March 14th, 2022

March 14, 2022

THE VARSITY

Vol. CXLII, No. 21

All about News:

Ready, set, convocate!

BDS caucus fees withheld from UTGSU

Convocation returns in person after two years Padraic Berting Graduate Bureau Chief

UTMSU elections underway

Mask mandate remains for rest of semester

Unions respond to Ukraine letter backlash

After two years of virtual convocations for graduating students, U of T has finally announced its intention to hold an in-person spring 2022 convocation.

Details According to the website of the Office of Convocation, the university is planning on hosting this convocation from June 2–24 at Convocation Hall, although that will be subject to any changes in public health measures.

Despite the province rolling back vaccine mandates, the university still requires vaccination for everyone coming to campus. “You should be prepared to meet this requirement, and any further guidance as directed by Public Health,” reads the Office of Convocation website.

Cap and gown rentals, which are required for in-person ceremonies, are expected to go live on the website in May. Although the exact dates and details of the ceremony are subject to change, the announcement is similar to other Ontario universities that have also announced an intention to hold in-person celebrations, such as Queens and Western University.

In a statement from the University of To-

ronto, a spokesperson stated that it would not be possible for 2020 and 2021 graduates to attend ceremonies scheduled for the class of 2022. However, they did add, “Faculties and Colleges continue to plan to welcome back graduates of 2020 and 2021 in separate graduation ceremonies at a later date.

Classes of 2020 and 2021 can expect to hear from their divisions in the very near future.”

Reaction from students Denise Lee, a fourth-year economics and environmental science major, said that she was relieved to hear the announcement of in-person graduation. “I think everybody in my position has just been waiting… Part of the reason why I took a gap year [was] to have this moment.”

However, Denise also expressed some frustration over the lack of clarity in the announcement. She said she’s “heard a lot of complaints,” specifically on how this lack of clarity might affect international students or students who aren’t from Toronto.

Matt Frola, a second-year masters student in public policy, graduated from St. Michael’s College in June of 2020, and was always disappointed that he’d never had an in-person convocation. “Having an in-person graduation… it’s what I’ve been looking forward to my whole life.”

2

THE VARSITY THE VARSITY NEWS

news@thevarsity.ca

BDS caucus fees to be withheld from UTGSU THE VARSITY Vol. CXLII, No. 21 21 Sussex Avenue, Suite 306 Toronto, ON M5S 1J6 (416) 946-7600 the.varsity

thevarsity.ca

the.varsity

thevarsitynewspaper

The Varsity

@TheVarsity

MASTHEAD Hannah Carty Editor-in-Chief Aditi Putcha Creative Director Tahmeed Shafiq Managing Editor Stephanie Bai Managing Online Editor

editor@thevarsity.ca creative@thevarsity.ca managing@thevarsity.ca online@thevarsity.ca

Sarah Kronenfeld Senior Copy Editor

copy@thevarsity.ca

Lauren Alexander News Editor

news@thevarsity.ca

Maya Morriswala Comment Editor

comment@thevarsity.ca

Sarah Folk Business & Labour Editor Jadine Ngan Features Editor Alexa DiFrancesco Arts & Culture Editor Sky Kapoor Science Editor

biz@thevarsity.ca features@thevarsity.ca arts@thevarsity.ca science@thevarsity.ca

Angad Deol Sports Editor

sports@thevarsity.ca

William Xiao Design Editor

williamx@thevarsity.ca

Makena Mwenda Design Editor

makenam@thevarsity.ca

Caroline Bellamy Photo Editor

photos@thevarsity.ca

Andrea Zhao Illustration Editor

illustration@thevarsity.ca

Abigail Dollries Video Editor

video@thevarsity.ca

Aaron Hong Front End Web Developer

aaronh@thevarsity.ca

Andrew Hong Back End Web Developer

andrewh@thevarsity.ca

Nawa Tahir Deputy Senior Copy Editor Marta Anielska Deputy News Editor

deputysce@thevarsity.ca deputynews@thevarsity.ca

Lexey Burns UTM Bureau Chief

utm@thevarsity.ca

Maheen Zulfiqar UTSC Bureau Chief

utsc@thevarsity.ca

Padraic Berting Graduate Bureau Chief

grad@thevarsity.ca

Emory Claire Mitchell Public Editor Cedric Jiang, Jessie Schwalb, Beatriz Silva Associate News Editors

publiceditor@thevarsity.ca Audrey Miatello, Mekhi Quarshie Associate Sports Editors

Agarwal, Shernise Mohammed-Ali, Janhavi Ana Pereira Nina Uzunović Associate B&L Editors Associate Comment Editors Talha Anwar Chaudhry, Alyanna Denise Chua, Safiya Patel, Rhea Jerath Ajeetha Vithiyananthan, Associate Features Editors Cherry Zhang Associate Senior Copy Editors Charlie Morocz Associate A&C Editor Rebeca Moya, Jessica Lam Angel Hsieh, Associate Illo Editors Mehrshad Babaei Associate Science Editors Ehsan Etesami, Corinne Langmuir Stella Ting Associate Photo Editors Associate Video Editor Lead Copy Editors Jonathan Blumenthal, Linda Chen, Julia Da Silva, Robert Guglielmin, Mona Liu, Oeishi Mukherjee, Kiri Stockwood, Grace Xu, Yan Xu, Valerie Yao Copy Editors Ke Bei, Whitney Buluma, Nicole Ha, Isabella Liu, Maggie Ng, Bella Reny

BUSINESS OFFICE Parmis Mehdiyar Business Manager

business@thevarsity.ca

Angelina Ouyang Business Associate

angelinao@thevarsity.ca

Ishir Wadwha ishirw@thevarsity.ca Advertising Executive

Mansi Premkumar mansip@thevarsity.ca Advertising Executive 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 © 2021 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

UTGSU previously rejected CRCSS’s recommendations Lauren Alexander News Editor

U of T has officially decided to withhold student fees that were previously allocated to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) caucus of the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (UTGSU). The UTGSU confirmed that it has been notified of the change by way of a letter from the university. The withholding of the fees will begin at the end of March.

The decision to withhold fees for the BDS caucus follows a 2021 ruling from the Complaint and Resolution Council for Student Societies (CRCSS), which decided in February of last year that the BDS caucus had broken the UTGSU’s own AntiDiscrimination Policy. The CRCSS ruled that the caucus’s fee — which is currently mandatory for all graduate students — discriminates based on nationality, and recommended, among other things, that the fee become optional. It gave the union three and a half weeks to accept the recommendations and provide a plan for how it would implement them.

However, the UTGSU voted to reject the CRCSS recommendations on the grounds that its members voted democratically to create the caucus.

Later, the union created a reserve fund in case it lost funding due to the decision.

Background on BDS The BDS movement attempts to pressure Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territory through economic boycotts. The BDS caucus was an ad hoc committee until 2019, when the UTGSU voted to make it a permanent standing committee.

The BDS movement has long been controversial within the UTGSU and within other student groups on campus. Critics of the movement claim it is antisemitic, and one student lodged a complaint against the caucus for antisemitism. However, its proponents dispute the claim that the movement is antisemetic in nature.

More recently, the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU), which represents full-time undergraduate students at U of T, voted in favour of divesting from “firms complicit in the occupation of Palestinian Territory” at its Special General Meeting. The decision was contentious, and many attendees spoke for and against it. It remains unclear what the motion will mean for the operations of the UTSU. Responses from community U of T News covered some of the university’s reasoning, clarifying that “The panel did not call for the BDS caucus to be abolished. It also did not consider whether the BDS movement is antisemitic.”

“The UTGSU has had a year to implement the ruling of the CRCSS,” said U of T Vice-President

and Provost Cheryl Regehr to U of T News.

In a statement to The Varsity, the UTGSU wrote that “At the current time, the UTGSU has not deviated from its stance that the democratic, autonomous will of UTGSU members should be respected.”

The statement further affirmed the UTGSU’s commitment to the BDS movement, writing that the union is “committed to supporting justice for Palestine based on previous decisions made through its democratic, autonomous processes to such effect.”

In a joint statement on Instagram, Hillel U of T and Hillel Ontario, both of whom have often been critical of the BDS movement, applauded the decision to withhold fees. “[The UTGSU] has held the dubious record of being the only student union in the country to use mandatory student fees to fund a discriminatory committee promoting the Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israelis,” reads the statement.

The statement further notes that the decision affirms Hillel U of T’s stance that “the UTGSU’s obsessive and discriminatory focus on Israel and Jewish students has overstepped the bounds of what is acceptable.”

The Varsity has reached out to the UTGSU’s BDS Caucus for comment. Hillel U of T has declined to provide further comment.

SCSU, UTMSU respond to criticism on joint statement about Russia-Ukraine Commenters claimed that statement did not address the issue properly Syeda Maheen Zulfiqar UTSC Bureau Chief

The Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU) and the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) released a statement on March 3 titled “Student Solidarity Against War, Imperialism and Colonial Governments,” regarding the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The statement was written in collaboration with the Continuing Education Students’ Association at X University (CESAX), the York Federation of Students (YFS), and the Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario (CFS–O).

Following the statement’s release, commenters expressed concern on the SCSU’s Instagram post, claiming that the statement was misguided. The post containing the statement has since been deleted from the SCSU’s Instagram account; however, it is still available on the YFS website.

Original statement The statement reads, “[We] oppose all wars waged by imperialist and colonial governments and affirm our solidarity with the people of Ukraine.”

It continues by talking about the “settler-colonial, imperialist, and NATO affiliated states” that have contributed to “destabilizing the region as part of a much larger geopolitical strategy of imperialist control and power.” The student unions also highlighted the contributions of “Russian capitalist interests,” and NATO’s “illegitimate” perpetuation of “imperialism and capitalism.” They wrote that it is important to keep governments accountable, as Canada is also a “settler-colonial state and Imperialist power that is equally complicit in this war and others.”

The statement attributes the war in Ukraine and the abuse of human rights globally to “the pursuit of political control, land, resources and power.”

Next, it appeals to the university administrations of each union represented in the statement to provide “increased community support

through financial bursaries, extended residence accommodations, academic accommodations, and mental health resources” to international students.

It concludes, “As students’ unions with a continued commitment to anti-war movements, our thoughts at this time are with the people in Ukraine, Russian war-resistors, and all those experiencing imperialist or fascist violence in the region, and globally.”

Concerns expressed upon the statement’s release Many commenters pointed out the minimal mentions of Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine as the decisive factor in the heightening of this crisis, noting that the statement focuses more on factors like NATO’s expansion. Some commenters further wrote that the statement fails to actually condemn Russian aggression against Ukraine.

Commenters remarked that attributing the invasion to the expansion of NATO was concerning, especially considering that Russian President Vladimir Putin has framed the war as a response to NATO expansion as a justification for Russian aggression. Many objected to the unions placing blame on countries besides Russia for the invasion, and some also questioned whether Ukrainian people were consulted before the statement was posted.

One comment on the SCSU’s now-deleted Instagram post read, “Americans, and apparently Canadians too, are still preoccupied with the dialogue and language that is relevant to them and their approach to invasions of foreign land.” The same commenter asked the SCSU what it plans to do “beyond just empty words and a long overdue statement.”

SCSU and UTMSU response In an email to The Varsity, SCSU President Sarah Abdillahi wrote, “While, in our statement, we sought to pay recognition to the Western lense [sic] that disproportionately covers and contributes to global violence, we recognize this does not take away from the severity and importance of innocent Ukrainian lives victim

The SCSU’s statement on Russia and Ukraine.

LAUREN ALEXANDER/THEVARSITY

to Russia’s violence.”

She affirmed that the union is “calling on our elected officials to continue to open borders and support the safety of Ukrainian peoples and Russian war-resistors seeking refuge.”

She claimed that the union has also donated to relief funds.

Wei Lai, the UTMSU’s vice-president internal, wrote to The Varsity that the union had been called upon by many students to release a statement of support.

Regarding the statement’s inclusion of NATO and the “imperialist” and “capitalist” agenda as the producers of this conflict, she wrote, “We wanted to avoid a narrow analysis and provide historical and geopolitical context to the invasion, because leaving out this context can be misleading.”

Lai continued, “We wouldn’t consider the few comments we’ve received as ‘backlash.’ ” Instead, she wrote that the union expected criticism, and encourages it, as feedback will “help develop [the union’s] understanding on the issues that are important to [it].”

The Varsity has reached out to the CESAX, YFS, and CFS–O for comment.

thevarsity.ca/section/news

MARCH 14, 2022

3

Jewish faculty sign letter with concerns about antisemitism in medical faculty Letter released in response to accusations of anti-Palestinian racism in Faculty of Medicine Jessie Schwalb Associate News Editor

Content warning: This article discusses antisemitism.

On March 7, Doctors Against Racism and AntiSemitism (DARA), a Toronto-based grassroots organization, released an open letter to Acting Dean Patricia Houston of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine that was signed by over 300 Jewish faculty members at the university. The letter condemns an earlier letter sent by 45 U of T faculty members, which was originally meant to be confidential. The earlier letter was also addressed to Houston, and was written in response to the Faculty’s choice of a speaker and sponsor for a January 26 event marking Holocaust Remembrance Day. The DARA’s letter describes the earlier leaked letter as a conduit for “falsehoods, twisted logic and antisemitic rhetoric.” However, this characterization attracted criticism from some signatories of the original letter, who believe the DARA is attempting to intimidate faculty members concerned about Palestinian rights.

In an email to The Varsity, Houston reiterated the Faculty’s commitment to combating all types of discrimination and defended its choice to host the January 26 talk. “We do not – and will not – censor or set preconditions upon what invited speakers may or may not say,” she wrote.

Houston also mentioned steps that the Faculty has taken to “facilitate respectful dialogue,” such as appointing senior advisors on antisemitism and Islamaphobia. “[Physicians] must be knowledgeable about our world and feel empowered to speak out ­– sometimes passionately – to identify injustices,” Dr. Houston wrote. “However, we must also be respectful, thoughtful, and show concern for the impact our words may have on others.”

First confidential letter in response to event The original letter — the letter that was criticized by the DARA — was written in response to an event meant to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day, organized by the Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s Office of Inclusion and Diversity. The event featured McGill Emeritus Professor Irwin Cotler, a former MP and attorney general of Canada, who gave a lecture on contemporary antisemitism.

Though the original letter acknowledged the importance of Holocaust remembrance events, its signatories claimed that the Faculty’s event

“[reinforced] anti-Palestinian racism in a way that is consistent with a broader pattern of silencing and erasure of Palestinian voices.”

The letter pointed to Cotler’s endorsement of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism as evidence of this pattern. The IHRA definition is controversial among academics — some believe the definition is necessary, while others believe the definition is used to categorize criticism of Israel as antisemitic.

U of T’s Anti-Semitism Working Group (ASWG) recently chose not to adopt this definition — or any definition — of antisemitism. The signatories also argued that the event “repeatedly labeled legitimate criticism of Israel as examples of antisemitism.”

Moreover, the signatories took issue with the Faculty’s decision to let the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre (FSWC) sponsor the event. The FSWC is a nonprofit human rights organization focused on countering racism and antisemitism.

The faculty members took issue with the organization in part because it had previously called for the dismissal of Dr. Ritika Goel — the Faculty of Medicine’s social justice, anti-oppression and advocacy theme lead for the doctor of medicine and postgraduate training programs — because of her long-time support of Palestine.

Consequently, the signatories alleged that the FSWC has “actively targeted colleagues of colour,” and stated that allowing the centre to sponsor an event “sent a chilling message to other faculty and students.”

The letter concluded with a call for greater protections for students’ freedom of speech. “We are aware of students and faculty… who have been receiving ‘calls into the office’ to discuss… student complaints relating to their personal social media presence,” the signatories wrote. They added that the source of those complaints was usually demonstrations of support for Palestinian human rights and demanded that the Faculty protect its community members’ right “[to] speak out against intimidation and harassment without fear of reprisal and defamation.”

Open letter from the DARA After a faculty member leaked the original letter to the DARA, the organization released its own letter detailing Jewish faculty members’ apprehension in the face of escalating and openly expressed antisemitism experienced by Jewish students and faculty.

“Like members of any ethnic group which has endured historical persecution, it was our duty

GRACE XU/THEVARSITY

to call out the antisemitism permeating the letter from the 45 faculty members and to drive it back in the closet where it should stay,” Philip Berger, a signatory of the DARA’s letter and a professor within the Faculty of Medicine, wrote in an email to The Varsity.

The DARA’s letter objected to the original letter’s claim that Cotler’s lecture had undermined the ASWG’s work by endorsing the IHRA definition of antisemitism. It noted that although U of T accepted the working group’s report, the university “has not banned or prohibited the use, teaching, or discussion of the IHRA working definition.”

The DARA letter’s signatories also criticized the original letter’s use of “well-worn anti-Jewish contrivances,” like the reference to “special interest groups.” Moreover, it condemned the original letter for minimizing antisemitism perpetuated at the 2001 World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. The writers of the original letter disagreed with Cotler’s portrayal of condemnations of Israel that happened at the conference as antisemitic.

However, the DARA letter pointed out that multiple examples of antisemitism occured around discussions of Israel at the conference — including the distribution of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a baseless and notoriously harmful antisemitic text.

Finally, the open letter claims that non-Jewish signatories of the leaked letter are using the letter’s Jewish signatories as “moral cover.”

