November 2nd, 2020

November 2, 2020

THE VARSITY The University of Toronto’s Student Newspaper Since 1880

Revamped PEY program draws backlash for increasing fee by 2019–20 227 per cent $1,100

Vol. CXLI, No. 8

2020–21

$3,600

Engineering Society president narrowly avoids removal at recall meeting Hannah Carty News Editor

The Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering (FASE) has instituted many changes to its Professional Experience Year (PEY ) program that have drawn criticism from many students for increasing the cost from $1,100 to $3,600 and not reflecting what students wanted to see. The changes to the program were passed at the Faculty Council meeting on October 23 and apply to students entering the faculty starting in fall 2020.

Students voiced concerns at the annual accountability meeting that their elected representatives of the Engineering Society (EngSoc) did not do enough to oppose the revamp.

The EngSoc president was nearly voted out of office at the meeting.

The PEY program allows students to take a 12- or 16-month work placement while on leave from school. Many students participate in the program as a way to fulfill their required hours of engineering experience needed to graduate.

The FASE has been working to revamp the program since 2016. Students have also criticized the existing program for several years — an EngSoc report in 2017 revealed concerns directed toward the faculty’s career advising centre, the Engineering Career Centre (ECC). The ECC runs the PEY program, has a job board, and offers information sessions

to help students get placements. Students felt that the ECC workshops were outdated, and 71 per cent were unhappy with the fees that they were paying to the ECC. The report had also laid out the main changes students wanted: more flexibility in length of placements, more accountability and oversight of the ECC, and more ECC staff members that are engineers or have engineering experience.

Backlash toward the fee increase Previously, students who wanted to register for the PEY program had to pay $125 to register and paid the remaining $975 after they accepted an offer, for a total of $1,100. Under the new plan, students have to pay $450 each semester of their second and third years, and two installments of $900 each after they accept their offer, for a total of $3,600. The installments paid in second and third year do not guarantee a PEY placement.

The higher fee “poses a huge accessibility barrier for low-income students and unfairly penalizes students who do not find work terms,” wrote engineering science student Armin Ale to The Varsity. Now, if students do not find work placements, they still have to pay the $1,800 to register for the program.

This represents an approximate 1,300 per cent increase in the fees paid before a student finds and accepts their offer.

Much of students’ concerns about the in-

ENGSOC SURVEY ON CHANGES TO PEY PROGRAM 5: strongly in favour 1: strongly against

creased price stem from their discontent with the ECC. However, students expressed that the services and advice of the ECC are not always of good quality and have, in some cases, even hindered students; many students seek help from the student-run You’re Next Career Network (YNCN) instead. Students fear that simply paying more for the ECC’s services will not automatically improve their value.

Mechanical engineering student Savo Bajic thinks that, even separately from the total amount of fees, the fee distribution should be that students pay a majority of the fees after they accept a placement. Shifting the fee structure to have most fees paid after a student accepts their offer gives students more flexibility to decide later on in the process if they end up choosing not to do a PEY, and costs them less money if they are unable to find a placement.

In addition, students argue that having the ECC charge most of its fees after an offer is extended would demonstrate confidence that it can help most students find placements successfully.

Upper-year mechanical engineering student Sourabh Das wrote, “There are existing problems with the quality and quantity of services which make it difficult to see any sort of massive expansion by the faculty in good faith.”

He added that he would like to see more flexibility in work terms, meaning that students could take multiple shorter placements rather

than being confined to 12– 16 month ones.

Roger Francis, Executive Director of the ECC, wrote to The Varsity that multiple student groups were consulted in the changes, including EngSoc and YNCN, and that “the costs are directly related to delivering the various aspects of an official co-operative education program.”

He added, “An assessment and design process was initiated to create a co-op program that was in keeping with student demands and satisfied all requirements of an accredited Co-operative Education.”

Under the new plan, the ECC hopes to hire more staff members, institute new professional development and career programming, and provide more support for students during their work placements. “As the program continues to develop and evolve, feedback is continuously being integrated into the future program,” wrote Francis.

Some students also expressed concerns about the attitude of certain faculty administrators toward student criticism of the revamp. One student, Muskan Sethi, and two others, who wished to remain unnamed due to involvement in faculty governance, attended a meeting in February where they recalled a conversation about the PEY changes.

According to the three students, ViceDean Undergraduate Thomas Coyle made insensitive remarks about low-income students and dismissed students’ concerns about the increased cost by comparing it to the increase in the price of his Netflix subscription. Coyle is also a proponent of the final report on the revamp. The Varsity has reached out to Coyle for comment.

Cont’d, p. 2

YES/NO RECALL VOTE RATIO

no VOTES NEEDED TO PASS: 67%

Yes

2

NEWS

THE VARSITY

news@thevarsity.ca cont'd. from cover

Vol. CXLI, No. 8 21 Sussex Avenue, Suite 306 Toronto, ON M5S 1J6 (416) 946-7600 the.varsity

thevarsity.ca

the.varsity

thevarsitynewspaper

The Varsity

@TheVarsity

MASTHEAD Ibnul Chowdhury Editor-in-Chief

editor@thevarsity.ca

Nathalie Whitten Creative Director

creative@thevarsity.ca

Kathryn Mannie Managing Editor Silas Le Blanc Managing Online Editor

managing@thevarsity.ca online@thevarsity.ca

Megan Brearley Senior Copy Editor

copy@thevarsity.ca

Hannah Carty News Editor

news@thevarsity.ca

Nadine Waiganjo Comment Editor Spencer Ki Business & Labour Editor Stephanie Bai Features Editor Ori Gilboa Arts & Culture Editor

comment@thevarsity.ca biz@thevarsity.ca features@thevarsity.ca arts@thevarsity.ca

Tahmeed Shafiq Science Editor

science@thevarsity.ca

Laura Ashwood Sports Editor

sports@thevarsity.ca

William Xiao Design Editor

williamx@thevarsity.ca

Aditi Putcha Design Editor

aditi@thevarsity.ca

Samantha Yao Photo Editor Fiona Tung Illustration Editor Dina Dong Video Editor

photos@thevarsity.ca illustration@thevarsity.ca video@thevarsity.ca

Munachi Ernest-Eze Front End Web Developer

munachi@thevarsity.ca

Rahul Tarak Back End Web Developer

rahult@thevarsity.ca

Maya Morriswala Deputy Senior Copy Editor Lauren Alexander Deputy News Editor

deputysce@thevarsity.ca deputynews@thevarsity.ca

Hafsa Ahmed UTM Bureau Chief

utm@thevarsity.ca

Alexa DiFrancesco UTSC Bureau Chief

utsc@thevarsity.ca

Isabel Armiento Graduate Bureau Chief

grad@thevarsity.ca

Angad Deol Vacant Associate Senior Copy Editor Associate Sports Editor Marta Anielska, Khatchig Anteblian Associate News Edtior

Sarah Folk, Anastasiya Gordiychuk Associate B&L Editor

Mélina Lévesque, Shernise Mohammed-Ali Associate Comment Editor

Vacant Associate Design Editor

Jadine Ngan Associate Features Editor

Vacant Associate Illo Editor

Mikaela Toone Associate A&C Editor

Caroline Bellamy, Nathan Ching Associate Photo Editor

Vacant Associate Science Editor

Olivia Pryce-Digby Associate Video Editor

Lead Copy Editors Marta Anielska, Khatchig Anteblian, Talha Anwar Chaudhry Copy Editors Arushi Dahiya, Sahir Dhalla, Jennifer Furman, Robert Guglielmin, Jennifer Lou, Oeishi Mukherjee, Duaa Nasir, Diya Ratti, Julia Da Silva, Kiri Stockwood, Melissa Cusack Striepe, Ayra Chantiqa Putri Wibowo, Malka Younas, Amy Zhang, Cherry Zhang

BUSINESS OFFICE Joy Fan Business Manager

business@thevarsity.ca

Parmis Mehdiyar Advertising Executive

parmism@thevarsity.ca

Angelina Ouyang Advertising Executive

angelinao@thevarsity.ca

The Varsity is the University of Toronto’s largest student newspaper, publishing since 1880. It is printed by Master Web Inc. on recycled newsprint stock. Content © 2020 by The Varsity.

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

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

Engineering Society nearly recalls president At the annual EngSoc recall meeting, where all undergraduate engineering students have the ability to recall the EngSoc executives — thereby removing them from office — each executive member gave a presentation on their work so far this year and answered questions from students. Over 250 students attended the meeting on October 30, which ran from 6:00 pm to after midnight.

Before the reports from executive members, EngSoc Speaker Zahir Firoze and Ombudsperson Saskia van Beers presented the results of a survey they conducted to see how students felt about the new PEY program. Out of 965 students who responded to a question on whether they supported the revamp, 627 were against the changes, 158 were neutral, and 180 supported it.

Thirty-five per cent of students also reported that they would not be able to access the program with the new changes without financial support.

The first item on the agenda was the investigation into President Christopher Kousinioris.

Firoze and van Beers said that they received

complaints that Kousinioris “misrepresented the student body” at the Faculty Council meeting where the PEY changes were approved. The complaints alleged that Kousinioris made it seem like students supported the revamp when they did not. Firoze and van Beers then launched an investigation about the complaints.

After interviewing several people who were at the meeting, the investigation found no clear answer as to whether Kousinioris said that students were in favour of the changes. According to the report, Kousinioris expressed that when he realized the program would pass anyway, he showed personal support for it at the Faculty Council meeting to maintain good relations with the FASE. Kousinioris told students at the accountability meeting that although he may have said that he personally supports the changes, he did not intend to say that all students supported the changes, calling his remarks “a poor choice of words.” He claimed that he has fought hard in the past for the changes to the program that students wanted to see, although he acknowledged that more consultation with students should have

been done.

In his speech to the student body detailing his work this year, delivered after the complaints, Kousinioris laid out a plan of action to enact the changes students wanted to see to the program.

He intends to talk to faculty administration about their demands and, if all else fails, organize a boycott of the ECC. In their questions to him, students were overall concerned that Kousinioris did not do enough to stop the changes, nor did he keep the student body adequately informed on what was happening with the new program.

Following a lengthy question and discussion period, the vote to recall Kousinioris narrowly failed, with 252 votes in favour, 145 against, and 29 abstentions. Not counting abstentions, 63 per cent voted in favour of recalling the executive — slightly less than the two-thirds majority required to implement the recall.

After the accountability meeting, Kousinioris wrote to The Varsity, “We continue to be fully dedicated to getting a better deal for students.

We will be launching into more advocacy and consultations soon.”

U of T modifies review of IHRP hiring controversy following impartiality, transparency concerns

Review to be presented to President Meric Gertler, criticism of reviewer remains Marta Anielska Associate News Editor

courage anyone approached for an interview to comply.

In response to criticisms regarding the transparency and impartiality of its process, U of T has modified its review of the hiring controversy at the Faculty of Law’s International Human Rights Program (IHRP), which will now be presented directly to President Meric Gertler and be released in full.

The purpose of the review is to look into allegations that the faculty hired Dr. Valentina Azarova as the new director for the IHRP and rescinded the offer due to external influence over her criticism of Israel regarding the situation in Palestine. The dean of the Faculty of Law has denied that an offer was ever made and that there was any external influence.

After the decision to change the review’s format was announced, an open letter was published by several professors in the Faculty of Law. The open letter outlined the review’s shortcomings and the implications of the resolution of the issue for the future of academic freedom.

Responses to modification Critics noted that the changes were a step in the right direction, but that the university still has a long way to go to address other issues, including the limited mandate that some feel does not address all the issues present.

“The president’s announcement yesterday is welcome news and is an acknowledgement that the university made mistakes in the way it set up its inquiry,” Samer Muscati, a former IHRP director, wrote in an email to The Varsity. “But more needs to be done to address other fairness concerns raised by the faculty.”

Denise Réaume, one of the law professors who signed off on the open letter, also pointed out that Patterson might have a conflict because she was chosen by administrators whom she may need to investigate. “Concerns about whether President Patterson is an impartial investigator are extremely important,” she wrote in an email to The Varsity.

“As currently set, there is no confidence in the reviewer,” Vincent Wong, an IHRP research associate who resigned when the scandal broke, wrote. “I would not cooperate with such a head of review who, by her actions in the past, would lead to such an obvious and egregious reasonable apprehension of bias.”

Modifications to the review process Previously, the review would have been given to administrators including Dean of the Faculty of Law Edward Iaccobucci and VicePresident Human Resources and Equity Kelly Hannah-Moffat, prompting concerns, as they had both denied that an offer was ever made.

The report itself was originally not going to be made public, leading some to criticize the review’s transparency. The report will now be delivered directly to President Meric Gertler.

Moreover, it will be released in full to the public with redactions only made to protect personal information.

The external review will still be conducted

by Professor Bonnie Patterson, who herself was subject to scrutiny in a scandal in 2001, when a report by the Canadian Association of University Teachers found that Patterson violated a professor’s academic freedom during her term as president of Trent University.

She will be expected to provide a factual narrative of the search committee’s hiring process, a reason for why Azarova’s candidacy was discontinued, and her conclusions on whether university policy or procedures were violated.

“It is important that we now await the results of the comprehensive review that will establish the facts of what happened and make recommendations to the University,” Gertler concluded in his statement. He added that while participation is voluntary, he would en-

Concerns in the open letter Besides concerns over allegations made against Patterson, the open letter also questions the review’s mandate and potential consequences of the report’s findings. “The original terms of the review have not been altered and are vague enough to constitute a blank cheque,” Réaume wrote.

“We just can’t see how this review can get to the bottom of the most important questions, and unless it does, the concerns about interference with academic-related decision-making at U of T will not be laid to rest.”

The letter also stressed that there are other far-reaching implications of the review that should be specifically addressed by its mandate.

For example, the authority of a dean in hiring practices, the difference between the rights of faculty and managerial staff, and the question of academic freedom itself are never explicitly mentioned in the terms of the review.

The letter concludes with an offer to consult with the university about appropriate terms for the investigation to be based on. “These are all very well-respected legal scholars whose analysis and recommendations the university must take seriously,” Muscati wrote.

“In terms of next steps, I hope that the president takes the faculty up on their offer and consults with them about the terms needed for an adequate investigation.”

U of T has changed its plans for the review of the IHRP hiring controversy.

MICHAEL PHOON/THEVARSITY

var.st/news

NOVEMBER 2, 2020

3

COVID-19 self-assessment required Faculty of Arts & Science extends to visit campus, U of T announces credit/no credit, late withdrawal deadlines for 2020–2021 Visitors may have to show proof to enter some buildings Students will now be able to see their grades before selecting CR/NCR, LWD Hannah Carty News Editor

Students will now be required to use UCheck, U of T’s self-assessment tool.

JACKY LAI/THEVARSITY

Hannah Carty News Editor

Starting October 26, U of T announced that it will require community members to complete a selfassessment for COVID-19 before visiting campus.

The university recently rolled out its own self-assessment portal called UCheck, which evaluates the user’s risk of COVID-19 based on several questions and gives a ‘red’ or ‘green’ status. If someone receives a ‘red’ status, they should not come to campus. If they receive a ‘green’ status, they can visit campus or leave their residence room. UCheck is available on all electronic devices, and there is also a printable paper version.

It does not appear that a self-assessment will be required to enter every building on campus. Instead, a university spokesperson wrote to The Varsity that

the university is taking an educational approach instead of enforcing the required self-assessment for entry into every U of T building. They elaborated that visitors to campus “may be asked to confirm completion of their self-assessments before entering some buildings or facilities on campus.”

“Students are expected to complete health screening on the day they are coming to campus,” wrote the spokesperson.

