November 14, 2016

Vol. CXXXVII, No. 9 November 14, 2016 thevarsity.ca —— The University of Toronto’s Student Newspaper Since 1880

Students’ unions get ‘F’ grades in 2016 Campus Freedom Index U of T receives ‘B’ and ‘D’ grades for policies and practices in think tank report Jenna Moon Varsity Contributor

The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) has issued ‘F’ grades to students’ unions at U of T for policies and practices in its annual Campus Freedom Index.

The JCCF is a non-profit legal organization that describes itself as “independent and non-partisan.”

Using a five-tier grading scale, the Campus Freedom Index allocates a letter grade between ‘A’ and ‘F’ to each university for four separate categories: policies and practices for the university and policies and practices for the university’s students’ union. This year

saw 240 grades handed out to 60 campuses, with only two ‘A’ grades among them. In contrast, ‘F’ grades were presented 32 times.

The ‘B’ grade assigned to U of T’s policies falls short of the ‘A’ grade handed out in 2015. In their methodology outline, JCCF states that university policies should satisfy four factors to be assigned an ‘A.’ If all four factors are reached, the ‘A’ is provided. If only three are reached, the Index rates the policy with a ‘B.’ Despite U of T’s lower grading, U of T Director of Media Relations Althea Blackburn-Evans confirmed in a conversation with The Varsity that the policy has not changed in its wording between 2015 and present.

Freedom report, page 3

U of T, Toronto protest Dakota Access Pipeline ASSU, Trinity College Chaplain among pipeline opponents Joshua Scott Varsity Contributor

On November 5, thousands peacefully protested the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) project in downtown Toronto. Support for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has galvanized across the continent in a number of related protests over the past couple of weeks. The crowd that assembled in front of Queen’s Park last weekend was diverse and spirited.

Recently, opposition to DAPL has focused on police crackdown on protesters and the fact that the pipeline is set to run beneath the Missouri River — the Standing Rock Sioux’s main source of drinking water.

Energy Transfer Partners, the company behind the proposed project, purports that the $3.7 billion 1,172mile long pipeline will create 8,000– 12,000 local jobs, translating into an estimated $156 million in sales and income taxes and $55 million annually in property taxes. “The pipeline will enable domestically produced light sweet crude oil from North Dakota to reach major refining markets in a

more direct, cost-effective, safer and environmentally responsible manner,” the company says on its website.

According to the Standing Rock Sioux, the DAPL project has negatively affected some of the tribe’s burial grounds along with other areas of cultural relevance. The tribe fears that should the pipeline rupture, it would contaminate their freshwater supply.

FEATURE — page 12 #NoDAPL photo essay Saturday’s proceedings began with a drum chant and a series of Indigenous speakers. Chief R. Stacey LaForme of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation was among those who spoke, and he began his address by acknowledging “the heart and courage of those at Standing Rock.” His speech included a passionate plea for the violence at Standing Rock to stop.

LaForme also called for a larger shift in perspective: “When you see

Indigenous people stand to defend the land, don’t question why they do it. They do it for all of us and for the future of the human race. Don’t ask why they are standing up to corporate development in defense of the lands and the waters, instead ask, ‘Why are they standing alone?’”

“Let’s show everyone that we remember our responsibility to the Earth… To Standing Rock, four simple words: we stand with you,” LaForme continued, to cheers of approval.

After the speakers finished, the march started. The crowd grew as it made its way south down University Avenue to emphatic chants of “We stand with Standing Rock” and “Water is life,” while passing drivers honked in support. Accompanied by a police escort, the crowd was led by elder Pauline Shirt of the Plains Cree, Red-Tail Hawk Clan, and it passed by the US Consulate General on its way to Nathan Phillips Square. The proceedings wrapped up around sunset in front of City Hall with some drumming, singing, and a great deal of dancing, during which everyone came together and held hands.

Jordan Peterson announces details of debate CUPE 3902 Queer Caucus issues call to boycott university-hosted free speech forum Jack O. Denton Associate News Editor

Details for the upcoming U of T-hosted debate on free speech and Bill C-16 featuring Psychology Professor Jordan Peterson have been determined.

Peterson posted on Twitter that on November 19 at 9:30 am he will be debating Brenda Cossman, U of T Law Professor and Director of the Bonham Centre of Sexual Diversity at University College, and Mary Bryson, Education Professor at the University of British Columbia’s Social Justice Institute. Trinity College Provost and U of T Law Professor Mayo Moran will moderate.

Peterson also tweeted that he will be livestreaming the debate through his personal YouTube channel. The location of the debate was not announced by the time of publishing.

The Queer Caucus of CUPE 3902, the union representing “7,000 sessional lecturers, TAs,

and other contract instructional staff at U of T,” released an open letter on November 4 calling for a boycott of the upcoming debate.

The letter states that “human rights are not up for debate.”

The letter also says that there is no room for discussion regarding some of Peterson’s statements about gender. “Neither Peterson’s views about race and gender nor his understandings of the Canadian Human Rights Act and Bill C-16 constitute valid forms of academic debate. Transgender people are not, as he claims, ‘a coterie of left-wing ideologues.’ We are human beings who seek fair opportunities,” a portion of the letter reads.

Official information about the debate is forthcoming but as a release from the university says, “It is expected that speakers at the forum, to be hosted by the Faculty of Arts & Science, would include Professor Jordan Peterson.”

#NoDAPL, page 3

Peterson, page 3

Op-ed — page 10

Science — page 17

Sports — page 21

Can we fix the UTSU? UTSU VP Internal and Services Mathias Memmel reflects on the union’s mistakes, pledges its potential for change

Plan your funeral Dr. Alex Jadad wants us to embrace death in the same way we embrace life

Fitness in bits and bytes Technology is now inseparable from the sports world

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Students gather at the Arbor Room to watch the US presidential elections.

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U of T profs on the election

Follow us at @TheVarsity

@RonDeibert | profdeibert: November 8, 2016 The historic struggle for human rights is about to enter a seriously different era, not just for Americans but for the entire world.

Ready? @ProfRAHansen | Randall Hansen: November 8, 2016 God help the free world. @Jonathan_Craft | Jonathan Craft: November 8, 2016 Democracy. @MattLebo4 | Matthew Lebo November 9, 2016 How does a country that elected someone who doesn’t care about democratic institutions protect those institutions and democracy itself? @profnickmount | Nick Mount November 9, 2016 I had the strangest dream.

Oh. Shit. @JosephWongUT | Joseph Wong November 11, 2016 It’s finally setting in. #Obama to #Trump. It’s like going from awesome to awful.

U of T Crime Reportings November 1–9 13 Suspicious person

1 Dispute

7 Theft

1 Vehicle Collision

2 Mischief

1 Property damage

2 Medical aid

1 Indecent act

2 Suspicious incident

1 Noise complaint

2 Assault

1 Protest

Editorial cartoon

NOVEMBER 14, 2016 • 3

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Campus Freedom Index Report Card

Freedom report, from cover Blackburn-Evans noted that the ‘D’ grade provided for practices is due in part to the university’s lack of public opposition to the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union’s (UTMSU) decision to deny club status to UTM Students for Life (UTMSFL) during the 2015–2016 year. “The UTMSU, like all recognized student groups … is entirely autonomous. Any decisions that they make are not university decisions … the university respects their autonomy and doesn’t wade into their affairs in that way,” she said.

The ‘F’ grades for student unions also centre on the UTMSU’s decision to deny club status to UTMSFL. The JCCF is also providing legal counsel to UTMSFL, which is currently in the midst of a lawsuit against the UTMSU over club recognition. In an overview explaining why the grade was provided, the JCCF stated that “Students for Life could not join other campus clubs in setting up a table during clubs’ week — a key event for recruiting new members.”

Denied access to club events and continual decisions not to apply club status to UTMSFL eventually led to a court application against UTMSU. The application alleges that the UTMSU “breached the rules of natural justice and procedural fairness, and failed to respect students’ fundamental freedoms of expression and association.”

In its press release promoting the new Campus Freedom Index, the JCCF calls out UTMSU, stating that it is one of three student

unions to have actively censored free speech on campus. The release condemns UTMSU, University of Victoria Student Society, and the Ryerson Students’ Union as “the worst in Canada.”

In an email, Nour Alideeb, UTMSU President, outlined the UTMSU’s mission statement, which “safeguards the individual rights of the student, regardless of race, colour, creed, sex, nationality, place of origin, or personal or political beliefs.”

In addition, Alideeb wrote: “Our policies, bylaws and constitution reflect those priorities. The UTMSU policies, bylaws and constitution will serve those priorities and stay the same unless a full time or part time undergraduate student at the University of Toronto Mississauga comes forward with a concern.”

The report also criticizes the University of Toronto Student’s Union (UTSU) election rules. UTSU President Jasmine Wong Denike confirmed in an email that those rules were “completely rewritten last year.”

Another factor in the ‘F’ rating came from the UTSU’s anti-discrimination policies. Denike argued “the existence of anti-discrimination policies shouldn’t be controversial, as long as the policies are enforced fairly.”

Michael Kennedy, Communications and Development Coordinator for JCCF, said that with 25 out of 60 universities earning “at least one ‘F’ grade, there is clearly a widespread and pervasive threat facing free speech on campus.”

#NoDAPL, from cover

University Policies University Practices

Student Union Policies Student Union Practices

2015

2016

A B D F

B D F F

Kennedy pointed to a tendency “on the part of universities and their student unions to silence speech they disagree with.” Referencing the ongoing case with UTMSFL and the UTMSU, Kennedy noted that “student groups are being banned because their views don’t fit with the mainstream... Universities are condoning mob censorship of events discussing controversial subject matter... This is becoming the norm, not the exception.”

Blackburn-Evans — acknowledging the recent controversy surrounding Psychology Professor Jordan Peterson’s comments on gender and free speech — mentioned, “Aca-

demic freedom and freedom of speech are really at the heart of the university’s mission, and so nothing has changed in that regard.

We continue to defend those principles just as vigorously as we always have. While our faculty members absolutely have the right to academic freedom and freedom of speech… they also have a responsibility to follow the law.”

Denike also echoed a commitment to free speech: “Free speech is vitally important, especially on campus, but we also need to be conscious of how hateful speech can undermine free speech.”

Peterson, from cover

Protesters chain their necks to bike locks at TD headquarters.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TAYLOR FLOOK

U of T’s Arts and Science Students’ Union (ASSU) also took part in the demonstration and issued a statement in support of the Standing Rock Sioux.

“We, the Arts and Science Students’ Union stand in solidarity with the Chairman David Archambault, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and protestors against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline and will continue to stand with them until this pipeline construction is stopped,” ASSU’s statement reads.

On November 3, another protest took place outside TD’s Head Office in Toronto. Trinity College Humphrys Chaplain Andrea Budgey participated in a sit-in, along with Anglican Minister Maggie Helwig and activist Taylor Flook. Flook and Budgey were arrested under charges of trespass and mischief under $5,000 for interfering with the bank’s lawful enjoyment of its property. They were released on bail later that night.

The three locked themselves to the railing in the business accounts line-up with bikelocks and asked to speak to Bob Dorrance, Chairman, CEO, and President of TD Securities, regarding why he had yet to condemn the attacks on protesters by police in Stand-

ing Rock. Their aim was to draw attention to the fact that TD Securities is the seventhlargest investor in the DAPL, with $360 million dollars invested in the project.

Budgey considers the action “a logical extension of her spiritual and ethical responsibilities.” She believes that “all these financial institutions need their investments seriously examined.”

She thinks that “most of our banks are investing Canadians’ money in things that Canadians would be shocked about, in North America and around the world — in industries that are complicit in human rights abuses and that are extremely problematic in environmental terms.” Budgey states that as “many people are too busy trying to survive to research that sort of thing on their own, so any sort of attention that can be drawn to it is important.”

Budget continues, “I’ve been really encouraged since I’ve been a Chaplain at U of T at the level of student activism around fossil fuel divestment and environmentalism and social justice and human rights causes in general. It’s one of the things that actually gives me some hope, so a real shout-out to the students that are doing this work.”

Budgey also mentions the protests in Ottawa against the Kinder Morgan Pipeline, where U of T student Amanda Harvey-Sánchez was arrested: “That’s really significant work, and I’m happy to be able to support that as a Chaplain,” said Budgey.

On November 1, President Barack Obama announced that the US Army Corps of Engineers was considering the viability of alternative routes for the DAPL.

STEVEN LEE/THE VARSITY

This weekend, Peterson released details about the debate on his Twitter account.

Peterson has risen to public notoriety following the release of a number of YouTube lectures where he challenges ‘political correctness’, which he views as a threat to free speech. One of Peterson’s lectures focused on his opposition Bill C-16, which would prohibit discrimination on the grounds of gender identity and expression. Another lecture criticized the University of Toronto’s undertaking for anti-racism training.

In a U of T News interview, David Cameron, Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science, clarifies the need for a discussion. He says, “In such polarized circumstances, it is appropriate that the university sponsor a forum, which aims to permit — in an academic setting — the rational examination of the various views raised by this controversy.”

Peterson addressed the details of a forum in a November 5 YouTube video. Peterson reveals that the university was not going to allow the debate to go forward if he would not use gender-neutral pronouns to refer to people if asked to do so.

In the video, Peterson said the request was “perverse in some sense that, in this debate, the debate would begin with a sig-

nificant restriction on what [he was] allowed to say.”

