November 23, 2015

vol. cXXXvi, no. 9

T he UniversiTy

of

ToronTo’s sTUdenT newspaper since 1880

23 november 2015

• Istanbul

Stories of Syria FEATURE

TURKEY

Antalya •

Ar Raqqah •

Travelling in Antalya, Turkey for the G20 Summit last week, Michael Humeniuk wandered off the beaten path and into conversation with one of the 815,000 displaced Syrians living in Turkey. The two spoke of war, ISIS, and what it means to be stateless.

PG 12

SYRIA

• Damascus

ADMINISTRATIVE AFFAIRS

STUDENT POLITICS

STUDENT POLITICS

U of T has lost $550 million by choosing not to divest from fossil fuels, report claims

UTSU board structure confirmed at Special General Meeting

UTM students unable to Skype in to SGM

Corporate Knights uses “decarbonizer tool” to generate data JOANNIE FU VARSITY STAFF

A recent report by Corporate Knights, an organization that promotes “clean capitalism,” claims that the University of Toronto has lost over $550 million CAD by not divesting from fossil fuel firms over the course of the past three years.

“U of T is an institution that is designed to prepare students for the future and they should not be investing in companies whose business plans [are] built around making that future unliveable,” said Sam Harrison communication coordina-

tor at UofT350, a group of climate justice organizers at U of T. The application Corporate Knights used to analyse this loss is called the decarbonizer tool and allows a user to take an investment portfolio and retroactively divest it to create an alternate portfolio.

Corporate Knights ran a side-byside comparison of U of T’s portfolio, one showing its current state, and another in which the university had divested from fossil fuels. The results stated that, for the past three years, the university has been con-

Long journey to legal sistently losing money in its fossil compliance comes to a close fuel investments.

Althea Blackburn-Evans, director of news & media relations at U of T, said that the issues of divestment and investment are mutually exclusive and are being wrongfully conflated. “Decisions about whether or not the university divest[s] from a company or an industry, those are not investments, so they can’t be motivated by a company or an industry’s profitability,” BlackburnEvans said. “Divestment is focussed on essentially the university’s social responsibility in an investor, and Continued on PG 6

INSIDE #JeSuisParis

Two Varsity writers face off the social media response to this month’s attacks in France Comment PG 9

Minding what matters: Part I

We look at the role of the U of T community in improving student mental health Editorial PG 11

Where did the women go?

Exploring athletic director positions in the CIS Sports PG 21

TOM YUN

ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

After more than two years and three general meetings, the University of Toronto Students’ Union’s (UTSU) journey to ratify a new Board of Directors structure has finally concluded. With 2,076 votes in favour, 44 opposed, and one abstention, a modified version of the board structure proposal submitted by Arts & Science director Khrystyna Zhuk and University College director Daman Singh was ratified at the UTSU’s Special General Meeting (SGM), otherwise called AGM Part 2, on Wednesday November 18.

The final board structure preserves proportional representation for colleges and professional faculties. However, these directors will now be elected internally by their respective divisions. Additionally, the Arts & Science at-large directorships have been replaced by six program directors. The position of Continued on PG 3

Accessibility of UTSU meetings questioned RACHEL CHEN

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

UTM students were notably absent from the University of Toronto Students’ Union’s (UTSU) Special General Meeting (SGM), or AGM Part 2 on November 18. According to Ben Coleman, UTSU president, the union received a request from UTM to participate in the meeting via Skype. That request was received on the Monday that week, two days before the meeting.

During the SGM, the president of the Afghan Students’ Association, Madina Siddiqui, drew attention to the missing UTM contingent. Coleman responded that the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) only began to book a room for from which to Skype at 3:00 pm on the day of the SGM. “The problem with Skype was that we were not able to find any rooms,” said Naveed Ahmed, UTMSU vice-president external.

Continued on PG 3

2 NEWS

T H E VA R S I T Y

M O N DAY 23 N O V E M B E R 2 015 news@thevarsity.ca

Issue 9 Vol. CXXXVI

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Lead Fact Checkers Joannie Fu, Ujwal Ganguly, Ariel Gomes, and Sigrid Roman Copy Editors Lucas Bennett, Alexandra Grieve, Alex Howie, Arin Klein, Hilary Lo, Ainsley MacDougall, Ashita Parekh, Lauren Park, Corinne Przybyslawski, Diandra Sasongko, Marina Sotirakos, Jingyu Su, Mobolaji Tunde-Oladepo, and Gabriel Wee Designers Yash Kanabar, Jasjeet Matharu, Chantel Teng, and Laura Wang

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Cherlene Tay Business Associate Emmett Choi and Michelle Monteiro Advertising Executives The Varsity is the University of Toronto's largest student newspaper, publishing since 1880. The Varsity has a circulation of 20,000, and is published by Varsity Publications Inc. It is printed by Master Web Inc. on recycled newsprint stock.

Content © 2015 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

TH INGS NOT TO DO DUR I NG YOUR C OMMUT E A lot of us take public transit to get to campus. Here are some tips to make commuting better for everyone.

1. Don’t blast your music on speaker. Okay, your single might be dropping, but we don’t n t h ar y r r ta 2. Don’t put your backpack on the empty seat beside you. Your bag didn’t pay a fare; it doesn’t deserve a seat.

3. If you’re going to stand on the escalator, stand on the right side. You don’t need to block the left side for people who want to walk.

4. t l t th tra n r y t on. We all have time to be courteous, but we don’t have time for rudeness. You can afford to wait 10 seconds.

5. Don’t eat really good smelling food. This will cause other commuters to be jealous and nose dive toward you. Don’t eat really bad smelling food, either.

6. n t all a l n th r nn tt y matter how good of a pillow they may make, they are, in fact, not a pillow.

7. Don’t have a loud conversation. Drake’s concert last night does sound cool; a lot cooler than your conversation.

8. If you’re sitting down, don’t spread your legs and block another seat, especially if there’s someone sitting beside you. Taking up physical space doesn’t make you powerful; it makes you a jerk.

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A new Board of Directors structure for the UTSU CONTINUED FROM COVER

vice-president professional faculties has been created and the vice-president campus life is now an elected position.

A LONG ROAD TO CNCA-COMPLIANCE As a federally incorporated not-for-profit organization, the UTSU had to change its board structure in order to comply with the new regulations outlined under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act (CNCA).

The CNCA replaced the Canada Corporations Act, which previously governed the UTSU. The UTSU’s first attempt to approve a CNCA-compliant board structure proposal was at the October 2014 AGM. There was only one proposal on the agenda, and details of the proposal included the elimination of college-based directors, instead granting representation to colleges via a committee, and the introduction of directors tasked to represent issues facing various marginalized groups. The controversial proposal ultimately failed to meet the two-thirds requirement during the vote to ratify.

This year’s AGM, held on October 7, saw two competing board proposals: one moved

by Zhuk and seconded by Singh; the other moved by former UTSU vice-president external Grayce Slobodian. The Zhuk/Singh proposal included the preservation of all directors representing colleges and faculties. Various student societies as well as the UTSU Board of Directors also endorsed the proposal.

Slobodian’s proposal would have reduced the number of directors for each college and professional faculty to one, while increasing the number of UTM directors to eight and implementing ‘constituency directors’ to represent marginalized groups.

During the meeting, the Zhuk/Singh proposal beat Slobodian’s proposal in the board structure election, but did not meet the twothirds majority at the time of ratification. A modified version of the Zhuk/Singh proposal

was brought back for consideration at the November 18 SGM. The modifications included amendments that were moved from the floor at the October 7 AGM. There are now seven ‘general equity’ directors, after Jades Swadron, organizer with the Trans Inclusivity Project, amended the proposal on the floor of the AGM to include a poverty sub-commission and an additional director to chair it.

ONE LAST AMENDMENT Former Computer Science Student Union president Jonathan Webb moved an amendment during the November 18 SGM. Webb’s amendment replaced the two Arts & Science at-large directors with directors representing each of the six programs under the Faculty of Arts & Science (humanities, social science, life science, computer science, physical and mathematical science, and Rotman commerce).

“So, when you’re in first year, it’s based on your enrollment category. Whenever you apply, they ask you what you want to study and each of those come to one of six enrollment pools,” explained Webb. “And then, past that, every single degree is dumped into one of these buckets. If you’re taking a major or specialist in one of these degrees, the plan is that you’ll be able to vote for them.”

Webb clarified that the specific details on how these directors will operate still needed addressed by the UTSU’s Elections and Referenda Committee.

Some students, however, opposed Webb’s amendment. Arts & Science Students’ Union (ASSU) executive Natalie Petra said that the program directors would duplicate the representation that the ASSU already offers. “Right now, this amendment is creating double representation,” said Petra during the SGM. Petra also explained that the ASSU liaises with the UTSU vice-president university affairs and talked about the work that the course unions do.

“I don’t think that the spirit of the motion is bad. I do think that we need to consider that some people have different types of represen-

Khrystyna Zhuk votes during the UTSU’s SGM. MALLIKA MAKKAR/PHOTO EDITOR

tation and want different things out of their union. But there already is a union for this.

We don’t have to duplicate that representation and we don’t have to create that power imbalance towards Arts & Science students on the UTSU board of directors.”

However, Webb disagreed. He told The Varsity, “I think that these seats do nothing but to compliment the [ASSU]. The same argument being made against the academic seats could be said against the Arts & Science at-large seats. They effectively serve the same purpose.

We’re just dividing them up differently right now.” Ultimately, Webb’s amendment passed with 1,088 votes in favour, 182 opposed, and 942 abstentions.

Petra was disappointed by the outcome.

“Personally myself as an ASSU executive, I’m disappointed that that amendment passed and it shows me that ASSU has a lot more work to do in terms of informing students what we’re doing, in terms of advocacy.”

REACTIONS Many students left the SGM feeling relieved that the seemingly endless debate over board structures was finally over.

“I think happy is the best way to phrase it that we finally, finally got this through,” Zhuk

said upon being asked how she felt after the meeting. “There’s been so much work put into this, it’s been eight months now I think that we’ve been working on this proposal, consulting with groups, doing all of this work, to finally have it pass — absolute relief.”

Webb echoed Zhuk’s sentiments. “I think the most important thing above all — ignoring my amendment — was that the over board of directors [structure] being passed,” he said.

“Had my motion failed, I would have still voted for the overall motion. It was important that we got that passed. It’s important that we got compliant by-laws.”

UTSU president Ben Coleman told The Varsity that the union would be able to focus more on advocacy with the board structure debate now out of the way.

“There is a bunch of stuff on my wish list, like having more events that are targeted towards commuters, expanding our social justice and equity work, having more accountability cafes, so more informal spaces so students can talk to us. A lot of that kind of got pushed to the back burner because we had to get this done so now we can think about that.”

UTM largely absent from UTSU SGM CONTINUED FROM COVER

“We tried our best to talk to our office managers, talk to the conference services at UTM, asking if any rooms were available and we do have a [thread] saying that there are no rooms available from 4:30 [pm] to 10:30 [pm] at UTM. There’s no rooms that can have 80 to 100 people for a Skype session.”

Siddiqui, however, argued that there were several things wrong with the SGM in addition to the lack of UTM’s participation.

Prior to the meeting she created a Change. org petition to postpone the meeting until February. The online petition reached 150 supporters. The petition mentioned various reasons for which Siddiqui was in favour of moving the meeting, including the alleged lack of inclusivity for UTM students. With the UTMSU’s AGM just a few days before the UTSU’s SGM, the petition claimed it would be hard to ensure UTM members could make it to the SGM. “There are some really big questions around democracy and representation for students in our union given the way in which this meeting was held, and who was included or excluded,” Siddiqui said. “How is it that 500 students at UTSG and UTM — more than the number of students in attendance on Wednesday -

requested that the UTSU executive postpone the general meeting and this request was denied? How is it that a meeting was called with the express purpose of pushing a select board proposal forward that the membership had rejected a month ago?”

In addition to raising those questions, Siddiqui also called on the UTSU to empower UTM students, who she said were already disenfranchised in many ways. “It is the responsibility of the UTSU executive, as those that called this meeting, to ensure all members have access and can participate in the meeting.”

Khrystyna Zhuk, UTSU Arts & Science at-large director, and mover of the successful board proposal, said that she was not sure if UTM’s absence made a significant difference in the results.

“There has always been a lot of support from St. George students, and I think a lot more St. George students came out tonight,” Zhuk said in a post-meeting interview. “You can tell that by the votes. I think the new proxy system that we have in place has helped a lot with actually getting student involvement out.

I think all of these factors contributed to the passing of the board proposal.”

Natalie Petra, an executive with the Arts & Science Students’ Union, who also contributed to the proposal, said that UTM was

A UTM student waits to speak at the UTSU SGM. MALLIKA MAKKAR/PHOTO EDITOR

consulted in the creation process, to work in all students’ best interests.

“In terms of working together, UTM wasn’t here,” Petra said. “We really, really tried our best to get their input and their feedback on this. In sum, I would say we have to do a little more investigating as to why they weren’t here, if that was a choice or if that was a barrier they faced. In terms of community and

comprehensiveness, we did our best to consult every single group that we possibly could, from equity to colleges, to just regular students on the ground, to UTM — we really tried our best.”

The UTMSU asked that full-time UTM students who missed to meeting to contact their president with complaints on their Facebook page.

4 NEWS

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STUDENT POLITICS

e en motions pass one ails fi e motions not discussed at Meeting loses quorum, adjourns prematurely ZUJAJAH ISLAM VARSITY STAFF

Students came to discuss a number of issues at the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU) Annual General Meeting (AGM), but only eight were addressed before the meeting adjourned early.

The meeting, which began on Wednesday, November 18, lasted four hours and saw seven motions passed. One motion that would have changed the vicepresident, operations of the SCSU from an appointed to an elected position was the only motion to fail.

VP OPERATIONS: APPOINTED OR ELECTED? The most contentious resolution of the meeting was a motion to change the selection of the vice-president operations position from a hired to an elected one. SCSU president Nicole Dionisio, the mover of the motion, began the discussion. She explained that the motion was proposed because the role of the vice-president operations has transitioned from being primarily business-focused role to a more services-oriented one. Dionisio said that a full-time staff member had been hired to help monitor the SCSU’s finances and operations, leaving the vice-president operations free to focus on reaching out to students, without needing a strong financial and operational background.

However, many students questioned the feasibility of the vice-president not requiring training or background in finance or management. Students listed several of the vice-president operations’ responsibilities, including accessing all financial records and presenting the budget.

Some students worried that a ‘popularity contest’ would not suffice in ensuring the capabilities of the person appointed. Furthermore, students mentioned that the voter turnout for SCSU elections is extremely low, with less than 10 per cent of the student body participating.

Govind Mohan, the resource co-ordinator of the UTSC Young Liberals and communications executive with the UTSC Film Club, and Syed Sajeed Bakht, a second-year computer science student spoke against the motion. “The SCSU is a $5 million organization, which, in the wrong hands could face appalling consequences, even without any

malicious intent,” they later told The Varsity in a joint email.

The motion required a two-thirds majority vote to pass, which it did not meet.

SCSU did not respond to The Varsity’s request for comment.

MOTIONS CARRIED Several motions to amend the SCSU’s bylaws, including by-laws pertaining to the removal from office, committees, and executive responsibilities, all passed without much discussion. Motions for improved multi-faith space and scheduling, as well as a motion condemning the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) also passed.

The motion for a Racialized Student Collective, however, was contentious. It proposed the creation of a collective with an anti-racist mandate that would organize campaigns to combat oppressive systems, as well as provide a safe space, called the Equity Service Centre, for students to discuss their experiences.

Some students arguing against this motion were concerned about the inclusivity of the proposed space, while others worried about the opportunity cost, wondering if the space would always be active.

Those supporting the creation of this collective assured that non-racialized students wouldn’t be barred from the space and that the space in question, SL-210B, is largely under-utilized, stressing that the space would not be wasted.

Samreen Aziz argued that this space would act as a form of therapy for students. “The racialized space that the motion was referring to was to recreate a room in the Student Centre dedicated to students of ethnic minorities or

UTSC students take to the microphone at the SCSU AGM. ZUJAJAH ISLAM/THE VARSITY

of stigmatized religious background or really, any group of individuals who are facing tough times in the world,” she said, adding that the space is for “[students] who have cultural struggles between themselves and their society, who are victims to hate crimes, who feel overwhelmed by their own culture and adjusting to Canadian lifestyles, who have experienced PTSD or severe depression due to the things they or their families have experienced in war-torn countries — it is for THESE [sic] people to sit and talk to one another to relieve themselves of stress and their frustrations.”