“They hide behind their Jewish colleagues to define for the Jewish community what is antisemitism,” Philip Berger elaborated. “For no other ethnic group would those outside the group dare to define what racism against their community means.”

Defence from leaked letter signatories Some of the signatories of the original letter that condemned U of T’s event explained their reasons for signing the letter to The Varsity. “The [leaked] letter raised important issues regarding the culture [around] Palestine in the Faculty of Medicine,” said Mohammad Fadel, a law professor and signatory.

Jewish signatories of the original letter also denied that the statement was antisemitic. Deborah Cowen, a geography & planning professor and a member of the Jewish Faculty Network, wrote that it’s important to remember that there is a diversity of Jewish opinions on campus. “Many Jewish faculty members signed the letter… out of deep concern for anti-Palestinian racism and the targeting of faculty within Medicine who stand up for Palestinian rights.”

Samantha Green, another Jewish signatory of the original letter, wrote that, while she condemns antisemitism and all other forms of racism, “false charges of antisemitism… deflect from legitimate criticisms of the State of Israel [and] hinder meaningful discussions on how to resist the rise of White supremacist, neo-Nazi, and truly antisemitic rhetoric and violence within our communities.”

Fadel added that he was disappointed at the way the open letter primarily targeted “racialized junior faculty, and almost exclusively women.”

“On the one hand, you have a group of people who are trying to address a serious problem in the culture of the Faculty of Medicine,” said Fadel.

“And then you have another group of people who are defaming others. That’s the bottom line here.”

Community response to letters The FSWC has also issued a statement in solidarity with the DARA letter’s signatories in which they described the leaked letter as yet another example of why the university should adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism.

“It is extremely bizarre and disturbing that some U of T faculty members have chosen to wrongfully attack a distinguished leader in the Jewish community who has dedicated his life to combatting antisemitism and other forms of hatred,” read a statement from Michael Levitt, the president and CEO of the FSWC. “Time and time again, it appears Jews are being told what is and isn’t antisemitism and what actions can and cannot be taken to combat this pervasive hatred,” Levitt added.

Mask mandates will continue until end of term Provincial mask mandate lifts March 21 Beatriz Silva Associate News Editor

Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Kieran Moore, announced on March 9 that most mask mandates for schools, gyms, restaurants, and stores will be lifted in the province by March 21. However, a U of T spokesperson confirmed in an email to The Varsity that U of T plans to continue enforcing the use of masks in public spaces until the end of the semester.

The university made a similar decision with vaccine mandates, which are being revoked by the province but will continue to be enforced at U of T until at least the end of the term.

Can U of T contradict the province?

The university is an autonomous institution that

can choose to maintain these measures even if they are no longer required by the government.

After Ontario’s announcement, other universities, like the University of Waterloo and Western University, also announced their plans to keep mask mandates in place at least until the end of the term. Western University revealed that the decision considers the lack of physical distance in some university spaces, claiming that the use of masks could grant more safety.

The U of T spokesperson also wrote in the email to The Varsity, “Capacity limits and physical distancing in [some] indoor spaces… are no longer required.”

Ontario’s decision The province’s decision to lift mask mandates was driven by stable hospitalization and positiv-

Capacity limits and physical distancing no longer required in some spaces.

CORINNE LANGMUIR/THEVARSITY

ity rates for COVID-19, rising vaccination rates, and availability of treatments, which continue to improve health indicators. On the other hand, Moore recognizes that there are still risks.

The measure will continue for spaces like public transit, retirement homes, jails, shelters, living

settings, and congregate care. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has affirmed that those who still want to wear masks are welcome to do so.

Following the lifting of mask and vaccine mandates, all other COVID-19-related restrictions are expected to end in Ontario by April 27.

4

THE VARSITY

news@thevarsity.ca

NEWS

UTMSU debate covers transit, campus issues Nine candidates across two slates debate Lexey Burns UTM Bureau Chief

On March 9, the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) held its all-candidates debate, where candidates for the UTMSU election answered questions from voters.

Candidates running on two slates — Change UTM and Inspire UTM — as well as one independent candidate came together to discuss their platforms.

On the Inspire UTM slate, Maëlis Barre, Reagan Roopnarine, Alistair Kirk, Wenhan (Berry) Lou, and Suraqa Noor are running for president, vicepresident equity, vice-president external, vice-president internal, and vice-president university affairs, respectively.

On the Change UTM slate, Sam Aboul Hosn, Tamara ElAydi, and Robin Abboud are running for president, vice-president external, and vice-president university affairs, respectively.

Tsz Hei Justin Ma is running for vice-president internal as an independent candidate.

Campus safety The candidates were asked how they plan to create a safer campus.

Roopnarine, who is running

unopposed for vice-president equity, suggested a forum on consent, which would allow the UTMSU to hear ways to improve consent culture on campus. She also wants to improve U of T’s current sexual violence policy.

“It’s not survivor-centric,” Roopnarine said.

Aboul Hosn, who’s running for UTMSU president, said that one of his main goals is to invest in better sexual assault policy by talking to the university about building more health centres and infrastructure like “help buttons” on campus.

Academic support “As a student, it’s frustrating understanding my academic rights and what contributes to an academic offence,” said one student. “What plans are in place to support students academically?”

Noor, a candidate for vicepresident university affairs, pointed to one of Inspire UTM’s campaign points, which is to “revamp” the Know Your Rights Campaign. She explained that academic policies are constantly updating, and many students are not aware that academic offence policies have changed since classes have resumed in person.

Noor would like to expand the UTMSU Survival Guide because

she says that not a lot of students are aware of academic deadlines, such as for applying to specific programs of study. “I don’t want any student… to [be] held back due to their lack of knowledge on academic policies.”

Transit options “How will the UTMSU negotiate with local transit governments to make commuting from other places in the GTA — i.e. Scarborough — to save students time and money? As well, if students plan on driving to campus, do I have the option of not having to use the Upass?” asked one student.

Lou, a candidate for vicepresident internal, said they plan to present the UTMSU UPass survey — which collected data about student usage — to MiWay at the contract negotiation next year.

Ma, the other candidate for vice-president internal, discussed the cost that students pay to commute from other areas of the GTA that have transit other than MiWay. “I think students should be able to choose which transit company they should be using,” said Ma. Abboud, the other candidate for vice-president university affairs, said that Change UTM wants to be transparent with

students on UPass negotiation updates. “We’re trying to make it as economically and practically usable as possible, without giving anyone any false impressions about what we can and cannot deliver.”

University budget The candidates were asked how they will review the university budget.

Aboul Hosn, said that he wants the Ontario Student Aid Program to cover international students who have a one-year proof of residence, which could decrease international fees. He also wants to review the UTMSU’s ancillary and incidental fees by hiring an independent committee to see how much fees should actually be and what the money is being used for.

Barre, the other candidate for president, said that, as last year’s vice-president external, she voted against increases in student fees. “We decided that that financial burden should not fall on students,” said Barre.

Food on campus “What are you planning on doing about food costs on campus?” one student asked the candidates.

Barre wants to lobby administrative decision makers to make sure that UTM requires proper food quality control, provides more ethical food sources, and increases food diversity for students with food restrictions.

She’d also like to continue expanding the Food Centre at UTM to help ease food insecurity.

Abboud aims to provide more flex dollars to students instead of basic dollars, because the difference between the two impacts students’ decisions of where they can eat and allocate their food budget.

El-Aydi said that some students have come to her saying that meals provided by UTM’s food provider, Aramark, have caused health problems and that she wants “to ensure that the three meals that they’re eating are good meals.”

Union transparency The candidates were asked how they will ensure that they will be transparent as executives for the union.

Aboul Hosn sees that students are feeling disconnected from their union, so one of his campaign points is creating a portal connecting students to the UTMSU, which students can use to be more engaged and informed.

Barre said the UTMSU has different systems that allow transparency and participation, such as the Annual General Meeting and Commission meetings. She also said that all UTMSU documents, like meeting minutes, financial statements, and executive committee minutes, are available online.

Voting for next year’s Executive Committee and Division II - Directors at Large will be from March 15–17.

President

Vice-President Equity

Sam Aboul Hosn (Change UTM) and Maëlis Barre (Inspire UTM)

Reagan Roopnarine (Inspire UTM)

Lexey Burns UTM Bureau Chief

Sam Aboul Hosn Sam Aboul Hosn, a secondyear student double majoring in biology and psychology, is running for the position of University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) President on the Change UTM slate.

Aboul Hosn was elected a member of the UTMSU Campus Affairs Committee in his first year and was previously an event coordinator for the Lebanese Student Association. He was also the head of the outreach department for his high school student union.

In terms of his platform, Aboul Hosn hopes to create an online portal where students are able to voice their opinions and stay informed about opportunities and ongoing services.

He also hopes to connect with students by hosting biweekly meetings and monthly town hall meetings, as well as by sending out newsletters to update students on union activity.

Moreover, he wants to review the UTMSU budget to see where it is able to “decrease or eliminate some unnecessary incidental fees” for students. Finally, he hopes to start conversations with local transportation systems across the GTA to make commuting more accessible for students

who rely on transportation systems like MiWay. Lastly, Aboul Hosn would like to look over U of T’s Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment to make the reporting process easier and more anonymous for victims.

Maëlis Barre Maëlis Barre, a third-year student double majoring in astronomy and physics with a minor in mathematics, is running for the position of UTMSU President on the Inspire UTM slate. She is currently the vicepresident external.

She started volunteering with the UTMSU in her first year and was hired as a volunteer coordinator in her second year.

Barre was part of the Academic Affairs Governing Council, where she was able to get in contact with many students from different backgrounds who have different experiences on campus. Through these positions, Barre said she has witnessed the issues students face and what they would like to see improved.

Barre’s passions include advocacy for free and accessible postsecondary education for all students, both domestic and international. She would also like the university to provide tuition fee refunds for the last two years because she believes quality of education has decreased during the pandemic.

“I think something that’s really important is making sure that we have a cohesive student body at UTM,” Barre said.

“I want to make sure that we’re all being brought together for group events and initiatives of

campus groups… I think that would be something that’s really important, and I would place a lot of value on.”

The voting period for the UTMSU elections is being held from March 15–17.

Lauren Alexander News Editor

Reagan Roopnarine Reagan Roopnarine is running unopposed for the position of vicepresident equity in the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) spring 2022 elections on the Inspire UTM slate.

Roopnarine is a third-year student studying political science, environmental policy, and professional writing. She served as the Racialized Students Coordinator for the UTMSU in her second year, working on events for the racialized community at UTM. As part of this role, Roopnarine released an equity handbook for students and launched the union’s Seed Library, which provides seeds and other gardening equipment to students.

Currently, she is an associate for the UTMSU’s vice-president equity, working on federal election outreach alongside the vicepresident equity.

Roopnarine said that she hopes to challenge and dismantle “systems of oppression” as vice-president equity. She would work with external organizations like Migrant Students United to complete this work.

When asked how she feels about running unopposed for the position, Roopnarine replied that she still “[feels] the need to reach out to students.”

Roopnarine identified her main

goal as “making sure that everybody, regardless of where they come from… feel comfortable on campus and also off campus.”

The voting period for the UTMSU elections is being held from March 15–17.

thevarsity.ca/section/news

MARCH 14, 2022

5

Vice-President External

Vice-President Internal

Vice-President University Affairs

Alistair Kirk (Inspire UTM) and Tamara El-Aydi (Change UTM)

Wenhan (Berry) Lou (Inspire UTM) and Tsz Hei Justin Ma (Independent)

Robin Abboud, Change UTM and Suraqa Noor, Inspire UTM

Jessie Schwalb & Alexa DiFrancesco Associate News Editor & Arts & Culture Editor

Alistair Kirk (Inspire UTM) Alistair Kirk is running for vicepresident external of the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) on the Inspire UTM slate. Kirk, a third-year international student studying finance and economics, previously served as an associate to the vice-president external and currently acts as the corporate social responsibility director for the Innovative Business Association, a role in which he’s organized events such as a Diversity in Business conference and a three-kilometre run for breast cancer research.

Kirk wants to better serve international students, who face higher tuition fees, cannot access OHIP, and must adapt to a new culture — all while being in school. “This is a lot for international students to deal with,” said Kirk.

He plans to host an international students roundtable to showcase “[the] voices of international students and collaborate on solutions” and work with external organizations. Kirk envisions the UTMSU as “the first point of contact to international students as soon as they Tamara El-Aydi (Change UTM) Tamara El-Aydi is running for vice-president external on the Change UTM slate in the UTMSU elections. She is a second-year student studying psychology.

In an interview with The Varsity, El-Aydi shared her prior experience that she believes will help her perform the role effectively. This year, El-Aydi was elected to the UTMSU’s Board of Directors for Division II - Directors at Large, and she is a student member of the UTM Academic Affairs Committee.

She has previously participated in UTM’s Education for All Town Hall and Mental Health Town Hall.

If elected, El-Aydi hopes to help international students manage their tuition fees by working with the Ontario government to provide more OSAP loans. El-Aydi also intends to amend existing contracts with Aramark, UTM’s food provider, and amend UTM’s Sexual Harassment and Discimination Policy by “[hearing] from the people who are affected by it” and “[making] sure that we give them the support that they need.”

If elected, El-Aydi will commit to increasing transparency between the UTMSU and UTM students. She aims to do so through frequent communication because, she says, “it’s im-

land in Canada,” guiding them through the difficult steps that accompany moving to a new country.

Although his platform is focused on international students, Kirk wants it to remain accessible to all. “I want to serve as a mentor to students, helping them overcome challenges with their academics and with their social lives,” he said. “We want the UTMSU to create a community and be the first point of contact for students.”

portant that the union is working towards goals that the students want, and not what they think that they want.”

The voting period for the UTMSU elections is being held from March 15–17.

Beatriz Silva & Lauren Alexander Associate News Editor & News Editor

Wenhan (Berry) Lou (Inspire UTM) Wenhan Lou, also known as Berry, is a fourth-year marketing student running for vice-president internal of the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) on the Inspire UTM slate.

Lou has been involved with the UTMSU for the past three years — first as a volunteer, then as a WeChat team co-worker, and finally as a chair coordinator in his third year. His responsibilities included organizing events, reaching out to people, and writing posts. He thinks that all of these experiences will be important for the vice-president internal role, since it involves the promotion of services.

If elected, Lou hopes to advocate for more services for students, as well as better buses through Mississauga’s MiWay. In an interview with The Varsity, he said that the return to in-person classes has created a need for a better system to commute to campus.

“We want to take the data and bring this recommendaTsz Hei Justin Ma (Independent) Tsz Hei Justin Ma is running for vice-president internal of the UTMSU as an independent candidate. Ma is a second-year student at UTM studying humanities.

According to their campaign statement, Ma has previously volunteered in UTMSU programs including the free breakfast program and holiday events. Ma feels that by participating in these events, they have gained a good under-

tion to decision makers of [the] Mississauga transit system. And we also know the contract renegotiation for the capacity is coming up, which means we have the opportunity to talk about change, such as an optout plan for students who are never using [the] pass,” he said.

standing of the concerns of the general student body, such as rising tuition and academic rights.

“I will use all the resources available to help students in any possible way. Your voice, my action!” wrote Ma. Ma did not respond to The Varsity’s request for comment.

The voting period for the UTMSU elections is being held from March 15–17.

Lexey Burns UTM Bureau Chief

Robin Abboud (Change UTM) Robin Abboud, a first-year student hoping to pursue a degree in political science and economics, is running for the position of vice-president university affairs on the Change UTM slate in the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union’s (UTMSU) spring 2022 elections.

Abboud has studied leadership through the organization Maxwell Leadership for four years. She has also completed several management and advertising internships.

If elected, Abboud hopes to collaborate with companies to offer more students paid internships and to increase the number of sports scholarships at UTM. Moreover, Abboud aims to extend UTM’s late withdrawal deadline from the last day of classes to the last day of each semester’s final exam period, and to allow students to remove up to one credit of late withdrawals from their transcripts over the course of their degree.

She would also like to create an in-person and virtual platform on which students will be able to pose questions about campus.

On this last initiative, Abboud said that she would like to offer Suraqa Noor (Inspire UTM) Suraqa Noor, a fourth-year political science specialist with an environmental policy minor, is running for the position of vice-president university affairs on the Inspire UTM Slate in the UTMSU elections.

Noor has worked as a volunteer for the union, and went on to be an associate to the vicepresident external in her third and fourth years. During her time, Noor has worked on helping refugee students to come to Canada, as well as working to make the international student experience at the university more equitable and accessible.

She also believes that her work in the political science and pre-law association, as well as her work as a research assistant, has shown her how academic policies affect students and what kinds of opportunities students may be missing. Noor is hoping that she can guide students to these resources so they feel more secure in their career path.

For Noor, another big part of helping students is informing them of the university’s policies and their own rights. “It is really frustrating when you get into an academic offense… when you are not aware of the current policy,” Noor said, in an interview with The Varsity.

Despite having worked with the vice-president external for the past few years, Noor be-

students both delivery options because everyone will have a different preference.

“A lot of our life is going to [move] online,” Abboud noted.

“But I know for me, personally, I’m someone that likes human contact… so I definitely think there should be a way to be able to connect with someone in person.”

lieves that her perspective as an international fourth-year student can be valuable to other students.

