Vol. CXXXVIII, No. 24 April 3, 2018 thevarsity.ca —— University of Toronto’s Student Newspaper Since 1880
a h T
! s k l o f l l a s t’
COMMENT
SCIENCE
SPORTS
ARTS
A final reflection from the Public Editor
A year in review
The Varsity’s Athletes of the Year
End of semester and new beginnings
On covering student politics
STEM students reflect on the highlights of 2017
TJ Morton and Emily Ziraldo talk memories of the year and dreams for the future
Three contributors on what happens next
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page 14
U-Pass referendum fails 65.6 per cent of votes against establishing transit pass Josie Kao Associate News Editor
The referendum to establish a $280 per semester U-Pass transit fee for undergraduate UTSG students has failed to pass. A total of 12,428 students voted in the referendum, 306 of whom abstained. Of those who voted ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ 7,946 students — 65.6 per cent — voted against the proposed pass, and 4,176 students — 34.4 per cent — voted for it. If passed, the TTC would have established a semesterly universal transit pass. The University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) Board of Directors would have been able to increase the fee by up to five per cent per year to cover rising administrative and transit costs, up to $322.50 per session. The U-Pass would not have had an opt-out option except for those students whose needs were protected by the Ontario Human Rights Code and restricted their ability to use transit. “The outcome of the referendum is a strong indication that a UPASS without optout provisions for those students living near campus is not sellable,” said UTSU President Mathias Memmel in an email to The Varsity. “Transit and housing remain significant barriers to affordable and accessible postsecondary education for our diverse student body.” “We look forward to working constructively
with both provincial parties and City Council in advance of the upcoming election. We also hope to continue our productive conversations with the TTC Board,” he added. Donald Wang, speaking on behalf of a ‘no’ campaign against the pass, wrote to The Varsity that it’s clear students do want a U-Pass, but not in this form. “The U-Pass, proposed and pursued with the best of intention by a group of student leaders, aimed to bring cheaper transportation to all students. However, in this referendum, the student body has spoken loud and clear – the U-Pass in its current form is unacceptable.” “These election results show that it can’t just be subsidization of Toronto residents. The students want options to opt-out and the integration of the GO transit system. A better approach would see greater consultation and a slower, more thorough process. I hope the UTSU executives, current and incoming, are able to listen and advocate for the best of our collective student body.” Speaking on behalf of U-Commute, which ran a ‘yes’ campaign, U of T student Aidan Swirsky told The Varsity, “We respect students’ decision, which was heard loud and clear, and hope the newly elected UTSU will build off this result and address the many criticisms heard during this cycle and throughout the year, if they wish to further explore the U-Pass.”
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Compass slate sweeps UTSU executive elections Elections see 25.3 per cent turnout, a significant increase from previous years Aidan Currie Deputy News Editor
University of Toronto Students’ Union elections results were released shortly after 6:00 pm on March 28, revealing a clean sweep by the Compass slate of all executive positions. Of the 50,405 students eligible to vote, 12,734 did, a 25.3 per cent turnout. The majority of votes in all races were abstentions, with the exception of Nursing Director. President-elect Anne Boucher received 2,376 votes; her opponent, Michelle Mabira, received 1,191. In this race, 9,167 voters — 72 per cent — abstained. Boucher said she was “beyond grateful” upon hearing the results. “I’m so excited to begin, especially with the amazing team I’ll have with me. You probably hear this year after year — but expect change, because we’ll work our butts off.” Vice-President Internal-elect Tyler Biswurm was elected with 1,946 votes; his opponent, Boundless’ Alyy Patel, received 899. There were 9,889 abstentions, constituting 77.7 per cent of voters. The VP Campus Life race saw winner
Yolanda Alfaro receive 1,668 votes and independent opponent Spencer Robertson take 1,140, with 9,926 abstentions. VP Professional Faculties-elect Yasmine El Sanyoura received 535 votes to Boundless’ Gallop Fan’s 310, with 3,280 abstentions. The three executive positions were uncontested and received over 70 per cent abstentions. VP University Affairselect Joshua Grondin won with 2,390 votes for and 422 votes against. VP External-elect Yuli Liu received 2,990 ‘yes’ votes and 693 ‘no’ votes. Ammara Wasim, VP Equity-elect, received 2,597 votes in favour and 936 against. In addition to sweeping the executive positions, all Compass candidates were elected except Tiffany Tiu. Tiu, who ran for one of two Professional Faculty Director at-large positions, lost to fellow Compass candidate Christopher Dryden and independent candidate Virginia Wong. Michelle Mabira declined The Varsity’s request for comment.
2 • THE VARSITY • NEWS
news@thevarsity.ca
Rough drafts Vol. CXXXVIII, No. 24 21 Sussex Avenue, Suite 306 Toronto, ON M5S 1J6 (416) 946-7600 thevarsity.ca
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The Varsity
MASTHEAD editor@thevarsity.ca
Jacob Lorinc Editor-in-Chief Elham Numan Creative Director
creative@thevarsity.ca
Rachel Chen Managing Editor
managing@thevarsity.ca
Tom Yun Managing Online Editor
online@thevarsity.ca
Blythe Hunter Senior Copy Editor
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Jack O. Denton News Editor
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Teodora Pasca Comment Editor
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Kaitlyn Simpson Features Editor
features@thevarsity.ca
Reut Cohen Arts & Culture Editor
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Connie Liu Science Editor
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Daniel Samuel Sports Editor
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Pearl Cao & Piyumi Konara Design Editors
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Steven Lee Photo Editor Mia Carnevale Illustration Editor
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Shaq Hosein Video Editor Mohammad Durrani & Tamim Mansour Web Developers Michael Teoh Deputy Senior Copy Editor Aidan Currie Deputy News Editor Sophie Borwein Public Editor
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deputysce@thevarsity.ca deputynews@thevarsity.ca public@thevarsity.ca
ZH.THEVARSITY.CA Charlotte Shen Managing Editor
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Cathy Liu Head Translator
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Kevin Lu & Evelyn Maude Associate Senior Copy Editors
Jackie Emick & Kate Reeve Associate Sports Editors
Keith Cheng Ilya Bañares, Josie Kao, Associate Design Editor Jillian Schuler, & Alex Tough Associate News Editors Shanna Hunter & Andy Takagi Ibnul Chowdhury & Jenisse Associate Photo Editors Minott Associate Comment Editors Iris Deng & Fiona Tung Associate Illustration George Kell Editors Associate Features Editor Jess Stewart-Lee Kashi Syal Associate Video Editor Associate A&C Editor
A letter from Jacob Lorinc, Editor-in-Chief 2017—2018
M
aking a newspaper is an exhausting process. The hours are late, the work is meticulous, and the pay is nothing to envy. But thankfully, with hard-working individuals at the helm, the job appears less cumbersome and the obstacles more surmountable. This year, The Varsity was lucky enough to have an abundance of hard-working individuals contributing to the paper. With their work in mind, I’m happy for my final letter of Volume CXXXVIII to be a positive one. Amid declining ad revenue and an ever-shaky media landscape, The Varsity has seen considerable expansion over the past 11 months. In late March we surpassed 1.2 million page views — a 16.5 per cent increase over the previous year — and as of Issue 24 we have published over 1,000 articles. We’ve brought in 400 contributors, 100 of whom are staff. The results of our levy referendum, held earlier in the semester, indicate that The Varsity will expand its membership to fulltime graduate students, a body of over 17,000 people, while the introduction of a translated Chinese edition of our website, brought to us by an ambitious new group on campus called The Listeners, has increased our accessibility to thousands of students. As we move forward, future mastheads will be tasked with considering how best to cater to the students whose primary concerns lie beyond our colloquial coverage and whose campuses lie beyond the downtown core. We have the resources necessary to expand — it’s simply a matter of how best to do it. There’s a magnitude of work that goes into each issue — work to which you, the reader, are not often privy. Every paper is made possible by a dedicated group of writers, editors, designers, illustrators, and photographers, all of whom work tirelessly
STEVEN LEE/THE VARSITY
and passionately to deliver a presentable final product. In the final weeks of my tenure, I couldn’t be more grateful to these individuals for their efforts. Thanks is owed to a zealous masthead, as well as to all the volunteers and staff members who made this volume possible. To the Board of Directors: thank you for playing an integral, if often overlooked, role in our broader ambitions. To Kary Cozens: thank you for running one of the most reliable business teams we’ve had in years. To the late-night Sunday production crew — Elham Numan, Tom Yun, Blythe Hunter, and Michael Teoh — thank you for sticking around well past reasonable work hours. To former editor Alex McKeen: thank you for your endless wisdom and your willingness to share it. As this volume draws to a close, I feel especially confident in the The Varsity’s future. My capable successor, Jack Denton,
Varsity Contributors: Farida Abdelmeguied, Riham Abu Affan, Oreoluwa Adara, Mir Aftabuddin Ahmed, Sumayyah Ajem, Rueshen Aksov, Janine Alhadidi, Abdul Ali, David Allens, Keena Al-Wahaidi, Nina Anggala, Elspeth Arbow, Sarah Armoogam, Marjan Asadullah, Lila Asher, Afrida Ashraf, Ryan Atkinson, Melissa Avalos, Daniel Aykler, Amirahamad Azieh, Alexa Ballis, Martin Bazyl, Hannah Beth, Kelsey Block, Caroline Bocknek, Tina Bohin, Christina Bondi, Brenda Bongolan, Josiah Butt, Erin Calhoun, Nathan Chan, Sammi Chan, James Chapman, Elizabeth Chelmicki, Carissa Chen, Carol Chen, Helen Chen, Baichao Cheng, Clement Cheng, Liza Cheryachukina, Danei, Rana Darwish, Kaylin Dawe, Emily Deibert, Jonathan Dick, Elizabeth Dix, Peter Dominicis, Kathleen Doyle, Kornelia Drianovski, Lauren Dubay, Brock Edwards, Amelia Ellis, Steven Erwood, Brad Evoy, Joana Faisman, Chris Faria, Nubaira Forkan, Marianne Forte, Mena Fouta, Ted Fraser, Tamara Frooman, Ruilin Fu, Shahd Fulath Kahn, Hasan Galib, Naveli Gandhi, Ujwal Gangly, Keith Garrett, Mat-
Lead Copy Editors Megan Brearley, Daniel Ninkovic, Ethan Raymond, Julie Shi
thew Aaron Gene, Melissa Giblon, Sonali Gill, Julia Gonsalves, Joshua Grondin, Reza Hafeez, Dominik Han, Charlène Hanania, James
Copy Editors Eloisa Cervantes, Cindy Lin, Caroline Maloney, Jovana Pajovic
Huynh, Sara Imran, Vincent Iolov, Sarim Irfan, Nahid Iseyas, Maisha Islam, Anvesh Jain, Fakeha Jamil, Delphine Ji, Jocelyn Jia, Emilie
Designers Darren Cheng, Angela Fu, Gheyana Purbodiningrat
Hannay, Maia Harris, Amanda Harvey-Sánchez, Haseeb Hassaan, Amira Higazy, Diane Hill, Belinda Hoang, Patricia Hoyeck, Alexandra Hsieh, Alexandra Hu, Judy Hu, Lily Huang, Olivia Huang, Jenna Hum, Frank Hung, Adrian Huntelar, Maria Hutt, Peter Huycke, Boi Anh Jones, Tebat Kadhem, Katerina Kaparsas, Kevin Kapenda, Arjun Kaul, Catherine Kawpeng, Mark Kazakevich, Annika Keller, Simrit Khabra, Shazre Khan, Andrew Kidd, Alice Kim, Doyun Kim, Grace King, Tess King, Aljosa Kljujic, Stefan Kollenberg, Katie Konstantopolous, Srishti Krishnan, Tom Kuhn, Leah Kuperman, Charis Lam, Hannah Lank, Eleanor Lazarova, Kevin Lee, Summer Lee, Tiffany Leung, Jeffrey Leung, Daniel Li, Vivian Li, Tiffany Lieu, Geoffrey Liew, Georgia Lin, Erica Liu, Rose Liu, Mark Mabango, Farhan Mahmood, Sana Mahmood, Maighdlin Mahoney, Aisha Malik, Sarah Manianis, Maggie Manshu, Yasmin McDowell, Emilie Mcleod, Mathias Memmel, Amarra Mohamed, Govind Mohan, George Moshenski-Dubov, Alex Mulego, Rehana Mushtaq, Mariam Naguib, Helena Najm, Ramsha
BUSINESS OFFICE Kary Cozens Business Manager
business@thevarsity.ca
Emma Findlay-White Advertising Executive
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Algimantas Janusis Advertising Executive
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Angela Lee Advertising Executive
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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 © 2018 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
— Jacob Lorinc Editor-in-Chief, Volume CXXXVIII
The masthead thanks all of our staff and contributors
Mira Chow, Paige Chu, Seijoong Chu, Natalie Clark, Laura Coburn, Rachel Cohen, Isaac Consenstein, Sheridan Cunningham, Zahra
Srivindhya Kolluru & Clara Thaysen Associate Science Editors
has laid out a bold vision for the paper, one that will surely serve to broaden this institution’s horizons. While the future of print media is uncertain, I have no doubt that future mastheads will develop new ways of navigating it. I think we sometimes forget, in the chaos of the day-to-day newsroom, that our role as the press is not only to deliver the daily news, but — as a former publisher of The Washington Post once put it — to write the first rough drafts of history. To be a newspaper of record, as we habitually call ourselves, is to situate the events of the day in a greater context, so that future generations can understand their place in the students’ history of the university. I hope you’ve enjoyed this year’s rough draft; it’s been a pleasure bringing it to you.
