Vol 41 issue 16

THE VOICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA

February 2, 2015 Volume 41, Issue 16 themedium.ca

TAs, uni in bargaining stalemate CUPE 3902 representatives share concerns with undergrads at Wednesday’s town hall Undergraduate students who are TAs also earn the hourly wage of $42.05, but have hours assigned on a per-course basis.

Culpepper also said that TA funding has been frozen since 2008 along with their health benefits, despite rising medical costs.

He said that at a meeting with U of T administration the previous day, administration said that they would renew the current benefits, but did not agree to any increases.

MARIA IQBAL NEWS EDITOR Twenty-four days: the time left for U of T and members of CUPE 3902 to reach an agreement or the latter will go on strike.

U of T and Units 1 and 3 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 3902 have been involved in negotiations for several months to agree on a new contract.

Unit 1 consists of graduate and undergraduate students employed as TAs, lab assistants, instructors, and graders, while Unit 3 represents academic staff employed under contracts of less than one year, including sessional instructors.

Both units have set a deadline for February 26 at 11:59 p.m. to reach an agreement or they will declare a strike.

Last Wednesday, the union members organized a town hall at the St. George campus to explain their concerns to undergraduate students and the reasons for a possible strike.

Among its demands, CUPE 3902

FACEBOOK.COM/ CUPE3902/PHOTO

CUPE 3902 representatives hosted a town hall for undergraduate students to discuss their concerns. members are asking for higher wages, improved health benefits, tutorial size caps, and more job security.

UNIT 1 DEMANDS At the event, Ryan Culpepper, vice-

chair of Unit 1 (and 2, which is not involved in the negotiations), said that while information is circulating that TAs earn $42.05 per hour, few TAs actually make that amount.

Culpepper said that graduate stu-

dents are given a minimum funding package of $15,000, which may require up to 205 hours of TA work. If a TA works more than the required number of hours, the TA would then earn the hourly rate.

SESSIONAL INSTRUCTORS According to U of T’s Academic Administrative Procedures Manual, sessional lecturers are generally those hired under contracts of less than one year. Some sessional lecturers are required to have advanced degrees.

According to Erin Black, the chair of CUPE 3902, most sessional instructors have the same experience and professional accomplishments as full-time professors, but earn much less and have less job security.

Strike continued on page 2

Food, farmers, decorations abound UTMSU’s first Multicultural Week last week focused on food, music, and dance MENNA ELNAKA ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR UTMSU’s first Multicultural Week was held last week, featuring a farmers’ market, international food, and a cultural show, among other events.

According to UTMSU VP campus life Francesco Otello-DeLuca, in past years multicultural events were for one or two days only. This time, UTMSU decided to expand it into a week in order to celebrate it with more students.

The week opened with the farmers’ and international markets, which took place in the Student Centre.

The farmers’ market featured baked goods, maple and honey syrups, and veggies and fruits.

Clubs were also given a chance to showcase different cultures through art. The Middle Eastern Students’ As-

What’s missing?

U of T Students’ Union holds town hall to get student feedback—more to come on board structure reform.

Medium News, page 3

Overcoming—over & over Guest editorial: Why going to the hospital for a mental health issue is not giving up. It’s carrying on.

Medium Opinion, page 4

Cat Criger judges art Our campus aboriginal elder, also a photographer, picks the winners for the visual component of ArtsFest.

Medium Arts, page 5

Grad to juice bar owner CHRISTY TAM/THE MEDIUM

UTMSU’s Multicultural Week opened with a farmers’ market. sociation had a table displaying decorations and the Sri Lanka Association had handcrafted souvenirs.

On Wednesday, various clubs tabled in the Presentation Room, giving

out traditional food and snacks. Some of the clubs present were the Canadian Asian Student Society, the Hindu Student Council, the Polish Students’ Association, the Egyptian Student As-

sociation, and the Taiwan Republic of China Student Association.

Culture continued on page 2

Kanwar Gill always knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur, and now you can find his store in Streetsville.

Medium Features, page 8

Bringing it all back home Salee Johnson went to the States for her education—but is now back in Canada, coaching it up at UTM. Medium Sports, page 11

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«NEWS

THE MEDIUM 02.02.2015

Making health a priority Health Month focuses on exercise, nutrition, and mental health SAIMA KHAN

January 22, 2:10 p.m.

Motor Vehicle Accident A UTM staff member reported that his parked vehicle was struck by another at the lower deck of lot 8. Damage to the rear bumper of his vehicle was estimated at $500.

January 22, 6:30 p.m.

Theft Under $5,000 A student reported the theft of two transit passes and a student card from a bench at the RAWC. January 23, 4:50 a.m.

Mischief Under $5,000 Campus Police investigated graffiti on a stall wall in the men’s washroom on the main floor of IB. The graffiti was removed by caretakers.

January 23, 9:04 p.m.

Trespass to Property Act A non-community member was found using the Academic Annex kitchen. He was charged by Campus Police under the Trespass to Property Act and escorted off campus.

January 25, 4:05 a.m.

Bylaw Offences (Noise Complaint) Campus Police attended a unit at MaGrath Valley after a neighbour

complained of excessive noise. No one answered the door of the unit.

January 26, 12:45 a.m.

Bylaw Offences (Noise Complaint) Campus Police shut down a social gathering in a unit at Roy Ivor Hall.

Neighbours were complaining about excessive noise.

January 26, 4:30 p.m.

Theft Under $5,000 A laptop and clothes were stolen from a locker in the men’s changeroom.

January 26, 5:55 p.m.

Theft Under $5,000 Campus Police investigated the theft of a laptop that was left unattended on the third floor of the library.

January 28, 3:13 p.m.

Personal Safety Concerns Two students complained about a man who sat next to them during a lecture in the IB and became disruptive.

January 28, 5:35 p.m.

Criminal Harassment A student complained about being harassed by an unknown male at the library.

These reports are those that have been released to The Medium and do not necessarily constitute an exhaustive list.

Students can contact the UTM Campus Police at 905 828 5200, Peel Regional Police at 905 453 3311, or Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222 8477.

The UTM Athletic Council’s Health Month wrapped up after three weeks of initiatives to get students thinking about how to remain healthy.

The month’s activities were spearheaded by Mohamed Abdel Hadi, director of wellness and public relations at UTMAC. Collaborating with AccessAbility and the Health and Counselling Centre on some of the events, UTMAC has used the month to provide help to the student population.

“The goal of Health Month is to raise awareness of all the aspects of health for athletes and non-athletes alike,” Hadi said.

He stressed the objective was to bring campus resources to light, part-

ly through fun and games.

Different aspects of health were the focus of the three weeks in turn: nutrition, physical activity, and mental health. Each week featured events structured around its theme.

Nutrition week began with free breakfast offered to students, because research shows that students who eat breakfast perform better in school, Hadi said.

The event that had the most participant involvement was a physical activity auction, which involved students bidding on the number of exercises they would perform to win prizes.

Hadi explained that the turnout was so high that the event had to be held twice the same day.

On Wednesday, therapy dogs were

once again brought to campus to alleviate the pressure of assignments and upcoming midterms.

UTMAC and the HCC also invited Bell to reach out to students by setting up a conversation table on Bell’s Let’s Talk Day on Wednesday.

Over the years, Bell has encouraged people to speak up about their troubles and experiences with mental health, donating money for various social media interactions using the #BellLetsTalk hashtag. The campaign covers more than one day a year, however, and encourages people to share their experiences to diminish the stigma of suffering from mental illness.

One of the final events for the month, a mental health comedy show, was postponed until further notice.

TAs demand higher pay Strike continued from Cover Black has a PhD and has been working as a sessional professor for six years. She called it “shameful” that she works at a university and yet has difficulty paying her living expenses.

She said her own health benefits amount to $275 a year for her whole family.

DIFFICULTIES NEGOTIATING Culpepper explained that each unit has a single contract shared among its members, which is brought forward for review every few years. Unit 1’s contract expired at the end of last April.

Culpepper called the current round of negotiations “particularly challenging” for CUPE 3902 members, saying that U of T administration was not providing an adequate number of meeting dates to discuss their collective agreement.

“This time we’ve seldom been able to get even more than two dates in a single month,” he said.

U of T declined to answer questions on whether administration would consider adding more bargaining dates if negotiations did not appear to be moving towards an agreement.

The Ministry of Labour has be-

come involved in mediating the negotiations upon CUPE 3902’s request for conciliation.