“Definitely one of the biggest goals I have this year would be making sure that campus groups feel more welcome,” Noor concluded.

The voting period for the UTMSU elections is from March 15–17.

6

THE VARSITY

news@thevarsity.ca

NEWS

Canadian university emails used to donate 11,536 USD to ‘freedom convoy’ Experts discuss convoy’s harmful impact Tahmeed Shafiq Managing Editor

[are] large moral and ethical questions that don’t have easy answers.”

Content warning: This article discusses far-right extremism and antisemitic codes.

The big picture The 8.4 million USD in donations listed in the DDoS leak were made on the fundraising website GiveSendGo before February 10, when access to the funds was frozen by court order following a request by the provincial government.

The 101 donations that The Varsity has identified as using Canadian university email addresses included addresses from students, faculty, and alumni. Donations associated with email addresses belonging to current or former faculty accounted for roughly one-fifth of that total.

The University of Alberta community seemed to have made the most donations among Canadian schools — The Varsity’s analysis identified 23 separate names associated with the school.

U of T, McGill, and the University of Saskatchewan had the next highest numbers, with 13, 11, and 10 donations identified by our analysis, respectively.

When ranked by the net value of donations we were able to associate with each school, the University of Alberta came first again, followed by U Saskatchewan, U of T, and then the University of Ottawa.

An additional 229 donations were made from ‘.edu’ email addresses, which are commonly used by US universities. They totalled 18,637 USD and included donations from notable institutions like Yale and MIT.

On February 20, Ottawa police effectively ended the ‘freedom convoy’ protests in the capital, but lingering questions about its political significance and fallout remain.

Although the protests began as a challenge to COVID-19 vaccination and mask mandates, many media outlets documented the presence of far-right supporters, among the other protesters.

Numerous racist slogans and signs from known far-right organizations were spotted, including flags with swastikas and confederate flags.

The Intercept also identified hundreds of donors affiliated with the far-right organization The Oath Keepers on a leaked list of donors to the convoy, released on February 14 by hacktivist group Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoS).

By identifying notable individuals among the 92,844 donors, media outlets have raised questions about the political causes that powerful public figures are donating money to. These individuals have included former NL Progressive Conservative Leader Ches Crosbie and at least 26 current and former police officers in Canada.

The Varsity previously reported that 13 University of Toronto community members donated a total of 1,435 USD to the convoy.

Now, The Varsity’s follow-up analysis shows that a total of 101 donations, worth 11,536 USD in total, were made using email addresses from Canadian universities. One further donation of 500 USD was made from a personal email address of a self-identified U of T alum.

Experts on radicalization and the far right spoke to The Varsity about what all these numbers suggest about the political temperature of higher education in Canada. Their analysis highlights the ambiguous gap between the legal right of every citizen to associate with political causes of their choosing and how we should deal with the known far-right presence at the convoy protests.

“I would stand on the side of freedom of assembly and freedom of speech,” said Megan Boler, a professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education who studies social movements. “What we have to weigh is when does the harm of limiting that outweigh the harm that is done [by] any speech in the public sphere?”

“It’s really just a delicate balance — these

Two professors confirm they donated Twenty donations were made using emails from current or former faculty members of Canadian universities, including three donations from U of T faculty members. Although The Varsity reached out to all the Canadian faculty donors identified by the leak, only two professors confirmed they had donated, one of whom was a U of T professor who declined to go on record with their name.

The other confirmed donation was from Jan Vrbik, a mathematician at Brock University. In an email to The Varsity, Vrbik wrote that he donated because he supported “[the] removal of all mandates, restrictions, and government emergency powers.” Vrbik previously co-authored an op-ed in The Toronto Sun calling for the same thing.

“I am also appalled by [the] Trudeau government’s attempt to criminalize the most peaceful and legitimate protest in history,” he added.

He seemed skeptical about any significant

UTSC COVID-19 restrictions will remain in place Budget presented at UTSC Campus Council Syeda Maheen Zulfiqar UTSC Bureau Chief

The UTSC Campus Council met on March 9 to discuss changes to provincial COVID-19 policies and how they will affect the university. University administrators also explained the operating budget for the 2022–2023 academic year and went over changes to the Ontario Student Aid Program (OSAP).

COVID-19 updates William Gough, vice-principal academic & dean, confirmed that about 80 per cent of UTSC courses have returned to in-person learning. However, some courses remain online either due to the health concerns of instructors or because the course began in September as an online offering.

Gough added that the university will make an effort to provide more courses in the summer.

This is meant to alleviate the burden for students who, for a variety of reasons, were unable to at-

tend in-person classes.

UTSC’s Chief Administrative Officer Andrew Arifuzzaman commented on Ontario’s recent announcement of lifting of COVID-19 safety measures as they apply to campus activities.

“The university is being directed, in terms of its actions, as are all the other postsecondary institutions in Ontario, by order from the chief medical officers of health,” Arifuzzaman said. This means that while the provincial government may be announcing changes for the province as a whole, the university has yet to receive specific directions from the chief medical officers.

The university will update its policy as it receives new information, but Arifuzzaman suggested that masks “will be in place throughout the rest of this term.”

Arifuzzaman added that there have been no outbreaks on campus since the return to in-person learning, though there have been “occasional cases of Omicron in residence.”

In her updates, Sheila John, assistant dean

connection between the far right and the protests. Vrbik described the far-right protesters as “only a tiniest handful of individuals,” and said they had “no impact” on the overall aims of the protest.

Evan Balgord, the executive director of the nonprofit Canadian Anti-Hate Network, challenged Vrbik’s position in an email to The Varsity.

“It’s not a legitimate argument. Not everyone [at the protest] was a racist, or violent. However, its leaders come from the far-right movement and almost every network that makes up Canada’s far-right was participating.”

University of Winnipeg professor and radicalism researcher Kawser Ahmed was also critical of Vrbik’s donation.“Was he aware that [protesting] these mask mandates are just a facade, within which the main objective of the protesters was to topple the government?” he asked in an interview with The Varsity.

A number of other critics have described the protestors as seditious, arguing that they were calling for a change in the government through undemocratic means.

But Ahmed also acknowledged the legal right of every citizen to donate to political causes they choose. “The right to express and protest and freedom of association — these are all enshrined in our Constitution,” he said Jeffrey Dvorkin, a journalist and a senior fellow at U of T’s Massey College, said that these donations were more ethically ambiguous because the donors used university email addresses.

“You have a right, as a citizen, to express your opinion. But you do not have the right to bring this organization into disrepute,” he argued in an interview with The Varsity.

“But democracy is messy. And what we’re dealing with here is one of the messiest parts of democracy in Canada,” he added.

Faculty donations not surprising Boler said she did not find it surprising that some professors may have donated to the convoy.

She referred to controversial former U of T professor Jordan Peterson as one example of the “ideological affiliation of students and faculty.”

“What really strikes me about this is how the far-right network propaganda has so successfully conducted a disinformation campaign that has brainwashed all of us into believing… [there is] liberal bias in universities, in the media, in many of our North American institutions,” she said.

The few existing studies of faculty political wellness, recreation & sport, spoke on UCheck compliance. Upon return to campus, students may be asked by a UCheck Ambassador to show a green screen — which indicates that a student is allowed to come on campus. John said, “Over the last week, our green screen staff indicated [that] over 94 per cent of students are remembering to complete their daily screening, with 100 per cent of those screens being green screens.”

Lastly, sports and recreation as well as other club activities have begun on campus again. Additionally, 700 students are now living in residence.

Breakdown of university budget Cheryl Regehr, the university’s vice-president & provost, presented a summary of the budget.

“This year, we’re projecting a total budget revenue and expenses of… $3.23 billion, which is an increase of $110 million [in revenue] over last year.”

Tuition and fees represent 68 per cent of the university’s income, and operating grants represent another 20 per cent. Fifty-eight per cent of the budget will be allocated for the compensation of faculty and staff, while 10 per cent will be allocated to student aid.

OSAP and UTAPS plans Jeff Lennon, interim assistant vice-president, planning & budget, also presented a breakdown of the institutional budget. His presentation included

orientations in North America are either out of date, limited to a small sample size, or both.

But they do suggest that universities are not as left-leaning as popular attitudes suggest.

For example, Boler cited a 2007 study of 1,417 American professors that found that there were roughly equal proportions of faculty who identified as moderate and liberal — 46.6 and 44.1 per cent, respectively. The figures in the limited Canadian data are skewed more toward moderates: in 2008, two University of Windsor sociologists profiled 3,318 Canadian professors and found that 62.3 per cent of them identified as moderates, whereas just 25.5 per cent described themselves as left-leaning.

Evidence of far-right ties In addition, some donations from the overall dataset — including donations that did not seem to come from university communities — where the amount donated corresponded to ‘codes’ that are commonly used among the far right to represent hate symbols. For example, there were 23 donations of 88 USD exactly, and white supremacists are known to use the code ‘88’ as a cipher for ‘HH’ or ‘Heil Hitler.’

There were also 44 donations of 14 USD and 197 donations of 18 USD. According to the AntiDefamation League’s hate symbol database, ‘14’ is a code for a white supremacist slogan called ‘the 14 words,’ and ‘18’ is used as a shorthand for Adolf Hitler’s initials.

The Varsity could not confirm the identities or intentions of these donors, but experts who study the far right still find them significant. These donations could just be a coincidence, but hatecrime researcher Barbara Perry says it would be strange if they were, since the amounts of these donations were so specific.

“When you’re making a donation, it’s $15, $20. Generally an even number… They’re just very odd amounts,” Perry said. “It’s a very small proportion [of the total donations]. But nonetheless always disturbing.”

Boler said that even without the numbers, the evidence of far right support at the convoy protests was clear. “I don’t think we need those numbers to know the answer. People who are supporting [the convoy] — some percentage of those people absolutely support white supremacy.”

“I think there’s plenty of other reasons to know that [the] people supporting [the convoy], some percentage of them would be supporters of far right ideology.” updates to Ontario Student Aid Program (OSAP) grants and how the university plans to deal with these changes.

“Students from families with income above $140,000 [are] no longer eligible for non-repayable grants and every student will receive… at least 10 per cent specifically of their OSAP funding in the form of repayable loans,” Lennon explained.

“As a result of these changes, we’ve seen a drop in the number and proportion of our students receiving OSAP support.”

While 64 per cent of undergraduate students received OSAP in the 2018–2019 academic year, only 57 per cent received OSAP funding this year.

Lennon explained that the university generally “tops up” OSAP support with its own University of Toronto Financial Aid (UTAPS) bursary program.

Still, the “assessment of financial need” within the UTAPS bursary program is largely determined by the assessment criteria set out by OSAP. As such, Lennon said that the university is reviewing the UTAPS program to “[make] it more responsive to student financial needs, and less reliant on OSAP assessments.”

The council also approved changes to the Student Experience and Wellbeing fees and the compulsory non-academic incidental fees for UTSC student societies, which had been presented at the UTSC Campus Affairs committee meeting in February.

Business & Labour

March 14, 2022 thevarsity.ca/section/business biz@thevarsity.ca

U of T startups win seed funding through The Hub competition Winners bring hope to health sector, provide opportunities for student markets Zilun Zhao Varsity Contributor

The Hub holds annual business pitch competitions at UTSC, awarding the winners with funding and support. No matter what industry you launch a business in, the beginning can be hard — and seed funding can be key to help startups develop their businesses.

Startup logos.

COURTESY OF WELLNAMIC AND VERXIL

This year’s winners This year, 15 teams participated in The Hub competition, five of whom won seed funding.

“All of the winners convinced the judging panel that they were committed to their great idea and had built a solid business model over several months, with market research to back them up,” wrote The Hub Director Gray Graffam in an email to The Varsity.

Graffam explained that all of the winning startups “exuded confidence and enthusiasm.” Each company also has their own focus in a key field such as mental health or e-commerce. For example, Wellnamic is a company that promotes exercise to support mental health, and Verxil aims to be the one-stop shop for students to buy and sell items such as textbooks — or products from their own small business — online.

Student-centric business ventures “My sisters and I kind of combined our skills in health and fitness as well as tech and business to create Wellnamic, a dynamic approach to wellness,” said Edina Bijvoet, one of the co-founders of Wellnamic and a recent U of T kinesiology graduate. “It’s a digital tool that helps people use exercise to improve their mental health.”

Bijvoet explained that she and her sisters observed that many students were feeling isolated

during the pandemic. The Bijvoet sisters wanted to provide a tool to encourage students to get active and improve their mental health through exercise.

Like Wellnamic, Verxil also builds an online community for students, but its community aims to meet their shopping and selling needs.

Verxil co-founders Didier Ramazani and Benny Liao explained that the idea for an e-commerce platform came about in 2019, when they observed that students were having a hard time buying and selling textbooks. The website has expanded since the company’s inception, and students can now create personalized shops that sell a wide variety of their own products. They recently rebranded, changing the company name from Student Markets to Verxil.

“It’s free [to] use. [Students] have nothing to lose by using our platform,” said Ramazani, who is a U of T economics graduate. “All you have to do is just to post your product. We do the marketing for you, we do every single thing for you.”

The work behind the scenes Students can easily shop and sell on Verxil’s platform and take care of their mental health with Wellnamic’s app, but most are unaware of the many rounds of pitching and work that the startups went through in order to get the seed funding.

“The Hub worked with all entrants to build their business model, understand their competitive landscape, and develop their pitch decks,” explained Graffam. “We also had them attend workshops and practice their pitches, reviewed their market research, and gave tips on how to distinguish themselves and identify their competitive edge.”

Graffam said that the winning companies were awarded the funding because of their “stories and passion.”

Why are lofty resolutions so hard to keep?

Bridging the gap to actually achieve your personal goals Mohammed El Chayeb Varsity Contributor

“From tomorrow on, I will begin discovering new places.” “I just attended a food festival — tomorrow, I will finally begin my diet.”

These are just some examples of the resolutions we make to develop new habits — but why don’t we always follow through on them?

It is very common to set goals around temporal landmarks and special events like birthdays or the first day of summer. When you feel the sudden urge to turn your life around after such an event, you are experiencing the ‘fresh start effect.’ The fresh start effect is a phenomenon in behavioral economics that explains why people are more likely to want to set goals if the goal setting is associated with some temporal landmark, such as a New Year.

Reaching for the stars overnight How is it that so many people start envisioning goals on their birthday that they would not have thought of a day ago? According to Bing Feng, associate director of the Behavioral Economics in Action at Rotman (BEAR) Center, there are two main reasons why people experience this surge in motivation on certain days or times.

Feng — who is also an instructor of the BEAR lab course at Rotman Commerce — discussed how the fresh start effect affected her daily life after the 2022 new year. She explained that she took it upon herself to exercise more and order less takeout.

She believes that temporal landmarks such as special events help “create a separation [between] our past self, current self, and future self.” Our goals stem from not particularly liking a behaviour we have observed in our past

selves — such as repeatedly ordering takeout.

Feng explains that temporal landmarks give us — our current selves — “the opportunity … to pause and reflect [on] the past.” In doing so, we imagine a better version of ourselves in the future — like a version of Feng who orders less takeout and cooks more. A Wharton study shows that new beginnings are also fostered by our desire to compensate for the undesirable behaviours we displayed before we reached these time milestones.

Another reason for this behaviour could be that special occasions are a “creative disruption” to our day-to-day lives, according to Feng. The disruption of an event changes our daily activities for a period of time and triggers thoughts about starting a new routine. For example, the pandemic was a sudden shock to all our routines — and it made us think about our future selves and our ideal habits.

New year, same me?

It’s not uncommon to set a New Year’s resolution one year, only to end up setting the same goal at the end of that year when you’re making resolutions for the next one. Unsurprisingly, sticking to ambitious habits is easier said than done.

“Some reasons are related to the goal itself,” says Feng. Very often, our goals are nothing more than a pipe dream. “I wasn’t so excited about [exercising] indoors… So how can I expect of myself that, because of the pandemic, all of a sudden I [will] become super interested in doing indoor exercise? That’s not realistic.”

In other cases, goals may be too vague. When Feng decided to make a habit of cooking, she did not set out any targets to achieve that goal.

“I just said I wanted to cook more — but how much more?”

JESSICA LAM/THEVARSITY

Setting ourselves up for success involves a lot of strategic planning, which is even more difficult to maintain when we combine our desired larger goals with a seemingly endless list of other small goals. Feng explains that tackling “one goal at a time” is the best way to help us sort through the goal.

It is essential to track your progress and find an action that nudges you to stick to a goal.

Feng’s goal of exercising is easier to stick with if her sister encourages her to go for walks on the weekends. Involving others in your goals can create a “social lock” to help you keep up with the goal.

Our need for instant gratification Richard Thaler, Nobel Prize-winning economist,

has developed a ‘planner-doer model,’ which states that every person is both a planner — setting long-term goals for later gratification — and a doer — choosing their current actions based on the current value they bring them. We may want to set up our future selves for joy and pleasure, but it is difficult for our doer selves to sacrifice immediate gratification to do so.

In behavioural economics, there’s a notion called ‘hyperbolic discounting,’ in which present rewards are weighted more heavily than future ones, explains Feng. For example, we tend to buy impulsively when we would like to save money.

It is human nature to procrastinate and forget — but we must always strive to close the intention-action gap in order to take care of our future selves.

