the insidious ways structural violence functions.

The policy, with its PRESTO-exclusive benefit, will not be the cause of these problems, but uncritical support of PRESTO-focused policies will normalize the structural exclusion of the homeless under the mask of progress. Fundamentally, the transfer pushes an ideology of individualism. While tokens can be and are distributed to those in need, PRESTO cards are not shareable.

We would not drop our PRESTO cards into the cups of the homeless.

While the arrival of the transfer and the growth of the PRESTO system indicate that we’ve gained entry into “the civilized world,” we

have lost the opportunity to share that world with others. If two-hour transfers are here, why can’t they be here for everyone? PRESTO users and non-PRESTO users alike would benefit from two-hour transfers, so why exclude service to one group of people?

In one sense, it’s not the TTC’s responsibility to take care of the homeless, but in another, a fundamental part of being human is to care about others. The two-hour transfer expresses the ideology that we are only responsible for ourselves.

Public transit is in danger of becoming less and less public. So while the two-hour transfer improves serviceability, whom exactly the TTC provides their services to remains a vital question.

Rehana Mushtaq Varsity Contributor

Saudi Arabia reflects a selective foreign policy. Furthermore, Freeland’s comments contradict the fact that Canada enables Saudi Arabia’s human rights violations — after all, the very same Trudeau government recently backed a massive arms deal with the Saudis.

Perhaps Canada should re-evaluate its expectations of Saudi Arabia and other countries it criticizes for human rights violations. What we define as human rights is largely based on Western ideals and histories, and to impose our distinct experience onto other cultures is problematic.

We have spent decades, if not centuries, structuring and improving a culture of rights and freedoms.

It is not fair, then, to expect the same reforms in countries like Saudi Arabia to occur immediately.

In fact, we should not pretend that Canada is morally superior, as it continues to commit its own human rights violations, namely against Indigenous peoples.

While we should not condone what is morally reprehensible in Saudi Arabia, we need to restructure the ways in which we frame our interests and goals, and how we work with international bodies to address human rights concerns. Human rights law tends to be incredibly ambiguous, requiring the consent of states to function.

Indeed, we need a global, legal infrastructure that ensures accountability and outlines specific expectations. It is necessary for other countries and powers to speak out against Saudi Arabia’s tirades, and for our criticisms to include specific alternatives and practices that can take place, while at the same time acknowledging the vast differences in the cultural climates of such nations. At the very least, where the goal is to advance human rights abroad, we should recognize that Twitter diplomacy can be disrespectful and gravely counterproductive.

The advancement of our national interests and goals in the realm of international relations requires a combination of utopian ideals and pragmatism. It is unfortunate that Saudi students have fallen victim to the complexities of global politics and diplomacy.

The Canadian government and universities should do their utmost to resolve the dispute, so as to ensure that Saudi students can resume their education.

In early August, Saudi Arabia called for the withdrawal of all Saudi students from Canadian postsecondary institutions, including the University of Toronto, by the end of the month, amidst a series of sanctions against Canada. This was in response to criticism tweeted by Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland regarding the crackdown on dissidents in Saudi Arabia. Riyadh viewed Freeland’s human rights advocacy as “interference” in its domestic affairs.

Currently, many Saudi students are scrambling for asylum in Canada in order to continue their education. Some asylum seekers fear harassment, as the deadline to return has already passed; others fear imprisonment due to their links to Saudi dissident activists.

The Saudi call for withdrawal is gravely concerning. International studies are a key means of development for all parties involved. University education is not just important for employment; it enables scholars from a variety of backgrounds to share, challenge, and develop ideas and, ultimately, affect change in society.

International students, like the Saudis in Canada, contribute to the academic community and, in turn, gain knowledge, experience, and skills to benefit their own countries. With the withdrawal of these students, we not only lose the opportunity to learn a sliver of what exists beyond us, but we lose our ability to influence the ideas of those abroad, which may be essential in creating global change. Both Saudi Arabia and Canada stand to lose from the withdrawal. Saudi Arabia should reconsider this decision.

At the same time, it is important to recognize that Saudi Arabia is justified to defend its sovereignty.

Defendants of Saudi Arabia’s decision have claimed that the harsh attitude toward dissidents is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s slow, but effective, plan to produce real reform through Vision 2030. Critical commentary from foreign governments only serves to complicate Prince Salman’s ability to realize these reforms.

Furthermore, while Saudi Arabia is notorious for inflicting violence and terror unto its opponents, the fact remains that human rights violations are not unique to Saudi Arabia. For Canada to single out

Eddy Wang is a fourth-year Cinema Studies and Computer Science student at Innis College.

Rehana Mushtaq is a third-year English and Religion student at University College.

SEPTEMBER 10, 2018 | 11

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12 | THE VARSITY | FEATURES

Story against policy

Navigating U of T’s bureaucracy as a bipolar student with PTSD Writer: Kristen Zimmer Photographer: Shanna Hunter

Content warning: descriptions of sexual violence and suicide.

On January 29, 2017, I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital for a bipolar mixed episode gone wrong.

On June 12, 2017, I was readmitted for a suicide attempt.

On June 27, 2018, the University of Toronto’s Governing Council approved the mandated leave of absence policy, cementing tools administrators had to remove students in crisis from their studies. Had the policy or similar policies been used a year ago, it would have upended my life.

This policy will upend the lives of numerous students who also struggle with their mental health.

During my last year of high school in Switzerland, I was being treated for depression. I discontinued treatment and therapy when I came to U of T in the fall of 2014. I figured a new country and new phase in my life would allow for a fresh start, and to some extent, this was true.

But mental illness doesn’t stay behind in the country you leave. I suppressed this truth and revelled in the novelty of university life.

I suppressed this truth until I returned to Switzerland over my first winter break.

It happened on the morning of New Year’s Eve. I went for an early-morning run in my hometown. The crisp winter air filled my lungs and the familiar scenery filled me with bittersweet nostalgia. I was running along a beaten path lined with trees. A man jumped out from behind one of the trees and, as the stereotype goes, he sexually assaulted me. I remember running across the road. I remember screaming “no” on the sidewalk. Cars passed.

Some drivers slowed down to see a display of hysteria before driving away. One person’s trauma is another person’s spectacle.

When I left Geneva a few days later, home didn’t feel like home anymore. Over the next month, I ignored my parents’ advice to contact U of T’s sexual assault counsellors. I didn’t want to revert to my high school self, a depressed person sitting in a therapist’s office.

Meanwhile, I had regular Skype calls with the police in Geneva as part of the year-long process to prosecute my assailant. I thought that I could balance the re-traumatizing bureau-

cracy behind the investigation with schoolwork. I thought that I could handle it — until I couldn’t. My nightmares turned into night terrors. When I wasn’t in class, I stayed in bed, too afraid to leave my dorm room. I drank alone. I gained 20 pounds. I fell back into depression, a familiar sadness that came with an unfamiliar trauma. I finally made an appointment with the sexual assault counsellor at Counselling and Psychological Services (CAPS).

When I arrived, a receptionist at CAPS handed me a pen and a clipboard with a questionnaire. I filled it out in the waiting room, accidentally chewing the pen. When I was halfway through reducing my depression to a numerical value, the assault counsellor called me into her office. “What brings you in today?” she asked. That’s how therapy starts. I had been in this situation before. “I was assaulted,” I replied, clinging to the comforting ambiguity. I didn’t want to say ‘sexually assaulted.’ I didn’t want to say what happened.

The counsellor wanted me to say what happened. I racked my English literature brain for an escape route via euphemisms or circumlocution. “I was running and there was a man behind a tree and it just happened.” The grammatically indefinite ‘it’ buffered me from the shock of retelling a violent story. But the counsellor pried for more.“Did he put his penis against your body? I just want a better picture of what happened.” I wanted to say ‘no.’

No to the question. No to re-traumatizing retelling. No to graphic details for the sake

features@thevarsity.ca

of graphic details. Instead, I said “yes.” One person’s trauma is another person’s picture.

After four appointments, the assault counsellor decided that I needed to see a psychiatrist instead. The re-triggering sessions were all for nothing. After a few months on a waitlist, I got an appointment with a psychiatrist, who prescribed antidepressants and asked me questions about why I wanted to die. She seemed bored by my case during our 15-minute appointments. It’s difficult to explain suicidal ideation in a tight timeframe. I stopped seeing her after two months.

When I returned to Geneva the summer after first year to see my family and attend the prosecution of my assailant, my body got sick. I underwent a series of tests, including blood work, an MRI scan, an ultrasound, a bone density scan, and a smell test (which I failed). I was misdiagnosed with partial Kallmanns Syndrome, polycystic ovary syndrome, and hyposmia — an impaired sense of smell.

I was accurately diagnosed with a pituitary microadenoma (which sounds scarier than it is) and osteoporosis (which, to a 19-year-old, sounds as scary as it is). My body matched my mind: both were starting to break down.

I entered second year feeling older, and not in a good way. I made an appointment with a doctor at the Health & Wellness Centre to discuss management options for my osteoporosis. This doctor was kind and thorough.

She also recognized that I was depressed.

She prescribed medication I was comfortable with and put me on a waitlist to see a different psychiatrist at CAPS. My doctor continued to see me regularly and offered me more help than I had received from either the sexual assault counsellor or the psychiatrist in first year. For the first time, I experienced good care at Health & Wellness.