WHAT A STRIKE COULD MEAN The terms of the expired contract remain in effect while negotiations for a new one are underway. In the event of a strike, however, those terms would no longer apply.

Black explained that if U of T declares a lockout during a strike, the union members would not be able to work.

In the “near strike” that happened with Unit 1 in 2011, Black said that individual members were allowed to continue to work if they so chose.

“A strong part of our messaging to our own members is that if we do have a strike, we’re certainly going to be encouraging our members not to cross the picket line, that everybody would withdraw their labour,” she said.

Culpepper added that in the past, U of T offered union members a raise if they crossed the picket line.

U of T did not respond to requests for comment on whether it has offered individual agreements to union members in the past, or if this would be a possibility if a strike occurs this year.

U OF T’S RESPONSE In an email to The Medium, Angela Hildyard, U of T’s vice-president of human resources and equity, said that the university remains committed to its Policy on Academic Continuity, which states that the university will provide students with “reasonable opportunity to continue learning and complete academic requirements” in the event of a disruption.

She added that U of T is “committed to reaching agreements with CUPE 3902 Units 1 and 3 that are responsive to the issues CUPE has raised, and that are responsible in light of the university’s challenging fiscal realities”.

At the town hall, Black had said that CUPE 3902’s demands would not cause the university to lose anything given its current surplus.

As of press time, The Medium had not received responses to follow up questions about U of T’s “challenging fiscal realities”.

UTMSU & UTSU’S STANCE UTMSU president Hassan Havili said that UTMSU is “cautiously optimistic” that an agreement will be reached that reflects the interests of UTM students.

Strike continued on page 3

Large turnout at culture show Culture continued from Cover Many students expressed their excitement to try food from different cultures. There was a large turnout and most of the food soon ran out.

Several dance classes were also held as part of the week. These were taught by members of the Caribbean Connection, Rhythm Club, and the South Asian Alliance, among other groups.

UTMSU also hosted its first cultural show, “Lights, Camera, Culture!”, on Thursday in IB. Several clubs and associations participated in performances of spoken word, poetry, mu-

sic, and dance.

Also featured was the singing of Syrian cultural songs by the Sooriana Group and dances by the Hindu Students’ Council, the Erindale College African Students Association, and the Erindale Punjabi Association, which performed Bhangra.

The event also featured a special guest performance by JRDN. Otello-DeLuca was pleased with the turnout of over 250 people.

“We got great feedback from the farmers’ market, the International Food Day was a great success, people had fun at the dance classes, and the

cultural show had an amazing turnout,” he said.

To end the Multicultural Week, the Global Gala was held on Friday in the Blind Duck. In addition to an open dance floor, dinner, entertainment, games, and prizes were also offered.

“Hopefully this can go into something really big,” Otello-DeLuca said.

Regarding the future, he said that because this was the first time Multicultural Week was held, it was considered an experiment. He said if people liked the events, UTMSU would keep them up and expand them in response to student feedback.

02.02.2015 THE MEDIUM NEWS

UTSU talking reform

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»THOUGHTS ON THE

Students raise their concerns at “What’s Missing?” town hall

POSSIBLE STRIKE?

Dianne Yang 4th year, English

Matthew Paul 4th year, economics

I didn’t know about it before, but I hope it doesn’t happen.

Why can’t the university fund useful resources like TAs and lecturers?

Neena Fernando 4th year, French

David De Marchi 4th year, English & history

I don’t think TAs should strike; TAs shouldn’t depend on a job with low hours.

I’m looking forward to not having a tutorial.

RRS.OSM.UTORONTO.CA//PHOTO

The town hall was held in the Wallberg Building at the St. George campus.

MARIA IQBAL NEWS EDITOR Students brought their concerns to UTSU at its “What’s Missing?” town hall held at the St. George campus last Wednesday.

The town hall was meant to be a forum for students to discuss changes they hope to see on campus and the campaigns they wanted UTSU to focus on.

An executive made it clear at the beginning that this town hall was not intended for discussing the upcoming need to restructure UTSU’s board to comply with the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act.

individual candidates since each independent would focus on the issues that they care about.

UTSU president Yolen Bollo-Kamara responded that there are merits to both types of elections and that UTSU runs in similar ways to other unions.

She also noted that the CRO can loan money to independents before the election to help make the process more accessible.

Former UTSU VP university affairs Pierre Harfouche, who resigned last November, proposed that UTSU run a non-binding plebiscite on its ballots during the spring general election to gauge student opinion on the subject.

UTSU representatives expressed interest in discussing the topic further in the future.

back from students regarding issues on which to focus our advocacy, improving UTSU services, and strengthening our university community,” said Bollo-Kamara in an email after the event. “We took detailed notes and are developing a plan to investigate and begin or further work on the issues students raised.”

UPCOMING CAMPAIGNS Students also shared their opinions on what kinds of campaigns they wanted to see UTSU organize.

VP equity Najiba Sardar mentioned plans to run a campaign on unpaid internships as well one on destigmatizing feminism this semester.

A student also raised concerns about the number of speeding vehicles at St. George, and called for more cameras to be installed and for greater police enforcement along with possible speed bumps to curb the problem.

Other concerns that were raised at the town hall included accountability for grades awarded by TAs and promotion of mental health resources.

“I’m pleased with how the town hall went and really appreciated feed-

REFORMING THE BOARD At the beginning of the event, Sardar noted that the town hall was not intended to discuss UTSU’s board structure.

The board structure was a major subject of controversy last fall when the union tried to pass a motion to replace its current structure with directors representing various constituencies, mostly representing minority groups.

Asked when discussions would take place surrounding UTSU’s board structure—which must become compliant with the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act by next October— Bollo-Kamara said UTSU hopes to hold at least two additional town halls this semester, including one at UTM. She said Wednesday’s town hall was intended to solicit feedback on what students would like to see from their university and students’ union, which would provide context for further discussions about UTSU’s board structure.

“Our goal is to facilitate more student involvement in creating a representative structure for the board of directors and shaping the direction of their students’ union,” she said.

Student lands job after marketing herself on the street

UTM student trying to lift his way to Pan Am Games

A U of T alumna has successfully been hired at an online marketing agency after spending a week outside in December holding a sign inviting people to take her resume. Xingyi Yan held up a placard that read “U of T GRAD FOR HIRE ... TAKE MY RESUMÉ & GET A FREE XMAS GIFT.” The 22-year-old earned the job last week at Reprise Media.

Source: Toronto Star

UTSU ELECTORAL REFORM At the event, some students raised concerns about UTSU’s elections code, calling it inaccessible.

Specifically, Katrina Vogan took issue with apparent inequities in the slate system, which allows candidates to pool their resources and gain an advantage over independent candidates.

She cited the fact that some colleges have banned slates in their elections, and asked UTSU representatives if they would consider removing slates from its own elections.

“Are [the benefits of slates] enough to justify the clear financial inequity that’s resulting for students interested in running independent campaigns? I don’t think they are,” said Vogan.

Another student said that when there are no slates, the elections encourage “honest debate” between

U of T “committed” to reaching a deal “We believe that the sessional lecturers and writing instructors deserve the job security and benefits that reflect their contribution to the institution’s reputation and position as one of the world’s top teaching and research institutions,” Havili said.

“The money to end the strike does exist,” he added, noting that U of T has raised millions of dollars through its Boundless campaign and has enough resources to invest inside the classroom rather than on “beautification projects like the ‘million-dollar signage’ on Mississauga Road”.

“We hope that the university administration will act in good faith and reach a just settlement with sessional lecturers and writing instructors that reflect their commitment to the academic experience,” he said.

UTSU president Yolen Bollo-Kamara added that UTSU would pressure U of T to reach a “fair contract” with CUPE 3902.

“Some members of CUPE 3902 have been working without a contract for months,” she said. “ If there is a strike, we will demand that the university prioritize reaching compromise expeditiously and compensate students for any lost class hours.”

Naked man pamphlet sparks public outcry in Peel Region

Scientists learn how to unboil eggs to save proteins

U.S. citizens protest Obama’s plans for nuclear investment

A UTM student is competing for a spot in this year’s Pan Am Games for weightlifting. Second-year Chris Di Pietrantonio is slated to compete in the Canadian Senior Weightlifing Championships to be held on campus in May. His performance at the event will determine whether he can compete in the Pan Am Games along with two UTM alumni.