Comment

March 14, 2022 thevarsity.ca/section/comment comment@thevarsity.ca

U of T student unions should assist with Ukraine activism We must go beyond statements and provide tangible support to those affected by the war Justin Patrick Varsity Contributor

In the late-night hours of February 23, International Association for Political Science Students (IAPSS) Secretary General Oleksii Zahreba and I had a call with IAPSS Ukraine President Artem Oliinyk. By this time, the world was already aware that Russia was preparing to invade Ukraine.

What we discussed would become the foundation for IAPSS’ activism strategy in Ukraine. Since then, we have sought to establish communication and intelligence channels with political science students in Ukraine, encouraging them to share what they are allowed to share with us so we can amplify their voices and raise awareness about relevant information that may not be reported in the news.

The members of IAPSS Ukraine, some of whom I have worked with regularly for the past few years and have become friends with, now face near insurmountable odds. Martial law has been

imposed in Ukraine, restricting who can leave the country. Many have been conscripted. Others are hiding underground. One has enlisted voluntarily and is now a military officer. At least two others now live within Russian-occupied territory.

IAPSS Ukraine members have been sending photos and videos of Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilian neighbourhoods. Others have sent written statements and updates about what they are feeling and experiencing. We must be extra careful about what we share publicly and how we disseminate that information to ensure that it does not place these students in danger. What they send may become increasingly valuable as the war goes on, especially if there are war crime tribunals.

To make matters even worse, news reports have emerged of international students experiencing racial discrimination at the Polish-Ukrainian border.

We must be cognizant of this issue in all of our activism efforts surrounding the conflict.

“There are sirens sounding in all cities of Ukraine announcing missile, air strikes and the approach of enemy forces,” one student wrote on the IAPSS website. Another wrote, “I never thought that in the 21st century I would feel the pain of war.”

I had a call with an IAPSS operative in Poland who is assisting with preparing supplies, during which we set in motion a system of aid for IAPSS Ukraine to ensure that they have options for accommodations and employment if they and their families make it across the border. We were able to identify similar resources for students who make it to Slovakia.

Student unions must mobilize to provide aid to Ukrainian students.

JENNIFER SU/THEVARSITY

However, reaching the border remains difficult, with IAPSS intelligence estimating wait times to be over 30 hours at some crossings.

The Ukrainian Association of Students recommended that IAPSS leverage its political science network to promote research about what is happening, which led to the beginning of an initiative with Politikon, IAPSS’ flagship journal, to plan a potential special issue for research relevant to the invasion.

I hope that this war can end soon and with an outcome that is optimal for my constituents in Ukraine. I hope that the conflict does not spread to other countries.

To the student unions of the University of Toronto and across Canada, some of the wealthiest and most privileged student unions in the world, I leave you with another quote from a political science student in Ukraine: “if Ukraine falls, the next will be countries of the Baltic, then Poland - these words have been said in Georgia before, when Russia attacked them. They turned out to be true.

We need support of our international partners, and this support should be strong and powerful… All possible help and activism are important for us.”

Isolationism is inherently xenophobic. There are many ways Canadian student unions and campus groups can help. Statements like IAPSS’ are a good first step, but more is needed. There are organizations you can donate to that aid civilians impacted by the conflict and petitions you can sign.

IAPSS has its own petition that organizations and individuals can sign, which calls on universities

It’s time for the academic paywall to fall Open access academic papers are necessary for better education Isabella Liu Varsity Contributor

In February 2019, the University of California made headlines in the academic world when it broke its long-term subscription contract with Elsevier, one of the world’s largest academic journal publishing companies.

The movement for universal open access to academic publications is on a sharp rise, marking a historic blow against the corporate world of predatory academic journal publishers. Many other institutions have followed suit on the University of California’s decision to end its 11 million USD contract. It’s time for this controversy to reach a definitive conclusion: academic paywalls have to go.

The seven-figure numbers A single academic paper in Science, one of the more popular academic journals, costs an exorbitant 30 USD to read. Among Elsevier journals, which use a subscription system, a yearly individual membership to individual journals can cost thousands of dollars, which — even without much calculation — is an aggravatingly high price.

However, institutions like universities pay even more. Before the lawsuit in 2019, the University of California was paying Elsevier an annual 11 million USD in subscription fees — an entire 25 per cent of its journal budget for all nine of its schools. The University of Virginia paid over 1.7 million USD to Elsevier in 2016, and by 2018, the yearly subscription had risen to more than 1.8 million USD. In 2018, Canadian universities alone paid over $300 million in subscriptions, and this even included access to papers written by their own faculty members and researchers — who, by the way, pay fees of their own.

That’s right; in a sick twist of fate, the authors of

Researchers need a place to publish their work — but, often, they have to pay for it.

KHUSHI SHARMA/THEVARSITY

these papers have to pay to publish their work in the journals, from pre-acceptance fees to editorial fees to processing fees. And the morally righteous who want their works to be open access have to pay an additional fee on top of it all that can cost anywhere from 500 USD to 5,000 USD. Furthermore, a subscription does not give unlimited access to everything — which is surprising, given the amount of money being paid.

Like how cable TV gives you a certain number of channels, the journal subscription fee buys for a select bundle of papers. What’s included in the bundle is what you’re given, and if you’re unlucky enough to need something that isn’t included, you have to pay even more fees.

A bunch of sharks In 2019, Elsevier made up about 34 per cent of its parent company RELX’s 9.8 billion USD revenue, at 37.1 per cent profit margins for the publisher. Of course, there are production costs

to consider, from printing and publication fees to wages, but the final numbers don’t lie. Most of the fees paid to journal sites are utilized in the worst way possible: for corporate profit.

The academic journal world is a raging, moneychasing oligopoly, at best. The ‘big five’ publishers — Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley, Taylor & Francis, and Sage — collectively publish more than 11,000 journals per year. Because of the tight chokehold they have on the industry, they can set their preposterous prices with almost no repercussions.

It’s not like there’s an alternative choice. Researchers need a place to publish their work — it’s quite literally their job — and students need somewhere to gather research and get learning materials.

The importance of free access Exorbitant subscription costs aren’t the only problem. The unforgiving academic publishing industry has caused major problems for

around the world to help domestic and international students in Ukraine continue their studies abroad if they make it out of the country, and to provide other forms of support to students still in the conflict zone.

Ask national and provincial student unions in Canada to help as well. Student representatives and journalists can even reach out to the Ukrainian Association of Students to ask for more specific ways to help as the situation evolves quickly.

If you have friends in Ukraine, reach out to them and try to keep lines of communication open.

Listen to them. Contact your student representatives and ask them to act. Student journalists at U of T should be actively reporting on the conflict and its impact on the campus.

Justin Patrick is a PhD student at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, the external commissioner of the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union, and the president of the International Association for Political Science Students. universities, as it forces them to make choices that will have lasting effects on researchers and nonresearchers alike.

It’s impossible to simply not pay for subscriptions. Students, professors, and researchers rely on access to papers for various academic purposes, and access to academia is absolutely crucial in any postsecondary institution that supports innovation. However, fitting subscription fees into the budget means cutting down elsewhere, whether that be through books, resources for other disciplines, or affording papers from more than one publisher. Hence, because of their high article and subscription prices, academic journal services can heavily limit an academic’s freedom to explore.

Academia and knowledge should be fundamental rights, and yet they’re constantly being sacrificed. It makes no sense that institutions have to choose between access to popular journals and other budgetary priorities — and it makes even less sense that this issue occurs simply so that a few corporate pockets are full. Students should be able to study what they want, professors should be able to use any supplemental teaching materials they’d like, and researchers should be able to reference other papers in an effort to produce better work.

We must eliminate the root source of the issue: subscription-based academic journals. Simply put, the paywalls benefit nobody. Not the postsecondary students who have to limit their academic reading to what’s included in the bundle their universities buy or fork over 30 USD; not the universities, which could benefit from allocating the millions spent on subscription fees to other, more useful, endeavours; and certainly not the researchers, some of whom pay hundreds or thousands of dollars to make their work open access because the publisher refuses to.

The only ones that come out triumphant are ridiculously profitable academic publishing services like Elsevier — and something about that just isn’t right.

Isabella Liu is a first-year social sciences student at Victoria College.

thevarsity.ca/section/comment

MARCH 14, 2022

9

We must hold celebrities accountable Kanye West’s recent Instagram activity normalizes online harassment Khisore Shivakumar Varsity Contributor

We live in an age of public figures: people who have a considerable amount of popularity and can influence society at large. Popularity is a privilege.

People pay more attention to you, throw opportunities at you, and sometimes, you can step on other people’s toes without consequence.

Kanye West — now known as just ‘Ye’ — is one of these public figures. It’s no secret that he has been one of the most popular artists of the last decade.

Throughout the month of February, West documented his feelings about his ongoing divorce with Kim Kardashian in a series of Instagram posts. In them, he publicized interactions he’s had with his family, friends, and peers.

The world isn’t exactly cheering Ye on. As he infringes on the privacy of his ex-wife and targets harassment toward her new boyfriend, Pete Davidson, the public is having a hard time taking his side. “At first it was funny. Now it’s becoming lame… Anyone condoning this type of behavior needs help,” said one Twitter user.

Despite the pushback, Ye has been able to excuse himself from criticism. He shifts the conversation away from his behavior by using his Instagram to promote his music. Since the first post regarding his ex-wife on February 4, Ye has released his long-anticipated Netflix documentary jeen-yuhs and promoted his upcoming album Donda 2.

Ye is leveraging his popularity to shift attention. By simply posting a 20-second advert for his album, he can wash away criticism of his character with excitement about his art. By having his personal life and music intertwined on social media, Ye makes it hard to separate the art from the artist. His actions become a feature of the Kanye West brand, not a bug.

He has threatened physical violence against Davidson before: “God saved me from that crash / Just so I can beat Pete Davidson’s ass.” Kim

MAKENA MWENDA/THEVARSITY

has voiced her fear of this violence before: “U are creating a dangerous and scary environment and someone will hurt Pete and this will all be your fault.”

So what happens if Ye’s Instagram behavior is normalized? Unacceptable actions may become acceptable in the eyes of the public, emboldening those who would take it further than Ye ever has.

As much as Ye’s behavior is obnoxious, he is capable of dialling it back. Ye has deleted most of his posts about Kim and has promised not to harm Pete. However, stalkers and abusers invigorated by Ye’s recent antics won’t have the same restraint.

A 2014 report produced by the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics found that 28 per cent of

Canadians are victims of stalking by unwanted text or other online communication. Victims reported that these texts and communications have made them fear for their own safety or the safety of someone they knew.

Ye has since said that he is “taking accountability” and that he is “learning in real time.” Even so, his actions can still normalize the behavior of stalkers and abusive partners. Not everybody is Kim Kardashian — a celebrity with money and a substantial following who has the resources to deal with the harassment.

Of all Canadian stalking victims, 48 per cent are 15–34 years old. Normalizing digital harassment is especially problematic when we consider that younger people are more likely to be on social

Opinion: The ‘Freedom Convoy’ shows that protests are more relevant than ever

media. During the pandemic, U of T students have been online constantly. It seems like digital harassment will grow as social media becomes an even more popular place for students to interact.

Under the already stressful conditions of university life, it can be especially hard to deal with external harassment. “I was harassed, stalked, and yelled at by random crackheads on the TTC … I feel absolutely defeated,” wrote an anonymous user on the Instagram page ‘uoftears,’ which hosts anonymous confessions by U of T students. This person is far from alone in being a victim of harassment and stalking — but with over 7,000 posts on the page, this individual user’s concerns are eventually swallowed up by the masses.

In an online climate where fans will listen to anything that celebrities say, victims of harassment may find before them thousands of people minimizing what they went through. What a public figure says matters. Celebrities can sway the thoughts, opinions, and attitudes of our society. A lack of concern for how they conduct themselves in public can cause very real harm.

There are no checks and balances, no one who oversees those with popularity. As Ye continues to enjoy his success — a recent livestreamed performance of his reached record-breaking numbers — it increasingly seems as though there is no accountability for public figures.

As students, we should let nothing a celebrity says fly without investigation. Careful thought is the antidote to the spectacle that celebrities are incentivized to partake in. Don’t contribute to the monolith of blind fandom behind them. Learn how to view the world with a critical eye, valuing the opinion of an artist only when it’s appropriate.

While artists like Ye may have interesting perspectives, their celebrity limits their commentary just as much as it enriches it. Popularity isn’t everything — how you use it is a different story.

Khishore Shivakumar is a first-year social sciences student at Woodsworth College.

ISABELLA CESARI/ THEVARSITY

To spark positive change, we need betterinformed protests that unite the working class Lina Karim Varsity Contributor

Content warning: This article mentions violence against women and discusses racism and hate symbols.

Canada’s ‘Freedom Convoy,’ which began in late January, is an effort to protest vaccine mandates for truckers crossing the Canadian-American border, as well as a general protest against prevention measures against the spread of COVID-19, including mask mandates and lockdown procedures.

Many used the opportunity to protest Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s leadership.

The ‘Freedom Convoy’ is a misguided attempt to demonstrate frustration with the struggling Canadian economy and the government’s incapability of handling emergencies. It highlights the need for radical change and demonstrates the necessity of working-class organization. Hence, with the rise of anti-COVID-19 restriction protests, the importance of protests has become clearer than ever.

There are elements of the convoy that I vehemently oppose, regardless of how frequently they may actually appear. For instance, sightings of Confederate flags and swastikas have instilled a fear in politically marginalized or vulnerable demographics, like women and people of colour, and must be condemned by prominent figures in the protests.

However, while the protests have negatively impacted other working-class people by increasing

traffic and making it harder for people to go to work, there are still some problems with referring to all the protesters as “selfish.” Small-business owners and working-class individuals were already systematically deprioritized during the pandemic through poor government financial aid, continuous preferences for wealthy corporations, and wages that cannot keep up with inflation. The fact that raising wages would, in turn, cause more inflation only further highlights the dysfunctionality of the economic system.

The difference between the protests inconveniencing working-class individuals and the government doing so is that the government is the entity with the obligation to facilitate functional economic conditions in the first place.

That fact notwithstanding, I don’t think harbouring an environment where harassment of any sort occurs is ever acceptable. However, the argument that the majority of Canadians do not support the protests is irrelevant to the government’s responsibility to listen to the issues it brings up, and it begs the question of whether a protest is legitimate only insofar as it is affirmed by the majority.

Protesting COVID-19 prevention measures without presenting viable alternatives to combatting the virus is questionable — but citizens can still look toward the convoy’s organization of the working class as a functional framework for demanding change.

Organizing the working class and withholding labour is one of the most effective ways to gain attention for a cause. Withholding labour from both the private and public spheres of society is how

Icelandic women shocked their country into taking the first step toward women’s liberation and how Mexican women paralyzed their country momentarily in a desperate plea against femicide. They showed their societies that working-class women are essential for a country to function.

Once again, I believe the support for a protest against public health measures during a pandemic is misguided, but it cannot simply be disregarded.

Some Canadians might disagree with the approach protesters are taking to create change, but they may agree that some degree of change is necessary.

In observing the division of people for and against the convoy, I have noticed a division of the working class along ideological lines. Both ‘sides’ protest in different ways about different topics. Some protest the construction of pipelines through unceded land or the municipality spending nearly $2 million clearing homeless encampments, while others protest virus-spreading prevention measures, which they interpret as “tyranny.” While I see the pipeline and encampment protests as more informed — and thus more legitimate — than the COVID-19 prevention measure protests, these protests are both manifestations of a dissatisfaction with a government that refuses to resolve situations effectively.

As a collective, the convoy represents a deeper

issue to be addressed: the disgustingly poor economy, which is marked by skyrocketing housing prices, expensive food and gas, and wages that cannot sustain the average worker today. These problems have been present during both Conservative and Liberal leadership and have only been accelerated by the pandemic.

The convoy has incorrectly identified and protested the one element the government has theoretically gotten right — its pandemic response.

But while I believe these protests are rationalized by misinformation pertaining to the pandemic, the convoy has highlighted the necessity for stronger, better-informed protests based on class unity to fight actual problems.

At this point, the only viable solution is a radical reordering of society with the public’s interests in mind. We see fractions of a revolution every now and again, but they all remain unsuccessful because we hesitate to push the boundaries.

While many Canadians oppose the current convoy, we cannot ignore Canadians’ general discontent with the government. Hence, protests are more significant than ever. This is not a centrist call to pacifism but a radical call to class collaboration.

Lina Karim is a second-year sociology and professional writing and communication student at UTM.

10

THE VARSITY

FEATURES

Confessions of How dating apps make Veronique Nuqui Varsity Contributor

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of sexual assault.

I met my ex on Tinder in 2017 when I was a bright-eyed 18-year-old in my first year of university.

He is the first and only person I’ve ever

who could possibly be better for me.

The popular choice of dating apps had changed since my first year of university.

Back in 2017, Tinder was the go-to dating app and Bumble was still rising up the ranks. A year into my relationship with my ex-boyfriend, I had started to hear my friends talk about Hinge.

They told me about how the app’s purpose is to be deleted,

first Sunday of each month. He always buys us dessert afterwards and jokes that he has a “second stomach” for dessert.