I continued to receive good care with an excellent psychiatrist at CAPS. Although my medical care got better, I got worse. I experienced not only depression but also psychosomatic reactions to trauma, a response which manifested in tics and a stutter. It started in January 2016, about a year after my assault.

My head jerked insistently to the left, keeping me in a constant state of negation, and my shoulders shook like laughter. I felt like a modern-day hysteric. I could handle the physical pain of these motor tics. What I could not handle was my loss of language.

With the thick stutter clipping my words, I could no longer speak in class or be the engaged English student that I wanted to be. I dropped one of my classes because I couldn’t stand the looks I was getting from the other students. Fewer classes meant fewer people had to see my awkward twitching body. Over a few months, my psychiatrist and doctor treated my psychosomatic symptoms.

Although I still twitch whenever I get stressed, startled, or over-caffeinated, my tics are no longer a 24-hour full-body workout.

Aside from depression, panic attacks, night terrors, motor tics, osteoporosis, and a faulty sense of smell, I finished second year relatively scot-free. In retrospect, second year was a breeze compared to the years that followed.

Things took a turn when I started experiencing symptoms of bipolar disorder.

During the fall of third year, I felt good.

Too good. I was energized in a way that I had never been before. Everything looked sharp, as though someone had increased the saturation and resolution of the world around me. I wrote thousands of words of terrible poetry, convinced that I had to publish a book immediately. My pressured speech and racing thoughts demanded an audience.

I would waltz around the Junior Common Room ( JCR) to find someone to listen to my latest theories on behavioural homeostasis, the physical antimatter of our bodies, and Greek etymological connections to a specific musical chord progression. Friends would often stop me mid-speech to tell me they couldn’t follow. I was elated, electric. I could write an A-grade paper on modern poetry in a few hours and spend the rest of the night

running around the city.

But this dream-like, sleepless state didn’t last. Eventually, I’d crash. After every highenergy episode, I’d spend weeks in bed, incapable of reading, writing, or thinking. These drastic mood and energy fluctuations would happen several times a month, stretching my brain like an overused elastic band. My psychiatrist eventually identified these highenergy episodes as hypomania and diagnosed me with rapid cycling bipolar disorder type II. Afraid of losing the thrill of hypomania, I resisted the mood stabilizer and antipsychotic she suggested until my fluctuations landed me in the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). I stayed in an inpatient unit during February 2017. Had U of T used the new mandatory leave policy that year, or the existing Code of Student Conduct, the administrators could have removed me from school. Throughout my hospitalization, a Student Crisis Response Coordinator helped me manage my course work. She sent me comforting emails, telling me, “We will do everything possible to make sure things stay on track.”

One of my professors also messaged me while I was in the hospital: “Kristen, just checking in — do you need books? Can you have visitors? Please let me know — I’d be happy to come see you and bring you what you need.” Professor S. not only accommodated me as a student but also cared about me as a person.

I used one of my hour-long hospital passes to visit this professor. I’m not saying that all professors should offer to bring their students books in psychiatric hospitals. But if all professors had this level of compassion toward struggling students, perhaps we wouldn’t struggle as much. I returned to school the week after I was discharged. If the current mandatory leave policy had been applied to me, this return would have been impossible.

Students on enforced leave “must apply in writing” 30 days before the next school term.

Along with asking an already vulnerable person to perform the emotional labour of selfadvocacy, the policy expects people to schedule their crises. If a student does not meet the 30-day timeframe, the university may “terminate the student’s registration.” I could not have written that application in the hospital.

Would U of T have ended my undergraduate degree?

A month after I left the hospital, my psychiatrist went on maternity leave and CAPS transferred my care to someone different.

When I asked my new psychiatrist if I could have therapy for my post-traumatic stress disorder, she refused. She said she wanted only to focus on treating my bipolarity, primarily with medication, because I “wasn’t ready” for trauma-informed counselling. I acquiesced and dealt with the flashbacks and nightmares alone, ashamed that I had asked for help in the first place. I rapid-cycled my way through the rest of third year. Since I missed my course deadlines, I petitioned for extensions during the summer. While my professors agreed to the deadlines I requested, the petition officers did not: “It is not reasonable to expect special considerations for substantial amounts of outstanding coursework after the courses have ended.” This email sank me. The three Fs on my transcript replaced my 4.0. Failure, failure, failure. I closed the email.

That night, I punished myself and, with a bipolar penchant for extremes, I took things too far. When I realized that what I was doing could end my life, I scribbled an apology and the names of some important people in my life (names that included Professor S).

Most people would judge my reaction as melodramatic, and they wouldn’t be wrong.

But most people don’t have an illness that heightens emotions and fuels destructive impulsivity. My mind is one of extremes: I experience happiness only as elation, sadness only as despair. When I woke up the next morning, my body was fine, but it also wasn’t.

I rationalized that since I was still here, I had to seek medical help.

I went to CAPS for an emergency walkin appointment with my psychiatrist. She called Campus Police. Campus Police called the emergency medical technicians after one officer asked to see the damage. I wanted to say no, but I didn’t really have a choice. The medical model, which the mandatory leave mirrors, seldom offers Mad people choices; instead, it intimidates. I was in a room full of police officers, a psychiatrist, and a mental health nurse. Paramedics eventually joined the party. The police officers and paramedics escorted me out of CAPS. I felt like a criminal walking through the Koffler Centre.

Inside the ambulance, a paramedic took my vitals and attempted small talk.

“So, what do you study?”

“English.”

“Cool, what kind of English?”

“Modern poetry.”

“Cool, and how’s modern poetry?”

“It’s fine.”

“Well, you know, we all have bad days. You just have to stay positive.”

A Campus Police officer stayed with me in the waiting room. She showed me pictures of her dog on her iPhone. I didn’t feel like talking about her dog. I didn’t feel like talking.

A security guard joined the police officer to observe me. A doctor examined me before making her final assessment: “You know this could have killed you, right?” I shrugged off her finger-wagging. She then established whether I posed a physical threat to myself and/or other people.

The slash is a convenient punctuation mark.

Incidentally, the threshold for intervention for a mandated leave also conflates “harm to self or others.” Since it’s easier to justify a mandated leave of absence for students at risk to others than it is to mandate a leave for students at risk to themselves, the policy combines the two scenarios. I would have met this threshold. If a denied petition was enough to push me over the edge, what would a mandatory leave do to students like me? After treatment and observation in Mount Sinai Hospital, practitioners sent me to CAMH, where I stayed the night. I returned to school and my work-study position the next day.

I appealed my denied petition, finished my coursework, finished my summer class, and finished third year — three very different Fs. Toward the end of the summer, I returned to Switzerland, and, unfortunately, another trauma occurred. It happened on the night of August 22, 2017. I was raped in an alleyway behind the bus stop where I used to wait as a kid. My parents took me to a hospital, where I stayed overnight. A nurse drew my blood and brought me to an adjustable bed. I pulled the papery white blanket over my body. There would be more tests, examinations, preventative injections, and pills to take when I woke up. Given my psychiatric hospitalizations that year, it was strange to be in a hospital for purely physical reasons. Back in Toronto a few weeks later, I felt sick from the antibiotics and post-exposure prophylaxis pills I was taking in addition to psychotropic medication. I knew how trauma worked after my first assault; school would be hard, so I booked an appointment with my accessibility counsellor to discuss accommodations.

“Something traumatic happened,” I told her, hoping that was enough of a story to have my academic needs met. I clung to the

indefiniteness of “something,” but my counsellor asked for more. “Was it sexual trauma?”

I wanted to say ‘no.’ No to invasive questions.

No to prurient curiosity veiled as concern.

No to counselling that so desperately lacks trauma-informed approaches. Again, I said “yes.” One person’s trauma is another person’s intrigue.

It was only after this second assault that my former psychiatrist agreed to transfer my care to a psychiatrist who specializes in trauma.

For the first time, I experienced an appropriate approach to treating trauma. In my first appointment, the new psychiatrist said, “You can tell me as much or as little as you like.

We don’t even have to talk about it.” Different counsellors at U of T led me to believe that trauma therapy required traumatic retelling. This psychiatrist showed me an exit route without my having to search for one. He gave me the option to say ‘no,’ a ‘no’ I knew he’d respect. My care got better, but I got worse.

Toward the end of fall term in 2017, trauma took its toll and sparked a bipolar mixed episode. This episode included racing thoughts, heightened irritability, pressured speech, erratic energy, and about two hours of sleep a night over two weeks. I hallucinated while trying to write a seminar presentation and paper on Virginia Woolf and Jacques Derrida (two writers who can make anyone’s head spin). I heard voices saying, “There’s something you need to show, there’s something you know.” I started seeing things that weren’t there. Words transformed. The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library turned into Rape Fisher.

I saw a mangled skeleton on College Street.

After a rare nap, I woke up to a man in a mask.

I saw devils on the day of my presentation. An hour before class, I ran around the JCR talking about Derrida and “what it all means” to anyone who would listen. My apologies to all these people.

Those who support the mandated leave policy would argue that I should have taken a leave of absence. But while students in these situations often need more time, more time does not mean mandated time away from one’s school community. Last winter term, I took a creative writing course with Professor S. She let me write about my rape in a personal essay. Writing this essay restored my ability to write. It took me five months, but I eventually finished that Woolf paper. Had I been placed on leave, I would have lost the support I got from my professor.

On June 27, 2018, I joined a group of students in protest while Governing Council held a meeting to pass the mandated leave policy. We chanted and gave speeches outside Simcoe Hall. The noise we made reached Hart House, and our message reached the news. While we made ourselves heard, the governors did not listen. At the end of the meeting, our voices were raw, and the policy passed. It rained that day.