Naveed, Natalie Ng, Linh Nguyen, Ash Nicol, Jacob Nkut, Huda Obaid, Deborah Ocholi, Leslie Oldfield, Annika Olsen, Chantel Ouellet, Vidhant Pal, Nick Papageorge, Sabrina Papas, Lauren Park, Anil Partridge, Jessica Patterson, Teah Pelechaty, Maria Pepelassis, Shania Perera, Vanessa Perruzza, Diana Pham, Sophia Pham, Teresa Pinto, Anastasia Pitcher, Barbod Pournajar, Rachel Quade, Laura Quon, Yasmin Rajabi, Natasha Ramkissoon, Soj Ramsey-Taylor, Abdullah Rao, Mara Raposo, Maria Raveendran, Dante Ravenhearst, Jeanlouis Rebello, Tamsyn Riddle, Areej Rodrigo, Bella Rogal, Vibhor Rohatgi, Alison Ross, Joseph Rossi, Sam Routley, Andre Roy, Zeana Sami, Barry Sangha, Arjun Sanya, Laura Seijas Figueredo, Tuhi Sen, Kasi Sewraj, Kiana Shahbazi, Aimin Shahid, Shiza Shaikh, Avneet Sharma, Haley Sheh, William Shepherd, Caroline Shim, John Shutt, Chris Simpson, Daman Singh, Namita Singh, Utkarshna Sinha, Abhishek Siwakoti, Tania Sleman, Sean Smith, Hannah So, Anna Maria Sordjan, Pranav Srikanth, Sara Stonehouse, Naomi Stuleanu, Niall Sukar, Victor Swift, Ian TD Thomson, Ayesha Tak, Veeda Tariq, Jing Tey, Vanessa Ting, Jeffrey To, Vivian Tong, Amy Tran, Stanley Treivus, Ben Tremblay, Ramana Trivedi, Madiha Turshin, Areti Tzanetakis, Meera Ulysses, Katrina Van Genderen, Jocelyn Veevers, Claire Velikonja, Nitha Vincent, Ayushee Vohra, Vanessa Wallace, Hai Lin Wang, Eddy Wang, Winnie Wang, Stephen Warner, Ellie Warsmann, Wendy Wei, Alex Weiss, Brandon Wong, Jacqueline Wong, Liz Worndl, Max Xi, Stephanie Yaacoub, Emi Yasuda, Jessica Ye, Kevin Yin, Kevin Yu, Shannon Yu, Arnold Yung, Ngabo Yvon Pacis, Zahra Zahravi, Jenny Zhang, Wendy Zhang, Alice (KX) Zhang, Alison Zhou, Kristen Zimmer, Hilary Ziraldo, Sherry Zuo
Varsity Staff: Devanshi Adhvaryu, Abhya Adlakha, Jayra Almanzor, Anna Aksenovich, Shamaila Anjum, Isabel Armiento, Rebecca Arshawsky, Marisa Balleani, Ilya Bañares, Genevieve Beauregard, Vaibhav Bhandari, Sophie Borwein, Megan Brearley, Mia Carnevale, Hannah Carty, Pearl Cao, Eloisa Cervantes, Carissa Chen, Rachel Chen, Darren Cheng, Keith Cheng, Ibnul Chowdhury, Reut Cohen, Julia Costanzo, Aidan Currie, Carey Davis, Emily Deibert, Ryan Delorme, Iris Deng, Jack O. Denton, Claire Doi, Sila Naz Elgin, Jackie Emick, Alisha Farrow, Angela Feng, Angela Fu, Matias Gutierrez, Adina Heisler, Judy Hu, Blythe Hunter, Shanna Hunter, Josie Kao, George Kell, Daniel Kim, Spencer Y. Ki, Srivindhya Kolluru, Michelle Krasovitski, Troy Lawrence, Silas Le Blanc, Min Ho Lee, Steven Lee, Lidia Likhodi, Cindy Lin, Cathy Liu, Jordan LoMonaco, Jacob Lorinc, Kevin Lu, Sofia Ludwig, Katie Macintosh, Caroline Maloney, Grace Manilili, Kathryn Mannie, Tamim Mansour, Natalie Marshall, Ann Marie Elpa, Evelyn Maude, Khyrsten Mieras, Jenisse Minott, Yasaman Mohaddes, Nora Moidu, Sana Motamed, Daniel Ninkovic, Elham Numan, Charmaine Nyakonda, Jovana Pajovic, Carol Eugene Park, Teodora Pasca, Gheyana Purbodiningrat, Anya Rakhecha, Nadin Ramadan, Sabrina Ramroop, Marie Ramsawakh, Ethan Raymond, Kate Reeve, Zeahaa Rehman, Zach Rosen, Vincent Ruan, Daniela Ruscica, Nouran Sakr, Daniel Samuel, Sophia Savva, Lindsay Selliah, Jillian Schuler, Eleanor Schoeffel, Nicole Sciulli, Priyanka Sharma, Charlotte Shen, Julie Shi, Kaitlyn Simpson, Sophia Spiteri, Pranav Srikanth, Imani Stewart, Clara Thaysen, Jess Stewart-Lee, Kashi Syal, Rachel Takacs, Andrea Tambunan, Michael Teoh, Alex Tough, Pascale Tsai, Fiona Tung, Matthew Veitch, Edgar Vergas, Gabrielle Warren, Sabrina Wu, Tom Yun, Corals Zheng
APRIL 3, 2018 • 3
var.st/news
Provincial budget proposes removal of Victoria University’s land tax exemptions Victoria has avoided millions of dollars in land tax for decades
Victoria University leases to commercial and residential buildings along Bloor Street, St. Thomas Street, and Charles Street. SHANNA HUNTER/THE VARSITY
Jack O. Denton News Editor
According to the 2018 provincial budget, Victoria University may have to begin paying millions of dollars in taxes on its properties in the Bloor-Yorkville area, which are currently exempt from tax under an existing agreement with the City of Toronto. Victoria, one of the federated colleges at U of T, owns land that it leases to commercial and residential buildings at 131, 151, and 153 Bloor Street West, 8 St. Thomas Street, and 110 Charles Street West. The commercial and residential buildings atop these plots of land are subject to property tax, but the land itself is not. The properties are exempt from paying millions of dollars in yearly land tax under the Victoria University Act of 1951. Between the 2013 and 2016 tax years, the five properties cost the city over $20 million in lost tax revenue. The 2018 provincial budget, released March 28, reveals that
these exemptions are being revisited. The budget announced proposed amendments to remove the exemptions and “ensure the municipal tax exemption applies only to lands owned and occupied by the university.” Many universities are exempt from paying taxes on properties occupied and operated for educational purposes — this is the case for OCAD University, Ryerson University, and York University. The University of Toronto, like Victoria, is exempt from property taxes on leased properties but pays these taxes on a voluntary basis. Victoria does not. The issue has been a serious matter of contention between the city and the university, and the two parties began negotiating on the matter in early 2017. The Toronto Star reported in March 2017 that, according to a confidential city report, Victoria offered to pay $100,000 per year for up to five years in exchange for the retention of its tax-free status. Negotiations continued,
with a deadline set for September 2017. After that point, the city said it would ask the province to take action in removing the tax exemption. Jennifer Little, Victoria’s Manager of Marketing and Communications, said that “Victoria University has worked cooperatively with Toronto and Ontario over the past 18 months to manage the effects of any policy change relating to our tax treatment.” “In general, the changes in the Budget reflect these efforts.” The incomes from the leases are no small matter to Victoria University. The university’s President, William Robins, said in 2017 that all of the income went to “delivering on our postsecondary educational mission.” In 2017, Victoria University brought in $8,662,000 in revenue from its properties, approximately 76 per cent as much as it received that year from student fees. Lease income in 2017 represented more than three-and-a-half times the
amount spent that year on student scholarships and bursaries. “Ontario is committed to a property tax system where everyone pays their fare share,” reads the budget. “This has raised concerns of inequity with respect to business properties and reduces revenues to the city that could be used to fund important services.” The change would not be immediate. The province has set minimum time periods for the incremental increase of the properties’ taxes, subject to extension by the city. The land tax on commercial properties would be increased from exemption to full taxation over at least four years; residential properties, six. This phasing process would start in 2019. “We are still working through some implementation details, and hope to have the matter fully resolved shortly,” said Little. The extent of Victoria University’s lobbying efforts Victoria engaged in extensive
lobbying at both the municipal and provincial levels in efforts to maintain the tax exemption on leased land and stop amendments being made to the Victoria University Act. The institution employed StrategyCorp, a strategic public affairs and communications firm with strong ties to the government. StrategyCorp has lobbied at the provincial level on behalf of Victoria University four times between November 2017 and March 2018. Details of lobbying efforts are logged in the public record of both the City of Toronto and the Office of the Integrity Commissioner of Ontario. John Duffy, John Matheson, and Stephen Adler are the StrategyCorp representatives who have lobbied on behalf of Victoria at the municipal level. While it would take at least four years for the land tax rates for commercial properties to fall into line, and six years for residential properties, the City of Toronto has the authority to lengthen these time periods.
4 • THE VARSITY • NEWS
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Administration ignored human rights commission’s request to review mandatory leave policy, documents reveal Student groups also kept in dark about OHRC involvement Ilya Baùares Associate News Editor
The U of T administration did not send a copy of the university-mandated leave of absence policy to the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) before it was slated to be approved by the University Affairs Board (UAB) on January 30, despite the commission’s expressed interest in receiving a copy of the new draft. Documents obtained by The Varsity, released through a freedom of information request, outline communications between university staff and lawyers at the OHRC about the policy as far back as December 6, 2017. The university also did not inform the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) of the commission’s involvement despite explicitly informing the commission that it would inform student groups at the meeting. The contentious policy would have allowed the university to place students on a mandatory leave of absence if their mental health issues
negatively impacted their studies, or if they posed a dangerous risk to themselves or others. The policy received significant backlash from the community before it was eventually pulled from the governance cycle in late January. Reema Khawja, OHRC Legal Counsel, reached out to Archana Sridhar, Assistant Provost at the Office of the Vice-President and Provost, in an email on December 13. “We encourage you to thoroughly consult and seek legal advice as you develop the next draft,� reads the email. “The OHRC will continue to monitor the developments, and we look forward to receiving a copy of the next draft of the policy before it enters the governance path for approval.� However, the OHRC did not receive a copy of the draft until it was made public on the online agenda of the Academic Board of Governing Council before the board’s January 25 meeting. In addition, the commission did not have any correspondence with U of T between Khawja’s email and January 29. It was, at that point, one
day before the policy was set to go before the UAB, when OHRC Chief Commissioner Renu Mandhane sent a letter to Claire Kennedy, Chair of Governing Council, recommending that the policy “not be approved in its current form� and requesting a delay on voting on the policy. “I can tell you that the draft policy was made publicly available to everyone to review before it went through governance,� said Elizabeth Church, Interim Director of Media Relations at U of T. When pressed on whether a copy was sent explicitly to the commission, Church repeated the same response. The UTSU was also unaware of the university administration’s communications with the human rights commission, despite Sridhar explicitly promising to inform student groups. In a December 15 email to Khawja, Sridhar wrote, “We appreciated your time for an informal meeting about the draft UniversityMandated Leave Policy at the University of Toronto. It was helpful to hear your thoughtful feedback, and we will share that we have met
informally with OHRC staff about the proposed policy when we meet with student groups in the weeks to come.� However, students were not informed about the meeting. Mathias Memmel, President of the UTSU, said that the union “didn’t know that the OHRC was involved until the UAB meeting.� Church said that in the consultations with student groups on campus, the university did not necessarily share whom they had spoken with in regard to the draft policy. “We held many meetings with individuals, one-on-one meetings and also with groups to discuss the policy,� said Church. “In those meetings we discussed the feedback that we’ve received from internal and external consultations. In those conversations we did not necessarily identify the source of specific feedback.� According to communications obtained by The Varsity, the university corresponded with the commission as early as December 6, when Anthony Gray, Director of Strategic Research at the Office of
the President of U of T, connected Sridhar with Mandhane. In an email the same day, Mandhane requested that Sridhar meet with Khawja to hear the OHRC’s concerns about the policy. Sridhar and Khawja eventually met on December 13. Initially slated to be voted upon late last semester, criticism from students and other members of the university community prompted U of T to delay the vote for two months. The policy was eventually withdrawn, with Vice-Provost Students Sandy Welsh announcing the university’s intention to rework it and reintroduce it at a later, unspecified date. That date may be in the near future. At the March 6 UAB meeting, Welsh noted that the revised draft of the policy was in the final stage of internal review, and that the university administration would reintroduce it “shortly.� Welsh also mentioned U of T’s commitment to make the revised document available to the public prior to the governance process, and that it would notify the OHRC once it is posted online.
Notice to Members: Annual Ratification Meeting The Elections and Referenda Committee of the University of Toronto Students’ Union has called the Annual Ratification Meeting for the purpose of ratifying all incoming Board of Directors and Executive Members.
Details
Accessibility
Date: Tuesday, April 24, 2018 Location: Earth Sciences Building, Room 142, 33 Willcocks Street
Wheelchair accessible. Live captioning provided. If you have any accessibility requests, require childcare, or have other inquiries, please contact Mathias Memmel, Chair – Elections and Referenda Committee, by Tuesday, April 17 at chair.erc@utsu.ca
Time: 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Instructions for Voting by Proxy
Registration starts at 5:00 pm
If you are unable to attend this meeting, and wish to give another person the authority to vote for you, please complete an online proxy form at utsu.simplyvoting.com by Friday, April 13, 2018 at 11:59 pm. You can login to the online proxy system starting Monday, April 9, 2018 at 9 am.
Agenda Â’
Call to Order
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Ratification of 2018-2019 UTSU Board of Directors
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A list of all individuals elected to the Board of Directors under Bylaw VI shall be presented to the Annual Ratification Meeting. This list shall be ratified or rejected in its entirety by a simple majority of those members present. Under no circumstances may any part of this list be externalized.
The UTSU proxy system is online. Please note that due to the regulations applicable to the Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, the member who is giving the authority to vote to another member must initiate the process. Visit utsu.ca/arm for further information. Members of the UTSU include:
Â’
Adjournment
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Every member1 of the University of Toronto Students’ Union can participate in this meeting.
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APRIL 3, 2018 • 5
var.st/news
Sunshine List reveals salaries of over 3,800 U of T employees U of T investment fund president earns almost $1 million, second highest salary in Ontario Alex Tough Associate News Editor
On March 23, the Ontario government released its annual Sunshine List of public employees who earned more than $100,000 in 2017. The list contains 3,811 U of T employees, up from 3,626 employees who made it onto last year’s list. The top U of T earner was Daren Smith, President and Chief Investment Officer of the University
of Toronto Asset Management Corporation (UTAM). Smith took home $936,089.48, making him the second highest paid public employee in the province. This is a substantial increase from the $512,215.61 he made in 2016. UTAM is a not-for-profit subsidiary of the university responsible for the management of its pension funds, endowment, and both short and long-term investments. The next top earners from U of T are also from UTAM. Senior
Portfolio Manager Charles O’Reilly made $571,307.86, while Chief Operating Officer Lisa Becker, the top female earner at U of T, made $499,678.76, ranking 55th in the province. Managing Director Adrian Hussey earned $499,080.91, while rounding out the top five was Vice-Dean of Learning and Innovation and Professor of Economics Mihnea Moldoveanu, who took home $467,300.04. Many of the remaining U of T
top earners in 2017 teach in the Rotman School of Management; this was also the case in 2016. U of T President Meric Gertler appears 13th on the list of U of T earners. He earned $438,892.04 last year, almost identical to the $438,892.32 he made in 2016, which had made him U of T’s seventh highest earning employee. More than half of U of T’s Sunshine List earners made between $100K and $150K. Only 0.6 per cent of the Sunshine List
members made more than $400K. Average salary of U of T’s Sunshine List members went down slightly from $160,568.28 to $159,553.18 in 2017, although the number of earners increased. Professors of Education appeared most frequently in this year’s edition, with 74 of them earning more than $100K, followed by Professors of Electrical and Computer Engineering, who appeared a total of 51 times.
Salary comparison, 2016–2017 Year Between $100K and $150K Between $150K and $200K Between $200K and $250K
2016
Between $250K and $300K Between $300K and $350K Between $350K and $400K Between $400K and $450K 2017
Between $450K and $500K More than $500K
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000 Number of people
Average salary Number of professors 80
Professor of Education Associate Professor, Teaching Stream Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
70
Professor of Psychology Professor of Law Professor of Dentistry
60
Professor of Political Science Professor of English Professor of Economics
50
Professor of Physics Professor of Sociology Professor of Anthropology
40
Professor of Mathematics Professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Senior Research Associate
30
Professor of Management Professor of History
20
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
Average salary ($) 250,000
Professor of Philosophy Professor of Computer Science
6 • THE VARSITY • NEWS
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U of T to introduce Digital Humanities minor in September Interdisciplinary program combines humanities and computing
GHEYANA PURBODININGRAT/THE VARSITY
Dhvani Ramanujam & Anna Maria Sordjan Varsity Contributors
The Arts & Science Council approved the new Digital Humanities minor on February 14, due to launch in September 2018 at Woodsworth College. The program will be open to students who have completed 4.0 FCEs at the 100 level. As a discipline, Digital Humanities is an interdisciplinary field concerned with the intersections between the humanities and computing. Completion requirements of the program will include WDW235 — Introduction to Digital Humanities and WDW236 — Introduction to Spatial Digital Humanities. In these courses, students will learn a basic digital humanities skillset: how to build digital stories, exhibits, and maps; how to analyze collections of data; and how to construct digital models. Though officially beginning this fall, the core courses had their unofficial debut earlier this year, taught by Professor Alexandra Bolintineanu, Assistant Professor of Medieval Digital Studies. With both a BSc in Computer Science and a PhD in Medieval Studies, Bolintineanu represents the interdisciplinary nature of the program. “[Digital Humanities] involves studying human culture — whether it’s art, history, literature, or religion — through computing, but also taking humanist approaches to studying computational tools and platforms,” she said. Undergraduates have had the chance to pursue Digital Humanities in a few different courses such as ENG287 — The Digital Text and CDN355 — Digital Tools in a Canadian Context. In CDN355, a group of students created the Kensington Market Hidden Histories Project. The project, which involved the creation of an augmented reality
app to explore the history of the neighbourhood, won a Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Award for Youth Achievement earlier this year. The Digital Humanities minor, however, will be the first opportunity for many undergraduates to get involved in the field. Digital Humanities programs have been cropping up all across campuses in North America. “It’s a growing field,” said Bolintineanu. “In Canada, U of T was one of the few without a [Digital Humanities] program,” even though quite a few professors were teaching innovative Digital Humanities courses. The minor comes at a time when humanities programs at many universities are facing declining enrolment numbers. The program aims to provide students with the critical and technical skill set that will allow them to translate their skills into “a variety of career opportunities,” according to Bolintineanu. Students of the program will gain a critical perspective on digital technology and the way in which these platforms shape and are shaped by various social and cultural forces. The free-standing nature of the program also ensures that students from all disciplines will have the chance to enrol. Bolintineanu envisions the program as “a meeting place for students from computer science, biology, economics, psychology, fine art, [and] literature where they can meet and do interdisciplinary work enabled by digital tools… the DH minor can provide something necessary for students in a wide variety of disciplines.” Ultimately, Bolintineanu believes that Digital Humanities is a program where “an English student can learn how to make a digital library and a computer science student can learn about the role of ethics, representation, and sustainability in research data.”