He’s somewhat positioned himself as my mentor, helping me weigh the options on a future career. Beyond that, he also has an insatiable hunger for adventure, a great sense of humour and seems to exude joy wherever he goes. However, it’s clear every time we talk that we have vastly different opinions on life. Regardless, I value his opinions and time, and it’s obvious to me that he feels the same.

Recently, I went on a first date with a sweet 27-year-old realtor. Despite the four-year age gap, I noticed that we have similar outlooks on life, especially in regard Meeting him again brought back the same feelings I had when I met him four years ago — I felt comfortable with him right away.

On our first date four years ago, he had been an outgoing and quirky third-year engineering student. He’s now working as a consultant at a tech company and hopes to move to San Francisco in a year to work at the company’s headquarters.

Currently, my ‘type’ consists of men in their mid- to late-twenties who are eager to show off their successful careers and talk

loved romantically. Before lockdown, we were spending nearly every waking moment together. I grew up with him. I saw him buy his first car and experienced my first overseas vacation without my family with him. I wasn’t sure who I was without him – and the lockdowns spent in solitude within my strict Asian household forced me to confront this reality.

We spent two and a half years together — he was my first serious relationship and the person I’d considered to be my first love. But three months into lockdown, I made the decision to end things. I loved him tremendously, but I realized I couldn’t see a future with him.

As this past September came to a close, there I was, having just entered my fifth and final year of university in my new apartment.

I decided it was time to put myself out there again. And when I decided to go back on dating apps, I set the intention of dating casually.

After all, I had spent half my undergraduate degree highly dependent on one person. I knew right away that I wanted to meet many different people. I thought, hopefully, after meeting these people, I could figure out what I would like and dislike in a future relationship. After exploring my options, I could have a successful long-term relationship in the future without wondering if there was anyone out there

as it was created to foster serious relationships.

Of course, in support of my personal belief that dating apps that make such bold claims are destined to fail, the app was never deleted from my friends’ phones. Instead of stable, long-term relationships, the dating app had left them with strange and funny first date stories that we gushed about over several glasses of wine.

I turned my friends’ dating stories into a challenge. Truthfully, I picked up online dating like I did writing and painting — it developed into a bit of a hobby.

The start of something new One of the first guys I started seeing in the fall was actually someone I’d met before on Tinder. He reached out to me on Instagram after seeing me on Bumble. I met him for the first time shortly before meeting my exboyfriend and ghosted him shortly after.

about their past or upcoming travels.

Given the kind of men I am interested in, I consider most of my dates to be a form of networking coupled with free dinners and sex. This man, who I refer to affectionately as “consultant guy,” has turned into a more or less consistent friend with benefits. As someone who works 12-hour days and frequently works on the weekend, I don’t see him very often — but like clockwork, he almost always messages me on the

I picked up online dating like I did writing and painting — it developed into a bit of a hobby. to work, family, and dating. He felt much closer in age to me than the consultant guy. On our first date, he asked me how many dates I’ve been on and about what brought me to Hinge. We shared similar reasons, and, over drinks, we quickly discovered just how much we had in common.

We spoke almost all night, and the night seemed to last forever, in the best way possible. We shared book recommendations, listened to music together, and bonded over our

features@thevarsity.ca

f a serial dater you want to stay single favourite movies, both of which star Ryan Reynolds.

I went to his place at 8:30 pm and left his place at 12:30 pm the next day. He promised to lend me the book that changed his life next time we meet, and to take me out to his favourite bars once they reopen.

Other dates I’ve met since I’ve moved out of my parents’ house have included a 24-year-old working in sales, who I bonded with over our love for skating, and a UX researcher who, coincidentally, grew up in the neighbourhood in which I spent most of my childhood.

Not your manic pixie dream girl Despite my interest in casual dating and reluctance to jump into a committed relationship, my experiences with online dating have left me with mixed feelings.

Sometimes I’m left with a lingering sense of ‘what if?’ as if part of me wants more from a date. Sometimes I feel like I could be a great partner to the men I’ve met, give or take one or two things. Most of the time, it all boils down to timing.

I’ve noticed that going on dates has amplified my anxious tendencies. I find myself overthinking our interactions, wondering why they haven’t texted or called in a while. I often feel as if I’m treated as a manic pixie dream girl whose only purpose is to reassure men and encourage them to keep going.

With each of these dates, I feel a false sense of security and emotional intimacy.

We’ve felt comfortable enough to open up to each other about our hopes and dreams for the future, and to talk through

I often feel as if I’m treated as a manic pixie dream girl whose only purpose is to reassure men and encourage them to keep going. deep-rooted insecurities about our past relationships. I’ve never been one to get that infatuated after the first date — but, sometimes, it can be hard to detach. I’m still trying to reconcile the fact that I can share intimate moments with someone and still have a relationship primarily based on reciprocal exchange.

As much as many of these men have left me with meaningful conversations and feelings of mutual respect and friendship, the bad experiences I have had with casual dating have left a poor taste in my mouth.

Last November, I was physically assaulted by a man who I had been seeing casually. At the time of the assault, we had been seeing each other every other day and we had confided in each other about a range of personal issues. I considered him to be warm and kind, and trusted him more than the others. We had developed

feelings over time, and I had been preparing to divulge my feelings.

Even though I didn’t meet him on a dating app, we both spoke about being on them and shared our grievances about dating app algorithms. As it stands today, he is most likely still on Tinder, swiping right on girls who are completely unaware.

Later, in January, I experienced harassment for the first time. I met a man on Hinge and I went on one date with him. He never said or did anything that I particularly disliked, but something about our interactions felt forced and slightly uncomfortable. When he texted me a few days later, I decided to let him know that I did not think we were a good match and wished him good luck with his work.

He texted me repeatedly for the next couple of days and had attempted to call me a number of times. I had finally decided to block his number and hoped to god that he didn’t remember which address on his Uber app was mine.

And, of course, there was the man from Hinge who decided to take the initiative of finding me on Instagram after I hadn’t replied to the messages he sent me every day for three days in a row. I don’t even have my last name on Hinge, and I have no clue how he found me, since we have no mutual followers.

A much needed break For a couple of weeks now, I have decided to take a break from dating. I feel as though I have finally reached the point of fatigue.

I’ve started to feel tired of the high of infatuation I have gotten after a particularly good

REBECA MOYA/THEVARSITY

date, and I’ve been left feeling anxious after the bad experiences I’ve had.

Despite my initial desire to go on dating apps as a learning experience, I’m almost certain my reasons had changed. It had become a form of validation that was simultaneously intoxicating and overwhelming.

It was a way for me to avoid feelings of loneliness after leaving my family for the first time. It was also a good way for me to distract myself from the stress of my impending graduation, in addition to my full course load, part-time work, and extracurricular activities.

After being in a committed relationship for so long, and after the onslaught of the pandemic, I thought being on these dating apps would be fun. And the experience was fun, until it wasn’t.

Overall, I don’t regret my experience. Although the experiences I’ve had have left me feeling confused and empty at times, they forced me to confront the feelings of loneliness stemming from my previous relationship and face them head on. I’ve become better at identifying red flags in a relationship and I’ve learned to trust my gut.

Going on these dates has helped me meet more people and learn from their life experiences. My experiences have led me to discover that even short-term connections can still have meaning, even if they don't have a ‘label.’

After everything, I’m still not quite sure what I’m looking for in a long-term partner.

All I know is that I won’t be waiting for any of them to fall in love with me any time soon.

In the meantime, I know that I’ll be just fine on my own.

Arts & Culture

March 14, 2022 thevarsity.ca/section/arts-and-culture arts@thevarsity.ca

Linh Nguyen on inspiring women and fostering community through #HerForShe Hershey’s partners with Girl Up Canada to highlight women leaders Linh Nguyen, a fourthyear U of T student, helped create Hershey’s #HerForShe campaign.

COURTESY OF LINH NGUYEN

Nguyen was part of developing this campaign to spread a message she cares deeply about.

Cherry Zhang Associate Senior Copy Editor

“I can’t list all the girls that I’m inspired by, but I wish I could. If I had 24 hours, I could probably list half of them,” said Linh Nguyen. Nguyen, a U of T student, is part of Girl Up Canada, an organization aimed at inspiring young girls to become powerful changemakers in their communities.

Girl Up Canada recently partnered with Hershey’s Canada for its #HerForShe campaign, which aims to make International Women’s Day a little sweeter by empowering the next generation of women leaders. As a steering committee member of the Girl Up Canada alumni group,

Nguyen’s journey with Girl Up Nguyen, who is currently in her fourth year studying political science at U of T, has never felt truly connected to the campus community.

“When I was first starting at U of T, I was pretty shy, and I was actually pretty insecure,” she said. She recalled feeling intimidated by the intelligence of her peers, and a sense of imposter syndrome discouraged her from getting involved with campus life.

During the pandemic, Nguyen discovered a posting to join Girl Up Ontario on Facebook, at a time when the organization was just beginning to develop its Canadian presence. Nguyen saw this as an opportunity to step outside her comfort zone and to take a leap of faith, in hopes of finding a place she could really fit in.

“I really feel like I just lost my way during the

pandemic,” she explained. She noted that, while she was actively involved with her community in high school, that involvement declined with the isolation caused by COVID-19. Girl Up was a chance for her to emerge from her shell.

By being involved with the organization — first as Girl Up Ontario’s director of events, then as Girl Up Canada’s outreach director, and now as a steering committee member — Nguyen feels like she’s become a more confident leader.

“It was just a matter of finding that group of people that I felt really comfortable [with],” she explained.

To this day, she still keeps in touch with many of the team members she has worked with; the relationships she formed from Girl Up have evidently left a substantial impact on her life. “I can’t tell you how many incredible women I have met who not only inspired me, but also encouraged me and helped me out,” she added.

The #HerForShe campaign Given the amount of time she has spent with Girl Up, Nguyen was incredibly excited by the recent #HerForShe campaign in collaboration with Hershey’s Canada. As part of the campaign, the chocolate company created five exclusive chocolate bar wrappers featuring five Canadian women who have made an impact on the world around them — from breaking down barriers through skateboarding to sustainability through fashion design.

Nguyen appreciates the creative control that

Hershey’s gave her and the Girl Up team. She was trusted with designing the campaign’s message and essentially given free rein over creating social media posts, including producing a video featuring some Girl Up girls she has been personally inspired by.

“I love that they reached out to the community to spread this message,” she said. Nguyen also appreciates that the campaign focused not just on telling the stories of famous women already known to the world, but by really engaging with local communities in Canada and telling their stories. By being involved with this project, she’s been exposed and reintroduced to a number of women that inspire her, and she’s been reminded of just how powerful a community of women can be.

For Nguyen, part of what’s so powerful about this campaign is how it starts to bridge the disconnect between corporations and communities.

She recalled her shock at learning about the collaboration with Hershey’s, given the brand’s widely recognized name. However, her experience with the company throughout the process of creating #HerForShe was collaborative and supportive. Hershey’s, she said, gave her “the opportunity to really share ideas and talk.”

Nguyen loves how Hershey’s partnership with Girl Up helps girls feel like their voices are important and being heard, spreading a message she hopes will continue to be featured year-round.

“I think at the end of the day, it’s just about uplifting other women,” she said.

Tara Houska on advocating for Indigenous populations The lawyer lectured at U of T on International Women’s Day Tarek Tahan Varsity Contributor

On March 9, U of T’s Women & Gender Studies Institute (WGSI) hosted a virtual lecture, titled Defend the Sacred: Reconnection is Resistance, with tribal attorney Tara Houska. Houska is a member of Couchiching First Nation, a Saulteaux First Nation Band.

Houska was formerly the Native American Advisor to American politician Bernie Sanders, and has written for news outlets such as The New York Times and CNN. She also co-founded Not Your Mascots, an organization committed to educating the public about the representation of Indigenous people.

Houska’s lecture, which was a part of U of T’s celebration of International Women’s Day, was co-hosted by Wafaa Hasan, an assistant professor at the WGSI. The lecture focused on the topics of identity, Indigenous advocacy, and climate injustice.

— to highlight that actions which benefit some groups often sacrifice others’ standard of living.

Houska also pointed to COVID-19 as a reminder that “Mother Nature can indeed shut down [society] and the framework that human beings have created.” She noted that, while most people view the world through an economic lens, Indigenous people instead focus on nature and the role that ecosystems play in our everyday lives.

To combat these conflicts, Houska urges people in power to find alternative problem solving methods, mentioning that she does “not believe we’re going to solar panel or wind turbine our way out of the climate crisis.”

Houska also emphasized the importance of actions from those who aren’t in power, urging

us all to “find empathy for one another and to measure success from what we create.”

Mistreatment of Indigenous populations During the lecture, Houska explained that, because Indigenous land holds 80 per cent of the world’s remaining biodiversity, governments around the world will “[try] to grab what remains of those places.”

This is especially evident in Canada. Houska referenced the 2021 protests in Fairy Creek, BC, where an Indigenous-led blockade protested the logging of forests in Vancouver Island.

“Like other struggles, it doesn’t just end with one iteration — the attacks on the forest keep coming back,” said Houska.

During the lecture’s question and answer

A “wake up call” Houska began the event by talking about a recent increase in global conflict, marked by events such as the 2021 US capitol insurrection, protests surrounding George Floyd’s murder

by Derek Chauvin, the increasing effects of climate change worldwide, and the Free Palestine movement.

Houska believes that these events constitute a global “wake up call.” She used the example of the Mississippi River tar sands pipeline — a pipeline that transports tar sands from Canada to America and has the potential to leak into and permanently contaminate wetlands VANESSA WANG/THEVARSITY

period, I asked Houska if she feels connected to other Indigenous people around the world. She replied, “Sharing spaces with Indigenous peoples from around the globe is indescribable… hearing others’ experiences, which are oftentimes very familiar, really hurts.”

Houska added that opportunities such as lecturing at universities are valuable in sharing different perspectives in comparison to international meetings she’s participated in, which she believes “lack teeth and efficacy.”

Personal journey Last month, the US Supreme Court rejected a case by the Dakota Access oil pipeline operator to avoid a mandated environmental review. This was a case in which Houska helped campaign against the pipeline, so it represented a significant victory.

However, Houska acknowledged that advocating for Indigenous peoples and for climate justice has not been without its challenges. She noted that many activists are either facing charges, felonies, or are imprisoned for defending their rights. For her part, Houska expressed surprise over “[how she hasn’t] been kicked out of the [American Bar Association] yet.”

Despite these challenges, Houska said that “people who have been so disenfranchised or silenced are finding each other, and standing up for what’s right.”

“There’s all kinds of ways to get involved. It’s really important to figure out what you want to contribute,” she added. When you’re doing advocacy work, she said, you shouldn’t feel guilty about taking moments to look after your own well-being.

thevarsity.ca/section/arts-and-culture

MARCH 14, 2022

13

Is all the buzz surrounding vibrators really about wellness?

Profitting from women’s self-pleasure is killing the vibe Madeline Szabo Arts & Culture Correspondent

What’s pink, round, smooth, and supposed to give you mind-blowing clitoral stimulation? A vibrator called ‘The Firefighter’ of course.

If for some reason that doesn’t sound like your metaphorical cup of sexual tea, try ‘The Tennis Pro’; it’s a vibrator for the sporty masturbator. Still not satisfied? There’s ‘The Billionaire,’ ‘The Surfer,’ and ‘The French Lover’ — and those are only examples from the brand Smilemakers. The choices of vibrators are endless — and, more recently, so are the opportunities to get your horny hands on one.

To set the stage, imagine Indigo as it was two years ago: an endless supply of book club material, novels that Heather picked, a scented candle, maybe some blankets. So imagine my surprise when, on my bimonthly visit, I found a health and wellness section vibrating with sex appeal. It seems that, this time around, Heather’s picked more than The Handmaid’s Tale; Indigo now sells sex toys.

Soon after noticing this new addition to Indigo’s brand, I found that Sephora — a cosmetics and skincare store — had also started selling vibrators. When I looked again at the clothing store Urban Outfitters’ Beauty section, I found them there too. Even Call it Spring — a shoe store — has hopped on the trend.

Vibrators are not only being sold en masse, but they’re looking good in the process. Take Sephora’s stock for instance; their vibrators are offered in vibrant shades and are shaped like everything from eggs to bullets.

Colours and shapes aside, the wonderful part

of selling vibrators in general is that it normalizes masturbation. This wide selection is needed and welcome; presenting vibrators in soft colours and friendly shapes challenges the assumption that masturbation is ‘gross’ or ‘scary.’ Self-pleasure is too often viewed as a side-effect of loneliness or as a butt of a joke amongst friends. If I were to say that “the only love of my life is my vibrator,” it would be, for some reason, perceived negatively.

Vibrators being sold in non-sex-focused stores affirm the idea that self-pleasure and masturbation are important for our own ‘health and wellness.’ It also allows good orgasms to be more accessible.

For example, it’s much easier for me as a woman to walk into a Sephora and purchase a vibrator than it is to navigate the “For Her” section of a sex-themed shop staffed by middle-aged men.

Inspired by my joyful discoveries, I decided to conduct a deep dive into the new vibrator selections of these stores. As I embarked on my journey, however, I couldn’t help but wonder: is getting us off just a way for these stores to get more money?

Vibrators are definitely increasing stores’ profit.