I worry about students who could lose their jobs, their residency, their international student visas. I worry about marginalized students, particularly those who are Black, Indigenous, or People of Colour, who will face the additional stress and discrimination of a mandatory leave. I worry about Disabled and Mad/Mentally Ill students. I worry about students dealing with difficult life experiences.

When the proposal first came to light, many of my friends and I were afraid to be on campus, afraid to be seen in CAPS and Accessibility Services. This policy will dissuade students from seeking help. This policy will divest Mad and Mentally Ill students of the dignity and agency they deserve. This policy will put people’s lives at risk. The day after the mandatory leave policy passed, Professor S. emailed me: “Keep fighting — we studied human rights together, and your right to participate at your university is one.” Students will keep fighting against the policy. We will hold the policy administrators accountable for their discrimination until we’re guaranteed barrier-free access to education.

We will keep telling our stories. This was mine.

Arts & Culture

September 10, 2018 var.st/arts arts@thevarsity.ca

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Why TIFF matters

TAKE

At their core, film festivals are a platform for small, independent film makers Kashi Syal Arts & Culture Editor

There are approximately 3,000 film festivals every year, with the most renowned being the Sundance, Cannes, Berlinale, Hong Kong International Film Festivals, and of course, our very own Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

Every September, the City of Toronto hosts a 10-day event — with a plethora of actors, directors, and writers coming to the festival to discuss their art. Alongside the other international festi-

vals, TIFF provides a platform for the films that do not fulfil the formulaic patterns of American studios like Hollywood.

Over the last 10 years, the cost of producing and promoting films has skyrocketed — meaning that independent creators are reliant on film festivals to exhibit and promote their work.

Film festivals enable artists to share their art without the monetary constraints. However, it is ironic that festivals, by upholding their curatorial responsibilities toward arts and culture, have evolved into a multi-million-dollar industry.

The relationship between large film companies and film festivals is often finely balanced between complementary and uneasy. This is because the lifeline of the festivals is the celebrities who star in the films. The celebrities attract media coverage, which in turn results in sponsors and funding.

This means that the already unstable relationship between art and business — which defines the whole film industry — is particularly strained at film festivals.

Unlike blockbusters — where their success

is controlled by funding and release strategies — indie films are largely dependent on the reactions of festival directors, the response of the audience, and how much sleep critics can grab in between the midnight and 8:00 am screenings.

Living in Toronto, we have the privilege of an international film festival right on our doorstep.

The festival even occurs before the semester is in full swing, so we truly have an abundance of time to amble along King Street West and enjoy the culture that is the driving force behind one of the world’s leading film festivals.

Overlooked: The Fall

BBC drama is not your typical psychological thriller Yuliya Mykhaylychenko Varsity Contributor

Please join us for our annual private movie screening

The Wife starring Glenn Close and Christian Slater Wednesday, September 12 Desautels Hall (2 Floor, South Building) Rotman School – 105 St. George St. Toronto rotman.utoronto.ca/alumnievents

This film has been graciously provided by:

Recently, in mainstream media, the portrayal of sensitive topics — such as sexual assault and suicide — has fueled the ongoing debate about whether dramatizing these issues creates a platform for discussion, or rather illustrates them in a glorified manner.

One lesser-known British TV show, The Fall, is a stellar example of TV tackling complex issues in a sensitive manner, without oversimplifying them.

The Fall stars Gillian Anderson, who plays the ice-cold police superintendent Stella Gibson, pitted against the charming Jamie Dornan, who plays Paul Spector — a family man by day and serial killer by night.

The three-season series is set up to seem like a typical good versus evil manhunt, but quickly evolves into a criticism of the use of such dichotomies in mainstream television.

It takes on issues such as sexual assault, consent, consent among minors, views on female promiscuity, and the problems women face in male-dominated work forces, carefully dissecting them in a way that reveals the danger of approaching anything as black and white.

In addition to exploring such difficult topics, the show is refreshing in its diversion from a typical whodunit storyline, instead favouring the psychological aspects behind the behaviourisms of the killer.

In fact, much of the third season focuses on the serial killer’s past, instilling doubt about the origins of evil and where to cast blame. It completely destroys the notions of ‘good guy, bad guy’ that were so carefully built up in the first two seasons, effectively forcing the viewer to confront their own beliefs about good and evil, morality, and the justice system.

STEPHANIE VRANCHIDIS/THE VARSITY

The show is a must watch for anyone interested in the functions of the human mind or the relationship between moral and legal culpability. It culminates in a shocking finale that leaves the viewer with virtually no answers — with the story lingering in the mind for weeks afterward.

However, this show is most certainly not for everyone. As expected, it leaves little to the imagination — so anyone who cannot make it through an episode of Criminal Minds should probably steer clear.

Moreover, although the plot reads like a drama, the British show stays true to its nature by being almost entirely devoid of over-the-top demonstrations of emotion, instead letting the viewer interpret a character’s inner thoughts for themselves.

However, if you prefer to skip cheesy love triangles and get right to the good stuff, I’d add The Fall to the list.

SEPTEMBER 10, 2018 | 15

var.st/arts

“I’ll show you how valuable Elle Woods can be!”

10 films and TV shows to maintain motivation for another school year Avneet Sharma Varsity Contributor

Pull up your socks, plaster on a smile, and try and make it to your 9:00 am classes. Not only does September mark the beginning of the school year, but it’s also a good time for a spiritual and emotional cleansing.

Gone are the mistakes, issues, and shortcomings of life before Labour Day. They don’t matter anymore, now that you’re entering the next chapter of your life.

Since you’re beginning this new chapter, it would be nice to gain some motivation and build momentum toward your goals. If you’re like me, you get much of your motivation from watching fictional characters work hard to overcome the obstacles they face. There’s a specific way in which film and television romanticizes hard work and determination that you wish you could just apply to your everyday life.

In that vein, here is a list of films and TV shows that I have curated specifically for the student looking to feel motivated this fall.

For romanticizing campus life: Mistress America Mistress America gets you into the campus mood because much of the film takes place on campus. It stars Lola Kirke as Tracey, a young woman trying to find her niche when she starts university in the city.

Mistress America feels like a quintessential U of T film; it even includes fun campus quirks such as froyo socials, uncomfortable dorm parties, and a secret literary society.

For career goals: The Bold Type While The Bold Type is a show about the workplace, it still motivates the student. In essence, it focuses on three career-oriented women trying to advance in their respective career paths. The Bold Type emphasizes the millennial value of finding a meaningful career because this show challenges its characters, and by extension, its audience, to broaden their horizons and work harder towards success. Plus, Melora Hardin is just as iconic as Jacqueline Carlyle.

For ultimate motivation: Legally Blonde This is the ultimate university motivation film. The scene alone when Warren tells Elle that she isn’t smart enough, resulting in Elle exclaiming, “I’ll show you how valuable Elle Woods can be,” is enough to sell you. Elle initially attends law school out of spite, but she quickly develops an affinity for practicing law. Legally Blonde showcases a motivational character working hard and proving her intelligence, despite the constant opposition and ridicule she experiences.

job of portraying the transition to university life and how demanding university can be. Plus, the perfect antidote for school-time fatigue is watching Sarah Michelle Gellar punch demons in the face. Trust me.

For dealing with transition: Lady Bird Lady Bird is about Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson, a young woman who wants to broaden her horizons and move beyond her suburban hometown of Sacramento. While the film supports Lady Bird’s ambitions, she grows an appreciation for where she comes from that can only be acquired once you leave. This is a tender coming-of-age story about the difficult transition to university life.

For new experiences: Grace and Frankie Grace and Frankie follows a pair of motivated women focused on rebuilding their lives after their husbands come out of the closet. The reason this ‘dramedy’ series about women in their 70s resonates with students is simple: they’re both highly motivated women who prove that the excitement for change experienced in Lady Bird doesn’t just stop

when you reach a certain age. There are always new experiences to be had; the key is to keep trying.

For romanticizing studying: Gilmore Girls There’s no show that romanticizes education like Gilmore Girls. This show actually understands the hard work and determination put in by students every day. It also reminds us how great it is to be in a place where our responsibility is to learn. It’s not surprising that Rory Gilmore has inspired an entire generation of motivated students. If you’re looking to stay motivated, don’t watch A Year in the Life, the sequel to Gilmore Girls.

For when things don’t work out: Frances Ha Frances Ha is the companion film to Mistress America. This is a film that normalizes being in a place where you don’t have everything together quite yet, but that’s okay. Some things just take time, and university is one of those things. If you’re feeling down or things aren’t going your way, just take a deep breath and remember it takes time to find the right groove.

For tenacity: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel follows a format similar to Legally Blonde format of a woman motivated to succeed following a breakup. It stars Rachel Brosnahan as Miriam “Midge” Maisel, a woman working hard to make it in the stand-up comedy field despite the limitations set up against her as a woman in the 1950s.

For the creative type: Mozart in the Jungle I have a deep appreciation for anyone going into a creative or artistic field. It feels like the odds of achieving success are stacked against them, yet they power through anyway. Mozart in the Jungle is a show that understands this commitment to art. It understands the sacrifices, hardships, and excitement you experience when things finally work out.