According to the university’s COVID-19 dashboard, there were three cases of COVID-19 between October 17–23 among people in the U of T community. Some faculties further limited their inperson instruction following Ontario’s announcement on October 9 that it would return to Stage 2 restrictions for 28 days due to a rising number of cases in the province.

In an email from Dean Melanie Woodin, the Faculty of Arts & Science (FAS) announced that it is extending the deadlines for credit/no credit (CR/NCR) and late withdrawal (LWD) until after students are able to see their grades for the 2020–2021 year.

The new deadline for both CR/NCR and LWD is January 15, 2021 for fall semester courses, and May 7, 2021 for spring semester and yearlong courses. Students will be able to view their grades first, and then “[decide] if the CR/NCR or LWD options are right for them,” wrote Woodin.

She explained that the change was to help students amidst the difficult semester. Many students have seen their course deliveries change spontaneously, with all hybrid courses in the FAS being moved online on October 10.

“I am keenly focused on any adjustments we can make to current academic policies throughout the year to help alleviate stresses students are experiencing,” explained Woodin in her email to students. The FAS also extended the deadline in March 2020 as classes moved suddenly online due to COVID-19.

Aside from the new deadline, Woodin noted that the policies for CR/NCR and LWD will remain the same.

Arts and Science Students’ Union (ASSU) President Ikran Jama wrote to The Varsity that “ASSU overwhelmingly supports this deci-

The Faculty of Arts & Science is extending credit/no credit and late withdrawal deadlines.

ELENA IOURTAEVA/THEVARSITY

sion as it provides much needed academic and personal relief to students during such a difficult time.” She added that many students had reached out to ASSU with concerns about the deadlines, and that the ASSU executive then communicated the concerns to Woodin.

In the future, ASSU hopes the change will be made permanent, so students will always have the option of viewing their final grades before selecting the CR/NCR or LWD options. The executives are currently drafting a proposal for the faculty to approve.

New international students can return to Canada for essential study purposes U of T deemed designated learning institution, will accommodate transport, quarantine

Marta Anielska Associate News Editor

On October 20, the federal government announced that international students from several designated learning institutions (DLIs), including U of T, will be allowed to return to Canada if they already have, or have been approved for, a study permit and are returning for the purpose of an ongoing educational program.

To be eligible as a DLI, universities must fulfill certain criteria, such as providing students with a quarantine location.

Travelling to Canada Before the policy change, international students who had not received a study permit prior to March 18 could not return to Canada, with the exception of international students from the US. Now, students will be allowed to return regardless of their country of residence or the country where their study permit was approved, according to the university. However, students may only return if their reason is deemed “non-discretionary and non-optional.”

A student’s return is considered essential if they have all the required documentation, they attend a DLI, the reason for their return is to study, and their program remains active. Border service officers will consider a variety of factors upon arrival to determine the student’s eligibility, such as their reason for travelling to Canada and whether they can safely quarantine before attending classes.

A student’s family may also come with them to Canada as long as they prove that the reason for their stay is “non-optional.” When entering the country, students must have a valid study

permit, an acceptance letter, and proof that they will be able to support themselves and their family for the duration of their stay. Border service officers will make the decision on whether a student is eligible to stay in Canada.

U of T readiness plan In order to qualify as a DLI, a university must provide students with transportation from the airport; a 14-day quarantine location; and information on how to stay safe, and get food, medication, and health insurance during their quarantine.

U of T’s plan, which begins with helping students form a quarantine plan, fulfills all these obligations. If possible, students will be accommodated on campus. In the event that accom-

modation on campus is not available, the university will provide students with a downtown hotel room.

Students will have daily health and wellness checks and will be tested for COVID-19 in accordance with health guidelines. Welcome packs with snacks, detergent, face masks, and digital thermometers are also provided.

The university will also offer an “at-home” program that allows students to quarantine in their own space. This program will include information on how to quarantine, where students can get food, and how to receive health and wellness checks. During this period, U of T encourages quarantining students to get involved in curricular and co-curricular activities and to use mental health resources as needed.

ANANYA ANANTH/THEVARSITY

“We understand that the pandemic brings additional challenges, especially around isolation and loneliness,” a U of T spokesperson wrote in an email to The Varsity. “Students continue to have access online and by phone to the Health and Wellness services at all three campuses, including individual counselling appointments as well as groups.”

The spokesperson added that “international students are an important part of the U of T community, contributing diverse perspectives and experiences; they are part of the worldclass education that prepares all students to cooperate and compete internationally.” They also noted that students would benefit from attending online classes and communicating with other students while in the same time zone.

Reaction to U of T’s procedure “My overall experience with the university’s COVID-19 and quarantine procedure was great,” Shashwat Aggarwal, a third-year student from New Delhi who returned to Canada in August, wrote to The Varsity. “[It accommodated] for dietary restrictions, ensured that the students got whatever they needed in their rooms, and performed daily health & wellness daily check ins.”

While Aggarwal acknowledged all the hard work professors have done to accommodate students in different time zones, he also wrote that “it is still very difficult to do online schooling from a place that you associate with comfort and peace.” However, he noted that students have different learning styles, and there are pros and cons to returning to Canada.

Aggarwal wrote, “For some students, being able to do school from home is awesome but for some it’s not what they wanted.”

4

THE VARSITY

NEWS

news@thevarsity.ca

Shift to online learning platforms draw questions about privacy, accessibility Professor François Pitt: academic integrity should be balanced with student concerns tocol address of the device used, device event information such as “crashes, system activity, hardware settings, browser type, browser language,” and also information on usage of the services such as logins, viewing pages, uploading files, posting on forums, and submitting quizzes on Quercus.

The U of T spokesperson wrote, “Software licensed by the University is carefully assessed, and complies with privacy and security requirements and policies governing student data.”

Pitt noted that the university provides professors with guidelines and recommendations, but does not enforce the usage of any particular software or technology. “The university is basically taking the stance that ‘profs will do what profs will do. We’re here to provide advice and guidance, but they make their own decisions,’ ” he said.

Khatchig Anteblian Associate News Editor

As U of T moves hybrid classes online, more and more students are relying on online platforms for their coursework. As students transition to such a learning environment, these platforms raise new concerns about data privacy and accessibility.

The university provides some online software for students to use, like Quercus and Acorn; others are vetted by the university before licensing for class and student use. However, according to François Pitt, a teaching stream associate professor in the Department of Computer Science at U of T, there are few regulations on what software should be used and how.

Students also require new kinds of accessibility accommodations in these online spaces, as many who are disabled request to turn off cameras during online lectures. International students in different time zones also face unique barriers.

Concerns about privacy A major point of concern when it comes to privacy in online school is the use of online proctoring software, such as ProctorU. Some courses — including those at U of T — use these programs to find and prevent academic misconduct during online exams. Often these programs require access to the student’s webcam, microphone, screen, and browser to monitor behaviour during tests.

ProctorU in particular recently came under fire for a data breach that compromised the personal information of thousands of users. In an email to The Varsity, a U of T spokesperson noted that the breach included a “limited amount of student data from 2015” and affected 152 U of T students, 146 of whom are now alumni.

The spokesperson wrote that while the university does not plan to introduce new restric-

Online learning platforms raise a variety of privacy concerns.

SARAH CUMMINGS/THEVARSITY

tions on the usage of the software, U of T is offering guidance for instructors to consider methods of online assessment other than online proctoring.

In an interview with The Varsity, Pitt provided an instructor’s perspective on the platforms used in online courses and discussed the kinds of information that is visible about students. Pitt said that he believes academic integrity shouldn’t come at the cost of student privacy, noting that a balance must be struck when dealing with online assessments.

While he thinks that most students are honest and understand the value of the courses they’re taking, he added, “We know that line gets crossed. We know we don’t catch everybody who crosses that line. It’s not possible.”

He noted that the goal is to set up enough of a deterrent to cheating so that it’s much easier to be honest.

Pitt added that trying to create completely cheating-proof assignments creates the impression that “[professors] know you’re going to do bad things and [they’re] waiting for you to do bad things so [they] can catch you. And I think that’s bad.”

Data governance The university is subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, which governs the collection and use of data for most public entities in Ontario. A statement on the website of the Office of the Governing Council of U of T reads, “The University of Toronto collects, creates, uses, maintains, discloses and disposes of information” for operating the university’s programs and business.

Quercus and Acorn do collect some data about students, including the internet pro-

Accessibility on online platforms On the topic of accessibility — especially for international students who may be in different time zones or who have restricted internet access — the U of T spokesperson wrote, “We are developing solutions to address overall access for students, including possible access to a U of T [virtual private network].”

According to the U of T spokesperson, students who have accessibility accommodations have also been increasingly requesting to turn off cameras and not appear on video due to a disability, which may affect their ability to look at screens for prolonged periods of time.

The Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation has made a guide for instructors to make courses more accessible, including tips on captioning.

U of T Student Life has also published a resource for students that includes guides and recommendations on using screen readers, screen magnification, and speech recognition, as well as navigating accessibility on different platforms.

Committee on Academic Policy and Programs reviews UTSC, mitigation of harassment, discrimination at medicine faculty Report praises student talent, quality of programs

Savannah Ribeiro Varsity Staff

when certain concerns, like student harassment, require a longer and sustained response.

U of T’s Committee on Academic Policy and Programs (AP&P) released its report on reviews of academic units and programs. As part of the University’s Quality Assurance Process (UTQAP), reviews of programs are done at least every eight years.

Professor Mark Schmuckler, Vice-Provostial Advisor Academic Programs, spoke about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the quality assurance process at the AP&P meeting on October 27.

He said that “quality assurance work has not slowed down” since the university closed but noted that the greatest impact is on in-person reviews. Some upcoming reviews have been delayed, deferred, or reimagined as virtual meetings.

Current reviews reflect the findings from the previous assessments, including praise for the high quality of programs, student talent, and scholarship produced by faculty. Additional highlights include programs’ interdisciplinary strengths, along with initiatives taken to enhance equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Suggested areas of development included communication and governance structures. The need for faculty and curriculum diversity was also highlighted as an area for improvement.

One of the reviews was a non-UTQAP review of UTSC campus. Additionally, AP&P released follow-up reviews for several programs, including the Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s Doctor of Medicine (MD) program. Follow ups are usually requested

Temerty Faculty of Medicine provostial review In October 2019, AP&P requested a follow up on the faculty’s “progress in understanding and addressing the causes of student harassment.” Dean of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine Trevor Young, in a letter to Vice-Provost Academic Programs and ViceProvost Innovations in Undergraduate Learning Susan McCahan, noted that a quarter of students had reported experiencing harassment, while 40 per cent experienced discrimination.

These findings come from the faculty survey of MD students, and the results are apparently similar to those in other student surveys and from other Canadian medical schools.

The follow up reported that the faculty had “focused its efforts on mitigating barriers to the reporting and disclosure of instances of mistreatment.” Efforts included a promotion of professional behaviour and values. This consisted of updates to policies and procedures that ensure mechanisms “are in place to manage faculty who act in an unprofessional manner.”

Other actions included the appointment of two new directors, one for the Professional Values Program and one for Learner Experience. The director for the latter will chair the new Learner Experience Advisory Council (LEAC). LEAC’s mandate is to develop strategies to understand medical students’ experiences and use this information to develop best practices for “how to optimize the learning environ-

ment.”

A new module for medical students will be implemented into their curriculum and will focus on best practices for dealing with mistreatment, as well as how to identify instances of mistreatment.

UTSC review This year’s review was largely in agreement with the last review in 2013, with reviewers praising the innovation of graduate and undergraduate programs.

Praise was given to UTSC’s strengthening of their co-op program and “expanding experiential learning opportunities for all students.”

Reviewers noted a commitment to diversity, inclusion, and student wellness. Regarding faculty, there were “recent efforts toward gender pay equity.”

Attention was also drawn to concerns that “UTSC currently contributes much more to the University Fund than it receives,” while also noting that other areas of the university benefit from this more than UTSC students and faculty.

There were several other areas of concern. For undergraduate students, there was uneven enrolment in programs. Graduate students at UTSC were found to face more limited access to “support services, seminars, and career development/networking opportunities” compared to their UTSG counterparts.

Regarding COVID-19, English Professor Katherine Larson noted that “Co-op and experiential learning programs are currently running remotely” and that the pandemic has opened up the question of the need for more “flexible and inclusive instructional models.”

Program reviews are done at least every eight years.

SAMANTHA YAO/THEVARSITY

var.st/news

NOVEMBER 2, 2020

5

UTMSU October Board of Directors meeting reports on financial statements, divestment, education advocacy Audit shows impacts from COVID-19 pandemic on finances Hafsa Ahmed UTM Bureau Chief

The University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) held its seventh Board of Directors meeting on October 30 over Zoom.

Members discussed initiatives that they have been working on in the past month, including an upcoming divestment campaign, and discussed audit financial statements that detailed the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Statements revealed that the Blind Duck Pub struggled during the pandemic, and students saw a decrease in wages due the lack of activity on campus.

Executive reports During the meeting’s executive reports, Noha Farawi, Vice-President Equity, highlighted the Campaigns and Advocacy Commission, which was held this past month and included over 60 student attendees, according to Farawi. She noted that many people were interested in the upcoming Divest Now campaign.

The first step of the Divest Now campaign, Farawi said, is to hold a meeting with the Central Student Association at the University of Guelph, which has voted to divest from fossil fuels after seven years of student-led advocacy.

“The working group will meet soon to discuss how we’re going to bring this campaign to UTM,” said Farawi.

Mitra Yakubi, President of the UTMSU, discussed her team’s work on its Mental Health Care Program, noting that it recently trained volunteers. Yakubi also highlighted upcoming events, such as the VolunTEAM Cafe, and discussed the ongoing ‘EducationForAll’ campaign.

Yakubi noted that in October, her team con-

tinued to post student testimonials in order to keep the momentum of the campaign going.

The team members also met with the administration for a second meeting, which “assured [them] that they were currently working on the demands and what it looks like for them to implement parts of the demands.”

Audited financial statements draft The meeting moved on to discuss the audited financial statement draft of the 2019–2020 year, as presented by Fahad Dayala, Vice-President Internal. Financial statement audits pertain to student clubs, which submit financial statements to the UTMSU.

With regard to the Blind Duck, a pub run by the UTMSU, total assets were low compared to the previous year, mostly due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We didn’t have any events in the last two months of the financial year, and that’s why we did not have [any] accounts receivables pending,” Dayala said.

The Blind Duck’s inventory also went down toward the end of the year due to COVID-19.

“We had to throw [out] some of the inventory at the Blind Duck because they were perishable items… some of the things expired and things of that nature happened,” said Dayala. Things were similar with respect to liabilities and net assets, with liabilities showing less due to the inactivity

The University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union office.

DOMINICK HAN/THEVARSITY

surrounding the pandemic in the last two months.

Dayala discussed income statements as well, highlighting low sales and expenditures due to the lack of people on campus and low wages because of the closures for part-time staff during those last two months. He also pointed to the significant decrease in revenue from the student levy, which dropped from $117,00 to $96,000.

This, Dayala explained, was due to the opt-out option that was available last year because of the Student Choice Initiative. He further noted that the audited financial statement draft will be presented at the UTMSU’s upcoming annual general meeting.

UTMSU audit The next part of the budget presentation involved the UTMSU audit, which looks into the finances of the union itself, also presented by Dayala. He began with current assets, which showed “a big jump in numbers from 2019–2020.”

Dayala explained that this is due to the UTMSU managing its own health and dental plan. Previously, the UTMSU acquired its plan through the University of Toronto Student’s Union (UTSU) but has managed the plan itself since last year, having broken off from the UTSU at the beginning of 2019. “That is why we saw a significant increase in… cash and cash equivalents,” he said.