The 2018 Ontario budget: what’s in it for us? Liberals expand OSAP grants, mental health services in pre-election budget Jack O. Denton & Jacob Lorinc Varsity Staff
Access to mental health services and adjustments to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) are among the chief student-related concerns in the 2018 provincial budget. Ontario’s budget for the next year was released on March 28, less than two months away from the June 7 election, and acrossthe-board spending increases from Kathleen Wynne’s Liberal government are reflective of electoral pressures. The 2018–2019 plan would increase the province’s total debt to $358.8 billion, and increase the accumulated deficit by $6.7 billion from the 2017–2018 interim period to $199.1 billion. The medium term projections beyond the 2018 budget suggest the province’s total debt will increase to $384.4 billion in the 2020–2021 period and the accumulated deficit will rise to $212.3 billion in the same period. In line with the deficit-heavy budget, the government has proposed expenditures on multiple items concerning postsecondary students. Mental health and addiction services The province is pledging to spend $2.1 billion over the next four years to boost the mental health and addictions system across the province. This represents an approximately 14 per cent increase in spending in the sector, bringing the province’s total commitment to mental health over the fouryear period to $17 billion. The budget stipulates the importance of targeting services towards children and youth, noting that approximately 70 per cent of mental health and addiction issues begin during childhood or adolescence.
Alongside $175 million over four years to expand public school supports, the budget accounts for an additional $11.7 million in funding for mental health workers on college and university campuses. There will also be $6 million put towards expanding campus mental health services, as per the 2017 budget’s yearly commitment. The four-year mental health plan also targets children and youth with a $570 million commitment to community-based services. This plan would bring services to more than 12,000 young people in the next year and 46,000 of them by the end of the four-year period. Included in the provisions for children and youth is a unique “range of culturally appropriate and preventative” services designed for First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities both within and outside of urban centres. The opioid addiction and overdose crisis gripping the province is the subject of significant spending, with the government allocating over $222 million in the implementation of a “Strategy to Prevent Opioid Addiction and Overdose.” The province will work with a task force with the aim of providing stigma-free services and funding supervised consumption and overdose prevention sites. While the year-to-year rollout of this $222 million is still being worked through, the first year will focus on Rapid Access Addiction Medicine clinics across the province. The province is holding off on the detailed provisions of its funding while it waits for more details on the delegation of opioid intervention from the federal government to the provinces. An additional $3 million will be allocated over three years for “Project Zero,” a collaborative project between Mississauga’s health networks and school boards
to expand mental health services for children, teachers, and frontline health care professionals. Changes to financial aid Changes to OSAP introduced in the 2018 budget primarily concern middle-income families and married students. Starting in Fall 2018 , students applying for OSAP may be eligible for more grants or loans, as parents will be expected to contribute less to their children’s education. For instance, the budget estimates that students whose parents earn $90,000 per year may be eligible to receive an additional $3,200 in OSAP assistance because of the changes. This extends to married students as well, with a reduction in spousal contributions that could result in a few thousand more in OSAP grants. The government also proposed a simplification process for tuition payment for students on OSAP with the introduction of net tuition billing, whereby students will receive a single bill from the university that has already subtracted the amount of OSAP grant and loan funding received from the school. Postsecondary infrastructure The government will spend $317 million in university infrastructure across Ontario over the course of the coming year. In addition, the next three years will see a boost to school equipment and material funding for colleges, increasing spending from $8 million to $20 million per year. Doubling down on future spending for postsecondary education, the province also pledged to put a new $500 million “to renew and modernize” university and college campuses, undertaking facility retrofits and renewal projects.
The budget was released on March 28, just over two months away from the June 7 election. STEVEN LEE/THE VARSITY
APRIL 3, 2018 • 7
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Muslim Law Students’ Association hosts Yasir Naqvi, Canada’s first Muslim Attorney General Need for representation and diversity, transition from private practice to politics in public office among topics of discussion Natasha Ramkissoon Varsity Contributor
The Muslim Law Students’ Association at U of T and the Osgoode Hall Law School co-hosted a discussion with Yasir Naqvi, the Attorney General of Ontario, and Canada’s first Muslim Attorney General, on March 26. Naqvi spoke about the importance of diversity, inclusion, and representation in civil service. Born in Pakistan, Naqvi said he was no stranger to the struggle against oppression and inequality. As lawyers, both of his parents were actively involved in Pakistan’s pro-democracy movement, leading his father to be imprisoned for leading a prodemocratic march. Naqvi highlighted that this was a defining moment in his life, and for his career trajectory. After his family’s immigration to Canada, he described getting involved in the political process as “a given.”
Naqvi emphasized to students entering the legal profession that a legal education is “not just another professional designation… [There is a] broader and important responsibility that comes with you as a lawyer.” These responsibilities include upholding the rule of law, advocating for the rights of others, and challenging the status quo, not defending it. “You gotta believe in yourself and your values and your compass. I don’t think I have… when I was practicing law or now as a politician, compromised my values. In fact, that is why I’ve always felt that you gotta step up and have a voice.” When asked how he transitioned out of private practice and into politics, Naqvi said that this was a twofold process. His advice to anyone interested in entering politics was to first join a political party. He noted that “political parties are the key to our democracy… because without
political parties, we wouldn’t have the variety of ideas.” He added that one should become involved in their community to develop “a depth of understanding on what issues are engulfing people.” Naqvi described the world of politics as a “team sport,” emphasizing the importance of garnering a following of people and having a close circle of supporters. After the talk, Aaqib Mahmood, a U of T law student, expressed the pride in seeing a member of the South Asian community in a position of power. “Representation is important, especially here in Canada, so it’s good to see equality of opportunity in effect.” Saquiba Rahman, a law student at Osgoode Hall Law School, said, “I really liked the fact that he was so candid. He spoke about his life experience openly and we also got the chance to interact with him directly.”
“You gotta believe in yourself and your values and your compass,” Yasir Naqvi told students during his discussion. STEVEN LEE/THE VARSITY
U of T NDP hosts “Women in Politics” panel Female politicians discuss barriers to entry, importance of representation
From left: Michal Hay, Marit Stiles, Doly Begum, Bhutila Karpoche, and Jessica Bell. STEVEN LEE/THE VARSITY
Silas Le Blanc Varsity Staff
U of T New Democratic Party (NDP) hosted a panel discussing women in politics on March 29. The speakers talked about their experiences in politics as women and other minority groups, how they got involved with activism and the NDP, and the challenges they faced in running for parliament. The event featured Ontario NDP Parliament candidates Marit Stiles, Bhutila Karpoche, Jessica Bell, and Doly Begum, and was moderated by Michal Hay. Bell, the MPP candidate for University—Rosedale, spoke about
how she became an activist because of climate change. Bell turned her ideas into action in her twenties when she discovered TTCriders, a membership-based transit advocacy organization focused on better public transit service in Toronto. “It perfectly married my interest in environmental justice, tackling climate change, and knowing that for us to really challenge power, we needed to get engaged in community organizing,” said Bell. Karpoche, a Parkdale—High Park MPP, shared her childhood experiences and how they led her into politics. She was born as a third-generation stateless person in Nepal, as her parents left Tibet after the Chinese invasion. As someone
who had been affected by politics all her life, Karpoche felt that it was an appropriate field to get into. “Our lives are always dictated by policy and politics. If you want to make any change, that’s the level that you need to make change. And of course you do it by… building the movements coming from the grassroots up,” she said. She also encouraged students to get politically involved on campus, saying that student movements have brought major change all around the world. “Even as a young person I felt that it’s the young people at the forefront of a lot of movements, and young people have the power to change,” she continued. Davenport candidate Stiles spoke
on the difficulties of entering political life. “We all have family around us and friends we don’t want to lose touch with, and we worry about the impact sometimes of having a public life,” she said. “That was definitely a concern, and I have to admit I really didn’t want to go out there and lose.” She also expanded on her experiences in the public life, having her picture taken everywhere, and sometimes having friends that don’t support her politically. “The other part I found really difficult was having to accept that not everyone’s going to support you,” she continued. “The idea that you could go to a doorstop and have a friend not want to support you.” Another topic of discussion was the
importance of having not only women but diverse women represented in politics. Begum, a candidate for Scarborough Southwest, spoke about the underrepresentation of women and specifically women of colour in positions of power. “When you see someone who looks like you, that empowers you. Growing up, I didn’t see anyone who had a Bangladesh background, or who was a woman of colour in the positions I wanted to be in,” said Begum. “And it makes you feel like, ‘maybe this space is not for me.’ I think we need to create those spaces… otherwise the next generation, our children, are going to have a harder time.”
8 • THE VARSITY • NEWS
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Scarborough student union executive Kubra Zakir resigns “I feel unsafe coming to work,” writes Zakir in resignation letter
Zakir cited professional disagreements and “islamophobia, unfairness” in her resignation letter. STEVEN LEE/THE VARSITY
Abhya Adlakha Varsity Staff
Kubra Zakir, the Vice-President External at the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU), resigned on March 29, citing professional disagreements and “islamophobia, unfairness, mistreatment” in her resignation letter. The resignation letter, posted to the union’s Facebook page, has since been removed. Zakir noted that during her term as VP External, she “had the opportunity to work on campaigns, events, and services that better the experiences of marginalized students on our campus.” Zakir wrote that “many professional disagreements” prevented her from continuing on in her job — which was slated to end next month, when the new union executive takes over — but that ultimately the decision to resign was personal. “Due to the level of islamophobia, unfairness, mistreatment of
other executives, constantly being silenced and tone-policed, and in the resistance in my role that I have faced, I feel unsafe coming to work,” reads her resignation letter. “To allow myself to safely heal, stepping away from the pain the SCSU has caused me is a good decision for me at this point,” she continued. While Zakir noted that “neoliberal activism is not in [her] mandate,” she added that she will instead shift to “grassroots organizing which will allow me from the bottom-up to bring a difference on our campus.” “I cannot take back the mental trauma caused in such a toxic work environment, but I have learned a lot from this experience,” wrote Zakir. SCSU President Sitharsana Srithas and Zakir did not respond to The Varsity’s requests for comment.
Robarts opens Canada’s first academic library family study space Room designed to address unique needs of students and staff with children aged 12 and under Lidia Likhodi Varsity Staff
On March 15, University of Toronto Libraries, in collaboration with the Family Care Office, opened a family study space at Robarts Library, the first of its kind in Canada. Designed for current students, faculty members, visiting scholars, and staff at U of T with their children aged 12 years and under, the space is intended to foster equity, diversity, and inclusivity by addressing the unique needs of student parents. Students with family obligations are often “not what we think of as a traditional student,” said Francesca Dobbin, Director of U of T’s Family Programs and Services. “They’re usually students who... many times, aside from their student responsibilities, are holding down some part-time jobs so they really have to juggle their time carefully to make sure they meet their academic requirements. And they don’t always have the after-hour resources and care to be able to run into the library after their child care day has ended at 7:00 or 8:00 in the evening.” At the University of Toronto, based on a 2016 report, 18 per cent of doctoral students have one or more children,
while 11 per cent of professional master’s students and five per cent of research master’s students do. Roughly half of doctoral students said that family obligations presented an obstacle to their studies, while 44.3 per cent of research master’s students and 49.3 per cent of professional master’s students said the same. Dobbin said that no data was collected for undergraduate student parents using the Family Care Office. Dobbin explained that student parents often find it difficult to fully benefit from a postsecondary education due to time constraints and reduced ability to participate in clubs or activities. The Family Study Space is intended to build a sense of community by fostering cooperation among students using the space. The room, located on the ninth floor of Robarts at room 9-002, has a capacity of up to 20 adults and children. Availability is on a first-come, firstserve basis to those who obtain a free access fob through the Robarts Library carrel office. In addition, the room includes a variety of toys and seating for children, as well as equipment for students such as carrels with computers or space for laptops, a screen for presentations or
collaborative work, and a main table. Dobbin said that in her experience, universities that take on similar projects typically have a higher proportion of mature students, such as college transfer students feeding into universities or veterans who have returned to school later in life. While McGill University has offered kits with child-focused activities to student parents at libraries, Dobbin said that the Family Study Space was selected to more comprehensively address the needs of student parents. A team including Communications and User Services Librarian Jesse Carliner, User Services Librarian Kyla Everall, Operations and Building Services, and the Family Care Office worked in conjunction to assess an ideal space and determine necessary design elements. Dobbin and Carliner said that they had received number of positive messages and tweets from student parents grateful for the space. As of March 28, 55 students or staff had registered for the space. “We hope this will start a trend of more family inclusive spaces and services at universities throughout Canada,” said Carliner.
The room has a capacity of up to 20 adults and children, and availability is on a first-come, first-serve basis. PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO LIBRARIES
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April 3, 2018 var.st/comment comment@thevarsity.ca
Dismantling structural violence against Muslim communities To understand anti-Muslim racism, we must move beyond individualizing hate crimes and consider the broader culpability of the state and society Ibnul Chowdhury Associate Comment Editor
“I am not a terrorist, nor Islamophobic,” stated Alexandre Bissonnette in a Québec City courtroom on March 28. Bissonnette asked forgiveness for what he referred to as the “senseless act” he had committed over a year prior — on January 29, 2017, he perpetrated a mass shooting against praying Muslims at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Québec City. Ibrahima Barry, Mamadou Tanou Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassane, Azzeddine Soufiane, and Aboubaker Thabti did not survive the attack. Bissonnette eventually pled guilty to six counts of first-degree murder and six counts of attempted murder. A panel on anti-Muslim racism was held at the University of Toronto earlier this year, entitled “One Year Later: Islamophobia & the Quebec Mosque Shooting.” The event was hosted at Hart House by the Multi-Faith Centre and the Muslim Students’ Association (MSA), and it featured moderator Syed Hussan and panelists Imam Yasin Dwyer, Azeezah Kanji, Gilary Massa, and Lucy El-Sherif, who shed light on anti-Muslim racism as a structural problem that operates through a diversity of state and social institutions. Bissonnette did hold far-right, white nationalist, and anti-Muslim beliefs that evidently inspired his attack. But to label Bissonnette and other perpetrators of anti-Muslim violence terrorists or Islamophobes, however fitting, makes for simplistic individualized narratives that overlook the bigger picture. Engaging in critical analysis of the structures that rationalize violence against Muslim communities is essential to fully understanding anti-Muslim racism. The national security state When considered in the broader context of state security legislation, Bissonnette’s violence no longer seems perplexing or isolated, but rather is a rational product of Canadian society and culture. As Kanji argued, by defining terrorism as ‘illegitimate violence,’ the state reaffirms its own legitimacy to create violence. The more we use terrorism to describe individual acts of violence, the more the culpability and terrorism of the state itself is obscured. Over the past three years, the Canadian state’s anti-Muslim racism has in fact nurtured various forms of violence against Muslim communities. The shooting at Parliament Hill in October 2014, framed as an attack by a homegrown, Muslim-convert terrorist, led to the passing of Bill C-51. The bill, introduced by the Conservative Stephen Harper government and backed by Justin Trudeau’s Liberals, expanded the security state’s draconian capacities. In the name of national security, Muslims, journalists, Indigenous activists, and environmentalist protesters became primary surveillance targets of the legislation. This was followed by another Conservativeled, Liberal-backed piece of legislation: the Zero Tolerance for Barbaric Cultural Practices Act. Like MP Kellie Leitch’s obsession with ‘Canadian values,’ the act targets and criminalizes Muslim communities as culturally incompatible with so-called ‘old stock’ Canadians. During the 2015 federal election campaign, the Conserva-
A vigil held at the University of Toronto shortly following the 2017 mass shooting at the Québec City Islamic Cultural Centre.