For fun: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Out of all the shows or movies on this list, Buffy is the most fun. At its core, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a show about growing up and what it means to become an adult. Though it’s not necessarily about studying, it’s one of those shows that inspires you to find your calling. The show does a surprisingly great

Curl up in a U of T library and procrastinate by watching a good film.

SHANNA HUNTER/THE VARSITY

16 | THE VARSITY | ARTS & CULTURE

arts@thevarsity.ca

Dolce far niente

A trip to discover the secrets of one of Italy’s greatest philosophies

Get lost in the cities that make up Italy. Eat good food, drink good wine, and soak in the sun's rays as you explore. Italy is laden with beautiful architecture, hidden alleyways, and blue skies.

MARTINA TOMASELLI/THE VARSITY

Martina Tomaselli Varsity Contributor

Upon reflecting on my first year at university, I realized that I had spent the eight months of school completely anxious, and along the road, I had developed certain beliefs about how to interact with this anxiety. It seemed as though I was immersed in an unapologetic cycle: the concept that the body could not function if not ruled by stress.

It was early June when I was given the opportunity to travel back to my home for 30 days and explore two of Italy’s most beautiful cities. The prospect of leaving everything behind for a month intrigued me. I wanted to feel like Elizabeth Gilbert in Eat, Pray, Love and accept the enthusiastic call to finally do what my heart desired.

Even though I was, of course, aware that my trip would not be the challenging, romantic, life-altering adventure Julia Roberts had endured, I was ready to unplug from my chaotic life and embark on this journey.

A week later, at precisely 11:40 am, I landed at my first destination.

Rome: the eternal city, with its ghastly levels

of pollution. A fourth-world public transport service and road piracy that results in it being considered one of the most dangerous European cities for pedestrians. Yet, underneath the layer of quotidian horrors, there remains an inexpressible splendour that enables the city to be the most ambiguous object of tourist desires.

There is a sense of security that comes with losing oneself in Rome’s varied history. The city bears no resemblance to anywhere else on the planet. It is a place that offers an eccentric cultural buffet submerged within the eras of the city’s past glory.

Sigmund Freud once wrote that Rome is “a psychical entity with a similarly long and copious past, an entity... in which nothing has once come into existence will have passed away and on the earlier phases of development continue to exist alongside the latest one."

You can visit the Ancient Forum to stroll back in time to the Rome of Julius Caesar. Admire the masterfully created mosaics on the pavement of the Pantheon to caress the medieval ages. Rest your gaze upon Michelangelo`s Sistine Chapel to fully immerse yourself in the Renaissance. To complete your visit, throw three coins in the Trevi Fountain to be splashed back

into the Baroque era.

The eternal city is one of the most unique places on the planet. Rome is a melting pot of Italian culture and the birthplace of the idea of the dolce far niente.

I lived in Italy for eleven years. I am a native.

I was born in a small town by the metropolis that is Milan.

I speak Italian fluently.

And I believe every type of cuisine other than my own is inferior.

Yet I can’t say I am a master of the philosophy of the dolce far niente.

The idea behind the “sweetness of doing nothing” goes beyond the simple translation of spending time doing absolutely nothing.

A distinctive feature of Rome, indeed, is that it pulses with life every second of your stay, as it bestows upon you the innocent feelings of enthusiasm, curiosity, and spontenaity.

Rome is a hectic city. Chaos and disorder prevail. However, if visited with the correct mindset, the city allows your senses to be the guide, making you feel like the first visitor in over two thousand years to truly understand her creations and charms.

The dolce far niente encapsulates Italy`s

mindset that moments of slow and pure pleasure are the base of a good life. The dolce far niente is about gutless joy, and such philosophy continued to be elongated in my second destination.

Florence: the fulcrum of Italy’s intellectual, artistic, and cultural heritage. The Tuscan capital drips with art, architectural charm, and locals who are as fiery as they are friendly.

The picturesque sight of Florence is further refined by the delicate folds of the Tuscan hills which the city lies within, the arrays of cypresses that frame its perimeter, and the mighty Arno river that slashes through the town.

By day, many troupes of tourists flock the piazzas to admire the awe-inspiring works of the world’s greatest artistic masters: Michelangelo, Botticelli, Brunelleschi, da Vinci, and Raffaello.

Crowds of people gawp at the treasures of the various jewellery stores of the Ponte Vecchio and others hasten to Piazza della Signoria to take a picture of the ‘other’ David. As the sun falls underneath the horizon, calmness prevails.

As the last beam of sunlight illuminates the city’s picturesque homes and monuments, laden with the colours of peaches, tangerines, and lemons, Florence’s idyllic night life begins.

With aperitivo glasses clinking against each other, the various piazzas become crowded and musicians play soothing lullabies. Unlike Romans, Florentines seem to never be in a state of hectic confusion. Time pressure is a concept not known in Florence, and neither is stress.

A month later, far from the busy streets of Toronto, I am sitting by the Arno dangling my legs over the calm water, caressing the endless blooms of the fragrant herbs around me.

As these weeks have passed, I have found myself sliding away from my responsibilities and anxieties, while at the same time happily adjusting to the relaxed rhythm of this country.

Although I spent but a few weeks traveling through Italy, I was able to learn a lot from its people and bring back the greatest teaching of all: in order to fully enjoy life, we need to savour a few moments a day of gutless joy.

That is what the dolce far niente encompasses.

It is not the stereotypical slogan that portrays Italians as lazy, but rather a psychological philosophy that we should all embrace to lead happier and better lives.

Whether it is disconnecting from social media, enjoying a dinner with your loved ones, or taking a day of rest, doing nothing and enjoying the present is perhaps the greatest appreciation for the blessings we have.

SEPTEMBER 10, 2018 | 17

var.st/arts

‘Fuck,’ ‘shit,’ ‘damn’

same poet who first committed to ‘fuck,’ Dunbar also wrote “schit but wit” in order to refer to an annoying person.

Ultimately, ‘shit’ would be used to describe trash or worthless things. Nowadays, not only can ‘shit’ be used to degrade others, but it can also ironically be used to mean the best if accompanied by ‘the.’ For example, saying something is ‘the shit’ suggests that one had a great time.

Exploring the history behind the English language’s most commonly used swear words

‘Damn’

JESSICA ZHOU/THE VARSITY

Annie Hu Varsity Contributor

Language is unquestionably one of the most beautiful gifts known to humanity.

Over time, there have been significant developments in the English language, including the evolution from Old English, to Shakespearean English, to what is now modern English.

‘Fuck,’ ‘shit,’ and ‘damn’ — sound familiar? In society today, there are certain words that are automatically deemed as inappropriate and rude to say — we call them swear words or profanity.

These are three of the most heard profanities in the English language, and when we hear them, we are quickly caught up in the intonation, implication, and context of the words.

At their core, these funny sounding words are simply letters jumbled together that are laden with baggage and history. Popular culture has even merged ‘fuck shit damn’ together, with Urban Dictionary defining the expression as, “Expressive phrase used when one four-letter swear word just isn’t enough.”

However, what do we know about the actual

Book Club: Jason Heroux’s Amusement Park of Constant Sorrow is Canadian literature at its strangest

Sadness and laughter are intertwined within the novella, and every line bristles with its own existential crisis Eddy Wang Varsity Contributor

What would Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis look like if it was written today by a Canadian who has an absurdist knack akin to Pynchon, Saunders, and Vonnegut? It would look like Amusement Park of Constant Sorrow by Jason Heroux, published in 2018

by Toronto-based Mansfield Press.

Heroux’s Amusement Park of Constant Sorrow is a novella that falls into the realm of magical realism. The story is a puzzle perfectly jigsawed together to capture both the mundane nature and the complexities of everyday life.

origins and history of these bad words? And the real question is: how did they come to be in the first place?

‘Fuck’

Out of all the English words that begin with the letter F, this is the only word that is commonly referred to as the F-word. It is a versatile word that can describe almost every emotion — pain, happiness, love, hate, and many more.

It can be used as a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb. A common myth about ‘fuck’ is that, it is an acronym for “Fornication Under Command of the King”: the population was so sparse that the king would order everyone to start having sex.

Supposedly, couples in the act would hang up a sign that said ‘F.U.C.K.’ Clearly, this story is false and has nothing to do with the actual origin. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, ‘fuck’ did not come into existence until the fifteenth century.

‘Fuck,’ possibly derived from the German word ‘ficken,’ meant “to strike” in early contexts, and it frequently appeared as part of surnames with the literal meaning of hitting, rather than having any

The book is set during the Age of Transformation, when everyone and everything is transforming into each other. Owen’s father, once a meaty-hunk of personhood, has transformed into a bicycle lost by Owen in front of a Chinese restaurant.

Meanwhile, Owen struggles to come to terms with his past: he used to be a dog named Scooter owned by a couple, who wants him back to be their dog. Not wanting to leave his wife, Lila, Owen goes through everyday life coming to terms with the fact that he will have to, by dictum of nonsensical yet eerily realist property laws, return to his owners and act like a dog while actually being a person.

It is through the juxtaposition of the outlandish premise with the scene-by-scene mundanity that the book derives its charm and subsequently its profundity. Scenes twist and turn between banality and absurdity. In one scene, Owen goes through the everyday motions of ordering a double double dark roast — a Canadian thing — only to get an elderly man afflicted with Tangier disease.

Amusement Park of Constant Sorrow is about messiness in a world where everything always seems in order. Heroux shows readers the volatility of a world that seems static. Binary oppositions of familiar and strange, change and stasis, and confusion and order are playfully subverted until the boundaries of said terms become indistinguishable from one another.