Dayala discussed the statement of operations, which looked at the income and expenses of the past year. He highlighted a small increase in finances and no revenue coming in through ticket sales or the Blind Duck, among other things.

This was mostly due to closures surrounding the pandemic, Dayala noted, with expenses being comparatively lower since the UTMSU has not had any events in the past few months.

UTGSU October Council meeting discusses COVID-19 updates, elections committee findings Selection committee for Black Graduate Student Excellence Bursary also formed

at the advice of the chief returning officer to waive nomination requirements to accommodate COVID-19 campus closures, which may make it difficult for some students to obtain 15 signatures.

“The changes to the Election Code were presented and discussed at the September 30, 2020 General Council meeting and [the] General Council voted to approve the Elections Code as presented,” the UTGSU executives wrote.

Isabel Armiento Graduate Bureau Chief

The University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (UTGSU) gave several reports at its General Council meeting on October 27, including a COVID-19 campus update and a report from the Executive Elections Investigation Committee (EEIC).

At the meeting, the General Council elected members to the Black Graduate Student Excellence Bursary selection committee and appointed an executive member-at-large and the chair of the Board of Appeal.

COVID-19 campus update June Li, UTGSU Academics and Funding Commissioner for Divisions 3 and 4, gave a report on campus COVID-19 updates. Li noted that many graduate students may not know that they are eligible for a tuition waiver, and specified that any graduate student in the unfunded cohort and whose research was disrupted by COVID-19 is eligible for a waiver.

The UTGSU executives wrote in an email to The Varsity, “Graduate students have been overwhelmingly expressing sentiments of concern regarding communication from the university and the impacts of COVID-19.” The executives cited evidence from the COVID-19 Student Impact Survey it launched in August 2020 that showed that a majority of the 1,500 students surveyed were dissatisfied with the university’s method of providing updates on COVID-19.

Li added that executive members have been meeting with administration team members. “We’re going to be giving them advice and… giving them feedback on their current ways of communication,” Li said.

UTGSU held its October Council Meeting on October 27.

MICHAEL PHOON/THEVARSITY

Elections The UTGSU presented the recent report from the EEIC, which formed after the UTGSU’s 2020 executive elections to “investigate the impact UTGSU bodies may have had on the fairness and legitimacy of the Election” as well as “report on the impartiality of the 2020 Elections” and “submit suggested improvements.” The EEIC was commissioned to write this report following allegations of defamation during the election cycle from two unsuccessful candidates.

The report states that the EEIC “perceives the 2020 UTGSU election to be legitimate” and outlines recommendations to correct any “issues of fairness

and impartiality.”

The UTGSU discussed which recommendations might be appropriate to adopt into its bylaws. During the discussion of the report’s findings, a council member digressed and questioned why no candidates were made to collect signatures as part of their nomination for the current fall by-elections. Earlier elections during the pandemic asked candidates to collect electronic signatures from students to legitimize their nomination; however, this election cycle waived the requirement.

The UTGSU executives wrote to The Varsity in an email that the election code was recently changed

Black Graduate Student Excellence Bursary The UTGSU appointed a selection committee for the Black Graduate Student Excellence Bursary, which was formed in September 2020. Jacqui Spencer, External Commissioner, was elected as the executive member to serve on the selection committee.

The UTGSU wrote in an email to The Varsity that this bursary is intended “to provide financial support to help improve fair and equitable access to educational opportunities for Black students commencing graduate studies at the University of Toronto.” “[The bursary] recognizes that talent and excellence thrive in Black communities and that providing fair and equitable access to educational opportunities acknowledges the creativity, leadership capacity and gifted nature of Black students,” the UTGSU wrote.

Appointments The General Council also elected Ben Hjorth as the UTGSU’s executive member-at-large, who assists the UTGSU executive members with running general standing committees and caucasus for a sixmonth term.

The council elected Batool Barodi as the chair of the Board of Appeal. A vice-chair of the Board of Appeal was not appointed at this meeting, as no eligible nominations were made.

Business & Labour

November 2, 2020 var.st/business biz@thevarsity.ca

Breaking down the historic $250 million Temerty donation to the Faculty of Medicine Where will the money go and who will administer it?

Suramya Singh Varsity Contributor

On September 24, U of T President Meric Gertler announced a massive $250 million gift to the Faculty of Medicine from the Temerty Foundation.

The donation has been hailed as a transformational gift for the future of not just the university, but also medicine and health care at large.

Plans are now in place for the funds to be put to use within the first year of the donation’s receipt.

But what exactly will the donation from the Temerty Foundation achieve?

Who controls the purse strings?

The Temerty Foundation has been steeped in commitments to research and discovery in medicine and health care since its formation in 1997. It has been key in the establishment of several milestone institutions in Canada, including the Temerty Center for Therapeutic Brain Intervention; the Louise Temerty Breast Cancer Center; and the world’s first international telesimulation centre, the TemertyChang International Centre for Telesimulation and Innovation in Medical Education at the University Health Network.

U of T’s list of clear-cut goals begs the question of how involved the Temerty Foundation will be in the execution of them. When asked about the extent of the Temertys’ role in the university’s management of the gift, Professor Trevor Young, Dean of U of T’s newly christened Temerty Faculty of Medicine, reinforced that the faculty’s academic freedom is a necessary condition for any donation.

“The donors will not guide student admissions, faculty appointments, or research funding priorities,” he wrote in an email to The Varsity. As with all donations, to ensure that the donors’ intentions are respected, an advisory committee will be established by the faculty to monitor the use of the gift.

Some goals are specific As U of T applies no administrative charges to gifts, the entirety of the $250 million will be directed toward the support of the gift’s goals. Headlining these is the establishment of a new Temerty Centre

for AI Research and Education in Medicine.

Another large expense will be the construction of the state-of-the-art James and Louise Temerty Building at the corner of King’s College Road and King’s College Circle, a renovation of the Faculty of Medicine’s west building.

The donation includes the $10 million gift that the Temertys already advanced in April, which established the Dean’s COVID-19 Priority Fund.

Another fund, also to be created thanks to the donation, is the Dean’s Strategic Initiatives and Innovation Fund, which is aimed at investing in “star researchers,” new equipment, and open opportunities.

Another planned fund will aim to support collaborations across the Toronto Academic Health Science Network, which encompasses the teaching and research hospitals in partnership with the university.

At its most specific, the donation will allow the university to procure a cryo-electron microscope, a powerful tool that can zoom in on proteins ’atomic structures, which can help the advancement of medicine.

Beyond the technical, the faculty will also recruit an elder-in-residence to bring Indigenous knowledge and experience to teaching in medicine. The position will be established alongside an Elders Circle to provide governance in alignment with Indigenous traditions and to advise the administration.

But others are more flexible Young labelled the gift as a “mix of endowed and expendable funds.”

“It also includes a mix of specifically designated and unrestricted funds, allowing for tremendous agility, flexibility and sustainability,” Young wrote.

More open-ended goals include enhancing the innovation and entrepreneurship activities of the Faculty of Medicine, amplifying Toronto’s reputation as a hub for health innovation, and accelerating research in specialized medical fields. Accordingly, the faculty will award more grants to promising researchers unable to access traditional funding. “[The gift] was made by the donors as an investment in the Faculty of Medicine’s collective vision

for its future, as articulated in our ambitious Academic Strategic Plan,” Young wrote. “Aligning with the objectives of the Strategic Plan, the gift will support the Faculty’s next century of impact through a focus on three main areas of support: discovery, collaboration and equity.”

Young went on to add: “With investments allocated over a multi-year period, the Temerty family’s gift will have a tremendous impact on health science, health-care innovation and health education.”

Saving up for student success U of T students will continue to hear of the historic nature of this donation for a long time to come. But how will they benefit from it?

To help lower barriers for students, a $20 million endowment will be set up for Doctor of Medicine student bursaries. According to Young, this will substantially increase the number of students receiving tuition support as well as the amount many will receive.

Additionally, funds from the donation will be directed toward the growth of equity programs undertaken by the university, such as the Black Student Application Program, Indigenous Student Application Program, and Community of Support Initiative.

“The faculty will also be investing in learner wellness by developing a series of carefully considered initiatives and curriculum developments that will position Temerty Faculty of Medicine graduates to excel, such as personal counselling, wellness, and career planning programs, as well as specific supports and services that support equity, diversity, and inclusion of under-represented populations,” Young wrote.

The university has planned a number of objectives that the $250 million donation will finance.

SAMANTHA YAO/THEVARSITY

The inequitable effects of the robot revolution

Increasing use of artificial intelligence in the workplace hurts women more than men Janhavi Agarwal Business Correspondent

The adoption of technology commercially can be a slow process, but COVID-19 has accelerated it as firms try to reduce the number of humans in the workplace.

Artificial intelligence has long sparked fear of unemployment due to automation. While the risk of job loss depends on a variety of factors — such as the ease with which a robot could

replace a task — the social implications of automation are different for men and women.

A recent study by Statistics Canada estimated the unequal risk of job transformation faced by men and women as a result of automation.

The study was based on the methodology used in the Longitudinal and International Study of Adults, Wave 3, but the results were applied ROSALIND LIANG/THEVARSITY

to Canadian data in consultation with experts in automation-prone industries.

The risks were adjusted to account for differences in 25 tasks that workers performed in their jobs, such as sharing information or products and services. The study found that 44.4 per cent of women in the paid labour force faced a moderate to high risk of job transformation due to automation, as opposed to 34.8 per cent of men.

Women are more likely to hold a university degree. However, they are less likely to specialize in a technical field, making work opportunities in an increasingly digital world more difficult to find. Moreover, they are likely to work in areas such as retail or office support, which are highly automatable industries.

The effects of automation are being exacerbated by the pandemic, with women losing the most jobs at the start of the pandemic and regaining the least with the reopening. The study found that at the dawn of the pandemic in March, 63 per cent of job losses were reported by women. When the economy began to reopen in May, women only saw a 1.1 per cent increase in re-employment, as opposed to a 2.4 per cent increase for men.

Within a few short months,

COVID-19 has wildly impacted the way the world carries out business. With countries imposing lockdowns to contain the disease’s spread, everything has been moved to an online format so that day-to-day functioning can be carried out from behind a computer screen at home.

“A large proportion of direct job losses are in areas of predominantly low wage female employment,” wrote David Ticoll, a senior associate at the Munk School of Global Affairs’ Policy Innovation Lab in an email to The Varsity. “This applies, for example, to the shift towards online shopping and also the decline of office work.”

“A second trend affects middle and higher income women, who are juggling family, home schooling and their jobs - and often work from home,” Ticoll continued. “Third is the impact on front line workers such as teachers and health care workers. These jobs too are predominantly done by women. Their jobs are increasingly risky and demanding, resulting in health challenges, burnout, etc. They are under compensated for what they are now being asked to do.”

What’s one silver lining to women being in these struggling employment sectors? These jobs are ones that typically require more social skills. Even though women face job losses in the service sector, the social skills they gain are transferable, and highly sought after, in the digital economy.

Comment

November 2, 2020 var.st/comment comment@thevarsity.ca

Support, communication need to be better under online instruction There needs to be more flexibility — especially with asynchronous courses

Ashley Mutasa Varsity Contributor

While I had my reservations about starting another semester online, I was hopeful that the increased flexibility of remote learning would allow me to pace my learning and simultaneously give me more time to work on personal projects.

However, we’re now eight weeks into the semester and I feel more physically and mentally exhausted than I ever have before. I am currently working as a teaching assistant in the biology department and as a peer advisor with the International Education Centre — all while taking a full course load.

The lack of support and communication from my courses has created an increasingly stressful workload. While working responsibilities were

usually manageable during in-person classes, the online environment has made it more challenging to efficiently organize my time. I’ve found that online learning requires extra work to reach out to professors for support, especially in asynchronous courses.

To increase accountability during online instruction, professors have drastically altered course assessments. Two out of my five classes require me to watch asynchronous lecture videos before synchronous lectures, which increases the amount of time I spend in class.

For another course, while the lecture videos are posted after the lecture, I only have 48 hours to watch them before the graded participation assignment detailed in the lecture video is due.

Thus, even though recording lectures increases accessibility for people in alternate time zones, flexibility is limited for people who work during the week and can only watch the videos during the weekends.

Time management has become essential for balancing school and work responsibilities. The importance of setting realistic schedules and incorporating mental breaks to avoid burnout cannot be understated.

However, in this online environment, it is harder to find opportunities for

self-care when there is no time for it.

In-person learning offered mental reprieve through extracurricular activities, walks to class, and social interaction with classmates. However, with both work and school moved online, there are few avenues that allow rest. After a long day of staring at a screen, there is little motivation to digitally communicate with friends and family, or indulge in episodes of your favourite show on Netflix.

I have found that most support that I have received has been from my employers, taking my flexibility and availability into consideration when assigning tasks.

I believe that the flexibility I receive through work stems partly from the constant communication between me and my supervisors.

I can express my concerns and set realistic deadlines for work-related projects.

Opposingly, with many online courses shifting to asynchronous delivery, it is difficult to communicate with professors in a timely manner.

While online learning can improve productivity by reducing the amount of time students spend in transit, it is important to note that not every home is conducive to learning. Professors need to integrate opportunities for student

Being a working student has become increasingly difficult with online classes.

CANDICE ZHANG/THEVARSITY

feedback over the course of the semester. Furthermore, professors need to integrate more flexibility in assignment deadlines and make amendments to late submission penalties.

Experts have suggested that many aspects of life will remain virtual even after a vaccine has been approved. Thus, there is a need for constant improvement in communication between students and professors if we are to preserve the mental health of students.

Ashley Mutasa is a third-year neuroscience and statistics student at UTM.

Verbal participation during online learning should not be mandatory Mandatory verbal participation sucks the life out of online learning

Arissa Du Varsity Contributor

not live or study in an environment quiet enough for them to participate. This policy alienates these students on top of increasing anxiety.

I’m certain that this is not the initial objective of posing a mandatory demand on participation. One could argue that if there’s no obligation to respond to the professor, then there would be no interaction at all.

However, instructors should tailor the requirements to meet individual needs, meaning that professors and teaching assistants (TAs) could ask students to type or email their comments.

This would not only accommodate multiple forms of participation, but also reduce the anxiety that comes with on the spot responses. It would also make it easier for TAs and professors to keep track of who was and wasn’t participating.

It would be more helpful for the professors and TAs to offer these multiple channels of having discussions. With sufficient support from the university and professors, students would be less afraid to voice their opinions, leading to more insightful self-reflections and discussions. Moreover, once more students become motivated to share their opinions, increasing participation shouldn’t be a concern.

Amongst the various forms of ideas meant to garner more in-class engagement in online classes, mandatory verbal participation is one that should be removed. Professors who make it so students must vocally participate in class fail to consider not only the anxiety this induces, but also that other less intimidating forms of participation exist.

Mandatory verbal participation in online classes should be completely replaced by offering multiple means of participation. Not completing mandatory verbal participation tasks can induce endless feelings of failure, and during this particular time, they serve no other purpose besides adding onto the tremendous stress that students already bear.

It’s great for those who would love to lead discussions and voice their opinions directly to the class, and I understand it’s probably meant to make online classes more engaging. However, it’s a completely different picture for some students, especially those uncomfortable with public speaking. Speaking out loud while being stared at by countless faces on the screen can be very anxietyinducing, especially in this time when everything seems so unnecessarily amplified.

There is also the reality that not everyone is able to verbally speak up during class. Some students do

Arissa Du is a fourth-year criminology and psychology student at Victoria College.