NATHAN CHAN/THE VARSITY
tive Party centred the issue of the place of niqab at citizenship ceremonies, given Harper’s view that niqabs are “rooted in a culture that is antiwomen.” In a critique of colonialism, scholar Gayatri Spivak commented sardonically, “White men are saving brown women from brown men.” ElSherif echoed this sentiment, arguing that the Canadian state positions itself as a saviour for Muslim women supposedly oppressed by barbaric, Muslim men. This is in spite of the fact that Muslim women have consistently demonstrated agency — after all, it was Zunera Ishaq, a woman, who successfully challenged the Harper government’s niqab ban in citizenship ceremonies in the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal. Even in the era of Trudeau, popular rhetoric about strength through diversity falls apart as his government continues to support many of the Conservatives’ previous anti-Muslim legislation. The Liberals have approved Harper’s multi-billion-dollar deal with Saudi Arabia that was recently revealed to include heavy assault vehicles, not just the innocuous “trucks” or “jeeps” the government had advertised. This deal strengthens a Saudi regime that continues to perpetrate violence against civilians in the Yemeni civil war, among other human rights abuses. The singular Muslim image The security state also shapes and supports public opinion. Muslim communities, especially women, have been subject to a skyrocket of hate crimes in recent years. A recent University of Waterloo study showed that Muslims are the most negatively perceived minority group in Canada. M-103, a non-binding motion to condemn Islamophobia and study “systemic racism and religious discrimination,” passed in March 2017 but faced fierce opposition from conservatives and far-right groups because it was erroneously seen to be ‘promoting Sharia.’ New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh’s infamous heckler last year was motivated by Singh’s support for M-103 — and, given that Singh is Sikh, also exemplified how Sikhs are frequently confused for and targeted as Muslims. Kanji noted that Canadian security agencies such as the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and Public Safety Canada disproportionately identify Muslim terror as the primary threat. Even though the Islamic Cultural Centre in Québec City was the site of a white nationalist attack, the Québec government passed an
anti-niqab law the same year, echoing the federal government’s attitude in 2015 and suggesting that the securitization of Muslim women is somehow essential to public safety. All this despite the threat posed by the increased visibility of far-right and white nationalist movements in recent years, evidenced by the protest at a Masjid Toronto mosque in February 2017 and frequent demonstrations at Nathan Phillips Square. Pervasive negative stereotypes about Muslims also encourage structural violence. At the panel, Hussan probed how Orientalism, whereby “the west constructs the Occident, the east, and therefore constructs itself,” creates a singular Muslim image: often the bearded, light-skinned or brown Arab man. This image facilitates the racialization of Muslims as angry, conniving, and dangerous, because discourse and policy surrounding Muslims is frequently informed by conflict in the Arab Middle East. This erases the diversities and nuances that exist among Muslim communities and fails to account for complicated realities. For instance, that a non-Arab country, Indonesia, hosts the world’s largest Muslim population, or that Muslims are targets, not perpetrators, of fundamentalist violence in Sri Lanka and Myanmar. Diversity also exists, unfortunately, as conflict between Muslims. In February, an act of anti-Shia vandalism at the Bahen Centre for Information Technology demonstrated the contemporary split between majority Sunni and minority Shia denominations of Islam. Diversity, however, is obscured by an industry that profits off of racism — as Hussan and Massa described, books, media, and movies that rely on a stereotypical, singular Muslim image culminate in an ‘Islamophobia industry’ that is economically lucrative to those in business and in power. Designing solutions Confronting anti-Muslim racism requires acknowledging a fundamental fact: there is no such thing as a single form of Muslim people. Muslims exist across nationalities, cultures, denominations, and individual lived experiences, and to say otherwise only serves dominant security narratives. The language we use to describe anti-Muslim violence also shapes how we design solutions. El-Sherif said that she does not favour the term ‘Islamophobia’ because it implies that anti-Muslimness is an irrational fear based on a lack of awareness. It also suggests that if only Canadi-
ans knew how peaceful Muslims really were — if only Canadians just visited a mosque! — then anti-Muslim violence would stop. But it is not fair for Muslims to have to ‘integrate’ into the Canadian national imagination to prove the goodness of their faith, which also privileges Muslims who can best ‘fit’ prescribed expectations. ‘Anti-Muslim racism,’ on the other hand, is a term that can understand the problem as structural and intersectional in that it is linked to other forms of racism, for example, against Indigenous and Black communities that are also disproportionately affected by the expansion of the security state. When asked how students can take action against anti-Muslim racism, Massa acknowledged the very real fear of being Muslim on campus. Indeed, Muslim student associations on campuses have reportedly been subject to surveillance from the CSIS and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. However, Massa maintained that the MSA should politicize itself: Muslims should openly dedicate themselves to causes of justice against institutions of power. Hassan recommends that addressing antiMuslim racism requires stitching together multiple layers of strategies. In this vein, students should challenge the war industry, including U of T’s investment in companies that support violence against Muslims abroad, and organize against the national security-based anti-Muslim legislation and discourses that degrade civil liberties for us all. Acknowledging the diversity within Muslim communities and the widespread impacts of anti-Muslim racism, students should stand in solidarity not just with Muslims but with other minoritized communities. Supporting safe community spaces for discussion, learning, and coping is also essential. It is too easy to call Bissonnette, and others like him, an Islamophobe, a terrorist, and an isolated perpetrator of senseless acts, no matter how fitting these definitions may be. But the structures of anti-Muslim racism — made up of elements from politics, culture, and the social order — are what rationalize violence against Muslim communities. Only by shifting the dialogue from individuals to structures can we identify the root of the problem and, ideally, overcome it. Ibnul Chowdhury is a third-year student at Trinity College studying Economics and Peace, Conflict and Justice Studies. He is an Associate Comment Editor for The Varsity.
10 • THE VARSITY • COMMENT
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Controversial clubs deserve funding too Having an unpopular opinion shouldn’t mean being denied student union recognition
MIA CARNEVALE/THE VARSITY
Zach Rosen Current Affairs Columnist
At the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) debate on March 21, the candidates for Vice-President Campus Life — Yolanda Alfaro of the Compass slate and Spencer Robertson, who ran as an independent — were asked about their positions on the UTSU funding clubs that are considered ‘controversial.’ The example given was Students for Life, a pro-life group known for its graphic signs and forthright, provocative campus demonstrations. Alfaro, who was ultimately elected to the position, gave what seemed like a perfectly sensible response. She insisted that, if a decision were made to deny funding, that decision would not be about discriminating against people’s beliefs, but rather it would have more to do with student safety. The funding of pro-life groups on campus is an issue that has been brought before the courts. Earlier this year, the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union was in court facing a lawsuit by three members of UTM Students for Life. Similar suits were brought by pro-life groups at Durham College and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, and a ‘men's issues’ group at Ryerson University. Another lawsuit with a prolife group was previously settled in favour of the Ryerson Students’ Union in 2016. Even if the UTSU does not have a legal obligation to fund certain provocative, contro-
versial, or unpopular clubs, it should adopt a policy that allows for a wide range of views to be supported as clubs on campus. This is the case even if those views are controversial or only held by a minority of students. On its face, Alfaro’s response at the debate was the right one. She made the crucial distinction between groups that hold unpopular beliefs and groups that represent a threat to student safety. Groups that incite or threaten violence, or that have openly discriminatory or hateful agendas that target marginalized populations, should not get funding. The UTSU — and by extension, all students — should not be involved in sustaining those types of clubs on campus. But when I reached out for Alfaro for comment, she blurred that distinction to the point of nonexistence. While she provided that her “stance is not quite directed towards controversial clubs, because not everyone would share the same idea of ‘controversial’ as me,” that caveat didn’t hold up. Of Students for Life, she said, “When demonstrations start happening on campus that can be triggering to folks who just want to feel safe walking to class, that’s where I disagree.” Alfaro is implying that coming into contact with Students for Life can be damaging to students’ safety or wellbeing. Given that Students for Life poses no physical threat to safety, however, the source of concern stems from the group's expression of its pro-life views, which are upsetting to many students. Alfaro's argument therefore blurs the cru-
cial line between ‘controversial’ and ‘harmful,’ because it suggests that the articulation of a position itself can pose a threat to student safety if the view is offensive enough. While we need to be sensitive to the reality that some students may be adversely affected by a group like Students for Life, not recognizing or funding a group for that reason sets a dangerous precedent. As long as the UTSU is in the business of supporting political and advocacy groups, being considered ‘controversial’ should not be a barrier to funding. First and foremost, there is the problem that Alfaro herself recognized: the UTSU should not be put in charge of deciding exactly what views students can handle being exposed to. Being the arbiter of political opinions on campus is beyond the VP’s job description, and giving the UTSU the ability to deny funding based on those opinions is incompatible with open discourse. The perceived broad unpopularity of a group or the position it represents should not be a barrier to funding either. Even if the number of people who support Students for Life is dwarfed by the number of people who oppose it, that shouldn’t be a reason to deny the group funding. Broad support or interest is just not something we typically expect of our student clubs. There is already a minimum amount of popularity that a prospective club needs to have before it is recognized in the first place: the UTSU mandates that a club has a membership list of at least 30 people to qualify for even the minimum level of funding. Attracting
interest that far exceeds the names on that list should simply not be a consideration as far as recognition or funding goes. Finally, and most importantly, we ought to acknowledge that a diverse student body is bound to have a diverse set of beliefs, and that a wide variety of those beliefs ought to be given a platform even if many of us find some of those beliefs disagreeable. It doesn’t help to pretend that abortion is no longer a contentious issue, either on campus or in Canadian society more broadly. Any issue so complex is bound to generate a huge array of differing views that goes way beyond the ‘pro-choice’ or ‘pro-life’ dichotomy. And we can see in politics that the question is still open, even if we would prefer it settled: leaders of major parties in both the upcoming provincial and federal elections are known to have pro-life views and voting records. Open and equal discourse is constructive discourse, and constructive discourse is a goal worth striving for. This means protecting the distinction between ‘harmful’ and ‘controversial.’ Clubs that threaten the physical safety of students are one thing. But ‘controversial’ is in the eye of the beholder, and we should make sure that there is room on campus for disagreeable and unpopular views, as well as for the students and clubs that promote them. Zach Rosen is a second-year student at Trinity College studying History and Philosophy. He is The Varsity’s Current Affairs Columnist.
APRIL 3, 2018 • 11
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Fair coverage of student politics The Varsity can do better, and so can student politicians Sophie Borwein Public Editor
I leave my position as public editor much as I began it — dealing with criticism of The Varsity’s coverage of student politics. One of the earliest emails I received as public editor was from a student leader who felt that The Varsity’s editorial condemning financial mismanagement by student societies did not “bode well for future relations between campus media and student leaders.” This month, I’m dealing with complaints from Trinity College students, upset about the newspaper’s coverage of comments made at its student elections and of the Trinity College Meeting’s vote to revoke part of its Co-Head of Arts’ honorarium. The Varsity appointed me as its first public editor last year in part because it felt that trust between the newspaper and its readers had eroded. My hiring was often assumed to a be a reaction to criticisms of the newspaper’s coverage of Jordan Peterson, but I’ve learned that nothing triggers accusations of bias quite like negative coverage of student politics. Some tension between student politicians and the campus newspaper is unavoidable, but the relationship at U of T appears to be particularly strained. Judging from the complaints I have dealt with as public editor, there is plenty of blame to go around. On the one hand, The Varsity sometimes seems all too eager to expose the poor behaviour of student politicians. Its recent, hastily published story on Trinity College’s Heads of College debate is a case in point. The story claimed that one of the Co-Head of College candidates stated in the meeting that Trinity’s satirical debate club, the Lit, had used college funds to buy marijuana. In fact, he had said only that the Lit intended to use funds for this purpose; the confusion came
from a discrepancy between the college’s transcribed minutes and its audio recordings of the meeting. Worse still, The Varsity published the story before the candidate who allegedly made the statement was able to comment. The first story was followed by a second report that again covered Trinity College student politics without comment from the individual at the centre of the controversy. This report covered Trinity’s vote to rescind part of its Co-Head of Arts’ honorarium. The co-head in question was not extended the opportunity to comment. Student politicians feel that The Varsity has a tendency to assume the worst of them. When the journalist reporting the Trinity story posts on Twitter, “Student politics never ceases to amaze me,” The Varsity is only reinforcing this view. No wonder student leaders are distrustful of the newspaper’s coverage. But if The Varsity is always on about the bad behaviour of student politicians, it may also be because student politicians seem to engage in a lot of it. I know that Trinity has a number of dearly held traditions, but asking candidates running to be student leaders to play a game of ‘fuck, marry, kill’ with the names of current student heads — as reported in The Varsity’s story — is likely to appall at least some people. Beyond that, it is a careless thing to do at a public meeting on the record. Nor is the Trinity College example an isolated instance of bad behaviour among student leaders. It has been a thread that has run through my time as public editor — I began the position just after videos surfaced documenting Islamophobic behaviour at a party attended by St. Michael’s College Student Union representatives. Student leaders can make their own decisions about how to behave. Yet too often, they do not seem to recognize that
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they are public figures — elected representatives who serve constituencies and oversee considerable student funds. Their behaviour is a matter of public interest, subject to coverage in the pages of The Varsity. This means that student politicians should anticipate criticism from The Varsity. But they should also have an expectation of fair coverage, based in journalism’s basic ethical principles and practices. For student leaders not already familiar with these principles, this means, among other things, that: 1. The things you do and say in your capacity as a student leader are of public interest. The Varsity can write about them. 2. If you speak at a public forum or on the record, The Varsity can quote you. That does not require your permission. 3. If a story in The Varsity would include a criticism or accusation directed at you, the paper needs to make a genuine effort to contact you for comment. 4. You can decline to comment. If you do, the published story should reflect this. From the complaints that I’ve received as public editor, it is clear to me that student politicians don’t always understand what constitutes fair coverage in journalism. It is also clear to me that The Varsity’s coverage isn’t always fair. Next year, if only for the sake of my successor, I hope to see improvement on both sides. This brings me to the end of my time as public editor. To the student politicians, broader student body, and all other The Varsity readers: be vocal in your criticisms and praise of the newspaper’s content. Whether or not you believe me, I promise you, the newspaper hears you. With every complaint, comment, or criticism, you make The Varsity a better newspaper.
So you think you’re funny? Seven Toronto comedians talk hecklers, their careers, and the courage to start stand-up Written by Mari Ramsawakh Illustrations by Iris Deng
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oronto has a thriving comedy scene, full of options for every kind of comedy fan. I had the opportunity to chat with some of Toronto’s up-and-coming stand-up and improv comedians and ask them about their careers, their favourite comedy clubs, and advice on starting a career in comedy. I interviewed Anasimone George, host and founder of SHADE; Danish Anwar, creator, producer, and host of Your Hood’s a Joke; Neema Nazeri, back from a tour in Australia; Celeste Yim, U of T student and comedian; Ernie Vicente, up-and-coming comic; and Coko & Daphney, an improv comedy duo. As preparation for writing this article, I went to see SHADE, a monthly comedy show that centres on marginalized comedians. The hilarious show that night included jokes touching on inspiration porn, unbelievable family stories, and awkward Uber Eats drivers. The comedians on stage were as diverse as advertised: not only were there comedians of colour, but queer comedians and a comedian who described herself as ‘differently abled.’