The brilliance of the novel is that it treats these bizarre switch ups so nonchalantly that the reader cannot differentiate between what is the familiar becoming strange and what is the strange becoming familiar: in this case, the server cannot take the elderly man back because of the store’s no-return policy.

The book is Timbit-sized — only 104 pages — making it a quick and unintimidating read in an era when most people do not read.

The short length ensures that every chapter is a rewarding experience, bubbling with absurd humour, cosmic alienation, and identity crises, often all in the same page. Sadness and laughter exist together in every paragraph, and every line bristles with its own

sexual connotations to it.

As time went on, ‘fuck’ took on a very different meaning. William Dunbar, a Scottish poet, wrote about a man sexually lusting for woman.

Dunbar wrote: “By his feirris he would have fukkit,” suggesting the man’s desire to have sex with the woman.

Since then, ‘fuck’ has been gradually associated with sex, and over time, mass media has outright deemed this word to be inappropriate, rude, and offensive.

‘Shit’

Similar to ‘fuck’, ‘shit’ can also be traced back in history.

Originally, it had a technical purpose, referring specifically to diarrhea in cattle. Essentially, ‘shit’ would be used in many words that had connections to cattle.

However, as time went on, it started to have more meanings than simply diarrhea in cattle; it is now associated with all kinds of feces and often used by people to replace ‘things’ or ‘stuff.’

‘Shit’ has developed from being a technical term to socially unacceptable vocabulary. The

Courtesy of MANSFIELD PRESS

existential crisis.

It’s the type of prose where one catches oneself unconsciously mouthing the words of each sentence as if they are under the book’s incantation. In many senses, this impressive feat of brevity is also where the book momentarily wavers. As the book draws to a close, readers will feel unsatisfied with the way the story resolves itself alongside the stagnation of Lila and Owen’s relationship.

But that’s where Heroux’s artistry shines through: in life, resolutions are always a bit disappointing, and relationships always end up stagnating at some point. It’s only by acknowledging that banality, and by showcasing it in inventive ways, that one can start to understand the maze of contemporary life. In Heroux’s world, one is always lost in that maze, disso-

Finally, ‘damn.’ The least offensive of the three ‘core’ swear words.

The origin of ‘damn’ goes back to the Old French word ‘damner,’ which means to condemn.

This word was first adopted into the English language around the fourteenth century and would often be found in religious contexts; for instance, damnation referred to God’s punishment.

However, starting from the seventeenth to eighteenth century, ‘damn’ began to be used as a profanity in the context of ‘I don’t care’: ‘I don’t give a damn.’

Although it may not seem like ‘damn’ is the kind of swear word that would be taken seriously now, it was actually considered a serious profanity back in the 1700s up until about 1930; society at the time actively avoided this word because it was considered impolite and indecent.

A large portion of today’s generation rely on swearing in order to boost their self-esteem and ego. Effectively, swear words do have some sort of magical power over us — we learn and pick them up from others when we are young, even though they are taboo.

Then, as we grow older, swearing ultimately becomes a tool to emphasize points and heighten emotions. After all, what’s the first thing you typically say after you’ve stubbed your toe?

Learning the etymology of profanity, which a good amount of people are already attached to, definitely elevates one’s linguistical knowledge.

And if you don’t fancy delving into the Oxford English Dictionary, I am confident that Urban Dictionary will amuse and educate you on the slightly more ‘expressive’ words that pop up in our vocabulary.

ciated with their surroundings and cosmically alone against the absurdity of the universe.

One never has a clear grasp of who they are or what they are doing as the hours slip away in conferences and phone calls. Heroux’s world is not unlike our own.

In a world where reality TV stars become presidents, most of us wouldn’t be surprised if we started to transform into mundane objects tomorrow. Heroux’s world is one where absurdity is taken more seriously than seriousness.

In one of the funniest, but also exasperating, arcs of the book, Owen and Lila install a Home Automation service that doesn’t work. They spend the rest of the novel trying to get it removed, going to lawyers and support groups in the fight against the convoluted contract from a big corporation. In one scene, after a harrowing phone call with an agent for the Home Automation company, filled with the standard frustrations of trying to cancel anything over phone, Owen is told that the service can be removed.

Upon hearing those words, Owen is flooded with “feelings of peace, tranquility, balance and harmony” and “the universe [seems] full of mysterious hidden beauty.” In those moments, Amusement Park of Constant Sorrows understands that what David Foster Wallace called “the day-to-day trenches of adult existence” are where the most important cosmic battles are taking place; the most familiar battles end up as the most mysterious.

Amusement Park of Constant Sorrows explores the forgetfulness and always-changing identities that are core to the human experience, asking that confusing question of who we are in a world that constantly transforms, but somehow stays the same.

In the everyday bureaucracy of life, that grand feeling of dissociation hits us out of the blue, and we realize that, deep down, we are not so different from the bicycles and spoons of the world. We, too, are subject to the whims of agents outside our control, merely existing, going from places day-to-day in fleeting moments that culminate in death.

Science

September 10, 2018 var.st/science science@thevarsity.ca

Safe injection sites save lives

The provincial government’s opposition to the sites is a poor response to the ongoing opioid crisis Ashima Kaura Varsity Contributor

The first public health emergency of the twenty-first century was declared in March 2003, four months after the first outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). There were 438 cases of SARS and 44 related deaths in Canada.

The World Health Organization declared a global pandemic from June 2009–2010, one month after the first outbreak of H1N1 in Canada. There were 33,509 cases of this virus and 428 related deaths in 2009.

Three decades after the opioid crisis was presumed to have started, British Columbia became the first province in Canada to declare a public health emergency in April 2016.

In 2017, there were 3,987 suspected deaths from opioid use in Canada — almost twice the number of motor vehicle fatalities in 2016 and eight times the number of SARS and H1N1 related deaths combined.

These staggering statistics demonstrate the necessity for an immediate, comprehensive, and detailed plan to approach the opioid epidemic. However, with Minister for Health and Long–Term Care Christine Elliot’s decision to halt the introduction of new supervised consumption sites in Ontario and to pause ongoing activities in some existing sites, the lives of many drug users are at stake.

Elliot, who became Minister at the end of June, stated in a press release that Premier Doug Ford needs to examine the evidence and hear from experts before coming fully onboard

with supervised injection sites.

However, the evidence regarding Supervised Consumption Sites (SCS) and Temporary Overdose Prevention Sites (TOPS) as harm reduction tools has been well established since the first site opened in 1986 in Switzerland.

SCS and TOPS provide safe spaces and access to sterile drug use equipment for preobtained illegal drugs, emergency medical care in response to overdoses, basic health care, and support from health professionals with the aim of reducing communicable diseases and saving lives.

According to Dr. Eileen de Villa, City of Toronto Medical Officer of Health and Adjunct Professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, “Experiences from other jurisdictions other than our own local ones have demonstrated that Supervised Injection Services and Overdose Prevention Sites provide many health benefits, including reversing overdoses and saving lives.”

“We believe that these health services continue to be part of a comprehensive approach to the overdose emergency, along with harm reduction, prevention and treatment services, in response to this very challenging and complex health issue affecting so many people in our community and beyond,” wrote de Villa.

In a 2006 study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, researchers found that the use of an SCS in Vancouver was associated with reduced syringe sharing, no significant increase in public drug dealing near the facility, and a reduction in public drug use.

Blazes across Canada break historic records Wildfires in Ontario continue a concerning trend of climate-related patterns

Fire seasons will likely become longer.

ANDREA BOOHER, FEMA PHOTO/CC WIKIMEDIA

There is strong scientific evidence in support of safe injection sites.

SHANNA HUNTER/THE VARSITY

In the three years that this study was carried out, there were no overdose-related deaths at the facility, and 60 per cent of overdoses were successfully managed by the facility without the need for external help. More than 2,400 referrals were made for addictions treatment between March 2004 and April 2005.

Similarly, a study published in the Journal of Public Health in 2007 found that SCS garnered positive changes in injecting practices, including less reuse of syringes, use of sterile water, swabbing injection sites, cooking or filtering drugs, less rushed injections, safe syringe disposal, and less public injecting.

“The people who claim that there is harm would claim that people are going to be more likely to inject drugs if they know that there is a safe place to do that,” said Barry Pakes, Professor of Public Health at U of T. “In my personal opinion, I don’t think it’s very likely that [SCS and TOPS] increase drug use, but there are some people who would believe that the more society gives permission for this, the more prevalent it might be,” he continued.

“From a public health perspective, we don’t

believe that’s the case and we prefer to reduce harm in those people.”

Despite Elliot’s insistence on evaluating the merit of SCS and TOPS, the evidence which suggests that these sites do not work or increase harm is unsubstantiated.

The potential fallout of this decision could be disastrous. Individuals from marginalized groups and those who have the least resources will be most affected by the withdrawal of services.

Cities across Canada can do little by themselves to aid drug users. For instance, Toronto Public Health operates a supervised injection service, but they can’t fund or approve funding for it or overdose prevention sites. Such decisions are made at the provincial level.

A recommendation from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s review on how to deal with overdoses is expected to be released in the coming months. Until actionable steps are taken, the fates of individuals and families of opioid users remain grim.

“There is no question that addictions care could be better... but improving care is a very small part of dealing with the opioid epidemic,” wrote Pakes in an email.

Vaibhav Bhandari Varsity Contributor

fuel, and oxygen. While lightning provides the ignition for a fire, the vegetation on the ground acts as fuel.