FIONA TUNG/THEVARSITY

8

THE VARSITY

COMMENT

comment@thevarsity.ca

Op-ed: The very existence of police is racist, and they must be abolished A response to “Letter to the Editor: Calls to defund Campus Police lack evidence”

Thomas Elias Siddall Varsity Contributor

The recent letter to the editor titled “Calls to defund Campus Police lack evidence” purposely does not address the necessity of police in upholding the carceral system of fear in our economic system that is marked by systemic racism.

Policing is a violent colonial institution, and the very presence of police, no matter their actions, enacts this violence. It is ahistorical to claim that the call to defund Campus Police lacks evidence when its very existence is evidence enough, and to stop this violence we need to abolish Campus Police.

In order to recognize the violent systemic racism of campus policing, and policing as a whole, we need to consider how they are used to to support the extractive education system we learn in. Looking back at policing in Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted police’s roots come from the genealogies of extractive capitalism and colonialism. We need to question the integral structure of the university, and criticize how it enforces a harmful system of labour and work, and is systematically racist.

An example that The Varsity recently published of unfair compensation for labour demonstrates this. Students are situated in this environment where the issue of insignificant financial aid, health resources, or jobs are compounded by concerns of health during a pandemic, work during a recession, and livelihood against the increasing costs of living.

Students who need aid have to maintain their own well-being and continue to stay enrolled in classes just to expect a minor bursary or maintain good standing.

Yet, through all this there is a latent understanding that it is not safe to ask for help because Campus Police can arrest you under the auspices of mental health. Remember, there have been actual mental health-related deaths on campus because of the environment that the university enables — which Campus Police enforces.

However, it’s not just association with violence that makes Campus Police dangerous; it’s the fact that Campus Police and the police who patrol our communities are the same. We need to dispel that notion of difference immediately.

In Ontario, Campus Police have the powers of a special constable. Like real police officers,

they can arrest you when on campus. Considering campus police officers to be glorified security guards hides the very real issue that bodily harm can be done under the auspices of the administration. This delusion removes the traces of colonial policing institutions that already inflict disproportionate harm on racialized people.

So where the letter to the editor argues that calls for the removal of Campus Police are unfounded, I only have to say this: we need to abolish Campus Police amidst larger calls for the abolition of police because it’s far more dangerous than it is being perpetuated to be.

A reduction in the size of the Campus Police budget will not significantly free up resources to help students who just want an education.

A body camera is not going to end extrac-

tive colonial neoliberalism. Our solutions for safety on campus require a total rethinking of safety that challenges the institutional racism of our colonial system.

The total abolition of policing and the dispersal of those funds into services that enable members of our community to get help if and when they need it and on their own terms is not the only solution, but it needs to be one of them.

Reform is not an option because training and monitoring the police isn’t enough; the entire culture of violence, which is a result of imperialism and genocide, has fostered the notion that the solution for safety is to monitor all bodies and produce fear in the hopes that those being policed will act up.

I don’t know whether that letter was written

with the goal of notoriety or to start a genuine conversation. The point is that police are a racist institution no matter how it’s spun.

For those who still haven’t gotten the message, step out of the ivory tower and consider your position in relation to the extractive colonialism that has ingrained institutional racism into our societal structure, and understand that you cannot say facts matter and deny the reality that widespread lived experience of violence constitutes as a fact. The facts say that the very existence of the police is violent. It should be abolished.

Thomas Elias Siddall is a fourth-year international relations and contemporary Asian studies student at Victoria College. They served as the Victoria College director in 2019–2020.

Abolition shouldn’t be a question, even with Campus Police.

STEVEN LEE/THEVARSITY

Late penalties should be extended and consistent across all programs Online classes make time management more difficult Michelle Fornasier Varsity Contributor

NANCY JI/THEVARSITY

Now, more than ever, students have been struggling with their mental health due to the ongoing pandemic. There is evidence showing that the pandemic is linked to increased anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Among this, inconsistent late penalty policies exacerbate the problems that students are already dealing with.

The current — sometimes unforgiving — late policies do not allow students to take time for themselves. The format of online learning is such that there is very little separation between home life and school life. This makes it much harder to find time for self-care when it feels like you’re always at school. However, due to the increased stress people are facing in all facets of life, selfcare is now more important than ever.

The structure of online classes, in particular asynchronous ones, also makes it much harder to manage time, since they’re done when it’s most convenient for you. To make time management easier and, in turn, relieve some stress, faculties

should coordinate a consistent late policy.

Currently, courses have varying late policies.

For example, HMB472 — Exercise Physiology has a late policy that deducts 10 per cent on the first day and one per cent per additional day. Another human biology course, HMB474 — Dental Sciences, has different late penalties for each assignment: a one per cent deduction per day for the midterm and a two per cent deduction per day for the final assignment. A more standardized approach would make it much simpler for students to not only organize their time but also advocate for themselves.

I firmly believe that given the circumstances of this year’s pandemic and the university’s history with mental health, we should have a standard and more lenient late policy to give students grace during this strange time. A standardized late policy would allow for students to properly organize their time to allow them to tend to their mental health.

Michelle Fornasier is a fourth-year physiology and human geography student at Trinity College.

var.st/comment

NOVEMBER 2, 2020

9

Dalla Lana’s new IJB is a promising development in investigative journalism Reviewing the collaboration between students, academics, journalists Mélina Lévesque Associate Comment Editor

Whether it’s sitting in front of a television screen at home watching the daily updates on COVID-19 or reading about the latest developments of a potential vaccine in your copy of The Globe and Mail, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic rest at the core of current journalistic inquiry.

During this time of great uncertainty, we often find ourselves relying on journalists to provide us with updates on the status of public health and an insight into how society is adjusting to this new normal that is ever changing.

In this context, the launch of the Investigative Journalism Bureau (IJB) by the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto will provide student journalists with the opportunity to actively contribute to the conversation by diving deep into the world of investigative journalism and working collaboratively with other journalists and academics. This initiative will support the transformation and growth of investigative journalism, particularly in the field of public health research.

Crafted by award-winning investigative reporter Robert Cribb, alongside Gerry Gotfrit, a Toronto business executive and investigative journalism expert, the IJB’s investigative reporting will work closely with the school’s Journalism and Health Advocacy Program, led by awardwinning journalist and founding director of the Fellowship in Global Journalism Robert Steiner.

Launching collaborative initiatives such as the

IJB highlights the powerful role that journalism holds in ensuring that Canadians are engaged and informed about important health concerns and queries that impact the country. Contributing to insightful discussions on how the work of investigative journalism can impact and evidently shape public policies, such as those aimed toward combating pandemics, is one of the key assets that the IJB brings to the table.

In the eyes of aspiring journalists, not only is working alongside established journalists and health professionals exciting, but the opportunity to potentially make a difference in influencing public health policy is evidently inspiring.

By combining the brainpower of established journalists and academics, as well as student journalists, the initiative put forth by the IJB also opens the floor for a variety of insights into public health issues coming from individuals with different positionalities. Focusing on timely topics in public health such as COVID-19 enables this trio of groups to work collaboratively in practicing investigative journalism skills to generate research and knowledge while discussing various approaches in influencing public health goals.

The IJB’s journalistic mission operates as a powerful vehicle for change and critical reflection. It is not only an opportunity to think about the issues that currently shape our public health system, but also those outstanding issues present long before the outbreak of a pandemic.

Investigative medical journalism will keep Canadians informed on the medical world.

MICHELLE FORNASIER/THEVARSITY

Mélina Lévesque is a fifth-year political science and sociocultural anthropology student at Victoria College. She is an associate comment editor.

Letters to the Editor Re: “Opinion: Burnout and undue stress are common features of life as a university student” “I think burnout and mental wellness issues are very significant issues and are perhaps on the rise because of COVID. However, I just wanted to provide my own personal opinion that I think UofT has made strides! Due to my own mental health struggles, I have unfortunately had the experience of officially attending undergraduate studies from 2014-2021. I am talking from a background of observing 7 years of change.

In the last 2 years personally, I have seen very positive changes. MySSP support has been amazing. Recently, ACORN added a Well-Being support tab that provides you with MANY informational resources. Additionally, I feel that UofT has bolstered their infrastructure to address wait times. There are now walk-in same day appointments for mental health support. In 2016, when I engaged Health and Wellness for a psychologist appointment, I had to wait 3 weeks before seeing anyone.

Our student insurance either from UTSU or APUS has been very good. We get 20 sessions per year at $125/session. Many psychologists are willing to work with you on a sliding scale payment to reduce your own out of pocket costs. In comparison, many private insurance programs only offer $500 of counselling funding for the whole year!

From a faculty experience, Daniels Architecture has acquired their own in-house counsellor and in-house learning strategists for support. I have also seen student-initiated art that has been uplifting and has promoted mental wellness with very visible message art in our studio that writes “My Grades Do Not Define Me.” In the last year, particularly during the emergence of the pandemic and the general quarantine-- many of my professors went above and beyond to accomodating the class in general. They were very outspoken about being open to conversation if

you are having difficulty. Not just a mental health crisis.

With all this said-- there are outstanding issues that can be addressed and support responses improved, but I just want to voice out my opinion that the culture has definitely changed for the better at UofT. Onwards and Upwards!”

— Jayvee Doroteo (from web) Re: “Engineering TAs report inadequate compensation for training under online learning” Come on guys, do your part like grocery store workers. It is not easy for anyone these days.

— Robert Bruce Maule (from web)

Re: “Opinion: As U of T closes its gyms, why are students still paying for them?”

“Maybe students should only be paying for services rendered or ability to access facilities like the gym…if students keep paying the ancillary fees they’ll keep taking…. zero value for money spent is [disingenuous] and unethical.”

— Donna Graves (from web) Re: “Letter to the Editor: Calls to defund Campus Police lack evidence” “I would like to see a specific plan. It’s easy to say defund the police. Come up with a plan.

I would like to see a list of how many employees work for UofT police and what their roles are.

So we can hire people trained better in dealing with mental health situations. Will they also be patrolling? Will they also be the ones answering the emergency situations on campus? Will they maintain order in protests, protecting demonstrators or the public, and how will they accomplish that?

Will they have some sort of weapon? Handcuffs?

The police perform so many functions for the campus - too many, as the defund advocates rightly point out.

But it’s a lot harder to create than destroy, and I’ve only seen people do the easy stuff so far…”

— Dean Hiler (from web)

10

THE VARSITY

FEATURES

After the explosion: Lebanese studen

Tamara Saadi Varsity Contributor

On August 4, disaster struck at the port of Beirut in Lebanon. Around 6:00 pm, the roof of a warehouse set on fire. Soon after, a major mushroom cloud erupted, and the blastwave ripped through the city. There was smoke, fire, toppling buildings, shattering windows, cars bursting into flames, and then — silence.

Amidst a pandemic that has racked up a death toll of millions, Beirut suffered a mammoth explosion, ricocheting the country’s already fragile and fragmented socioeconomic landscape into complete and utter disaster.

In mere seconds, the city of Beirut had been reduced to ruins, reminiscent of an image you would see in a Hollywood rendering of World War II. Then came the confusion, minutes stretching into hours of calling every family member, friend, and acquaintance you could think of, making sure that they were alive, that you were alive, unable to comprehend that the world around you lay in complete destruction.

For Lebanese students at U of T, the urgency of reaching family and friends back home, the experience of watching their city crumble on Twitter and WhatsApp, and the feeling of powerlessness from being so far away was nothing short of a living nightmare.

“It was so hard… seeing my entire city get destroyed [on] social media,” said Zein Idris, a third-year student studying biology and psychology, on her experience hearing about the blast while she was living in Toronto.

“For two weeks after the explosion I was on my phone for too many hours of the day. I just needed to know what was going on and stay updated, so it was emotionally draining.”

Naya Sakr, a third-year student at the Rotman School of Management, echoed Idris’ sentiments.

“All of my family, my best friends, everyone lives in Lebanon,” Sakr said. “So every time I hear bad news, all I can think about is the people I love and how badly they’re being affected.

Their whole lives are being ruined, and there’s nothing they can do about it.”

She acknowledged that being in Toronto afforded her a privilege that many of her hometown friends did not have. “I consider myself one of the luckiest people because I have a second nationality — my Canadian nationality — so I could leave Lebanon to study abroad, which is a luxury a lot of my friends don’t have,” Sakr said.

“And that’s a problem within itself, the fact that you have to leave your home country to get an education and have a good future.”

For those back home, the Beirut explosion was more than a tragedy. It was also the climax of a broken Lebanese socio-political system, one that has been percolating for years.

out completely. Hospitals were so damaged that doctors and nurses were forced to treat casualties in the streets with nothing but the flashlights of their cellphones.

The blast also had large impacts on the city’s infrastructure. Lebanese currency depreciated enormously, losing over 70 per cent of its value.

The destruction of the port incurred at least $3.1 billion of damage to infrastructure.

Later came the revelation that the explosion was not, in fact, a foreign attack, but rather the result of government negligence. A reservoir of ammonium nitrate, a highly volatile explosive chemical, had been sitting at the Beirut port for almost six years.

The government did not adequately regulate or dispose of the dangerously high quantities of the chemical. It took an explosion for them to finally listen.

But Lebanon’s problems did not begin with the blast. To trace back the instability that ensnared the country, keeping it on the verge of complete disaster is no easy feat. Some could say that turmoil in Lebanon began to capture international attention in October 2019.

Paul Kingston, a professor at the Department of Political Science and the Centre for Critical Development Studies, has conducted extensive research in the dynamics of state building and political economy in Lebanon after its civil war from 1975–1990. He expressed that the explosion in Beirut was the culmination of socioeconomic and political turmoil that had been brewing for years, if not decades.

He described the elite of Lebanon as a mixed bag of powerful communities, families, and elite economic forces.

Those with economic force also tend to be those in elite families.

“Most companies [in Lebanon] are private, family-owned businesses, so the capital flows are all coming through diaspora… or they come in through oil revenues or remittances… But they often flow through the banking system into families,” said Kingston. “It’s very difficult for the government to have taxation power over this revenue.”

“All of them means all of them.” This was the cry that rallied civilians across the country beginning in October 2019, uniting a population prolific for being deeply divided along socioeconomic, sectarian, and partisan lines. These anti-government protests called for the overhaul of a corrupt political regime, with some wanting the entire political structure to be overhauled.

Many events precipitated these calls, such as the government’s inability to

reach consensus for intervals long enough to resolve severe nationwide water and electricity shortages, a waste-management crisis, and a plummeting economy.

Unfortunately, the protests in 2019 were ineffective in toppling political elitism, instead serving to highlight the extremity of class inequality and corruption that upholds the Lebanese state. This system may strike outsiders as complex and difficult to navigate — because it is.

“You can bet your bottom dollar that as Lebanon descends precipitously over this last year that economic elites and families have found a very effective way of protecting their money, so they’re not [the ones] suffering,” Kingston said.

“It’s the middle class, which is descending into the ranks of the lower class; and the lower classes, which are descending into the ranks of [extreme poverty], who are risking their lives now to exit on shady arrangements on boats to escape the country.”

“There have been some horrendous reports of that happening over the last month or so, which tells you just anecdotally that the situation

for the vast majority of the population is truly hopeless.”

Beirut and beyond: the aftermath in the Lebanese U of T community Indeed, although the 2019 protests before the Beirut explosion were largely peaceful, inspiring members of the Lebanese diaspora to protest abroad in solidarity, the government attempted to stifle dissenters through excessive

A breaking point for Lebanon The full scale of the damage incurred by the blast was difficult to decipher for days — even weeks — following the blast. Thousands were injured, and at least dozens were nowhere to be found. Windows were shattered, buildings demolished, electricity cut HANNAH FLEISCH/THEVARSITY

features@thevarsity.ca

nts at U of T reflect on the Beirut blast

uses of force by the army and security forces.