After further discussion, the majority voted in favour of the motion.

FIVE MOTIONS NOT DISCUSSED AFTER LOSING QUORUM Five motions, those calling for Syrian refugee support, for South African solidarity, for a website update, for livestreaming the SCSU AGM, and for SCSU holding an open public forum at the end of the year, were not debated or voted upon, because the meeting lost quorum. The meeting was adjourned during discussion on the motion asking for the SCSU to donate $500 to the Syrian Refugee Crisis.

Aziz, the mover of the motion, was extremely upset. She believes that the SCSU should cap the AGM at four speakers per motion, saying, “The debates went on far too long and by the time my motion came up, it was the fifth hour and people just wanted to get up and leave — no one cared anymore.”

Aziz said that she does not blame the SCSU, remarking that the union has been extremely supportive of her campaign.

There are three options for the remaining motions: they can be moved for discussion at the next year’s AGM, the Board of Directors can call for another General Meeting this year, or the motions can be brought to the Board of Directors who would vote on them.

Aziz said that her motion will be brought to the next board meeting, where she has been told there is a high chance it will pass.

Katie Konstantopoulos, the Sociology director for the SCSU, says, “I think another General Meeting should be called, because I think these motions are too urgent or important to leave aside for a year.”

STUDENTS REACT TO THE AGM Renee Ball, president of the UTSC Young Liberals and an upper year representative for the Political Science Students Association believes that, overall, the meeting was conducted professionally and impartially.

However, she, Aziz, Mohan, and Bakht all said that the meeting began too late and ran too long. Aziz commented that students did not anticipate the meeting lasting longer than two-to-three hours, and that the executive report and financial report reading took about two hours, not leaving enough for discussion of the motions.

Konstantopoulos was satisfied with the thoroughness of the executive report. She also praised the SCSU’s explanation of Robert’s Rules of Order prior to the meeting, saying it increased students’ access to participation in the meeting. “I think these changes really cleaned up the way the meeting was conducted, based off of comparisons to previous years; simply by changing the space and providing clarity, the overall atmosphere was more positive.”

STUDENT POLITICS

ice president operations resigns Resignation leaked in email to members ZUJAJAH ISLAM VARSITY STAFF

SCSU vice-president operations resigned on October 30.

JASONPARIS/CC FLICKR

Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU) president Nicole Dionisio mistakenly attached an executive member’s letter of resignation to an email inviting UTSC students to the SCSU’s Annual General Meeting (AGM).

In the letter of resignation, Eilia Yazdanian, SCSU vice-president operations and chief financial officer, stated that he was resigning due to physical and mental health issues.

The Varsity asked when Dionisio had originally intended on announcing the resignation, and she said that she had not considered putting out an official announcement. “It’s not something that I have really thought of doing. It’s not something that’s outlined in our by-laws to do. I do intend on bringing it up at the AGM, which is a public meeting for all our members to attend,” Dionisio said.

However, Dionisio mentioned that the resignation is public information and not confidential. Commenting on the nature of the release of the information, she said, “I do know that it may not be the most comfortable

for that person. But I did, right away, as soon as I found out, I contacted the provost’s office to see if I could take back that email. I also called the Freedom of Protection Agency to see what I could do and I also contacted Eilia to see what he wanted me to do.”

With Yazdanian’s official resignation on October 30, four months before the end of his term, the SCSU will not be filling the vacancy. Rather, Dionisio will be serving interim, and the vice-president operations’ responsibilities will be divided among the other executive members.

Dionisio explained that the SCSU will not be hiring a replacement for Yazdanian due to time constraints. “[Given] the timeline right now, we are looking at a heavy period with the AGM, the elections just finishing, and the winter break coming. We are also hiring the executive director right now, so we have a lot of responsibilities currently,” she said. “Given the rest of the term is only four months, it wouldn’t be very reasonable to have that per-

son transitioned and hired in a reasonable amount of time to fully complete their term.”

The executive director, who will be taking on most of Yazdanian’s responsibilities, will be hired by early December. In the meantime, Dionisio will oversee operations and supervise the staff, while Camille Galindez, SCSU vice-president academics, will chair the services commission. The rest of the team will organize events at Rex’s Den. Responding to the concern that distributing the responsibilities might overburden the other executive members, Dionisio said that she does not believe the extra responsibilities will interfere with the team’s primary duties. “I think we’ve been working really well as a team for this whole year, and we’ve been really good at picking up where there are gaps in anything, so I don’t think that it will hinder any of us.”

As for the vice-president operations’ salary, Yazdanian will receive payment for the time he worked. The rest of the designated salary will go into the SCSU’s reserves.

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STUDENT POLITICS

outlines initiati es finances amendments rans representation lac o

oter turnout remain issues in t e union

DEVIKA DESAI AND NINA SANDHU VARSITY STAFF

Financial status, new initiatives, and services were the prime talking points at the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) Annual General Meeting (AGM). The November 12 meeting also offered an opportunity for UTM students to discuss proposed projects and potential changes to the union.

INITIATIVES AND SERVICES Some of the major achievements discussed at the AGM were the addition of a second student to the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) program, a partnership with youth employment services to help recent graduates with job prospects, the opening of UTM’s first student-run convenience store, and the first mature students’ orientation.

In the past, the WUSC program has always been able to secure a space for one refugee student at UTM, who is granted an all expenses paid four-year stay on campus.

According to Naveed Ahmed, UTMSU vice-president external, UTM succeeded in providing for a second Syrian refugee student amidst the ongoing crisis.

Amir Mozzami, UTMSU vice-president part-time affairs, spoke about the new initiative with youth employment service. He expressed that the aim was essentially to strengthen graduate students’ professional networks by connecting them with employers in their preferred industry.

Mozzami said that this was something the union has wanted to do for many years, and that the project is still in its beginning stages.

The Duck Stop, UTM’s new convenience store, has officially opened and is currently located under the UTM Multi-Faith Centre. Francesco Otello-Deluca, UTMSU vice-president internal & services, mentioned that this store sells items at prices that are student-friendly.

UTM students gather in the council chambers for the UTMSU AGM. COURTESY OF UTMSU

The union held their first mature students’ orientation this year. With over 200 students registering, Mozzami described the pilot project as a success.

Nour Alideeb, vice-president university affairs and academics, mentioned an initiative to raise student awareness on the academic policies by having student rights included on syllabi and using infographics to break down policies in an accessible way.

Some of the other services and initiatives discussed included various environmental initiatives such as farmers’ markets, community kitchens, and tree planting. International student initiatives included events such as a meet and greet and a free grocery trip service.

UTMSU FINANCES For the 2014–2015 fiscal year, the UTMSU reported a budget surplus of $271,000, bringing overall net assets to $1.4 million.

The Blind Duck, the UTMSU student pub, recorded a deficit of $32,000. Otello-Deluca attributed this shortcoming to external factors such as the strike and the implementation of new food services on campus. He believes the deficit was a one-time occurrence.

MOTIONS AND AMENDMENTS Perhaps the most significant amendment made was to remove the position of vicepresident, part-time affairs. The motion was proposed on the grounds that the UTMSU executive believed that the current representation on the executive, combined with that of the Association of Part-time Undergraduate Students (APUS) and their move to hire more staff dedicated to part-time students, was sufficient to account for the needs of their part-time student population.

Other amendments made targeted updating the UTMSU by-laws and policies as, according to Agbeyegbe, they had not been updated since 2009.

STUDENT CONCERNS In the discussion that ensued after the UTMSU executives had each delivered their reports, Jasbina Sekhon, UTMSU LGBTQ coordinator, expressed the need for additional funding to hire a trans coordinator, as well as create a trans and gender-variant student collective.

“I’m a trans person, and I feel that our students aren’t being served the way we could be served,” they remarked. Sekhon advocated for a space where students can meet and be sup-

ported and elaborated on the kinds of issues trans people face, ranging from systemic issues with staff and professors to transphobia and transmisogyny. They mentioned the existence of such a collective at other campuses including Ryerson and U of T’s St. George campus. “I want to have something for trans, non-binary, and gender diverse students who know that there is a space for this community to collectivize and grow; we need to be progressive, we need to do more for our students,” they said.

Jay Gonzalez-Tinoco, another trans student, agreed with Sekhon, furthering the argument for the need of transgender accommodations, such as gender neutral washrooms.

Another issue brought up was parking fees.

Dwayne Beckford, a first-year UTM student, asked for more regulation on the high parking prices; Mozzami mentioned that while the UTMSU acknowledges and is working on the issue, it is a difficult issue to win over due to barriers faced with authorities.

Ibrahim Bouteraa, a fifth-year UTM student studying political science, raised concerns about representation within the UTMSU, suggesting mandatory voting for UTMSU elections.

“A student union has powerful consequences on how a student experiences their four or five years at UTM. To me, picking a union is akin to picking your courses. The courses you take shape your university career; your student union just as much.”

“Student apathy means that not more than 20 per cent of UTM students have voted for the current team,” he said. “The end result is a group of people with minority opinions hijacking our union to push upon us their political and social agenda. They use the UTMSU to solve grand issues beyond their mandate, instead of solving our issues. This is the student body’s fault and because there is so much indifference, I think it should be mandatory to vote for or against a candidate or to abstain.”

“I think mandatory voting is not ideal, but it is the only way to ensure a representative UTMSU,” said Bouteraa. “I don’t think there is anything more undemocratic than a student union that represents one student in five.”

STUDENT LIFE

eXpression Against Oppression 2015: U of T’s call for social justice nnual

ig lig ts anti discrimination cele rates di ersit

onours trans

omen o colour

ANUJA KAPOOR

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Anti-discrimination bound together the events of eXpression Against Oppression (XAO) week; at the core was the idea of addressing any “ism” that creates racial, cultural, and socio-economic divides.

The University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) holds XAO every year, a series of events aimed at tackling some of the pertinent issues of social justice and equity that challenge diverse groups of students at U of T. “We are constantly witnessing the misrepresentation of minority groups and their plight,” said Sania Khan, UTSU vice-president, equity and chair of the Social Justice and Equity Commission.

A UNIFIED APPROACH TO A VARIETY OF ISSUES “It’s been really humbling to see that every single event this week has been sold out and at maximum capacity,” said Khan. “The fact

that this many people want to come out to these kinds of events [shows] that so many of the issues actually speak out to people.”

She attributes this year’s positive outcome to the collaborative effort put forth by representatives of many different groups on campus that offered to bring forward their ideas and networks to promote the event. Among the supporting groups were the Black Students’ Association, Tamil Students’ Association, and LGBTOUT. As for the events, each showcased something unique in order to facilitate discussion and raise awareness.

A performance event titled “Fuck Your Bigotry” encouraged students to celebrate diversity through artistic expressions of spoken word poetry, song, and dance. Additionally, a winter-clothing drive was organized to assist the Mishkeegogamang First Nation in northwestern Ontario, an impov-

erished community that faces the perils of colonial dispossession.

Anti-discrimination was also addressed through a discussion led by anti-black racism advocate and journalist Desmond Cole.

He spoke about the elimination of criminalization, police brutality, and underemployment within the substantive black community in Toronto.

The Solidarity with Palestine event featured a film named Roadmap to Apartheid, following an open discussion that offered students a safe space to share their thoughts. The event was supported by several campus organizations, including Students Against Israeli Apartheid.

To wrap up the week, students gathered at Queen’s Park Crescent to commemorate the Trans Day of Remembrance. The XAO event centred the experiences of trans women of colour and the disproportionate amount of violence that they suffer.

THE NEED FOR AN UNDYING MOMENTUM One of the most important parts of resistance work, Khan says, is that it remains sustainable.

Khan also said that while a week-long series of events brings the challenges that marginalized communities face to the forefront of students’ attention, such initiatives ought to continue over a longer term and throughout the year.

“The only way to achieve this is to keep our relations with various minority groups intact,” Khan continued. “In order to keep the momentum going, I think the communities that are working together within this sphere should continue to build stronger coalitions.”

6 NEWS

T H E VA R S I T Y

M O N DAY 23 N O V E M B E R 2 015 news@thevarsity.ca

STUDENT LIFE

Norm Kelly, Shawn Micallife, discuss pop culture and politics Event held as part of ASSU’s City Series

Councillor Norm Kelly schools students in how to use social media effectively. KASSANDRA NERANJAN/THE VARSITY

AMANDA GHAZALE AZIZ VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Drake may not have come to campus this year, but his Twitter-famous city councillor buddy Norm Kelly paid U of T a visit last week. Councillor Kelly made an appearance as part of Social Media and the City, the first event in the Arts & Science Students’ Union’s (ASSU) City Series, three events designed to explore what makes Toronto unique, and how to make it better.

Students gathered at New College’s William Doo Auditorium, where they talked social media, pop culture, and politics with journalist and event moderator Shawn Micallef. Micallef opened the discussion by describing Kelly’s stint as the deputy mayor of Toronto as a “calm presence in the city, who would later embrace Twitter.” Kelly gained a large Twitter following after he came out in support of Drake in his feud with Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill.

According to Kelly, his activity on Twitter began out of curiosity, with no plans to use it as an extension of his political life. “I just simply wanted to have fun. That was it,” he claimed.

Discussion of the ways in which a politician could use social media dominated the event. There is an “entrepreneurial drive out there [in social media] waiting to be released in opportunities,” said Kelly. “I think Toronto is beginning to situate itself to compete internationally for skilled people and investment money. We have the essential mass of creative young people in the city that carries us forward.”

“A lot of conversations about the city now take place on Twitter. Journalists, politicians, writers and ordinary citizens all engage in these conversations,” said Abdullah Shihipar, ASSU president. “We hope the U of T community gets a better appreciation of the issues that face our city, what we have accomplished and the challenges we face [through the City Series]. How so much happens takes place around us in the place where we live, that we may be oblivious to.”

While there were questions about Drake and the 6ix, students also grilled Kelly about his job as a councillor. When asked about his stance on ranked ballots, Kelly emphasized that he does not support ranked ballots as a voting system.

Students also used the event as a platform to air concerns about the gentrification of Toronto. One audience member brought up

the racial and socio-economic divide that has plagued Toronto over the past three decades, as noted in U of T professor J. David Hulchanski’s Three Cities report, which looked at income inequality in Toronto from 1970 to 2005. “Toronto has always been a city of immigrants,” said Kelly, adding that, “the research shows that the longer you stay, and the longer you’re here, the more your income goes up.”

Toronto may have ambitions to become more of a creative city by using social media, but there are issues that surround citizens who identify in minority groups that still need addressing. How social media can bridge those experiences to help Toronto become a sustainably equitable city was the question to which many audience members left the event without an answer.

Norm Kelly’s tips for Twitter 1.

Stir the pot — get a reaction

2. Write tweets that tickles the spot — be humorous!

3. Inform — use Twitter for an educational purpose 4. Know your audience — consider who is going to listen to you, and who will be impacted

Pressure mounts on U of T to divest from fossil fuels CONTINUED FROM COVER

then its response to activities or behaviours that may cause social injuries.”

When asked about the particular investments made, Blackburn-Evans said, “what [Corporate Knights is] basically saying is the university has lost a lot of money. I can’t confirm or deny that the university lost that money. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but that’s about an investment decision right? It’s not about a divestment decision, so they’re making an argument that if the university had made a different investment decision perhaps they wouldn’t have lost this money?”

Harrison countered, “It is possible that [U of T] could divest from fossil fuels and then not use the money for anything else. That is highly unlikely. [We’re asking for the university to] divest from the 200 fossil fuel companies [and] if they do that they’re going to have a bunch of new money that they’re going to want to invest in something else.”

Harrison claimed that, while methodology used in producing these results may vary, the conclusion is clear that by investing in climate change the university is losing large sums of money that could have been used elsewhere.

Although he declined to speculate on the upcoming committee decision on whether or not to divest from fossil fuel firms, Harrison did note that if U of T went ahead with divestment, it would be a “brave” decision. “A lot of universities have not been divesting largely for reasons that are not credible and have been debunked,” he said.