Temperatures are notably progressing past historical norms, and a profound impact has been observed in the global water cycle.

Warmer conditions increase the amount of evaporation from the soil and the ocean. The atmosphere can hold an excess of water at these elevated temperatures that would otherwise return to the surface as rain or snow. For certain vulnerable regions, the extra evaporation can lead to drier soil conditions that require much lower heat to ignite and provide suitable fuel for a fiery outcome.

As fires continue to rage, there are fire management systems in place for the allocation of resources to protect people and limit the damage wrought by such disasters. Tools such as the Fire Danger Rating System and the Fine Fuel Moisture Code provide information to the public and fire managers on the likelihood of fires in forested areas. Provincial wildfires services, such as the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry in Ontario, monitor lands for and organize a response to observed fire events.

Martell, whose research focus is on forest fire management systems, notes that there are other programs being developed to improve the efficiency in the monitoring and management of wildfires.

However, management systems are analogous to a band-aid solution: they do not address the root of the problem.

As the effects of climate change worsen, the main concern is that there will be greater areas susceptible to wildfires. This increase will lead to the release of more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and the positive feedback loop of warming, drying, and blazing will continue.

Close to 13,000 square kilometres of land were scorched, blistered, and branded in British Columbia in 2018, and this year has set a new record for the largest area burned by fire in a season.

Even in Ontario, over 1,200 fires have broken out as of August 30, double the 10-year average for the province.

The number of fires and the damage that they inflict can vary over different seasons. But recent trends point to a worrisome pattern.

U of T Faculty of Forestry Professor Emeritus David Martell points to the worrying increase in the length of the fire season, saying that the science predicts the fire season will only get longer.

In a 2013 study, Martell and his colleagues reviewed fire seasons — the length of time from the first day of a reported naturally ignited fire to the last day that a fire is reported in a given year — from 1960 to 2009 in Eastern Ontario and Western Ontario and from 1961 to 2003 in Alberta. The fire season in Alberta lasted approximately 55 days longer.

Though less drastic, the fire seasons in Eastern and Western Ontario lasted around 15 to 20 days longer by the end of the 50-year period.

This points to a growing body of evidence that worsening global warming leads to longer fires and more disastrous fire seasons. There are now larger portions of each year when a wildfire can occur.

Prolific wildfires are not only confined to Canada, but also across the western United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Longer fire seasons and related trends are attributed to drier soil conditions, which have been linked to global warming.

The fire triangle is a simplistic explanation of the requirements for a fire: heat to ignite,

SEPTEMBER 10, 2018 | 19

var.st/science

RNA silencing technology could be the future of medicine Onpattro has Canadian roots and is the first FDAapproved RNAi treatment Arjun Kaul Varsity Contributor

In August, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals released patisiran, trade name ONPATTRO, an injectable drug that treats hereditary transthyretin (ATTR) amyloidosis.

While this may seem like just another experimental drug release among tens and hundreds each year, this one is particularly notable: it’s the first RNA interference (RNAi) therapy approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

RNAi silences specific messenger RNAs (mRNA), transcribed from DNA, before they have a chance to be used for protein synthesis. As such, it can be used to prevent the translation of otherwise defective proteins.

Hereditary ATTR amyloidosis causes a buildup of a protein known as amyloid in the nervous system. When amyloid accumulates, it can cause debilitating damage to the nervous system and more serious cases can result in death.

The technology for patisiran was first developed in the laboratory of University of British Columbia (UBC) Professor Pieter Cullis in collaboration with UBC Professor Marco Ciufolini.

Patients in trials reported significant improve-

ments in motor skills, reflexes, and other essential functions of the nervous system after 18 months of treatment.

Many therapies have sought to target DNA and RNA as a permanent treatment to various diseases and conditions, although this becomes more complicated, since there are several categories of RNA. It would be difficult to cast a net that is wide enough to target genetic abnormalities, but selective enough to not destroy pathways necessary for proper functioning.

This is where RNAi therapy comes in.

On their way to being translated into proteins, an enzyme known as Dicer typically intercepts sections of RNA and cuts them in two; one half is degraded immediately, while the other half is shuffled into a complex called the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC).

But during RNAi, specific messenger RNAs are silenced after DNA has been transcribed to RNA. Dicer selectively targets certain pieces of RNA. The RISC, now containing this small piece of RNA, can use it as a template to target and degrade similar pieces of RNA, which allows silencing of specific RNA sections throughout a cell — sometimes even an organism as a whole — and inhibits the production of disease-causing

TROY LAWRENCE/THE VARSITY

proteins.

RNAi technology is useful for pinpointing a gene’s function. In fact, U of T Professor Jason Moffat’s lab is working on identifying genes in human cancer cell lines using RNAi, among other methods. U of T Professor Andrew Fraser uses

RNAi to ‘turn off ’ genes in worms to identify potential mutations in the human genetic code.

RNAi can be manipulated for the treatment of genetic and hereditary diseases and, with the correct specificity, could revolutionize medicine.

Study shows angelfish can discriminate quantities Scientists develop a novel method to study how fish ‘count’ when foraging

Angelfish are smarter than you think.

YU-CHAN CHEN/THE VARSITY

Nadia Boachie Varsity Contributor

The ability to discriminate between different quantities is not a skill unique to humans. Different animals, including fish, may possess the ability to count.

UTM Professor Robert Gerlai of the Department of Psychology contributed to a study that examines whether and, if so, how Pterophyllum scalare, otherwise known as angelfish, discriminate quantities while foraging.

Scientific literature on quantity discrimination

in a foraging context has predominantly focused on mammals and birds. Several of these studies have shown that when animals are tested in laboratory conditions, they are sensitive to quantitative differences and often choose larger sets of food items over smaller sets.

Previous studies have shown that fish have the ability to distinguish between quantities of conspecifics, or members of their species. Angelfish are a social species, so there is an evolutionary benefit to being able to distinguish between sizes of groups. Choosing the larger group of fish, or shoal, offers better protection and reduces the risk

of predation.

There is a literature gap in quantity discrimination experiments in fish with food as the discriminant. Fish, especially those that live in shoals, are often negatively affected when tested in complete isolation in a laboratory setting. In addition to the frightening test environment, other complications like uneven odour cues have prevented scientists from focusing on quantity discrimination in foraging contexts in fish.

Gerlai and his colleagues devised a novel methodology that allowed for angelfish to be tested individually while in a shoal, and therefore

mitigated stress on the fish. Their new procedure also reduced other variables. For example, by presenting the stimuli outside of the aquarium, chemical and olfactory cues were excluded. This novel setup opens the way for developing more methods to accurately test numerical abilities in fish.

When quantity discrimination in a foraging context is tested in animals, often a binary choice test is given. This is a test in which two options are given to the animal and the choice the animal makes is observed. In the context of fish, a picture of a single item of food is shown on one side of the tank. On the opposite side of the tank, a picture of multiple items of food is shown. The side in which the fish spends the longest amount of time can be taken as the choice that animal has made.

There are two predominant theories that are said to explain how animals have the ability to count. The first is called the object file system, which allows animals to differentiate based on the number of elements, such as food items, in different groups — it is therefore thought to be more precise. The object file system of discrimination is said to be limited to small number of food items, with a maximum of four elements.

The second theory, known as the approximate number discrimination system, is used when larger sets of elements are presented. The approximate number discrimination system depends on ratios, not the absolute numerical differences between the number of elements compared.

In this study, Gerlai and his colleagues found a significant increase in accuracy in choosing the larger number of food items as the numerical ratio between the contrasting sets of food items increased. Overall, their results point to evidence that activation of the approximate number system was being used to discriminate.

Fish may not be solving complex math problems any time soon, but studying decision-making in this species when a binary choice test is given in a foraging context may help understand more complex behaviours.

Scientists are still left with several questions about the extent to which quantity discrimination in a foraging context is learned and if it is a result of evolutionary fine-tuning of neural circuitry.

20 | THE VARSITY | SCIENCE

science@thevarsity.ca

The politics opposing the cap and trade plan are bad science Ford’s climate change initiatives are damaging at best

Science Around Town Emily Deibert Varsity Contributor

Sea of Life Documentary with Filmmaker Julia Barnes Meet award-winning documentary filmmaker Julia Barnes and enjoy a screening of Sea of Life, a documentary featuring experts on our planet’s underwater ecosystems.

Carbon pricing is critical to tackling climate change.

TONY WEBSTER/CC FLICKR

Daniel Hutchings Varsity Contributor

“We are getting Ontario out of the carbon tax business.”

One of Premier Doug Ford’s first moves was to scrap the cap and trade plan in Ontario and challenge the federal government. The cap and trade program rewards businesses and corporations for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions to below the provincial government’s set threshold.

Now, the Ford government promises to eliminate the carbon tax as early as next month.

Environment and Climate Change Canada also scaled back its carbon tax plan, and Ford has used it as a political tool to divide Ontario from the federal government.

Starting in 2019, however, the federal government will tax Ontario companies $20 for every tonne of greenhouse gas emitted and up to $50 per tonne in 2022.

According to Matthew Hoffman, U of T political science professor, “The federal government will collect the carbon tax for the province and then funnel the tax back into the province” to aid companies and individuals with higher costs of living.

However, the main issue with the federal government’s design is how exactly that will be achieved.

The carbon tax is meant to be revenue neutral, contrary to Ford’s claim that the tax is a business.