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The Varsity: What made you want to get started in comedy? Neema Nazeri: I’ve always loved comedy, especially as a kid. I always watched Just For Laughs on TV with my dad when I was growing up. I actually went to university at U of T for one year studying kinesiology, and I realized it wasn’t for me. I really loved comedy at the time; I was watching a lot of stand-up online, and I realized this isn’t what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I want to follow my dreams and do comedy, make people laugh, and that’s when I dropped out, and here I am. Celeste Yim: I always liked comedy. I was a big fan when I was growing up in high school and stuff. When I got to U of T, I joined the UC Follies sketch comedy troupe. With a couple of friends, we sort of revived the troupe from what it was when Lorne Michaels [former UC Follies member and creator of Saturday Night Live] was on it, into a sort of performing and writing comedy troupe. With those same friends, we sort of dabbled in different kinds of comedy and stand-up just kind of stuck. It was just good timing, and meeting friends who were interested in the same thing, and weirdly having the resources and the courage to start. Anasimone George: I’m just really bad at everything else. That’s my final answer.
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TV: Can you tell me a little bit about your first set? Where did you perform? How did it go? Danish Anwar: I remember. Oh, it was the worst set ever in my life. I wasn’t supposed to do it. It was at a weed lounge that doesn’t exist anymore at Church and Wellesley. The Village Vapor Lounge, it was on the second floor. It was a compassionate clinic and whatnot... So Friday nights they used to have a show. It was universally known as the worst show. There were actually people who would drive in from Brampton to talk shit during the set. So anyways, I was supposed to help a friend of mine and support him, and he bailed. [When] the emcee leading up to the show... found out my friend didn’t show, he’s like, “Well somebody’s gotta replace him.” And I’m like, “Me?” And he threw me up on stage... I was super baked. I went up on stage, did like five minutes, barely a giggle. Again, it’s a vapour room. People think weed is good for comedy, but it’s not. People don’t have the wherewithal to react. Or they’ll get the joke 30 seconds too late while you’re telling another joke. So it was five minutes of maybe some guy snickered. [But] I went off stage and I was hooked. Ernie Vicente: It was at Yuk Yuk’s here in Toronto. I was so nervous that I didn’t tell my friends. If it was bad, I didn’t want anyone to know. But then as it got closer to the show, I was like, “Actually my friends, I think I need them.” Then finally, I told everyone and a bunch of them came. It [went] actually really well. Once I got that first laugh, the first joke, it was amazing. I was so nervous, I drank beer, and I had like four beers right before I went up. But I was so nervous that when I got on stage, I wasn’t drunk or anything. That’s how nervous I was. But it was so good. And it’s actually on YouTube.
Balancing school and stand-up TV: Do you find it difficult being both a student and a stand-up comic? CY: Oh yeah, it’s the worst. I don’t know why I chose this life. What a nightmare, truly. It’s this very weird thing because there’s no right or wrong way to do it. There is also no one way to do it. No one has a career that looks exactly the same in comedy. Because I had such strong affinities for writing going into it, it was sort of nice to do both where I didn’t feel like stand-up was my only creative outlet or expression or work. That being said, I think my whole university [life] has been so much juggling. Especially the first year, yearand-a-half of school was really hard. I was just constantly running from Comedy Bar to the library to my shitty apartment to rehearsals to all these different, stupid things. Also, just because being a student requires so much time. Even if you’re not putting in energy, you have to spend so much time thinking about school and going to school and whatever, all these things that are supposed to happen when you are a student that I didn’t do much of. It was definitely hard to balance, and it still is hard to balance. Learning what kind of work was valuable was also a means to survive for me because I couldn’t afford to do things that weren’t worth my time. I think for a whole year I was doing these shitty shows I didn’t care about, working with people I didn’t care about. I think as I grew as a comedian and as a student, the things I was spending my time working or spending energy on, or not spending energy on, they became more clear. So yes, I find it hard, but also worth it. I think I would have been really bored without it. I’m grateful that so many people helped me do it. I feel like I had a lot of support.
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Dealing with hecklers TV: Have you ever had to deal with any difficult hecklers? NN: Not really. Just a couple times there’s been people who just jump over my words when I’m talking on stage. They’re trying to be nice, but it’s still heckling. Only one time it was a negative heckle towards me, but I handled it well, so it was good. CY: Oh yeah, for sure. My comedy and my general personality [are] not that complacent. I feel that I’ll say a lot of things that a lot of people don’t agree with, like, “All white people are racist” or whatever, these sweeping statements because I think it’s funny trying to be a little naïve on stage in order to make people even more uncomfortable. But also, I just think that I’ve had to question a lot, for the past few years and in general, who my comedy and work is for. EV: Not really. I see other comics and they make statements like, “Asian people are smart.” People get offended. In my material, it’s not like that. I try not to be as offensive so people don’t have strong beliefs against me. Trying not to be very confrontational. AG: No. TV: No? AG: I would kill them. They haven’t lived.
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TV: If you had to choose, where would be your favourite place to perform? e Yim EV: Right now, one of my favourite clubs is Absolute Celest Comedy... I don’t know what it is, it’s a great room. Everyone is so happy to be there. I don’t know how they do it. I’ve been to some shows where it’s full, but it seems like people force them to be there or something. But everyone is so happy to be there. Absolute Comedy and Corner Comedy Club. Those [are] my two favourites. Coko Galore: I think I can speak for the both of us [herself and Daphney Joseph] when I say we like festivals a lot. Two parts: we have friends on festival circuits, and so it’s really exciting to see people once a year, or once every six months, to see their growth and vice versa. So that’s very exciting... Also, to perform outside of your comfort zone, which is the city of Toronto, is also a testament to your growth as a comedian. So that’s number one, I think. Daphney Joseph: I think the theatre I like most is Bad Dog because of the shape of it, the diamond shape. It’s kind of easier to play around. Improv is not stand-up, so you need a lot of space. You don’t need it, but it’s always fun when you have a great space and you’re able to see all of the audience and you can play around with it. Like this [The Rivoli] is not an improv Advice for the aspiring stage, this is a stand-up stage. It’s a little different. CY: That’s a good question. There are a few shows in the city that I really like doing. My favourites are probably a show TV: What advice would you give to an aspiring comecalled Yas Kween... That show is really fun just because it dian? makes a real difference when people are expecting and willing NN: Just get on stage as much as possible. Write about your and celebratory of women of colour, particularly. So that show own experiences and something that you have good knowledge is very warm and very fun to do. And there are always a lot of of. It shows on stage if you’re not being authentic, and that’s friends around and that’s really nice. just the best way to start off. And trial and error. Go on stage, And for a long time I’ve done a show called the Crimson try things, ’cause you never know what can work here and Wave, which you also may have heard of. So there. Do it as much as possible. Yas Kween is every first Thursday of the EV: I would just say, write everything down that you think is month at Bad Dog Theatre, and then funny. And just go out there. Especially in Toronto, there’s so Crimson Wave is at Comedy Bar ev- many open mics around town where you can just show up and ery Sunday. That also is a show that perform. If you really want to do it, just keep doing it. Don’t centres women and femmes and expect to make a lot of money at first. You’re doing it for the LGBT people. Those are just really love of performing. warm, nice rooms to do and feel DA: Don’t do it. Don’t do it. Partly because sincerely, don’t more like [you’re] hanging out do it, but partly because I don’t want the competition. Just go with friends than performing or away. working. DJ: Get a job. Get a job during the day because you’re not DA: That’s hard to say because it’s gonna eat on that. not necessarily the venue, it’s the CG: And do the reps. I think a lot of people in our world, audience. Different shows have whether you’re stand-up, or an improviser, or an actor, or a different audiences. sketch comedian, they think, ‘Oh, I’ve done the training and AG: Rivoli. therefore I’m gonna be good.’ AG: Quit. [laughs] TV: This has become a surprisingly common response. It’s either quit or get a job. AG: Well, yeah, get a job is my advice. Don’t try to do this full-time if you just started. Just have fun and be very mindful of why you’re doing it. Make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons.
Science
April 3, 2018 var.st/science science@thevarsity.ca
Highlights of 2017–2018 STEM students reflect on moments in the classroom, in the lab, and everything in between
As the semester wraps up, The Varsity’s Science contributors share their memorable experiences and most interesting tidbits from this school year. In the 1960s, scientists discovered Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR) — traces of radiation in space from the Big Bang. On a human scale, the CMBR is uniform in temperature, but incredibly precise measurements have located its minute temperature fluctuations. These anisotropies are deeply scrutinized by cosmologists trying to understand the early universe. In my PHY289 seminar course, I had the privilege of listening to Raman Sundrum, a professor from the University of Maryland, explain one of the more startling properties of CMBR anisotropies: their fractal nature. Fractals are a beautiful realm of mathematics that describe the nature of shapes that are self-similar and identical when zoomed in or zoomed out. Think of the Amazon: sinuously curved on a topological map and equally snakelike as it rushes past the shade-laden trees of the jungle. CMBR temperature anisotropies are, to be more precise, stochastic fractals, so their scale-independent consistency does not reveal itself without the aid of statistical analysis. Yet it is no large exaggeration — and I checked with Professor Sundrum — to say that the CMBR, the snapshot of our universe’s infancy, is in some sense like the phenomena we might find here on Earth. Such examples include the branching arcs of lightning in a spring storm or the rabbit hole whorls of a seashell. They are ubiquitous in nature and surround us from the form of the ceilings of the Alhambra to the cosmic scales of space. — Tahmeed Shafiq is a first-year student studying Mathematical and Physical Sciences.
CC/PIXABAY
In my CJH332 — Neurobiology of the Synapse class, I learned that some research has suggested that stress is as transmissible as the flu virus. This made me think of the many instances when I sat at the back of the room during an exam, looking at everyone in front of me, my mind rampant with stressful thoughts. I would look around the room and watch people scratch their head vigorously or watch someone leave the exam room. The anxiety used to weigh on me so much that being in the exam room started to stress me out more than the exam itself. After learning about how stress can be transmissible, I started sitting at the front of the exam room, where I would only be aware of myself and no one else. It is pretty amazing how something I learned in class unexpectedly changed my behaviour in a positive and meaningful way. — Charmaine Nyakonda is a third-year student studying Neuroscience and Health Studies.
Life in a biochemistry lab is never boring: there are curious people, interesting facts, and lots of fun experiments. Still, when you are in the process of discovering just how correct Edison was in saying that there are 10,000 ways that things don’t work, lab duties can sometimes feel like the tagline from Groundhog Day: “He’s having the worst day of his life... over, and over.” You emerge after a long day of work, the sun has set, and the shadow of a failed experiment follows you home by moonlight. Waking up the next day, the realization hits that you’ve got to do it all over again — but this time, you have a slightly better understanding of what lies ahead: tweaks to the protocol, followed by slightly more promising failures day after day. That was how my academic year started until one day, contrary to the dark omen of a snowstorm outside the window, a shimmering diffraction of light under the microscope met my eye, hinting at success — a protein crystal. As they say, hope springs eternal in a science lab. There are always peaks and troughs when working, depending on expectations and the experimental results. In tough times, perseverance is the only way to survive. — Vaibhav Bhandari is a graduate student in the Department of Biochemistry.
ELHAM NUMAN/THE VARSITY
APRIL 3, 2018 • 15
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Science Around Town
This year I had the honour of taking BIO130 — Molecular and Cell Biology with Professor Kenneth Yip, who is by far the funniest professor I’ve met at U of T. He has a way of teaching biology — a subject synonymous with ‘boring’ and ‘memorization-oriented’ for many — that makes me want to attend every 6:00–9:00 pm lecture. His pre-lecture preamble indulges our scientific curiosities and makes us actually laugh out loud. He shows us funny science commercials, cheesy biology pick-up lines, and amazingly relevant memes to explain that science isn’t just about sitting in a lecture hall and taking notes. Being a scientist doesn’t mean that you are always serious all the time. My favourite moment was when he explained nanotechnology with unbelievable ease: “We just use membranes to send a drug or other substances to a target location in the body — that’s nanotechnology!” That changed my life. — Anya Rakhecha is a first-year Life Sciences student.
Charmaine Nyakonda Varsity Staff
Function and regulation of the microRNA-mediated gene silencing pathway MicroRNAs are regulatory molecules that are crucial for cell homeostasis maintenance, including gene silencing. This seminar is an opportunity for you to discover how distinctive silencing complexes are involved in controlling Argonaute protein function. Date: Tuesday, April 3 Time: 10:00 am Location: Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, 160 College Street, Cecil C. Yip Red Seminar Room Admission: Free
DARREN CHENG/THE VARSITY
With the Royal Ontario Museum’s (ROM) Friday Night Live (FNL) and the Art Gallery of Ontario’s First Thursdays becoming popular party destinations, museums and art galleries are beginning to look more and more like night clubs — and I think that is fantastic. In a trick-like manner, these events beckon you to come for the drinks and the DJs, but you end up staying for the dinosaurs. While lately events like these have helped renew my interest in these institutions, it was a course I took this fall that showed me how critically important our museums are. In EEB466 — Approaches to the Study of Biodiversity, I had the privilege of visiting the ROM’s collections, which are all the specimens behind closed doors. In fact, one of the things that I learned in this class is that the majority of museum specimens are hidden from the public eye. Although hidden, these specimens are not useless — it turns out that dead things are extraordinarily useful for researching the living. By providing a snapshot in time, museum specimens have been used to study the effects of past climate change, helping scientists make informed predictions about the effects of the global warming of today. Specimens have even been used to solve mysteries: through testing preserved museums’ specimens, it was discovered that the virus responsible for the 1918 flu epidemic likely did not originate in birds, as previously thought. Beyond appreciating the scientific importance of museums, this class allowed me to experience childlike wonder again by showing me marine isopods larger than my torso and extinct bird species. Although it was the smallest specimen I saw, the 300-million-year-old fish vertebrae I got to hold in the palm of my hand during a lab session was the turning point for how I thought about museums. To know that life on Earth is old and ever-prospering was humbling. At the ROM, FNL-goers dance alongside Futalognkosaurus and are among hundreds of millions of years of life. It is our duty to preserve it for a few hundred million more. — Clara Thaysen is a fifth-year student studying Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. She is an Associate Science Editor at The Varsity.
Ontario’s Far North: A Global Conservation Treasure Ontario has both the largest population in Canada as well as the largest area of continuous boreal forest in North America. This presentation will discuss how the region will be affected by climate change and industrial development, and it will also explore future conservation strategies. Date: Thursday, April 5 Time: 6:30–7:30 pm Location: Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street, Beeton Hall Admission: Free Metabolic flexibility in breast cancer progression Hosted by the Department of Molecular Genetics, this seminar is about the metabolic processes involved in breast cancer and the metabolic pathways being targeted for therapeutic processes. Date: Friday, April 6 Time: 10:00 am Location: Medical Sciences Building, 1 King’s College Circle, Room 4279 Admission: Free You Are What You Absorb Dr. Emek Blair has enhanced the absorption of nutrients by cells through liposomal encapsulation. This seminar will discuss the science behind liposomes and how they could potentially benefit health.
DARREN CHENG/THE VARSITY
Date: Saturday, April 7 Time: 5:00–6:30 pm Location: Studio.89, 1065 Canadian Place, Room 104 Admission: Free
Sports
April 3, 2018 var.st/sports sports@thevarsity.ca
Meet your 2017–2018 Athletes of the Year This is the first presentation of the The Varsity Athlete of the Year awards The Varsity Athlete of the Year is a new annual award presented to the best Blues male and female athletes. It’s voted upon by contributors to The Varsity’s Sports section.