“Make no mistake about it, this is what’s happened: the university has drawn the lines, and they have decided that if they have to support political correctness/social justice Neo-Marxism, or freedom of speech, then they are going to pick the former, and not the latter,” he said in the video.

The 3902 Queer Caucus’ letter also questions whether such a forum could be safely held, “given the disastrous outcome of the October 11 ‘free speech rally’ held by Peterson and his supporters.” It urges members of the community to stand in solidarity by boycotting the debate and express their disappointment with David Cameron via email.

The university was unable to give comment on the status of the free speech forum.

U of T Director of Media Relations Althea Blackburn-Evans told The Varsity that “the details have yet to be fully finalized; I’m hoping we can announce Monday.”

Neither Peterson nor the CUPE 3902 Queer Caucus responded to The Varsity’s request for comment.

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Inquiry into Campus Police underway following violence at October 11 rally UTSU statement on alleged police inaction prompts formal review by university STEVEN LEE/THE VARSITY

Lesley Flores Varsity Contributor

A review into U of T Campus Police following the October 11 “U of T Rally for Free Speech” has commenced under the purview of Alexis Archbold, Assistant Dean at the Faculty of Law. It is set to be completed by the end of the semester.

The inquiry was launched by the university following a statement made by the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) on October 16, claiming “the Campus Police refused to intervene when they knew of and saw trans folks being assaulted” at the rally. The review began soon after the UTSU’s statement was released.

In an interview with The Varsity, U of T Media Relations Director Althea Blackburn-Evans confirmed that the review was “well underway,” it would be “examining all aspects of the rally,” and that “the goal

is to have the report completed this term.”

The UTSU’s demands for “a full, public inquiry” of Campus Police emphasized the importance of student participation in the investigation, stating that an inquiry devoid of student participation “will not be sufficient.” Blackburn-Evans highlighted the involvement of many stakeholders in the review of Campus Police, stating that Archbold had been “conducting interviews, looking at video footage, any reports related to [the rally], and then also reviewing any relevant U of T policies.”

When asked about the importance of student involvement in the review process, UTSU President Jasmine Wong Denike emphasized in a statement to The Varsity that the Campus Police “are the people hired to serve and protect” students, which “is why the investigation should be public.”

Blackburn-Evans stated that the university was “very disappointed that the event on October 11 devolved in the way

The UTSU raised concerns about Campus Police’s inaction at the U of T Rally for Free Speech. it did” and aims to “ensure that topics can be discussed and debated openly and with respect… in a way that’s safe for the community.”

She emphasized the importance of the review into the Campus Police’s conduct at the rally in order to “examine how things unfolded and see what could perhaps be addressed in different ways next time around.”

Denike’s statement to The Varsity also expressed the union’s desire for “an investigation not only into what happened on Tuesday, October 11, but into what Campus Police has and hasn’t been doing in regards to student safety on campus,” by thoroughly examining the “treatment of marginalized students” on campus in general.

In a previous statement to The Varsity, Denike spoke of a need for more proactive, preventative measures, such as “training

in gender identity and the barriers facing trans and non-binary students” for all U of T staff members, in addition to the public inquiry into the Campus Police’s alleged failure to protect trans and non-binary students at the rally.

When asked whether the university was taking steps to implement such a training program, Blackburn-Evans stated that “informal communication has taken place now between UTSU and the Sexual and Gender Diversity Office, which is connected to the Office of the Vice-President HR & Equity. The university is in the process of determining how widely the equity and gender training might be given.”

Blackburn-Evans continued: “U of T is very, very proud of our diverse campuses and we are continually looking at proactive ways to support equity and diversity across the University.”

Five students attend UTSU town hall on anti-Blackness BLC slams union for poor organization, low turnout Tom Yun News Editor

The Black Liberation Collective (BLC) has criticized the UTSU for the low attendance at its “Town Hall to Confront Antiblackness Within the UTSU,” which took place last Thursday.

Among the 13 people who were present, there were five attendees; UTSU executives and staff made up more than half of the people in the room.

Jean Samuel, an anti-oppressive facilitator who had worked in child welfare for over 20 years, led the discussion. The town hall was originally organized as a forum for Black students to share their grievances against the UTSU, but Samuel reframed it as a forum for “understanding allyship in confronting anti-Blackness at UTSU” due to the lack of Black students in attendance.

Halfway through the event, Yusra Khogali, who is one of the organizers of the BLC, walked in and expressed her disappointment at the turnout of the event.

“This town hall was an opportunity to actually come and open up a space to really mend the relations with Black students on campus. This was the opportunity,” she told Samuel. “But they failed once again, because they treat black students like they don’t matter.”

One of the two Black students who attended the town hall was Ifrah Farah, a Woodsworth College student who was a member of the UTSU Board of Directors last year.

“Well, I had only found out about I think four hours prior, so it was pretty

NATHAN CHAN/THE VARSITY

UTSU President Jasmine Wong Denike says the union is committed to serving Black members. last minute,” she told The Varsity. “I [kind of]... expected what had happened to happen just because I did notice that the outreach was not the best and I was disappointed in that, but I did have some things to say.”

In a statement posted on Facebook, the BLC called the town hall “useless.”

“We see this town hall for what it is, which is nothing more than the UTSU pretending to address their antiblackness for good PR,” a portion of the statement reads.

“This does not meet our demand in any way, and if the UTSU is serious about tak-

ing up this work then they need to invest time and effort into the needs of the Black student membership.”

The BLC’s statement also says that their group, along with other Black student groups, were not consulted during the planning of the town hall: “If UTSU claims to be holding space for their Black membership, then Black students need to be reached out to and consulted with.”

UTSU President Jasmine Wong Denike acknowledged that the town hall “was poorly executed.”

“We organized the town hall for our

Black members, in order to give them an opportunity to voice their concerns,” she told The Varsity. “We’re still committed to those members, and to working with them to serve them better.”

Denike also said that the union did consult with Black student leaders prior to the town hall. “Obviously there’s something wrong, and the UTSU needs to step up. Communicating and repairing these relationships is a top priority,” she stated.

More consultation was something that Samuel also emphasized, and she encouraged the union executives to sit down with the leaders of every single Black student group on campus.

“Hopefully going forward, when [the UTSU is] accused of anti-Black racism, they’re going to take it more seriously and all work towards making sure they reach out to the proper organizations that they should reach out to,” Farah said.

The UTSU Social Justice & Equity Commission is also holding a town hall on anti-Blackness at U of T on November 17; Denike did not respond to inquiries regarding how this town hall will be different from the last one.

The BLC launched a boycott of the UTSU last month and claims to have received over 300 signatures in support. In addition to a town hall, the group’s demands to the union include increased funding for Black student clubs and dropping the lawsuit against former Executive Director Sandy Hudson.

The BLC could not be reached for comment.

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Service of remembrance held at Soldiers’ Tower U of T honours the memories of the World Wars Rachel Chen Features Editor

Last Friday, the Soldiers’ Tower Committee held its annual service of remembrance at the Soldiers’ Tower at Hart House. According to the U of T alumni website, it is “one of the city’s best-attended Remembrance Day ceremonies.”

The ceremony included hymns, prayers of different faiths in several languages, and readings emphasizing U of T’s ties to the World Wars I and II. University College History student Alexandra McKinnon read Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae’s “In Flanders Fields.” McCrae passed away from pneumonia in 1918 while he was in active service.

“I guess the world no longer stops entirely at 11 am on November 11, but that doesn’t mean Remembrance Day has lost its meaning,” McKinnon said. “‘In Flanders’ Fields’ in particular, it is such an iconic poem and the fact that it was written by [an alumnus of U of T and of University College] — McCrae — just makes it even more relevant in the context of the Soldiers’ Tower.”

Students and community members flocked to Soldiers’ Tower for the ceremony. RIEL FLACK/THE VARSITY Faculty of Engineering PhD Candidate Nika Shakiba read about William George Stanley Scott and James Leroy Whitside, who were killed in action at the Battle of the Somme. Like Shakiba, Whitside was also an engineering student.

“I think part of my reading was to remind students that we sit where these fallen soldiers once sat,” Shakiba said. “I think it is important to just pause and reflect on their sacrifice and the freedom that we enjoy now as students — being able to study what we choose, form the opinions that we choose —

Trudeau appoints U of T professor to Senate Tony Dean among six non-partisan Senate appointees from Ontario Kiana Shahbazi Varsity Contributor

October 31 marked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s nomination of six non-partisan Senators to fill vacancies in the Senate for Ontario, including U of T Professor Tony Dean.

A former public servant, Dean currently teaches at the School of Public Policy and Governance. He describes his independence from partisan politics as occupying “rich territory of the middle ground,” and that this independence was most likely a determinant in his nomination to the senate. Previous Canadian governments frequently appointed Senators along partisan lines.

“I certainly didn’t see the likelihood of being nominated for senate, there’s just no doubt about it,” Dean told The Varsity. “It’s something I would have never imagined.”

On Trudeau’s initiatives to appoint nonpartisan Senators, Dean forewarns Canadians that “change is difficult in big, complex, long-standing institutions” and will inevitably create friction. However, Dean recognizes the importance of infusing independent Senators into Canada’s chamber of ‘sober second thought’ and notes that despite any impending collisions, “the interests of people in an organization, before you arrive there, are valid. There’s nothing right or wrong about it.”

Dean plans to harness his experience working in public service: “I think citizens need to know that not everything is political and that there are people working in public service organizations in government whose job it is to… think about the broader public interest.”

Dean left school at age 15 whilst living in England and chose to take up an apprenticeship in the industrial sector. At 25, Dean moved to Canada with a mindset devoid of political intent — he was to complete his Masters in Sociology at McMaster University.

His footings were established during his time in the Ontario Ministry of Labour as a policy advisor, where he tackled issues of legislation and collective bargaining regulation. This journey of two decades would culminate with his appointment to Head of Public Service, a role which made him responsible for 65,000 employees.

“I could not have imagined the possibility of the career trajectory I would have in this country,” said Dean.

Dean advises students wishing to develop similar momentum to follow their passions and seize as many opportunities as possible. In situations where one feels stuck in work that feels out of place and unfulfilled, he believes that one should continue working long enough to learn something about that particular field and then use that newfound knowledge while in pursuit of looking for another job — one that provides the right managerial style and environment to breed personal success.

“I was thrown into the deep end… into kind of some of sink or swim situations, in which I felt that I was being asked to do a job that was way over my head. But then I kinda thought, I’m going to swim hard. I want to keep my head above the surface. That was my trajectory, that combination of finding work,” stated Dean.

and that’s because of these soldiers that have sacrificed themselves.”

Near the end of the ceremony, the traditional laying of wreaths took place with wreaths for the university, the Government of Canada, alumni, faculty, students, Hart House, the Old Comrades, the U of T Contingent Canadian Officers Training Corps, the Royal Regiment of Canada, the Toronto Scottish Regiment, and families. Among those who participated in the laying of the wreaths included U of T President Meric Gertler and International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland. Additional wreaths for

the children, colleges and faculties, and other members of the campus community were also laid down.

Most wreaths came from the communities of the colleges and faculties that make up U of T. Following the laying of wreaths, there was a prayer of remembrance, in which Padre Maria-Cristina Codina, CD made it clear that it was universal prayer for all attendees, religious or not.

The ceremony ended with a gun salute at Queen’s Park; a reception followed in the Hart House Great Hall.

Campus Police warn public about man wanted for indecent exposure at U of T Suspect allegedly involved in two incidents Sheridan Cunningham Varsity Contributor

Last Thursday, U of T Campus Police released a report warning the public about a man wanted for two counts of indecent exposure.

The suspect was first reported to Campus Police on September 16 when he reportedly exposed himself to a 21 year old female student in an open-study area before approaching her and committing an indecent act. He had a black t-shirt pulled up to hide his face, and fled when the student got up and began to leave. She reported that he was wearing reddish-orange boxer shorts.

In the second incident, the man approached two women while they were

studying in a building, exposed himself, and committed an indecent act. The women, aged 22 and 23, reported that he was wearing a black balaclava, white t-shirt, black shorts, and black running shoes.

The suspect fled when one of the women screamed.

According to reports, the man is white and has dark eyes and dark eyebrows. He is in his 20s, has a medium build, and is approximately 5’10”.

If seen, police are asking members of the U of T community to not approach him and contact Campus Police immediately at 416-978-2222. They are also requesting any information about either of the previous incidents.

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Thousands march for CFS’ “National Day of Action” CFS, supporters call for free education Kaitlyn Simpson Associate News Editor

The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) held a “National Day of Action” on November 2. Students and groups from all three U of T campuses participated in the U of T version of the event which included a pre-rally in front of Sidney Smith Hall and a march to the Queens Park to join thousands of fellow students in a province-wide protest.

Participating student organizations from U of T included the Association of Part-Time Undergraduate Students (APUS), the Graduate Students’ Union (GSU), the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU), and the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU).

Additionally, the event included a contingent called T.O. to South Africa, in solidarity with the Fees Must Fall campaign in South Africa. The contingent was led by the Black Liberation Collective (BLC), whose focus was on anti-Black racism within education, specifically the barriers to accessibility for racialized students on campuses across the world.

The “National Day of Action” was part of the CFS’ Fight the Fees! campaign, which calls for universal post-secondary education through the gradual reduction of tuition until it is completely free; the “conversion of the provin-

cial portion of student loans into non-repayable grants”; and the elimination of interest on alreadyexisting student loans.