Climate change should be of greater concern to Ontarians, and scaling back the cap and trade program and rewarding corporations that pollute heavily should not be endorsed.

The Liberals had introduced the cap and trade system to Ontario, setting a long-term goal to reduce emissions by 80 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050, as well as several interim objectives.

With Ontario under cap and trade, over threequarters of Canadians would live in a province with some form of carbon pricing. However, Ford is erasing this progress.

Incidents like the Ford government’s scrapping of cap and trade are microcosms of a growing issue where climate change has become one of the most polarizing issues in Canadian politics.

Climate change is a unique issue in Canadian, American, and Australian politics, says Hoffmann, because in most places in the rest of world, it is not a partisan issue.

Unlike the rest of the world, where the political debate is about what should be done to stop climate change, the debate in Canadian politics is whether anything should be done at all, he says.

Despite this divide, the Progressive Conservatives have promised to unveil a climate change plan in the upcoming months.

Hoffmann believes that the Ford government’s promise to come up with an alternative climate change plan shows that Ontarians are concerned about climate change. In fact, voters have already been impacted by climate change. According to Ontario’s Climate Change Strategy, the 2013 ice storm in Southern Ontario inflicted approximately $1 billion in damages.

According to a 2011 report by the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, climate change could cost Canadians up to $91 billion by 2050.

“Ontario voters also expect that the government should have a climate plan,” says Hoffman.

“You don’t see massive protests in Ontario that are against the environment.”

The growing story is whether Justin Trudeau’s federal government will impose a carbon tax on the Ontario government if the Ford government loses the battle.

This can already be seen in the Trudeau government’s recent action to ‘soften’ the carbon tax in order to keep businesses competitive in Canada. What will become of Ontario and Canada’s greenhouse emission initiatives may be determined by next year’s elections.

If the Liberals choose to impose the carbon tax on Ontario, it could set off a political battle that may not end anytime soon.

Date: Thursday, September 13 Time: 2:00–4:00 pm Location: Deer Park Library, 40 St. Clair Avenue East Admission: Free Forge Ahead: Women in STEM Q&A Panel Discussion Five female panelists in science, technology, engineering, and math-related careers will headline this panel discussion on how to succeed in typically maledominated fields. Snacks and nonalcoholic beverages are included with admission.

Date: Thursday, September 13 Time: 5:30–9:00 pm Location: Telus Tower, 25 York Street, 5th Floor Admission: $20 Tuberculosis on Film Join the Dalla Lana School of Public Health for a free talk on the effects of tuberculosis, followed by a screening of The Lucky Specials.

Date: Thursday, September 13 Time: 5:30–9:00 pm Location: Health Sciences Building, 155 College Street, Room 610 Admission: Free with registration Undergraduate Research in Computer Science Conference Are you interested in computer science research? This full-day event will feature talks from undergraduate students currently involved in research, as well as presentations from Professors Ishtiaque Ahmed and Roger Grosse.

Date: Friday, September 14 Time: 10:45 am to 6:00 pm Location: Bahen Centre for Information Technology, 40 St. George Street, Room 3200 & Atrium Admission: Free with registration Planet-gazing with the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada with this rare opportunity to observe three different planets — Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn — in one night.

Date: Saturday, September 15 Time: 7:30–10:30 pm Location: Back Campus, 20 Tower Road Admission: Free

Sports

September 10, 2018 var.st/sports sports@thevarsity.ca

Starting off the season with the Varsity Blues Field Hockey Team

Blues earn 2–1 victory Daniel Samuel Sports Editor

Emily Ziraldo stares toward Calgary’s defensive end.

Blues midfielder Emily Ziraldo attempts to strike the ball and collides with Michelle Patterson.

Blues defender Katherine Obst awaits Calgary’s attackers.

Blues defender Julia Costanzo chases down Kenzie McMillanHarrington sprinting toward goal.

Blues midfielder Isabella Watson battles Dinos midfielder Meghan Norlander as Courtney Andrews and Julia Costanzo watch on.

The Varsity Blues field hockey team waits on the sidelines before their preseason match against the Calgary Dinos.

August 27, 2018

22 | THE VARSITY | SPORTS

sports@thevarsity.ca

In Duke Canada Tour, Toronto plays host to talented freshman class Top recruit RJ Barrett makes his homecoming Alex Mulego Varsity Contributor

What a week it had been for Canadian basketball. When last month’s Duke Canada Tour came to an end, the impact the event had on basketball development in Canada cannot be overstated.

Canadians in Toronto and Montréal had the opportunity to witness the top two ranked players in the country, Zion Williamson and our homegrown talent, RJ Barrett.

As fortunate as these two cities were to host the Duke Blue Devils on their international tour, this event almost didn’t happen. The National Collegiate Athletic Association only permits college basketball teams to travel internationally once every four years during the summer to test themselves against competition abroad.

Initially, the Blue Devils were supposed to travel to the Dominican Republic last summer, but head coach Mike Krzyzewski fell ill, and their tour was postponed to this year, where RJ Barrett had the opportunity to play his first few games as a Blue Devil in the city he was raised in.

For the Varsity Blues, this provided another opportunity for international competition. They finished with a bronze medal in a tournament in Taiwan earlier this summer, and now they had another opportunity to build team camaraderie before their regular season begins in October.

The Blue Devils arrived in Toronto on August 24 for a media day presser at the

Westin Harbor Castle. Coach K opened up with high praise for Canada and the amazing relationship he’s had with Jay Triano, head coach of the Canada basketball team. When asked about his first time in Toronto, he had this to say: “I didn’t realize what a great city Toronto was. So multicultural. A world city. Not just a great Canadian city, but a world city. It really opens its arms to all different types of cultures.”

Before tip-off on Friday evening, the atmosphere was electric. The parking lot was filled with school buses that carried students and families travelling from Duke University. The crowd looked like a sea of royal blue, filled with fans from across Ontario, here to witness this rare opportunity. Former Varsity Blues athletes were also in attendance to support the current roster, as well as NBA Hall of Famer David Robinson and Canadian track star Andre De Grasse.

Streamed on ESPN and TSN, this was likely the first time our Varsity players competed on national television, and while the nerves were likely there, they didn’t show. The Blues came out strong and hung around the far more talented Blue Devils. Leading the way was fourth-year forward Nikola Paradina, who finished with a team-high 15 points alongside three assists and three baskets from the perimeter.

While some fans came to support RJ Barrett, there were many fans in the arena waiting for Duke forward Zion Williamson to get off on a fast break and showcase his vertical ability. That opportunity came minutes into the first

The importance of athletes giving back LeBron James’ I Promise School speaks to the current era of athletic star power

MICHELLE KIM/THE VARSITY

Daniel Johansson looks to score against the Duke Blue Devils. MARTIN BAZYL/Courtesy of the VARSITY BLUES

quarter, when Williamson stole the ball, glided in the air for what seemed like an eternity, and dunked, which sent the crowd into a frenzy.

The final score was 96–60 for the Blue Devils as they separated themselves in the second half, but that wasn’t truly indicative of how competitive the matchup was. As the buzzer sounded, our Varsity Blues did not hang their head in defeat; the team put forth their best effort against the top-ranked school in the US. “I think it was a tremendous experience for our players. It’s once in a lifetime to play against a program that is

so historically significant. Their current roster is really quite something so for our guys to compete against them is really special,” said head coach John Campbell.

Krzyzewski also spoke highly of the Varsity Blues, saying “Toronto does what they need to do with their talent, that is to kind of spread you and get shuffle cuts off the high post... they keep their spacing well.”

The Blue Devils finished the week 3–0 after defeating the Ryerson Rams and the McGill Redmen as well. As the Duke Canada Tour concluded, Coach K had this to say about their time spent

Amrit Bola Varsity Contributor

In late July, NBA superstar LeBron James made international headlines after opening his I Promise School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. The public elementary school, created to assist at-risk youth, offers free tuition, college funding for all students who graduate, an extended school year to keep children engaged in their schoolwork, and a food pantry for parents, as well as many other resources for students and families — all free of cost.

LeBron’s initiative comes in the wake of Fox News reporter Laura Ingraham’s comment earlier this year that LeBron and fellow NBA superstar Kevin Durant should stay away from political commentary and social issues, and “shut up and dribble.”

Ingraham received widespread criticism over the remark, as sports fans, politicians, and media figures reaffirmed the widely held position that athletes have the right to speak up on issues they see as important and to use their wealth and stature to give back to communities in need. Since the incident, examples of social awareness and altruism in sports have gained much more attention.

LeBron’s peer, WNBA star Tina Charles, is one of these examples. For the third season in a row, New York Liberty’s centre has donated her entire salary to her own organization, which is aimed at combating sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), the number one cause of death in the United States. Charles’ efforts have made external defibrillators accessible for thousands more people, thus decreasing the chance of death due to SCA from 90 per cent to 10 per cent.

Canadian Olympic icon Clara Hughes, the only Olympian in history to win multiple medals at both the Winter and Summer games, has been working for years to help end the stigma around mental illness. As the national spokesperson for Bell Let’s Talk, Hughes has assisted in bringing over $7 mil-

here: “The guys loved it. My players loved it, they didn’t like it, they loved it… As good as we thought we’d feel about the whole experience, it’s exponentially better… The three coaches and theirs teams, they were fabulous in preparing and testing us.”