Since mid-October 2019, Lebanese banks have implemented informal capital controls, such as limits set to prevent civilians from accessing or withdrawing funds up to a certain extent. The Lebanese government claimed that these economic measures would prevent people from panicking and withdrawing a lot of money from the banks given the political instability.

After August 4, in the wake of the economic devastation caused by the blast, capital controls were further exacerbated, leading to widespread consequences for Lebanese citizens both inside and outside the country.

“Another huge problem was the capital control that the banks are putting on the bank transfers; banks aren’t transferring any money to students abroad,” Idris said. “They’ve been making small exceptions, but even that is going to stop very soon.”

Idris described the obstacles they faced in accessing emergency financial aid when it came to university tuition, a process that they found complex and difficult to navigate.

“The university is doing a COVID-19 emergency grant, which I applied for, and in my application, I talked about the situation going on back home,” Idris said. “I [also] tried applying for [the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP)] because the capital controls are making it really difficult to access tuition fees… [OSAP] responded saying I wasn’t eligible because I [didn’t] have

residency in Ontario before starting university. I followed up [but received no response].”

It is difficult to surmise the true extent of accessibility barriers to resources for international students at U of T who are facing political and economic turmoil back home. Despite U of T’s efforts to extend financial relief, the past year has been one of pandemic-induced shutdowns, economic uncertainty, and, for many Lebanese students, complete displacement.

Many financial aid packages exclude students who do not fulfill eligibility requirements based on residency or citizenship.

Other packages are not sufficient enough to overcome the extreme capital controls in Lebanon, which makes it almost impossible for some students to finance tuition and living costs.

“The protests made it feel like something was happening, something real, that could lead to real change,” Idris said, reflecting back on the crisis. “From January to April, we saw the currency dip lower and lower, even before COVID-19 actually hit Lebanon, and when it eventually did, it just accelerated the currency crisis to basically a disaster. The explosion was… the cherry on top.”

“Looking back now… I would say the biggest [difference] is that we had so much hope, and now, it’s almost like we’re done; there’s nothing left.”

Along with financial insecurity, the crisis has inevitably wreaked havoc on all aspects of students’ lives, from academic performance, to mental health, to feelings of isolation and hopelessness.

“Now, on top of everything that’s happening with COVID-19, there’s a huge political crisis, along with the explosion in Beirut, so really right now everything in Lebanon is completely shattered,” said Sakr. “There definitely is that part of my mind that’s always preoccupied, thinking

about Lebanon, what’s happening, [and] if everything’s okay, so it takes away from my ability to focus on my life here.”

Sakr also noted the impact the explosion has had on their emotional well-being.

“When I do focus on my life here, I feel guilty,” Sakr said. “I feel guilty that I have these opportunities, and the people I love are living in a country where they have almost no hope at the moment.”

Echoing similar sentiments, Idris described the difficulty of conveying the reality of their experience.

“One thing that really changed for me is that now, I know there’s no going back, you know?” Idris said. “There’s nothing to fall back on in Lebanon. It made my life here much more permanent, and I realized there’s no contingency plan.”

Idris wants people to be more aware of what’s happening in Lebanon. As other international events have taken place, major news outlets have not consistently continued reporting on the aftermath of the explosion.

“It’s hard for someone who isn’t living through it to understand,” Idris said.

International attention may be fickle, but the suffering does not end when the headlines cease. But even without global coverage of Lebanon, grassroots movements continue to draw upon hope, fueling Lebanon’s ability to continue moving forward once more.

For Lebanese students in Toronto, there is also hope to be found and help to be sought.

“One of my friends in Lebanon applied for a transfer after the explosion,” Sakr said. “It was after the deadline had passed, but he sent an email to the administration explaining the situation… They eventually did accept his transfer, and now he’s able to attend university remotely from Lebanon until he gets his Canadian visa.”

Many students living abroad in Canada may feel alienated and alone in their struggle, without a true home to which they can return, and carrying the burden of being thousands of kilometres away. Regardless, there is power in the collective voice of the Lebanese community, and there is the potential for help to be found.

As for the international community, both within U of T and throughout Toronto, it is possible to extend that help. Donations to reputable organizations — such as the Lebanese Red Cross, CARE Canada, and Plan International Canada — can provide resources to those directly affected by the crisis on the ground in Lebanon.

Students in the Lebanese community may feel that it is impossible to move forward or to envision their future at a time when their home country is undergoing such a disaster.

However, in the face of such adversity, the most significant role U of T and other educational institutions can play is to extend educational opportunities and emotional, mental health, or financial support to students experiencing challenging circumstances.

Sakr said, “The most important thing is that [U of T has] given students in Lebanon a chance to come here and pursue a better future, which I think is really incredible.”

Arts & Culture

November 2, 2020 var.st/arts arts@thevarsity.ca

My attempts — and failures — to fulfill artistic endeavours at UTSC Is the campus too academically uptight?

Daniel Santiago Varsity Contributor

I have always heard about how well-embraced creative arts are by the UTSG and UTM campuses.

This notion has formulated a mental image in my mind of UTSG and UTM creative arts students walking around their respective campuses and having discussions about their ideas and upcoming projects, a scene resembling something like Gustave Courbet’s “The Painter’s Studio.”

Well, at least that’s how they seem compared to the creative arts scene at UTSC. I think I’ve found the source of this problem: a prevalent, self-imposed mentality of prioritizing studies over, well, everything else.

I would be lying if I didn’t admit to adopting this mentality, and yet, due to this way of thinking, UTSC seems to be too busy for the creative arts. I know this all too well since I have made some attempts to lighten up the campus’ creative arts scene to no avail.

First attempt: performing music I started my artistic endeavour by forming a rock band, putting up stories on UTSC-affiliated Instagram pages calling for anyone who would be interested in joining. I chose this method since the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union charges $20 to put unaffiliated ads on its bulletin boards — plus, people dread random talk with strangers anyway.

Several people responded and auditioned, and the best were chosen for the band. All we had to do now was have a band practice, but lo and behold, midterms came and resignation texts were delivered one by one, citing academic priorities.

Dreams of one day performing in the campus’ meeting place were shattered, and I was so defeated.

I quickly adapted to this school-before-cool mentality. Mind you, these ex-members were all a year ahead of me, a first-year student.

students and instead find others more willing outside of UTSC. I would have still filmed in UTSC, though, since the place looks nice.

The only problem? COVID-19 happened. What a wonderful world.

Second attempt: making a film First year passed and monk-like dedication to academics had really got me feeling dull. I thought people learn from their mistakes, but I guess I’m living proof that they don’t.

I went on to embark on another artistic endeavour: this time, a filmmaking project. I filled the director, producer, and screenwriter roles and, through the same Instagram pages, posted ads calling for actors.

I got messages from interested people, interviewed them, and selected the best of the lot for the respective jobs. It’s funny; I was so excited for this project that I didn’t do the standard screen test with the actors. What I did instead was ask them about their acting experience and what their understanding was of the character they wanted to play.

I think I relieved a lot of anxiety from them when I revealed this during the interview. The best part of it all was that everyone seemed to have as much excitement as I did. Until — you guessed it — midterm season arrived.

There were no resignations; instead, there were a lot of very late responses to filming calls on the group chat. I decided to do a shooting call three weeks after reading week, thinking that things would cool down by then.

I sent a call for shooting, and after days of waiting and realizing things would only become more unlikely from there, I decided to ditch those drama

Giving up? Nah Now, any smart aleck could blame me for not organizing this better or embarking on these projects too late in the semester, and I sympathize.

However, let’s not forget that the desire to either perform rock music or make a film was mutual; I mean, why else would they text me and audition? It can’t just be bad timing.

From my perspective, UTSC’s culture seems to be mainly centred around business administration and the sciences, which may explain why students may be naturally less inclined toward the creative arts. Ultimately, I suppose that the indifference toward the creative arts pervades the campus to the point where artistic students succumb to that very indifference, causing them to back out of artistic endeavours just when things are picking up steam.

Regardless, I think if it weren’t for COVID-19, I would have tried my hand at filming in UTSC one more time, perhaps working with another batch of UTSC drama students who are more dedicated to their craft. I really like UTSC, despite these shortcomings, and I hope it’ll be more embracing of the creative arts.

I still yearn for that day when I find fellow creative arts folks at UTSC who, though willing to compromise, will not quit when circumstances make it hard for them to actualize their artistic projects.

Intense academics can impede on student involvement in the arts at UTSC. JESSIE YANG/THEVARSITY

Absurdist biopic The Twentieth Century preys on Canadian insecurities The experimental retelling of Mackenzie King’s life picks apart the constructed national identity Liam Donovan Varsity Contributor

The film is a surrealist critique of Canadian exceptionalism.

COURTESY OF TIFF

In Matthew Rankin’s 2019 debut feature, The Twentieth Century, the diaries of U of T alum William Lyon Mackenzie King, Canada’s longest-serving prime minister, are deconstructed and put back together again in a hallucinogenic fever dream of endless Canadianisms.

In Rankin’s world, maple walnut ice cream reigns supreme, and the prime minister is elected through a series of games including ice skating races, peeing in snow, baby seal clubbing, and blind tree identification.

Audiences appreciated this deranged onslaught of Canadian identity, and The Twentieth Century took home the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) City of Toronto Award for best Canadian first feature film, along with three Canadian Screen Awards in 2020.

The film, though, resonates more as a critique of Canada than as a love letter to it. Us Canadians tend to play up our stereotypes as a method of distancing ourselves from our neighbours to the south. But by depicting Toronto as an impressionistic Lynchian void of miniatures and dialing up the surrealism to 11, Rankin feeds into Canadian insecurities to such a degree that we become overstuffed, reminding us how dangerous patriotism can be.

Just as Canadians tuck their hate away in an exterior of politeness, the film opens earnestly enough with King (Dan Beirne) comforting a sick child in a hospital. Then, in a rather clairvoyant sequence, as the child begins to violently cough up blood, King tosses a wrinkled up tissue at her and ignores her to instead stare at a woman playing the harp in a heavenly light.

The film continues to unravel from there — the woman turns out to be Ruby Elliot (Cathe-

rine St-Laurent), daughter of Governor General Lord Muto (Seán Cullen).

Though Lord Muto is based on the historical Lord Minto — who would have had practically no power as the governor general of Canada — the film uses his position as representative of the Canadian monarch to manifest Canada’s embedded colonial hate.

As Muto stands under a flashing red eagle resembling a Nazi hate symbol, he encourages the extermination of the Boers, calling them “the scum race of the Transvaal — half man, half elephant.”

The film then dissolves into a parody of propaganda, featuring flashing sketches of the Boers as elephants and large letters encouraging Canadians to unleash their fury upon the world.

While this is going on, the film cuts to King masturbating into a shoe. As Muto’s speeches critique Canada’s imperial violence, King’s repressed sexual desires make it clear that Canada’s hidden darkness is present on the individual level as much as the collective.

The film continues to spin out its plot, and, even as the constant jabs at Canada remain funny, they carry with them a definite coldness.

They remind Canadians that although leaning into stereotypes of being overly polite and inoffensive may be the easy thing to do on a day-today basis, the performance of these stereotypes by millions of people for over 150 years is not a kindness, but rather a selfish avoidance of responsibility.

Selfishness coming about through the performance of selfless acts is just one of the Canadian contradictions that The Twentieth Century highlights. Indeed, because it is so self-aware, the film casts doubt on everything it champions, from the narrative of King’s life to the very concept of Canada as a nation.

For instance, King was someone more praised for his policies than his charisma. This puts him in direct conflict with the concept of Canadians as being kind but relatively slow to get things done. The rest of The Twentieth Century’s Canada is then shown through these contradictory eyes, and there is nothing for the audience to hold onto when they cannot entirely trust King as a Canadian interpreter of the world around him.

On the level of the film as a whole, even as it seems to denounce much of its Canadian context through its darkness, it is itself participating in a Canadian tradition of film by entering into TIFF, being shot on 16 millimetre film, and building on the experimental-historical stylings of Rankin’s fellow Winnipegian filmmaker Guy Maddin.

In fact, when King visits Winnipeg, it is practically a garbage heap where everyone swears, sells heroin, and trades sexually-charged footwear. Though this is partly just a jab at Rankin’s hometown, it also plays into the idea that Torontonians often think Toronto is the only relevant part of the country.

I’ve no doubt that, if the film was set during King’s university years, it would present the U of T satellite campuses equally as ignorantly.

Finally, even as The Twentieth Century is a lively celebration of all things Canadian, it simultaneously seems to be poking holes in the concept of nationhood, thereby questioning the validity of the very Canadianisms it is built upon.

Through its lens, Canadian kindness is synonymous with Canadian darkness. With this view, the overwhelming politeness of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s pandemic addresses may not be perceived as practical problem solving, but rather a contrast to the United States that feeds into Canada’s dangerously potent superiority complex.

var.st/arts

NOVEMBER 2, 2020

“Dude, should I go to grad school?”

Anyone considering applying to grad school should consider program fit, finances, job market before making the jump Sasha Dhesi Varsity Contributor

Back in February, I impulsively applied to the University of Toronto’s Master of Information program after a friend told me about the program over dinner and drinks one night. The program covered a lot of topics that I was already interested in, and I figured the worst that could happen is I’d waste a few hours applying.

However, once I got my acceptance, I had to decide if grad school was right for me. Did I really want to take two years off for another degree? I had to consider a bunch of factors, such as fit, finances, and the future of the job market before making a decision.

The basics Applying to grad school was relatively simple. I updated my curriculum vitae, wrote a short personal statement, downloaded my unofficial transcript from my alma mater, and asked two of my previous professors to be my references, both of whom immediately said yes.

Most programs at U of T have the same admissions requirements. You need a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university, a minimum GPA above a mid-B in your final year, transcripts, and two letters of reference.

While it is possible to enter a PhD program directly from your undergraduate, you’ll need to be considered an exceptional candidate, and it’s recommended that you have an A- average in the last year of your undergraduate degree.

For graduate programs, you’ll most likely have to procure other supporting documents and can also expect to pay an application fee — at U of T, it’s $125.

Money is the next consideration for potential graduate students. Most graduate students are able to access financial aid like the Ontario Student Assistance Program, in addition to funding packages if you’re enrolled in a research-stream program.

Rachel Katz, an old friend of mine who recently finished her master’s degree at McMaster University, let me know that you can negotiate your funding package the way you would a salary.

“People don’t tell you this, but you are allowed to counteroffer as long as you’re polite about it,” Katz said.

The right fit?

But why expend all the effort of applying? In addition to broadening your horizons, there’s evidence that completing another degree will help your career down the line.

A 2019 report from Statistics Canada found that “for every graduating class from 2010 to 2015, master’s degree graduates were making, on average, 40 per cent to 47 per cent more than undergraduate degree holders two years after graduation.”

But that doesn’t mean that you need to do a master’s degree right now. That same report also found that the mid-career master’s degree graduates made more money than their younger counterparts, likely due to their prior work experience.

Applying later can also have the added benefit of clarity. Stephanie Rotz, an admissions officer at

Ryerson University who completed her master’s degree after taking some time off from school, found it recalibrating.

“I had more of an appreciation for being there [at school]… to reflect on work-life balance, studentlife balance, I think, made me a better writer and researcher,” Rotz said.

This, of course, does not mean that undergraduates are not successful. Adam Wu, an admissions officer at UTM, noted that many undergraduates he advised have been able to find meaningful employment immediately after graduating.

“The students who typically want to pursue gainful employment in their areas often take part in enrichment activities, like extracurricular or student involvement co-curricular activities,” Wu said. “And it’s those students who typically are more successful in getting a job at their preferred company because they’ve already worked with people in the industry; they formed connections prior to graduation.”