A pamphlet for the Regional of Peel is the subject of public outcry for depicting an image of a naked man. The pamphlet, meant to introduce residents to changes to municipal waste collection, compares changes to the service to human evolution from apes. The image representing modern times is of a naked man pulling a garbage cart to the curb.

Scientists have discovered a way to unboil eggs, media outlets reported last week. The experiment was conducted as part of a study intended to help researchers reuse proteins in their research. The scientists used a substance to first break down the proteins in the cooked egg, before using a powerful machine called a “vortex fluid device” to complete the process.

Protestors rallied in Washington on Saturday demanding that President Barack Obama call off his plan to invest $1 trillion on the U.S.’s nuclear arsenal. Around 100 people participated in the protest, which also represented the launch of the national “No $1 Trillion Nuclear Arsenal” tour.

Other stops for the tour include San Fransisco, Atlanta, and Nashville.

Source: UTM News

Source: Mississauga News

Source: NDTV

Source: Washington Post

Strike continued from page 2

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02.02.2015

MASTHEAD EDITORS Editor-in-Chief Luke Sawczak editor@themedium.ca News Maria Iqbal news@themedium.ca A&E Maria Cruz arts@themedium.ca Features Madeleine Brown features@themedium.ca Sports Jason Coelho sports@themedium.ca — Photo Mahmoud Sarouji photos@themedium.ca Design Mubashir Baweja design@themedium.ca Copy Akshaya Sharma copy@themedium.ca Online & Blog Michelle Bonsu Safia Amin blog@themedium.ca online@themedium.ca Video Russell Wu videos@themedium.ca ASSOCIATES News Nicole Danesi Menna Elnaka A&E Kathelene Cattell-Daniels Features Andreea Mihai Sports Eric Hewitson Photo Christy Tam Zara Rizwan Nicole Raquinio To become an associate, begin writing and speak with your section editor!

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An illness to manage, not cure A former news editor speaks candidly about mental health I’ll be honest—now and then I get tired of writing my typical editorial, so I like to keep a lookout for the topics that matter more than the average things on students’ minds. Sometimes these topics present themselves naturally, and this is one such case.

This past week was the final week of UTMAC’s Health Month, the week’s theme being mental health, and on Wednesday Bell’s Let’s Talk Day took place. I’m also reminded of an episode on Q on CBC in which actress Evangeline Lilly had some very insightful things to say about mental health—I recommend looking it up if you have the time this week.

So this is as fitting a time as any to give the floor over to some words of encouragement from one of the strongest people I know and one with an intimate knowledge of the mental health struggle: Larissa Ho. Luke Sawczak

I’m writing this from Credit Valley Hospital’s mental health unit, where I was admitted on Friday to get treatment for my mental health.

This is the third time I’ve been in the hospital for these symptoms, which started when I was 11.

I regularly Facebook and tweet about my mental health, which is why I was approached to be a campaign leader for Bell Let’s Talk Day on Wednesday. This meant I encouraged a team of 50 social media users to tweet using the hashtags #mentalhealth and #BellLetsTalk in order to raise money for mental health initiatives. Though it may just be a clever PR opportunity for Bell, I’, thankful for the $6.1 million that was raised, and more importantly for the sheer amount of conversation aimed at breaking down the misconceptions and the walls that prevent us from truly seeing mental health as it is.

Defining mental health is not an easy task. For me, it means not being able to go to class sometimes because I can’t get out of bed, or having an anxiety attack as I walk down the hallways at UTM, or being afraid that the voices I’m hearing are actually not real, but fictions created by my mind. Unfortunately, nobody is privy to the struggle inside. There are often no outward signs that there is a battle being waged when I try to do things that others take for granted.

Going to the hospital used to be a huge fear of mine—I saw it as a

defeat, as a sign that I could not survive the symptoms and continue living a normal life, which was my aim for months, even as I was aware of my own decline. Going to the hospital seemed like giving up.

But it’s not giving up. It’s a measure you take to recover. When my nurse told me on Thursday that I should admit myself to the hospital again, I said, “The hospital is only

For us, overcoming means learning to live with our struggles and accept ourselves.

Overcoming needs to be done again and again. for when things get unbearable. It’s the last resort.” Her reply was, “Why would you wait until it gets to that point? Let’s prevent that from happening.”

This visit to the hospital is different because I’m seeing it as a good thing rather than as a failure on my part. Mental health is an ongoing struggle—it’s an illness that is for the most part managed rather

than cured. For those of us who also mental health issues, my message is to understand that you may always need to see your nurse and psychiatrist, take medication, and have recovery periods in the hospital.

These things are going to help you; they’re okay.

For those who have friends whom they’re supporting, I would say try to remember that mental health issues are chronic. You may feel that your friend can simply overcome their struggles by “snapping out of it” or “thinking positively”. But for us, overcoming means learning to live with our struggles and accept ourselves, while talking openly about it all. Overcoming needs to be done again and again.

I don’t know how long I’ll be here for. It could be a few weeks. It could be only a few days. However, my friends and family and my God are here for me. And they always will be, throughout my life, my allies in the battle for peace of mind and spirit, in a life that has meaning—whether I can see it and wherever I am.

YOURS, LARISSA HO

02.02.2015

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The best of the best gather ’round ArtsFest filled the night with the some of the greatest talent UTM students have to offer MARIA CRUZ A&E EDITOR WITH NOTES FROM CHRISTINE SHARMA If you happened to be walking around the CCT atrium at 6 p.m. last Friday, you would have been greeted by a jazz trio and some of UTM’s finest artists displaying their work for ArtsFest. For two hours, the atrium was transformed into a gallery displaying some of the best pieces UTM students had to offer.

Artistic Resource Team program coordinator and fourth-year biology specialist Arjan Banerjee, who has been involved with ART for four years, describes one of the pieces as a “visual representation of sound”, an attraction where the sound and the visuals follow one another.

Submissions were chosen through an application process. For the visual showcase, ART chose pieces based on practicality, authenticity, and not being profane, all within the “realms of expression”, according to Banerjee.

The performance showcase had an audition process in December.

Performances were chosen based on variety and merit. Performances included the U of T Med dance team, monologues, acoustic, original song pieces, and even a harmonica.

“We don’t want to curb what art means, so we wanted to showcase

MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM

There were lots of great pieces to take in at the visual arts showcase. people who do it well, people who express themselves, and people who have stage presence,” said Banerjee.

None of the proceeds from ArtsFest’s ticket sales fund the ART, but instead go towards prizes for the artists. Prizes were awarded for various categories in the visual showcase and performance showcase.

Most categories were judged by community leaders English and theatre professor Lawrence Switzky,

performance artist Pamela Levi, and director of UTM Student Housing and Residence Life Chad Nuttall. The Viewers’ Choice award was based on the audience’s reactions.

There were tons of incredible pieces. Some of my favourites were “WWCFW” by Lesley Hampton, “RIP” by Myley Marin, “Smaug and the Bowman” by Arjun Mann, “Coexist” by Amy Liyanage, “Fragmentation” by Israel A. Crooks, and

Ifunanya Paulinus’s pieces, “Village People: The Widows” and “Village People: Great Grandmother. She’s 115 years old”.

After mingling with those who dropped by to view the art and eat food from the buffet, people began to pile in for the performing artists in the MiST Theatre for a sold out show.

Arvin Huang opened the show with an incredible performance on the violin. He played beautifully—if two

hours flew by with just Huang on the violin, I wouldn’t have minded.

Following him was the UTM Dance Team, who danced to a piece choreographed by Samantha Bordignon about triumphing over a painful experience. They danced to “All of the Stars” by Ed Sheeran, but their performance ended mid-song, which was awkward and a little confusing. They didn’t stop at the end of the song or even the chorus, just after the second verse, and people waited a few seconds before clapping because we didn’t know if they were done.

Next was Rachel Lebovic, taking on the very ambitious and difficult to nail opera piece “La Habanera”. In the pamphlets handed out to audience members, Lebovic’s biography says, “She wishes she was even half as sassy as Carmen was,” which, for the most part, she was. She did quite well on the song, even though no one is as sassy as Carmen.

One of the standout performances of the night was Kaitlyn White’s monologue from “The Anger in Ernest and Ernestine”. She was very convincing and I appreciated hearing someone give a monologue, since it’s not something you see very often at a talent show.