Many other universities in North America have also been facing the same issues that arise from this heated debate. Universities such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have decided not to divest and instead have agreed to spend around $300 million USD in

the course of the next five years to research climate change and technology, developing “low-carbon energy centres” to produce sustainable energy. Universities in Canada such as Dalhousie and McGill have decided to be active as shareholders in the company.

Harrison, however, did not believe in the feasibility of what he called “shareholder activism.” He emphasized a need for U of T to go against the grain of Canadian universities and take a step outside the comfort zone of academic research.

So far, this issue has taken root among both students and faculty members. Lila Asher, another member of UofT350, organized a march in late October. “It’s upsetting that U of T still trusts fossil fuel companies with its money. These companies are irresponsible: they ignore climate science and can’t even turn a profit for student programs at this university,” said Asher in a press release.

On a global scale, climate change has become an increasingly popular issue. From November 30 to December 11, 2015, delegates to the Paris Climate Change Conference will discuss the urgency of climate change and the devastation that it has caused in multiple parts of the world, as well as further damage that could be done. Due to the alarming nature of climate change, a new global agreement is on the table to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for which the commitments will expire in 2020.

Harrison claimed that this should be reason enough to encourage fossil fuel divestment.

“Academics aren’t usually big fans of big symbolic statements, but in lead up to one of the most important UN climate conferences ever there’s never been a more important time to have big symbolic statements.”

With files from Iris Robin

Students unite in front of Simcoe Hall urging U of T to divest from fossil fuels. COURTESY MILAN ILNYCKYJ

M O N DAY 23 N O V E M B E R 2 015

T H E VA R S I T Y

NEWS 7

var.st/news

PROVINCIAL POLITICS

U of T community members skeptical about Ontario’s decision to eliminate “arbitrary” carding Future of carding and institutional concerns not addressed in banning of practice ZUJAJAH ISLAM VARSITY STAFF

Yasir Naqvi, Ontario’s minister of community safety and correctional services announced his intent to ban “random and arbitrary carding.”

Community groups and activists have long been pressuring the government to eliminate this practice.

Carding, which has been described as “community engagement” by Toronto’s police force, is seen as a racist policy by many. It allows police to interrogate people without clear indication that they have committed a crime.

“These new draft regulations are a long awaited step in the right direction by those in positions of power, however we still have a very long way to go,” says Hashim Yussuf, a UTMSU Board of Directors member who also sits on the Toronto Police Advisory Committee for Review.

Meaghan Gray, spokesperson for the Toronto Police Service, spoke in support of intelligence-led carding. “The benefits… not only assist police with identifying and arresting offenders but also help to exonerate innocent people who may otherwise be suspects of a crime.” She emphasized, however, that the Toronto Police Service sees arbitrary carding that is not intelligence-led but motivated by prejudice as “unacceptable.”

DISSECTING THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT’S DECISION Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, a former PhD candidate at U of T with specialization in race and policing in Toronto, told The Varsity that the government’s recent decision to end arbitrary carding does not mean that carding has been banned entirely. “‘Arbitrary’ use of the

JULIEN BALBONTIN/ILLUSTRATION EDITOR

practice is to cease. What that looks like in practice is yet to be seen.”

Yussuf echoed Owusu-Bempah’s sentiments: “just because there is a law saying that a cop can’t randomly card someone, doesn’t stop the cop from making up a fake reason and continuing,” he said.

Yussuf further stated that he does not believe that regulating carding, which the government has proposed, is the right approach. “The provincial government had to do something and change the environment or the perceptions around it. Politics is all about keeping a good face even if that means making changes that don’t really matter.” Activists such as Yussuf and those associated with the Black Lives Matter movement are not satisfied with the regulation of carding and

advocate for the elimination of the practice in its entirety.

Jessica Kirk, Scarborough Campus Students’ Union’s (SCSU) vice-president equity, is also skeptical about the effectiveness of the government’s new regulations on carding. “Eliminating [arbitrary] carding without a more wholehearted approach to addressing the underlying issues like racial profiling is like putting a small Band-Aid on an open wound.”

Gray outlined the ways Toronto Police Services has worked to address racial profiling.

“Like everyone else, police officers have biases.

We train our officers to recognize and manage these biases. Having these biases does not equate to racial profiling; acting on them does.

When that happens, the service holds those members accountable for their actions.”

U OF T’S RELATIONSHIP TO CARDING AND RACIAL PROFILING Kirk described how U of T students have been affected by carding. “Students have spoken to me about numerous accounts of racial profiling, carding, and hostile interactions with the police. All students who have spoken to me were black themselves, or have spoken to me about being carded when among a group of friends who are black.”

Seeing the effect carding and racial profiling has on the U of T community, Owusu-Bempah said that he strongly encourages student engagement, and Kirk mentioned that the SCSU continues to actively support the grassroots organization Black Lives Matter Toronto.

Yussuf also believes that U of T should play a strong role in fighting racial discrimination in the police force, suggesting ways the U of T community can become involved. “As the premier university in Canada, our university can provide lots of academic research into creating new policies for the government and police. The university can invest its resources into giving folks like Black Lives Matter Toronto a voice to organize and educate… The students and population of the university just needs to hold the administration and top decision makers accountable, if we want to see change that is.”

While Ontario’s alters the practice of carding, U of T, Toronto’s academics, activists, and students remain wary when considering the new regulations as a solution to a deeper race issue. “Don’t get me wrong,” Owusu-Bempah said “things have changed, but much still stays the same.”

UNIVERSITY RENOVATIONS

Robarts cherry blossoms to temporarily relocate Removal accommodates construction project AHMED-ZAKI HAGAR VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

In preparation for the Robarts Common construction project, the beloved cherry blossom trees behind the library will be leaving their home temporarily. PAO Horticultural, a nursery located in Hornby, Ontario will relocate and replant the 32 trees that surround the library. This project began on November 12.

The trees were a gift from the ConsulateGeneral of Japan in Toronto, planted on October 12, 2005. The gift was part of the Sakura Project, an initiative to strengthen diplomatic ties between Canada and Japan that spanned from 2000 to 2012. Within that time, 3,082 trees were planted in 58 locations across Ontario,paid for with about $83,000 from public and private donations.

Both UTSG and UTSC were gifted with the cherry trees.

Jesse Carliner, acting communications librarian, said that the temporary removal of the trees is intended to sustain a long-term preservation. “Currently, the trees are crowded and competing for light and nutrients,” he explained. “In order to ensure their health and longevity so that future generations may enjoy them, the trees will be spaced farther apart when they are replanted.”

According to Carliner, the trees will return to Robarts by 2018 once the landscape project

Cherry blossoms have a lifespan of between 4-10 days. ERIC PARKER/CC FLICKR

has been completed. He did confirm that the number of trees planted at Robarts after the construction work will stay the same.

The construction occurring at Robarts is the second phase of an expansion project that has been in the works for years, although the details have changed and been reworked throughout the years. The $74 million project aims to alter Robarts’ looming, brutalist facade. The first phase focused on improving

the quality of study spaces and implementing new infrastructure.

The upcoming construction project will include an additional 1,222 study spaces to accommodate the growing student body, bringing the total number of study spaces to 6,027.

The face of Robarts will soon become the Robarts Common, a five-storey glass pavilion facing Huron Street. The project, headed by Diamond Schmitt Architects,

is expected to be completed during the 2017–2018 academic year.

“With the cherry blossoms unavailable for the upcoming spring, Robarts will be missing what is seen as an “annual U of T tradition,” said Carliner.

This is a sentiment echoed by Sarah Fellows, a first-year English student, who feels that taking the trees away amounts to taking away a part of Robarts. Fellows expressed that the trees acted as a great destresser and a great option for those who wanted to study outside.

Darren Cheng, a fourth-year neuroscience student, said that he has faith in the administration’s goals for the construction. He articulated that so long as the additions are designed with the students’ well-being in mind, he is okay with them. Cheng expressed a hope that the additons will improve the space.

“Photographs of the Robarts Library cherry trees in bloom are a social media phenomenon,” remarked Carliner. “I can’t think of many study or work breaks better than taking a walk or sitting on a bench underneath the cherry blossoms. Beyond U of T, the cherry blossoms also bring a lot of joy to the greater Toronto community.”

8 NEWS

T H E VA R S I T Y

M O N DAY 23 N O V E M B E R 2 015 news@thevarsity.ca

STUDENT LIFE

University of Toronto graduate receives $90,000 from three dragons Noureddin Chahrour wins big on TV show Dragons’ Den

PHOTO COURTESY OF NOUREDDIN CHAHROUR

EMMA COMPEAU VARSITY STAFF

U of T graduate Noureddin Chahrour has received $90,000 from the popular Canadian reality show Dragons’ Den. On the show, entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to a panel of venture capitalists — the “dragons” — in the hope of securing their investment. Chahrour will put the money towards his

company, Adrenalease.

Chahrour, a kinesiology student, spent much of his time at U of T hunched over while studying. Like many other students, he subsequently developed bad posture and back pain. Any effort that he made to relieve the pain was of no use; he found that stretching exercises didn’t offer much relief. After consulting with physicians, Chahrour learned that back braces would actually worsen the situation as the retractive position would force his muscles into relying on the brace, which would ultimately weaken his back. This led Chahrour to a ‘eureka’ moment, and Adrenalease was born.

According to Chahrour, Adrenalease is where “fashion meets ergonomics” in the form of an adjustable line of fitness clothing that holds the wearer in an optimal posture position. By pulling back on the shoulders, the shirt aims to also improve patterns of breathing while exercising. After developing the idea, Chahrour consulted with kinesiology professors Margaret MacNeill and Jack Goodman, who supported his idea and encouraged him to develop a business.

Goodman, Chahrour’s former professor and supervisor during his

research project, said that Chahrour is “really the author of his own success.” Goodman emphasized the importance of not selling faulty ideas of merchandise, and ensured that Chahrour’s design was built on accurate research findings.

MacNeil agreed with Goodman’s sentiments and expressed her excitement at seeing Chahrour’s project come to fruition. “[Noureddin Chahrour] roared into my health com class in FKPE two years ago and used assignments to get students to improve their posture with a mobile phone-based health campaign (while showcasing a shirt he thought might also pull their posture up),” MacNeill said, calling him the “posture whisperer.”

MacNeill further remarked that Chahrour was an excellent health science student, “one who embraced all areas of science to solve a problem in a complex manner linking cell to society.”

“His inventor’s intuition, entrepreneurial spirit and health educator soul has coalesced into a wearable technology helping both Olympic athletes and aging [professors] curled over their computers.”

Following the development of Adrenalease, Chahrour auditioned for Dragons’ Den in an

attempt to gain attention and snowball the product. He was accepted to appear on the show on April 13, just one day before one of his final exams at U of T, where he graduated in 2015 with an honours degree in kinesiology.

The episode featuring Chahrour aired on November 18 and showed Chahrour receiving three offers from four dragons, valuing the company as high as $500,000. Chahrour accepted bids from dragons Mangit Minhas, Michelle Romanow, and Jim Treliving amounting to $90,000 for 30 per cent of the company. Chahrour said he landed on the decision because of Treliving’s connections with the NHL and his enthusiasm following missing out on a bid for compression shorts which later were sold to Under Armour for $10 million.

Today, Chahrour works with the Impact Centre at the University of Toronto, where he receives guidance on leading his company and guiding its growth, learning about everything from mentors to business advisors and marketing plans.

The Impact Centre also provides an office space for Adrenalease to conduct its work at the moment.

Together with three interns, Adrenalease soon plans to release a sports

bra that is the first of its kind with adjustable straps and patented ergonomic technology.

When asked about advice for other entrepreneurial-minded students, Chahrour recommended that students who are interested in entrepreneurship start with a topic that they are passionate about and get involved with an accelerator program when they develop a good idea.

Instead of reinventing the wheel, Chahrour advised that students find something that exists and perfect it, as niche markets can offer room for significant growth. Chahrour also suggested developing a canvas model and business plan as well as a sales strategy when embarking on an entrepreneurial venture.

When asked about what the future has in store, Chahrour said, “I was born and raised as an entrepreneur. I love what I’m doing, I don’t have a boss telling me what to do and where to go. I can make my own decisions and own hours, I love that about my job and I love everything that has to do with it… even if I get a multi-million dollar offer and sell this, I will stay in the field of entrepreneurship.”

A UNIQUE JOB. AN ICONIC LOCATION. AN UNFORGETTABLE SUMMER. MER.

Become a PARLIAMENTARY GUIDE Applications due January 15, 2016 This summer, be part of the action at the Parliament of Canada.

Find out more and apply online at

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COMMENT var.st/comment

23 November 2015

comment@thevarsity.ca

Two perspectives on reactions to the Paris attacks

WENDY GU/THE VARSITY

Why I will not change my profile picture for France

The false equivocation of the Paris and Beirut attacks

AVNEET SHARMA

JEFFERY CHEN

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Since the tragedies in Paris on November 13, the world has turned blue, white, and red.

Toronto, London, New York, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, and Mumbai are among the many cities across the globe that have adorned their landmarks and architecture with France’s national colours. The Internet has also taken to showing solidarity with France, the most notable example being Facebook’s new feature that overlays user's profile pictures with the colours of the French flag.

While I support the people of Paris, and feel grief and sorrow for those affected by the attacks, I refuse to change my Facebook profile picture to the French flag, and so should other students.

Mumbai, a major city in India, was the site of a similar terrorist attack seven years ago.

I remember my father and I being glued to the television back then, watching NDTV ’s coverage of these events.

Turning to a Canadian news network days later, however, I found that there was a surprising lack of media attention paid to the Mumbai attacks. In fact, contrary to the 24hour news cycle that Paris received, Mumbai was reduced to a mere footnote in the news hour. Even today, it is unbelievable how many people I’ve encountered who had no idea that the attacks on Mumbai took place, especially considering that this was an event that was strikingly similar to what happened in Paris.

Unfortunately, our media gives more attention to events that occur in developed countries with a white majority — there is a hierarchy of tragedy. With the coverage of the Paris attacks at the forefront, we do not give the same attention to the bombings that claimed 43 lives in Beirut and 26 lives in Baghdad, which took place within the same 24 hours as the attacks in Paris. We also did not extend the same recognition to the attacks in Ankara that caused 103 casualties last month, just as we did

not recognize to the attacks in Mumbai that claimed 172 lives seven years ago.

Network news corporations are paid by viewership and readership. Therefore, they choose to broadcast what they believe Canadians want to see. As students, we are the future Canadian majority; we are at the edge of the 18-49 age demographic that networks strive to reach. In order to dismantle this hierarchy of tragedies in our news coverage, we must be vocal about our interest in global events.

Instead, we change our profile pictures to the French flag and create posts stating how shocked and grief-stricken we are in reaction to the Paris attacks. Then we have the audacity to talk about how we care about the well-being of the world. If we claim to stand in solidarity with the world and we use profile pictures to reflect that, we would be required to change our profile pictures daily to the flags of different countries affected by global tragedies — in reality, sometimes multiple countries at the same time.

U of T students can bring attention to these other omitted events using our most effective tools: the share button, the retweet button, and the reblog button. Using social media to share news is an effective way to communicate and spread global awareness.

Of course, the events in Paris must be covered, discussed, and contemplated. It is especially important that students do this, as our views, opinions, and beliefs will affect the future of Canada and the world. But we must also extend this courtesy to Beirut, Baghdad, and Ankara. We owe it to all of these places, and we certainly owed it to Mumbai seven years ago.

If U of T students stand for peace and stand in solidarity with the world, then we must break free of white-centric news distribution. We must not see the world in blue, white, and red.

Avneet Sharma is a first-year student at Trinity College studying English and cinema studies.

VARSITY STAFF

There has been an outpouring of grief and support for Paris over the past week. In light of this, a myriad of articles have been circulated with titles like “What about Beirut?” In no way does a Parisian's life hold more value than that of a Beirut citizen. Yet, the attacks themselves hold markedly different meanings.

All human lives have the same intrinsic worth. However, a dogmatic belief in equality at the expense of reason, an understanding of human nature, and pragmatism are misguided ways of addressing these terrorist attacks.