And from personal experience, I know this to be true. When I applied for my master’s program, I was already working full time in public relations, a job I had gotten through connections I had built during my undergraduate.

But, it’s still unclear how the post-COVID-19 job market will look, making it difficult to rely on past successes as guides for the future. If we look back on the 2008–2009 recession, we can see some trends that risk repetition in the coming years.

In a 2019 RBC Economics report, economist Andrew Agopsowicz noted that graduates of the 2008–2009 recession had seen their wages grow more slowly than those who had entered the workforce before the market crashed, and those graduates were less likely to be in a management position by the time they reached their thirties.

The right time?

So, the question remains: should you avoid the COVID-19 job market for a couple of years and apply to grad school? While getting another degree certainly won’t hurt your career, it’s still a big commitment.

Katz recommends asking yourself: how will you react in six months when you start hearing about your friends and colleagues receiving admissions decisions?

“If they’re getting their results, are you going to be kicking yourself for not having put an application in? If that’s the case, then I do think it’s worth putting an application in,” Katz said.

Rotz noted that getting a master’s degree isn’t a silver bullet for employment. “[Returning to school is] only going to help you in the long run,” she said. “But formal academia doesn’t necessarily translate into a specific job, I think, in the way that our parents might expect.”

I would recommend talking to people already in the program and starting to work on your application early. Remember, grad school will always be there, even if you don’t go right away, and, despite the impulsivity of my decision to attend grad school, I can safely say that it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made all year.

13

Guilty Pleasures: Carmen Sandiego Yes, it’s a kid’s TV show — yes, you should still watch it as a university student Sidney Choi Varsity Staff

When my summer course finally wrapped up, I — alongside the rest of Toronto — still found myself stuck at home due to the lockdown in place. Knowing I would need something to keep myself busy with, I decided to finally cave in and allowed myself to restart up my long-neglected, but never forgotten, Netflix account.

After clicking through the neverending list of newly added TV shows and movies, I quickly found myself absolutely enamoured by Netflix’s animated series Carmen Sandiego. The show follows Carmen, an ex-thief who travels around the world intervening with robberies attempted by members of her previous thieftraining academy, aptly called V.I.L.E., an acronym that stands for Villains’ International League of Evil.

Those who recognize the main character’s name — despite not knowing about the animated series — may have grown up playing the original video game, Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? which came out in 1985. The computer game came with The World Almanac and Book of Facts for players to read and refer to when they played.

While Netflix’s Carmen Sandiego is geared toward children aged seven and up, I myself had just turned 20 years old sometime around the start of lockdown.

Nostalgia isn’t even a valid excuse for my fondness of the series, as I had never even heard of the 35-year-old franchise until discovering it on my computer screen this summer.

I was initially worried that the content would prove to be too cliché, cringey, or ‘dumbed down’ to enjoy as a young adult; however, the show ended up happily surprising me. For one, the art style of the animation is absolutely

jaw-dropping. I would go so far as to argue that older watchers stand to appreciate the show’s visuals much more than their younger counterparts. Outside of Carmen’s signature bright red hat and trench coat, the animation utilizes a gorgeous array of colours in its artistic interpretations of famous buildings, broad skylines, and cultural attire.

As someone who loves traveling and learning about different cultures, Carmen Sandiego not only offers a visually pleasing source of entertainment but also stands as a learning experience. The TV adaptation perfectly showcases the culture, architecture, and even the vocabulary present in the various cities Carmen travels to. Since entire episodes are dedicated to different cities, the show allows viewers to become completely immersed in the location, from bird’s-eye visuals in buildinghopping chase scenes to watching Carmen and her team rendezvous around national landmarks. The series manages to superbly balance an exciting crime-fighting storyline while still teaching its viewers interesting tidbits about the world through Carmen’s culturally appreciative perspective.

As a seasoned hate-watcher with a tendency to watch series solely under the comedic genre, and as someone who abhors watching anything that will either trigger tears or induce my fight-or-flight response, Carmen Sandiego stands as my perfect inbetween. The plots are light on the heart, the animation is aesthetically pleasing, and the show manages to pull off kid-friendly jokes that even I find myself chuckling at. If you’re looking for a show to watch and potentially finish in the span of our upcoming reading week, or if you want something to watch every now and then as we crawl through this hellish midterm season, give Carmen Sandiego a try, I swear she’s worth it!

FATIMA ZAIDI/THEVARSITY

FATIMA ZAIDI/THE VARSITY

FIONA TUNG/THEVARSITY

14

THE VARSITY

ARTS & CULTURE

arts@thevarsity.ca

Will we be less disgusting after COVID-19?

Jessica Han Varsity Contributor

It’s time to come clean about those dirty habits

Listen, I’d tell you all about germs, but I don’t want to spread it around. Instead, I’ll tell you about picking up hygienic habits and getting rid of those nasty ones that no one really admits to doing.

Pre-pandemic According to an article published just last year, 51 per cent of people in countries with high access to handwashing facilities didn’t wash their hands with soap after potential contact “with fecal matter.” They really just went to the bathroom, did their business, and left. On top of that, some restaurant workers, including cooks, touched the food you ordered without washing their hands.

Cue the shocked gasps and gaggings — it’s disgusting, right?

Now, let’s all give props to those who actually tried washing their hands — emphasis on “tried.”

Why do I say “tried”? Because grown adults really don’t know how to properly perform the simple task of handwashing. Honestly, everyone is probably guilty of this one at some point in their life.

According to a study from Michigan State University, 95 per cent of people who used the bathroom did not wash their hands long enough to kill harmful bacteria. More specifically, 78 per cent of women used soap, whereas only 50 per cent of men did. Seriously guys?

To make matters worse, the same study found that 15 per cent of men and seven per cent of women failed to wash their hands entirely. To any germaphobes reading this, you must be feeling deeply disturbed — my apologies.

During the pandemic Then, enter COVID-19, which caused everyone to become more and more stringent about their hygienic habits. People have begun and are continuing to correctly wash their hands, use alcohol-based

mum of 20 seconds. The secret to knowing how long you should be doing this is to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice. Maybe don’t sing it too loud, though; people might look at you funny.

Since no one has access to a sink and soap at

MILIDAE CLAIRE UY/THEVARSITY

hand sanitizer, and wear masks. Finally! It took long enough.

One of the best ways to combat and prevent yourself from getting the virus is to simply wash your hands. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) takes you through a thorough step-by-step handwashing process.

Most importantly, you need to apply soap to your hands and scrub them together for a mini-

every waking moment of their life, many people use alcohol-based hand sanitizers as a substitute. Although hand sanitizers can work, they are trickier to use and not as effective as washing your hands.

There needs to be the right amount of alcohol to kill more harmful germs. But, be very careful with the ones you buy; some may contain toxic ingredients.

The CDC states that there needs to be at least

60 per cent alcohol in the hand sanitizer for it to work and kill bacteria. However, if your hands are soiled, visibly greasy and dirty, or covered in chemicals, wash your hands with soap and water instead.

Just remember that whenever possible, wash your hands rather than use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Wearing a mask is also absolutely critical. It doesn’t matter if you find them annoying and ugly or have a face full of makeup. There are no buts.

Masks function as a barrier to protect people from getting infected, especially in a crowded public area.

We see a lot more people wearing masks now, but not everyone wears it correctly. John Hopkins Medicine advises that the area from your nose bridge to under your chin should all be covered securely with a mask without irritating you.

Before you ask, neck gaiters and bandanas aren’t as effective; these don’t have the double layer that a correct face mask has in order to prevent the spread of the virus. Every time you go out, get in the habit of wearing proper face protection because your health is far more important than your makeup or annoyance. You can even rock a look with your mask!

Post-pandemic When COVID-19 vaccines are created, and the virus eventually recedes, everyone will be ecstatic. That day is unforeseen, however, as no one really knows when there will be a solution for the pandemic.

But when our post-pandemic future does occur, will we be able to stick with our hygienic habits? The answer must be a firm yes.

The virus might be lurking in the dark, waiting to pounce, and if it does come back, we need to be prepared. Everyone needs to be frequently washing their hands as well as performing other sanitary routines.

Make sure you carry on with those positive habits of yours — the ones you acquired during the pandemic — because no one wants to catch the virus.

My first-year experience of straddling the line between real and virtual On the habits that I picked up to manage an altered university lifestyle Angelica Zahajko Varsity Contributor

I have a confession to make: I am terrible at keeping up with emails. I wish I could say otherwise, but it’s true. It starts with ignoring just a couple of notifications until, before you know it, my iCloud storage is entirely occupied by unread Urban Outfitters promotions — it’s a vicious cycle.

Nevertheless, a couple of weeks ago, I was attempting to sort through my hundreds of pointless subscribed emails when I stumbled upon an announcement from Melanie Woodin, Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science. It was on this day that I found out that Toronto had reverted to phase two and fall hybrid classes were moving online; my heart sunk.

Getting to know U of T virtually You wouldn’t think that this announcement would affect me so strongly. After all, I live thousands of kilometres away from campus, meaning that the fall semester had already been online for me. And yet, it did. For me, time passed in this pandemic-induced Groundhog Day because I almost certainly knew that each day gone meant I was one day closer to my plans to attend the winter semester in person. Now, I swam in Tantalus’ pool: in-person classes moving further from my grasp, just as I had gotten close. It’s been an unorthodox first year.

Where I am from, no one really leaves our Manitoban hometown. Everyone attends the same university, parties at the same bar, and, with time, moves into swanky apartments downtown. While there is nothing wrong with that — it’s a great university, a very fun bar, and I love my hometown — I have always known that that was not what my life had planned for me. For example, when I was a little kid, I loved reading this atlas; I’d read every city name one-by-one, wondering what my life would look like in each, though I promise I liked normal books too.

Still, after 17 years in a smaller town, the thought of leaving is foreign and nerve-wracking, but it’s nerve-wracking in that butterflies-fluttering-andyou-can’t-help-but-smile kind of way. I knew by the

time of my graduation that I wouldn’t be attending the fall semester in person, but I couldn’t bear to free those butterflies that represented the independence that awaited me in Toronto.

Over the summer, I reached out to as many clubs as possible. I browsed the academic calendar for hours, and I slid into the direct messages of people I found on the uoft2024 Instagram page like you wouldn’t believe.

Come the school year, I invested myself in my studies and in strengthening these summer connections; so much so that, although I was in my childhood bedroom, the more time I spent in virtual Toronto, the larger distance I could feel forming between me and my hometown.

Weeks later, the fear of missing out took over as my virtual friends made tangible friends in the city and embarked on adventures I could only experience through a Snapchat story. I wasn’t living in Toronto, but I wasn’t living in my hometown either — I was living halfway between the two.

With the prospects of an online year upon us, I refuse to let myself become confined to my bedroom until June. It’s time to get back into the habits that make me, me — not a U of T student, not a Manitoba resident, but Angelina Zahajko.

Three habits to pick up for online classes Habit one: breaking a sweat! Ikea furniture is great, but sometimes, it can really do a number on you after a long day of lectures. Although it is already snowing here, I have been getting outside as much as I can, dying as I follow along with a Chloe Ting fitness video, aspiring to make my Fitbit proud.

Habit two: checking in on those around you!

With technology, I can hang out with my oncampus friends and learn about Michel Foucault from my bed; however, if I don’t shut myself off from the virtual world, I feel myself fading away in the real one.

Join me in closing your Quercus tabs. Shut down your computer after business hours — all-nighters to write essays notwithstanding — and take

advantage of this time at home with the people you love, people who you wouldn’t be with physically if COVID-19 hadn’t kept us at home.

Habit three: self-care, baby! Life sucks sometimes, and if self-care is burning through a pumpkin pie while scrolling through #DracoTok on TikTok, then so be it. When everything is online, feelings of isolation are inevitable; however, if you can find a way to remove stressors from your mind and focus, and have that alone time on things that you do just for the enjoyment of doing them, your overall wellness is bound to improve.

It is a mindset I have always preached, and it is about time that I claim it for myself.

Much like my emailing habits, I am still getting the hang of this online university thing. While it may not be the college party utopia that will be forever frozen in the rose-coloured hue of Elle Woods’ tiny sunglasses, university has managed to still live up to the hype despite its virtual nature. It is stressful and messy and unpredictable, but I promise you, it is going to be okay.

We are going to be okay.

See you on campus soon.

IVAN MILIUKOVI/THEVARSITY

Photo

November 2, 2020 var.st/photo photo@thevarsity.ca

U of T from a squirrel’s perspective With all the students gone, what are the squirrels up to?

Samantha Yao Photo Editor

The second wave: The Pilot

How “flattening the curve” is killing our restaurants Charlotte Hood Varsity Contributor

The Pilot is a restaurant and bar located just north of UTSG at 22 Cumberland Street. It has been a staple in the Toronto community for decades, playing a fundamental role in the city’s jazz music scene. While its heated rooftop patio has remained open, the restaurant has been devastated by COVID-19 closures along with most Toronto restaurants. I interviewed the manager, Hernán Bancalari, to hear what the experience has been like at The Pilot over the past few months. “[The Pilot] has been around for a long time… 75 years ago, it was opened during World War II. It was a way of paying homage to the pilots that went to war.”

Let’s follow George, a resident squirrel at U of T, on a tour around his home!

Crispy Chicken Sandwich with sweet potato fries and Portobello Mushroom wrap with a side arugula salad.

CHARLOTTE HOOD/THEVARSITY

The Hummus Tzatziki Platter.

CHARLOTTE HOOD/THEVARSITY

“A lot of restaurants in this industry, throughout the winter, they… try to barely survive. Many restaurants go into losses in the wintertime, and you’re hoping to recoup whatever you lost in the summertime, which is the busiest time of the year. [COVID-19] interrupted that.”

“We lost the first couple of months, which are just so important for us… When we finally opened, we were only allowed to do 50 per cent of the capacity of this patio… This patio holds approximately 190 people… but because of distance restrictions, we could only have maybe 60 at a time.”

“The best way to support us is to keep coming. To keep going out… You’re really helping out people that have invested everything they have… to be out there, to be offering a place for… people to get together and interact and see other people. The best way to support us is to keep coming out, to keep coming to our restaurant, and keep drinking and having a good time.”

Support restaurants like The Pilot by going for a physically distanced drink on the rooftop patio or ordering food through Ritual. Your support means more than you know.

Come and support local businesses.

CHARLOTTE HOOD/THEVARSITY

See if you can identify some of these places. How well do you know U of T?

There are usually lots of students here, but no one’s in sight now.

Have you ever noticed this place along St. George Street?

Have any of you been up a tree at U of T? The leaves up here are beautiful!

Take some time and explore — things always look different depending on how you approach them.

Science

November 2, 2020 var.st/science science@thevarsity.ca

Is Canada’s proposed singleuse plastic ban enough?

U of T perspectives on the policy and its effects Carmina Cornacchia Varsity Staff

On October 7, the Government of Canada announced a proposed ban on six plastic products, which would come into effect in 2021. But what does this ban entail — and it is enough to reduce national plastic consumption?

The government’s announcement was accompanied by a discussion paper which laid out future plans to redesign the plastics economy in a way that encourages cyclical consumption of plastics and the minimization of new plastic production.

This paper included a systematic analysis of a preliminary list of singleuse plastics, as well as what the paper calls “short-lived disposable products or their components” — items such as pens and toothbrushes. This list then underwent analysis based on three criteria: whether the item posed a significant ecological threat, whether there was difficulty in recycling them, and whether they qualified for exemption on the basis of necessity and feasible alternatives.

What could be banned?

The six products that the government felt met these criteria to a sufficient degree are proposed for a ban in 2021.