Arts continued on page 7

Mississauga talent spreads to Toronto Two UTM students exhibit their work at the annual Video Fever Exhibition in Toronto her work. Resurface and Pulse, Off, Dispense, Smoothie, Milkshake, Icy Drink revealed a sort of curiosity we have with our surroundings, including how we manipulate them and how we leave them.

In an interview with The Medium, art and art history students Julia and Stewart spoke about their work.

ELEANOR NDAIGA Where do artists trying to establish themselves and their work go to get recognition? Tucked away in a little corner on Richmond Street, Trinity Square Video is a non-profit centre that provides them this opportunity.

At an accessible rate, artists can have their work displayed at the centre and receive training to develop their skills.

I was able to attend the opening reception of the annual Video Fever exhibition at TSV two weekends ago.

I wouldn’t have known about it if I hadn’t bumped into my friend Julia, who told me that a video she had produced was being screened for the first time.

Nine artists had works of art on display throughout the evening. The artists were undergraduate and graduate students from in and around Toronto, with quite a few from U of T. Two TV screens displayed the video-based art; one in the gallery and the other in the adjoining screening room.

TRINITY SQUARE VIDEO/PHOTO

All the participants line up for a group shot.

I met Julia in an Italian language class, so it felt serendipitous that her video explored language and meaning, and how the latter is sometimes lost in translation. Her parents, who

emigrated from Vietnam in 1981, narrated their story to her in Vietnamese, and she translated it into English using subtitles. I thought this was a creative way to present the story.

Jordyn Stewart had two pieces in the exhibition. With my ever-growing appreciation for nature and the environment, I was drawn to Stewart’s use of the environment as a backdrop for

TM: When did you realize what your films would be about? Was it sort of a collection of ideas coming together to form one cohesive idea, or did you already have a pretty solid idea of what you wanted to work on?

JS: Well, recently I have become interested in the natural environment and my relationship with it, so for Pulse, Off, Dispense, Smoothie, Milkshake, Icy Drink and Resurface, I initially knew the materials I wanted to work with but I was unsure of the end result of each performance.

Video continued on page 7

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THE MEDIUM 02.02.2015

REWIND MARIA CRUZ A&E EDITOR JUPITER ASCENDING This sci-fi flick centres on the idea that alien heirs and heiresses are set to rule the residents of Earth and several other planets. Unbeknownst to her, Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) is the heiress to Earth. With the help of intergalactic soldier Caine Wise (Channing Tatum), she battles the heir Balem (Eddie Redmayne) for control of Earth.

This film looks like it’ll be full of some pretty incredible action and cinematography, if nothing else. The story doesn’t seem half-bad and given the acting power, this film seems like it’ll be a pretty decent ride.

Jupiter Ascending is set to be released on February 6.

THE VOICES In this comedy horror, Ryan Reynolds plays Jerry, a man with a mental illness and a positive view of the world. After avoiding taking his medication, Jerry begins to hallucinate that his cat and dog are talking to him. He battles the clashing opinions of the two as his dog is convincing him he’s a good man, but his cat is telling him to kill people.

Reynolds seems like the perfect man to play a character like this.

We’ve seen him in serious roles and in funny ones and the two finally appear to be merging. I’m pretty excited to see this one, especially because this movie backs up the idea that cats are evil and would indeed encourage

murder if they could speak.

The Voices is set to be released on February 6.

THE LAST FIVE YEARS Based on one of my favourite musicals by Jason Robert Brown, The Last Five Years focuses on the five-year relationship between Cathy (Anna Kendrick) and Jaime (Jeremy Jordan). Their marriage crumbles and the story is told from two different perspectives: Cathy’s in reverse chronological order and Jaime’s from just after they first met.

This story is heartbreaking but beautiful. It’s filled with terrific music, emotional scenarios everyone has experienced, and wonderful performances (at least on Broadway).

Kendrick and Jordan are wonderful singers and actors and I’m sure they’ll do justice to this musical.

The Last Five Years is set to be released on February 13.

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY Don’t even act like you don’t know what this is about. It comes out on February 13. Enjoy yourself, but don’t ever tell me what you saw in there.

THE DUFF Adding a new label to the group of friends, this movie tells the story of a young girl who has been labeled the “duff ” among her friends—the designated ugly fat friend. Taking immediate umbrage to the term, she teams up with one of the jocks to turn her into the “dateable” one in exchange

for a passing science grade.

Despite the obvious offence some will take, the “duff ” is not a term unfamiliar to some cliques. I’m interested to see what this comedy will do with the idea, even though it’ll probably end tritely with the duff and the jock hooking up.

The Duff is set to be released on February 20.

FOCUS Will Smith and Margot Robbie star in this film about Nicky Spurgeon, a skilled con man who takes on a new “intern”, Jess Barrett, to teach her the tricks of the trade and being her in on a huge heist. But things get messy when the two of them become romantically involved and get entangled with a dangerous criminal.

This looks like an okay film with all the topless scenes, gambling, pool parties, and car chases one could ask for. I wasn’t blown away by the trailer but it doesn’t look like something I’d blow off either.

Focus is set to be released on February 27.

MCFARLAND, USA Kevin Costner stars as Jim White, a teacher who coaches a Latino cross country team to the championships while helping them through several social issues in the 1980s.

This film looks like it’ll be packed with feel-good scenes but also deals with very real, important issues that are present today.

McFarland, USA is set to be released on February 20.

KATE CATTELL-DANIELS ASSOCIATE A&E EDITOR By complete coincidence, I am at this very moment involved in Theatre Erindale’s production of Picnic, a Pulitzer Prize–winning play by William Inge, who also wrote the screenplay for the film Splendor in the Grass. So, naturally, I spent most of Splendor in the Grass comparing it to Picnic and came up with quite a few similarities as well as some pointed differences.

Inge clearly has certain subject matter he likes to address: good versus bad girls, fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, and blatant sex.

I’m not here to write a comparative essay, but I will say this: part of what first captivated me about Picnic was the perfect, yet also challenging, writing. If there’s one thing Inge knows how to do, it’s write a story so delicate and subtle you hardly know it’s happened before it’s over. What helps even more is the truth and detail in the relationships; right from the start, there’s conflict because of a seemingly perfect relationship between a “nice” girl from a middle-class family and an upper-class boy who is his father’s pride and joy and finds himself stuck on an Ivy-League-life path he doesn’t want. Add unbridled lust into the mix, and there’s your story.

At some point or other, I’d seen so many movies constructed around the same basic plotlines that I could predict plot twists an hour and a half in advance. Splendor in the Grass, though, did not have such predictability.

Set in the late 1920s and released in 1961, Splendor in the Grass paints a picturesque small-town Kansas where everything on the surface is bubbly and cheery, but beneath it run the tensions that are true everywhere: generational conflict, the high school temptress, and more sex than anyone wants to admit exists.

Without giving away the whole plot, protagonists Deanie and Bud have the perfect relationship, set against booming 1920s prosperity that is kind even to Deanie’s grocer parents. Bud, for his part, just wants to work the ranch his father owns but doesn’t touch, while avoiding his promiscuous sister. The two star-crossed lovers are pushed away from each other by their very desire, before meeting again under circumstances neither imagined.

The aesthetic and cinematography are stunning, swinging between haunting landscapes and candy-coloured dresses and cardigans, bustling high school hallways, and crazy New Year’s parties.

Natalie Wood plays a delightful and complex Deanie, caught between wanting to be “good” for her loving parents and fighting for sexual independence. Warren Beatty, who plays Bud, gets bonus marks for good looks, but his performance is not as deeply layered as Deanie’s. Both their parents are also very intriguing characters, something I found commendable, since it’s easy to shove secondary characters off to the side. But everyone in Splendor in the Grass is a person, full of life and desires and personal problems.

02.02.2015 THE MEDIUM ARTS» 7

Students bring culture to the big screen Video continued from page 5 TM: What was your film about? What kind of message did you want to send with it?

JH: My video is called Me & Ba. It means “mother and father” in Vietnamese. When I presented it at first during class, I didn’t give it a title. The title just sort of came when I was writing my statement about it. It’s a fiveminute video about my parents in Peterborough sharing how they came to Canada when they left Vietnam in the 1980s. It was about six months after they had gotten married. Their story is something that I’ve heard often, and each time it doesn’t lose its importance in that my parents came here not for a better life for themselves, but for a better life for my brother, my sister, and me.

TM: What inspired this idea?