It is in our nature to feel more empathy towards things close to us and to things with which we are familiar. Paris is a more populous and cosmopolitan city than Beirut, and occupies a more important place in global finance, culture, and politics. Paris has large communities from all across the world, be they Tunisian, Chinese, or American. It is thus more likely for someone, wherever they live, to have a closer connection with Paris than with Beirut, whether through business deals, past travel, or friends and family.

However, it is also important to note that Beirut is among the most cosmopolitan and prosperous cities in the Middle East, known for many years before the Lebanese civil war as the 'Paris of the Middle East.'

Beirut does not seem to have the same symbolic importance to the west as Paris does for some. Our nationalist conceptions of ourselves, be it Canadian, Lebanese, or Syrian, could originate with the French Revolution.

Western values are built upon the bedrock of liberté, égalité, fraternité. The US has an es-

pecially close relationship with France, who helped them in their war of independence and built one of America’s more iconic landmarks: the Statue of Liberty. Paris and our associations with it gain even greater symbolic importance when the enemy’s declared goal is its hatred of western ideas and values.

The differing nature of the attacks also played an important role in their coverage in the media. Whereas the Beirut attacks were twin suicide bombings, that occurred within a short distance and short time span of one another, the Paris attacks were spread out over different locations, and occurred over the span of several hours, during which the police, military, and media had time to cover and investigate the situation. Media coverage and Facebook’s decision to activate its safety check option were responses to the constant evolution of the situation in Paris rather than the instantaneous deaths of the Beirut bombings or the crashed Russian airliner last month.

The basic charge that we have failed to cover the Beirut attacks does not hold under close scrutiny. We pray for Paris not because we care or empathize more about the lives of its people, but because of its symbolic importance. The victims of Beirut should be remembered, but it is undeniable that the Beirut attacks themselves make a less potent rallying cry for our war against the Islamic State than Paris.

Jeffery Chen is a third-year student at Trinity College studying English and European studies.

His column appears every two weeks.

#JeSuisParis

10 COMMENT

T H E VA R S I T Y

M O N DAY 23 N O V E M B E R 2 015 comment@thevarsity.ca

Shackled to the free market ooming ratification o t e rans acific artners ip s ould e a cause or concern MALONE MULLIN VARSITY STAFF

The term ‘free trade’ commonly alludes to an idealized picture of the world. Bustling and bountiful, everyone is a winner in the liberal marketplace: firms profit, states rake in the tax dollars, and citizens are cheerily employed. But the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), hailed by negotiators as the “trade deal of a generation,” provides a dark glimpse of the other side of the coin.

Often portrayed as a benevolent pledge towards mutual prosperity, the 5,000-plus-page agreement is poised to change the way Canada negotiates with foreign investors. Certainly, for these partners, the TPP is good for business. But if you don’t hold shares in Goldman Sachs, the emerging changes will hurt you.

Indeed, journalist Chris Hedges flatly called the deal a means of “corporate enslavement,” and civil rights groups throughout the Pacific region echo his sentiment. Even Blackberry’s old co-CEO Jim Balsillie condemned the deal as the "worst thing in policy that Canada’s ever done," albeit if only for monetary reasons.

Privatization looks to threaten public services like healthcare and education, environmental regulations will be effectively neutralized, prices for basic goods will surge, and low wages will proliferate. Under the deal, businesses involved in foreign markets gain legal protection, freeing them from the usual risks of direct investment in other countries.

In theory, this should fuel the economy, adding jobs to the market and tax revenue to the common trough.

Alas, the caveat: if a member country changes its laws in such a way that impedes business as usual — say, by implementing environmental or labour regulations that dig into an investor’s anticipated revenue — that company has a ‘right’ to demand reimbursement.

As a result, it becomes more lucrative for firms

WENDY GU/THE VARSITY

to invest and settle anywhere a profit can be turned, but it also poses a threat to national sovereignty, tying the hands of governments who are simply trying to keep their budgets in the black. This condition is aggravated by the fact that only corporations can sue. Essentially, it is thinly veiled extortion as reasonable, market-stimulating incentive.

When conflict occurs between legislation and corporate profit projection, the case goes before a tribunal. The adjudication process, called an investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), occurs through private channels: corporations hire prosecutors to make their case in front of an ad hoc panel not beholden to any government. Furthermore, the TPP appears to leave the floor wide open for corporate lobbyists to beat a panel into submission, entitling third parties to attend hearings and interject as they please.

Ripe is the potential for abuse. ISDS cases have wreaked havoc on national economies

since the first lawsuit in 1959. A Guardian feature last summer outlined some of these atrocities, noting a successful claim by the French corporation Vivendi after the Argentinian government attempted to limit the price the corporation charged for fresh water. Argentina, in the end, was forced to pay more than $100 million US in restitution.

In another case, a tribunal affiliated with the World Bank ordered Venezuela to pay $1.77 billion to Exxon Mobil after the government attempted to nationalize the oil industry. And perhaps most abhorrently, when Ecuador broke a contract with American oil company Occidental Petroleum, it was ordered to pay $1.8 billion to make up for the firm’s profit losses.

These examples, though shocking, are not exceptional — the UN cites 608 ISDS cases worldwide since 1987, listing a disconcerting number of settlements or rulings in favour of the investor. The outcomes are often so nasty

that even The Economist took note when it commented on ISDS practices last fall, stating bleakly that though the methodology intended to “encourage foreign investment by protecting investors from discrimination or expropriation… the implementation of this laudable idea has been disastrous.”

Aside from granting corporations the right to challenge laws, the TPP also contains a clause permitting firms to have a say in creating legislation in the first place, as The Tyee reported last week. This privileges corporate agendas, causing a clear threat to anybody else trying to make change in the world.

Environmental activists, labour and human rights advocates, journalists, academics, and researchers spring to mind as those most likely to be silenced or compromised. A government under financial intimidation is not incentivized to give these groups easy access to sensitive information, or to disclose data that might damage corporate profitmaking.

As the TPP stands to be ratified by Parliament in the coming weeks, there is a chance that the treaty’s more ominous components may be tempered. To the Liberal Party’s credit, international trade minister Chrystia Freeland has publicly stated her openness towards receiving comments from citizens and reviewing the text. Given that many students are her constituents as residents of University-Rosedale district, it is especially prudent for us to express our hesitation or distaste with the TPP. But apart from rejecting the deal altogether, it looks as if legislative action is powerless to stop the TPP — no amount of amending will offset the powers granted to big business. As it stands, signing off on the deal means signing up for rule by the richest few.

Malone Mullin is a fifth-year student studying philosophy. Her column appears every three weeks.

The link between environmentalism and indigenous rights In the face of government apathy, students should rally against environmental racism LILY CHEN

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

It’s hard to imagine a block of chemical plants mere kilometres from the University of Toronto campus or near our homes. And yet, about a three-hour drive away, Aamjiwnaang First Nation is surrounded on three sides by Canada’s largest concentration of petrochemical refineries.

While our provincial government is beginning to mitigate environmental damage and cleanup efforts are taking place, chemicals are still being passed down from generation to generation in Aamjiwnaang First Nation. In fact, many Indigenous communities bear the brunt of the environmental degradation left by economic activity. Pollution from gold mines, for example, remains a significant problem for Northern Ontario reserves as many First Nations deal with widespread poverty.

The prevalence of third world living conditions across First Nations signals a failure within our democracy. This is because environmental racism impedes economic development on reserves, and silences Indigenous voices. In turn, this is facilitated by our ignorance and sanctioned by our apathy; there exists an imperative to cement Indigenous issues in public discourse vis-à-vis growing environmental threats.

Dave Mowat, community consultation specialist of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation, recalls that substantial environmental damage emerged when First Nations lost power over their lands through the Indian Act. As Indigenous communities were relocated to substandard housing areas and lost the authority to constrain the exploitation of their lands, Mowat explains, settlers dumped detergents into fishing rivers, altered the landscape by damming rivers, and destroyed spawning beds, and degraded soils through lumbering. Poor septic infastructure also rendered water undrinkable.

Just as environmental degradation, assimilation attempts, and forced relocation undermined Indigenous food security and lifestyles in the past, infringement of Indigenous and treaty rights by federal and provincial legislation continues in the present.

The legal ramifications of Ontario’s failure to consult First Nations on the sale of Hydro One, which runs through Indigenous territories, remain uncertain. Still, pipeline giant Enbridge’s proposals to reactivate a leak-prone pipeline near Aamjiwnaang First Nation, and to construct the Northern Gateway Pipeline, have generated significant resistance. This is because the designated path of the Northern Gateway Pipeline traverses across unceded

Indigenous territories. Fears that environmental damage from such a project will exacerbate food insecurity, disease and other pollution-related ailments lie at the root of Indigenous peoples' distress.

As environmental degradation and food insecurity stifle the human capital development necessary for sustainable economic growth, insufficient growth perpetuates poor living conditions and dependency on government funding. Governmental capacity to threaten the withdrawal of their support consequently ensures eventual compliance from First Nations. And as Indigenous bargaining power is rendered ineffectual, Indigenous voices remain thin and easily suffocated by the hands of government.

While poor economic development forces Indigenous dependency on governmental funding, this very dependency preserves the power imbalances that allow for governmental negligence towards of environmental problems, which culminate in poverty and financial insecurity.

Indigenous peoples in Canada will likely continue bearing the brunt of environmental degradation if ignorance and apathy towards their struggles remain commonplace. With centuries of environmental concerns still unresolved, the imperative to cement a place for

such issues on the political agenda only grows.

This imperative for action lies with our generation as the zeitgeist of our times provides us with both the tools and mindset to push for change. Advancements in information technology and the advent of social media permit widespread dissemination of information and have even catalyzed social movements.

As such, setting up a Google newsfeed for Indigenous issues and sharing interesting articles on Facebook are simple ways to promote support for Indigenous struggles.

The Assembly of First Nations website also provides useful information about relevant issues from the perspective of Indigenous peoples, while university organizations like the Aboriginal Studies Students’ Union and UofT350 can facilitate the development of ideas concerning First Nations and the environment. The keys are action and exchange.

Ignorance and apathy do not simply facilitate the vicious cycle ensnaring Indigenous communities, they sanction potentially catostrophic decisions. As chemical valley continues to pump toxins into the surrounding environment, the ignorance of the Canadian government towards protests, and the continued pervasiveness of deadly ailments in the Aamjiwnaang First Nation, demonstrate just one example of environmental racism.

var.st/editorial

EDITORIAL 23 November 2015

Minding what matters: Part I

editorial@thevarsity.ca

LETTERS TO

THE EDITOR

SIMONE SANTERRE/THE VARSITY

I

N 2013, The Toronto Star published the results of a study conducted by the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services measuring the mental health of more than 30,000 students at 34 colleges and universities across the country. Eighty-nine per cent of the participants felt “overwhelmed by all they had to do" and 86.9 per cent reported feeling “overwhelming anxiety." Terrifyingly, nearly 10 per cent of those surveyed had “seriously considered suicide”. Over the past several years, society’s understanding of mental health has dramatically expanded to incorporate a wide range of innovative approaches to treatment and prevention.. Much of this work has been developed on university campuses. In an effort to measure this progress, as well as analyze where we as a post-secondary educational community can still do more The Varsity's Editorial Board has elected to publish a three-part series on mental health on campus. This is its first installment.

THE COMMUNITY One of U of T’s more attractive and marketable features has been its central location within a major urban setting. Many students appreciate and seek out a metropolitan experience when they first leave home; others were raised in the city and want to stay.

The chief attraction of cities has always been opportunity — whether it be for wealth, culture, fame, or anonymity. Yet, the high population density and constant business of urban living has been linked with increased stress. This, in turn, can negatively affect a person's mental health and well-being. Indeed, one meta-analysis showed that urban dwellers have a 21 per cent higher risk of developing anxiety disorders, and a 39 per cent higher risk of developing mood disorders.

Toronto, as Canada’s largest city, seems to be a particularly acute site of urban stress. This year, StatsCan published a study titled “How’s Life in the City? Life Satisfaction Across Census Metropolitan Areas and Economic Regions in Canada” with an aim towards quantifying life satisfaction among the citizens of Canada’s various urban centres. Toronto ranked second to last in almost every aspect of the study’s measurements.

As students living and working in Toronto, we are all affected by this urban environment, The culture and pace of the city seep through the porous barriers separating the campus from everything else, manifesting in the seemingly non-stop motion of student life. A heightened awareness of our mental health, then, is both especially imperative and frustratingly elusive.

In addition to the stresses of urban existence, U of T students are also subjected to the considerable reputational weight of the institution that fosters the community itself. U of T is what many people consider to be a ‘hard school'. The university has come to prominence on the backs of its hardworking students. Our particular brand of excellence is constantly mirrored back at us: through the university’s promotional materials, its ancient buildings bearing names like Frye and Galbraith, and often the pages of this newspaper. This complex is one of the major reasons many of us enrolled here in the first place, and something we often take pride in.

While this brand is responsible for many of our community members’ outstanding achievements, it has the dangerous potential to descend into hyper-competitive elitism. As we work to shoulder our own ambitions and the university’s clout the crucial practice of self care too often takes a back seat.

In fact, stress, anxiety, and sleep deprivation are sometimes celebrated as badges of honour, an apparent testament to dedicated studying and a full schedule. We are all familiar with the Robarts all-nighter and the characteristic stomach ache of over caffeination. Despite their harm, these behaviours and habits have become normalized in student culture and are perpetuated by an implicitly competitive and ambitious community — they are just part of being here.

The way that conversations about these proclivities on campus are often tainted with a certain braggadocio is extremely harmful and needs to be rolled back. Especially as exams approach, it is vital to foster a community that understands that the success we all crave cannot come without health — both mental and physical.

Many groups on campus have already recognized this problem and are working against it. Whether it is a student union or club spreading awareness throughout the year, making space and time for students to destress, or actively lobbying the institution to improve its’ services, there is a movement forming. These people are the innovators, but their success will be hamstrung unless the greater community changes the way it interacts and perpetuates attitudes among its members.

Not one among us is superhuman; we all need sleep, food, exercise, and support to maintain general wellbeing and achieve the things we are capable of. It is time for us to come together as a community and root out the poisonous influence we impart on one another when we normalize unhealthy behaviour, and in its place foster a culture of mutual support. Only then will we be more effective in tackling issues of mental health in other arenas.

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

Re: Students say “yes” to fall reading week “Students voted for the idea of Fall Reading Week without getting the details of it. Orientation is going to start before Labour Day and end on a Wednesday?

Classes will start Thursday... or Wednesday? Orientation on the weekend of Labour Day? When the details come out concretely will the students be impressed...”

— Pawel Stech (from web) Re: Campus revitalization promotes one-sided history “The landscape architects that provided these whitewashed renders have nothing to do with the university, its history, or its vision. Perhaps your piece really ought to explore the structural racism of stock images in render software.

If an architectural firm were yet chosen and a design finalized, it would be more than appropriate to protest a lack of tribute to the Mississauga people if one such lack were to exist. In such a case, a comment from a First Nations leader on the matter would be truly valuable; your hyperbole is not.

Finally, your reaction to the university's heritage is simply bizarre.

At best, you seem to suggest that we dismiss the history of U of T, it inevitably being a history of sexism and other products of its socially backwards times. At worst, it seems you think that the university’s next landscape project should hold itself accountable for colonialism, or not exist at all.

How ironic that your simplistic retrospection derides the erasure of history, but ends up attempting the exact same thing, all the while demanding atonement in all the wrong places.”

— David Smith (from web) Re: Sometimes a stable majority is a good thing “Your article fell flat when I read "In a time when Canada is entering a recession, it is questionable at best why a socially progressive party like the NDP would recommend austerity measures. " I really hope you don't HONESTLY believe that to be the case. You have some learning to do.”

— Alexander Racicot (from web) Re: What students can learn from conservatism “There are certain facets of conservatism that I admire; particularly, that one should proceed on decisions based on empirical evidence,

which I wholeheartedly support as both a liberal and a science student.

Considering this, it should be pointed out that not all of the conservative values highlighted in this article are shared among conservatives, and neither are they exclusive to conservatives.

Indeed, there are enough people that form both camps of both sides that it becomes apparent that this is not merely a liberal/conservative disjoint, but an ignorance vs open-minded issue. It is incorrect to say that one ideology holds the monopoly on following evidence, and this is brought into full light considering the role of Stephen Harper in this election.