CFS National Chairperson Bilan Arte spoke with The Varsity about the goals of the Fight the Fees! campaign and their “National Day of Action”: “Fight the Fees is a movement that will continue building support and moving forward until we successfully push this country to eliminate tuition fees. The participation of students from 58 campuses, of 90 unions and community groups, shows that the progressive goal of publicly-funded college and university is not out of reach.”

Gayle McFadden, National Executive Representative of the Ontario branch of the CFS, expressed similar remarks. “Today is a piece of raising awareness, getting students mobilized, pushing for action to take control of our right to an education,” she said.

On the event description, the CFS wrote: “All students have the right to academic accommodations so they can participate in the Day of Action without academic penalty.”

A statement released by the Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Regehr on September 16 states: “compelling academic considerations may make any accommodation impossible.”

The Varsity spoke to U of T’s Director of Media Relations Althea

STEVEN LEE/THE VARSITY

Canadian students rallied for free education as part of the Fight the Fees! campaign.

Blackburn-Evans to clarify the accommodations situation. According to Blackburn-Evans, “the provost asked academic administrators to encourage instructors to make accommodations where possible. Ultimately it’s up to individual instructors to make that decision based on planned academic activities.”

The University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) had concerns about the CFS

campaign, arguing that “it is deliberately silent on the expiration of the current Tuition Fee Framework” in a joint statement from the union’s executive on October 26. By not focusing on the current Tuition Fee Framework, the union argues that the “timeline is unrealistic, and that the framework will ultimately be drafted with little to no input from students.”

The UTSU held its own campaign called the Week of Action from October 31 to November 4.

When asked about the UTSU’s lack of participation in the “National Day of Action,” Arte did not comment on the union specifically: “Thousands of students came out to the Day of Action” and “I know many UofT students who were active and engaged in building this campaign.”

Province to build new university sites in Brampton, Milton U of T, Wilfrid Laurier University express interest in expansion Katrina Wozniuk Varsity Contributor

The Ontario government announced on October 26 that it will be supporting ventures to build new post-secondary institution sites in Brampton and Milton.

A news release published on the Ontario government’s website said that the sites would be “focused on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM)” although it did not specify which universities will be selected to manage the new locations.

Brampton and Milton are located in Peel Region and Halton Region respectively, just outside of the City of Toronto. The Ontario government explained that the university sites would be built in order to accommodate the regions’ growing populations. “Investing in postsecondary education,” the news release reads,

“is part of our plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.”

U of T had previously expressed an interest in “establishing a presence in Brampton” in September 2015.

The Varsity spoke with Ulrich Krull, UTM’s interim Vice-President and Principal, about whether or not U of T was still interested in developing a site in Brampton.

“U of T was invited last year by the City of Brampton to discuss potential partnerships,” he said. “The response of U of T was that the University serves all communities in the GTA, and that the University was open to discussion to explore mutual benefit for the City, the University and the Province.”

“Some preliminary discussions ensued, but the Province did not proceed with its plans to have a competition,” said Krull. “Discussions did not proceed to review details and

formulate any decisions. The recent announcement by the Province will rekindle the discussions.”

Krull also noted the ambiguity with the term “university-led postsecondary sites” in the news release.

“The announcement by the Province speaks about a ‘site’ in Brampton, with a level of funding support that could represent a renovated or constructed building, but not a campus,” he said, “The University and City [of Brampton] are awaiting further details from the Province before discussion can proceed as there is no indication of how operating costs would be supported, and this is essential to planning of sustainable investments in programs and infrastructure.”

Wilfrid Laurier University had submitted a proposal for a Milton campus, but it was rejected by the

An aerial shot of Brampton. WYLIEPOON/CC FLICKR province in March of 2015. The university confirmed that it will be resubmitting a proposal for a Milton site.

Speaking to The Varsity, Wilfrid Laurier University’s Communications & Public Affairs Director Kevin Crowley said that the university looks forward to

sending in its proposal and has been “working closely with the Town of Milton, Halton Region and other community partners since 2008 to develop plans for a university campus in Milton.”

Proposals for the new university sites will be accepted in January 2017.

NOVEMBER 14, 2016 • 7

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In conversation with Deb Matthews Ontario’s Deputy Premier and Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development on tuition, innovation, Jordan Peterson

By Jaren Kerr Managing Editor

Deb Matthews is the Deputy Premier of Ontario and the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development. In her capacity as a minister, she oversees provincial policy, regulation, and strategy regarding post-secondary institutions in Ontario. The Varsity had a chance to sit down with her to discuss tuition fees, innovation, and the role of universities in inclusivity and free speech.

The Varsity — On November 3, hundreds of students with the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) rallied in front of Queen’s Park, calling on the government to eliminate tuition fees. How would you respond to those sorts of concerns?

Deb Matthews — So I totally agree with CFS that money should never be a barrier to post-secondary education. And that’s exactly why we brought in a massive change to OSAP. We’re totally transforming OSAP so that we’re actually removing the financial barriers for students. Our changes mean that 150,000 students will actually get grants — not loans, grants — in excess of their tuition. OSAP will provide support for students from families with family incomes of up to $160,000. But, the less you earn, the more the support. Highly progressive, so at $50,000 family income [and less, students]… will have their tuition covered with grants, so free tuition.

TV — Just to clarify: when you talk about the changes to OSAP, do you mean the Ontario Student Grant, as it’s also known?

DM — Yes, but it’s all OSAP, so student aid. Ontario Student Grant is a part of that.

TV — So in terms of this change to OSAP or the student grants, is this sort of the longterm solution for post-secondary education costs or are you looking to make any sort of changes in the future to better accommodate students?

DM— This is hugely transformational from a societal point of view. In sum, it just has a huge impact on social mobility when students are going to be able to go on and educate their potential. Implementing this is our big focus right now. We’re also of course looking at the tuition framework.

We’re looking at the funding formula for college and universities so there’s a lot of other work going on. But in terms of accessibility, these changes are truly transformational.

We’re also going to make it a lot easier for students in high school and elementary school and their families to understand the true cost of post-secondary education.

My worry is that if focus is just on tuition without looking at student aid, people get a distorted idea of what post-secondary costs, and that really discourages them from even thinking about post-secondary education.

So for me, it’s all about net tuition, how much the tuition, and how much aid are you going to get, and then you’ve got the information you need to make an informed decision.

TV — To continue on that line, what solutions would be offered to international students and those in deregulated programs like commerce programs or computer science, as an example — how can they be assisted as well?

DM — International students is a big is-

Matthews speaking at U of T in July 2016. NATHAN CHAN/THE VARSITY sue for us and we’re actually working at developing an international student strategy.

We really think that international students enrich the experience but I think we have to do a better job of really supporting international students and fully integrating them into our post-secondary system. So there’s work underway on that front right now.

TV — What about the deregulated programs?

DM — So, are you familiar with the Student Access [Guarantee]?

TV — No, but you can tell me about it.

DM — I didn’t know this existed before I became minister, so I guess it’s not that well known. You didn’t know about it, I didn’t know about it, but every institution is required to support low-income students in those high cost programs, so if you want to go into engineering and that tuition is above normal tuition, then the institution is required to top up your student assistance to cover the increased cost of tuition of those high-cost programs. That’s extremely helpful, but not well known. Part of what we’re doing in our transformation with OSAP is we’re trying to make it as seamless as possible so that students actually will get that information up front.

TV — Currently, tuition increases in Ontario are capped at three per cent. This is set to expire in 2017. What is the Ontario government looking to prioritize in their next sort of decision on how to deal with those?

DM — Yeah. They are coming up for renewal, that work is underway, and we haven’t yet landed on what that next iteration is going to be, but it’s very high on our to do list.

TV — I’d like to talk a little bit about innovation universities and post-secondary institutions. What does meaningful innovation look like in a post-secondary institution? And who is it supposed to benefit?

DM — That’s a great question, and for me, it will always be about benefiting students.

Universities are there to serve students, and they’re also there to do research and spread

knowledge, so there’s so many ways that innovation is being demonstrated. We’re seeing more and more universities and colleges embracing different ways of teaching, we’re learning more about how people learn, and how people learn today in the digital world.

There’s innovation out on teaching. But there’s also — I don’t know if you had a chance to see the highly skilled workforce report… it’s a pretty interesting document.

The premier asked an expert panel to come forth with advice on how we actually create the highly skilled workforce that we need for today and tomorrow.

A really interesting statistic I heard was that educators were asked how well [students] were doing as for the workforce. And I think 83 per cent of them said they were doing just fine. If you ask employers, it’s more like 34 per cent of employers thought students were being well-prepared. We really have to do a better job bringing those educators and businesses together. And other employers like NGOs and so on to actually make sure the students are getting the skills they need to be successful. They have a number of recommendations and we’re committed to moving on all of them.

One of the most interesting ones for me, at least, is work-integrated learning. We’re setting ourselves a target that every student graduating from high school and again when they graduate from college or university will have had at least one meaningful work-integrated learning experience. Coops are kind of one end of the spectrum. But there are a lot of options that we’re working on how we’re actually operationalizing that.

How are we defining a meaningful work-integrated learning experience, and how we’re going to support it? It’s a big, big job, but I’m really excited. I think we’re going to be able to do it.

TV — Following up on that: with innovations, especially at universities, there’s lots of partnerships. As beneficial as they could be, do you feel like there is also any risk that outside institutions like corporations could

have too much influence on what are meant to be public institutions?

DM — Yeah, of course. That’s always a concern, and we can never lose sight of the fact that these are public institutions and their mandate to serve the broader public. And at the same time, we live in a time where the economy is rapidly changing. We’re in the middle of what some call the fourth Industrial Revolution, and we’d be doing a disservice if we didn’t actually change education to reflect the changes in the economy.

TV — So what does that entail? How is that managed? How do we keep that beneficial and not detrimental?

DM — You know, I think this is a very big conversation. And I think it’s important that we have that debate and I know that universities in particular are having that conversation. And it’s a healthy one but I think if you ask students, ‘Do you value being well prepared for the work you’re going to do?’ they will say, ‘Absolutely, yes’. Students put a very high premium on having an education that’s going to help them once they graduate.

TV — I have one final question. At U of T, Professor Jordan Peterson has made some headlines for refusing to use non-binary gender pronouns… These comments have upset some students, and in such a situation how can a school manage student grievances and at the same time uphold academic freedom?

DM — This is a really tough issue. I believe that all of us need to work to create inclusive places, inclusive environments, and that means being thoughtful and being generous of spirit. And by that I mean, I think there has to be a welcoming place for everyone on our campus. Having said that, I know this is being dealt with where it belongs and that is at the university level so that’s where it needs to be.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

8 • THE VARSITY • NEWS

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ASSU loses bid to raise levy by $3.00 Course unions, ASSU Executive disappointed Emaan Thaver Associate News Editor

Last week, the Arts and Science Students’ Union (ASSU) lost its bid to raise student fees by $3.00 per semester. The tallied results of the referendum showed that 60 per cent of student voters were opposed to the proposed fee increase. Of a total of 1,533 voters, 925 voted against the increase, 578 voted in favour, and 30 voters abstained.

ASSU’s proposal would have raised union fees to $12.50 from the $9.50 that students currently pay per semester. It also proposed a new “costof-living adjustment” to tie future fee increases to the rate of inflation.

According to ASSU, funds collected from the increased fee would have gone towards funding its 66 course unions as well as towards grants, bursaries, and event programming.

ASSU’s decision to ask the student body for a fee increase was also, in part, due to financial concerns regarding its budget. Speaking to The Varsity earlier this year, ASSU President Ondiek Odour explained that the union has been operating on a budget that “far exceeds our income.”

Sahal Malek is the President of the Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations Students’ Union and the French Course Union, which are two groups that could have benefited from the levy increase. Malek called the referendum results “extremely unfortunate.”

Malek explained that the work that course unions do includes representing the interests of students in the

respective departments, hosting academic workshops and conferences, and organizing social and networking events: “We do these tasks on a shoestring budget, and are not paid for any of our efforts.” “[It] tells us that our efforts to enrich the lives of students on campus are not worthy,” Malek continued.

“I hope that students will appreciate what course unions do for them in the future, and maybe decide that we are worthy of a mere three more dollars.”

The political climate on campus likely played a major role in the referendum’s defeat. A month ago, the UTSU held a referendum on a levy increase, which also failed to pass.

Tanzim Rashid, a third-year Trinity College student opposed to the fee increase, explained his objections in a statement to The Varsity. Rashid is a member of Students in Support of Free Speech (SSFS), a student group critical of ‘political correctness’ which began in wake of Psychology Professor Jordan Peterson’s YouTube lectures on the topic. Rashid encouraged fellow SSFS members to vote against the levy increase.

Rashid expressed concern that ASSU is being used as “a platform to promote radical polarizing political views” and suggested that the impartiality of the union had been compromised in light of recent events. ASSU was one of several student unions to release a statement criticizing Peterson.

He said that the failed referendum was a message to the “ASSU, UTSU, and U of T admin, that the mismanagement of funds, and the misap-

ZHENNI LIAO/THE VARSITY

ASSU was previously awarded a levy increase in 2010. propriation of the ASSU… will not be tolerated by the silent majority” and slammed the union for “purchasing drake posters, having coffee soirees,” and supporting the Black Liberation Collective.

Following weeks of campaigning, the ASSU executive was left “disappointed” by the results of last week’s referendum. In a collective statement to The Varsity, executive members addressed some of the concerns that ‘no’ voters may have had.