JH: There was a show at the Blackwood Gallery last year that inspired me. There were pieces in a language I couldn’t understand, and I felt very frustrated that I couldn’t. The idea sparked in my mind—why should I assume that it should be written in English? Why should English be the main language of art?

Initially with my video, I wasn’t going to have subtitles. I’m glad my professor helped push the idea further, in that if I didn’t get to share my parent’s story, then no one would get to know it and no one would understand some of the things that they went through.

That’s where the subtitles came in and the process was really interesting. I fully understand Vietnamese but I

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Both students talk about the struggles they face during the creative process. can’t speak, read, or write it, so I had to translate into my own language, which is English, and that was hard because when my parents speak Vietnamese, I realised that it doesn’t “Google Translate” in your head. So writing subtitles was a lot more difficult than I had imagined.

I still kept some parts of them speaking Vietnamese without subtitles so that there is that disconnect where you don’t understand what’s going on, and it lets you keep wondering what’s going to happen.

TM: Was the outcome of your film what you initially envisioned?

JH: I think it was. I did take a more traditional and straightforward ap-

proach to filming. It’s more documentary-style. I had close-ups and shots of the hands with the movements. One person commented that they really liked how my dad’s shirt was matching his blue cup and, well, that’s just the cup that he uses.

JS: Not exactly, But that’s what I enjoy most about working with performance—it has a pretty unpredictable result. I never re-shoot because my actions are intuitive, and I could never alter that. What happens, happens.

TM: Both your films focused on the external environment. In a way, they were sort of contingent on it; like the environment was a big part of the story you were trying to tell. What inspired

Celebrating student talent Arts continued from page 5 Sarah Kim, Kristy Cheung, and Gen Yamada followed White with an acoustic Sam Smith medley. Kim was great on lead vocals, but unfortunately Cheung’s backup was completely drowned out by her guitar and Kim’s voice.

Megha Manvi was next with her cover of “I’m Not the Only One”.

During technical difficulties, she confided in the audience that she was sleep-deprived and nervous.

You wouldn’t have known it to hear her, though. She sang beautifully even through the awkward clapping the top row tried to start (and inevitably failed) in rhythm to her song.

Keeping the Sam Smith theme going, Daniela DeAgazio came next with a dance to “How Will I Know?”. The emotion in her face really brought the audience along with her.

Hannah Termaat and Zenia Sethna were next with a song and tap-dance that I found unique, if clunky. Sethna sang “Valerie” while Termaat charismatically tap-danced around the stage. I found Termaat’s bubbly persona charming and adorable, but the dancing didn’t really go well with the song. But the pair did fit very well together, bouncing off one another and making a playful odd couple on stage.

After a performance by singersongwriter Bryce Hedden was

Christopher Luey on the harmonica, playing the same song he did at the coffeehouse last semester: “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys. Even so, he did it just as well as then, flooring the audience and becoming one of my favourite performances of the night.

Rachelle Goebel’s musical monologue was absolutely breathtaking; she sang wonderfully, she was immersed in her character, and she was a joy to watch.

Kelsey Mooney was next with a tap-dance routine to “Superstitious”

by Stevie Wonder. She owned the stage in her sparkly outfit, making the most out of the space given to her. (She, like a couple of the other performers, had some friends in the audience who cheered her on during the performance and interrupted the flow a little.)

Jillian Robinson concluded the evening with her cover of Christina Aguilera’s “Bound to You”. With so many notable performances already under her belt such as Little Red Riding Hood in Into the Woods and Cosette in Les Misérables, as well as singing the anthem for Marlies games, Robinson had no trouble owning the crowd.

As the judges voted for their favourites and counted the votes for Viewers’ Choice, Sean Kinsella came on stage to perform two songs: a cover and an original song he wrote for his sister in Hong Kong. As he’s

done before, Kinsella tried to get the audience to sing along to the chorus, without much luck.

Cat Criger came out to announce the winners of the art contest (which he was judging): Ifunanya Paulinus for “Village People: Great Grandmother. She’s 115 years old” and Lesley Hampton for “WWCFW”. The Viewers’ Choice award went to Kristy Cheung.

As for the performing arts awards, judges handed awards to Megha Manvi (Judges’ Choice), Christopher Luey (Best Musical Performance), and Rachelle Goebel (Best Dance/Drama Performance).

Hannah Termaat and Zenia Sethna won Viewers’ Choice.

Before I finish, I must mention the MC. During the night, he mentioned that the only people who read The Medium are those who are featured in it or their friends.

He added that he only uses the paper to sop up the water on his floor after his toilet clogs because, while our content might not be absorbing, our physical paper is. He also later found out that a writer was there and then said readers would have the opportunity to read a 20% accurate report on Monday. Oh dear.

But he later said that he insulted what is actually a very respectable paper, which, I suppose, lets him off the hook. So, to quote him further, “Nah. We’re good. We’re good.”

this idea?

JS: I usually use sites that relate to my upbringing. I came from a small town in the Niagara region and I grew up going on frequent camping trips with my family. I guess you could say as a kid I grew up exploring the natural environment. This is why I usually use locations that are more rural or in some ways desolate.

TM: What gets you out of your rut when you’re in your creative process?

JH: We did this exercise once in sculpture class where we were given 10 minutes to write down all the ideas that we could, even if they were “bad”, and just keep writing. I learned not to be so quick to determine what’s good

or bad, just to work with it as you go.

Sometimes it’s just starting on something, anything, and then that’s when your ideas start emerging.

We just had a reading about how art comes out of failure and I think that’s really true. It doesn’t need to be good all the time. If it’s bad at first and you keep working on it by incorporating feedback from your peers or professors, it can get better.

JS: Usually when I’m working on a piece and I have an idea but I’m not sure if I should continue developing it or move on completely, it usually helps to just try the idea, no matter what state it’s in. It helps to just do it. Don’t think about it too much and just try it, and see what kind of things come out of it. It will either work or fail, but no matter what, it will teach you something.

TM: You’re done with school this year—do you have anything to tell first-year students in your program?

JH: Don’t be so hard on yourself, kids. They tell you this at the beginning, that it’s different from high school. It’s different. Focus on transitioning. It’s fine that you’re not getting the same grades you were in high school. It’s not the end of the world. I know it might seem like it, but I think it’s important to explore concepts and create works that might scare you by not knowing the outcome. There’s something fun in the idea of not knowing.

The Video Fever exhibition runs until February 6 at Trinity Square Video (401 Richmond St W).

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02.02.2015

“Smoothie chef” opens juice bar Kanwar Gill gave into the entrepreneurial bug after university and he hasn’t looked back MADELEINE BROWN FEATURES EDITOR Whether it’s a restaurant or a retail store, don’t we all dream at one time or another of becoming an entrepreneur and opening our own business? I know I have—I still haven’t decided whether it’ll be a bakery, café, or bed and breakfast. However, post-university—with piles of student debt—doesn’t seem to be the time to venture into entrepreneurial territory… or does it?

Apparently not for recent McMaster life science grad Kanwar Gill. Gill, who was brought to our attention by a former Medium writer, opened up Organique Juice Bar, which sells a selection of cold-pressed juices, in Streetsville about three months ago.

In this interview, Gill speaks about his self-proclaimed “smoothie chef ” title, working 75 hours a week, and the importance of starting small.

The Medium: Upon graduation, did you immediately have the intention of opening a juice bar? If not, what did you plan on going into?

Kanwar Gill: To be honest, upon graduation I had no clue what I wanted to do. I was originally intent on getting

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All of Organique Juice Bar’s smoothies use organic ingredients from Pfenning’s Farms. into some sort of graduate school, but I always had a dream of opening my own business. After deciding against going to graduate school, I decided it was time to look for a job. Unfortunately this job hunt was about as fruitful as my graduate school career, so I ultimately decided to take the plunge.

I drained all my savings, found a loan, and opened up my own business.

TM: Why a juice bar? When did you discover cold-pressed juice and why did it inspire you to want to open your own juice bar?

KG: Long before I ever even heard about cold-pressed juice, I was a self-

proclaimed “smoothie chef ” at home.

My parents nearly killed me when I told them I spent $500 on a Blendtec blender to make my masterpieces with. However, when they started experimenting with it themselves, they began to love it almost as much as I did.