On the Sephora website, they range from $42 to $160, depending on the shape and speed you choose. As I write this article with $42 less in my purse than was there before, I’m getting the feeling that Sephora doesn’t just sell vibrators for the purpose of making us love ourselves.

Capitalizing on self-love is anything but new; it’s what corporations have been attempting to do since they realized that humans have souls.

For instance, items such as candles and makeup are often marketed as gifts to ourselves. Dove frequently uses a tagline relating to women’s em-

REBECA MOYA/THEVARSITY

powerment in their soap advertisements. Sephora is selling vibrators packaged as wellness for the same reason: self-love and sex positivity are becoming increasingly common, and the smooth vibrators they sell are catering to that market.

In addition, corporations often cater their products toward an exclusive audience. In this case, the majority of vibrator marketing is geared toward women. It’s no coincidence that these stores have released swarms of sex appeal around International Women’s Day, and it’s no coincidence that vibrators appear in the “Gifts for Her” section of Indigo’s website and store — harmfully implying that all those who use vibrators are women and that being a woman means having a vagina.

It’s shameful that these stores aim to be progressive and sex-positive while simultaneously excluding transgender and nonbinary folks from sexual liberation. There are better ways to handle discussions about sex toys, and if you are looking for a vibrator better fit for you than one in a “For Her” section, reading the more gender-inclusive “Vibrator Guide” from Teen Vogue is a great way to learn more.

It’s not only transgender and nonbinary people

who are being discluded from self-love — it’s also people who are interested in more taboo products. Every time I visit Indigo, I note that they don’t include sex toys that some customers may find more overtly sexual, such as strap-ons. An innocuous pink bullet is a sale waiting to happen; a strap-on may spell scandal for a company.

This is what makes me accuse Indigo, Sephora, and every store in between of not caring about sex positivity, but just about positive growth in their company’s sales. After all, the US sex toy industry is worth $7.1 billion USD annually.

Ultimately, corporations promoting sex positivity is a welcome change — even if it collectively costs us billions to convince them to do so. However, we shouldn’t rely on products they sell to us to determine our opinions of sex and pleasure. We should masturbate, and we should use sex toys as tools to make the experience better — and we shouldn’t do so only because Free People will sell us a vibrator for $66.57.

Likewise, our pleasure can only be determined by us. No one should feel ashamed of a desire just because Sephora doesn’t carry it in four different colours.

UTSC fellowship explores new ways of telling ancient Tamil epic The Legend of Ponnivala Nadu follows descendents of men created by the goddess Parvathi Marta Anielska Deputy News Editor

In my first year at university, while still trying to decide between an economics or statistics degree, I accidentally fell in love with Greek and Roman classics. I had taken an English class because it was my favourite subject and I just couldn’t let it go, despite thinking it would be a completely fruitless career path.

In the overview course ENG150 — Literary Traditions, I read texts ranging from the Odyssey to My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. What I primarily learned was exactly what the course promised I would learn — that storytelling has traditions, and that you could find sparks of stories from thousands of years ago in the countless works that have followed them.

While I didn’t end up in classics, I did take the path of the so-called ‘useless’ English degree. I’ve never looked back. However, there have always been two major limitations that have plagued my education: the lack of exploration of diverse traditions given the limitations of translation, and the prevalence of Eurocentrism in academia. The Eurocentrism of academia and university classes fails to give diverse storytelling traditions — especially oral storytelling — the time and respect it deserves.

Scholarship is slowly recognizing these limitations, as is made clear by UTSC Library’s most recent fellowship program, which focuses on retelling an ancient Tamil epic and applying it to contemporary life. I sat down with the members of the project to discuss their goals, the project’s process, and what it signifies for the broader Canadian artistic landscape.

There are currently three fellows in the program: Raina Daniel, Christy Lorentz, and Shajaky Parameswaran. They’re working on exploring diverse ways, both virtual and in-person, to deliver an ancient Tamil epic — a story they are calling

The Legend of Ponnivala Nadu — to audiences in Canada.

The title can be translated to “The Legend of the Land Where the Golden River Flows,” and references the Kaveri waterway in India. The story follows three generations of families descended from nine men created by the goddess Parvathi.

For Brenda Beck, an adjunct professor in the Department of Anthropology, the goals of the project really centre around applying the story to modern times and giving back to the rich Tamil community in Scarborough.

“Nobody to date, really, outside of the Tamilspeaking area, is familiar with the marvellous power of Tamil stories,” Beck explained in an interview.

“So this is a way of bringing that out for the community to more thoroughly appreciate.”

Moreover, Beck pointed to themes in the story surrounding mental health, the environment, and colonialism that modern society could take important lessons from.

Sayantha Baskaran, who has been helping produce the team’s podcast and who is of Tamil descent, noted that the story connects with people specifically because of their own roots and their interest in their ancestry. “I hope that more of these stories that people are unaware of come up because it’s a way of learning about our lifestyles… and the reasons why we do certain things,” Baskaran added.

As an Eela Thamizh — Parameswaran’s preferred term to describe her specific Tamil identity — she has a similarly deep connection to the material. In an email to The Varsity, Parameswaran wrote that she loved the authenticity of the project and how it has helped her connect to her culture, history, and religion.

“I feel like I have transported into the actual story!” Parameswaran wrote. “It really is nice to learn about the material through this opportunity, something I may not have gotten if I never applied to this fellowship.”

Important themes in the story include mental health, colonialism, and environmental justice.

SHANNA HUNTER/THEVARSITY

She added that she hopes the story will encourage Tamil people to think critically about where they come from. She specifically wrote about how incredible it is that the story has managed to travel such large distances, all while primarily being conveyed orally. She compared it to the story of how her parents sought refuge from Jaffna, Sri Lanka and ended up in Toronto.

“Like many, we may feel disconnected to our roots, homelands, language, or culture,” Parameswaran elaborated. “But by having such opportunities, it allows us to think about our origins, and what we can do to preserve them.”

In an email to The Varsity, Daniel, another fellow, wrote that she hopes the project will show people of Tamil descent and other immigrant communities that their stories are just as valued as those of everyone else, even if they aren’t very accessible at the moment.

Both Lorentz and Beck stressed the importance

of the oral storytelling tradition, pointing out that the story changes based on which bard is telling it. Beck explained that certain elements are emphasized depending on the speaker. This flexibility helps to make oral storytelling traditions applicable to modern times.

Lorentz added that the story becomes rich with history as it gets told and retold. She explained that the importance of studying stories that are part of an oral tradition in an academic context is “noticing how culture and text and literature collaboratively [shape] these values that are… passed down from one generation to the next.”

For me, the fellowship represents the shift that I’ve always wanted to see. In the same way I love learning about how ancient texts like the Odyssey connect to contemporary life, I’m excited to see how The Legend of Ponnivala Nadu permeates through other stories and cultures, leaving its distinctive mark across periods of time.

14

THE VARSITY

arts@thevarsity.ca

ARTS & CULTURE

Miao Ying explores selfcensorship through art Ying’s A Field Guide to Ideology is currently on display at U of T Alexa DiFrancesco Arts & Culture Editor

On March 8, the U of T Art Museum and the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design hosted a talk, available both online and in person, with Shanghai- and New-Yorkbased artist Miao Ying.

The discussion, which Ying participated in virtually, focused on her exhibition A Field Guide to Ideology. This exhibit is Ying’s first gallery presentation in Canada and centres largely around censorship in China, especially with regard to internet culture.

It features iterations of Ying’s two recent projects Chinternet Plus and Hardcore Digital Detox: the former comments on a recent Chinese economic strategy “Internet Plus” through videos, seductive imagery, wallpapers, memes, and slogans; and the latter focuses on the economy and on the commodification of personal lifestyles in a post-materialist society. The exhibit is currently on display at the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery.

Ying described her experience living in China

as being similar to having “a really bad boyfriend.”

She’d initially recognized the danger of her country’s censorship but later became vulnerable to its power. She noted that censorship became really apparent when she moved back to China in 2010 after living in the US. She started to notice that in China, common social media applications were being replaced by local websites.

While at first Ying avoided using local websites to get information for her pieces — because “[they] don’t even tell you what’s censored” — she later decided that it was better to “embrace” the censorship by seeing how creative she could be in that environment. Ying eventually found that the more she lived under censorship, the more self-censorship she engaged in.

Ying presented a scan of a Google search featured in A Field Guide to Ideology, which censored certain terms. She explained that one of the websites was censored because it used a word that describes “a really common Chinese dish…

Like, what’s wrong with… nutritious vegetables?”

Ying’s exhibit also explores censorship in Western cultures on social media platforms, such as

Ying’s exhibit explores how China censors its citizens virtually.

COURTESY OF TONI HAFKENSCHEID/HART HOUSE

Facebook, that curate users’ newsfeeds based on follower activity or content they interact with.

“In the Western [world], you know, there’s freedom of speech,” Ying described. “You’re not aware of that control by the algorithm. You’re actually thinking that you’re seeing everything — but it’s actually just people who are similar to you.”

Despite the serious nature of her work, however, Ying said that it was important for her to maintain a sense of humour through art. In her travels between China and the US, she discovered differences in the medicines used in both

countries, which made her realize that “there’s a whole world that [she didn’t] notice before.”

Given the severity of the censorship in China, Ying explained: “I wanted to use humour… because the work itself is already serious.”

Though much of Ying’s art addresses censorship, the artist noted that she doesn’t want her work to be “just about censorship.” Rather, she would describe her work as an accumulation of information she consumed throughout her life.

A Field Guide to Ideology is on display at U of T’s Justina M. Barnicke Gallery until April 2.

Lessons from a nonbinary artist with a virtually nonexistent music career Music can be a source of happiness, bitterness, and dysphoria

Maya Morriswala Comment Editor

I have loved music for as long as I can remember. When I was a baby, my dad would sing The Beatles’ songs to me. I got my first keyboard at five years old and started playing alto saxophone at 12.

Eventually, listening to and playing music wasn’t enough: I wanted to become an artist and create it from scratch. Now, I am a proud nonbinary artist releasing music under the name “Maya Compositions,” writing orchestral music scores, piano sheet music, and electronic pop songs.

Alas, releasing music isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. My music career is virtually nonexistent — currently, as this article is being published, I have a whopping 28 monthly listeners on Spotify, for whom I am very grateful. Shameless self-promotion was never my wheelhouse, but I post Instagram stories and reels about my music, hoping to encourage other people to stream my songs.

I do not produce music for money — my bank account is certainly not going ‘up’ because of my music career. I simply want to share my art with the world and showcase my talents.

However, to have any chance of people listening to my songs, I need to put myself through the same processes as artists whose music is their livelihood: marketing myself and promoting my songs on social media.

The consequence of this is that if people don’t listen to your music — regardless of how well you promote it — you begin to feel bitter.

Even if, like me, you claim not to care about the number of likes and streams, it gets to you. You enter this toxic headspace in which you compare yourself to artist peers who — let’s face it — always at least appear to have achieved more success. These comparisons inevitably leave you wondering whether you

REBECA MOYA/THEVARSITY

actually have talent. If your music has fewer streams, is it still good? Does a lack of success speak to a lack of musical skill outside of your awareness?

And down the spiral you go, conflating talent with success — the cardinal rule of what not to do as a creative.

Being nonbinary in a field that focuses on binary gender divisions further complicates comparisons. Many of music’s biggest award shows — other than the Grammy Awards — segregate categories by gender, leaving no space for those outside the binary. Many choirs still divide parts by gender: sopranos and altos are women, and tenors and basses are men.

I am not in these two arenas specifically, but growing up in a culture that promoted these deceptively clear-cut divisions has certainly messed with my head.

Singing is especially tricky, because while I want to use music to express my identity, there

is no way to ‘sound’ nonbinary — at least not in the way I want to. It’s relatively simple to manipulate my speaking voice to sound less feminine, but that is much harder to do while singing, which makes it difficult for me not to feel dysphoric when I hear myself sing.

You may be wanting to ask me, “Then why release music at all? Music has left you bitter and insecure.”

First of all, I appreciate the hypothetical concern for my well-being. Second, the answer comes in the form of three lessons I have learned as an artist.

The first of these lessons: knowing that your song may be on the internet forever can scare you — in a good way — into perfecting things you’d usually gloss over. Releasing music on major streaming platforms has pushed me to learn how to mix and master songs, add effects, and work with complicated digital audio workstations. Even if only a few people listen to my

songs, I know there are audible improvements between my first and latest song.

The second lesson: comparing levels of success is counterproductive. Success is not synonymous with talent because so much chance goes into success. One person can change your music career. One retweet or share can start a chain reaction that draws more and more people to your content. Yes, music quality does contribute to success — but success also involves some luck.

And although it’s fine if you don’t want to compare yourselves to others at all, there is value in listening to your peers’ songs and discovering new sounds and techniques. I’ve written entire songs inspired by the ambiance or lyrical content of someone else’s.

The final lesson, especially for my fellow LGBTQ+ artists: don’t let labels impact how you view yourself. We assign ourselves expectations based on our identities, perhaps more than we should. There is no need to live up to a label that, really, has no strict definition. There is no one ‘right’ way to sound — period.

If you want to express your identity through your music, there are many different avenues to do so. If my voice sounds too feminine, I may use vocal effects to change its timbre as a stylistic choice. Moreover, I can express my identity through other aspects like lyrics and album covers.

Ultimately, I continue to release music — despite the bitterness and dysphoria I sometimes feel about it — because it has contributed much more positivity than insecurity to my life.

To my fellow artists juggling schoolwork, a job, and a passion for music: maybe we won’t ever crack the Billboard Hot 100, but as long as we love what we do and don’t bog ourselves down with negative comparisons, anything is possible. If someone with only 28 monthly Spotify listeners can be this optimistic, so can you.

Science

March 14, 2022 thevarsity.ca/section/science science@thevarsity.ca

3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097494459230781640628620899862 8034825342117067982148086513282306647093844609550582231725359408128481 117450284102701 938521105559644622948954930381964428810975665933446128475648233 7867831652712019091456 48566923460348610454326648213393607260249141273724587006 6063155881748815209209628292 54091715364367892590360011330530548820466521384146 95194151160943305727036575959195309 2186117381932611793105118548074462379962749 567351885752724891227938183011949129833673362 International love for the most irrational of numbers 440656643086021394946395224737190 7021798609437027705392171762931767523846748184676694 05132000568127145263560827 78577134 Pi Day is celebrated on March 14.27577896 Andrea Zhao Illustration Editor 0917363717872146844090122495343014 65495853 71050792279689258923 54201995 61121290 Pi — the ratio between the circumthe 100,000 digit mark in 1961, and 21960864034418159813629774 7713099605187072113499999 ference and diameter of a circle — is the CDC 7600 was able to reach pi’s perhaps one of the most famous millionth decimal place in 1973.

98372978049 951059731732 81609631859502445945534 numbers in all of mathematics.

Even now, the value of pi contin69083026425223082533 4468503526193118817101 Irrational, transcendental, and ues to be further unravelled up never-ending, it has frusto and beyond its 50 trillionth 0 003137838752886587 53320838142061717766 trated and fascinated digit. Mathematicians are mathematicians across still searching for pos91473035982534904 287554687311595628 cultures for centuries, sible patterns within pi 63882 353787593751 95778185778053217 and it has become a — if its digits should universally recogever begin to re1226806613001927 8766111959092164 nized symbol for peat. However, the field in popueven no pattern 201989380952572 01 if0654858632788 lar culture. is ever found, 659361533818279 68230301952035 The concalculating the cept of pi is value of pi is still 301852968995773 622599413891249 ancient — it’s valuable for the been known development of 721775 283479131 515574857242454 to humancomputer pro15069595082953 311686172785588 ity for at least grams. four thousand In mod90750983817546 37464939319 255 years. In 2000 ern times, the 06040092770167 11390098488240 BCE, Babylonumber pi has nian mathemabecome ubiqui128583616035637 076601047101819 ticians performed tous in popular the first known culture, in ways 4295559619894676 7 837449448255379 calculation of the that reach far be77472684710404753 4646208046684259 area of a circle using yond its roots in the circumference of ancient geometry.

069491293313677028 989152104752 162056 an inscribed hexagon, Prime-time televiand derived an approxision shows such as The 966024058038150193 5112533824300355876 mate value for pi of 3.125.

Simpsons and Twin Peaks, 402474964732639141992 782354 A little further south, in ancient as 72604269922796 well as films including the Egypt, the Rhind papyrus, dated Oscar-winning movie Life of Pi 78163600934172164121992 45863150302861829745557 circa 1650 BCE, reveals that a value and the Hitchcock classic Torn Curof 256/81 — around 3.16045 — was tain, have made use of the number 067498385054945885869269 95 6909272107975093029553 used to approximate pi. nine u s i n g for humorous one-liners, mysterious 211653449872027559602364806 6549911988183479775356636980 Around 250 BCE, Archimedes d e c i m a l this methcodes, and everything in between. made a major breakthrough in calplaces in order to od and others deThere is even a holiday dedicated 7 42654252786255181841757467289097 777279380008164706001614524919217 culating a more accurate value of pi to arrive at his answer. rived from it. to pi, appropriately known as Pi Day, 3217214772350 141441973568548161361157352552133475741849468438 518983569485562099219222184 by using the Pythagorean theorem.