For Canadian programs to have the opportunity to go against one of the most respected basketball programs in the world comes with invaluable experience to prepare them for the season ahead. The Varsity Blues will be back in preseason action on September 28 against the Dalhousie Tigers.

lion to the cause of eliminating the stigma around mental health in Canadian communities.

Fellow Canadian and NHL winger Jordin Tootoo, the first person of Inuit background to play in the NHL, has created anti-bullying programs for Indigenous youth and communities through the Team Tootoo Fund. These programs also include raising awareness for suicide prevention and addiction in Indigenous communities. With Inuit suicide rates 11 times higher than the national average, the goal of the foundation is to provide Indigenous communities with proper mental health services, and to “get in front of kids about suicide prevention and let them know there are people who care.”

During the FIFA World Cup earlier this summer, 19-year-old French phenom Kylian Mbappé gained international attention after donating his entire national team earnings to Premiers de Cordée, a charity seeking to provide greater access to sports for children with disabilities.

Spanish professional soccer player Juan Mata also created the Common Goal initiative, which encourages players to donate a minimum of one per cent of their salary to charity. The initiative is in response to skyrocketing transfer fees in the soccer world, with the goal of introducing “social responsibility” to soccer by setting a realistic humanitarian goal that all players would be willing to participate in.

The goal is a minimum requirement that should be adopted by athletes in all sports, not just in soccer. Sports fans should not only celebrate social responsibility taken by athletes, but should encourage athletes to speak out on social issues and set an expectation for all professional athletes to make a commitment to humanitarianism.

Athletes serve as role models for entire cities and nations, and these tremendous stories of altruism could go far beyond sports by serving as inspirations for thousands of others to try and do something good for humanity.

SEPTEMBER 10, 2018 | 23

var.st/sports

Rams run riot over Blues

WEEKLY BOX SCORES BASEBALL

10-man Ryerson brush off Toronto 3–1

Michael Teoh Varsity Staff

As well as the Varsity Blues played in their opening weekend, it was clear that their fourth game against local rivals Ryerson Rams on September 2 would provide a sterner and more realistic gauge of the team’s chances of playoffs success this season. Based on the evidence offered that hot Sunday afternoon, the Blues must improve at all levels if they are to best last year’s Ontario University Athletics (OUA) quarterfinal exit.

Undoubtedly a harbinger for what was to come, Blues striker Jack Wadden was on the receiving end of a professional foul that forced the fourth-year player to be withdrawn in the 12th minute, with the game tied 1–1. Although the extent of Wadden’s injury was unknown, he didn’t return to the field — under OUA rules, players can be substituted back in — and he left the sidelines at halftime with a sling around his arm. Wadden’s pressing and positioning was sorely missed and, in his absence, the Blues largely failed to perform. This mirrored the team’s opening fixture against Trent Excalibur when, 4–1 up at halftime, Wadden was substituted off and the Blues performed noticeably worse. Even with top scorer Jae Jin Lee replacing him, the Blues failed to add to their solitary goal as Ryerson cruised to a fourth consecutive win.

Prior to Wadden’s injury, the Blues had burst to life following kickoff, in another parallel to the Trent game. Third-year striker Michael Matic, who retained his position in the starting lineup, replacing second-year defender Nicola Russo, lifted a shot over the goalkeeper in the 27th second to put the Blues in the lead. Matic, who had been wasteful with his chances in the Blues’ opening week, took his goal well and laid down a marker of his team’s intent.

The Rams would erase Matic’s early lead with Abdallah El-Chanti scoring from the spot after Blues keeper Stefan

Dusciuc conceded a penalty in the eighth minute. The Blues added two shots on target after Wadden’s injury before falling behind in the 25th minute, courtesy of an Andrew Dias goal.

As the Blues searched for an equalizer, Ryerson were content to weather the storm and counter when possible. In the final minutes of the first half, Ryerson defender Nathaniel Tambakis was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in quick succession. Despite probing, the Blues were unable to take advantage of their numerical superiority, and the half ended 2–1.

Toronto continued to press in the second half, but an organized and resilient Ryerson restricted their forward movement greatly. In the 54th minute, fourthyear defender Kenny Lioutas swung a deep corner to the far post, but Lee could only strike the bar with his headed effort.

A minute later, a quick Ryerson counterattack forced isolated third-year defender and captain Nikola Stakic to commit a foul that, on another day, might have seen him receive worse than the yellow card the referee brandished.

From 20 yards out, midfielder Arya Hemati placed his free kick in the upper left corner of the goal.

The rest of the half followed a similarly worrying pattern as the Blues repeatedly tried and failed to move the ball past Ryerson’s defense. As the half progressed, the Blues pushed further and further up, with Stakic moving into an advanced midfield position. Toronto’s fruitless forays forward only exposed them to numerous counterattacks, leaving Lioutas and midfielder-turned-centreback Gabriel Milo scrambling to react.

To compound the Blues’ misery, a number of wayward passes and cheap giveaways from second-year midfielder Anthony Sousa and Milo — both of whom had performed well in previous games — prevented any semblance of attacking rhythm. Too many times, the team played it wide to the right wing, only to launch blind, directionless crosses into the box.

Blues head coach Anthony Capotosto would have been disappointed with his team’s failure to make the most of their numerical advantage and the lack of composure they demonstrated throughout the match. If Wadden remains injured, they will need to find a way to be more ruthless in front of the goal and more capable of shoring up the midfield.

September 8

September 15 September 16

12–2 0–7

Varsity Blues (1-1, T-4TH OUA)

Queen's Gaels (1-1, T-4TH OUA)

vs vs vs vs

Laurentian Voyageurs Laurentian Voyageurs Ryerson Rams Ryerson Rams

Varsity Blues Varsity Blues Varsity Blues Varsity Blues

FIELD HOCKEY U of T Invitational

September 7

5–0 Saint Mary’s Huskies

Varsity Blues

10–0 Varsity Blues

McMaster Marauders

9–0

September 8 Varsity Blues

Laurier Golden Hawks

3–0

September 9 Varsity Blues

September 15

Varsity Blues

September 16

Varsity Blues

McGill Martlets

@ Waterloo @ York University

McGill Martlets Queen’s Gaels

FOOTBALL September 8

43–7 Varsity Blues (0-2, 11TH)

Queen’s Gaels (2-1, T-1ST)

September 15

@

Varsity Blues

McMaster Marauders

LACROSSE MEN’S September 7 Nicholas Osorio chases the ball against the Ryerson Rams.

MARTIN BAZYL/Courtesy of the VARSITY BLUES

WOMEN’S September 9

Blues win 2–0 over downtown rivals

September 9

September 15

Klasios and Parkes score in victory

MEN’S

Silas Le Blanc Varsity Contributor

On a warm Sunday, September 2 afternoon, the University of Toronto Varsity Blues women’s soccer team took on their crosstown rivals, the Ryerson Rams. It only took 17 minutes for the Blues to get their first goal, with striker Natasha Klasios scoring her third of the season from a tight angle.

“The girl kind of took a swing at me but missed the ball, so I got through and I was near the touch line. And then I saw no one else there, so I just started cutting it back. The goalie came out, [so I] just tried slipping it in,” commented Klasios, who notched a goal and an assist, as well as six shots in the game. “Went in. Lucky goal, but I’ll take ‘em,” she said modestly.

In stoppage time at the end of the first half, Klasios drew a penalty in the box and

MEN’S

September 8 Natsha Klasios battles against a Ryerson Rams defender.

MARTIN BAZYL/Courtesy of the VARSITY BLUES

was awarded a penalty kick. However, the shot was saved by Ryerson goalkeeper Elisa Lapadula. Toronto defender Anna Crone also received a yellow card at the end of the half.

In the second half, the Blues were able to lock down defensively and keep Ryerson off the board. Toronto made five substitutions in the second half alone. In the 90th minute, Kristin Parkes was able to seal the game for Toronto off of a brilliant assist from Klasios.

The Blues had 15 total shots this game to Ryerson’s nine, and Toronto keeper Vanna Staggolis made five saves for the

shutout victory.

The game was rather chippy, with one player from each team receiving a yellow card. Toronto had five fouls, and Ryerson had eight, seven of them coming in the second half. “We haven’t actually played [Ryerson] in a year, because last year they were our bye, so it’s always a huge game,” said Klasios about their rivals. “In our first and second years it was massive; it’s really exciting, good derby competition and we got the win so I’m happy.”

The win gave the Blues seven out of nine possible points on the season, and it kept them undefeated.

CUFLA West

14–8 Laurier Golden Hawks (0-1, T-3RD)

Varsity Blues (1-0, T-1ST)

14–8 Laurier Golden Hawks (3-0, T-1ST)

Varsity Blues

6–2 Guelph Gryphons (2-1, 3RD)

Varsity Blues (1-1, T-4TH)

vs

York Lions

vs

Trent Excalibur

Varsity Blues Varsity Blues

SOCCER 3–0 Carleton Ravens (5-0-1, 1ST)

Varsity Blues (3-2, T-4TH)

September 15

Varsity Blues

@

Queen's Gaels

September 16

Varsity Blues

@

RMC Paladins

WOMEN’S September 8

1–0 Varsity Blues (3-1-1, T-2ND)

Carleton Ravens (1-3-2, T-6TH)

2–1

September 9 Ottawa Gee-Gees (5-0-1,1ST)

September 15 September 16

Varsity Blues Varsity Blues

Varsity Blues (3-1-1, T-2ND)

@ @ Peterborough

UOIT Ridgebacks Trent Excalibur

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