The Varsity Athlete of the Year: TJ Morton Blues punter TJ Morton talks CFL dreams, Blues memories, and funnel cake
Jackie Emick Associate Sports Editor
University of Toronto Varsity Blues football punter TJ Morton has been playing football ever since he was six years old. “I’ve been a quarterback my whole life, I didn’t start just being a kicker or punter until college. I don’t even remember a time I wasn’t playing football,” he says. Maybe it’s genetics, as his parents were both very successful athletes in their college days, or maybe it’s the hard work he puts into his sport, but Morton’s last season with the Blues proved to be one of record-breaking heights. Morton led Ontario University Athletics (OUA) with a 45.1 punting average, and he now holds the OUA single-season record in punting yards, so there’s no doubt that this soon-to-be varsity alum has his eyes set on a successful future. Receiving the honour of being named an OUA first team all-star and U SPORTS first team All-Canadian in 2017 for a second year in a row, Morton credits some of his motivation to his goal of being a U SPORTS first team All-Canadian. Although Morton has now successfully been named an All-American and an AllCanadian, it doesn’t stop there. Humble and determined, he has his goals set for the future: there is possibly a spot for him in the CFL, and then he will “see if the NFL opportunity is there.” Morton started his career with the Blues nearly three years into his university career. Starting off his journey at the National College Athlete Association (NCAA) Division III Susquehanna University, his
success has been a long time coming. The switch to the University of Toronto was a big change for Morton. “It’s very competitive [in the states and] it’s a different game...rules wise,” he says. Morton’s decision to come to U of T was solely about academics. He decided to transfer to a Canadian school in part on the advice of a fellow teammate. “One of my roommates from the states actually transferred up here before me… I was looking for a school to transfer to as well. Just like he did, I typed in the best schools in the world and sent my stuff up here,” he says. Along with different football rules, the social world was also a change. “You got to grow up quick, especially at a school like this, [with] so many people,” he says. “There’s not really that stage to be immature like there was in the states when I went to a school with 1,000 people in the middle of nowhere.” Having classes at UTM proved to be a challenge as an already busy varsity athlete. Practicing up to four days a week, commuting to and from school, and maintaining good grades is a balancing act, one that Morton proves to have successfully conquered. “Balancing living downtown and going to UTM was tough,” but Morton still found time for friends, music, and
movies. He tells me that his ultimate movie pick is Cool Runnings, and when asked about one food he could eat forever if he had to, Morton answers, without hesitating: “funnel cake.” Finding time for friends, social lives, and even guilty pleasures can be hard for athletes at times, but Morton explained that many of his teammates have actually become some of his closest friends. “The people you play with are the people you are going to talk to for the rest of your life,” he says. Making sure the team work together and that the players bond is a huge part of a successful and cohesive team, one that Morton says U of T is committed to continue building. “We’re starting to go in a positive direction with our changes… It’s super positive in the change room now [and] people are all getting behind the program.” In coming to U of T, Morton used his experiences to help others. Teammate Connor Ennis says, “When I transferred here TJ was one of the first guys to welcome me in and help me transition to Toronto, I will always appreciate and thank him for that.” Ennis, a Blues quarterback, says that “playing with TJ was a neat experience, he was a big weapon for us, and his ability to punt the football speaks for
itself.” Morton says that maturity is one skill he has gained while playing for the Blues. “The past three years have shaped me as far as maturity, growing as an individual, balancing academics and athletics, but also pushing myself to a higher level, which comes from the coaching staff and the people that surrounded me.” Morton says that he will miss the city. “I absolutely love Toronto, playing for U of T, the environment, the people around me, the facilities we have are unreal.” As for school, Morton says, “It’s tough, I won’t miss too much but it really taught me to mature, be a better person, and think outside the box.” Who knows what’s in store for this determined individual? So far he has been successful, and he hopes that he can continue pursuing his dream of professional football. Morton says that the CFL, and possibly the NFL are his biggest dreams. If not, Morton says, “I want to look at possibly going into medical or pharmaceutical sales.” Leaving to go back home soon, Morton’s career with the Blues is coming to a bittersweet close. He made a name for himself in U of T’s record books and had an incredible career for the Blues.
APRIL 3, 2018 • 17
var.st/sports
The Varsity Athlete of the Year: Emily Ziraldo Emily Ziraldo and teammates share thoughts on her spectacular season
SHANNA HUNTER/THE VARSITY
Daniel Samuel Sports Editor
University of Toronto Varsity Blues field hockey midfielder Emily Ziraldo proved to be immune to the sophomore slump trend this past season. She tied with rookie forward Anna Costanzo for the team lead in goals with six, earned U SPORTS all-Canadian and Ontario University Athletics (OUA) All-Star honours, and was key in helping the Blues earn bronze in the OUA Championships to salvage the team’s injury-plagued season. Emily is also a nominee for the Varsity Blues’ annual T-Holders’ Female athlete of the year, presented to the female Blues athlete who exhibits the highest degree of athletic excellence. Today, however, the third-year student — who was unable to play for the Blues in her first year due to a stress fracture in her foot — is noticeably nervous. We sit across from each other under two bright key lights — the camera in front of us will capture every pause and mistake. She’s wired with a microphone to add to the already unnatural experience of being interviewed. Ziraldo was named the 2017–2018 The Varsity Athlete of the Year, narrowly defeating world champion swimmer Kylie Masse in a tight race to become the inaugural recipient of the award. Her framed award sits face up on a nearby white sofa. These circumstances are a bit different compared to the last time I interviewed her. Back in early October — in the middle of a rollercoaster season that ended well short of the team’s overall goal — she was at least situated in her element sitting beside her identical twin sister, Hilary, in the bleachers ahead of practice at Back Campus Field.
“Field hockey is a team sport and no individual can do it by themselves,” says Emily. “It’s such a fast game that you need the support of all your teammates and everyone has to be on the same page.” Throughout the following week, her teammates — defender Julia Costanzo and midfielders Rachel Spouge and Hilary — would each enter The Varsity individually to chime in on the past season and provide their own perspective on what Emily was able to accomplish. The 2017 season began with great expectations, with a new head coach at the helm, strong returning veterans, and a close-knit group of third-year players. Even with the departure of star Allison Lee, the team still had an immeasurable confidence level with three consecutive OUA banners behind them. The Blues started to take form during their preseason exhibition matches against National College Athlete Association (NCAA) Division I schools in the United States, but early into the regular season, a host of injuries severely impacted and changed the composition of their lineup. The team was forced to play all of their rookies and at one point even saw a goalie enter the match as a field player. Despite having four captains on the roster, there was a period of time when Julia was the only captain on the field. Rachel and Emily “were definitely helpful in those two weeks, which were the roughest weeks of the season,” says Julia. “We had a stretch where a lot of our fourth- and fifth-year players were the ones injured, so at points me and Emily were the oldest players on the field and we’re only in our third year,” says Julia. “I think that we never really got a flow on the field, or like a mojo,” says Spouge.
“We never got back to that team that played at Columbia University,” adds Julia. Spouge says the team was in a bit of a transitional year without a clear goal scorer to lead the Blues attack. The team’s dynamic was far different than in years past when stars like Amanda Woodcroft, Nikki Woodcroft, and Lee provided the bulk of the team offense. Emily stepped up when her team needed it most, but she admits it wasn’t easy. “At the beginning [of the season], I put a lot of pressure on myself to score and then mentally, that got to me and it just didn’t work out,” says Emily. “I moved a bit more to forward from the midfield and that definitely helped.” Emily was a vocal presence on the field, able to answer questions posed by younger players and leading by example. When the Ziraldo twins played at the provincial level, Hilary says coaches often commented that Emily ran too much and was making herself tired. It’s the signature trait of the thirdyear midfielder — beyond her skill, speed, and versatility — how hard she works is the first thing you’ll notice. “Yeah she’s making herself tired, but she’s going to keep going because if you’re not there she will be,” says Hilary. “Nothing stops her… When she’s on the field she knows that’s her chance to perform.” The sense of urgency that Emily plays with only increased after she missed out on playing with the Blues in her first year. Hilary became a captain before Emily had even played a game. “Missing out on first year was pretty disappointing… When you come to university, you’re really looking forward to get going and get playing,” says Emily. The hat-trick she scored in the first-half against the Western Mustangs was Emily’s standout performance of the season. “The first-half hat-trick, that was really nice [and] unexpected, I think for me a lot of it’s mental,” she says. “That game, I think we already knew we were going to come third in the league; everything was solidified going into playoffs, so it was kind of a no pressure game. Just play your best and it just happened.” Emily played drop centre-forward for the final two weekends of the season, after Hilary returned from injury and Spouge got injured. “She was getting thrown all over the place as usual, it drives her,” says Spouge. “She has this level of competitiveness and when it turns on, it really does.” Following the season, Emily and Spouge flew to Vancouver to be honoured as allCanadians at the annual U SPORTS awards gala. The trip also afforded Spouge the chance to be home early before reading week. “It’s an honour,” says Spouge. “I’m from Vancouver... and I got to show [Emily] around. It was pretty fun.” Emily, however, wasn’t fully there — her mind was still focused on the team’s failure to win the OUA Championship. “I was thinking more about the team and the team bronze, but afterward thinking back, it was really nice to get recognized like that,” says Emily. Spouge struggles to contain how much she enjoys playing alongside Emily. The
enthusiasm in her voice is unrivaled, especially when she recounts the feeling of watching her teammate score. “The game that I love are the 2v1s, it’s kind of fun to fool them and pass with another player and make [opponents] run around like chickens,” she laughs. “The 2v1s with her are my favourite... it fills the soul.” “The skills she has are so quick, it’s kind of like, ‘She’s going down the field, it’s going to happen’ and it’s like, ‘Goal!’” shouts Spouge. “I don’t think I can do that.” Julia provides the opposite viewpoint. “Defending Emily in practice is not fun,” she says. “She’s really fast, so I get tired, and she’s really skilled as well.” The pair — who live together along with Hilary, goaltender Sara Fredo, and two players on the Blues women’s soccer team — have developed a friendly competitive rivalry. “We’ll push each other around — half joking, half not — half being serious,” she adds. “She definitely pushes the pace at practice.” “If she’s going down with the ball, even though she’s running faster than me, even though I can’t run that fast, I’m going to run as fast as I can,” says Julia. She believes their high level of competition sets the right tone in practice and provides a great example for the rest of the team. Off the field, Emily enjoys spending time with friends, though they often have to work around her busy schedule. During the season, the team practice every night and holds lifting sessions twice a week. Spouge says that Emily is the “kindest person you’ll ever meet.” “She’s a teammate that you can always rely on [and] someone who you can go to for advice,” says Spouge. “She’s extremely hard working in school and that just shows on the field as well because her work ethic is insane.” Her teammates also believe her particular sense of humour is one of her most distinguishing features. “Emily jokes around… If she thinks that something is funny, she’ll just say it and then everyone laughs,” says Julia. “Hilary is definitely more calculated, she likes to think and make sure it’s funny before she says it, so she doesn’t say as many crazy or outrageous things that Emily does.” “Emily has more of like dry humour, she says what everyone’s thinking but not what everyone’s going to say,” laughs Hilary. There’s a sense of anticipation about next season that’s shared among the team. The adversity they battled through last fall has prepared them for the unknown that surrounds the upcoming season. Provincial team commitments start again in April for the upcoming summer season. The team is in the process of recruiting to fill out the last few remaining spots on their roster and are focused on getting stronger and preventing injuries. “I’m really excited to be playing with Hilary [and] playing with the rest of the team,” says Emily. “I think next year we can really make an impact in the OUA and we’re going for gold again.”
Arts&Culture
April 3, 2018 var.st/arts arts@thevarsity.ca
Three contributors discuss the changes in store for them this spring Cue Green Day's "Time of Your Life" Varsity Contributors
Coming home from abroad Halfway through my semester abroad at the Rothberg International School at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, I still marvel at the thought that something so new and so different can so quickly become routine. Coming from Toronto, where I live at home and commute to U of T each day through the snow, I dreamed of the day I would be walking between rows of blooming flowers under the hot Mediterranean sun. This is the first time I have been away for long enough that I’ve been able to unpack my suitcase. It’s an exhilarating feeling to have another place to call home and to come back to at night. Studying abroad has given me the typical university experience in an atypical setting. I go to classes, take notes, and study for tests. But, in between, I get to explore an ancient city, play music in hospitals, hear from social activists, accustom myself to the Mediterranean palate, take part in the uniqueness that is Israeli society, and exist in a city rich with thousands of years of history. Adaptability is my word of choice for this semester. I have learned to go with
the flow — the ultimate Israeli mentality. Reaching the halfway point of my semester has allowed me to see what I have accomplished and what more there is to do here in Israel. I am nowhere near done, yet I have to say that I am missing home. Calling home before Passover and smelling familiar dishes all around me makes me feel far away. I am embracing the newness. At every turn I experience an ‘only in Israel’ moment. I am grateful to be here, to be learning about myself and my relationship to this country, and I am grateful to have a home waiting for me back in Toronto. Another year at U of T after an experience like this will be challenging. Reverse culture shock is real. I am trying not to dwell on the thought of moving back home under my parents’ roof, taking the subway, putting real effort into schoolwork, and having to think ahead to post-grad life. I am committed to making the most of the rest of my time here and experiencing life in Jerusalem to the fullest, until June rolls around. — Adina Samuels Counting blessings before graduation In the final weeks of my fourth year, I’ve come to realize that there’s a possibility that I took a lot of things I had at U of T for granted. One of the simplest is that I always knew what came next. Now, there lies in me a wave of uncertainty as to what the future holds, because it’ll be the first time in four years that I may not be heading back to school in September. For the first time in my life, I can’t plan an outcome — I have to go with the proverbial flow. It’s terrifying.
When I first came to U of T, I wanted to plan my entire life — degree, relationship status, future and all. First year hit me like a ton of bricks, and for a long time I resented this university for what I felt was undeserved pain and strife. Except now, looking back, I’m counting my blessings and the people I’ve met along the way. I’m immensely grateful that I’ve never had to say to anyone, “I wish I had never met you,” and for the opportunities I’ve had to contribute to U of T as a whole. This place is what made me step out of my comfort zone, what made me go from being a shy, timid girl to the loud person whom my friends know me as today. It made me stand up for what I believe in, gave me platforms to voice my opinions and meet like-minded people. I’ve gotten to know people from all walks of life, and thanks to these opportunities I now feel comfortable entering any space — the girl I was before U of T was terrified to go to a Starbucks alone. Knowing that my time here is coming to a rapid end, it is a lesson for the future me to see the positive in the places I go and cherish the time I spend there because time moves so quickly. It is the end of this chapter for me, but not the end of my story. There is an endless amount of people whom I want to thank, but I don’t think there are enough pages to contain my thoughts. I do want to convey to everyone who has touched my life that if I could, I would go back in time and do it all over again, just to spend more time with you. — Sila Elgin Life goes on “How do you feel about graduating soon?”
is a question I seem to be getting from everywhere — family dinners, job interviews, and reunion drinks with friends. I’ve been getting it for the last year, even when I was still desperately trying to pretend that it wasn’t happening. I did that for a while, for as long as I could. I do have a plan now, a pretty solid and exciting plan, which is more than I could’ve said for myself up until recently. Everything in my life feels like it’s preparing itself for a transition, which helps. Relationships, living situations, schedules, and passions are shifting and changing, making me feel like I’m constantly standing on the precipice of something alternately incredible or horrific. It’s easy to feel that the other end of undergrad is a black abyss. I think that’s more or less the consensus in university culture. It’s common to tentatively ask any undergraduate student, “So, what’s the plan for after?” only to be met with varying responses of groans, exasperated sighs, or just laughter. I am lucky enough to have had the complete freedom to decide what I want to do, but I think it is precisely this freedom that has upped the pressure to make precisely the right choice. One thing I have learned is that life goes on, most of the time in a much less dramatic way than we anticipated, but still in a completely different way than we prepared for. So, yeah, I am terrified. But I also know that I will finish my exams, grab my diploma, and the next day I’ll wake up, make a smoothie, and live my life. I know for a fact that it won’t be a black abyss of terror — it’s just the next step. — Leah Kuperman
GHEYANA PURBODININGRAT/THE VARSITY
APRIL 3, 2018 • 19
var.st/arts
How Panic! At The Disco has stayed relevant, 14 years later Fluidity between genres and frontman Brendon Urie's star power have allowed the band to hold on its popularity
Brendon Urie is currently the sole original member of Panic! At The Disco. MICADEW/CC FLICKR
Shunthusja Santhirakumar Varsity Contributor
The music industry is one that is reflective of the interests of the population, and thus it is constantly changing. Artists will commonly alter their music to conform to what’s currently popular, but is this truly the secret to a lasting musical career? Panic! At The Disco, often known as Panic! or P!ATD, is a band with a 14-year career that remains one of the most popular groups of their generation. If their 2017 Artist of the Year award at the Alternative Press Music Awards is any indication, they are only increasing in popularity.