By 1600, pi had been calculated In this same century, two major dewhich is observed annually on March He approximated the area of a circle up to 35 digits using the method of velopments also occurred concerning 14 — or 3/14. In 1989, physicist Larry 272550254256887671790494601653466804988627232791786 0857843838279679766814541009538837 by comparing the areas of a polygon inscribed polygons, although with the nature of pi: in 1761, Johann Lam- Shaw was the first to hold a largeinscribed inside the circle and one little theoretical progress made be- bert proved that pi was irrational — scale organized celebration of Pi 86360950680064225125205117392984896084128488 6269456042419652850222106611863067442786 that surrounded it. By doing so, he yond Archimedes’ work. In the seven- that is, that it cannot be expressed as Day, when he and his colleagues 22039194945047123713786960956364371917 proved that there was a constant ra- teenth century, however, new28746776465757396241389086583264599581339047802 analyti- the ratio of two numbers — and Ferdi- at the San Francisco Exploratorium tio between the area of a circle and cal techniques were developed in the nand von Lindemann concluded that it marked the occasion by doing laps 7590099465764078951269468398352 59570982582262052248940772671947826848260147699090264 the square of its radius, and he was field of mathematics which allowed was transcendental soon after. It was around a circular area of the building able to obtain an upper bound of 22/7 for252451749399651431429809190659250937221696461515709858387410 improved calculations of pi using also during this period that the use of and then eating fruit pies. The holi0136394437455305068203496 and a lower bound of 223/71 for the infinite series. the Greek letter pi was introduced by day has since been recognized by 597885959772975498 93016175392846813826868386894277415599185592524595395943104997252468 value of pi.

One of the earliest formulae for cal- William Jones, in 1706, and that it was the U.S. House of Representatives, In the centuries that followed, culating pi was proposed by English later popularized by Leonhard Euler, honoured in two Google Doodles, 0845987273 644695848653836736222626099124608051243884390451244136549762780797715691435 mathematicians around the world mathematician John Wallis in 1656. beginning in 1737. and celebrated by people all over were able to extend the number of While calculating an integral in an Progress slowed once again for the world. Each year on March 14, 997 700129616089441694868555848406353422072225828488648158456028506016842739452267 467 known decimal places of pi by per- attempt to find the area of a circle the next few hundred years, as more math lovers gather for pie eating, pi 678895252138522549954666727823986456596116354886230577456498035593634568174 32411251507 forming extensive calculations. One with a radius of one, he established calculations were made but with little recitation contests, and discussions notable contributor to these cal- a formula involving the multiplication conceptual development. Eventually, on the significance of pi.

6069479451096596094025228879710893145669136867228748940560101503308 61792868092087476 culations was Chinese mathemati- of an infinite series of fractions that though, in the early twentieth century, The constant, which developed 0917824938589009714909675985261365549781893129784821682998948 722658804857564014270477 cian and astronomer Zu Chongzhi, was based on the value of one-half of Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ra- from a simple fascination with cirwho approximated pi to be around pi. Later that century, Sir Isaac New- manujan developed an incredibly effi- cles and numbers, has altered the 555132379641451523746234364542858444795265867821051141 3547357395231134271661021359695362 355/113. ton — in one of his many achieve- cient formula for calculating pi based on course of science and mathematics, Unfortunately, very few specifics ments — used his binomial theorem its reciprocal fraction, which was later charmed the most brilliant minds of 31442952484937187110145765403590279934403742 007310578539062198387447808478489683321445 are known of his work, as his book has to quickly calculate the value of pi up incorporated into computer algorithms. human history, and captivated mil713868751943506430218453191048481005 been lost to history. However, based to 16 decimal places. 37061468067491927819119793995206141966342875444064 The subsequent development of lions around the world. Pi Day is a on his results, it is hypothesized that Next came the Gregory-Leibniz se- more advanced computers meant lighthearted way of recognizing the 3745123718192179998391015919 561814675142691239748940907186494231961567945208095146550225 he would have used a method similar ries, which made use of both infinite that pi could be calculated to higher importance of the number itself, but to that of Archimedes, 7621378559566389377870830390697920773467221825625996615014215030680 starting with a series and trigonometric functions and higher decimal places. By 1949, it’s also a celebration — not only of 231603881930142093 regular polygon with 24,576 sides in- to develop formulae for values of pi the ENIAC computer could calculate mathematical and scientific achieve38447734549 scribed20260541466592520149744285073251866600213243408819071048633173464965145390 inside a circle and performing divided by four and six. By the end of 2,037 digits of pi, and the IBM 704 ment, but of the dedication and paslengthy calculations involving hun- the eighteenth century, over one hun- was able to calculate 16,167 digits sion we give to what intrigues us and 5796 268561005508106658796998163574736384052571459102897064140110971206280439039759 515 dreds of square roots carried out to dred digits of pi had been calculated a decade later. The IBM 7090 broke what we love.

677157700420337869936007230558763176359421873125147120532928191826186125867 321579198414 848829164470609575270695722091756711672291098169091528017350671274 85832228718352093539 6572512108357915136988209144421006751033467110314126711136 990865851639835965436 6800980

A brief history of pi

CORINNE LANGMUIR/THEVARSITY

16

THE VARSITY

science@thevarsity.ca

SCIENCE

Why are South Asians more likely to have Type 2 diabetes?

Investigating a topic of concern in the South Asian community JESSICA LAM/THEVARSITY

Angad Deol Sports Editor

Growing up as a member of the South Asian community, hearing about my family members’ diagnoses of Type 2 diabetes was unfortunately a common occurrence. Type 2 is the strain of diabetes where insulin production is reduced and a lack of cell response leads to increased blood sugar levels.

South Asia — especially India — has become a global hotspot for diabetes. Indians who migrate to other regions of the globe also show higher rates of diabetes compared to other ethnic groups. A great deal of research has been performed to investigate this occurrence, mostly looking at biological factors; however, emerging research into lifestyle and social determinants of health has begun to provide more insight.

Biological factors The South Asian community faces a greater risk of insulin resistance, which is when the cells of your muscles, liver, and fat do not respond correctly to insulin, meaning you have to produce more of it.

On a large scale, healthy and young Indian adults have a greater prevalence of insulin resistance than other ethnic groups. It should be noted that insulin resistance is associated with other risk factors such as high blood pressure, greater body fat percentage, and high triglycerides.

Body composition also affects the risk of developing diabetes. South Asians tend to have higher amounts of body fat — in particular, subcutaneous and visceral fat. Visceral fat is especially bad since it produces inflammatory cytokines — molecules that play a role in immune responses — an overabundance of which can cause a risk of cardiovascular diseases and indirectly lead to higher blood pressure.

Social, environmental, and lifestyle factors Science has evolved over time, and it is clear now that underlying determinants of health play a role in how diabetes develops in South Asian communities.

Urbanization and migration especially have factored into the skyrocketing rates of diabetes within South Asian populations. For example, the populations of urban regions of India have a greater prevalence of diabetes compared to rural regions, with rates in Southern India being almost double in urban centres compared to villages. However, as time has progressed, even villages have shown increased rates of diabetes. More widespread adoption of sedentary lifestyles in urban environments is likely the leading cause.

In an interview with The Varsity, Ananya Tina Banerjee, an assistant professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, spoke about the effects of migration on the rates of diabetes in South Asians.

Banerjee affirmed the notion that migration has been a potential risk factor for diabetes, explaining that it was because “certain South Asian subgroups undergo significant higher stress — attributable in part, to the social, economic and political marginalization of immigrants and refugees.”

She added that this higher stress load leads to greater food insecurity, less access to physical activity opportunities. The experiences of systemic

racism and low social support in South Asian migrant communities also contribute to this stress — and all together, these factors can partially explain the greater risk of diabetes in South Asians.

When asked about the role that colonialism may have played in the emergence of a diabetes epidemic in South Asians, Banerjee said that “colonialism as a structural risk factor for the diabetes epidemic in South Asia has not been largely explored.”

“There is [a] need to understand how Eurocentric diets, illnesses and economic practices [that] were imposed by the British in South Asia during the colonial era disrupted lifestyles, traditions, and even languages,” said Banerjee. “These colonial practices are likely to continue to detrimentally affect communities living in South Asia.”

The Varsity also spoke to Leanne De SouzaKenney, an assistant professor in the teaching stream at the Department of Human Biology and the Health Studies program at University College.

De Souza-Kenney noted that dietary choices and physical activity both play a significant role in the development of diabetes in many communities, including the South Asian community.

“While there is a genetic predisposition to certain

My little pony: Friend, feral, or food?

conditions like diabetes, this can be addressed by reducing environmental exposures and risk factors for diabetes. Understanding the social determinants of health and the exposures to risk factors for disease states is critical for populations to learn about.” De Souza-Kenney added.

How can we intervene?

Both De Souza-Kenney and Banerjee offered their opinions on potential interventions that could begin tackling the diabetes problem in South Asian communities.

“We need a diverse array of effective changes in policies and the environments in which South [Asians] live, work, and play,” Banerjee said. Doing so, she believes, would be a good start to mitigating the diabetes epidemic, since it would tackle the root causes of inequities in health. Banerjee believes that these changes can be reached through improving access to resources and preventative services within communities, as well as promoting policies that improve the care and management of diabetes.

De Souza-Kenney added that health literacy and patient education are places to start, and that we should start by creating a safe environment for discussion. “The conversation should be just that — an exchange that invites people to play an active role in their health outcomes, rather than a one-directional listing or reprimanding, or dictating incongruent recommendations to how people live their lives,” she said.

Education is a big part of promoting access to health care, according to De Souza-Kenney.

“Education includes helping affected or vulnerable populations to learn what to look for and when to seek help, as well as [the value] of tests and opportunities like screening measures.” She believes that those who are at risk for Type 2 diabetes mellitus due to factors such as family history and environmental exposures should feel supported and should have the opportunity to educate themselves on the importance of screening tests and self-monitoring blood glucose.

GEORGIA KELLY/THEVARSITY

The history of global horse domestication Alexa DiFrancesco Arts & Culture Editor

Between the ages of seven and 10, my mind was home to one subject: My Little Pony.

For those unfamiliar, I’m not referring to an actual pony — rather, I’m talking about my collection of vibrantly coloured miniature toy horses, each with a unique symbol on their flank. My personal favourite was Rainbow Dash, a light blue pegasus with a rainbow mane and fluffy wings.

About 30,000 years ago, on the walls of France’s Lascaux caves, an unknown artist painted a more realistic interpretation of Rainbow Dash: a chubby horse with a tan body, a black mane, and slender legs. When researchers looked at the artwork further, they were able to identify these horses as chauvet horses, a subspecies which was once a food source for humans.

So how did our species go from eating horses to playing with small, neon-coloured versions of them?

What’s a wild horse?

The answer lies in domestication. While the origins of horse domestication couldn’t be traced back to the Lascaux caves, the wild horses depicted there suggest that all potential wild ancestors of modern horses have gone extinct.

Almost all the non-domesticated horses living today are descended from populations of Equus ferus caballus — a subspecies of domesticated horses — that were released or escaped from human watch. These horses are referred to as ‘feral’ horses to differentiate them from the lineages of horses that were never domesticated.

The only horses still living today that are potentially truly ‘wild’ are members of the endangered subspecies of Przewalski horses. These horses resemble the Lascaux cave’s depictions of horses much more than Rainbow Dash does. Instead of wings and light blue hair, they have short, stocky necks and rigid black manes. Today, only around 1,200 of these horses exist, living in Europe and Asia.

The Botai settlement For years, it was thought that the origins of horse domestication could trace back to a single 5,500 years old settlement in Kazakhstan called Botai.

In 1993, archaeologists identified a large number of horse remains around the region. In 2009, they discovered pottery that contained chemical residues from horse meat, and found horse teeth with wear patterns which suggested that the horses were bridled and ridden by humans.

However, the connection between the Botai settlement and modern horses was challenged in 2018 when a group of geneticists further studied the remains. They concluded that the Botai horses shared little to no genetic connection with modern horses.

This discovery was further proven in 2021 when researchers re-evaluated the Botai horses’ teeth and argued that their wear patterns could have happened naturally. They compared the patterns on the teeth to similar patterns on the teeth of ancient wild horses that had never been in contact with humans. This new group of researchers proposed that the people in Botai hadn’t domesticated horses, but they were instead harvesting them from the wild for food.

Russia: Horses’ homeland?

In 2021, a paper was published by a team of over 160 researchers who sequenced the genomes of 273 ancient horses from Eurasia covering the last 50,000 years. These researchers found that, until 4,000 years ago, Eurasia was home to a diverse community of wild horses.

While, at first, the horses came from a lot of genetically distinct lineages across the region, it wasn’t long before one lineage began to spread rapidly. Researchers thought that this shift marked the rise of the domestic lineage that all modern horses descend from. They were able to pinpoint the origin of this lineage to the land that’s now Russia.

Around Russia’s Volga and Don rivers, people began domesticating and breeding horses in large numbers. These breeders changed the function of the horses’ GSDMC gene — a protein involved in making the horses’ spines stronger — mak-

ing them ideal for carrying the weight of people, chariots, and goods.

Another gene that was affected by early selective breeding was ZFPM1, which alters horses’ brain chemistry, making them less anxious so they’re easier to breed. It was only 3,500 years ago that these modern, domestic horses spread and replaced other wild populations.

Today, horses are found in vastly different shapes and sizes. From the horses who once pulled chariots in Russia to the ponies we visit at petting zoos, human history would be unrecognizable without them. Though much of horses’ function has changed throughout history, one thing stays constant: we still find horses to be as beautiful as the artists in the Lascaux caves did 30,000 years ago. If you have any doubt, just ask to see the wooden chest of currently unused My Little Ponies sitting in my basement.

thevarsity.ca/section/science

MARCH 14, 2022

17

What slime mould can teach us about optimizing the TTC Biological computers have millions of years of network building experience Angel Hsieh Associate Science Editor

lems. This result is only possible because of the dynamics between resilience and vulnerability.

The TTC subway system is notoriously inefficient — but solving that is a no-brainer for the brainless slime mould P. polycephalum.

This may seem unlikely — what do these primitive, blob-like creatures know about urban design? It turns out that the types of networks that P. polycephalum have developed naturally over the course of their evolutionary history are surprisingly similar to the kinds of networks that humans are interested in replicating.

Raphael Kay, a graduate student in materials science and engineering at U of T, was one of the principal investigators of a study recently published in Nature that investigated this connection in more detail. In a conversation with The Varsity, Kay talked about the study’s discoveries and how to translate virtual slime mould models into practical public transit applications.

From blob to urban network blueprint Kay explained that their results were a practical translation of what the slime moulds came up with. Kay drew inspiration from the blob’s interest in connecting food sources and translated this idea to connecting people in an urban transportation network — although unlike the blob protists, commuters are more concerned about efficiency of the TTC subway system as a whole than about finding the most effortless way to navigate from an eatery to the nearest café.

The most updated version of the virtual slime mould model is developed based on how the blobs act in response to “attractiveness” of food sources. The object of attraction, in the blob’s case, is always food. Not only do the blobs navigate toward their intended food sources, but they also avoid unwanted harmful substances by circumventing contaminated parts of their petri dishes. The researchers created a distinct visual manifestation of this kind of movement, Kay added, which offered them a unique perspective on “[making] a more dynamic knob for tuning how the model behaves [in real-world situations].”

Kay recalled the research team’s first attempt to transfer the computational slime mould model into practice. The team compared their virtual slime model to the arrangement of sidewalks in Canada’s Wonderland to figure out the most efficient walkways to go from ride to ride, with great success.

Their successful experiment in the amusement park led Kay to compare his slime mould model to the TTC subway. This time around, the researchers overlaid the ‘ideal’ network they generated via the simulation model on top of the actual TTC map for spatial analysis, which showed quantitative differences between the two overlapping network designs.

The complexity of a single-celled blob These blob-shaped protists have the marvellous ability to form beautifully intricate networks without any kind of recognizable brains — which makes them an ideal framework for computational models.

To maintain the integrity of their body’s fluid network, each of these organisms are required to make a series of decisions about how to navigate their environment. Scientists are interested in investigating the underlying mechanisms that equip them with the ability to perform multi-step computations, even in the absence of a refined neural circuit.

What is significant about these blobs is the particular way that they attempt to optimize their use of exhaustible resources such as food. Humans are not as good at optimizing resources as these simple-minded creatures — but the blobs’ biological approach to resource management does show similarities to ways that we design our cities and roadways.

In an attempt to improve the future of urban networks, Kay and his colleagues at U of T’s Functional and Adaptive Surfaces Group created digital simulation models to replicate the protist’s optimization processes.

All about the right balance Kay and his colleagues chose three parameters to optimize network efficiency: cost, travel time, and vulnerability. The behaviour of slime moulds offers insights into how researchers can maintain a balance between these network parameters. This is a difficult problem: for example, a transport system design that focuses primarily on lessening travel time may end up becoming an overly sophisticated network that is incomprehensible to passengers.

But how do blob simulations improve network design about the TTC’s costs and travel times?

These results are actually an example of the power of the virtual blob model at its finest. The answers to network optimization questions rely on the concepts of ‘resiliency’ and ‘vulnerability.’ In simple terms, Kay explained, the vulnerability of a network refers to how much longer it would take to move from one station to another if one link were removed from the network as a whole. In this scenario, resiliency is simply the inverse of vulnerability — a network’s resiliency refers to its ability to recover from the removal of one of its links.