My discovery of cold-pressed juice actually happened on a market research trip that I took to Manhattan to see some of the trends that were arising in the juice/smoothie industry there. In Manhattan, there is basically a juice bar on every major intersection, so there I first got to try my hand at tasting some organic cold-pressed juices and organic superfood smoothies. After my first taste, I was completely hooked and knew bringing similar products to Mississauga would represent an excellent business opportunity.

TM: How did you develop your recipes?

KG: Most of our recipes were made by trial and error. We probably tried a hundred different mixes and concoctions until we settled on ones that not only tasted good, but were healthy as well. At Organique, we try to let the high-quality ingredients do the talking. All of our ingredients come from Pfenning’s Farms, an organic farm located outside of Waterloo, Ontario.

Juice continued on page 10

Through a potential employer’s eyes Natasha Walli of the Department of Management dishes out the how-tos of resume writing JELIN PHILIP STAFF WRITER Whether you’re in panic mode as a student with graduation quickly approaching or just wanting to get your foot in the door early, we know the frustrations during the job hunt all too well. You’ve been sending out copies of your resume in response to various postings in the industry you’re interested in, but haven’t heard back from anyone. What can a student do to have a fighting chance in the race for employment against hundreds of other qualified applicants?

Natasha Walli, the new careers officer with the Department of Management, knows all about the struggle students have in getting noticed by company leads. “Resumes: Think Like a Recruiter”, the title of a recent post on her LinkedIn blog, suggests a counterintuitive route for eager jobseekers to take. Walli’s article argues that the problem is that we assume that employers of the jobs we apply to will scan through our entire resume.

We couldn’t be more wrong.

According to Walli, “The recruiter has a huge pile of resumes in front of

MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM

Walli believes that the blogging tool on LinkedIn is an invaluable addition to your profile. them and only spends a few seconds skimming the resumes they receive.

They want to know what you can do for them and they want to know fast.”

It’s important to place ourselves in the recruiter’s shoes and look at

our resumes and cover letters as they would. They receive hundreds of applications; they don’t have the time and energy to read every single one for the particular skills they are looking for—you have to do this for them.

Besides the reminder that it is essential to make sure your resume is 100% error-free and well-formatted, Walli also lists a few tips to hook the reader of your resume and more effectively avoid the dreaded “no” pile.

Her first tip for students is to create a T-chart of the employer’s needs and how you as an applicant have what they’re looking for. Walli mentions that this chart is “for your eyes only, so you don’t need to spend too much time on it, but it will give you a good snapshot as to what you should include (keywords, skills, experience) and highlight in your application.” It will go a long way in letting you tailor your resume and letter to show the recruiter what they want to see.

Walli also suggests the familiar summary of qualifications, or a highlights or profile section. “Think of a movie [trailer]—the best scenes of a two-hour movie put together in 30 seconds, motivating the viewer to invest their time and money to watch,” says Walli.

Three to five of the most important points about you will be your prime real estate on the top of the document. If the recruiter doesn’t read your whole resume, what are the most crucial things you want them to know about you?

Resume continued on page 9

02.02.2015 THE MEDIUM FEATURES» 9

It’s just what the doctor ordered Don’t let time prevent you from scheduling a periodic health visit with a health professional ORADILIM ORAKWUSI Some make the effort to make an appointment all on their own; others get a reminder from their doctor or, more likely, a parent. But you invariably find yourself sitting on those uncomfortable waiting room chairs as you scroll through your phone, and that all too familiar hospital smell fills your personal space, welcoming you back.

You begin to wonder why these visits are necessary. The annual checkup seems like a waste of calendar space, especially during university. “I end up going only when I’m too sick for a Tylenol to cure,” as fourth-year life sciences student Tayo Sofela says. But are those of us who no longer go missing out?

According to Margie Lyon, the acting clinic manager of the Health and Counselling Centre, the visits are worthwhile and “give an opportunity to have a frank discussion with a physician or practitioner about how things are going in your life and worries you may have”. It’s easy to Google symptoms, but not always reliable.

At UTM, it’s possible to make an annual appointment with an HCC doctor, who can order testing if necessary, says Lyon.

“Their services go beyond the traditional tongue-depressing and knee-whacking,” she adds. “[They]

JONEL PREVILON/THE MEDIUM

The HCC offers more than just free condoms and Band-Aids. also provide an opportunity to talk about how school is going, course loads, extra activities, lifestyle, etc.”

One reason students dread hospital visits are what can feel like invasive questions asked by the physician. Do they really need to know your drinking, smoking, and exercise habits? Well, yes. Diagnosing a patient is like solving a crime—the doctor must use clues such as your blood pressure, temperature, heart

rate, lifestyle, and other factors to determine the cause of your ailment.

“Any change to one’s lifestyle may have a positive effect on delaying or removing health issues […],” says Lyon. “We have all read about obesity issues, the effects of drug use, smoking, healthy sexuality, mental health. The lack of physical activity, the strength of today’s illegal drugs, lung cancer, chronic

Make the first page count Resume continued from page 8 It’s also important to back up your points with proof of how and where you’ve demonstrated these skills— which is where your personal T-chart comes in handy.

Another tip from the blog post is to include accomplishments and results. Walli writes, “Aim to go beyond just listing job duties and write about accomplishments and outcomes. Duties describe what you do whereas accomplishments go further and prove how well you did it. What were you recognized for? Did you get any positive feedback? Did you implement a new program or strategy? For every experience you list, you should aim to have at least one or two results or accomplishments.” Numbers will only strengthen your resume.

Walli’s final tip is to design “smart”.

She suggests bullets—much easier to scan than larger paragraphs. Consistency in formatting is essential, and it should be kept simple­—no fancy fonts here, just well-presented facts.

When asked whether one- or twopage resumes are better, Walli says, “Although there are very few industries that require strictly one-page resumes like management consulting and investment banking, generally a job seeker can have either a one- or two-page resume. To ensure you ‘hook’ the reader, if you do opt for a two-page resume, the most important content should be on the first

page. Make sure that whatever you are saying in that page is recent and relevant for the position you are applying for.”

Walli acknowledges that many students and recent graduates may lack industry-specific experience; however, that doesn’t mean that they don’t still have strong skills and qualifications. “Students can draw and highlight relevant courses, projects, and volunteer experience that may be valuable to the employer; this is where they may get some of their technical experience that the employer seeks,” she says.

She adds that quite often, students don’t realize the value of their transferable skills that they have developed through their part-time jobs, extracurricular activities, and interests.

These transferable skills have merit in the eyes of an employer—client service, communication, and teamwork can be vital for any industry and position. With this fact, it is important that while students are still in school, they are constantly developing their skills through volunteering, jobs, and getting active experience on and off campus to be more marketable to employers once they graduate.

Walli also emphasizes the importance of writing a tailored cover letter for each job. “The cover letter is a chance for you to show off your personality and interest for that specific position and company,” she says. “In writing it, you can use an active voice

and non-regimented writing style.”

Walli’s next blog post will be on tips for writing cover letters.

“Resumes: Think Like a Recruiter”

by Walli has received over 3,000 welldeserved views on her blog. Since she facilitates a LinkedIn workshop, Walli started writing the posts to demonstrate to students how they too could use the blogging tool for their own profiles. After receiving good feedback, she realized it was a successful means to reach people.

“I was getting responses from all over the world and it was generating some excellent conversations,” she said. “I recommend it to students— it’s a new tool, but if used correctly it can help enhance your professional online brand to potential employers.”

When asked about the future of her blogging, Walli says, “I’m going to keep posting. [...] The blog is effective, but it’s meant to act as just a start of the conversation. Hopefully it sparks ideas in people’s minds to get more help either through more research, one-on-one appointments, or workshops offered throughout the university.”

For more career assistance, visit the Career Centre on the second floor of the Davis Building. The resume and cover letter toolkit on their website offers industry-specific examples.

You can read Natasha Walli’s full post at linkedin.com/pulse/resumesthink-like-recruiter-natasha-walli.

obstructive pulmonary disease, strokes, heart health, STIs—these all directly result from one’s lifestyle.”

In April 2013, a new system of checkups was introduced to make the annual checkup process faster for the benefit of both patients and doctors. The Ontario Ministry of Health no longer funds annual physicals; instead, “periodic health visits” have been implemented.

Rather than a head-to-toe examination and several lab test, patients are asked questions and advised on health behaviours, immunizations, and possible tests.