“A lot of individuals’ criticism of our levy stemmed from a misunderstanding of our current financial situation,” they said. “We admit that we could have been clearer with disseminating our financial situation to our membership, so that they could be better informed.”

Their statement continues: “One of the more common criticisms we received was that we had somehow mismanaged our funding by passing a deficit budget when having deficit budgets at tale end of our five-year levy cycle had been practiced for more than 25 years.”

The executive also admitted that “this is a difficult year to hold any sort of campus-wide vote.”

“Most of the discussion surrounding our referendum — ironically — focused on how our Union chose to freely speak out against a professor’s problematic actions,” they continued.

If it had been successful, the fee increase would be the ASSU’s first since 2010. The referendum also marked the first time that the ASSU used online voting instead of paper ballots.

ASSU allowed students to vote remotely online or in-person with computers set up at Sidney Smith Hall.

Despite the new voting measures, voter turnout was meagre. Of the approximately 23,000 students that ASSU represents, 0.06 per cent voted in the referendum.

“The final votes cast are disappointing in light of the size of our membership, and show only a small increase compared to our last paper ballot in 2010. Regardless of whether students supported the levy or not, we were hoping to see more engaging numbers,” reads a portion of ASSU’s statement on its website.

The results of last week’s vote will be formally submitted to the ASSU Council Meeting on November 15 for approval.

Ontario launches new grant for adopted post-secondary students Living and Learning Grant to be expanded Joshua Scott Varsity Contributor

The provincial government is making it easier for adopted children to pursue post-secondary education.

Eligibility for Ontario’s Living and Learning Grant (LLG) began just before November, which is Adoption Awareness Month in Ontario.

The grant will provide eligible students with $500 per month to a maximum of $6,000 per year of study. Eligible students can receive the grant for up to four years of study.

Students who have already submitted an OSAP Application for Full-Time Studies are automatically considered; students that have not must submit a separate form by mail in order to verify their status with the Ontario Chil-

Eligibility for the new grant began just before November. Al HikesAZ/CC FLICKR dren’s Aid Society. This form is available through the OSAP website and must be submitted no later than 60 days prior to the end

of their present study period.

Students also must have either left the care of the Ontario Children’s Aid Society (CAS) at the

age of 18, or have been adopted after August 1, 2013. Previously, the LLG only applied to students aged 21–24.

The grant also extends to Crown wards — non-adopted youth in the care of foster or group homes — that have chosen not to receive care and maintenance. They are now eligible to receive the LLG in study periods that began on or after August 1, 2016.

“All children and youth have a greater chance of thriving when they have stability in their lives.

That is why Ontario is delivering on its promise to strengthen supports to help more children and youth in care or who have been adopted, and the caregivers supporting them,” said Minister of Children and Youth Services Michael Coteau. “I hope families and caregivers take advantage of these supports, as they have the potential to make a lasting impact on a child’s life.”

Comment

November 14, 2016 var.st/comment comment@thevarsity.ca

Lest we forget Why Remembrance Day must become a legal statutory holiday

TROY LAWRENCE/THE VARSITY

Ian T. D. Thomson Varsity Contributor

On November 11, Canadians collectively paused to pay tribute to citizens who have defended this country. However, Remembrance Day is a statutory holiday for only some parts of Canada, as not all provinces recognize the day as a ‘day off.’

Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia all have policies surrounding the observance of Remembrance Day, but they have not recognized it as a full statutory holiday.

This is not good enough — it is time for Canada to act as a unified nation, make Remembrance Day a legal statutory holiday across all provinces, and equate it in status to holidays like Canada Day. This idea is not new. In 2014, New Democratic Party member Dan Harris introduced Bill C-597, which was designed to specifically amend the Holidays Act and make Remembrance Day a legal national holiday. At a second reading of the bill in 2015, it was all but supported unanimously by the usually divided House of Commons. Unfortunately, a triggered election dissolved this bill in August 2015.

However, a similar amendment to the Holidays Act has been brought forward by Liberal Member of Parliament Colin Fraser, with its first reading having occurred in late September. While Bill C-311 does not make Remembrance Day a full statutory holiday, it places it on the same importance as Canada Day. This bill may also make provinces revisit the notion of making Remembrance Day a statutory holiday. Passing this bill would be productive for national unity and for honouring our veterans.

The significance of Remembrance Day is marked by what happened on November 11, 1918. This day denoted the end of hostilities in World War I (WWI). Over 650,000 soldiers from Canada and Newfoundland served, with 68,000 lives lost. It was a tumultuous period for our country and for the world at large.

Canada’s display in WWI marked a significant turning point for Canada as a nation. At the beginning of the war, Canada was just another contingent of the British Empire, led by British generals. The sheer number of Canadians who served as well as the courageous actions of Canadian servicemen and women during battles such as Vimy Ridge were recognized by the international community during WWI. As a result, Canada was given its own independent signing on the Treaty of Versailles, signifying the end of the war and the beginning of greater Canadian independence from Britain.

This significant moment in Canadian history warrants the designation of a full day of national respect, regardless of differences in provincial legislation. At the same time, the significance of Remembrance Day traverses the historical context of WWI. By recognizing Canadian veterans, it symbolically marks the significance of all subsequent wars, including the great sacrifices in World War II, the Korean War, the South African War, and the War in Afghanistan.

I believe this country respects those who have fallen.

We have reputable institutions across this country, such as the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, that pay homage to the soldiers who served. There are memorial services held across the country on November 11, which are largely attended by current Canadian Forces members, civic officials, and veterans. The playing of “Last Post” touches Canadians everywhere that it is heard. The poem “In Flanders Fields” personifies the unknown soldier who sacrificed their own life for the wellbeing of the nation.

These feelings are indiscriminate of provincial Remembrance Day policies. When our soldiers, sailors, and airmen assaulted Juno Beach in Normandy, they did so on behalf of Canada not their specific province.

Making Remembrance Day a holiday should not be a provincial issue. Provinces do not afford the day consistent recognition and respect. For instance, Nova Scotia specifies that

most grocery stores and retail locations must be closed on November 11, but it remains another regular business day for farming and the foresting industry.

Whatever the details of respective provincial policies, Canada must become unified as a country for this day. A more unified federal approach to a statutory Remembrance Day removes the ambiguity of the respect of individual provinces towards the Canadians that have served and fallen for our country.

Making Remembrance Day a statutory holiday is not just an excuse for another day off. While there is the economic argument that there is reduced productivity for a full day off, we should not put a price on national pride and gratitude.

It is sobering to think that it was people of our age who gave up the opportunities of youth, the safety of home, the comfort of friends, and the promise of tomorrow to become soldiers, sailors, and airmen. They were paid little. They followed orders, which sometimes led to their deaths, all for the idea of a country and a world that should not be ruled by fear and tyrants.

Consequently, there is more we can do to give thanks. Winston Churchill famously said, “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” These wars helped shape the freedom we enjoy today in Canada — the freedom I am given to even craft this editorial.

All that we cherish in Canada today is the result of those who volunteered to defend our values. A brief pause in the business and activity of this country in order to pay a small debt of thanks is not too much to ask.

Ian T. D. Thomson is a Master of Public Policy candidate at the School of Public Policy and Governance. He holds an Honours Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Manitoba.

10 • THE VARSITY • COMMENT

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Op-ed: Is the UTSU worth saving?

A UTSU Executive reflects on the organization’s failures, struggles, and potential for change Mathias Memmel Varsity Contributor

Is the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) worth saving? I asked myself that question last week after students voted overwhelmingly against the creation of a new UTSU fee. To be clear, I don’t blame students for how they voted, and I’m not here to justify or explain away the referendum. In fact, it was, in many ways, my project and I accept responsibility for its failure.

To be blunt, the UTSU is rotten and was mismanaged for years. None of the problems that have come to light in the last 18 months are new; they’ve just been deliberately concealed, even from the Board of Directors. For instance, last year, when I was on the board, we learned that the Health and Dental Plan — arguably the only UTSU service that matters to most students — had lost $1.6 million in a six year period. No one had even notified the board, let alone the organization’s members. The UTSU is often accused of being out of touch with students’ needs and, in many ways, it is.

When an organization like the UTSU runs into trouble, it has two options. The first option is to hide what’s going on and become progressively more authoritarian. This is what the UTSU did for more than a decade. The second option is to throw open the doors and let the members see the corruption. This is what needs to happen now, and why I’m being so

blunt about the Student Commons project.

What the referendum taught me is that students don’t yet trust the UTSU with their money, and I don’t blame them. They haven’t been persuaded that the organization has changed, and it’s absolutely true that it hasn’t changed enough. We assumed that we could earn the trust of students by quietly reforming the UTSU. It’s now clear that we were wrong about that, that a more radical, democratic restructuring is required. We can’t ask for more money even for clubs that need it until we’ve proven that we aren’t misspending the money that we currently have.

The UTSU could also learn to take itself somewhat more seriously. While advocacy on behalf of students is of fundamental and nonnegotiable importance, it’s the height of arrogance to carry on like a foreign ministry while struggling to do anything useful. Empty words persuade no one; self-congratulatory statements are no substitute for effective action.

What gives me hope is the existence of students’ unions that are well run and, moreover, not so widely disliked. One good example is the Federation of Students at the University of Waterloo. Another is the Alma Mater Society at the University of British Columbia. We need to look at what these organizations are doing differently and learn from them.

The more important point is that student government is, in principle, a good thing.

NATHAN CHAN/THE VARSITY

The author, a current UTSU executive, says that ‘the union must engage in more radical restructuring.’

Like it or not, the UTSU is the student government that we have. People can do a lot of good when they govern themselves together — even as students, even at U of T. I asked to write this piece because students are rightly angry at the UTSU, and I want them to know that they’ve been heard. We’re going to respond to this defeat by accelerating the process of reform. If you don’t like the UTSU, tell us. If we’re making a mess of

something, let us know. The UTSU is worth saving — but only if it’s saved for everyone.

A UTSU that exists only for the benefit of a small clique of student politicians isn’t worth anyone’s time.

Mathias Memmel is a third-year student at University College studying Computer Science and Political Science. He is the UTSU’s Vice-President Internal and Services.

Op-ed: Creating meaningful equality Oxfam’s Shortchanged campaign pushes for policy changes that benefit working women Toufiq Shakhshir and Alok Herath Varsity Contributors

Today’s expanding globalized world is resulting in an extreme increase in various types of inequality. Not only is the wealthiest one per cent richer than the remaining 99 per cent, but as of 2015 figures, the richest 62 people on earth hold more wealth than the poorest 50 per cent. Since the economic recession, wealth has quickly shifted into the hands of the wealthier few due to economic policies that attempt to expand wealth rather than incomes.

Social inequality is also still a major concern, and actions that attempt to minimize the work of women in comparison to men are proving to be good for corporate profits. Income inequality must be observed through a gendered lens; the concentration of men and women in different disciplines of work, as well as the increased ‘value’ of men’s work over women’s work can be observed through the fact that men are offered higher salary and promotion rates, holding all other factors constant.

Women in the poorest countries are openly seen as the cheapest form of labour. The working women in these countries lack protection through labour laws and are not afforded the comfort of income security. Furthermore, the lack of government-subsidized day care has resulted in the limited ability of women to choose and prioritize a set career path.

Canadian women in particular have less access to healthcare insurance than men due to less hours spent working because of family obligations. Indigenous and immigrant Canadian women are further disadvantaged

DAVID RUSSO/CC FLICKR

The government should take action and create policies conducive to gender equality. in terms of income and government policies.

Employment rates for immigrant women are seven per cent less than for Canadian-born women and 14 per cent less than immigrant men, while the employment of Indigenous women lags five per cent behind that of Indigenous men and 11 per cent behind nonIndigenous women.

To take this from a broader perspective, full-time working women in Canada earn 72 per cent of what men earn. Therefore, certain government solutions must be implemented in order to ensure the closing of the income

and employment gap between genders and reduce social inequality within specific groups.

Oxfam’s Shortchanged campaign recommends that the government review their financial and social safety policies in order to ensure recognition of unequal gender roles in terms of employment.

Furthermore, by adopting a more progressive fiscal policy, the government should ensure that tax cuts are reallocated towards the poorest sectors rather than the wealthy ones. Tax avoidance must also be addressed.

Joint taxation policies that disincentivize

lower-earning individuals, usually women, from returning to the workforce should be improved. All countries that have introduced such joint taxation policies have experienced a stable male workforce but also a decrease in women’s participation in the workforce. This causes a weakened economy due to a less flexible and diverse labour supply.

Governments must also work to fundamentally transform policies through the reallocation of federal and provincial budgets towards public services that provide women with choice. More specifically, providing more financing towards government-subsidized day care is a necessity to allow the choice to pursue a full-time career.

Finally, governments should take a more active role in the protection of workers. They can do this by ensuring that all workers have equal access to safe employment opportunities, promoting non-discrimination in work environments, and protecting women’s rights to organize.

The inequality between and among genders is often overlooked in the twenty-first century, as we are led to believe that we live in a progressive world. However, we are facing a crisis that can only be resolved through both changes in policy and our state of mind.

Toufiq Shakhshir is a second-year Rotman Commerce student studying Finance and Economics. Alok Herath is a second-year student studying Political Science and Global Health.

They are both active members of Oxfam U of T’s event-planning committee.

NOVEMBER 14, 2016 • 11

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Folks, you have the floor Two perspectives on the 2016 UTSU Annual General Meeting

DIANA PHAM/THE VARSITY

Varsity Contributors

The University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) hosted its 2016 Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Thursday, October 27. Here is what two of our contributors thought of the event.