Panic! was formed in 2004 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Brendon Urie is the only member who has been with the band since its formation. Urie writes the music and musical accompaniments on lead guitar, bass, piano, and drums. While the band’s first two albums, 2005’s A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out and 2008’s Pretty. Odd., were written by ex-member Ryan Ross, Urie took over the reins from the third album onward. The lingering question is: what has allowed Panic! to stay relevant? When it comes to retaining a longstanding career in music, the truth is that no one factor provides a complete explanation.
Whether you grew up listening to Panic!'s music or are a casual listener of their albums, you can see that the band has evolved musically while still retaining the key musical elements that makes them Panic!. Although they have remained labeled under the rock genre throughout their 14-year career, Panic! has released music that is not constrained to rock. The band has also experimented with various genres and amplified musical elements and techniques that haven’t been as popular in current music. In the beginning, Panic! was indeed primarily rock, but they still included prominent
electronic aspects in many of their songs. By not solely sticking to rock as their key genre, the band has broadened their musical credibility and versatility. Pretty. Odd. is an album especially reflective of its members’ versatility as musicians — the album contains so many different styles of music that it’s hard to keep track. Panic! is gearing up to release a new album this year, Pray for the Wicked. One of the two singles released from the album, “Say Amen (Saturday Night)” showcases Urie’s vast vocal range, which spans four octaves. Panic! has remained relevant for so long not only because of their straying into different genres, but also due to the presence of Urie himself. His voice is captivating — quite literally able to lure you in and entrance you. Urie’s voice is so alluring that it makes even the most unconventional topics interesting. Watching Urie perform live — or even in clips of his performances on YouTube — you can see his love for the music he sings as well as how absorbed he is in his performance. His voice is reminiscent of Sinatra or Michael Bublé, as you can hear in the song “Death of a Bachelor.” At least in the case of Panic!, it’s obvious that musicians who are able to expertly navigate genres and create an experience that is enjoyable to both the listener and the artist are rewarded with enduring support.
Yiddish Glory album gives new life to Jewish folk music during WWII Documents rediscovered in Kiev archives by U of T professor Anna Shternshis Reut Cohen Arts & Culture Editor
In the early 2000s, Professor Anna Shternshis was conducting research for what would become a book on Yiddish culture and daily life in the Soviet Union during World War II. Her research took her to the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine in Kiev, where a librarian showed her a collection of documents on Yiddish music that Soviet researchers had compiled in the 1940s. During the war, researchers from the Kiev “Cabinet” for Jewish culture had collected hundreds of songs from three groups of Jews: those who served in the Red Army, those who survived the war by fleeing to areas like Siberia and the Ural mountains, and Jews in Nazioccupied Ukraine. “The existence of the archive is somewhat of a miracle,” said Shternshis, who is also the Director of the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies at U of T. No one had thought the archives would have survived the antisemitic purges undertaken by Stalin in the early ’50s before his death, according to Shternshish. Shternshis joined forces with Dr. Pavel Lion, who performs under the stage name Psoy Korolenko, to remaster the songs and record them for a new album, Yiddish Glory, bringing new life to melodies that had been entombed since the war’s end. The Varsity spoke to Shternshis over email regarding the discovery of the archives and the work involved in the creation of Yiddish Glory. The Varsity: What were your first thoughts upon the discovery of these lost documents? Anna Shternshis: The original researchers died thinking their work was lost to history. But the documents were there, and they contained unique songs! Once I realized that, I was struck both by the magnitude of this finding and by the fact that all these songs told stories of people who we rarely get to hear from. In the context of writing history, we often hear people’s voices as ‘interpreted’ as opposed to given a platform. I was determined to do something about it. In many ways, these songs represented the range of
experiences of Jews in the Soviet Union during the war: the stories of the 440,000 who served in the Red Army, the 1.4 million who managed to survive through a harrowing evacuation to the Soviet rear, and they also were actual testimonies of those who were killed in the Holocaust. Of the 6 million who were killed, more than 2.5 million Jews were murdered in Nazi-occupied parts of the Soviet Union, and we learned that some of the last things people did were writing songs to document the horrors they witnessed. TV: Besides creating the album, were any alternative usages for the documents proposed? AS: To be honest, choosing to do an album was not my first instinct. I wanted to publish a book, an academic monograph, maybe a website, and only then do some sort of multi-media. But I was planning a conference at U of T about Yiddish culture during World War II, and I asked Dr. Pavel Lion (better known by his artistic name, Psoy Korolenko), to help me with the presentation. We selected a few songs for Psoy to reconstruct. After that, Dan Rosenberg, a music producer who was at the event, encouraged us to record the songs with a larger group of musicians. Eventually, after three years of work, this project resulted in Yiddish Glory. I am still working on an academic monograph that will incorporate these songs as well as a website. TV: What were some of the challenges involved in adapting the music for contemporary audiences? AS: The biggest challenge was of course, that most of our listeners did not understand Yiddish. It was important for us to bring songs back to life, but we did not want to sacrifice Yiddish. The translations of songs are available in the booklet to help people make sense of what they are hearing. Another challenge was, ironically, associated with the fact that once people understood the lyrics, they had a lot of problems with the subject matter. Some of the songs are extremely violent, they glorify cruelty against the German army, they call for the complete destruction of the enemy. They do not fit with our modern sensibilities
of warfare. Second, the songs praised Joseph Stalin, the Soviet leader and dictator, who was responsible for the Great Terror, for imprisoning and killing millions of people, including Jews themselves, the ones who sang, composed and collected these songs. Finally, we were working on these songs in Canada, a country quite far from Ukraine, where these songs were first composed. But addressing these challenges was precisely the reason we did this project in the first place. The goal of Yiddish Glory was to give voice to people who managed to compose and sing during the darkest parts of their lives, those who found strength to laugh at their enemy, to create music in the midst of violence. We thought that we owed it to their memory, and also to our own history to give them a voice, in the language that made sense to them at the time, and also make sure that their descendants understand why they chose to write these songs, and appreciate the choices that they had to make. TV: How do these songs challenge our understanding of the Soviet Jewish experience during the Holocaust? What new insights can be gained from this work? AS: One definite thing that we have learned from these materials is that Jews sang in Yiddish in the Soviet Union during the war, and that they forgot all about this decades later. During my work on a related project, on Jewish oral histories of Stalin’s Soviet Union, I interviewed
almost 500 people from the generation of Soviet Jews born in the early 1920s, and not a single one of them could remember a Yiddish song depicting the war. This material means that history and memory tell different stories of the war. Without these materials we would not have known that. The second finding is that Soviet soldiers, some of them amateur authors, continued to create in Yiddish during combat. We knew that Yiddish culture survived in the Soviet Rear, but we did not know about the soldiers. This is an important insight of how Jews made sense of these events during the war. Third, these songs give us a chance to learn about how children and women, who authored a majority of these songs, used music to make sense of their experiences. There are songs written by orphans, one by a 10-year old whose mother was murdered in the Holocaust. There are songs written by women serving in the army, women working in factories to support the war effort. The songs give us an opportunity to hear their direct voices, something that rarely happens in the context of historical research. Finally, some songs are rare, or sometimes the only, eyewitness testimonies of the destruction of Jews in Ukraine. Some were written as early as 1941, and these represent the first documents of the Holocaust in Ukraine. Given that we have very few Jewish testimonies of this destruction, these are especially valuable. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The documents were thought to have been lost in antisemitic purges of the 1950s. PHOTO COURTESY OF DANIEL ROSENBERG
20 • THE VARSITY • ARTS & CULTURE
arts@thevarsity.ca
Hope springs eternal: a playlist to put a swing in your step Songs to listen to as you gear up for spring, the season of flings — and cleaning! like the soundtrack to emerging from hibernation and is idyllically pastoral. Fans of Joanna Newsom and Joni Mitchell will enjoy listening to her while reading Wordsworth or Coleridge in a cottage somewhere far away from the city.
Zeahaa Rehman & Eddy Wang Varsity Staff
“Really Really” by WINNER The South Korean quartet’s first brush with the tropical house genre is, well, really really catchy. “Really Really,” with its simple chorus and cute lyrics about confessing your feelings, makes you want to fall in love — or at least develop a new crush — so you have an excuse to say “neol joahae!” “Glow Worms” by Vashti Bunyan For something on the softer side, this track captures the growth and transformation of nature that occurs every spring. Bunyan’s music sounds
“Me Like Yuh” by Jay Park Korean-American Jay Park and his long-time collaborator and producer Cha Cha Malone team up to deliver an unbelievably catchy pop song that sounds as good in English as it does in Korean. Filled with fun lyrics like “I’ll even dye my hair blonde for ya / I can be your Justin Bieber,” and an addictive musical chorus, “Me Like Yuh” is the perfect soundtrack for a spring fling or just spring cleaning. “Welcome to the Perfect Day” by Dolly Mixture A band that anticipated everything from Grrl Power to Toronto’s own Alvvays, Dolly Mixture are a hidden gem in the pantheon of great female pop groups. Combining the sass of post-punk with the springy wonder of pop, this song will get you excited for what adventures await in spring. “Nashe Si Chadh Gayi” by Arijit Singh, Caralisa Monteiro Singh compares his infatuation with a girl to getting drunk in
“Nashe Si Chadh Gayi,” which roughly translates to “intoxicated like a drug.” His Hindi lyrics, combined with Monteiro’s French, exude a joyful mood that makes you long for a sunny day and a happy buzz — whether it’s from love or from cocktails is up to you. “Unforgiving Girl (She’s Not An)” by Car Seat Headrest Car Seat Headrest is the hottest new act in indie-rock today. Frontman Will Toledo’s ironic honesty has led him to strange places — like collaborating with Smash Mouth. Nevertheless, the band’s cool sincerity will make you want to go out and start a rock band.
“All My Friends” by LCD Soundsystem LCD Soundsystem is a legendary dance-punk act, and “All My Friends” is their masterpiece. Frontman James Murphy chronicles a person’s entire life through a clever driving metaphor, putting a long year’s work in perspective and pointing to future locales to start the engine and head toward. “Dil Diyan Gallan” by Atif Aslam Translating to “matters of love” in Hindi, “Dil Diyan Gallan” is comprised of Atif Aslam pleading with his lover to stop sulking so they
can discuss matters of the heart. The song’s soft and mellow mood brings to mind the intimacy of cuddling and bantering. “Hey Hey Girl” by Rocketship “Hey Hey Girl” is catchy and energetic, but it’s also soft and introspective. Rocketship delightfully mixes shoe gazing with twee pop. Their lush guitar jangles and ethereal vocals create a world that lulls you into an afternoon nap while simultaneously letting the grooves of the song sink in.
“Gashina” by Sunmi The season of spring inevitably brings romance and love to mind, but if that’s not your cup of tea, Sunmi’s “Gashina” is a great choice. The title is a play on words, as ‘gashina’ is simultaneously defined as thorns on a flower and a farewell statement, and it’s also a derogatory term for a woman in Korean. The song touches on the messy feelings of a breakup, set to a synth-pop beat. This combination should sound jarring, but instead it results in a catchy tune that exudes irreverence yet confidence at the same time. MIA CARNEVALE/THE VARSITY
How to make a movie in 48 hours
Films from the annual 48 Hour Filmmaking Challenge screened at Hart House
Now leasing for September! KA 819 #824202
Films were screened at a festival held on March 26. STEVEN LEE/THE VARSITY
Aljosa Kljujic Varsity Contributor
Films created during the annual 48 Hour Filmmaking Challenge, sponsored by the Hart House Film Committee, were screened at the U of T Film Festival on March 26. To get a better sense of the process of the challenge, The Varsity spoke to Rishabh Mundhra, a fourth-year Mechanical Engineering student who participated in the event. Teams are asked to go through preproduction, principal photography, and post-production — all within 48 hours. “We began on Friday at 5PM with a total of six people on the team. By the beginning of next day, we were down to three,” wrote Mundhra in an email. “Filmmaking is a tiring process and the sheer amount of physical and
mental work can also be a deal breaker for some,” he added. After getting a few shots, the team hit a “massive roadblock” when one of its members had to leave indefinitely for work reasons. This resulted in them having to find a new crew member, which they eventually did; they continued to film and work until 3:00 am. The following day, Mundhra sat in a room for 12 hours straight to finish the final cut of the film, including compiling visuals, audio, and effects. It was a mad dash to the finish line. Mundhra described the progress and experience as “extremely rewarding for all the crew involved” and an “awesome project to work on.” Mundhra and his crew named the film Deadline — an appropriate name for such an endeavour.
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Cold on Campus Fucking finally Grits ‘n’ Gravy Associate Cools Editor
The wintry cold snap that Toronto saw during the first week back at school (in JANUARY) offered challenges for students, faculty and staff alike as extreme low temperatures caused issues for some of the University’s buildings. The cold snap “What really made this event special wasn’t so much the length of the cold snap, but just how cold it got,” Colin Anderson, a Phd Candidate in U of T’s Climate Lab, explains in a phone interview with the Varsity. Anderson says the source of the cold snap was a Jetstream coming down from the artic. The Jetstream, though a normal climatic event, came much further south than usual, resulting in snow in places as south as Georgia, and distinctly cold temperatures in Toronto. Over the course of the two-week cold snap that began right after Christmas and ended just as students began class, temperatures dropped to frigid levels, with Friday, January 5th, being the coldest January 5th on record for the city of Toronto. U of T Operations As the cold snap lasted through students coming back from winter break and beginning the new semester, U of T Operations was working hard to ensure that the 120 buildings on U of T campus were withstanding the icy temperatures outside. Ron Swail, U of T’s Chief Operations Officer, says that there are a variety of protocols and precautions that his team takes in the face of these extreme cold temperatures. From things as simple as building patrols checking for open windows to prevent flooding in buildings, to implementing annual roof checks, as Toronto’s vacillating temperatures in the winter are difficult on a roof’s infrastructure. Most notably, Swail explains that “the city of Toronto has had three times the amount of watermains break than we typically do.” Watermains, underground pipes that carry fresh water into buildings on campus, are crucial to the building being able to function
“My Editor was desperate for this article, and soon enough, so was I.”
normally. As Toronto has been experiencing this problem with watermains, it has become institutionalized in all U of T building designs to include two watermains, to ensure that if one were to break, another would be able to take its place. Swail explains that an incident occurred where watermains broke just outside of the mechanical engineering building on campus but back-up watermains were able to take their place. During this cold snap, Swail says that U of T operations had to deal with about a dozen buildings on campus that were affected by the cold. Swail called the problems “localized” and said that “in many cases, there was little or no effect on occupants.” He says that he thinks that U of T operations were able to quickly respond to all the problems, pointing towards their large staff and responsive contractors who they relied upon to fix the isolated issues. Whitney Hall In addition to lecture halls and office buildings, Lena Schloss claims she felt the effect of the cold snap in her University College residence building, Whitney Hall. Schloss explains that no one in Ferguson House, one of four houses located in Whitney Hall, “received any real heat” during the cold snap due to the fact that each individual room does not have personal control over their heating. While three quarters of Whitney Hall have personal thermostats in their room, Ferguson House do not have individual control of their heating and air
conditioning. Melinda Scott, UC’s Dean of Students, explains that the porters at Whitney Hall received multiple complaints from students living in Ferguson House that the temperatures were too cold. Scott explains that after receiving these complaints, the Buildings Engineers were called and the heating problems were addressed. Schloss says that while she was told that the heating was turned on on January 5th, she said it failed to feel warmer until the 6th or 7th , right as the cold snap was coming to an end. For the Future Scott said that in the future, if students have any more concerns about heating in residential buildings, the porter is the right person to go to. Although there is a debate as to whether this extreme weather event is a product of climate change, and will grow more frequent moving forward. Anderson says the jury is still out on whether extreme cold events like this will become more common due to the fact that there are scientists who are willing to argue both sides of the debate. However, for University of Toronto Operations, Swail says that each extreme weather event comes with many lessons to better prepare for the next one.