The HCC used to offer and encourage annual well-being visits, but switched to PHVs after the change and encourage students to visit even when they don’t have access to a family doctor, for example if they’re “far away from home”, as health education coordinator Chad Jankowski puts it.

The PHVs concentrate on a patient’s lifestyle. “I prefer the change a lot—it’s kind of like having a quick catch-up with your doctor,” says Jaya Krishnan, a third-year psychology student. “Your lifestyle does influence your health. Especially during your first year, when you’re not really ready for the transition to university, you start putting your grades before yourself and end up under a lot of stress.”

Jankowski sums it up best: “Some of the best things that support our physical, mental, and emotional health are often the first things students cut out. So as stress increases we tend to cut out sleep, we tend to cut out eating, we tend to cut out healthy active living, and those are some of the biggest things you can do to maintain your physical, mental, and emotional health.”

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THE MEDIUM 02.02.2015

That eureka moment Despite the obsession I now have with

“I made these Monday night for my res-

food in general, I began as a baker. In

idence services assistant team members.

fact, I still remember that the first recipe

Our monthly meetings always include

I ever prepared all by myself was oatmeal

me bringing in something I prepared. So

cookies from a dry mix I spotted my older

far during the school year, I have made

sister snacking on. As a result, baking still

my students crêpes with strawberries,

holds a special place in my heart.

Nutella, and bananas, cupcakes, choco-

I’m not alone in my passion for baking.

late-dipped pretzels, gingerbread cookies,

Tara Herriot, communications coordinator

and now shortbread. I think what I would

for the Department of Student Housing

like to make for February’s meeting is

and Residence Life, is an avid baker, too.

cake pops—I have only ever made them

“I actually enjoy baking, but love sharing

once with my niece, but I think it would be

it more than eating it, if that makes any

something different,” she says.

sense,” she says. “As long as I can remem-

Like any serious home baker, Herriot

ber, baking was my favourite thing growing

strives to develop and learn. “I’m currently

up as a child. My mom would know cookie

intrigued with the use of royal icing and

recipes by heart and I loved learning from

piping and looking into classes that can

her […], but every time we made cook-

help me sharpen my skills with cookie

ies together she would let me bring them

art,” she says. “This past Christmas, my

to school to hand out to everyone in my

family gave me a piping kit to get me start-

class, and I think it’s just carried on with

ed with a bunch of cookie cut-outs. I’m

me in life to share it with everyone.”

still learning about the different icings.”

And you may just want to apply for a

Herriot says her recipe can be adapted

position as a residence service assistant

to make chocolate shortbread simply

because they’re never without snacks at

by adding cocoa. She personally likes to

their meetings. Herriot’s last contribution

sprinkle fine sugar, sprinkles, or chocolate

was her whipped shortbread cookies, fea-

on top. But even without these additions,

tured below.

they’re still tasty—and ideal for sharing.

Whipped Shortbread Cookies MAKES 1 DOZEN INGREDIENTS • 1 cup room-temperature unsalted butter • ½ cup icing or confectioner’s sugar • ¼ cup cornstarch • 1 ½ cup all-purpose white flour METHOD

2.While the butter is mixing, preheat your oven to 375 F (190 C).

3.Once the butter is creamed, add the sugar and cornstarch.

4.Mix for a minute or two before adding the flour.

5.Roll into 1” balls, place on a

1.Place butter in a mixer and beat

cookie sheet about an inch apart,

on high for 10 to 15 minutes. The

and press each gently with a fork

butter will be perfectly creamed and white rather than yellow.

to make lines on top.

6. Bake for 10 minutes.

Juice continued from page 8 TM: Very basically, what were the stages you went through to open your business? Did you have any idea what you were doing or were you learning through doing?

KG: I definitely did not have any idea what I was doing and definitely did learn through doing. I do not have any formal business education and no one in my family has ever owned a business. […] I probably had a hundred different ideas before I finally settled on opening up a juice bar. One thing that helped me reach this decision is that I noticed how popular juice bars were becoming in every metropolitan area all over the world.

One of my mentors taught me that all successful entrepreneurs have to be excellent at spotting trends and opportunities and capitalizing on them.

I decided it was a no-brainer to try to emulate their success in Mississauga.

The second stage that I went through was the research stage. I tried to learn everything I could about the industry I was getting into. An easy way to do this is to look at what other successful companies are doing in other parts of the world that have a similar target market to yours […]

When I first sat down to write my business plan—the third stage of opening my business—I honestly had no clue what I was doing. I was accustomed to writing research papers on protein interactions, but writing out a market research report and target

market summary was completely over my head. This is where the hard work of teaching myself basic business principles began. I researched everything I could about general business management. I read books, magazines, online articles, and talked to as many successful business owners as I could in order to gain a better grasp of the fundamentals of not only running a business, but also developing a solid business plan. After this grueling work and months of editing and adjusting, my business plan was done.

We began building our store during the summer of 2014 and we officially opened up shop on November 19.

Since then we’ve been slowly building up our customer base and we’ve been getting busier and busier as the weeks go by.

TM: Why open it in Streetsville?

Has it been a welcoming community?

KG: Mississauga is a very difficult place for young entrepreneurs to enter into a retail-oriented industry. The majority of commercial real estate in Mississauga is owned by large property management companies that are typically only interested in working with franchise chains with a lot of financial backing. This makes it very difficult for start-ups in the retail industry to acquire prime real estate.

Streetsville, on the other hand, is an area filled with small mom-and-popshop type of establishments. The community in Streetsville is very supportive of the independent entrepreneurs that call the village their home.

So far we have had tremendous support from the residents who live in and around the area and we are on the track to becoming a very successful company.

TM: Do you have anyone else working for you? How do you like being your own boss?

KG: Now that we are almost in our third month of operation and business has begun to pick up, I have hired one part-time employee to work Monday to Friday. There is no way one person can do it all and that’s why it is important to begin to delegate business tasks as soon as you can afford to. I personally don’t like to think of myself as my own boss. I have made it a point to seek out and establish connections with mentors who challenge me and help me keep my business on track.

TM: What advice would you give to current students who are interested in starting up their own business?

KG: What I would definitely suggest is that if you have an idea, to start small. Do a ton of research and see what your competitors are doing and figure out how you can either do it better, or do it somewhere where your competitors aren’t selling their product or service. Another point to note is that you should never get discouraged if you aren’t successful from the get-go. […] As a rule of thumb, if you think your company will be successful in X amount of time, multiply X by three to get a real estimate of the time it takes to build a business.

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Coach Salee, there and back again New women’s tri-campus basketball coach reflects on her playing and transition to coach JASON COELHO SPORTS EDITOR The thought of going into sports as a career may seem unthinkable to most—especially in Canada, where if you’re not into hockey, there’s no other sport in which you can inch your way up professionally. That was the case for Salee Johnson-Edwards, a Brampton native and new head coach of the tri-campus women’s basketball team, whose career has taken her to the U.S. and back to her home and native land, all because of her love of basketball.

Growing up in Brampton during a time when basketball was not a sport that fans paid attention to, Johnson-Edwards found her love for the game in a rather unorthodox way: through Toys “R” Us. “I was with my grandparents, who were visiting from New York,” she recalls. “I picked up the ball and started bouncing it, my grandfather asked if I wanted it, and the rest is history.”

Johnson-Edwards found joy in

RUSSELL WU/THE MEDIUM

Johnson-Edwards returned to Canada in 2013 after playing and coaching in the U.S. playing the game, and as she entered grade school at Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts in Toronto, where she majored in music vocals, she quickly realized that perhaps music was not the path for her.

“There were no varsity sports there,”

she says. “I knew I had to pick either singing or basketball.”

The choice was simple for Johnson-Edwards, and once she realized that it was possible to get a scholarship to play division basketball in the U.S., she made it her goal—a

goal that was realized when she was selected to play for the University of New Hampshire.

“Playing in the States was a dream come true,” she says. “It was hard and challenging, and when I was not playing it was very tough to sit

on the bench.”

But her hard work paid off when she became a starter, averaging 30 minutes a game in her senior year.

“My overall experience was very educational and I was able to take away a lot of things from my experience as a player and relate it to my coaching career,” she says.

Johnson-Edwards started her coaching career for a local rep IEM basketball program in Newmarket.

After getting a feel for coaching, she moved up to a head coaching position for a junior college team in Bel Air, Maryland at Harford Community College, where she coached for two years before moving up yet again to the college level at Monmouth University in New Jersey as an assistant coach under Stephanie Gaitley for a year.