Accountability on the agenda In retrospect, it appears that the most exciting thing about the UTSU’s 2016 AGM was the presence of samosas. In light of the tension surrounding the on campus protests and rallies of the last few weeks, this year’s AGM was astonishingly civil.

Like many others, I expected protests or at least some antagonism during the presidential address and Q&A period.

However — save for one odd question from a member about President Jasmine Wong Denike’s and Vice-President Internal and Services Mathias Memmel’s preferred pronouns — questions were kept mostly substantive. Much to my dismay, many of the squares on my The Varsity bingo card went unfilled.

One member raised the issue of alleged anti-Black racism in the UTSU and what the union will be doing to combat this aside from holding a town hall on November 10, which was clearly in response to protests held by the Black Liberation Collective (BLC) at the UTSU office on October 11. Why the union continues to self-flagellate when it comes to certain campus groups is beyond me; as a recent comment article

by Haseeb Hassaan makes clear, the BLC’s demands are irrational and “devoid of context.”

With that said, accountability, both financial and otherwise, was a theme of the meeting. It was clear that the UTSU Executive Committee, perhaps inspired by the recent failed referendum for increased clubs funding, does not feel that students are yet assured of the union’s financial transparency.

The UTSU’s open acknowledgement of this was refreshing.

Printouts of the UTSU’s audited financial statements were distributed, which raised some debate over the union’s expenses, especially its human resources costs. This is also the point where I must get up on my soapbox and inform you that, troublingly, the UTSU paid $802,976 to the Canadian Federation of Students last year. If this is of concern to you, I suggest you check out a little campaign called You Decide UofT. In line with discussions on accountability, debate over the package of proposed bylaw amendments was spurious, albeit wonky at times. The fact that these amendments passed

deserves some attention. Most notable among them is the establishment of the Appellate Board, which is essentially a body that can overrule existing review processes like the grievance officer, the Elections and Referenda Committee, and the Executive Review Committee.

I went through the formal grievance process last year and can testify to the fact that it was an embarrassment. I actually received a formal apology on behalf of the UTSU for its failure. The new Appellate Board is encouraging, especially because it explicitly precludes students who have previously sought held positions in the UTSU from participating. One of the stranger things about student politics is that some characters stick around for much longer than the length of a typical university career. Consequently, this provision drastically reduces the chances of the board being corrupted by so-called ‘career’ student politicians.

The Appellate Board also uses the knowledge of students enroled in the Faculty of Law and has well-defined deadlines.

A student board issuing a decision in under 12 hours is almost unfathomable, but I suppose we’ll have to wait and see.

Reut Cohen is a second-year student at Trinity College studying International Relations.

Eerily uneventful A sense of dread and unease permeated the atmosphere for those waiting in line to enter the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education auditorium. This was perhaps aggravated by droves of engineers serenading the anxious crowd with trumpets, drums, and cries of “free speech.”

Yet, for all the gloom and speculation, the boogeyman did not show up. The meeting may have started 45 minutes late, but as a whole, it was conducted efficiently — which was unusual, considering both the anticipated drama of this year and historically onerous meeting procedures.

The sluggish shouting matches of the past did not occur.

Voting processes for all the motions, which were painfully excruciating in previous sessions, were smooth. In fact, the whole affair lasted only two hours, prompting Vice-President Professional Faculties Ryan Gomes to declare that this AGM was more “civil” than those of the past. With all the drama the UTSU has had to deal with — from disqualifications in the April UTSU elections to recent disagreements regarding free speech on campus — this event provided precious breathing space for its depleted executives.

Alongside being efficient, this year’s AGM was one of the more productive ones as well. All three motions were passed with thoughtful discussions; much of the debate revolved around financial arrangements, with questions concerning accountants and regulatory policies. Bylaws were also featured prominently in discussions, and in general, debates conformed remarkably with decorum. Financial arrangements on the student commons and a town hall for antiblack racism, both of which had been recurring issues, were put into place without major opposition.

The technicalities of the AGM’s motions could be one of the main reasons behind this year’s relative efficiency. Some of the audience members I spoke to were looking forward to discussing controversies, as opposed to funding plans and financial statements. In fact, the UTSU’s auditor frequently intervened in the middle of debate in order to clear up some misinterpretations. The relative complexity of these articles and statements could have paved the way for audiences to simply follow other people.

The tranquility of this year’s AGM can also be attributed to a lack of opposition. Unexpectedly, there were no shouts and cries from the BLC, nor protests of any kind — in fact nearly half of the auditorium was empty.

Yet, for all this relative calm and peace, the fact that relatively few people participated in this year’s meeting is rather concerning. Democratic systems are dependent on vivid participation by the electorate, which in this case is the student body.

Adding to the fact that there was already a low turnout rate for the UTSU spring elections, the massive opposition against the clubs levy — which, when it went to referendum, garnered a “no” vote of approximately 74.5 per cent — can spell trouble for future UTSU actions. Even if the vote was compromised by those who fiercely oppose the UTSU, the fact that this happened speaks to the lack of concern that most of the student population have with the UTSU. With a mountain of tasks ahead of them, the UTSU must seize the opportunity to reach out and engage with the wider student population. Having emphasized balance and accountability, let’s hope Denike and her cohorts can deliver on their objectives.

Arnold Yung is a fourth-year student at St. Michael’s College studying History.

Solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Torontonians march against the Dakota Access Pipeline and injustices towards Indigenous peoples Photos and words by Nathan Chan, Photo Editor

On November 5, thousands gathered at Queen’s Park to rally support for Indigenous peoples in the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, located between North Dakota and South Dakota in the United States. Members of the Standing Rock Sioux nation describe themselves as “Land and Water Protectors” and have been protesting the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline for several months.

Some of their specific concerns surround water conservation and safety, desecration of burial grounds, and environmental impact. The protests were met with significant resistance from both private contractors and the government, resulting in numerous instances of physical violence, intimidation, and arrest.

The Standing Rock Sioux called for help across states and nations, asking for support of their cause and recognition of the occurring injustices. Toronto heard their cry: people came from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities to Queen’s Park, where speakers shared speeches and prayers of solidarity.

Volunteers collected monetary donations, clothing, and toiletries to deliver to Standing Rock, as well as chemical goggles, masks, and flashlights for protection against violence.

After numerous chants of “water is life,” Indigenous Elders led protestors towards the US Consulate General Toronto on University Avenue with the hope of attracting the attention of the American government to not only Standing Rock’s local support but also their international support.

Despite some tense encounters with police at the consulate, the march continued its journey to Nathan Phillips Square where participants engaged in an act of solidarity by round dance. Groups sang traditional songs as the rally’s large drum thrummed. Throughout the entire march, strength and camaraderie permeated through the crowd.

At the rally’s end, Torontonians had shown support for the Standing Rock Sioux through not only songs and cheers but also direct support by monetary donations and gifts in kind.

An Indigenous Elder acts as the march’s marshal, leading the way through the city.

Members of the Indigenous community hoist a large banner to lead the march.

Women dance along the front of the parade in traditional Indigenous apparel.

A large round dance is performed in Nathan Phillips Square amongst songs, traditional music, and rallying cheers.

A man plays his drum alongside the march.

Arts&Culture

November 14, 2016 var.st/arts arts@thevarsity.ca

“Art is sometimes the only thing that lets us remember” Art Creates Change: The Kym Pruesse Speakers Series highlights role of art in activism

This installment of the series featured Black Lives Matter – Toronto. NATHAN CHAN/THE VARSITY

Lisa Power Arts & Culture Editor

Art Creates Change: The Kym Pruesse Speakers Series is hosted by the Ontario College of Art and Design University; it is free to the public and features artists who discuss how art is a proponent of cultural and societal change. The October 26 talk focused on Black Lives Matter – Toronto (BLM – TO) and was led by LeRoi Newbold and Syrus Marcus Ware, members of the organization that is “actively blurring the lines between direct action and artistic practice.”

The talk focused on how much art lays a foundation for what BLM – TO does and how they do it. “The work that we do is always rooted in creativity,” Ware explained. “There is a very deep historical connection between activist movements and artistic movements.”

Artists like Emory Douglas created wood block cuts featured in widely distributed Black Panther newspapers. They were meant to tell a story of the movement during the late 1960s and early 1970s. His works offered everyday tips and advice for Black people in cities across the US but also instruction on how to make their own pieces of art. “He was actually using it as a pedagogical tool for people to use art in their own activism and organizing,” said Ware.

Artists like sculptor Betye Saar, Faith Ringgold, and Adrian Piper were also referenced during the talk. Piper’s durational performance piece “My Calling (Card)” (1986–1990) involved the passing of a small card to those who had made racist or sexist remarks. They were used as “a passive-aggressive approach to showcase how racism and sexism are intrinsically harmful.”

A main theme of this discussion was space — how it is occupied and by whom. “We’re aware of the ways that art [and] contemporary art spaces can kind of consume, take up, appropriate, and co-op activist movements, and we’re quite weary of that,” said Ware. “In these situations, activism becomes a symbol, it becomes a metaphor.”

The group rejects the notion of activism being a mere representation and instead aligns itself with the movement of freedom fighters who used innovative and creative means to activate change because their survival depended on it.

An example is an image of Huey Newton sitting on a wicker chair, an artistic response to resistance. Ware explained that artists and activists were one in the same as they worked to create lasting pieces that held an aesthetic vision that went into “creating key moments in history.”

Inspired by these artists, the group organized BLM – TO: Black City, a 15-day occupation outside of the Toronto Police Headquarters in March of this year. In response to the death of Andrew Loku, the subsequent acquittal of the police officer involved in the incident, and the scaling back of Afrofest, the group rallied outside in an effort to “take it back, to have our own Black arts festival outside police headquarters,” explained Newbold.

During those cold days and freezing nights, “art was what kept us going,” Ware continued. Posters and fabric banners adorned the site; flatbed trucks were used as stages for performances, like spoken word and DJ sets. Dancing, memes, and installations all became a part of the occupation.

Sometimes supporters would drop off more art, like paintings from previous occupations in the 1990s. Artist Amber Williams-King often created digital art and used photography to display images of Loku, Alex Wettlaufer, and others who had died violently: “It was at that time I realized that art is sometimes the only thing that lets us remember our existence here.”

Storytelling became a big part of the occupation; tales of resistance were exchanged between older and newer generations of artists working to create change. At Art Creates Change, one thing became clear: “Blackness in Canada is dehistorized,” said Newbold. “Black art and the movement’s art is like sitting down to hear stories from your grandma who maybe lives too far away to tell them to you.”

During this year’s PrideTO celebrations, BLM – TO was asked to be the honoured group to lead the parade on July 3. In response to the alleged lack of support the Pride Committee displayed during Black City and in the months leading up to the parade, BLM – TO partnered with Blackness Yes and Black Queer Youth to “devise a performance/direct action plan that would specifically call out the anti-Black racism that we experienced.”

“So we marched in formation… all wearing black and gold, behind this truck that was emblazoned with images of our ancestors, with music of resistance, playing loud… and we proceeded down the route,” said Ware.

Upon reaching Yonge Street and College Street, the group sat down. They sat down in solidarity with other Black activist groups across the country and in the US, as member Alex Williams asked the crowd: “Are you proud?”

A rainbow smoke bomb was released, and BLM – TO requested a meeting with executives from the Pride Committee. While they waited, they shared songs and speeches, discussed the work they were doing and criticized Pride. Before long, the executive showed up and were presented with a list of demands that, amongst many things, ensured that everyone felt proud and safe in the parade.

This included the exclusion of police presence because the groups claimed the police had been unfairly targeting Black people in the city.

In the weeks that followed, the executives decried the incident; ultimately the Pride Board finally agreed and consented to the demands, with the exception to the one regarding the police presence.

The mixed responses meant that, like Piper’s durational piece, the performance and the action is still ongoing.

“It’s a durational performance that perhaps will never be completed but is absolutely ongoing,” said Ware.

NOVEMBER 14, 2016 • 15

var.st/arts

Much Ado About Nothing has a lot to do with a shared experience Director Carly Chamberlain on the challenge of connecting a 400-year-old text with today’s audience Gabrielle Warren Associate Arts & Culture Editor

Hart House Theatre’s production of Much Ado About Nothing isn’t your average take on the Shakespeare classic. Director Carly Chamberlain’s passion for theatre shines through as she interprets a complex story about entangled lovers and grappling with identity.

“It’s a play about love and pride and jealousy,” Chamberlain said, “and all the hurtful and funny things that come out of when all those things clash with each other.”

The play marks Hart House Theatre’s annual Shakespeare production. Chamberlain explains that there is a resonating quality to this type of production, because it evokes a broad spectrum of emotions that can be described as a kaleidoscope of love.

Chamberlain admits that staging a 400-year-old play can be challenging, but that’s part of the excitement. She first decided to consider the role of women in the play. Then, she did some “trimming” and “rearranging” of the text to adapt the play for a modern audience.

Themes of femininity and love populate the play, but Chamberlain explains that the “major thematic paradox” centres on masks and hiding. “We put up masks, we put up walls in order to protect ourselves from being hurt, but that mask or those walls are actually the thing that get in the way of us ever

PHOTO BY SCOTT GORMAN, COURTESY OF HART HOUSE THEATRE

Much Ado About Nothing on stage at Hart House Theatre. really connecting,” Chamberlain says. This leads to the questioning of which is worse: “to risk pain or to never connect”? She places this question at the centre of the play to encourage the audience to reflect on their own

willingness to form meaningful connections with the world around them.