The initial image of this article, stating that "...it's not all about Harper...", is not correct. The Conservative majority resulted in decisions that were made without empirical evidence, or incremental adjustments, and certainly without proper recognition of the side effects of their decisions.

In this election, it really was all about Harper. I'm truly sorry that the Conservatives supported someone who didn't represent their ideology in the way they intended.

Let's not call the kettle black when the pot had already jumped on its ideological bandwagon.”

— Garnet Shredder (from web) Re: Art vs. science “He’s absolutely right. People shouldn't limit themselves their field, this is knowledge that should be in the public consciousness.

But I have to say, "Art vs. science" is not the right title. It feeds into that bizarre mentality that it has to be one or the other, which it doesn't, which is what this whole article is about.”

— Benjamin Ghan (from web) Re: Pro-choice? Speak up I would argue that the reason there are not a lot of "pro-choice activists" on campus combatting the pro-life activists is that we are simply practicing what we preach. Though I do not believe that spreading misinformation, as some of the pro-life campaigns do, is ever a good thing, I will not spend my time fighting others over their choice when my stance is that everyone has the freedom of choice, misinformed, or not. (Note: Many pro-lifers are very well informed and deliver solid arguments. Abortion is a moral grey area; there are no right answers and therefore no personal choice is wrong for that person.)

— Temulun Bagen (from web)

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

Content warning: graphic descriptions of violence

“I STARTED COUNTING MY FAMILY: MY BROTHERS, MY SISTER, MY MOTHER, ALL MY FAMILY. IN THIS MOMENT, IT IS ONLY A MOMENT. BUT IN THIS SECOND, YOUR MIND STOPS: THERE IS NO TIME.”

I

A M INTRODUCED TO KHALIL at a restaurant in the old city of Antalya, Turkey.

My Airbnb host, Yunus, graciously made the introduction, after I expressed interest in meeting displaced Syrians, and hearing their stories firsthand.

I am in Antalya for three days, with a Munk School of Global Affairs student research group, for the G20 leaders summit in November. While 21 heads of government gather in Turkey, over one million Syrian refugees cling precariously to guest statuses in that same country.

As night falls, Yunus takes me to the restaurant where one such young man, Khalil, is working.

Khalil is my age, 22 years old. He is tall, skinny, has a thick beard, and a long pony-tail. At the restaurant he is busy, but between cooking, cleaning, and other serving duties, he joins me for conversation. We talk about poetry, music, and his experiences as a stateless Syrian in Turkey.

The night progresses and more people enter the restaurant. Our exchanges are cut short, so we decide to meet at a more convenient time.

Two days later, I meet Khalil at my Airbnb.

He arrives early, with a warm smile and an acoustic guitar strapped to his back.

After eating breakfast together, Khalil decides that we will walk to the outskirts of the city where many Syrian families have temporarily settled. While we walk, he says he will share his story.

FROM DREAMS TO DESTRUCTION I ask Khalil permission to record the conversation, and if he would prefer to remain anonymous. Laughing, but in a soft voice, he responds, “Well I don’t care. I have read my name on Syrian television. I am already dead.” He cautions me that his description of things may not be wholly accurate and that his memories are both unreliable and biased. For this reason, he says, he will bring me to meet other Syrian refugees — to paint a broader picture.

For Khalil, the story begins in a peripheral town on the east side of Damascus, Kafr Batna. At the age of 13, his teacher asked Khalil what he wanted to do when he grew up. “Astronomy is my dream,” was his reply. His response was met with mocking laughter from both his peers and his teacher.

According to Khalil, astronomy curricula are absent from Syrian universities. “This is when I started to hate my government.

Because my dream was broken.” Khalil remembers sitting in the back of his classes, surreptitiously practising the application of Newton’s laws to orbital mechanics, while his teacher praised Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Though Khalil is critical of those who revere Assad, he remains patriotic: “I for sure love my country, but I don’t like my government,” he says.

In school, many of his friends were less disillusioned with the Syrian regime.

“I was telling friends I don’t like the Syrian government or what has become of our people... [M]y friends would say, ‘But Khalil, Arabian people are the best, we made the best this or that.’ And I would say, ‘We made. But what are we doing now? Now we are nothing.’”

Despite his academic setback and his disagreement with friends, normal life continued for some time in Damascus.

Khalil studied English instead of astronomy, and in 2012, he received his baccalaureate.

This was also the year that the civil conflict erupted. The Syrian army retreated from Khalil’s town, Kafr Batna, in the east end, and went to the core of Damascus.

The army then began to use mortars to shell the east side of the city. “They would shell the normal buildings, the normal people.” Khalil recalls.

Khalil tells me that, at that time, he was afraid that the war would interrupt his schooling. “I was so worried because I wanted to take my English exam, it was the most important thing to me.”

Fortunately, Khalil passed his exam, received his diploma, and started teaching at a local school. But the promise of progress was short lived. One of his students was killed in the shelling. The attacks grew worse, and the school itself was destroyed; luckily, no one was inside at the time.

AN ATMOSPHERE OF DEATH “There is a graveyard in front of my house,” Khalil says.“The bodies were taken to the mosque and then were brought to the graveyard in front of my house. Every day I saw, when I opened the window, on the right the mosque, on the left the graveyard, getting bigger and bigger.”

Even though they were living in constant fear, Khalil and his family remained in the east side of Damascus until the momentous events that took place on November 6, 2012.

Khalil was walking home when planes started to fly overhead. He watched as the bellies of the planes opened, releasing bombs on those below. That day, in his small town alone, at least thirty people were killed. As he helped pull survivors from the rubble, he recognized the face of

a dismembered body: “I saw my friend in two pieces. My friend!”

Khalil tells me no movie can capture the violence as he saw it. “When it’s real, you have a strange feeling. You feel like… ” he pauses. “I can’t explain, there are no words.

There are real pieces of human head, neck, blood. Your friend is dead. You were just talking to him, and now, he’s dead.”

By that time, Khalil heard more planes approaching. He describes running towards his house as he heard the whistle of an incoming bomb: “You hear that noise and you feel that you’re not alive. You feel like the shell is coming for you. I can feel it now.

“I was opening the door, when the bomb hit my house. In my imagination I saw a lot of blood. My sister has a baby, who started to cry loudly.”

The bomb had landed in Khalil’s bedroom. His family, who had been in the living room, were all covered in debris and dust.

“I started counting my family: my brothers, my sister, my mother, all my family. In this moment, it is only a moment.

But in this second, your mind stops: there is no time.”

That same day, Khalil and his nine family members left their town.

“I was absolutely afraid. I was more than afraid. Maybe this is why I’m so nervous these days. I’ve been through a lot.”

WITHIN ONE YEAR “That year for me, it was a lot. It was a changing point in my life.” In the year 2012 Khalil received his baccalaureate, became a teacher, survived war, and fled his country.

Khalil pauses his story so we can stop for water. He insists on buying bottles for both of us, then resumes his story, explaining how his family fled north — ultimately crossing into Turkey. To travel north, Khalil and his family first had to travel to the core of Damascus, towards the attacking Syrian Army. At a checkpoint, a Syrian officer greeted them sardonically, “The good people leave [for the core of Damascus], the bad people stay in the east side. They deserve to die.”

He remembers arriving in Turkey. “We knew nothing about the new country. We are in another country and we are forced to be there because of war. For us, you either go to Turkey and survive, or you stay and you’ll be lucky to survive… Some people ask ‘why you come here?’ All I can say is ‘because of the fucking war.’”

We had been walking for over an hour by now. It is a walk that Khalil must do

everyday because he cannot afford the bus. Seeing a bench across the street, he asks me if I would like to sit down. I have blisters on my feet. I’m relieved that I don’t have to ask for the break that I so badly want.

As we sit, I ask him about what happened to his friends from home. Wistfully, he recalls a time when he and his friends would sit around the same table. Now, the war has torn them apart.

“When the war began, I said ‘I want freedom, I don’t want to fight, I can’t kill another.’”

Khalil describes himself as a pacifist, and failing to join the Syrian army has meant subjection to persecution. Many of his friends made different decisions.

Today, two of Khalil’s Syrian friends are fighting for Assad in the Syrian army, while another friend, who is originally Lebanese, joined Al-Nusra — a Syrian branch of AlQaeda.

Khalil describes seeing a picture of his Lebanese friend on Facebook, firing a rocket propelled grenade launcher. “I asked him, on Facebook, ‘What are you doing?’” Khalil looks at me with unusual intensity, “He started to kill the people who helped him.”

According to Khalil, his friends who joined the Syrian Army were granted protection in the Damascus city centre, along with their parents and siblings.

Distant relatives and friends of those who joined do not receive protection, and in fact, remain targets.

Khalil remembers sitting with two friends, who had been fighting for opposing sides.

They were laughing together as they had done before the war, but suddenly the conversation sullied and silence fell. Khalil recalls how one friend broke the void: “Had I seen you on the battlefield I would have had to kill you.”

I can see that Khalil is haunted by these memories. He struggles to grasp the decisions of some of his friends back home.

“My own view is that everyone who has a weapon has no brain. It’s my opinion. You have no right to kill anybody. This is my philosophy. I believe in freedom and in love and in peace and mercy, and I know in this world there is no love and peace, generally.

“I know if you look at history there is always war. When I look at this time, our time, I still think of how lucky I am to be in this time. But, because of a little lie you have a war, you kill a lot of people.”

Khalil acknowledges that he is confused about whether his pacifism has benefited him. Upon turning 18, he refused to join the Syrian Army — a necessary

Meet K

On a research trip to the G20 summit in Turkey U o meets with Syrian refugees to hear their stories. Here and the struggle of bein

step for acquiring a passport. Without government issued identification, he faced insuperable barriers when applying for refugee status.

‘THEY HAV E SEEN ISIS’ We finish our break and continue to walk.

Soon, we enter the municipality of Kepez, a section of town where many Syrians live.

The area is clearly impoverished; garbage lines the street, children run by in ripped and dirty clothing: some homes are simply sheets of metal held together by scraps.

We stop by a Syrian grocery store. Its shelves are bare, except for the odd item.

A handsome elderly man with white hair and a trim moustache sits outside on plastic chair, while inside in the corner of the store his nine year old son piles sacs of rice neatly on the floor. The family is from Aleppo; they have been here for a year.

Khalil starts to ask him questions. He looks at me with sharp blue eyes, while Khalil translates his answers from Arabic: “All the Syrian people leave for the same reason. All Turkish have been nice. We love the government.” The man is clearly suspicious of me. Khalil tells me he expects the man is lying out of fear.

We cross the street to a barber shop, also walled with sheets of metal. I walk in and 20 sets of eyes turn towards me, all belonging to children. I smile, but it is not reciprocated. Dressed for the G20 preconferences that I was supposed to attend today, I fear I have given the impression that I’m a government official. Last year, the Antalya Governor’s office told 1,500 Syrians to leave because “they have brought social and economic tension and damaged the tourism industry.”

No one in the barber shop wants to speak with me, so Khalil brings me to another house. He thinks the family who lives there will be willing to share their story.

“Now you will meet a family from Raqqa, the capital of ISIS,” he says, “And they have seen ISIS.” We arrive at a house on a side street.

A short, portly man greets me with a handshake. He is barefoot, wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt advertising a national park in the United States. I leave my shoes on a pile outside the door and am escorted into the living room.

It is a small room with two torn and used couches facing one another. A small Arabic calendar adorns the otherwise bare walls.

The man calls for his two sons, both of whom appear to be roughly my age. They are dressed like their father in sweatpants and a T-shirt. The atmosphere is formal.

The father sits across from me, in the middle of the couch, while his sons sit at the extremities, one on each end. One son leaves to bring back a Coca-Cola bottle filled with tap water and one glass. A table is placed in front of me, and the glass is filled with water. I feel rude not to drink, but I know that it’s possible I’ll get sick if I do. A pot of Syrian tea is later brought in and I’m happy to drink it instead of the water.

The father begins talking about his son on his right, who was kidnapped by ISIS when the group first arrived in Raqqa.

Again, Khalil translates his Arabic for me.

According to the father, the ISIS abductors were relatively young and were detaining other young men to assess the sentiment of people in the city. These ISIS fighters were interrogating his son in a series of alternatingly friendly and hostile meetings. The son explained that one day ISIS would accuse him of working secretly against them, and the next day they would come with smiles, bearing gifts of money and apologizing for the day before.

According to the son, the gifts and apologies were to give the appearance that they were just and good. He tells me that if an ISIS member steals something that you own, you can have them tried and penalized in an ISIS court. However, he tells me, “if you put your nose in their business, they will judge you by sword.”

The father goes on to explain the environment in which ISIS first emerged. What surprised him was the surge in foreign fighters.

Many are native speakers of English, Russian, German, and French. Although some came from abroad and knew little about Syria and even less about Islam, they subjected locals to their narrow understanding of what was permitted.

The father tells me, “ISIS understands religion in an extreme way. If a local from Raqqa says something ISIS thinks inappropriate about God or religion, he is killed immediately.

They don’t ask ‘why did you say that?’”

I ask how ISIS settled in Raqqa.

He responds that it began with the overall conflict with the government. A group of rebels united to form “The Free Syrian Army” — though not “The Free Syrian Army,” he clarifies, that I’m likely familiar with. He says every town has their own group of subversives that call themselves by that name, few shared interestes, and they are often in competition with

Khalil

of T student Michael Humeniuk are their tales of conflict, war, ng liminal guests in a new place

by Michael Humeniuk and photo courtesy of Khalil

one another. The people of Raqqa, who were treated poorly by the government, welcomed and supported these rebels who promised change. However, as time passed, it became evident that many were simply thieves looking to loot whatever they could. The father concedes that some of these people were in fact good, but that these constituted a very small fraction.

Shortly after this, Al-Nusra arrived and took over the city. “At first local people were happy because they rid the thugs.”

But, just as Raqqa’s previous rebel group soured, Al-Nusra turned against the civilian population.

The father continues, telling me how ISIS arrived and ultimately took control.

The most radical of Al-Nusra joined ISIS. But, he says, ISIS is not solely comprised of extreme ideologues. Many joined out of fear for their lives or because ISIS pays higher wages than any other military organization in the country.

I ask the father and his sons why they left, aware of how self-evident the answer must be.

The father says that beyond fear of being killed, he was also afraid that his children

says we are guests, but, we are not allowed to work. So we just come here to escape the violence.”

I ask if he intends to leave. The father takes a few moments to deliberate before replying: “first, I don’t have the money, and I don’t want to put my children in danger.

I would only do it if I can do it legally, through the UN or another organization.

My children want to study, and this is why we want to leave.”

The father smiles and tells me that, “these are the bad points of the Syrian people.” I smile back and tell him I’m finished. Khalil goes to the washroom, and the father shows him the way. As I sit with the two sons I try to make eye contact with them, but they seem reluctant.

Khalil and the father return, breaking a moment of pensive reflection. I thank the family for the tea and their story. We shake hands; Khalil and I leave.

It’s lunch time now, and Khalil and I eat at a Syrian restaurant not far from the family’s house. As we wait for our food, Khalil pulls out his guitar and plays “Tequila Sunrise” by The Eagles. I find the tune warming, but the faces of children and adults surrounding

“I don’t want my family to be hurt.

Now people are being forced to join, and if you refuse they will kill you.

Either you fight or you will be killed as a traitor.” would be conscripted. He says: “I don’t want my family to be hurt. Now people are being forced to join, and if you refuse they will kill you. Either you fight or you will be killed as a traitor.”

I ask him if Turkey and its people have been welcoming.

“Turkey is good, but it is hard to live [here],” he says, “you cannot go to the hospital or schools in Antalya, especially for the Syrian people.”

“It’s hard to get job. People [Syrians] want to go to Europe, because here we have no rights. We just have a piece of paper that

us express embarrassment and ridicule.

Perhaps it’s because he’s singing in English.

I don’t know.

We eat, then part ways. Having spent this much time together, it’s hard to imagine how different our lives will be.

The following morning, I find a Facebook message in my inbox. Khalil was fired from the restaurant where he was working, for having spoken with me. Ironically, I receive this information as I am boarding a plane for Canada to return to university — a privilege Khalil, and many others in his circumstance, may never have.