24 • THE VARSITY • NEWS
Science Around Town Not Charmaine Farcity Contributor
2018 Tide Pod Eating Competition The first annual Tide Pod eating challenge is making its way to U of T. Finish your bowl of pods in 15 minutes or pay the full value $12.97 of the Tide PODS® Laundry Detergent Original Scent. This competition is open to all. Must be 18 or older. Date: Monday, April 2 Tuesday, April 3 Thursday, April 5 Postponed indefinitely Time: 6:00–7:00 pm Location: Medical Sciences Building, 1 King’s College Circle, Cafeteria Admission: Free with registration and waiver itcoin Launch Party The official launch of a new cryptocurrency, itcoin, will be followed by a hands-on workshop for all students with stude ts. Join keynote speaker Dr. Satoshi Nakamoto and other dignitaries in watching itcoin market values rise — oh wait, fall — and rise again. Date: Wednesday, April 4 Time: 5:00–7:00 pm Location: Rotman Commerce, 125 St. George Street Admission: 1 itcoin BIO120’s Next Top Organism Elections After more than a quarter of a century, the reigning champions — Barrett’s water hyacinth and Thompson’s pika — are retiring. BIO120 instructors open up the ‘class favourite’ spot to a new group of aspiring organisms. Vote now for your Next Top Organism! Date: Thursday, April 5 and Friday, April 6 Time: 10:00–11:00 am Location: Convocation Hall, 1 King’s College Circle Admission: Free if you don’t abstain
How to marginalize female sports fans without wasting YOUR precious man-time A letter to the Sports editor Dear Sports Editor,
Loves Nachos and Hates Women Farcity Contributor
Back in the glorious days of the early 2000s, I could stumble from sports bar to sports bar without laying eyes on a single female-looking individual (that wasn’t carrying a plate of nachos or a beer or another plate of nachos). Today? There might be one, or even three, sitting at the bar, like it’s their jesus-christing right. Sometimes they wear sports jerseys, and then that’s just added stress on me, because, as a man, I have constitutional obligation to go inform them of their ‘chosen’ team’s stats and why they suck. I don’t have time to do that
everyday, you know? Also, female sports anchors. Can we talk about that for a minute? I can’t look at toned arms and sports at the same time. Cover those collarbones. Multi-tasking is for women! I can’t focus on men slamming the full force of their glorious bodies into one another properly when there’s a petite blonde screeching in a sheath dress. What does she know, anyway? Journalism degrees are a joke. Everyday misogyny is tiring. As a working man, I already have an incredible amount of demands placed on me: going to work from 9:00 to 5:00. Sometimes less if I get too tired or gassy. Now, let’s be clear — discrimination in the workplace and sexual harrassment, I can handle. Those are easy, because they’re just an institutionalized part of my job — you know what I mean? It’s like doing cocaine on Wall
Street. But everywhere is Wall Street and sexual harassment is free! And unlike narcotics, it carries literally no penal repercussions. High five, bro. The real issue arises outside of work hours, because then I have to gender-discriminate on my own time. When women start to move into more spheres traditionally dominated by men, my workload just goes through the roof. It’s a 24/7 job, like I’m doing a double shift. God, I don’t know anyone that works that hard. My wife definitely doesn’t. She just hangs out after her 12-hour workday and breastfeeds. How can I remind women they don’t belong in an efficient and effective manner? I’m hoping you can advise me on the best way to crush a woman’s spirit and marginalize her entirely from sports culture. As a Sports Editor, I have a feeling you’ll have some insider tips — after all, even female pro athletes are paid like literal
maybe sheryl crow’s book can help
garbage men. That’s the kind of rampant inequality I’m talking about!! Sincerely, Loves Nachos and Hates Women
23 • THE VARSITY • NEWS
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Social Quad responds to allegations of racism, sexism, bullying Comment war overshadows subject of commentary Trin Diaspora and 1T8 Caused Kuwait Farcity Contributors
Last week, a student posted a public Facebook post detailing allegations of racism, sexism, and bullying at Quartet College. These allegations were not addressed by Provost Mustard, as they “did not [include] the full details.” Confidential documents leaked to The Farcity further revealed that self-identified members of Quartet College’s ‘Social Quad,’ held a secret meeting to discuss, “Like, why does everyone hate us?,” out of concerns that maybe they were part of the problem. For student members of the college, the original post quickly became irrelevant, as the ~discourse~ began in the comment section over the secret meeting. “The disgusting Social Quad strikes
“FUCK” Volume 138 masthead creates repayment plan following 139’s early placement on Sunshine List Aloe Sansucre and Rohan Mahle Farcity Contributors
The thoughts of The Farcity’s Volume 138 masthead members became unsettlingly dark when the paper’s levy increase was approved by students. Shortly after the vote, it was announced that members of the Volume 139 masthead had preemptively been given spots on the province’s Sunshine List. “I wish I had been born one year later,” said Haqsay Oseinhay, Video Editor. “With that kind of money, I could have gotten Fresh for lunch instead of Subway.” Since the announcement of the planned salary increase for
again with their elitism,” said PoliSci Troll. Troll then confused everyone by going off about neoliberalism and the silencing of conservatives by “radical left-wingers.” It is unclear if the meeting had any resolution, as some members were genuinely confused at the allegations. One commenter remarked that “perhaps Social Quad needs more people of colour,” and Lena Dunham, a prominent member of the group, quickly responded, “We are really friendly and also, I served on my high school’s equity committee so I know about racism!” “It was just a joke meeting,” said Social Quad member Not So Tolerant Man in an interview with The Farcity. “I don’t get why everyone is so upset,” he added, as he rolled up a crisp $100 bill to snort some cocaine.
Photocap. PHOTOCRED/THE VARSITY Volume 139’s masthead, the office has experienced mild but repeated flooding caused by the forlorn and dejected weeping of outgoing Volume 138 members. The Editorin-Chief-elect of Volume 139, Jack OMG Dentist, vowed that the tears of 138’s masthead would be put to good use replacing the office’s asbestoscontaminated tap water. “A little salt is better than death, right?” said Dentist. Some 138 members are taking action to claim what they are owed. “We will never surrender,” said Rohan Mahle, Volume 138’s Creative Director. At an earlier-than-usual Spring Meeting of Members, Mahle and a group of other outgoing 138 members devised a debt payment plan for subsequent masthead members to reimburse them. The meeting had the highest attendance in recent memory. The payment plan, motioned by Lacob Jorinc and moved by Hythe Blunter, means all future masthead members will pay five per cent of each bi-weekly payment they receive, with an additional 100 per cent added for women and pocx to account for the wage gap. The motion passed, but tensions rose when a few 138 members suggested an alternative:
“formally endorsing whoever promises the biggest cut from their salary next year” during the paper’s notoriously corrupt elections. While 138 members have wallowed in their existential misery and reconsidered every decision ever made in their lives, the increase has been a welcome boon to look forward to for Dentist. “[money face emojis in a row],” he said. “[more rando money emojis].” Brushing off the idea of a repayment plan, Dentist explained that even if future masthead members complied, he would still have the money to demolish the paper’s current office and replace it with a high-rise condo furnished with rare antiques blessed by Pope Geric Mertler. “I’m psyched about it,” said Dentist. “Now our staff can LITERALLY live in the office!” Dentist has reached out to Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Warren Buffet for advice on how to budget the rest of Volume 139’s thick stacks of cash. Oseinhay and Mahle said the current masthead has reported the future salary increase to Toronto Police Services as a robbery and is still waiting to hear back.
Photocap. PHOTOCRED/THE VARSITY
Corn is no longer, bring on the kale
Kalecoming suggested as next year’s homecoming theme after moderate success of Corncoming
PHOTOCRED/THE VARSITY
Cole, actually Deputy Cools Editor
After the immense success — or ambivalence — of this year’s corn-themed homecoming festivities, members of the St. George Square Table (SGST) are hard at work coming up with next year’s theme. “We think U of T students really identified with Corncoming,” said Halbert Foang, who was on the planning committee of last year’s homecoming. “Next year, we’re ramping it up.” The SGST is strictly sticking with a vegetable theme for next year, Foang told The Farcity. Those suggestions garnering the most support are Kalecoming and Quinoacoming, but Nutcoming is gaining ground. “We figured that a lot of U of
T students, especially the few who actually care about what the SGST does, are hipsters who just want to sit around and graze on some kale,” said Foang. “Quinoa was suggested by some members of the SGST, but kale is definitely the frontrunner. It’s just so versatile. Did you know it’s much healthier than lettuce?” Foang added that kale is a superfood and that U of T should be following the example set by Oprah Winfrey when planning everything, whatever that means. Do we all get cars? What types of vegetables would you like to see at next year’s homecoming? We’d like to know! Send us your suggestions at thisisnotreal@thefarcity.ru
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FEBUARY 31, 2018 • 22
Photo of the year [kale in the shape of F]
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SMC President Mavid Dulroney forgets to go to church Crusade against themed club nights, gambling, other sins “taking a toll” on devout Catholic
In it with the memes & Think Pink! Associate Senior Copy Editors Goldring survivor & Frag OMG, dish!, Newest CIUT Ilemascu Linity host, Gravy & Gritz, & Big Associate Sports Editors red Associate News Editors Voice of an angel Associate Design Editor How’s it going? & Doesn’t want 10 dollars off take-out Banana phone & Tokyo Associate Comment Editors Bureau Associate Photo Editors Grego Associate Features Editor 90’s Brit baby Associate A&C Editor Spec developer & Al Associate Science Editors
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Dear Totally Not a Stalker, If it’s true love, it’s not a crime. Unfortunately, that’s not something that the jury will buy when you’re put on the stand. While I do admire your tenacity, stealing his hair and cloning him in Lash Miller to make him jealous is a bit nuts. In the future, you get caught on camera. If it makes you feel any better, the video went viral.
The President of St. Mike’s College (SMC), Mavid Dulroney, was reported missing from church on April 1. A devout Catholic and bureaucrat, Dulroney’s absence from the first row of the church pew was noted by Father Comas Thollins. “He never misses a service,” said Thollins. “I immediately knew something was wrong.” Bandy Royagoda, one of Dulroney’s
fellow congregants, said he was concerned that Dulroney’s overzealous work ethic may have caused a psychotic break. The college president has mounted a crusade against sins at the increasingly secular SMC, cracking down on the playing of cards and holding of hands. The president even apparently tried to ban student loans, calling the practice “usurous.” “Since the incident over at Queen’s, he’s really become on edge with even the idea of themed club nights,” said Royagoda.
“It’s all really taking a toll on him.” A number of students reported that the president, whose term expires in July, was seen anxiously pacing in Brennan Hall shortly after noon. Dulroney allegedly confronted a woman working at the Tim Hortons there, putting his hands over her ears and shouting, “You will not hear the sins!”
Vol. CXXXVIII, No. 24 April 3, 2018 thevarsity.ca —— University of Toronto’s Student Newspaper Since 1880
Over 9,000 bedbugs abstain in 2018 UTSU elections Head Bug at trinity accuses student union of failing to reach “marginalized minority� at college Rohan, Teodara, and KT Bug Farcity Contributors
Nearly one fourth of the total bedbug population at Trinity College selected ‘abstain’ on their ballots in the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) spring elections this year. With abstentions making up 70–80 per cent of the total votes for each UTSU position, the total number of bedbug abstentions recorded this year is 9,657. In a statement written on behalf of the roughly 40,000 bedbugs that currently populate the college, Bugdia Bugavari, Head Bedbug at Trinity College, explained the reasoning behind the abstentions. “The Trinity administration and students at the college literally want to crush us,� the statement reads. “And despite our best efforts at pro-bug activism, the UTSU has failed to reach the marginalized majority at Trinity. Bedbugs collectively abstaining from the UTSU elections should clearly communicate that we will not tolerate such abuse.� The fight for bedbugs to be recognized as a UTSU constituency has been long-standing, as bedbugs have repeatedly complained that Trinity administrators and student groups have failed to meet their needs. Meanwhile, students at Trinity have publicly expressed their distaste for bedbugs, sometimes encouraging the administration to remove them from the college altogether. One student with multiple bedbug
roommates told the Toronto Star, “I just think it’s really wrong that we have to stay in a room that’s infested with bugs.� Though this statement was condemned as “antibug� by members of the Trinity College Bug Equity Committee, no punitive actions were taken against the student. The Trinity College Domestic God(esse) s Society (TCDGS), a club dedicated to cooking elaborate four-course meals for its members, brought complaints directly to the administration earlier this year regarding the number of bedbugs present in one of the Trinity College kitchens. In an interview with The Farcity, Buzz TF Awf, Head Goddess of the TCDGS, stated that the bedbugs’ presence prevented the group from “operating in a sanitary environment,� and laughed when the reporter mentioned that many bugs consider the TCDGS’s conduct to be “exclusionary.� Members of Trinity College’s Rural Residency Association, many of whom identify as “anti-U-Pass,� have also expressed support for the UTSU’s decision to exclude bedbugs from this year’s U-Pass referendum. In a statement on Facebook, the organization’s Chief Tractor Operator wrote, “Most of us think the U-Pass is a bad deal, as it does not include students who take tractors to campus — students deserve better. An overwhelming bug majority at Trinity shouldn’t be allowed to sway the vote for
those of us who don’t benefit.â€? In a prior story, The Farcity conducted a content analysis of minutes of the Trinity College Meeting (TCM), revealing that in the games of ‘fuck, marry, kill’ played with candidates for Heads of College, without exception, bedbug candidates are the ones that are ‘killed.’ The annual Trinity event dedicated to celebrating the bedbug community, Buggly, was also abruptly cancelled this year after an altercation with Campus Police, much to many bedbugs’ dismay. The Trinity College administration declined The Farcity’s requests for comment. The populist Bugless slate — stylized ‘đ&#x;?›ugless’ — in this year’ s UTSU elections also sparked outrage for what has been referred to as “anti-infestation rhetoric.â€? Tensions spiked when it was revealed during the second candidates’ debate that Pally Tapel, đ&#x;?›ugless candidate for Vice-President Internal, has ties to a Toronto exterminator. After continuous lobbying from bedbug activists, UTSU Vice-President Equity Him Chalao put forth a motion before the Board of Directors in January 2018, seeking to include bedbugs as part of the union’s membership. At the following meeting, President Tamhias Lemmem promised that bedbugs would be granted their own Chief Returning Insect,
and that
“supplementary efforts� would be made to reach out to bedbugs on campus. There is no evidence to suggest that either action was taken, and the UTSU did not respond to The Farcity’s requests for comment. Among those bedbugs who were willing to speak with The Farcity, the most common complaints about the UTSU elections were that there were no bedbug candidates running in any of the races, and that the majority of human candidates ran uncontested. “I am deeply disappointed by what has happened to our community this year, and Trinity and the UTSU should be ashamed of themselves,� Bugavari told The Farcity. “Especially about the U-Pass thing. That’s all most bugs cared about anyway.� Abstentions from bedbugs buoyed voter turnout to an astronomical three per cent this year — the highest ever recorded in UTSU history.