The play was not easy to stage. Chamberlain recounts having to extensively research the different readings and translations of the

text. “There’s a different kind of freedom in that. I really love the task of taking an old play and not having the answers and having to just dig into it,” she says.

Appealing to students can sometimes be a tricky task, made no less difficult by the nature of Shakespeare’s works. “I don’t think that anyone has to respect Shakespeare or love Shakespeare… For me, I think what is exciting is he was a prolific writer with such a skill with language. I mean, so many of our turns of phrases and words that we use all the time now are words that he actually invented,” she says.

Despite the age of the play, Much Ado About Nothing’s actors say that they understand the experience of the characters and what they’re going through.

Chamberlain has worked hard to try to convey a sense of a shared experience, but she notes: “rather than trying to make something that you can say universally [that everyone will relate to], my hope is that we work with a level of depth and detail with each performance and with the design choices, so they’re specific enough and feel fleshed out enough that it’s… something familiar.” She explains, “That hopefully comes from a rigour and detail in the work.”

Much Ado About Nothing is on now until November 19.

Places in the city where being a student pays off Put your TCard to good use at these locations Sabrina Ramroop Varsity Contributor

You’ve spent thousands of dollars on tuition, and it may seem as though all you’ve gotten out of it are too many assignments and a plastic ID card of a photo taken on a bad hair day.

Believe it or not, your TCard can be used for more than just writing exams and paying for printing. Check out these places where you can use your TCard to get sweet student discounts.

The Coffee Lab — 13 per cent off The Coffee Lab located at 333 Bloor Street West is a snazzy little coffee shop tucked away inside of Willow Books. This coffee shop is advertised as the smallest in Canada at only 52 square feet. However, the shop makes up for its size with their coffee. One key feature of the shop is their particular spin on the word ‘lab.’ They store coffee beans in test tubes and serve certain drinks in small glass beakers. In addition, they allow you to pick your beans for your beverage.

Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) — Free on Tuesdays The ROM located at 100 Queen’s Park Avenue allows post-secondary students in for free every Tuesday. This only permits general admission, which means special exhibits are extra, but honestly, the permanent fixtures can already take hours to explore.

The ROM is divided into different sections

including galleries of Nubia, Egypt, and Chinese architecture. With its diversity and large galleries, the ROM has something that will pique anyone’s interest.

Shoppers Drug Mart — 20 per cent off on Thursdays The Shoppers Drug Mart located at 236 Bloor Street West offers students 20 per cent off for everything on Thursdays. Only this location provides this deal. This is great for students because it provides a discount on a variety of products, from toiletries and makeup to snacks and groceries.

Metro and Sobeys — 10 per cent off The Metro at 425 Bloor Street West offers students a 10 per cent discount every Tuesday and Wednesday. The Sobeys Urban Fresh at 777 Bay Street offers the same discount every day of the week, but you must also have an Air Miles card. They are both convenient for students living nearby to purchase groceries or stock up on snacks.

Bulk Barn — 10 per cent off on Wednesdays On Wednesdays, every Bulk Barn offers students 10 per cent off. They have large wells of candy, chocolate, pretzels, health food products, and much more, allowing customers to self-serve based on the amount they would like. This makes it easy for students to satisfy their sweet tooth or bulk up on snacks for exam time.

MIA CARNEVALE/THE VARSITY

Insomnia — 20 per cent off For those who like to go out to eat but want to save money, Insomnia is the place to be. Located at 563 Bloor Street West, it is a cross between a lounge and a restaurant.

It offers 20 per cent off of all meals, except

on weekends and holiday brunches. Their food is definitely worth your buck as it offers sizeable portions always served fresh.

It also hosts a comfortable atmosphere with snug couches and cute fairy lights that are perfect for a date.

16 • THE VARSITY • ARTS & CULTURE

arts@thevarsity.ca

She made it her own

Kiana Shahbazi Varsity Contributor

“Hard work and being nice to people” is a simple mantra that has produced a bounty of success for U of T student Mariah Owen. At just 22 years old, Owen works as a producer, writer, and actor, all while completing her courses.

Owen remembers starting her career in film sets where she felt unsettled and undervalued; a common observation made by many women in film. Instead of subscribing to the hierarchical and sometimes repressive environment, she decided to carve out her own place in the film industry.

Owens founded her own production company in March 2016 year called GTE Productions Inc. GTE proudly centres on the “highlighting of humanity” and serves as an inclusive platform to work on what Owen describes as “higher risk” films with deep-rooted plots.

One of these “higher risk” films is the recently produced M.F.A., a “female-driven vigilante thriller” that addresses campus rape and a blurred

depiction of justice. Expiry Date, another female-driven film, touches on the metaphorical ‘expiry date’ women face: a societal ticking time bomb that expects them to marry, advance in their careers, and have a child — all by the age of 30.

Stubborn is a word Owen uses to describe herself. “Knowing myself, knowing my work, and knowing what I’m capable of” is very important to her. She says, “I’m not the average 22 year old.” It’s this exact understanding of herself that’s allowed her to overcome what some might view as limitations.

She recalls developing momentum in her career by asking plenty of questions, attending industry panels, and networking with individuals who were willing to share knowledge. She stresses that “before I had any substantial credits, I did my research...I tried to get on set any day I [could] get.” This tenacious commitment to absorb experiences and knowledge contributed greatly towards her accomplishments.

Owen’s confidence is due in part to a plethora of female inspirations, including her mom, sports coaches,

The Side Piece

U of T alumna Mariah Owen addressed the flaws in the film industry

PHOTO COURTESY OF DENISE GRANT PHOTOGRAPHY

Mariah Owen, founder of GTE Productions Inc. and television producer Shonda Rhimes, to name a few. Owen grew up as an athlete and credits her background in sports as having helped her cultivate a commitment to teamwork and developing a thick skin.

She works to overcome rejection by assessing the situation and asking herself, “What are my options? Do I still really want that original goal?

And if so, you’ve got to work harder, and if it’s a job, you reapply.”

Above all, Owen funnels her energy into embracing her vision

and allowing it to take on various forms through the filming and editing processes. She remarks, “things change all the time, but is the message still there?” In this way, Owen stays focused while embarking on a “crazy, artistic path” that sometimes lacks stability.

In the coming months, Owen hopes to explore documentarymaking, all while maintaining GTE’s vision to “highlight everyone in the world, not just one viewpoint.”

Did you know?

There are 44 libraries across all three campus. Make studying interesting by trying out as many as you can before you graduate!

Protip: Looking to meet people or try something new? The website Meetup.com hosts groups and events around the city that are often free or pay-what-you-can.

From dodgeball to mediation, there’s something for everyone.

Events: In Conversation with Jameel Jaffer: Drones, Targeted Killings and State Secrets November 15, 12:00–2:00 pm The Vivian and David Campbell Conference Facility, Munk School of Global Affairs XAO-Decolonizing Through Artwork: Mesoamerica Resiste November 15, 1:30–3:30 pm Sidney Smith Hall, room 1073

4DX comes to Toronto

Now you can smell what the characters are cooking GLORIA ZHANG/THE VARSITY

John Shutt Varsity Contributor

It is without question that the entertainment world has changed dramatically in the last decade. With the rise of streaming services like Netflix, there have never been more choices for consumers to enjoy media from the comfort of their own home.

Yet, there is still a certain joy in seeing a new motion picture in a movie theatre on the biggest screen imaginable. It provides a great escape from our hectic lives for at least a couple of hours. In order to compete with all the new distractions and emerging technologies, movie theatre exhibitors have been coming up with innovative ways to entice consumers away from their couch.

Cineplex Inc., the largest exhibitor in Canada, wants to help bring in a new era of movie going that literally makes audiences feel like they are a part of the action. Their answer? Cineplex 4DX. Launching at the Yonge-Dundas theatre in downtown Toronto, the new movie-going format seeks to provide audiences with motion seats that combine with effects to enhance the experience in reaction to particular scenes. 4DX uses augmented technology to simulate environmental changes in movies, even scents.

Say, for instance, that you are watching Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the upcoming installment in the Star Wars series. All of a sudden it starts to rain in the film, and your seat synchronizes with the film in a way that makes it feel like you’re

been caught in a rainstorm.

Sounds pretty cool, right? There is only one big issue facing 4DX’s future: cost. To see a movie in 4DX, it will cost you $25 for an adult ticket. That may be a tough sell to students and families, though initial numbers are encouraging. Cineplex CEO Ellis Jacob implies that this new technology will please audiences enough to be willing to fork out the extra cash.

According to Ellis, since the experience opened on November 4, the plan seems to be working. The new Marvel feature Doctor Strange passed the first test, with Ellis commenting that they’ve sold out almost every 4DX show since.

While Cineplex’s 4DX experiment is a giant leap forward for consumer-product interaction, it isn’t new. The concept has been around

for the last few years in countries like South Korea.

Some independent theatre owners, however, feel that these new upgrades and technologies distract from the actual movie watching experience. In a recent interview with the Ottawa Sun, Lee Demarbre, coowner of the independent Mayfair Theatre in Ottawa, said, “People who are making these decisions don’t watch movies. Everything keeps changing and I like it less and less. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.”

Despite Dermarbre’s pleas to keep to the traditional movie-going experience, companies like Cineplex continue to push the boundaries of theatrical enjoyment. As long as audiences are willing to fork over the cash though, they show no signs of slowing down.

XAO-Intersections of Identity: Experiences Shared by Queer WOC November 16, 2:30–5:00 pm Health Sciences Building, room 100 UofT’s Queer Fashion Show November 16, 7:00–9:00 pm Kruger Hall, Woodsworth College Life Management Series: Healthy Habits — Prioritizing Self Care November 17, 12:00–1:00 pm Live Webinar Reading the Pulse: A Panel Discussion About Toronto’s Vital Signs November 21, 6:00–8:00 pm Innis Town Hall

Science

November 14, 2016 var.st/science science@thevarsity.ca

What is a good death?

UTIHP hosts Dr. Alex Jadad — the physician who held his own funeral Kelly Aiello Varsity Contributor

With the recent passing of Bill C-14, assisted suicide will soon be removed from the Criminal Code. This has left a void in the discussions surrounding one of the most taboo topics of the last two decades in Canada.

These questions were posed by Dr. Alex Jadad during UTIHP’s What is a good death? event, which was held on October 28.

Jadad is a physician who founded the Centre for Global eHealth Innovation, Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, and Director of the Institute for Global Health Equity and Innovation.

He is also the man who, for his birthday, asked his family to hold his funeral.

“I want [my family] to spend time with me,” he says. “Imagine that I am dead and tell me what you think you would say at my funeral. And each of them spent time with me, with no limits. And it was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. They told me of all the wonderful things we had shared.”

Death may be a taboo topic but it doesn’t have to be, says Jadad. As he looks around the standing-room-only gathering, Jadad asks everyone to close their eyes and think

hard about their own death. What does it look like? What is an ideal death to them? One by one, the audience answers him: surrounded by loved ones, in peace, no pain, at home, with no regrets, were some of the responses many people shared. So why then do we leave our deaths in the hands of medicine, die in a hospital, hooked up to machines and tubes?

“Medicine,” Jadad emphatically declares, “is about fighting for and saving lives and ignoring death.”

This realization may be hard to handle for some. There is a natural tendency to want to fight for life. To want the best physicians, surgeons, and experts in the field to fight to prolong life. This is the human condition — to want to live and avoid death.

So why don’t we do that, Jadad poses. Why don’t we live like we are going to die?

“Live your life so that you would like to repeat it an infinite number of times,” Jadad says, quoting Friedrich Nietzsche.

Basically, death is just an extension of our lives; our lives belong to us and so should our death. Our lives are as private and intimate as we wish them to be, and it would only seem reasonable, Jadad emphasizes, to truly own our deaths with pride and autonomy — to live our death like we lived our lives.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GRACE MANALILI

The event featured this prop to underscore the importance of ‘a good death.’

Death is just a natural extension of life.

This is not necessarily something to be shunned, feared, or fought against, since it is almost entirely out of our control. We are, however, in complete control of how we will

spend our days before then. In Jadad’s opinion, even the day of our death is somewhat under our control.

So why don’t we make our deaths as beautiful as the rest of our lives?

Reinventing the stethoscope 200 years later Today’s tech might eliminate the need for the stethoscope

NATHAN CHAN/THE VARSITY

Is the stethoscope still useful in the age of smartphones?

Kasi Sewraj Varsity Contributor

The iconic medical device known as the stethoscope celebrates its two hundredth anniversary this year.

Until the 1800s, a doctor would perform an ‘auscultation’ by pressing their ears against a patient’s chest to hear their heart beat during a physical examination. This technique was difficult, as it required physical contact between patient and physician, and it

provided no way to amplify the faint sound, which led to common misdiagnoses.

In 1816, French physician René Laennec devised a clever solution to the problem: Laennec was said to be examining a female patient with heart disease. Wanting to hear her heartbeat to but not wanting to press his ear against her chest, he rolled up a notebook and created a makeshift device.

Prompted by the success of the notebook, Laennec soon carved a wooden tube to create the world’s first stethoscope. It was similar

to ear trumpets of the day, and it allowed the physician to perform auscultations more effectively and comfortably.

Almost 30 years later, Arthur Leared and George Cammann improved upon the design.