“MY OWN VIEW IS THAT EVERYONE WHO HAS A WEAPON HAS NO BRAIN. IT’S MY OPINION. YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO KILL ANYBODY.”

var.st/arts

ARTS&CULTURE 23 November 2015

arts@thevarsity.ca

When the music stops Searching for a pulse in St. George campus’ quiet music scene

MORKA LOISELLE/THE VARSITY

COREY VAN DEN HOOGENBAND ASSOCIATE ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

How many U of T bands can you name off the top of your head? If it isn’t many, you're not alone.

This summer, Ryerson University's The Eyeopener wrote a guide to navigating its school's music scene. Featuring eight groups and alluding to many more, the article opened our eyes to the fact that here at U of T, most students would be hard pressed to name a few bands, much less list the “best” ones. With the exception of the school's music faculty, artists belonging to other departments just don't make a lot of noise on campus. Certainly these student musicians are out there; the presence of the school's annual Battle of the Bands competition in January calls attention to select acts, at least for a night. Once the curtains close, however, most of the groups are forgotten for another year.

Mitch Evans is a fourth-year Arts & Science student who has performed in a number of bands during his time at U of T. The way he sees it, the relative quietness of U of T's music scene is largely the result of the collective busyness of everyone on campus. "I honestly never put much interest in trying to network with fellow U of T musicians, because I took the same assumption most people do: that if you're at U of T, you are primarily focusing on your studies."

Evans feels that ever since his time at the university began, his identity as a musician has been harder to maintain. The divide between

curriculum and creativity at St. George's nonmusic faculties forces student musicians to place textbooks before Telecasters. This is in comparison to schools like Ryerson, where students' interests and area of study are often intertwined.

"The school doesn't offer much support for musicians either," Evans notes, questioning whether his own busy schedule is the only cause of his slipping musical identity. "[U of T] is known for having very little interest in their students on the micro level, so it would be beneficial for the school to try and become more involved with its students on a more personal level, such as caring about their creative outlets."

That being said, a number of colleges and student commissions across campus host the occasional open-mic night or alternative music event; inviting students to share their talents and passions. One such organization is Hart House Stages, for example, is a concert series that hosts free events once a month in Hart House's Arbor Room. These events feature talent from on and off campus in an effort to expose lesser-known artists to students.

Others, such as the University College Literary and Athletic Society (UCLit), host monthly Coffee House nights, where the UCLit rearranges their college's Junior Common Room into a venue for student acts such as musical and spoken word performers.

Jonathan Liang is the Literary and Creative Arts Commissioner of the UCLit. Liang is proud that he and the student society

can present a platform that allows students to express themselves creatively while in an inclusive space, but he too maintains that U of T has room for improvement in terms of music and the arts. "I think U of T should host more large-scale music events," Liang tells The Varsity. "I remember seeing July Talk at Hart House two years ago and it was one of the best concerts I've attended."

While his Coffee House events present the opportunity for student musicians to be heard, the reality of open mic events is that each artist only has a few minutes to perform. "Other than Battle of the Bands, we don't quite have any events where musicians can be rewarded for what they do."

Daniel Konikoff, another student musician balancing time between studies and rehearsals, isn't so sure the presence of the occasional open mic and talent nights necessarily constitutes a music 'scene' or community. In Konikoff's view, a music scene is "something that's active and lively, where bands know each other and play semi-frequently. St. George doesn't seem to have that. What St George has - at least to me - are music 'opportunities'."

While venues certainly exist, Konikoff thinks that musical acts at U of T lack a sense of solidarity with one another — something that ties them together and creates a network where fellow musicians and fans can identify different tracks, styles, and groups. But what's more discouraging than the need for better community among student musicians is the apathy which seems to hold among the bulk

of their classmates. Konikoff finds that his peers often show genuine interest when he mentions his band, but getting them to take the next step towards listening to his music is a whole other story. "Even if it's downtown, converting friends into fans is as tricky as playing the guitar well while it's behind your back," he says.

Ultimately, U of T presents its musically inclined students with opportunities, but not with communities. The same could be applied to the school in a macro sense too.

Student groups and other organizations will inevitably bring some students together, but the vastness of U of T's population, mixed with the busy schedules of many students makes it hard for a sense of community to flourish. Unfortunately, the building of a more connected musical community is something that would require more time than most student musicians can afford during their four year stay on campus.

Still, some like Annette Szeliga, President of Hart House Stages, aren't ready to give up on these musicians. Stages' next event is set to deviate from past shows by including an interactive session with an industry panel of musicians in order to explore how U of T and the city as a whole can grow to become a thriving musical community. "I think there is so much potential in [the] St. George [scene]," the president insists. Now if only they had an amplifier.

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Where you lead, I will follow The Comedy Bar pays tribute to beloved TV classic Gilmore Girls LOLA BORISSENKO VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

'Gilmore GirlProv' is a monthly event.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GILMORE GIRLPROV

On the second Monday of every month, the Comedy Bar pays tribute to one of television’s most popular shows: Gilmore Girls. ‘Gilmore GirlProv’ acts as a sort of fan-fiction for the popular comedy-drama series. The legacy of the show lives on not only thanks to Netflix, but also due to the creative stage adaptations that the Comedy Bar cast prepares for its dedicated fans — many of whom are regular attendees.

“This is my third time here,” says a young woman in the audience. “I used to watch Gilmore Girls as a teenager and this show brings back old memories with new jokes.”

Prior to the start of the show, Comedy Bar host Chelsea Jane Bray asks the audience a few questions; the responses to which guide the actors’ improvised performances. Some shout outs included one man stating that

his worst fear is leprechauns, and another woman suggesting that nipple piercings were an unusual sight.

While the actors adapted, parodied, and hyperbolized traits of the show’s characters, their performance was entertaining even for those who were not fully familiar with every episode.

The primary characters were Lorelai Gilmore (portrayed by Adele Dicks), her daughter Rory (Kristy LaPointe), her anxious and ambitious friend Paris (Linnea Currie-Roberts), her wealthy boyfriend Logan (Jason Ochs), and an elderly neighbour named Babette (Jessica Perkins). Additional characters such as Sookie, Taylor, and Kirk also contributed to the comic and dynamic development of the narrative.

In the first sequence, Taylor (Michael Mongiardi) used the microphone to emulate an intercom in a grocery store. He announced that the marshmallows that Rory and Lorelai decided to consume were actu-

ally poisonous due to the sugary ingredients.

This declaration set the theme for the rest of the short sequences, where the characters would experience panic, sadness and confusion due to the ban of sugar as a poisonous substance.

Logan dramatized his ‘rich kid’ character persona by gasping in panic when Paris mentioned bankruptcy and abruptly leaving in the middle of Paris and Rory’s conversation. Dicks gave a more self-reflexive performance of Lorelai as she mentioned “it is not weird at all that I am close friends with my teenage daughter’s friends.” Lorelai also proved her efficiency as she resolved the sugar prohibition rule by offering cocaine to Sookie and Babette. The show culminated with some Gilmore Girls trivia questions for which audience members were rewarded with candy.

Chew on this: Fring’s Restaurant The Drake-affilaaeed reeaaaraaa le yar

yaahhe eea rleaed aaed yar aiieahe yrea eae

PHOTO COURTESY OF FRING'S

HANNAH LANK

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Drake: rapper, ex-Degrassi star, deity of the 6ix, the Raptors’ biggest fan, OVO’s founder, our omnipresent champagne-papi, and now… restauranteur? Well, not quite.

It's not exactly clear what Drake’s stake is in the latest Susur Lee restaurant venture, Fring’s. What is clear, however, is that Drizzy is a major fan of the celebrity chef – who has made appearances on Iron Chef and Top Chef: Masters – and of his latest opening especially.

Rumours have swirled about Drake’s relationship with the restaurant, fuelled by Drizzy’s own Instagram posts. Fring’s is an incredibly popular spot to dine; getting a reservation can take upwards of three weeks.

The wait, however, is well worth it. Fring’s is the epitome of cool — in fact, it’s cooler than cool. The restaurant’s launch has been frequented by many of the hippest Toronto socialites, not to mention Jada Pinkett Smith and Serena Williams. While you likely won’t see any tennis superstars at Fring’s nowadays, you can count on seeing some of the most attractive, fashionable Torontonians.

Fring’s charm derives from its unique ambiance. You may not be lucky enough to be seated at one of the tables with two fuzzy thrones, but any table has enough pizazz to make you question whether you’re even worthy of the place.

The Drake references are not easily missed; a trip downstairs will lead you to the neon sign that reads “6 ON A WAVE,” and the washrooms for “6gods” and “6goddesses.”

Fring’s has also developed a reputation for its music playlists. Those expecting to hear a loop of “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” will be pleasantly – or unpleasantly – surprised; any music played during your visit

The restaurant is loosely affiliated with Drake. PHOTO COURTESY OF FRING'S

will be sure to have strong bass, a splash of hip-hop, and a variety of recognizable MC’s rhyming to the beat. The modern restaurant is shamelessly trendy, and that’s all it aims to be, in everything from the music, to the clientele, to the menu.

Inexplicably, Fring’s narrowly avoids pretentiousness, perhaps due to the fact that the food is done particularly well. The menu is a unique fusion of flavours — and as the waitstaff will describe to first-time diners — the dishes are intended for sharing. Foods range from an interesting assortment of toasted bread toppings — such as smoked gouda, crispy maple-glazed prosciutto, wild mushrooms, carmelized onions, and creme fraiche — to steak tartare, sweet & sour meatballs, and southern spicy maple fried chicken, which, it must be said, is a

highlight. Finish the meal off with a warm chocolate lava cake, and both your stomach and your taste buds will be warmly satisfied.

Unfortunately, Fring’s is not very friendly to the student budget. If you order an entrée, share an appetizer, and split a dessert with a friend, your portion of the bill will likely be upwards of $40. Want one of Fring’s signature cocktails? That’ll be another $17 to your total.

Sadly, this isn’t the kind of place to pop by for a casual Saturday night get-together. Instead, save your trip for when you’re trying to impress a friend from outside the city; it’s when you’re eating at a restaurant like Fring’s that you truly realize you’re living in a city akin to London or New York.

A signature cocktail costs $17. PHOTO COURTESY OF FRING'S

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A definitive ranking of cafés on campus s e am season approac es our plig t or ca eine eig tens

ere s

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ARTICLE BY AYN KASSIM

We are nearing that time in the school year where it is not alarming to have had your second, or maybe third, cup of coffee by 2:00 pm. To try and help you maintain your caffeine buzz long enough to make it through the worst part of the semester, The Varsity counts down the eight best café’s on campus to keep you fuelled during this stressful time of year.

1. DIABOLOS' COFFEE BAR It’s no surprise this campus café makes the top of the list. Despite its somewhat hidden location, Diabolos has been a student favourite for years. As a student run, fair-trade, volunteer operated shop in the University College JCR, Diabolos' offers a range of hot and cold beverages and light meals perfect for lunch or a light dinner.

Pro’s: Delicious coffee; a cosy atmosphere; fresh and tasty baked goods; accepts debit/credit; has vegan and gluten-free options.

Con’s: Their drip coffee is pretty pricey, coming in at $2.00 for a small. That being said, the extra cash may be worth it on those study days when the coffee you drink is the only thing you have to look forward to.

#3 Innis Cafe. YASSINE ELBARADIE/THE VARSITY

#7 Cafe Reznikoff. YASSINE ELBARADIE/THE VARSITY

#6 The Buttery. YASSINE ELBARADIE/THE VARSITY

a sweet tooth, there are almost too many desserts to choose from.

3. INNIS CAFÉ Predictably located in the Innis Town Hall, the Innis café is a favourite for many students, given the close proximity to Robarts. A small coffee is $1.25, however the cup itself is quite small. Nevertheless, central to its popularity are the vast food and drink options for students. On top of that, if you bring your eco-friendly coffee mug you received in your Frosh kit, the coffee will only cost you a dollar.

Pro’s: Cheap coffee; accepts debit/ credit; abundance of food and beverage options.

Cons: Long wait times during the lunch hour; small seating area; the Innis alumni take over the space every Monday.

5. CAFFIENDS Like Diabolos', Caffiends is a student-run, volunteer-operated café that has a relaxed vibe perfect to calm your school-induced jitters. For those living on the student budget, this is the perfect place for you. Coffee is no more than a buck.

Pro’s: Cheap coffee; gluten-free and vegan options; all products are fair-trade and organic; quaint space for those looking to grab-and-go.

Cons: Fills up quickly, so nabbing a seat can be tough; doesn’t accept debit.

6. THE BUTTERY Located in the Larkin building, Trinity College’s cafeteria is a café and lunch spot for both Trin students and the public. Brewing Starbucks coffee as well as other blends, a small cup will cost you $1.75.

Pro's: Accepts debit/credit; has ample seating room for those wanting to enjoy their purchases inside.

Cons: Fills up quickly; cafeterialike ambience.

7. CAFÉ REZNIKOFF This small cafeteria located un-

der Morrison Hall is one of the main food hubs for UC students.

Reznikoff is open to the general public and hawks plenty of great treats and coffee. A small cup will cost you $1.60 with different blends to choose from.

Pro's: Phenomenal cookies and muffins; accepts debit; moderatelysized seating area.

Cons: Gets quite busy; seating area is rather drab.

8. THE EXCHANGE Also known as Rotman Café, this new coffee and food joint is always buzzing with business students looking for a bite. A small coffee here is $1.75.

Pros: Accepts debit/credit; has a fireplace; tasty snacks and a wealth of food options; pretty affordable.

Cons: Notably busy and loud during peak hours of operation.

Everyday food. Consciously sourced.

Tues. to Fri. 11AM - 10PM Sat. & Sun. 10AM - 10PM Dine in. Take out. Delivery.

124 HARBORD ST.

Harbord St.

Spadina Ave.

4. L’ESPRESSO BAR MERCURIO Located under Woodsworth’s student residence, L’Espresso Bar Mercurio is an Italian café that feels worlds away from U of T, despite being located on campus.

This is both a café and lunch spot where a small coffee is $1.85.

Pro’s: Flavourful drip coffee and espresso-based drinks; students receive a 20 per cent discount on food if you eat in-house; tons of seating; gluten-free options.

Con: A rather bourgeois joint for

a student; busy at times; food is over-priced and not worth the splurge for most items. The gluten free brownies taste terrible. I still regret that purchase.

Robert St.

2. SAMMY’S STUDENT EXCHANGE Situated in Hart House, Sammy’s Student Exchange is a family run joint that also acts as a café and lunch/dinner spot. A small cup of coffee here will cost you about $1.45. Admittedly, this place can be pretty bad for your pocket, considering how good everything smells, so you’re likely to buy more than just coffee when you visit.

Pro’s: A cosy space to enjoy your purchased goodies; accepts debit/ credit; plenty of seating.

Con’s: Busy at times; for those with

#2 Sammy's Student Exchange. YASSINE ELBARADIE/THE VARSITY

UofT Athletic Centre

The two rooms on our second floor are great for parties, meetings and events!

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Getting high, DIY style Three dope methods for making your very own weed accessories ARTICLE BY CORRINE PRZYBYSLAWSKI

WANTED: CHRISTMAS GIFT WRAPPERS Creative individuals

Locations: Downtown Toronto, Etobicoke, Mississauga, Brampton

When I was in high school, the smoker’s pit was the last place you would ever find me — not that anyone was ever looking. I was raised in a white-collar, eastern-European household by immigrant parents who went to church every Sunday. They lodged me in the Catholic school system where my uniform consisted of a navy polo and khaki pants whose fit truly did make room for Jesus.

Every summer, they shipped me off to the motherland to prevent any negative influences from seeping into my vicinity. The first time I got drunk was at a school football game, and I was unfortunate enough to drink two sips of jungle juice which subsequently landed me in the hands of two cops and eventually into the presence of my furious mother. I was the only one who went home with a prize that night, and it was for "Lightweight of the Year."

By all appearances, I was an average, sheltered, law-abiding keener. Even if I had the intention of finding any weed, my 1960’s styled haircut paired with my metal-clad mouth certainly did not attract the sort of crowd that would facilitate the pursuit. In the spirit of the new Liberal majority and their potential decriminalization of marijuana, I was reminiscing to the youthful days of delinquency where my more debaucherous peers were finding crafty ways of evading the Catholic code of conduct we were bound to in high school. There is a surprising amount to be learned from awkwardly wall-flowering at parties and having the cool kids pitieously invite you to watch them have fun.

Managers to $13.00/hour + bonuses.

Wrappers to $12.00/hour.

Full & Part Time Avail - December 1 – 24.

TO APPLY, GO TO:

www.TorontoWraps.com

1. THE MCDONALD’S STRAW I remember one party where the staple Mac Miller knock-off in the room was already too stoned to take on the task of wrapping yet another mass into a slim, pseudo-cigarette.

One of the watered-down coolers I pilfered for the night had me feeling brave, so I asked one of several girls who had hosted their predrink in a McDonald’s bathroom to lend us the straw from her cup. This straw served to roll the perfect joint, and it’s a great method for the less coordinated out there looking to get lifted.

WHAT YOU NEED: 1 x McDonald’s Straw 1 x Rolling paper 1 x Scissors Joints are generally larger towards the end than at the tip. The first incision should be made to cut the straw into a cigarette’s length or even a bit shorter. The second incision should be made at the middle of your shortened straw and on an angle towards the end where it will be slimmer. This will create a canoe-like shape.

Roll your wrapping paper tightly around the straw, and keep it slimmer towards the "canoe."

Generously pack your weed in, slide the straw out, and spark it like a pro.

WORK YOUR DEGREE WITH A POSTGRAD Our postgraduate certificates help you accelerate your career by providing specialized training that builds on your previous degree or diploma combined with the opportunity to gain practical experience taking on real-world challenges.

business.humber.ca/postgrad

2. THE STARBUCKS BONG The Starbucks cup is the bigger, lazier sister to the McDonald’s straw joint. For those of you who are not particularly eager to hone the art of rolling, I hear you. In its place, I offer an even swifter solution to your desires. A venti Starbucks cup’s presence at a party is born from the same pre-drinking that takes place at the local McDonald’s bathroom — only, in place of Sprite or root beer, it will likely smell faintly of the passion tea lemonade à la vodka that inhabited it prior.

WHAT YOU NEED: 1 x Sheet of Aluminum foil 1 x Starbucks venti plastic cup 1 x Lighter 1 x Bobby pin Your first step is to acquire some aluminum foil and perforate it. Then, ask the girl you took the Starbucks cup from for a bobby pin. What follows is fairly simple: use your lighter to burn a hole along the body, and make the hole large enough so that your perforated aluminum foil

JULIEN BALBONTIN/ILLUSTRATION EDITOR

will act as a cradle for your weed. Keep the lid of the cup on, as the opening where the straw would slide in will be a makeshift breathintake point. With the straw opening at your mouth, turn the cup sideways and pack your weed into the cradle.

3. THE APPLE PIPE I learned about the apple pipe after making the mistake of biting into one. Need I say more?

WHAT YOU NEED: 1 x Apple 1 x Aluminum foil 1 x Lighter 1 x Pen Remove the stem from the apple, and use the pen to bore a hole through the top of the apple.

Create a second hole on the side of the apple roughly halfway to the bottom. Have this hole create a passage for air, connecting the bottom hole with the hole you bore at the top. Carve a hollow bowl from the top of the apple, perforate some aluminum foil to cradle your weed, and smoke away.

23 November 2015

N OW S

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When science falls short, we should turn to philosophy

CIENC

E

The limits of explanation

science@thevarsity.ca

D UN T

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SCIENCE

SCHULICH HEART PROGRAM RESEARCH DAY The Sunnybrook Research Institute is presenting the third Heart Program Research Day, which will include workshops that focus on cardiovascular disease management, interventions, and emerging techniques and technologies.

Monday, November 23 7:30 am – 4:00 pm 2075 Bayview Avenue McLaughlin Lecture Theatre Rm: EG 61 Admission: Free PLANETARIUM: THE QUEST FOR LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE

DIANA PHAM/ASSOSCIATE ILLUSTRATION EDITOR

VICTORIA WICKS COMMENT EDITOR

After reading “Art vs. Science” in The Varsity earlier this month, I realized just how scientifically illiterate I am. “Yo,” I texted my sister, who studies engineering physics, “Are electrons smaller than atoms?” Needless to say for any science students reading this, the answer was a resounding (not to mention incredulous) “yes.”

Given the myriad of ways that science shaped and improved modern society, it is imperative for arts students like myself to gain a better scientific understanding of how the world works. In return, the knowledge generated in the humanities also has important value for many scientists. As such, it is unfortunate that the increasing celebration of scientific inquiry often comes at the expense of these subjects. Most notably, philosophy is often described as useless or too abstract — unconcerned with the “real world.”

Take, for instance, Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow’s declaration in their 2010 book The Grand Design that “[P]hilosophy is dead… [s]cientists have become the bearers of the torch of discovery in our quest for knowledge.” With a similar confidence in scientific knowledge, Peter Atkin’s 1995 essay titled “Science as

truth” proclaims: “[S]cience is the best procedure yet discovered for exposing fundamental truths about the world…No other mode of discovery has proved to be so effective or to contribute so much towards the achievement of the aspirations of humanity.”

Such faith in the power of science can be seen on our campus as well. I remember being incredibly excited this summer after securing a spot in PHL373, an ethics course on climate change, only to have a peer contemptuously comment: “That’s stupid. Science already tells us what to do on the issue.”

Certainly, not all science students express such hubris. Yet, science’s emphasis on empirical evidence and highly controlled, reproducible tests makes it appear to be the most useful tool for improving society. In fact, this hierarchy of knowledge creation is found within the faculty of arts itself — as a student of political science, I initially fell prey to the belief that the more “scientific” nature of my program made it an objectively better pursuit than philosophy.

Consequently, it bears reminding that scientific inquiry is unable to answer crucial moral questions in our lives. Consider my peer’s initial derision of environmental ethics — science, in fact, cannot actually tell us what to do about climate change.

Science can show, with great accuracy and certainty, that there have

been dramatic changes in the earth’s greenhouse gas concentration in the last century. It can even pinpoint humans as the cause of global warming, and predict consequences such as rising sea levels, not to mention freakish weather events, all of which will lead, one way or another, to a loss in biodiversity, mass migration, failed agricultural seasons, and severe decreases in public health.

But these are not value judgements about the desirability of climate change; they are merely descriptions of what is happening, or going to happen. They do not answer why climate change is negative, or why should we do anything about it.

Perhaps nature has intrinsic value, and climate change represents our unwarranted exploitation of it.

Alternatively, climate change will create increased conflict over scarce resources, which poses grave threats to international stability and harmony. There is also a lot to be said about how climate change infringes upon future generations’ right to life, health, and subsistence. Yet, regardless of which stance is adopted, they are all clearly based on philosophical principles, which cannot be derived in a scientific experiment.

Granted, it may seem painfully obvious to most people that climate change requires some sort of action.

Science lacks prescriptive power, however, as to what exactly our

responsibilities to combat climate change should look like.

Do richer countries with a historically greater role in producing greenhouse gases bear a greater burden to mitigate the damages of pollution? Or do the biggest emitters today — that is, poorer, “developing” countries — have disproportionate obligation to solve the problem? Are governments allowed to criminalize environmentally unfriendly behaviour?

What punishment, if any, should should be inflicted upon nations who do not abide by international climate treaties?

These moral questions are still being debated, and require battles between various theories of efficiency, equality, justice, historicism, and statism. Similarly, other crucial issues in society — including abortion, online privacy, citizenship rights, freedom of speech, stem cell research, and euthanasia — require philosophical, not merely scientific, discussions.

I will always hold a deep appreciation for scientific inquiry and discovery — it imbues us with a sense of control over the natural world, which otherwise seems full of random chaos. Nevertheless it is only with the help of philosophy that we can truly evaluate and improve a society’s progress.

The U of T Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, along with the Dunlap Institute, is hosting a planetarium show which will take guests on a journey through our solar system, from Mars to Saturn’s moons Enceladus and Titan, exploring Earthlike environment that could potentially harbour life.

Tuesday, November 24 Show times: 7:00 pm, 8:00 pm & 9:00 pm 50 St. George St. Admission: $6 OBJECTIVE-C HACK NIGHT ThoughtKite is presenting a night to learn coding and to understand Objective-C language and IOS development process. The organizers ask that attendees bring their own laptop.

Tuesday November 24 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm 211 Yonge St. Rm: 300 Admission: free CAREER PATH – PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES The UTSC Chemistry society is holding a career talk, featuring guest speaker Fari Fathi, who is a lecturer at UTSC. The talk will be followed by an open question and answer session.

Wednesday, November 25 5:30 pm – 7:00pm Environmental Science and Chemistry Building, Rm: EV140

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Undergraduate CEOs U of T students launch pharmaceutical app startup

From right to left: Victor Chen, Amir Motahari, and Maxim Antipin. COURTESY OF SWIFTPAD TEAM

MATTHEW FOK

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Students are notorious for never having enough time and always being in a hurry.

Therefore, it is unsurprising that student entrepreneurs constantly focus their heightened sense for innovation on shortening daily tasks. Of these many avoidable annoyances is the long wait to pick up prescriptions at the drug store. Earlier this month, a team of students from UofT launched their startup, SwiftPad, a pharmacy e-prescribing app. The app allows its users to send a photo of their prescription to the most conveniently located pharmacy, they will later be notified when it is ready for pickup.

“Healthcare and pharmacies have been really lacking in technological advancement and we want to be at the forefront of this movement,” said Amir Motahari, undergraduate Health and Disease student and CEO and

co-founder of SwiftPad. Motahari said that he is excited for the launch of the app and that SwiftPad has already signed with multiple independent pharmacies. They have also been accepted into the IBM Global Entrepreneur program, which entitles SwiftPad to several important external resources.

Although they are working in a competitive market, the team are confident in their startup. Motahari points out that their unique approach “streamlines the process,” putting them at an advantage. He went on to say that “their [competitors’] focuses are is on patients who have chronic diseases and who are constantly receiving medication rather than ontime prescriptions” for the wider public.

The development of SwiftPad began back in September when Motahari, along other co-founders Victor Chen Li, and Maxim Antipin first collaborated. Motahari had a wealth of experience with user design and production management from his academic

career at U of T. He currently oversees all operations, including user design and company growth. Motahari comes from a family of pharmacists, and the inspiration for the startup came from his first hand experience in the pharmacy industry.

Antipin, a product marketing engineer at AMD and an electrical engineering student, operates the production management and the new features of SwiftPad. As the chief technological officer, Chen focuses on the “development and scalability of the SwiftPad on all platforms.” Chen has completed a Masters of Information at Uof T. Entrepreneurship at U of T is on the rise with more and more students participating in the startup culture. For all the students who aspire to become entrepreneurs, Motahari suggests that “[...]people who want to build a startup [should] go work for one.”

This is not the team’s first startup. In 2014, the trio worked together on a startup

in the U of T Hatchery Entrepreneurship program. They were chosen as one of the top teams. They developed an interactive image annotation tool, Dabble, used for marketing campaigns and ad agencies. The Hatchery is an “experiential learning opportunity [that] will provide the resources, mentorship and community to turn ideas into successful start-ups.” Motahari says that the Hatchery “is a great place to know if you are fit to be an entrepreneur.”

“The overall goal of SwiftPad is to bring the pharmacy to your fingertips,” Motahari explained.

Presently, Swiftpad is piloting with four pharmacies. The app is scheduled to be available to the public in the first week of December.

Invisibility is possible Berkley researchers achieve invisibility aided by U of T technology VICTOR SWIFT

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

For thousands of years, people have been captivated by the prospect of invisibility. In a report published in Science two months ago, researchers at the University of California, Berkley describe how they were able to effectively render an object invisible to red light, using a method developed by researchers at the University of Toronto.

Physicists have known for some time that an object can be made invisible by preventing light waves from carrying information about that object. For the past decade, researchers have focused on bending light away from objects in order to prevent information from reflecting off of their surfaces. This approach has been made possible by the development of metamaterials — engineered surfaces with unusual electromagnetic properties.

The meta-material approach has proven effective in masking objects from light waves in radio and microwave frequencies, however, real-world applications remain unlikely. This is because meta-material cloaks must be substantially bigger than the objects that mask it in order to be effective.

In 2013, researchers at U of T changed the game by proving that an alternative cloaking technique was possible. Dr. Eleftheriades, an accomplished researcher in the field of metamaterials, and his PhD student, Michael Selvanayagam, conducted the experiment.

Along with the meta-material approach, these researchers ditched the technique of bending light. In its place, the researchers introduced light interference.

You may recall from your high school physics classes that waves cancel each other out when they are out of phase — that is, when two different waves are pushing and pulling in opposite directions. The same

principle applies to light waves. Making use of this phenomenon, Eleftheriades and Selvanayagam built an array of antennas that can detect the frequency of incoming light waves and output the corresponding inverted wave, in order to cancel the outgoing information. Using this device, Eleftheriades’s team was able to make a large metal cylinder invisible to radio waves.

By replacing meta-materials with a series of antennas that could be theoretically printed flat, Eleftheriades and Selvanayagam demonstrated that practical cloaking could be accomplished.

The researchers at Berkley, lead by Dr. Xiang Zhang, extended Eleftheriades’s findings by actually assembling a thin layer of microscopic gold antennas. These antennas were tuned to selectively interfere with visible light in the red frequency, effectively rendering the cloaked object invisible in the red light spectrum. If you were standing in a room filled

with red light, you would not see the cloaked object, from any angle.

Although the researchers are hopeful that this technique can be scaled up to cloak everyday objects from light in the full visible spectrum, there are many technical hurdles that need to be overcome before we find invisible cars parked on St. George street.

For instance, the current technology is limited to static objects with few contours, because the current antennas cannot compensate for motion or shadows. Moreover, scientists still need to devise a way to dynamically interfere with wavelengths of all colours in order to make objects invisible outside of lab conditions.

Despite these limitations, we are one step closer to developing the ultimate product for university students: a blanket that can hide exam-season clutter.

20 SCIENCE

T H E VA R S I T Y

M O N DAY 23 N O V E M B E R 2 015 science@thevarsity.ca

RESEARCH IN BRIEF MODELING THE SURFACE OF A STRANGE WORLD

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WEB ENSNARED BY U OF T STUDENT’S SPIDER SEX TWEETS

Research on exoplanets — the bodies found outside our solar system orbiting distant stars — entails the exciting possibility of discovering new habitable worlds. However, the unique properties of these planets sometimes introduces new challenges for astronomers. In a new study published this past month in Astrophysical Journal Letters, researchers from the University of Washington and the University of Toronto used computational modeling to gain insights into the composition of the strange clouds surrounding GJ1214b, a potential water world.

Just like the planets orbiting our sun, exoplanets can be rocky, or have thick hydrogen-helium atmospheres.

Clues about a planet’s atmospheric composition can be garnered from looking at how a planet’s atmosphere absorbs or scatters different wavelengths of light produced by that planet’s star. To determine the composition of the planet’s atmosphere, Benjamin Charnay, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Washington, used a climate model to simulate how salt clouds on GJ1214b would be able to migrate high into the atmosphere and produce the spectrum that the researchers observed.

While the telescope required to verify this model won’t be available for a few years, Charnay is looking to use his model to demonstrate the atmospheres of other strange worlds, such as Saturn’s moon, Titan, and the early Earth.

Many of us still vividly recall the ice bucket challenge, which was ubiquitous on social media last summer, and generated significant enthusiasm and funding for ALS research.

ALS, or ‘Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis’, is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by loss of motor neurons.

The death of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord leads to the wasting of related muscles, and the loss of voluntary control. To date, the cause of the disease, other than a 5–10 per cent genetic link, remains unknown.

However, research from the University of Toronto and the University of Cambridge led by Dr. Peter St. GeorgeHyslop has shed light on the role of a protein called ‘FUS’ as a key player in this process. FUS, an RNA-binding protein, collects and presents materials to neurons that are essential in the synthesis of proteins.

Initially, FUS collects the material in a gelatinous state.

Upon reaching the neurons, it transforms into a liquid form and releases the materials for uptake. This physical transformation was found to be impaired in certain ALS mutations, resulting in a poorly soluble gel state that inhibits protein formation by neurons. Therefore, FUS represents a novel aspect of nervous system activity in ALS, and a potential therapeutic target. The world of degenerative disease research lives in hope that these results may be one more step in solving the puzzle of ALS, and may eventually help lead to a cure.

PhD student Catherine Scott has captivated the Twitter world by live-tweeting a black widow mating session at Maydianne Andrade’s lab at U of T’s Scarborough campus.

Scott was trying to increase the size of her black widow lab population, while also taking notes on their courtship behaviour. Out of boredom, she ended up sharing every move of the spiders to her followers, including descriptions of abdomen-vibrations and silk-throwing, and facts about copulatory organs.

“I hope that [my followers] learned something new about the biology and behaviour of spiders, and if [the tweets] inspired even a few people to want to learn more or to be a little less fearful … then that feels pretty great,” said Scott.

She also admitted that she used to be afraid of spiders, but learned to love them after observing their fascinating courtship behaviour and communication systems. Judging

by Scott’s 500 new followers and the plethora of responses to her tweets, others were interested in doing the same.

Besides her Twitter handle, ‘@Cataranea’, Scott also runs a blog called spiderbytes.org where she shares her knowledge of and passion for spiders. “I’m trying to shift people’s perceptions of [spiders] by countering misinformation and fearmongering with actual facts,” she added.

Unfortunately, her black widows never mated, but they certainly succeeded in entertaining and educating the web.

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In intercollegiate sport, are women on the rise?

Sports management positions across the CIS are becoming more gender diverse EMILIE JONES

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Unfortunately when it comes to sports, women often face hardships and inequity compared to their male counterparts. The world of high performance and intercollegiate sport is still regarded as a place predominantly for men.

One has only to compare WNBA players’ salaries, which is capped at $109,500 to player salaries in the NBA, that start at $507,336 for this disparity to be made abundantly clear.

What may be surprising to some is that this goes beyond just the girls on the court.

There is an enormous under-representation of female athletic directors across universities in North America as highlighted in a recent article by The New York Times.

Currently, women hold only 13 of 313 NCAA Division 1 athletic directorships.

The number of women in athletic directorship roles in the CIS is not much better. Out of 56 CIS schools, there are currently 40 men and 12 women employed as athletic directors (with four schools currently hiring).

At U of T, women make up a significant proportion of the athletic directorship roles associated with the Varsity Blues. There are currently nine women on the Blues’ athletic department team out of 18 positions.

The ratio of eight female varsity coaches to 28 male varsity coaches may seem like an egregious gap, but when compared to the NCAA statistic, and many other teams in the CIS, U of T’s Varsity Blues organization is a more gender diverse athletic institution than students may think. Although it’s tempting to compare the CIS to the NCAA, the reality is that it’s a compari-

ELHAM NUMAN/ASSOCIATE ILLUSTRATION EDITOR

son between apples and oranges. “ Its hard to draw comparisons between the NCAA and CIS,” said Beth Ali, U of T’s director of intercollegiate and high performance sport.

“The money that is driven through division 1 NCAA is very different.”

Ali, who has been prominent in Canadian university sport for several years, is currently in her fifth year with the Blues, and has noticed the gender gap throughout her career.

“I think that women are underrepresented for sure particularly in the athletic directorship position across Canada,” said Ali, who also acknowledges the noticeable lack of women in NCAA athletic directorship roles.

The OUA (Ontario University Athletics) is comprised of university teams within Ontario and has many women on various varsity ath-

letic departments which Ali believes is a good start. “Right now in the CIS there is a huge changeover happening in the athletic director positions. For the longest time none of those jobs came up for ever and now there’s a lot, but we’ve lost a couple of women too which is unfortunate.”

Although there happens to be a lot of turnover in the CIS this creates potential room for women to pursue sports management positions. However there remains a sizable lack of role models for women, who may not feel represented or included in sport because of the lack of female figureheads. The MLB recently hired the league’s first female broadcaster for a nationally televised postseason game. The NFL made headlines recently when the Arizona Cardinals hired Jen Welter as an intern

coach. Welter who holds a Ph.D in psychology, is no longer with the team.

“Where are the role models?” asked Ali, who cites her university field hockey coach Marina Van Der Merwe as one of her biggest inspirations, “where are the role models for the young women who are participating in sport to see their coaches being a women, to see their athletic director as a woman, their therapist, their team physician? [More role models] that’s how you resolve the issue.”

Ali has a philosophy that advocates for hard work and dedication. She recognises the wide gap in the amount of women in sport management and coaching positions nation wide. She rejects the title of a female athletic director, instead Ali refers to herself as an athletic director and believes that, like everything else in sport, you get out what you put in. “I don’t think it’s split along gender lines, and I think it also depends on the kind of person you are... I’m a big believer in hard work and so I do work hard but that’s me, I don’t think I do that because I’m a woman trying to prove myself, I think that it’s my makeup.”

There have been significant improvements in the number of women on varsity staffs across the country. The scope of available positions has increased to include social media managers and turf managers — positions that were non-existent until very recently. This exposure and visibility is something Ali hopes will inspire women who are interested in pursuing careers in sport, and convey to them that making their way in the world of sports isn’t as exclusive as it once was. “You know this can and will be you one day,” reminds Ali, “and there’s nothing to stop you from doing that at all.”

Explaining injuries: shin splints What to do about the injury that plagues almost every athlete NICOLE BIANCHI

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Athletes across the board suffer from shin splints. Medically termed ‘medial tibial stress syndrome,’ shin splints are often recognizable by a generalized pain along the tibia (shin bone).

It seems that athletes, regardless of their age, sport, or level of expertise suffer from shin splints over the course of their careers.

But what are they exactly?

Shin splints are caused by an inflammation of the tissue that wraps around the tibia, which results in the tightening of muscles. A response where the body to creates additional scar tissue, which increases the tension on the muscle. This cycle of strain pulls on the muscle’s attachment to the tibia, ultimately inducing pain.

Repetitive stress on the muscles and connective tissues around the tibia is the main cause of shin splints. Stress in these region can be generated by continuous ex-

ercise, pressure from jumping or landing, or sudden changes in movement. People with f lat feet are at a higher risk of developing shin splints due to the increased pressure to the medial aspect of the foot during weight-bearing activities.

Often, people develop shin splints because of a sudden change in their workout regimen like when a runner increases their mileage too quickly, or changes the surface they run on (e.g. from grass to pavement).

Due to their prevalence, treatment options for shin splints are well-known. The most important step is to decrease one’s level of physical activity – that could mean completely stopping the activity, stopping temporarily, or modifying workouts to an intensity where the pain is no longer felt. One option may be to combine weight-bearing activities with non-weightbearing activities. For example, a runner may swim for 30 minutes, and run for 20 minutes, as opposed to running for an hour.

Icing the affected areas could ease the pain if it is uncomfortable. The ice should be left on for 20 to 30 minutes, and applied at an interval of three to four hours, several times a day.

Treatment for shin splints is available for students at the David L. MacIntosh Sport Medicine Clinic upon referral by a doctor.

Consistently visiting a physiotherapist is highly recommended for those enduring shin splints as physiotherapists can perform ultrasounds and EMS (electronic muscle stimulation) therapies which are intended to decrease the pain.

Recovery can take anywhere three to six months. Once your shin splints have healed, your return to sport should be gradual to avoid aggravating the injury again. Finally, it is important to remember that every body heals differently; which is why varied recovery periods among patients are normal.

KAWMADIE KARUNANAYAKE/THE VARSITY

22 SPORTS

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M O N DAY 23 N O V E M B E R 2 015 sports@thevarsity.ca

Blues baseball third at OUA championships Pitcher Peter Nash discusses the highs and lows of the season RAGHAD A.K.

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

The Varsity Blues men’s baseball team finished in third place at the 2015 OUA championship in London, Ontario. The Blues took on the host team, the Western Mustangs in semi-final action, losing 13-1. The team were underdogs this season, but still managed to build momentum by beating teams like the eventual OUA champs Western earlier in the season, and by winning three home games in a row. The Varsity talked to the Blues’ pitcher, Peter Nash, about the season and the next steps for the Blues’ baseball program.

The Varsity: Looking back on the season, are you happy with the success of the team, and what was the overall reaction to capturing the bronze medal at OUA’s?

Peter Nash: The goal was to make the playoffs, taking things one-step at a time. As you can tell, once you’re in the playoffs, anything can happen. We gave Brock their first loss since game two of the regular season, and we were not the favourites in the matchup to say the least. Our team was glad to get within a game’s reach of the finals. We had a very young team in comparison to past years with only four players on the roster having playoff experience. This means that we have a lot of

players getting their first taste early in their careers, and hopefully helps them mature to make a stronger push next year.

TV: In your opinion, what would be the team’s best three games this season? Why do you think so?

Peter Nash: The best game would definitely be the 1-0 game against Ryerson near the end of the season. Colin Edwards threw a great game giving up two hits in the shutout. Most importantly, that gave the pitchers a traditional batting practice session to celebrate.

Pitchers are normally excluded from getting to hit in batting practice sessions to spend more time offering hitters reps while the pitchers make up the majority of the shaggers in the field. It was great to get at least that one chance to have the pitchers take some swings.

TV: What has your experience been like playing for the Varsity Blues?

Peter Nash: The experience is highlighted by the team bonding that we all get to share.

Competing together each day brings people together under a common goal, and naturally most players are very compatible with each other. It’s natural to make some of your closest friends on varsity teams. So I enjoy going to the diamond to see my teammates each and every time. They make bus rides something to

Despite a young roster, the Blues clinched bronze at OUA’s. PHOTO COURTESY OF MARTIN BAZYL/THE VARSITY

look forward to, time on the bench more fun than being on the field, and time on the field something you wish will never end.

TV: What do you think the team needs to improve upon in future seasons? What did the team do particularly well this season?

Peter Nash: On the offensive side, we need to manufacture runs more safely. There were occasions where aggression on the bases cost us some base runners and made at bats difficult against good pitchers. On the defensive side, I think we

need to develop a better pitching psychology.

Too often our pitchers were too worried about being perfect and not getting hit that we did not have good approaches. Improving psychology and getting guys more comfortable on the mound will improve where the ball crosses the plate. Our catchers did a strong job throwing out runners, and the young guys did a good job adjusting to the OUA level of baseball quickly.

Hopefully we continue to improve.

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SPORTS 23

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The bigger we make them, the harder they fall o ans a e an e ect on an at lete s relations ip

it t e media

GRAEME WYATT

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

It’s a story that all of us are familiar with: an athlete from humble beginnings takes her sport by storm with exceptional performances. Society is inspired by her athletic prowess and marketability, and raises the athlete to the level of wealth and status befitting a celebrity, and before long, endorsement offers start pouring in. Athletes who reach this level of critical acclaim become larger than the sport that made them famous. It seems that just as the athlete reaches the height of their career, comes the inevitable scandal.

No matter the scandal, the sports community, fans, and even those who don’t understand or follow sports are always shocked.

The general reaction from the community is surprise and disbelief that someone we have elevated so high could stoop so low. We watch collectively as the athlete is carried through the streets, humiliated, punished, and sentenced to life as an outcast from both the sporting world and society as a whole. Sports scandals have many faces: Lance Armstrong, Patrick Kane, Ray Rice, Tiger Woods, Manti Te’o, and most recently, Greg Hardy. How is it that the media puts athletes on such a high pedestal, only to discover these large shortcomings in character? According to Professor Margaret MacNeill, an associate professor in

WENDY GU/THE VARSITY

the department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, as well as a faculty member at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, scandal has as much to do with society as it does with the athletes themselves.

“Historically [athletes] have been such positive icons in our lives that sometimes we put too much of a positive aura around them so we assume they can do no wrong,” she says.

Athletes are symbols to the public in many ways; they are the pivotal picture of the human form, they epitomize what each and every one of us can do when we dedicate ourselves to a goal, and more often than not, athletes are

getting paid to do something they love — a sentiment that many of us cannot relate with.

But if athletes, even with all the wealth and success our devotion affords them, can fall victim to the same temptations and destructive behavior we can, what hope is there for mere mortals like us?

MacNeill notes that a lot of this can be boiled down to education. Specifically a lack of education pertaining to their rights as athletes as well as their basic human rights.

“Every athlete should have basic rights to the freedom of expression,” argues MacNeill,“...

yet many of them sign away bits and pieces of that right in their athlete agreements... [athletes] are incredibly confident people but there is ignorance about other issues.”

It’s incredibly easy to forget in the flash of mass outrage that the athletes we are angry at are people — often in their 20’s and 30’s — who have had very limited experience in the real world. Devoting themselves night and day to their sport can leave these athletes illequipped to handle contract negotiations, or to manage a following of millions on social media, who are reading and scrutinizing their every post. “...[athletes] have to be careful what they do say, whether it’s something appropriate or not, but if they get shamed this ‘cyber lynch mobbing’ that can go on is a really hard thing to deal with,” said MacNeill. She added that as much as the onus is on the athlete to make smart decisions about what they do and don’t post, fans can be responsible for the perpetuation and misconstruction of the message as well. “You’ve got both athletes and fans that are now part of the production of the messages of the media and what gets presented and re-represented and framed out there... we do have to be careful of what kind of policing, watch-dogging, calling out, [and] lynch mobbing that can occur.”

SPORTS IN BRIEF EMMA KIKULIS SPORTS EDITOR

WOMEN’S FIELD HOCKEY STUNNED IN CIS UPSET

CROSS-COUNTRY CIS RECAP

BLUES KNOCKED OUT OF CIS TOURNAMENT

Blues finish fourth in uncharacteristic loss to Guelph

Third year Gabriella Stafford clinches silver medal

Men’s soccer team finish season 11-3-2

U of T’s women’s field hockey team finished fourth in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championships on November 8, hosted by the University of Victoria in British Columbia, the Blues were knocked out of gold medal contention based on technicalities in their semi-final game against UBC. The Blues took on the CIS defending champions, starting off strong with two goals in the first half by Alison Lee and Emma Stairs. The Blues stayed strong throughout the match and looked as though they could punch their ticket to the championship final, when a rogue goal by UBS’s Sophie Jones in the last seconds of the game tied the match 2-2.

Guelph, Toronto, UBC, and UVic all held 1-1-1 records going out of the preliminary round, meaning that when the Blues tied with the Thunderbirds, the final teams were determined by goal differentials and goals scored, not on the results of an individual match. The Blues went on to lose 4-2, against OUA rivals Guelph, in the bronze medal match. The championship marks the last time standouts Amanda Woodcroft and Tegan Stairs will play with the team, as both women are in their fifth year of eligibility.

On November 14 the Blues’ cross-country team traveled to Guelph to compete at the 2015 Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championships. The Guelph Gryphons, who have dominated the sport for the past several years, hosted the competition comprising of the best cross-country runners from across Canada. The standout performance for the Blues came from last week ’s OUA athlete of the week Gabriella Stafford, who placed second in the women’s 6K competition, clocking a time of 20:09:7. A young team this year, the women placed 12 overall at the competition with notable performances by co-captains Maddy Kelly and Honor Walmsley who placed 26 and 82 respectively. On the men’s side, cross country veteran Sasha Smart lead the Blues with a 35 place performance; clocking a time of 31:39:2 in the 10K competition. The men’s team placed 13 overall in the competition, and was aided by performances from rookies Craig Klomp and Simon Egzaw, who placed 49 and 62 respectively. Although the CIS championships mark the end of the season for the cross-country teams, you can expect to see many members of both the men’s and women’s teams competing on the track and field team next year.

U of T’s men’s soccer team dropped a 3-0 decision to the Cape Breton Capers on November 13, knocking the Blues out of the CIS championship. The 2015 soccer season had been successful for the Blues, and saw the men win a bronze medal at the OUA championships and place second in the division behind hometown rivals Ryerson Rams. The Blues, however, did not fare as well at the CIS championship, where they lost their first game against Canada west champions UBC 3-0, before taking on the Capers in the semi-final consolation match where the team lost again 3-0. Scoreless throughout the first half of the match, the Capers came back strong in the second; scoring two of their three goals within five minutes of each other. Host team York took away their second CIS banner in two years, beating out the University of New Brunswick 2-0 in the final. The Blues were heavily aided this season by third year co-captain and CIS All-Canadian Lukas MacNaughton as well as by third year striker Nirun Savananthan, who lead the Blues in goals and shots-on-goal this season.

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