They include plastic checkout bags, stir sticks, “6-pack rings,” cutlery, straws, and “food service ware made from problematic plastics.” The discussion paper explicitly excluded personal pro-

tective equipment from the ban due to its indispensable functions.

The Varsity interviewed Chelsea Rochman, an assistant professor in the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. Rochman’s research focuses on microplastics and other pollutants’ interactions with the environment.

Rochman is one of the authors of a recently published study analyzing different models of plastic policies, one of which — termed “business as usual” — represents a scenario in which no changes are made in the way that plastics are used.

When asked whether she felt that this ban would create change sufficient to avoid such a scenario, Rochman responded with optimism, particularly for “building a more circular economy and changing the way we use and make and waste plastic.”

“While I think we have a lot of work to do, I think what we’ve announced we would do in this country will make a measurable difference if we do it,” she added.

Rochman went on to address the ways in which university students can become involved to encourage change.

“We can make changes within the university by trying to make our university… closer to zero waste,” she said. “I think what a lot of young people don’t realize is that their voice is sometimes more meaningful to a politician than somebody who’s a bit older. And why that is, I think, is because this is the

A recent federal government proposal to ban single-use plastics lists six key plastic goods viewed as wasteful, including straws and cutlery.

ASIF AISHA IBRAHIM/THEVARSITY

next generation… So we always need to be taking care of the world for the next generation.”

Campus effects The Varsity also had the opportunity to interview Coco Chen, the University of Toronto environmental resource network’s representative from UTM. They brought up issues of intersectionality with respect to the needs of people who are disabled being left unaddressed on items such as straws, which are included in the ban.

They went on to say that plastic straws “are necessary for people with a variety of disabilities” since they play a part in preventing aspiration. They said

that people who are disabled “have debunked [the idea of alternatives] for straws” and that suggestions “like metal and glass straws are dangerous.”

Currently, the government paper describes the concerns of people who are disabled as a topic for further discussion.

The Varsity also reached out to U of T Media Relations to inquire whether this ban will affect students with respect to costs, particularly with meal services.

In an email to The Varsity, Colin Porter, Executive Director Food and Beverage Services & Campus Events, wrote that “Our commitment to sustainability includes biodegradable cut-

lery, paper straws, a reusable food container program and the fact that all of single-use plastics are either recyclable or compostable.”

Additionally, Porter addressed possible concerns about increased costs associated with this type of legislation being filtered down to students.

“With respect to cost impacts, we always try to seek efficiencies elsewhere in our operations to offset any increases,” they wrote. “Once Canadian government’s proposed ban on certain single-use plastic items is finalized in 2021, we will work to implement any additional changes in a way that minimizes impact on the University community.”

Could I improve my study habits with natural sounds? I tried to find out

An informal experiment using the UTSC Library’s soundscape collection Sapolnach Prompiengchai Varsity Contributor

In September, the UTSC Library added a series of ‘soundscapes’ to its collection for Science Literacy Week.

The soundscapes consisted of recorded sounds that might be heard around UTSC, including birds chirping and the river running. These sounds represent UTSC’s natural orchestra at its finest.

Studying with music is a very common habit, and it’s not unwarranted — research suggests that the type of

sounds you listen to may influence your ability to focus. So I was curious.

Could I improve my study focus using soundscapes from the UTSC Library?

I set out to test my hypothesis by spending a week listening to each of the six soundscapes and estimating — informally — the impact each had on my mood and productivity.

Given all my upcoming deadlines, I reasoned that it would be beneficial to explore new ways to reduce stress and improve my online study habits and well-being.

Natural sounds fall under the category of sounds called ‘pink noise,’ which has greater intensities at lower frequencies.

JESSIE YANG/THEVARSITY

A one-week personal experiment After a week of listening to soundscapes, I discovered that I usually preferred silence or minimal white noise while studying. I found that when I looped either the “Crickets” or the “Birds in the Forest” soundscapes instead of using the sounds of my fan as a background hum, I was able to concentrate better on studying the subjects that require a lot of practice and tend to make me tired, like organic chemistry.

These sounds, along with abundant sounds found in nature like the sound of rainfall or rustling leaves, are categorized as pink noise. One of the key differences between white noise and pink noise is that white noise has all frequencies mixed at the same intensity, while pink noise has greater intensity at lower frequency and lower intensity in the higher frequencies.

Although more peer-reviewed research is yet to be done to explore a direct relationship between pink noise and studying, a 2019 study from the University of Texas provided evidence that pink noise might be the optimum auditory stimulation to enhance memory and sleep.

Perhaps another reason why I found static background noise so soothing is that the soundscapes were able to mask

other disturbing sounds. In a completely silent atmosphere, the brain would be alert to almost any type of sound and easily distracted. However, by immersing ourselves in the white or pink noises like the soundscapes, any additional noise is muffled, making it easier to focus.

Moreover, a study suggests that environmental soundscapes can also promote psychological and emotional restoration by comforting us, inducing calmness and naturalness, and reducing perceived stress. Perhaps the reason that I was able to study more efficiently was because I was less stressed after listening to the soundscapes.

The soundscapes allowed me to reimagine the greenery around my home as if I were surrounded by — if not my friends — then at least the allencompassing sounds of nature. Adding another auditory dimension to my imagination made the campus even more beautiful from afar, and it gave me a sense of hope and joy amidst the intense transition from high school.

With ever-increasing noise pollution in the urban areas, the UTSC soundscapes might be able to transport our minds into a more peaceful inner world, making our online study from home a more restorative, relaxing, and pleasant experience.

Other students react Four UTSC students shared their experiences with the soundscape library.

“I listened to the thunderstorm soundscape and I immediately felt calm.

My thoughts slowed down and I slowly felt my muscles relax one by one,” Kathleen Hamilton, a fourth-year history student at UTSC, wrote in an email to The Varsity. She also wrote that she usually prefers to study in silence or with less disturbance.

Maxwell Avery Fine, a third-year physics and astrophysics specialist at UTSC, wrote that he loved the streamlike sounds of the “River Running” soundscape because he could imagine “a nice warm [creek] with some mist and comfortable rocks to lean upon,” which, for him, would be “heavenly.”

Libertad Kasandra Rojas, a first-year at UTSC, chose the “Birds in the Forest” soundscape as her favourite while Alexis Ritacca, a second-year UTSC student, felt unaffected by the same audio clip.

Although UTSC soundscapes might not directly increase one’s concentration or memory in a short span of time, it surely reminds all the nature lovers of campus. Hamilton mentioned that she misses the campus the most during the fall, and she felt fortunate that the UTSC campus has “a nature aspect that is literally steps away.”

var.st/science

NOVEMBER 2, 2020

17

Science Spotlight: Vanessa Reali on her nursing journey, COVID-19 From her diagnosis of Crohn’s disease to frontline health care during the pandemic Michelle Fornasier Varsity Contributor

The 2020 AbbVie IBD scholarship is awarded to resilient, ambitious individuals who are leaders in their communities while also battling either ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease.

Both are types of inflammatory bowel disease that cause mild to debilitating abdominal pain.

Crohn’s and Colitis Canada only offers this scholarship to 10 postsecondary students annually — and the University of Toronto’s very own Vanessa Reali was one of the well-deserving recipients this year.

Reali is as inspiring as they come — her next career move should be to become a motivational speaker. She was in what she thought would be her final year of her undergraduate degree at McMaster University when she was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, and through a lot of work, she was able to use this experience to look for the silver linings in life.

Path into nursing She graduated from McMaster after five years with a double major in biology and psychology, neuroscience & behaviour. Her goal was always to

work in health care, but she decided to start out with a broad degree because she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do in health care. Crohn’s disease helped her decide.

Like many people, Reali used to have a very superficial understanding of the critical role nurses play in the health care system. After being hospitalized due to Crohn’s disease, Reali saw and understood the vital role nurses play in patient care.

“My surgeon… 100 per cent saved my life, but the nurses were the ones [who] gave [it] back to me,” Reali said in an interview with The Varsity.

“They were the ones there [24 hours a day, seven days a week]. They were the ones… [who] shed tears with me; they held my hand.” Reali wanted to do something with that experience, and she couldn’t think of a better way than to pursue nursing herself.

Reali received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing with distinction from the University of Toronto’s renowned nursing program. Since then, she has been working as a nurse and is currently working as a nurse in the Multi Organ Transplant Inpatient Unit at Toronto General Hospital. Reali is also a preceptor at the hospital — meaning she helps to train the new wave of

nurses coming in, whether they are still students or newly joining the hospital.

Nursing through COVID-19 Reali has continued to work during the COVID-19 pandemic as a nurse.

Though her own health has been a worry, she said that the Multi Organ Transplant Inpatient Unit has made some excellent accommodations for her to allow her to keep doing her job as safely as possible. For example, Reali only works with patients not being observed for COVID-19.

This September, while still working at Toronto General Hospital as a nurse, Reali decided to pursue a Master of Nursing at the University of Toronto. She is now in the health systems leadership and administration stream. She decided to pursue a Master of Nursing because she wanted to have more autonomy in her practice.

“I noticed that decisions were being made for me… as a nurse and… ultimately, frontline workers are impacted when changes upstream are made,” Reali said. “So I really wanted to be involved in making those changes.”

“What I am looking forward to is… [bringing] a perspective of being in the front line to health care management because at the end of the

day, [frontline workers] know how these changes are going to impact the patients that you take care of and their families.”

Outside of nursing, Reali has volunteered for the Gutsy Walk each year since her diagnosis, which is the largest fundraising initiative in Canada for research and programs for Crohn’s and colitis. She has also been involved in other advocacy work for Crohn’s disease and colitis and has volunteered as a peer mentor both at McMaster and the University of Toronto.

Reali is passionate about her job, and she can empathize with patients because of her own experiences, espe-

Vanessa Reali is currently a master’s of nursing student at U of T and a frontline health care worker in a Toronto hospital.

cially with the feeling of wanting to be seen as a person, not just a patient.

“These patients had stories before they got sick or people [who] they love and who they’re continuing to fight for,” Reali said.

“I think it’s always important to be able to sit down and tell their story, to pass on their story, how they want it to be heard. So I think that it’s super important to be able to advocate in different ways for your patients, especially the nurse, but especially just in public.”

Top food companies make empty promises to do better, suggest U of T researchers

Study assesses need for policy over voluntary commitments to healthier standards Nicole Szabo Varsity Contributor

Consumers are more concerned than ever about the ingredients in their food. Growing public awareness of the health impacts of excessive fats and sugars has created pressure for food manufacturers to make their products healthier. Many have made voluntary commitments to clearer labels and healthier ingredients.

A recent U of T study led by PhD student Laura Vergeer of the L’Abbé lab found that voluntary commitments to better nutritional standards made by food manufacturers are falling short.

For this new study, published in the journal Current Developments in Nutrition, Vergeer and her team surveyed 22 top manufacturers of food and beverages, most of which had made voluntary commitments to reduce energy content or portion sizes, sodium, saturated fat, trans fat, or sugars.

“We found that most companies — 17 of the 22 that we looked at — did report at least one recent action or commitment concerning one or more of these nutrients that we looked at,” said Vergeer in an interview with The Varsity. “However, when we actually scored them using our Food Company Reformulation tool, or FCR tool as we call it, we found that generally they didn’t perform very well on average.”

The FCR tool scored the strength of the companies’ commitments by looking at various indicators, such as the level of transparency and the magnitude of reduction the companies achieved.

Unhealthy grocery shelves hurt Canadians Vergeer said her team also looked at whether companies’ actions applied to all relevant products or just a subset of what they produced, and if they followed certain recommendations made by the World Health Organization or the Canadian government. “So, for example, do companies commit to meeting Health Canada’s voluntary sodium reduction targets?” Vergeer posed. “[Our data] really seems to suggest that the potential for these voluntary commitments to actually make meaningful improvements to the nutritional quality of foods and beverages in Canada is pretty low, based on what they are now,” Vergeer said. “We’re really hoping for some stronger efforts in the food industry and maybe some more government intervention.”

Obesity and hypertension among Canadians have drastically increased in recent decades. Both contribute to heart disease, which is Canada’s second leading cause of death.

Diet has been linked to these diseases time and time again. “Most products in the packaged [Canadian] food supply are considered highly

processed,” said Vergeer, adding that they are often high in sodium, saturated fats, and sugars. “And they’re also heavily marketed particularly to children, which is a major concern in Canada as well.”

The amount of salty foods Canadians eat, which contributes to high blood pressure, is especially startling.

A recent report showed that packaged foods in Canada contain the most sodium out of the 12 countries included in that report.

Canadian companies come in last Vergeer noted that Canadian companies do a poor job of creating healthy food options. “But it’s important to keep in mind that there’s quite a bit of difference between companies in terms of how they’re performing.”

Multinational companies such as Nestle, which had the best overall, at an FCR score of 122 out of 155, typically fared better than domestic Canadian companies.

The five companies that did not report any voluntary recent actions or commitments to bettering their nutritional standards were Lassonde, Agropur, George Weston — the parent company of Loblaws and Canada’s largest food retailer — Parmalat, and Sobeys. “Most of those actually are companies that only operate in Canada or are Canadian-headquartered companies,” Vergeer said.

Why are Canadian companies falling behind? Vergeer explained that,

According to a new U of T study, multinational companies like Nestle have voluntarily made their products healthier than Canadian food manufacturers.

SAMARTH AGARWAL/THEVARSITY

in comparison, multinational companies have greater financial resources.

“They’re able to hire people like dieticians or nutritional scientists that can really focus on areas like the formulation of their products.”

Policy is required for a healthier Canada Vergeer and her team’s study reveals that many companies cannot be relied on to voluntarily put healthier products on the shelves. This is where policy needs to step in.

“When the Liberal government was elected in 2015, they developed this healthy eating strategy [that] was aimed at making the healthier choice the easier choice for Canadians,” said Vergeer.

This was when the Child Health Protection Act was proposed to restrict the advertising of unhealthy foods to children. Other proposals included a mandatory front-of-pack label that would easily alert consumers to products high in sodium, sugars,

and saturated fats.

As of 2020, the Child Health Protection Act has not been passed.

“One thing that food companies can do in situations like that is support these government initiatives that support healthy food policies as opposed to, say, lobbying against them, which can delay their implementation,” said Vergeer. “And we suspect that’s probably what’s happened here with these Canadian food policies.”

What can the average customer do in the meantime? Vergeer suggested reading nutrition fact tables and ingredients lists, but noted that this can be difficult for consumers with lower levels of health literacy.

“That’s why we pushed for these policies from the food industry or from governments,” Vergeer said. “[They] really help make it easier to make healthy food choices. “So that the onus isn’t on the consumer to do that all on their own with little guidance.”

Sports

November 2, 2020 var.st/sports sports@thevarsity.ca

In conversation with Varsity basketball star Sarah Bennett

Reflecting on athletic beginnings, COVID-19, MD hopes

Rex Wang Varsity Contributor

While she may not have been literally born with a basketball in her hand, fifth-year eligible forward Sarah Bennett came close. Both of her parents were varsity basketball athletes in their collegiate days and her brother was a professional basketball player in Europe.

“I just kind of grew up being around basketball, going to watch basketball… I grew to get really passionate about it.”

The Varsity sat down with Bennett to discuss how this upcoming season has affected her relationship with basketball.

Bennet often watched U of T women’s basketball games when she was younger. Her early days were filled with clues of a hoop dream.

“I always dreamed of playing university basketball; watching those girls was really inspiring for me.”

Given her family’s background, it is no surprise that Bennett found success as an athlete. As a multi-sport athlete, she excelled on the basketball court, joining numerous teams during her time in high school, and won a bronze medal in the 2013 Ontario Federation

of School Athletic Associations championships for swimming.

Her exceptional play caught the eyes of recruiters during her senior year of high school, and she eventually committed to play at the University of Toronto.

Just like that, Bennett had followed the footsteps of her mother and became a proud member of the Varsity Blues.

Fast forward to 2020, Bennett has become a star on the U of T roster. Sarah has cemented herself as a cornerstone of the team through her hustle and motor on the floor. While her success is undoubtedly rooted in her relentless work ethic and drive, Sarah stayed humble and attributed her improvement throughout the years to her coaches.

She spoke of the efforts they put in to help her sharpen not only her technical skills, but also to help her develop her basketball IQ and make her a better all-around player. “You have to earn every minute on the court and I’d go to every skill session I possibly could, I would try to do more than what the coaches were asking us to do so I could earn my minutes, so that I can play and really improve myself.”

This effort has clearly paid off, as she leads the team

in rebounding despite being an undersized forward.

Like many fellow athletes, COVID-19 impacted Bennett in a way beyond merely stopping her from exercising. When faced with the reality that the season may be candled, Bennett was confused and worried. Not only was she concerned with what it meant to her athletic career, but she also dreaded another factor that came with the pandemic: her team and teammates had become such an integral part of her life, and this would mean their interaction would now be limited to Zoom calls.

“All of a sudden one day, we were just told [that] all the practices, all scrimmages, all weights are just cancelled… After a few weeks… we were kind of confused, we really wanted to play basketball.”

To further complicate this issue, Bennett was also dealing with a torn meniscus and had to rehabilitate her injury with limited medical help as Toronto shut down. The difficult situation, however, did not stop Bennett and her team from trying to improve.

Between Zoom workouts and regular check ins, Bennett and the team continued to push themselves and each other with the help of their passionate coaching staff. “We try our best to work on individual skills and do things that were in our control in order to develop ourselves as players during this time since we couldn’t actually play together.”

Bennett on the court.

HENRY ZHAO/VARSITY BLUES

Bennett remarked that the challenges of COVID-19 served as an ultimate reminder of how much basketball meant to her: “You don’t realize how much you love to do something and how much you take things for granted until you can’t do it anymore.”

Looking into the future, Bennett’s basketball path is unclear but hopeful. Slated to graduate with her degree in medical physiology, this year would have been Bennett’s final year of eligibility.

Team versus individual sport: is there a psychological difference?

Perspective from Postdoctoral Fellow Jeemin Kim

EC CA

RO CC O/

THE VARS ITY

Boston Celtics. This opinion seems to be shared as fans and media alike had a field day with him and coach Nick Nurse.

While people are entitled to their own opinions — and of course, there is no shortage of opinions with sports — one undeniable fact is often overlooked: Siakam and Nurse are people and therefore naturally affected by psychological factors.

In the same way, when two-time Olympic gold medalist boxer Vasiliy Lomachenko lost his bout against Teofimo Lopez on October 17, there were also psychological factors involved. Lopez controlled the first six rounds and Lomachenko showed flashes of brilliance a little too late.

The team and individual dichotomy in sport often overlooks a fundamental psychological similarity in all athletic pursuits. Players of both kinds of sport experience motivation, competitiveness, drive, and frustration.

What made Siakam’s performance abysmal, and why did Lomachenko lose against Lopez? More generally, what are the differences in a player’s psychology between team and individual sports?

The science of sport psychology Jeemin Kim, a postdoctoral fellow in sports psychol-

B RE

Guiller Lorenzo Cenizal Varsity Contributor

I have no intention to slander him, but Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam was abysmal in this past Eastern Conference Finals against the

Testing UTrain: Nia

Combining dance, martial arts, yoga, mindfulness Alexandra Waddell Varsity Contributor

was hoping that this holistic fitness practice would have me leaving energized and clear-minded.

It’s midterm season, and that means we are all under a little more stress than usual. While keeping a routine is useful to keep stress under wraps, it’s also good to take it easy — especially in terms of your fitness.

So, to give myself a break from high-intensity exercise, I decided to try Nia, hosted by Hart House on Sundays at noon. If you are a Nia novice like me, Nia is a comprehensive workout class that combines dance, martial arts, yoga, and mindfulness.

It looked like the perfect mental and physical break from studying that I was craving. I

The workout The instructor was Jennifer Hicks, who is an internationally-recognized Nia movement instructor. Before the class began, many of the regular members were already there, catching up on each other’s lives and discussing the Toronto jazz music scene. It was clear that Hicks had built a community around these classes.

For the newbies like me, she gave a quick introduction to Nia and reminded us that it was about listening to our body. She recommended that we adjust the movements to make them more intense or more relaxed, depending on our body’s needs.

ogy researching with Professor Katherine Tamminen at the University of Toronto, believes that there are some notable differences between team and individual sports.

“There are certainly components in team sports that are just not that relevant in individual sports. For example, in team sports, and more specifically, interdependent sports, things like coordination [and communication] are very important,” he said.

Kim made an example of the synergy one would see in basketball or soccer — not only a practice in communication, but also an exercise in trust. Sports like volleyball, football, and baseball, to name a few more, are what he would define as ‘interdependent sports.’

Within these sports, Kim suggested that there are inherent team hierarchies. These are not only based on position, but also on skill, tenure, and overall presence. A negative attitude from someone like St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina would have a greater impact on a team’s psychology than someone who is less acclaimed or experienced.

Kim also said that there are instances in which teammates boost mood and motivate — what he classified as both hedonic and purpose-driven actions.

He continued by saying that this reliance on others and the dynamics of trust often do not apply when in The class involved simple movements and choreography to a wide range of music. Hicks explained things well, and I could always follow along. My hips were moving, my arms were doing circles, and I was bending everything.

We did jazz circles to “Jammin’” by Bob Marley & The Wailers and other funky songs that I wouldn’t normally work out to. Around 35 minutes into the workout, we slowed down and moved into stretching exercises and arm workouts on our yoga mats.

The class ended with Hicks re-centring our mental focus. I really appreciated the class for its comprehensive attitude toward health, encompassing both physical and mental aspects.

The verdict Overall, Nia was unlike any workout I’d ever done, and I really enjoyed the change of pace from my regular workouts — it was a nice solution to the Sunday scaries.

Hicks let us know that, for the foreseeable future,

individual sports. Like the name suggests, individual sports place the onus on the individual performer.

True enough, tennis great Novak Djokovic would have no one else to blame if he loses to Rafael Nadal at the French Open.

A spectrum to replace the binary Despite this acknowledgement of differences, Kim noted that “There are more similarities between individual sports and team sports than most people think.”

Blair Evans, an assistant professor in psychology at Western University and Kim’s colleague and friend, has done work to suggest that there is a continuum of structural independence in all sports. This challenges the traditional dichotomy of team sports and individual sports.

Wrestling, for example, is traditionally seen as an individual sport, but in school and international settings, wrestling is often done with a team, capturing a group identity. Collaboration is still required for gaining points or training together; there is still a fundamental group dynamic.

Taking this into consideration, Kim said that a more enthralling dimension to explore would be how much the psychology differs due to the degree of interdependence across different sports rather than between the simple binary. she will be teaching these classes from the Hart House studio instead of her home, so we can expect more consistency in sound and video quality from her classes going forward.

So if you feel overwhelmed on Sundays, attend the Nia UTrain session at 12:00 pm to help put your mind at ease.

Nia’s focus is mindfulness.

MAHIKA JAIN/THEVARSITY

var.st/sports

NOVEMBER 2, 2020

19

Jenna Woock on student-athleticism in a pandemic Varsity Blues volleyball player talks motivation, teamwork, and the future

Natasha Lewis Varsity Contributor

As we are immersed in the reality of COVID-19, it’s been hard for people to understand where the future is headed and what the new reality may look like. This is especially concerning to Varsity Blues women’s volleyball player Jenna Woock, a fourth-year middle blocker.

Woock, who is double majoring in health and disease, and biology, with a minor in physiology, has spent most of her time at U of T engrossed in the volleyball world and a central team member.

She is an athlete who lives for exciting games, and while she is one of the more prolific scorers on the team, Woock is focused on performing at her best for her teammates.

“I’ve played volleyball since I was 11, and I think the closest friends… have mostly been through volleyball.”

COVID-19 has drastically changed Woock’s ability to see and play with these friends.

Having been on the women’s volleyball team myself last year when the pandemic was taking hold in March, we travelled to Calgary together for the national championships with the hope of bringing back a gold medal.

We left Toronto with no real understanding

of the pandemic. The first day in Calgary seemed normal until the following morning when terms like “social distancing” were being uttered and volleyballs were being sanitized before practice.

“I really felt like we were going to win… we had come all this way, and it wasn’t happening,” Woock said. “It was more sad later on, when it hit me more.”

On the day of the team’s first game, the tournament was cancelled, and the fate of the team has been hazy ever since.

Woock admits that this haziness has not yet disappeared, and the team is persistently searching for their lighthouse to keep them in line with their training and motivation. “There’s only so much you can do not on a court, not with other people, not with your coaches,” she said.

The greatest challenge has been maintaining the connectedness that the team had always depended on in tough tournaments and practices — they need it now, for the pandemic.

Woock feels the gap growing between training for self-improvement and the collective progress toward the team’s future goals. She admits, though, that it is difficult to prioritize her own progress. It is a fine balancing act to find motivation to train in lockdown.

She commented that doing things over Zoom

How to be mindful Amidst midterms and a pandemic, there are ways to keep your cool

Angad Deol Associate Sports Editor

As most students enter their first online midterm season, it’s more important than ever to maintain mindfulness and find a healthy balance between life and school. Term tests already create a stressful environment for students, but as the pandemic continues to pollute the outside world, finding times in the day to take a step back and focus on yourself can help you be successful.

down and relieving pent-up anxiety. Moving your body can also ground you in reality, which is especially needed after spending long, stressful hours in Zoom lectures.

Take in the nature around you, absorb the sounds of your neighbourhood, or put on your favourite podcast or album. What matters is that you relieve that overwhelming feeling of stress and get a chance to relax.

is not really the same as in person.

She also feels that her role on the team has gone from reproducing excitement to employing a more of a role model position.

Woock is unsure of her future volleyball plans — it feels that it has become easier to prioritize school over volleyball; as practices get cancelled, academics remain a constant in her life.

The pandemic has transformed the excitement of Woock’s individual future and collective team purpose into a waiting game. As we have learned from this pandemic, tomorrow will be different from today, which is ultimately limiting the concept of future plans in sport for many athletes, including Woock.

If you live in Toronto, I recommend walking along the waterfront or biking the Evergreen Brickworks near Rosedale and going for a stroll in the ravines there, which transports you out of the city and into a green oasis. A great relaxing playlist for meandering through the woods is “Hanging out and Relaxing” by Spotify.

Guided meditation Perhaps the most obvious method of mindfulness is meditation. Although it may sound complicated, guided meditation is a great and simple way to get into mindfulness and reap the stress-relieving, relaxing benefits.

Many free apps are available to help get you started. Headspace, The Mindfulness App, and Calm, among many others, provide great — and free — guided meditations, alongside a few premium options that come with in-app purchases.

Take a social media break Believe it or not, mindlessly scrolling through social media is not a great way of taking a break from studying for your next test. In fact, a recent study discovered that the use of multiple social media apps leads to symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Logging out of Instagram for a day or two might actually be good for you. You don’t need to see what island your favourite influencer is visiting this week; maybe you should look for your own mental paradise instead. Focus instead on making a study break snack, reading a relaxing book, and resting your eyes in order to really rejuvenate yourself before getting back to work.

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a form of meditation that provides people with the ability to relax and focus on the present. According to Mindful.org, it is “the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.”

The trick is to focus on breathing and feeling your body, clearing your mind of unnecessary or intrusive thoughts for a few moments. Practicing mindfulness can be as simple as shutting down your screen and opening up your mind. It should rejuvenate your mind and get you ready to tackle the day’s work.

Most people think of meditation as a mindful escape from the daily grind, but there are plenty of other ways to zone in on yourself and get relief from outside pressures like school or the pandemic.

Going for a walk Sometimes, nothing beats the great outdoors. Going for a nice stroll is a classic method of winding

Woock on the court.

SHANNA HUNTER/THEVARSITY

RANIA PHILLIPS/THEVARSITY

REBECCA ROCCO/THE VARSITY

What the Health: What are shin splints?

How they happen and how to get rid of them

Nimit Vediya Varsity Contributor

Many people may have heard of shin splints and know of them as a common sports injury or a chronic condition. But few know exactly what causes them. The pain comes from inflammation of the tendons, muscles, and bone tissue around the shin.

So, how does this happen? Shin splints, or medial tibial stress syndrome, result from intense exercise or repeated stress on the musculoskeletal system. This is common in any sport that requires repetitive leg movement, like running or dancing.

The condition causes pain and soreness of the shin and can progress to an unbearable level.

The only proven way to treat it is to rest. Icing or stretching the shins, however, may alleviate some pain. Additionally, physical therapists can recommend exercises to strengthen your legs as well as conduct therapies to reduce pain and swelling.

Once you get back to training — after taking at least two weeks off — you can take certain precautions to prevent the condition altogether.

Good shock-absorbing shoes and soles are highly effective in reducing the overworking of muscles.

Warm-up and cool-down stretches are also important in preventing further injury; avoiding high-impact exercises on hard surfaces will also alleviate pain.

All in all, shin splints can be a real pain, but with enough care, they can be healed and avoided.

Send in your health and fitness questions to sports@ thevarsity.ca for a chance to be anonymously featured!

20

THE VARSITY

DIVERSIONS

ACROSS 1. Heron, e.g.

6. Rather suggestive 10. Hors d’oeuvre selection 14. Wanted poster word 15. Resounding response 16. Alternative to air 17. Lexicography immortal 18. Grab with a toothpick 19. Kind of cavity 20. Glass-half-empty types 22. Perspiration passage 23. Dashed off 24. Cinematic barbarian 25. Underground, as treasure 29. Dish’s fellow elopee 32. Presses 33. Involving both sides 37. Carpenter’s woe 38. Jet-engine component 39. Like Miss Congeniality

NOVEMBER 2, 2020

40. Proposed a figure 42. Make retribution 43. Fluttery fliers 44. What nudniks do 45. Artist’s book 48. Always, in a sonnet 49. Was obligated 50. Long-eared hare 57. It’s near the radius 58. Citrus hybrid 59. Nail partner 60. Expected a return 61. Gramp’s mate 62. Longtime “All My Children” role 63. Ophthalmologist’s case 64. Did a number 65. India’s New ___

DOWN 1. Twist 2. Mother Nature’s balm 3. Does the hole job?

4. Holiday lead-ins 5. Leaves the rat race 6. Amber, originally 7. Doesn’t just stand there 8. Converse idly 9. London louts 10. The ayes 11. Batting great Hank 12. Bit of pageant trappings 13. First name of two first ladies 21. Like Carroll’s Hatter 24. Army folder?

25. Tour de France need 26. Caterer’s containers 27. Say rah 28. Cow 29. Surfer’s destinations

30. Tread tediously 31. Dinghy adjunct 33. Opposite of neither 34. Comedian, hopefully 35. Bad marks for teens?

36. Look that might concern you 38. Chinese calendar icon 41. Bossy comment 42. Infused with oxygen 44. Unit pricing preposition 45. Besmirches 46. Mini-hooter 47. Rocker Kravitz 48. Making do, with “out” 50. Moonshiner’s supply 51. Taj Mahal site 52. Feudin’ side, maybe 53. Crashing sort 54. Cookbook direction 55. Bite result, say 56. Baht spender