Their major development of the device was ‘binaurality’ or the use of both ears. Flexible tubing allowed sound to travel from a small funnel to the ears.

Quickly, the stethoscope was adopted by doctors around the world. However, due to uncertainty about potential hearing imbalances caused by the binaural instrument, the Lannaec’s original monaural design was used until the early 1900s.

Eventually, the stethoscope is became one of the most ubiquitous and recognizable medical devices. Today’s design uses completely flexible rubber, metal, and plastic pieces to create lightweight noise-cancelling devices with improved acoustic quality.

Stethoscopes have been used daily during physical examinations for listening to the heart, lungs, and abdomen or determining blood pressure. It has also been used to listen for ‘bruits’, which are whooshing sounds that indicate a narrow artery.

As the stethoscope carries on into the twentieth century, however, technology seems to be replacing the iconic device.

Recently, handheld ultrasound devices that are small enough to fit into one’s pocket are being used to produce images of the heart in real time. There are also apps for smartphones and tablets that allow doctors to

email ultrasound test results to patients right away. An American study found that these new devices are 35 per cent more accurate when diagnosing heart abnormalities than a physical exam.

Alternatively, a company has developed Heartbuds, which is a device that plugs into smartphones, operates with an app to record internal sounds, and allows the file to be stored and shared with patients. When the app was compared with a standard, disposable stethoscope, it had comparable sound quality and was able to detect abnormalities to the same degree.

The caveat to these high-tech stethoscope alternatives is that not all hospitals and care facilities have the money to purchase the new technology. Classic stethoscopes are relatively inexpensive and can be replaced easily. Dr. Tarek Loubani, a Canadian emergency medicine doctor working in the Gaza strip, has used a 3D printer to create stethoscopes for only $2.50, alleviating medical supply shortages in the area.

Interestingly, medical school students are typically trained to use only stethoscopes as an instrumental tool. “The realities of modern medical practice juxtapose this notion, whereby more and more clinicians substitute sound physical examination with diagnostic tests,” says University of Toronto Resident Doctor Ian Plener. “The future of diagnostics is forever changing.”

18 • THE VARSITY • SCIENCE

science@thevarsity.ca

RBC boosts AI research at U of T The Creative Destruction Lab supports AI innovation at U of T Utkarshna Sinha Varsity Contributor

The Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management is an incubator for science-based startups that solve pressing problems innovative ideas, particularly focusing on those that use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) has recently announced support for the CDL by becoming a Founding Partner of the Lab’s Machine Learning Initiative.

RBC will provide funding and guidance for budding entrepreneurs to push forward their innovative ideas and turn them into marketable products. “We’re thrilled to partner with RBC on this initiative,” said Rachel Harris, Director of The Creative Destruction Lab. “With their support we are able to scale our program. We are now home to 50 AI companies.

To our knowledge, this is the greatest concentration of AI companies in any program on Earth.”

From the advent of self-driving

cars to the ubiquity of mobile personal assistants, research in AI has been a key driver of technological change in the past decade and continues to grow. Computers, while traditionally used as machines to aid in tedious calculations and large number manipulation, are now playing a larger role in our lives, assisting doctors with patient evaluations and helping law enforcement officials detect fraudulent activities.

“RBC Research in Machine Learning is part of our commitment to the advancement of machine learning and artificial intelligence in Canada,” says Gabriel Woo, RBC’s Vice-President of Innovation. “We are not only building our own capabilities, we’re also big believers in creating jobs in this space to retain the amazing talent we have in Canada. We’re working with leading universities across Canada like the University of Toronto to partner with the best, brightest and boldest minds in the country.”

This new RBC Machine Learning Research Initiative will be led

Angels of death Charges against Wettlaufer may reignite healthcare serial killer history

CORALS ZHENG/THE VARSITY

by Dr. Foteini Agrafioti, a U of T engineering alumna best known for being co-founder of Nymi, the first wearable technology using biometric technology HeartID. She was also named ‘Inventor of the Year’ in 2012 by the University of Toronto for inventing HeartID. U of T is home to nine startup accelerator programs within the three campuses, all devoted to the advancement of entrepreneurial staff and students. As a leading institution in transforming ideas into products, services, and jobs, it promises a prosperous future for Canada’s rapidly growing startup culture.

The CDL supports early-stage science-based startups in particular by connecting founders with highly accomplished and experienced entrepreneurs and investors. Using an objectives-based mentoring process, companies focus on developing a scalable product. In addition to funding, the Royal Bank will be offering an advisory board to the Lab’s AI focused companies to aid entrepreneurs searching for a second opinion or guidance.

Farah Badr Varsity Contributor

The Bible’s Azrael is not the only ‘Angel of Death.’ In criminology, angel of death refers to a breed of serial killers: healthcare personnel who double as killers, abusing their bestowed trust to murder bedridden patients.

Ontario nurse Elizabeth Wettlaufer was recently charged with murdering eight elderly patients over the span of seven years, adding to a murky history of healthcare serial killers (HSKs) whose biographies are well-suited to becoming Hollywood movies.

It is not the large number of her victims that drew special attention to the Wettlaufer case but rather the wealth of anecdotes describing her as sweet and personable.

So how do Wettlaufer’s actions and personality compare with previously convicted HSKs? From notorious names like British physician Harold Shipman and American physician Joseph Swango, whose suspected victim counts exceeded hundreds, to more obscure killers with few victims, psychologists have found uncanny recurring characteristics or methods of operation among HSKs. Psychologist Katherine Ramsland constructed a ‘red flag’ list of 22 items that can be used as a guideline to spot HSKs. Reading into Wettlaufer’s past, it is easy to see that she possesses at least seven of the 22 traits named — a score comparable to those of notable HSKs. Wettlaufer sampled a considerable number of elderly care homes

MIRKA LOISELLE/THE VARSITY

The impact of the work being done at the CDL is expected to increase with this partnership; it hopes to attract more innovators who may otherwise have looked abroad to find incubators for their startups. The RBC Machine Learning team wishes to collaborate with academics to publish research in the field and support business solutions. This year, the CDL accepted 75 startups into its nine-month program in Toronto.

“We share a strong commitment to the study and advancement of artificial intelligence with

the University of Toronto, one of the world’s leading institutions in this space. Our partnership with the university and the Creative Destruction Lab is an extension of our ongoing support of the Canadian digital ecosystem,” says Woo. RBC also partnered with the University of Toronto earlier this year to open ONRamp at the Banting & Best Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, another startup accelerator to help founders collaborate in an open space and grow their businesses.

during her seven-year killing spree.

She had a history of alcohol and drug abuse combined with mental health issues. One of her previous long-term partners described their relationship as difficult. Trisha Crosbie, a relative to one of Wettlaufer’s patients, described her as “overly pushy, trying to get your attention, saying, ‘Look at me, look at me.’”

These traits embody the majority of previously convicted HSKs: an erratic employment pattern, a history of mental illness and substance abuse, tumultuous personal relationships, and a strong demand for attention.

HSKs also often engage in postoffence humour as a way to relive their experience. This may have been what led to Wettlaufer’s outing by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), where she was being treated for substance abuse. Additionally, poems laced with barefaced sinister tones were recently uncovered online under her pseudonym, Betty Weston.

Distant relations recall positive memories with Wettlaufer, making it difficult to determine what might have been the catalyst for her actions. The proposed motives behind HSK murders have been described by psychologists as “complex and diverse.” They are also far from being formally established, and Wettlaufer’s mental health problems only further convolute this.

Proposed motives behind HSKs involve organ transplant markets or funeral parlours. For HSKs employed in limited resource environments, murder can be a way to free up beds. In the 1940s, a Japanese nurse and midwife killed newborns

whose parents could not properly care for them.

Some HSKs may derive “sadistic satisfaction” from killing certain types of patients; Some may kill to rid themselves of demanding or annoying patients.

Others kill patients seeking a “hero status.” In 2006, English nurse Benjamin Geen injected patients with respiratory paralyzing agents for “the excitement of trying to revive them.”

Interestingly, a number of killers claim during trials that they murder ‘out of mercy’, a condition dubbed by criminologists as Mother Teresa Syndrome. HSKs like American nurse Charles Cullen might sincerely be under the impression that they are acting in some “divine capacity,” to quote Western University CriminologyProfessor Dr. Michael Arntfield.

However, a number of later revisions of cases of that manner revealed that many of the victims were often not experiencing any considerable suffering as a result of their condition.

The idea of killers prowling among healthcare providers evokes uneasy sentiments. In reality, HSKs may be rare and dispersed, but their existence still commands extreme public attention.

— With files from the Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling

NOVEMBER 14, 2016 • 19

thevarsity.ca

It works in theory, but will it work in the real world?

At U of T’s School of Public Policy, we’ll help you find out.

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20 • THE VARSITY • SCIENCE

science@thevarsity.ca

International spyware?

Science Around Town

U of T Citizen Lab investigates malware targeting UAE activists Nyima Gyalmo Varsity Contributor

The Citizen Lab, a multidisciplinary power house located at the Munk School of Global Affairs, studies online security and investigates any threats against civil society.

Last year, the lab discovered spyware being used to target United Arab Emirates (UAE) activists.

“In this case, the targeted journalist, Rori Donaghy contacted [Bill] Marczak with emails that he found to be suspicious towards the end of the last year,” said John Scott Railton, a senior researcher at the Citizen Lab. Railton joined the group almost four years ago to investigate attacks against the Syrian opposition in the ongoing Syrian civil war.

Rori Donaghy, a UK-based journalist who has written extensively on the UAE and the Middle East, received a suspicious email from an organization called The Right to Fight, which was later discovered to be fake. Donaghy then notified Marczak, which led to the beginning of ‘Stealth Falcon’, the codename of the investigation led by Marczak.

“As the primary researcher, Bill is responsible for the clever technical methods that underpin the

work,” noted Railton. The Citizen Lab discovered fake human rights groups, journalists, Twitter handles, and email accounts — all made with the agenda of monitoring the activities of actual activists and journalists.

The spyware is sent in URL form; upon opening the files, the malicious code is run on the recipient’s desktop and then continually monitors the recipient’s activities. The lab employed a combination of technical analysis, extensive Twitter searches, and close work with malware targets during the investigation. Marczak, Railton, external experts, and other members of the Citizen Lab confirmed their initial suspicions and uncovered what Railton described as “other possible attacks.”

“The Citizen Lab does not formally attribute the attack to a particular group in the report.

However, we do go through an analysis of competing hypotheses laying out why we suspect that a state sponsor is likely. This analysis included looking at the resources necessary to conduct such a campaign, its sophistication, as well as the numerous circumstantial links to arrests and other real world fea-

Everything Neuroscience Conference: Frontiers in Neurodegeneration U of T Neuroscience Association for Undergraduate Students (NAUS) hosts its fifth annual conference featuring talks by leading experts in neurodegenerative diseases.

ELHAM NUMAN/THE VARSITY

tures,” explained Railton.

When asked about any new findings, Railton mentioned, “Some of the infrastructure associated with this campaign was pulled down, and we were also happy to see a number of antivirus companies quickly adding detection against the tools used by this group.”

Social media is arguably the most powerful tool for activism, especially when it comes to spreading the word and gathering the masses.

Recognizing this power, many governments across the globe practice media censorship as a precaution: prior to the Iranian 2009 presidential elections, social media platforms were blocked for almost a month; China continues to censor social media political content that seems

to oppose the values of the State because it has the potential to reach masses; Twitter was inaccessible during the onset of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution; and pro-Ukraine tweets are blocked in Russia.

“The Citizen Lab is unique in the world for [its] ability to bring a mixed methods approach to the problem of malware attacks against civil society, for the impact of our reporting, and the role we play in the research ecosystem,” said Railton.

Social media is a powerful tool for the masses, but it can also be used to target activism and monitor activities, which is why organizations like the Citizen Lab are essential to investigating cases of censorship and suppression.

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New Horizons of Exploration Uncover discoveries made through the history of space exploration, including the New Horizon Spacecraft and its first flyby of Pluto or the ongoing exploration of Jupiter by Juno the probe.

Date: Thursday, November 17 Time: 7:00 pm, 8:00 pm, 9:00 pm Location: Astronomy Building Planetarium Admission: $6.00 to RSVP Remaining tickets at the door for $5.00.

Elder Care: The Role of the CCAC for the Caregiver Toronto Community Care Access Centre presents a workshop on everything you need to know about in-home care for the elderly and other long-term community services that are currently available.

Date: Wednesday, November 16 Time: 12:00-1:30 pm Location: Koffler Student Service Centre Admission: Contact the Family Care Office

DISASTER & EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Aid in the prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery from regional and global disasters and emergencies.

Date: Saturday, November 19 Time: 10:00 am to 3:00 pm Location: Bahen Centre for Information Technology Admission: $7.00 to RSVP

WRITE FOR SCIENCE

email science@thevarsity.ca

The Internet of Things – Crafting Insight in a Connected World Hosted by the Digital Analytics Association (DAA), this session will provide a deep exploration of the Internet of Things (IoT), Internet-enabled systems and objects. Discussions will include current IoT trends, their efficiency, and how it can benefit businesses.

Date: Thursday, November 17 Time: 6:30–8:30 pm Location: Critical Mass Admission: $10.00 Registration is mandatory; free for DAA members

Sports

November 14, 2016 var.st/sports sports@thevarsity.ca

Tech trends saturate sport Sport and everything we know about it is changing Emma Kikulis Varsity Contributor

The world of sports technology is rapidly changing — so much so that you’d be hard pressed to find someone at the gym, on the court, or even in the pool not sporting a step counter or some kind of ‘smart’ device. The commercialization of these technologies over the past several years has made Fitbits trendy amongst even the most sedentary people — they’ve become accessories that are as commonplace as a watch and are just as visible as a pair of headphones.