The networks generated using the slime mould model are projected to be at least 20 per cent more efficient than the current real-life networks designed for similar transportation prob-

This line of work produced objective quantitative data that could serve as a guideline for future retrofitting projects of the TTC. Kay’s effort to implement his research in tangible and relevant contexts is a fine example of real-world research applications, and can serve as encouragement to students who are looking to contribute to the world beyond academia.

Final reflections More often than not, people believe that models inspired by biology must be the gold standard, and that they’re suitable to resolve issues for a wide variety of situations. In reality, though, the urban design ideas generated by this virtual model can only serve as a reference for engineers working to optimize the efficiency of public transport and similarly structured networks.

When asked about plans for future studies,

Kay expressed wishes for his model to be able to assist in improving urban infrastructure in highly urbanized areas, or to potentially design a first pass for engineers who are developing a transport network from scratch. Kay is excited to use his model to evaluate the weaknesses of existing systems and generate tangible suggestions for retrofitting urban networks.

In his undergraduate studies in John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, Kay appreciated the opportunity to learn from world-renowned architects who were much older than him. In Kay’s opinion, this directly connects to his current research, as well. Thinking about the experience and knowledge he got from older human architects made him wonder what would happen if he pushed the idea further — “Why not go all out to ask [these ancient] architects to design a city?”

Kay compared his slime mould model to the TTC subway.

COURTESY OF RAPHAEL KAY/CC NATURE

Sports

March 14, 2022 thevarsity.ca/section/sports sports@thevarsity.ca

Confessions of a toxic gamer Online gaming spaces can do much more to foster a healthy environment

Je Ho Cho Varsity Contributor

Plopping down on my cushioned chair after another exhausting week of courses and schoolwork, I booted up my computer as usual to conduct my weekly ritual of self-imposed nearmasochism: playing League of Legends.

Loading into the game brought me a brief spark of joy, but that spark quickly morphed into an angry flaming spree as my mid-laner — which plays in the middle of the three lanes of the map of the game — proceeded to “run it down” a mere several minutes in, essentially quitting the game. The lack of an in-game voice chat didn’t stop me from typing expletives directed at my teammate’s lack of skill. We of course went on to lose the game in a miserable fashion, and both my mood and desire to continue playing were crushed.

This is a familiar story to many — though it’s usually told from the perspective of the person on the receiving end of my vitriol, as opposed to my own perspective. I am what many in the gaming community refer to as a ‘toxic gamer’ — and if you’ve ever happened to play any competitive multiplayer game, you will have encountered many of my kind.

Gaming companies that are on top of managing player behaviour have already taken steps to curb toxicity within their games, but if they want real results, there needs to be a shift in how their systems account for the issue. Some of the people who engage in ‘toxic’ behaviour often go out of their way to target women, minorities, and those with disabilities often to a degree that goes far beyond the game itself, which makes the prevalence of toxic gamers within the community a genuine problem that needs to be addressed seriously.

Competitive multiplayer gaming has historically been rife with toxicity. Certain titles — such as League of Legends, Call of Duty, and Counter Strike — are renowned for their communities, which are filled with toxic gamers who will go as far as to threaten their teammates’ families and personal well-being in retribution for poor

Online gaming can quickly become toxic.

GISELLE DALILI/ THEVARSITY

performance in the game. Since players often resort to in-game text and voice chat functions to vent their frustrations and threats, traditional measures to combat toxicity have focused on providing options to limit these forms of communication through mute functions or getting rid of them entirely, as is the case with League of Legends.

Disciplinary measures like temporary or permanent bans and chat restrictions also feature prominently, and these steps have been effective in limiting toxicity through player communication.

But while these measures have merit, they limit a crucial avenue of in-game communication that could be vital to success in team-based games.

And hurling racial slurs over text and voice chat aren’t the only way toxic gamers express their displeasure. Tactics like ‘inting’ — intentionally playing poorly to directly undermine the enjoyment of others — can’t be caught as easily by traditional methods of moderation. It is incredibly difficult for the automated systems that communication moderation is based around to distinguish between inting and genuine, nondeliberate poor gameplay, which could just be the result of inexperience.

Managing stress: Some tips and techniques Discussing ways to relax and destress Audrey Miatello Associate Sports Editor

With less than a month of classes remaining, I’ve noticed that midterms and assignment due dates have started to close in. It can be stressful trying to juggle everything at times, but I’ve discovered relaxation methods that help me manage my stress and allow me to find moments of relaxation within the hustle and bustle of life. If you’ve also been feeling overwhelmed lately, hopefully some of these tips can help you as well!

Get fresh air When I’m feeling stressed, taking a break from my work and getting some fresh air often helps me feel a lot better. In fact, studies have supported this, suggesting that there is a relationship between spending time outside and decreased stress levels.

Especially now that the weather has begun warming up, I’ve found that going on walks is a great way to unwind, and it gives me an opportunity to take my mind off of deadlines.

While spending time outdoors, I try to remind

myself to stay grounded in the present moment.

After all, if I go for a walk but still only think about the essay I’m struggling to write the entire time, I usually don’t return to work feeling refreshed. It’s important, then, to put aside any future deadlines and past assessments, and instead just pay attention to the world around you. This is often easier said than done, but it can get easier with practice.

Make yourself a priority It’s important to remember to put yourself and your health first. This can include a number of things: making sure you’re drinking enough water, setting aside time in the day to take breaks, and getting enough sleep. For example, instead of staying up all night to work on an assignment, allow yourself to get the rest you need and come back to the task with a refreshed perspective the next day.

This can also be the case for players, who may falsely report these incidents as intentional.

Human moderation is a must in these cases, but the resources available to individual companies’ moderation teams are dwarfed by the sheer volume of harassment experienced by gamers, which is why algorithms and automated systems remain a standard for moderation. It’s easy for a pundit from outside of the gaming industry to suggest a solution that asks for increased human moderation — and I’m sure gaming companies would love to implement such a solution, if they had the resources to do so.

Riot Games has already explored a potential solution to this resource issue in its former Tribunal system, where players would be given the chance to vote on moderation decisions as a group. If a punishment was deemed necessary by the Tribunal, the members of the Tribunal would be rewarded with in-game currency.

The now-defunct system could have solved companies’ manpower issues by outsourcing moderation to players, who are better equipped than machines to distinguish in-game player behaviour. That being said, though, it also came with the burden of potentially incentivizing players Create a schedule Every evening, I like to set aside time to plan out the next day and look ahead to everything coming up in the week. This helps me organize all of my homework and tasks and lets me start each day with a focused plan. Plus, having a schedule allows me to concentrate on one thing at a time instead of feeling like I need to get everything done at once.

If you make a schedule of your own, make sure that you set reasonable expectations for yourself — don’t fill every day with hours and hours of work. Take into account your class schedule and the difficulty of each task you need to complete, and make sure to include time to relax as well.

Good luck with your midterms and assessments, U of T — you got this!

to be harsher in their verdicts in order to get more in-game currency. A more modernized Tribunal system that removes incentives like these that could potentially skew results, pairs playermade decisions with the existing automated moderation, and delegates the final decision in any given case to company employees could help serve as a compromise between a human moderation team swamped with reports and inaccurate appraisals by the algorithm.

Discussion about systems aside, the root of toxicity in games should not be pinned on game design or even moderation of player behaviour, but on individual maturity. Beyond corporate responsibility, there also lies the need for a change in mindset among toxic gamers like myself. We need to recognize that there are better ways to deal with anger and direct it to more productive channels.

People play video games to have fun or take their mind off other matters, and being toxic ruins not just others’ experiences, but your own as well. Inevitably, behaviours that manifest online through gaming will seep into your daily interactions with real-life people — whose opinions can have lasting consequences on your life, unlike an ingame chat restriction.

I am the first to admit that I have a toxicity issue — my friends have pointed out that my attitude toward games is something they want to see me work on — but it’s through taking a step back from the intensity of the game itself by taking a breath and reevaluating things that I keep myself in check. When I feel that familiar rush of anger, it often helps me to mute myself in chat and simply say out loud, “It’s just a game.”

It may sound elementary or even silly to do this, but it honestly does help me cool down.

What works for me may not work for you, however — you should always look for something that brings you calm, specifically. Maybe take up a martial arts class to relieve your stress — or just take a break from the game in general.

Do whatever it is that can help bring you back to the reality that there are other people behind the screen who just want to have a relaxing weekend, just like you.

Good luck with your midterms and assessments, U of T.

COURTESY OF KAROLINA GRABOWSKA/CC PEXELS

thevarsity.ca/section/sports

MARCH 14, 2022 19

Rediscovering Paul Poirier One of Canada’s best figure skaters mulls over his long career Mekhi Quarshie Associate Sports Editor

The curly hair, the chiseled mustache, the bright smile, and the eyes that glitter with excitement. These trademarks of Canadian figure skater Paul Poirier are usually on display against sheets of white ice — but here they were against a backdrop of the many books and plants of Poirier’s living room when I called him on Zoom to interview him for The Varsity.

You might know Poirier for a plethora of reasons, the most obvious being his three Olympic appearances — but, on top of that, he is a U of T alum and a former athlete for the Varsity Blues. He’s also a trailblazer, as a Canadian figure skater who has publically come out as gay. Poirier has a lot going for him, but in his interview he came across as a regular guy. A regular guy that is insanely good at skating.

Years before his Olympic fame, Poirier started skating at the age of five, upon his parents’ suggestion. “My parents are very sports-oriented people,” Poirier reminisced. “We didn’t take music lessons, we didn’t do anything else, but they really wanted us to play sports.”

Since skating was in his blood, and in light of the fact that the late ’90s of Poirier’s childhood saw the American figure-skating boom, it didn’t take much for Poirier to fall in love with the sport. Before he knew it, he was skating five or six days a week, and he committed himself to the sport when he was nine years old. “It didn’t feel like a big decision at the time. But I think, looking back now… that’s actually a really big decision,” he said.

Much like how he balances his weight on the ice, Poirier has balanced the weights of schoolwork and his professional skating career from a young age. “[Being in school] is a grounding thing for me… it gives me time to think about something that’s not skating,” he said. When he was deciding which university to attend, skating was the first thing that was on Poirier’s mind, so he looked for a school that would mesh well with his sports life. “I was living and training in Toronto and I didn’t want to move away for school… [U of T] gave me the most options for programs that were interesting to me.”

He enjoyed his time at U of T and eventually graduated with a degree in linguistics. The trademark Poirier smile revealed itself when I asked about his decision to choose linguistics as a major. “I was strong at math and science, but I really liked my language classes,” Poirier said, with a spark in his eyes. Linguistics is about dissecting how languages work, he said, but with mathematics involved — the perfect marriage between his strengths and passions.

Poirier speaks four different languages — French and English fluently, Spanish and Japanese roughly. His two lives often intersect, such as when he was

able to communicate with Japanese fans. “Figure skating is very popular [in Japan]... sometimes [fans] send messages in Japanese and I can… respond, and that’s a really nice feeling,” he said.

Fans, the bright lights, and everything else that comes with figure skating is nothing new to Poirier, who has been participating in the Olympics since he was a teenager. His first was the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, with his then-partner Vanessa Crone. Changing partners from Crone to Piper Gilles was part of the long and difficult journey that he took to get to the Beijing Olympics in 2022.

Poirier mentioned that there are always adjustments to be made when working with a partner, and you have to learn a lot about how they handle things like stress, fatigue, and setbacks. “No two people skate exactly alike… there’s something that my coaches call your ‘skating thumbprint’… there’s a certain way of moving that every person has, and it’s not the exact same as your partner,” he explained.

Eventually, Poirier and Piper Gilles did learn how to skate as a unified entity. After over 10 years, an ankle injury, and an eighth place finish in the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, the duo made it to the bright lights of the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

When asked why the road to the Beijing Olympics was such a long and winding one, Poirier sighed and looked off into the distance.

“I’ve been doing this a long time… The journey of an athlete is not a straight line in any sort of way. There’s a lot of ups and downs,” he said.

“We always think of all of the routines, all of the programs that we’ve had over the last 11 years skating together,” he added. “Each one has given us skills and more selfknowledge that has aided us in the next

program that we choreograph… That process in itself is actually really magical. Everything that you’ve done has brought you to the place that you are.”

The pair’s most recent Olympic trip lasted about two weeks. They were competing in the ice dance team event. They got off to a strong start, placing fourth in their first rhythm dance, third in their free dance, and sixth in their next rhythm dance. During the last team event on February 14, the couple was looking for a high score in the free dance event to propel them to a good spot on the final podium.

As soon as they began to skate to Govardo’s cover of The Beatles’ “The Long and Winding Road,” the song choice started to make sense to the audience. Years of setbacks, injuries, and intricacies led to this point. The long and winding road would soon be coming to an end.

The couple got off to a great start. Every spin, step, and slide sent waves of emotion through the audience. At the height of the song, as the music boomed in the background, the couple came out of a twizzle set and went into a combination lift. Everything was smooth — until it wasn’t. Suddenly, there was an abrupt pause during the lift, and a leg that didn’t fully extend backward.

When I asked him about what went wrong, Poirier quickly responded, “[It was] just a spacing issue. We were a little bit too far apart. I’m actually really proud of that moment, because we were really able to improvize and make it a much less costly error than it could have been, and that makes me really happy.”

The duo ended up placing seventh overall.

When asked about the implications of the mistake and the fact that he didn’t win a medal, Poirier mulled over his answer for a while. He

had this duality to him, of two sides battling one another as he tried to reconcile with himself.

On one hand, he’s an athlete that is — as he put it — the “meanest to himself,” critiquing every bit of his performance and constantly gunning for a medal.

But the other half of him is completely different. It consists of a newfound maturity and an ability to accept unexpected results — something that a younger Poirier might not have been so comfortable with.

“It’s really nice to have medals, but they don’t transform who you are as a person the way that living does,” he eventually said. “In the end, you have to make peace with what happens.”

When I asked whether he would be participating in the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics, Poirier stated that he was still undecided. One thing he is sure about for now, though, is that he has come to peace with the fact that he may never win an Olympic medal. “In [the hypothetical] world where I never have an Olympic medal — which is a possible world — does that make me any less of a person?” he asked me.

He never answered his own question. But the way he smiled and shook his head told me that, while Poirier might not win a shiny medal, he has already won the battle that had been going on deep inside of him.

Paul Poirier has dazzled on ice for years.

COURTESY OF GREG KOLZ/SKATE CANADA

20

THE VARSITY

MARCH 14, 2022

DIVERSIONS

The Weekly Crossword

by Margie E. Burke

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 ACROSS 1 Rigatoni, eg.

14 15 16 6 Cry from a crib 18 19 10 "Back In Black" 17 band 22 20 21 14 Stopped a squeak 23 24 25 15 Ticks off 30 26 27 28 29 16 Boo-Boo, for one 31 32 33 34 35 36 17 Sensory stimuli 37 38 39 40 18 Country singer Vince 43 44 41 42 19 Certain sax 45 46 47 48 20 Moving backward 52 49 50 51 22 Fish stories 53 54 55 56 57 58 23 Vicinity 24 Extra helpings 60 61 59 26 Richie's gal on "Happy Days" 63 64 62 30 Glazier's sheet 66 67 65 31 Costner flick "____ Range" Copyright 2022 by The Puzzle Syndicate 32 December song 34 Organ part DOWN 28 Container 46 NBA game start 37 Female soldier 1 Down and out 29 Start of a toast 48 Give a response in WWII 2 Campaign 33 Abhorrent 49 Thin bark 38 Baby-food worker 35 "Race" anagram 50 Like a pelvic choice 3 Vegas 36 Wanton look artery 40 NHL surface coin-eater 38 Ink cartridge 51 Do a salon job 41 Melancholy 4 Topography color 55 Regal address verse 5 Gather on the 39 Crowd maker?

56 Doing nothing 43 Slangy assent surface, 42 Bifocals, e.g.

57 Flying formations 44 ____ or less chemically 44 Minuteman, for 58 Coastal flier 45 Surveyor's map 6 Like some birds one 47 Kitchen gadget 7 "Carmen" selec49 Movie ship tion Answers to Previous Crossword: 52 Coop group 8 Pinochle combos C A P S D I B S A L P H A 53 "Woe is me!"

9 Dead to the A B U T B A R O N A V O W 54 Type of pronoun world R E D O M I C A A D O P T 59 Cropped 10 Pearly shell S O M E T I M E S P R I O R photos?

11 "Because You A N O N L E V E E 60 Miscellany Loved Me" A R T B U S I N E S S M A N 61 Dentist's direcsinger M A R A P E R I O D I C tive 12 Like wood W A V E L E T P R I N T E R 62 White as a ghost paneling, e.g.

L U S T D O M I N A N T 63 W-4, e.g.

13 Church figure E N T E R T A I N E D P A Y 64 Corby of ''The 21 She played R E I N S N E A R Waltons'' Thelma P R O F A N I T Y O D O R S 65 Best poker pair 25 Toy gun ammo M O O D O P A L 66 Gratis 26 Rob, formerly of R A V E D U R G E R O S A 67 Joaquin's "Walk "The West Wing" I N U R E S T A B E S P Y M I M E R the Line" co-star 27 Fall birthstone