Gaitley was given a new head coaching post at Fordham University in the Bronx and brought over Johnson-Edwards and the rest of the coaching staff with her.

Salee continued on page 12

Eagles soar to Blues win showdown first in division

U of T beat Ryerson in annual downtown showdown on Tuesday

ADAM PENKUL There was a lot of hype coming into the game on Wednesday night as the UTM Eagles welcomed Woodsworth College to the RAWC for the battle between the top two teams in the men’s Division 1 basketball standings. Both teams came into the game with identical 8-1 records, hoping to take the top spot in the division.

As the game began, the excitement was palpable in the crowd.

The players seemed to feed off this energy, and the game had a fast pace right from the get-go. Woodsworth took the opening tip-off and went straight to the basket to open up the scoring. UTM responded right away with two of their own, setting the pace for the game. The teams fought back and forth with many quick counterattacks in the opening minutes of the game, but the defences on both sides were not letting anything past. UTM matched another Woodsworth basket a minute later, and the score was tied at 4-4. UTM pressed Woodsworth and forced them into fouls, but could not convert the free throws.

After three minutes of scoreless pressure, a Woodsworth basket forced UTM into calling the

first timeout of the game. This seemed to inspire the Eagles, who came back and took the lead with the first three-pointer of the game.

The game was still really tight, with Woodsworth getting a layup and then a three of their own to take the lead at 14-11. However, UTM did not let up, forcing Woodsworth into their sixth foul in the first 10 minutes. The back-and-forth play continued, but UTM did not give up the lead, and Woodsworth eventually called a timeout with UTM leading 24-21. Little changed, as neither team could pull away, although Woodsworth took the lead back with a three-pointer to make the score 34-32. Both teams were fighting hard, and UTM ended the half with a basket and foul, trailing 42-40.

The teams started the second half with the same energy as the first, the Eagles getting a quick basket to tie the game at 44-44. After some more back-and-forth play, UTM went on an eight-point run to take the lead at 55-50. Woodsworth quickly responded with two lay-ins to pull to within a point, and neither team was letting up.

Eagles continued on page 12

MARTIN BAZYL/PHOTO

The downtown showdown was the final home game for the Blues, who have four games left to play.

ADAM YUNES On a cold Tuesday morning at 11 a.m., another instalment of the annual Downtown Showdown between the Varsity Blues and Ryerson Rams was played at Varsity Stadium.

Stands filled with nearly 3,600 elementary school kids from all over the GTA, buzzing with excitement and ready to cheer on their favourite of the hometown teams. With pregame events for the students and lots of food and activities to partake in, it was a great day to be a hockey fan.

The game didn’t start off as planned for the Blues; the Rams got on the board early with a goal from right-winger Mitch Gallant, whose goal would end up being the only

goal of the first.

After a slow start to the game, the Blues managed to get the crowd back on their feet after a quick goal

by Paul Van De Velde, a Varsity Blues senior, tying the game only 32 seconds into the second period. On a shot off the rush, Van De Velde had no trouble beating the Rams’ goaltender high glove side. Five minutes later, the Rams managed to take back their lead in the game with a goal from Michael Fine off a quick transition out of the Rams’ defensive zone and a high blocker side shot from the half boards.

With the period reaching its halfway point, the Blues managed to tie the game back up with a great stickhandling play along the blue line and

a quick snapshot from the point by defenceman Corey Jackson.

The period went back and forth, with both teams getting solid chances to take the lead. Tight fore-checking and solid defensive play by both sides gave little to no time for players to think with the puck on their stick.

It wasn’t until near the end of the second that the game opened up, beginning with a breakaway stop by Blues goaltender Brett Willows after a poor mix-up between Blues defencemen Finch and Yolevski at the blue line. Following the breakaway stop, the Blues went on the power play.

Hockey continued on page 12

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THE MEDIUM 02.02.2015

Salee Johnson Eagles take top spot wants to teach Salee continued from page 11 Johnson-Edwards remained an assistant coach for two more years before moving back to Canada in 2013.

Johnson-Edwards’ current coaching job at UTM harks back to when she was in grade eight playing on a regional team in Ontario coached by the RAWC’s varsity program coordinator Jack Krist.

With the move to the OCAA this

“It’s always fun getting to understand the landscape of of Canadian basketball in a university setting.”

—Salee Johnson year, Krist was unable to maintain his position as head coach of the tri-campus women’s basketball team and believed JohnsonEdwards was the best person for the job, reaching out to her in the summer of 2014 to take on the new role.

“Coaching the tri-campus team is a lot like my time coaching in Maryland,” she says. “It has been fun getting to know the players

and it has always been fun getting to understand the landscape of the current state of Canadian basketball in the college and university setting.”

As for whether she’s noticed a difference between the CIS and OCAA, Johnson-Edwards says, “The OCAA is a whole different beast and is treated very much like a business.” In regards to her team, she notes that although the team’s record may not show it, they are working hard and improving with each game.

Johnson-Edwards does not think of her position as coach per se but instead as a teacher. “I’m always trying to teach my players just so that they can be the best players they can,” she says. “I love the game and love seeing players get better and more confident in playing. That’s my reward.”

Aside from coaching, JohnsonEdwards is a mother of two and spends her time off the court with her family, a part of her life that is very important to her.

With the changing landscape of UTM sports and the intro into the OCAA, expect to see more of the tri-campus women’s players and Johnson-Edwards as the Eagles move their program into the future.

CALEB SIU/PHOTO

The Eagles are now 9-1 and will play their final regular season game this Wednesday at the RAWC. Eagles continued from page 11 UTM matched every Woodsworth basket with one of their own, and managed to keep a small lead with the score 64-62. After this, UTM organised their attack and scored a couple of quick points to establish the first real difference in the game, leading 82-68.

Woodsworth were forced to call a timeout, and came back with some stronger play to bring UTM’s lead down to 88-78.

With time winding down in the game, Woodsworth kept pushing for the win. The Eagles were forced into a timeout with a minute left

in the game, leading by only 9087. Both teams were excited and fouled a lot, but Woodsworth was not shooting free throws well, and UTM quickly counterattacked to reinforce the lead.

The win puts UTM at the top of the men’s Division 1 basketball standings with one game remaining.

They scored one final basket as the clock ran out to secure the win

with a final score of 94-88.

The win is the seventh straight

by UTM, and fans are excited that they are doing so well. “I love coming out to games when they play this well—they’re fun to watch,” says Jessica Silva, a UTM student and basketball fan. “They just play so well as a team, and that just makes all of their games so exciting. I really think they deserve to win the trophy this year.”

The win puts UTM at the top of the men’s Div 1 basketball standings with one game remaining in the regular season. UTM will finish the regular season at home again this Wednesday against U of T Law.

Blues push for playoffs

MARTIN BAZYL/PHOTO

The arena where the Blues smoked the Ryerson Rams.

Hockey continued from page 11 After a sloppy first minute on the PP, the Blues managed to set up in the opposing zone, giving Michael Marcovic the open space to tap in what would be the game-winning goal, also his team-leading 14th goal of the season, at the 17:44 mark in the second period.

Going into the third period with the lead, the Blues faced a lot of challenges from the Rams. As in the first two periods, plenty of back-andforth action and heavy physicality seemed to be the story of the game.

The Blues, however, managed to prove once and for all that the Rams’ offence was no match for their de-

fence. Marcovic showcased his defensive capabilities 12 minutes into the third with his three consecutive blocks on Rams point shooter Brian Birkhoff.

Along with the shutdown play of the Blues, goaltender Brett Willows showed off his stellar performance by making a spectacular glove-hand save from a hard Rams slapshot off the point with four minutes to play in the third. He kept it up, making three crucial saves in the final minute of the third to help earn his team the win.

“Going into the third with the lead is always crucial—it allows us to play with more composure and helps us control the play for the rest of the

game,” said Blues defenceman Corey Jackson about having played catchup for two thirds of the game.

He also gave credit to his goalie Willows for the hard-earned victory.

“Both goalies [Sheehan and Willows] do a great job of keeping us in the game,” he said. “When they play well we’re able to win games and play the way we need to in order to win.”

With the final home game of the season in the books, the Blues now enter a four-game road trip to end the regular season against Royal Military College, Carleton, Brock, and York.

The team will continue to push for a playoff position. They are currently sitting at 11-12, which makes them fifth in the division.