“90 per cent mental, the other half is physical” The technology reserved for today’s professional sports teams and athletes encompasses every aspect of sport; it is not reserved simply for physical feats. Various types of data on an athlete’s mental health, nutrition, and alertness can be collected, measured, and quantified by sport psychologists, doctors, and coaches in order to help create and maintain the most elite athlete possible.

At U of T, research is currently being undertaken to explore athletes’ mental health and wellbeing in the sport and performance psychology lab. At last year’s sport-science symposium held at the Goldring Centre, Dr. Katherine Tamminen presented an application developed in conjunction with U of T’s Department of Psychology. Athletes rate their mental state before, during, and after

From tennis to the track, technology is everywhere. FIRMBEE/CC0 PIXABAY competition, and the app is able to reveal trends which are helpful in developing coping mechanisms for athletes.

Keeping your head Technology has the ability to make sports more efficient and safe for athletes, especially in contact sports where serious injuries are commonplace. The advancement of equipment — helmets, for instance — that can help detect and protect against concussions is a major advantage to biomedical sports technology.

Technology like ShockBox, created by the American-based i1 Biometrics, is able to wirelessly transmit information from sensors placed on an athlete’s helmet to the smartphone, laptop, or equivalent device of a coach, friend, or relative. This information is then used to tabulate various statistics, the most important being the severity of head impacts. The technology can alert the user if the hit is significant enough to result in a concussion for the athlete.

Changing the game Due to the constant changes and advancements in sports technology, it’s easy to forget that the very nature of sport has been forever changed by science and technology. Gone are the days when the 100m dash — and every track event in athletics competitions for that matter — were decided by whomever broke the white tape at the finish line first. Now there are intricate sensors and high definition cameras that can measure down to the thousandth of a second and capture a photo finish.

In soccer, a sport that has traditionally been resistant to the use of technology in its professional leagues, sensors were introduced in 2014 to assist referees. Also, who could imagine watching a tennis match devoid of the thrill caused by athletes challenging calls made by the chair umpire?

Sports engineers, psychologists, and kinesiologists are now tasked with minimizing the subjectivity of sport through more qualitative methods. As Dr. Greg Wells of U of T’s Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education posits, “Sports in conjunction with science is giving athletes the best opportunity to perform, helping athletes and coaches make good decisions to improve performance.”

As athletes are able to become more efficient, teams are able to become more competitive, and leagues are able to garner greater media presence, all due to advancements in statistics, analytics, and technology.

The need for sports engineers to create and adapt to the changing face of sport will only continue to increase.

Milk to moo-ve you If water is getting you down, milk could be the pick-me-up you’re looking for Emi Yasuda Varsity Contributor

For dedicated Olympians and recreational athletes alike, rehydration is a critical part of any workout. Replacing fluids can fight fatigue, replenish electrolytes lost from sweat, and help ensure that your trip to the gym won’t end in a trip to the emergency room. But before you reach for your water bottle, consider this alternative — milk.

Research provides remarkable, compelling reasons to drink milk following a workout. A 2015 study conducted at the University of Birmingham indicated that parched participants who consumed milk after exercising retained fluids longer than those who consumed sports beverage or water.

A greater proportion of the fluid in water and sports drinks was lost in the participants’ urine, sometimes leaving them dehydrated.

Because of milk’s high protein content and greater nutrient density, its fluids are released more gradually into the bloodstream than common sports beverages and water. Soy milk demonstrates similar properties; Griffith University researchers in Australia found that soy milk can rehydrate consumers almost as well as dairy milk and much more effectively than Powerade.

On top of retaining fluids, a more recent study from the University of Limerick finds that milk is as effective as sports drinks in replacing the fluids and electrolytes lost during exercise.

Aside from the rehydrating power of milk, protein in dairy aids muscle repair and can help alleviate post-workout fatigue.

Additionally, the benefits of drinking milk after your workout may also extend to weight loss and muscle building.

Brock University researchers found that after 12-weeks of resistance training, participants who consumed milk following exercise built more lean muscle mass than those who simply drank water after their exercise routines.

Unfortunately, milk’s post-workout consumption is not without its pitfalls. The beverage’s high-calorie density may be incompatible with those who limit their daily energy intakes.

Also, there are no obvious advantages to milk’s fat content.

Another drawback in trading your water bottle for milk cartons comes in the difficulty of consuming the beverage.

Some study participants found both milk and soy milk unpalatable after working out, others experienced feelings of bloatedness and fullness.

Plus, not everyone is able to physically tolerate milk, while water is fundamental.

But, as the saying goes, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. When contemplating your workout drink of choice, it is worth noting that even chocolate milk has its benefits. The sugar content and protein in low-fat chocolate milk help to prevent protein breakdown and maximize milk’s muscle repair and growth benefits, while still providing the benefits of rehydration.

With indisputable benefits in the area of protein and fluid retention, milk could very well be your new post-workout essential.

Milk does a body good. JOE DYER/CC FLICKR

22 • THE VARSITY • SPORTS

sports@thevarsity.ca

Varsity Blues women win bronze in cross country, men place sixth The 2016 OUA Cross Country Championships were held in Etobicoke

Men lineup waiting for the starter pistol to fire. ROWAN DEBUES/THE VARSITY Rowan DeBues Varsity Contributor

Swirling wind and rain provided a foreboding backdrop for the 2016 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Cross Country Championships on October 30. Nearly 200 athletes from 14 universities vied for glory, and they were supported by an energetic and passionate crowd of spectators and volunteers.

The women provided the first drama of the day. The starter pistol fired at 11:00 am, and the athletes ran a series of loops around Centennial Park in Etobicoke, racing 6km to the finish. A tight competition broke up on the final loop as a breakaway pack of seven ath-

letes broke clear, led by Queen’s University’s Claire Sumner and Julie-Anne Staehli.

With one click to go, U of T rookie Lucia Stafford was at the back of the lead group.

But at the 500m mark she let loose, aggressively kicking towards the finish. Stafford’s push caused a thrilling three-way sprint to the finish. In the end, Sumner outlasted her opponents, crossing in 20:16.7 with Stafford less than half a second behind her; a gutsy performance that earned Stafford OUA Women’s Rookie of the Year honours.

Guelph retained the OUA team title for a thirteenth consecutive season; the team was carried on the back of five athletes finishing in the top 14. Sumner’s first and Staehli’s

third was enough for Queen’s to beat the Varsity Blues, who secured OUA bronze with Madeline Kelly and Jazz Shukla both winning second team all-star awards.

The weather refused to relent as the men took off on their 10km race at midday. A three man breakaway had already formed within the first three kilometres, as Windsor’s Corey Bellemore, Lakehead’s Kevin Tree, and Western’s Jack Sheffar pushed the pace. The trio were inseparable for much of the race, taking turns leading the way before Tree and Bellemore edged ahead of Sheffar.

With under a mile to go, Bellemore made the decisive move in the duel, pulling away from Tree and finishing in 30:35.8.

In the men’s competition, Western upset the 11 time champions Guelph with a great all around team performance. With Bellemore’s win and top 15 performances by Alex Ulman and Andrew Nebel, Windsor slid past Guelph to steal silver.

The Varsity Blues men’s team finished sixth overall. Leading the Blues in the field was captain Sacha Smart who finished twenty-sixth overall. Special mention should be given to rookies Noah Defreyne, who finished thirty-fourth, and AJ Bimm, who finished fifty-eighth. Bimm found out moments before the women’s race started that he would be racing, after illness and injury ruled out Sam Kinahan and Riley Alvarez.

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NOVEMBER 14, 2016 • 23

Durant for CEO

T

Sport s

Is the NBA about brand or basketball?

o u nd r A n ow

var.st/sports

U of T Varsity Blues basketball This week, the U of T men’s and women’s basketball teams hit the court against the Laurentian University Voyageurs. Be sure to be there for the tip-off of this double header!

Women’s Date: November 18 Time: 6:00 pm Location: Goldring Centre Kimel Field House Cost: Free Men’s Date: November 18 Time: 8:00 pm Location: Goldring Centre Kimel Field House Cost: Free Drop-in basketball With a myriad of times from which to choose throughout the entire month, the Physical Activity Facilitators encourage anyone and everyone to drop-in to shoot some hoops.

ELHAM NUMAN/THE VARSITY

Daniel Samuel Varsity Columnist

It’s over. The 2016 NBA season, which is only three weeks old, should be officially declared dead.

The idea of competitive basketball itself has been on life support for almost three months, ever since last season’s contentious NBA Finals: Kevin Durant swiftly smothered competitive basketball when he decided to sign with the Golden State Warriors, only sixteen days after their game 7 loss in the finals.

As a result, Durant’s decision ended a pivotal era of basketball.

At least this is what the mainstream media would lead you to believe. They have developed an annoying habit for hyperbole, whether talking about sports or business and technology — the unfortunate product of the media’s efforts to maximize traffic.

The media’s treatment of Durant was vitriolic, but despite this treatment, Durant’s decision was the clear and right choice. It was a well thought out execution of free market principles or, in sports vernacular, ‘free agency’ — albeit free agency with strict salary cap restrictions.

Durant even offered the courtesy of a 350word open letter explaining his choice to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder, in which he explained: “The primary mandate I had for myself in making this decision was to have it based on the potential for my growth — as that has always steered me in the right direction. But I am also at a point in my life

where it is of equal importance to find an opportunity that encourages my evolution as a man: moving out of my comfort zone to a new city and community which offers the greatest potential for my contribution and personal growth.”

Durant’s offseason move was motivated by more than just a desire to play alongside his friends. His choice reflected the ever-present role of finance and capitalism in professional sports. Durant plays in an era when star professional athletes are faced with similar types of decisions as Chief Executive Officers (CEO) of multinational corporations, and they are often spoken of in the same way by the media.

While being a part of a larger team and organization at Golden State, Durant still maintains the primary responsibility as the CEO of his own brand. Durant, his agents, his financial advisors, and the rest of his crew are responsible for making decisions that better his brand. Off the court, Durant is a walking endorsement for Nike, Beats By Dre, American Family Insurance, BBVA, Sonic, and Panini. He takes home an estimated $36 million a year in endorsements, all of which are linked to his on-court presence and performance.

Durant’s decision to join Golden State is similar to a financial merger. Teaming up with Stephen Curry, he’s playing alongside a fellow multi-brand ambassador and reigning two-time MVP on arguably the best organization in all of professional sports.

In many ways Durant is comparable to

Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo!. Mayer and Durant made high-impact career decisions; they both left their respective organizations behind for another, and they both received a stream of media backlash for their choices.

Formerly a Stanford prodigy and an executive at Google, Mayer was tasked with the nearly impossible job of saving Yahoo! when she was hired as the CEO in 2012. She’s known around the world as the de facto face of female CEOs. Despite the effort and focus she puts into her work, Mayer is regularly lambasted by the media for Yahoo!’s failures under her tenure. Her name is the subject of headlines like, “The Pregnant CEO: Should You Hate Marissa Mayer,” “Marissa Mayer spends money like Marie Antoinette,” and “Off with her head? The last days of Marissa Mayer, as investors increase pressure on Yahoo CEO to step down.”

The negative discourse surrounding Mayer is emblematic of the way today’s media vehemently ridicules the failures of society’s exceptional individuals, a cruel fate Durant will endure if he fails in his less than impossible task — winning an NBA championship with the Warriors.

Big business and its marriage to the NBA goes far beyond the obvious fact that the NBA is a big business. The players themselves are creating brands for themselves by signing contracts for themselves in much the same way that business executives do — for their own personal benefit. At the end of the day, who else is going to do it for them?

Date: November Time: Visit physical.utoronto.ca for a complete schedule Location: Athletic Centre/ Goldring Centre Cost: Free MoveU Movement Break These 5–15 minute breaks provide an active outlet to typically long, sedentary classes, which will help rejuvenate your mind during lecture.

Book your break by contacing moveucrew@utoronto.ca.

Date, time, location: During your class!

Cost: Free WWE Survivor Series 2016 As the thirtieth event in the series, this year is the first one in the series to be held in Canada since 1997 — when the “infamous Montreal Screwjob controversy took place.”

You surely will not want to tear your eyes away from this masterpiece.

Date: November 20 Time: 6:30 pm Location: Air Canada Centre Cost: $30+ tickets, varying PPV prices Skating at Nathan Phillips Square The opening of the Nathan Phillips Square skating rink is one fun way to mark the beginning of the holiday season. Rent some skates, grab a hot chocolate, and hold on to a friend as you glide your way across the ice!

Date: November 26 to spring 2017 Time: 9:00 am to 10:00 pm Location: Nathan Phillips Square Cost: Freeeeeeee

NOVEMBER 14, 2016 u 24

DIVERSIONS

SUDOKU “You have a 9x9 grid and then you have to make each row and each column and each 3x3 square have each of the digits from 1-9 appear once.”

Difficulty: we can’t tell the difference

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Difficulty: you let us know

2016/2017 HART HOUSE THEATRE SEASON

U OF T’S PERFORMING ARTS LEADER SINCE 1919

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

By William Shakespeare Directed by Carly Chamberlain

NOV. 4–19, 2016 www.harthousetheatre.ca

Season Sponsors: