Volume 50, Issue 13 by The Medium

The Independent Student Newspaper of the University of Toronto Mississauga since 1974

Issue 13 Volume 50 December 04 2023

themedium.ca

ILLUSTRATION BY LAURA TOVAR/ THE MEDIUM

Megadeth versus Metallica: who’s the better band?

These two iconic thrash metal bands have been pitted against each other for decades. Here’s why Megadeth should be more recognized within the heavy metal genre. Karissa Harrypersad Contributor

s a metalhead, I like the “big four” thrash metal bands: Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer. There are numerous factors why one band is better than another, but nevertheless, both Metallica and Megadeth are essential to the evolution of thrash metal. The divide between these two bands has lasted decades, with their fan bases joining the ride and dissing each other. Unfortunately, it is perceived that if you like Megadeth, then you can’t like Metallica, and vice versa. I have been listening to Metallica songs for a long time, especially from the album, “Ride the Lightning.” However, I will always choose Megadeth as my favourite thrash metal band. Megadeth’s songs have always affected me, through the faster guitar riffs and lyrical symbolism, which ultimately showcase why they should be more recognized and appreciated than Metallica. Metallica is an American thrash metal band created in 1981 in Los Angeles, California, with the original lineup comprising James Hetfield (rhythm guitar & vocals), Rob McGovney (bass guitar), Lars Ulrich (drums), and Dave Mustaine (lead guitar). The lineup then changed as they replaced Mustaine with Kirk Hammett and McGovney with Cliff Burton. Burton was then replaced by Jason Newsted after his tragic death in 1986, and

later, Newsted quit and was replaced with Robert Trujillo, who’s now been in the band for more than 20 years. Megadeth is the second biggest thrash metal band, which formed in 1983, also in Los Angeles. The lineup for this band has changed numerous times over the decades of its existence, however, the most popular and influential members include Mustaine (guitars, main vocals, keys & songwriter), David Ellefson (bass & vocals), Nick Menza (drums & vocals), and Mary Friedman (guitar). The rift between the two bands started when Mustaine was an early member of Metallica from 1982 to early 1983. He was only a guitarist but wrote some lyrics for their songs. James Hetfield was the main vocalist for the band, friends with Mustaine and Ulrich. The three were close until things went south with multiple arguments and disagreements due to the band members’ copious consumption of drugs and alcohol. Hetfield and Ulrich searched for a new lead guitarist to replace Mustaine without him knowing. Thus, they went to an Exodus show and found Hammett. They offered him a job, and he accepted. On the morning of April 11, 1983, Hetfield, Ulrich and Burton all surrounded Mustaine to wake him up from a nasty hangover and straight-up tell him he was out of the band. “The thing that really upset me was that they never gave me a warning and I never got a second chance,” Mustaine remarked. He was

given a bus ticket to leave New York and head back to California. He packed his bags for a four-day bus ride with no food, water, or money. Mustaine wasn’t only kicked out of the band that he co-founded when he was 20, but he was also replaced with another guitarist without his knowledge. Adding insult to injury, Metallica also used his guitar riffs and written material for its debut album, “Kill ‘Em All.” He gave his blood, sweat, and tears to Metallica who couldn’t even give him any credit at the time. While he was on his bus ride, full of resentment, anger, and jealousy, Mustaine concocted the idea to create his own band named Megadeth. He wanted a band that was harder, faster, and better than Metallica. With this determination, he achieved his goal and became successful with 16 studio albums and a loyal fanbase. Though Megadeth and Metallica have worked hard to cement their roles within heavy metal, Megadeth is better and should get more recognition than Metallica because of its history, song structure, lyricism, guitar riffs, and overall consistency. The members of Metallica used Mustaine’s music on the first album, highlighting that Mustaine’s music is more credible. Though Megadeth has had some tribulations, they kept pushing themselves to produce the best music they could while keeping true to the genre. They are capable of more intricate guitar work and com-

plex song structures, with lyrics representing more political views and social issues. The consistency that Megadeth produces is ultimately more authentic to thrash metal than Metallica. When comparing their albums, my personal favourites from Megadeth are “Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying?” (1986), “Rust in Peace” (1990), and “Countdown to Extinction” (1992). For Metallica, it would be “Kill ‘Em All” (1983), “Ride The Lightning” (1984), and “The Black Album” (1991). The albums of these two bands repeatedly get compared to each other. Personally, Mustaine’s writing and sound have a harder and faster impact than Metallica’s. His song writing is lyrically complex compared to Hetfield’s, as he provides deep, thought-provoking lyrics and intricate compositions. Concerning the guitar riffs, Mustaine’s musical style and solos are highly regarded by many fans as innovative. Metallica should have given Mustaine more credit for the creativity and written material he provided the band. Metallica wouldn’t have become what it is without the help of Mustaine and I am thrilled to be a fan of both bands (no bad blood to you, Metallica fans—I love them too). Currently, Megadeth is on its 2023 “Crush the World” tour and Metallica is on its 2023 “M72 World Tour.” You can decide who you think is the better band.

NEWS EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief River Knott editor@themedium.ca Managing Editor Ricardo Jaroslav Valdez managing@themedium.ca News May Alsaigh news@themedium.ca

Editor | May Alsaigh news@themedium.ca

Canada faces an economic reduction toward the end of 2023 In an unexpected turn, Canada’s economy contracts by 1.1 per cent in the third quarter, leading to a wave of layoffs across major banks and companies.

Opinion Aya Yafaoui opinion@themedium,ca

Karine Alhakim Associate News Editor

Features Louis Lam features@themedium.ca

A&E Hannah Wang arts@themedium.ca Sports Omar Khan sports@themedium.ca Photo Samira Karimova photos@themedium.ca Design Laura Tovar design@themedium.ca

he Canadian economy faced an unexpected reduction of 1.1 per cent in the third quarter of 2023, according to recent data released in November 2023. Interestingly, this figure has arisen at a time of unchanged household consumption and has caught many economists and policymakers by surprise. This downturn is stark in contrast to the previous quarter, where a revised estimate revealed an annualized growth of 1.4 per cent, and a growth of 2.5 per cent in the first quarter. The contraction has been attributed to the cooling of consumer and business spending caused, in part, by higher interest rates. The Bank of Canada’s high interest rates, aimed at curbing inflation, have had significant implications in terms of spending behaviors. Despite these challenges, economists hesitate to define this period of time as an economic recession. According to Nathan Janzen, an assistant chief economist at RBC, the reason for this is because “the declines are still very small.” Regardless, the economic landscape is far from stable. Economists like Doug Porter, BMO’s chief economist, express their concern about Canada’s pulsing economy. Porter notes that, while the Canadian economy is managing to keep its head above “recession waters,” its growth has flattened. According to Statistics Canada, factors like the reduction of international exports and slower business inventory accumulation, exacerbated by increased government spending and housing investment, have also contributed to the downturn. The employment sector is also feeling the brunt of the economic slowdown. Major Canadian banks and companies are announcing significant layoffs, signaling growing concern about the economic outlook. TD Bank, one of the largest banks in Canada, recently announced a three per cent cut in its workforce, affecting thousands of workers.

Copy Chris Berberian jaros@themedium.ca

The layoffs at TD Bank are part of a broader trend in the Canadian job market. Businesses across various sectors are reassessing their workforce needs in response to the economic downturn. The contraction in the third quarter, alongside growing uncertainty, is prompting companies to adopt a more conservative approach to staffing.

Maja Ting maja@themedium.ca

For a second consecutive quarter, consumer spending remains flat, reflecting that households are opting to save more despite a rise in disposable income. This shift in consumer behavior is a direct response to the current economic climate, where higher borrowing costs and general uncertainty are making Canadians more conservative in their spending.

Social Media & Online Belicia Chevolleau social@themedium.ca

The Bank of Canada is caught in a delicate balancing act. While the bank’s primary goal is to reduce inflation, which has eased from a high of 8.1 per cent in the summer of 2022 to 3.1 per cent in October, the central bank must also ensure that its policies do not tip the economy into a recession.

Video Nikolas Towsey video@themedium.ca

Their next interest rate decision will be announced on December 6 and is widely anticipated, with economists expecting the bank to hold rates steady as the economy shows signs of weakness. Amidst these challenges, there are some positive indicators. Statistics Canada’s preliminary estimate reveals the economy grew by 0.1 per cent in September and 0.2 per cent in October. This slight uptick offers a glimmer of hope that the Canadian economy might be on a path to recovery, albeit a slow and uncertain one. The situation in Canada mirrors global economic trends, where countries are navigating the complex interplay of post-pandemic recovery, inflationary pressures, and geopolitical uncertainty. As Canada moves toward the end of 2023, the focus remains on overcoming these challenges effectively to ensure a stable and resilient economy. Canada’s contraction in the third quarter, coupled with the ripple effects on the job market, underscores the need for cautious and strategic economic policies. The coming months will be crucial in determining whether Canada can successfully navigate these turbulent waters and set the course for sustainable growth in the future.

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ILLUSTRATION BY LAURA TOVAR/ THE MEDIUM

Confronting Peel’s escalating homelessness crisis Peel Region officials demand more funding to address the growing homelessness crisis before the upcoming winter months. Makayla Kelly Contributor

n recent months, cities in the Peel Region, including Brampton, Caledon, and Mississauga, have experienced a rapid escalation of the homelessness crisis. On November 15, 2023, a Mississauga man in his 40s was found dead in a makeshift encampment outside of a shelter on Dundas Street East near Dixie Road. His death highlights the fatal cost of the larger issue of homelessness that largely impacts the Greater Toronto Area. The 2018 to 2028 Peel Housing and Homelessness Plan recognizes the importance of housing solutions and preventative measures. However, the plan’s ambitious goals are increasingly threatened by rapid homelessness outpacing available resources.

previous years’ average of five per cent. On November 23, 2023, Peel Region accepted C$7 million in federal funding for the provision of an intake centre near Toronto Pearson International Airport. However, when compared to Peel Region’s expenditure of around C$20 million on asylum-seeker assistance from this year, officials say the amount is not enough. The Restoration & Empowerment for Social Transition (REST) Centres, a non-profit organization helping BIPOC youth overcome housing insecurity, has been working nonstop amidst the crisis. One such youth, Shayesha Steele, entered the foster care system at 15. After leaving the system, she navigated numerous challenges that demonstrate the true impact of the crisis. REST Centres provided Steele with a glimmer of hope that helped her throughout her years in university.

This issue demonstrates a troubling disparity between developed policy frameworks and the harsh realities confronting people in need. Despite the plan’s comprehensive approach to improving housing outcomes over the next 10 years, it is becoming clear that the solutions in place are not enough to keep up with the escalation of the crisis.

According to CBC News, the growing number of racialized youth at risk of homelessness reflects the combined challenges of high living costs and Ontario’s housing shortage. According to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), roughly 200,000 Ontarians wait years for social housing, and at least 99,000 new units are required to meet their need for housing.

According to Peel Region officials, overcrowding has quickly become a heightened issue over the recent months. Shelters in the Peel Region are at the breaking point with the current shelter capacity at 300 per cent. Approximately 68 per cent of those requiring shelter are asylum seekers from various African countries—a significant increase from the

In a report published in August 2023, the AMO demanded increases in affordable community housing, base funding for the Homelessness Prevention Program, and communitybased mental health and addiction services. According to the report, these actions are critical to addressing the root causes of the Ontario homelessness crisis.

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown has also called for immediate action, describing the situation as a “humanitarian disaster.” Brown has urged the federal government to provide greater funding as the cold winter months near. Mississauga Councillor Dipika Damerla has also asked the federal government for more financial assistance. The Peel Region homelessness crisis is complex and requires a plan that can meet its rapidly changing demands. As the winter season approaches, the need to address this crisis becomes more pressing than ever. The recent Mississauga tragedy serves as an upsetting example of the human cost of the escalating homelessness crisis, as well as the critical need for immediate, life-saving measures.

“HOMELESS” BY BORN1945 IS LICENSED UNDER CC BY 2.0.

UTM students brace for the end of the fall semester With the fall 2023 semester coming to an end, students are both stressing about their final assessments and looking forward to what comes after. Celesta Maniatogianni Contributor

or many post-secondary students, the end of a semester marks a stressful time of year. With exam season underway, campus is swarmed with UTM students of all years who are preparing for their final evaluations. The Medium interviewed UTM students on campus regarding how they feel about the fall semester coming to an end, whether they are prepared for exam season, and what they are looking forward to over the upcoming winter break. When asked about how they feel about their upcoming exams, many students responded that they feel stressed. Zainab Abbas, a first-year student in the art and art history program, responded, “I feel like I will not be ready [regardless of] how much I study,” echoing a common feeling among UTM students. Sabrina Ahmadi, a third-year criminology student, shared that most of her stress stems from having multiple assignments for different classes due on the last day of class. “I’m feeling relatively optimistic since I only have one actual exam during the exam season this semester.” However, when The Medium asked other students whether they felt optimistic about their exams, most had mixed feelings. “I try to be optimistic about all of them, but there are definitely some that I’m more optimistic about than others,” said Joelle Laezza, a second-year sociology student. Other students responded they did not feel confident and were trying

their best to prepare for their upcoming assessments. Students were also asked about how they were preparing for their upcoming exams. Many had contrasting answers to this question. Hala Shahin, a second-year biology student answered that she is studying by “reviewing lecture notes, solving more problems, and attending office hours.” The Medium also asked students for their recommendations on how others can prepare for the exam season. William Pan, a third-year accounting student, offered advice that may benefit students who tend to procrastinate: “Never study too late—always study ahead of time, because the course loads are super heavy.” Meanwhile, according to Laezza, “It’s important to focus on the understanding of concepts rather than memorization.” Laezza also pointed out that finals in university are very different from those in high school, something firstyear students can expect to learn after this season. Lineah Toribio, a first-year life sciences student, shared her experience of transitioning from high school to postsecondary exams. Toribio expressed that, although it is a stressful change, she makes an effort to take as many breaks as needed to avoid feeling overwhelmed. “The first semester flew by really quickly, I [have] made new friends, and it [is] a big adjustment from high school,” Toribio added. Abbas also commented on her experience. “My first semester of university has changed and forced me to grow a lot. I feel like I am more mature and have developed good

study and work habits,” she stated. “I am grateful for all the wonderful friends I’ve made.” For first-year students like Toribio and Abbas, time management was a common challenge they faced during their first semester at UTM. Despite feeling stressed during exam season, many students shared that they had a lot to be proud of. For Ahmadi, one of her proudest achievements over the fall semester was sustaining a consistent study workflow while juggling a social life. As for Shahin, “being organized and properly managing time” helped her maintain a full course load this term. Many students expressed excitement for the winter break in anticipation of seeing friends and family. For others, revisiting hobbies and interests this upcoming break is at the top of their agenda. ILLUSTRATION BY LAURA TOVAR/ THE MEDIUM

A look at UTM’s recently launched Strategic Framework

Last month, the Office of the Vice-Principal for Research at UTM released a Research Strategic Framework, outlining U of T’s goals in maintaining and creating a “pipeline of talent.” Razia Saleh Contributor

According to the statement, “One of the goals of the OVPR Strategic Framework is to create opportunities for students to gain research experience throughout the continuum of their time here at [UTM].”

n October 2023, the Office of the Vice-Principal, Research (OVPR) launched its inaugural Strategic Framework. Developed between October 2022 and April 2023, the framework serves to support, promote, and inspire the research and scholarship of the UTM community.

The spokesperson continued to state, “On page 10 of the framework, you’ll see that students, and emerging researchers, are the focus of one of the five pillars upon which the framework is built.”

Over the past few years, funding for UTM’s research sector has increased in tandem with the growth of U of T faculty. Currently, UTM comprises more than 16,000 students and 1,200 faculty, librarians, and staff.

The framework outlines U of T’s goals in recruiting and retaining the next generation of researchers through expanding awards, exploring funding models, and strengthening engagement with various diverse programs.

The Research Strategic Framework benefits graduate and undergraduate students alike. The framework prioritizes interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research related to sustainability, providing undergraduates with real-world research opportunities.

“By increasing our recruitment of, and investment in, student researchers and emerging researchers at various stages of their training, UTM will grow its research capacity, retain promising researchers, and create a pipeline of talent,” stated UTM’s spokesperson.

According to the report, in 2022 alone, scholars were awarded over C$15 million in research funding, produced more than 550 journal articles and over 10 books, and received numerous local and national honours. In addition, U of T remains one of eight universities that rank top 25 globally in 34 fields of research.

Another goal of the framework is to foster a culture of inclusion, innovation, and collaboration by facilitating research support across all three campuses. The framework is not only built in the interest of researchers but students as well. UTM’s spokesperson shares how the report informs student experiences not only at UTM but all of U of T.

As outlined in the report, the research framework highlights “the need to empower research discovery and impact.” As U of T strives to uphold its reputable research sector, the OVPR remains committed to empowering its faculty and staff.

“Students (undergraduate research students, summer students, work-study students, graduate students), have many opportunities to play an important contributing role in research endeavours, and this framework serves to focus and guide our research enterprise.”

The framework is built on five equally important pillars: strengthening capacity, equipping trainees, empowering people, cultivating partnerships, and sharing knowledge. To achieve its goals, the framework is focused on increasing external research funding by providing programs that allow for more grants and funding for new faculty in research or the teaching stream.

The initiative to unite the Research Strategy Framework has garnered support from stakeholders, providing the university with increased resources and funding for various research endeavours. The report was guided by the OVPR Leadership team as well as 24 interviews that were conducted with multiple stakeholders.

With 13 Canada Research Chair holders, UTM hosts a wide range of research programs. The university is committed to empowering researchers through initiatives such as the Black Research Network, Critical Digital Humanities Initiative, Robotics Institute, Centre for Medicinal Chemistry, and Novo Nordisk Network for Healthy Populations. The university is confident that these investments coupled with the ongoing expansion of research infrastructure will further cement UTM’s position as a hub of innovation, breakthroughs, and meaningful societal impact. Jennifer Hartman, from Issues Management and Media Relations at the Office of Communications at UTM, shared a statement in a brief email interview from a UTM spokesperson regarding the framework.

However, the OVPR will not stop there. UTM’s spokesperson notes that “each year, the OVPR will review this strategy, assess priorities, and update the framework as required.” Further, “Research goals and outcomes will be tracked accordingly and incorporated into an annual research report.” The spokesperson concludes the statement by highlighting how committed the OVPR will remain to “building bridges” with research partners across the university. “With planning for U of T’s 2024–2029 Institutional Strategic Research Plan underway, the OVPR is pleased to continue working with members of the tri-campus research community and contributing to the University’s strategic priorities.”

PHOTO BY SAMIRA KARIMOVA/ THE MEDIUM

OPINION

Editor | Aya Yafaoui opinion@themedium.ca

Taking accountability River Knott & Ricardo Jaroslav Valdes Editor-in-Chief & Managing Editor

arlier this school year, The Medium’s executive team made a series of problematic lapses in judgement for which we must take accountability. In October, as tensions in Gaza continued to rise, The Medium’s executive team decided to alter publication policies in an effort to maintain impartiality. However, admittedly, these policies were also made to reduce the fear of criticism by university administration, which had started to consume most of our team. We decided that, while we would continue to cover the genocide unfolding in Gaza in our News and Features sections, we would discontinue any coverage on the matter in the Opinion section. This was a grave mistake. Along with many other universities in North America, The University of Toronto is a highly censored institution. By rejecting opinion pieces, The Medium was not only complacent but was a contributor to this bla-

tant censorship. What we have done was an enormous disservice to our writers, readers, and the entire UTM community. At The Medium, we have a responsibility to represent student voices, and over the past many weeks, we have failed you. Through incidental fees, the UTM community pays for the cushy chairs we sit on, the keyboards under our fingers, and our weekly orders from the printing press, yet we still had the audacity to silence UTM students. Our previous willingness and ability to side-step the publication of sensitive, hugely important opinion pieces reveals the massive amount of privilege we have—privilege that was not used for good. The genocide in Gaza is an issue that will no longer be ignored. The Medium is an independent student newspaper, which means that the university is unable to censor us, as we are a separate entity entirely. We are a unique outlet for student voices, and it is time students use our platform to speak on issues that are bigger than ourselves.

It was nobody’s responsibility to educate us but our own, and yet, various members of the UTM community and members of The Medium’s team came forward, using their precious time, patience, and energy to enlighten us. For these individuals, we are endlessly thankful. At this time, the right thing to do has become abundantly clear: we must continue to represent student voices in our Opinion section. At the time of the publication of this editorial, we will be nullifying our previous policy, and writers will once again be able to submit Opinion articles about the ongoing destruction and violence in Gaza and Israel. The Medium’s goal is to provide a safe space for analytical discussions on various topics, acting as a moderator and facilitator rather than imposing a specific standpoint. Our responsibility is to uphold journalistic integrity and provide a platform that does not propagate hate or misinformation. As an independent student news organization,

we acknowledge the right of students to have their voices and opinions heard through our platform. The opinions expressed in opinion pieces are those of the author and not the paper. Every article submitted to The Medium undergoes thorough fact-checking and multiple stages of editing prior to publication. Readers who wish to critique an opinion can do so by either writing a letter to the editor or can be put in contact with the author of the opinion piece for further discussion. The Medium encourages constructive criticism that fosters meaningful conversations. Criticism that adds value to the dialogue may be published as a letter to the editor with the author’s consent. Taking this first step is important, but we understand that there is much more to be done before we can regain the trust of the UTM community. There are no more excuses. It is time to take accountability and get back to raising up the voices of UTM students.

The unnecessary and ineffective headache of standardized testing The most popular forms of testing often don’t prove to measure a student’s mastery of a subject. Yusuf Larizza-Ali Staff Writer

xams and standardized testing are known by many as the end-of-term evaluations of a course’s material. Standardized testing is heavier than regular testing and exists to properly measure students’ knowledge at a certain time. You’ve likely heard of their “virtues,” and a professor of mine once said that exams are “opportunities to show what we know and not gatekeeping exercises” to lower our grades. I wonder if that’s true, because after much research and reflection, I’m not sure it is. In fact, I’m going to explain some reasons why exams and standardized testing are not conducive to our learning. Anxiety, which is often underestimated, is the first reason. When you think of exams, you probably associate it with anxiety and tiredness. For me, it brings up memories of being tired early in the morning and feeling stressed, which seems inevitable. Is this re-

ally the best state to take any form of evaluation? This stress is not typically present when doing other schoolwork, such as assignments. It may not seem like it, but anxiety ultimately plays a major role because, unlike assignments, tests must be completed at a specific place and time. This factor, along with the weariness, is sure to devalue one’s performance and grade. For this reason, I believe exams don’t accurately measure what you know, but instead what you happen to know at that specific moment. In other words, just one slip-up at that moment, and your knowledge of a course is perceived as being poorer than it actually is. Now a counterpoint may be that, when it comes to exams, you must simply learn how to do it, but let’s really think about “it.” “It” involves being able to pour out all you know in just a few hours with no access to notes. In the professional world, when do you ever have to do that? You almost always have time

and access to your materials. This is another reason why exams don’t help students, they don’t prepare us for situations in real life. Not to mention that not all disciplines can be accurately measured through standardized tests. I’m an English major, and English exams often involve a portion of essay writing where we receive the question beforehand. So, we practice by writing an essay and then attempt to remember and rewrite it on the exam day. What is the purpose of that? The exam “essay” is guaranteed to be a regurgitated mess compared to our assignments! Writing takes time and cannot be properly evaluated in a limited block. Now, if you think that this is just an undergrad’s whining, then you’d be wrong. There is literature supporting the idea that exams are not ideal measures of students’ knowledge. Take, for example, a research article

regarding nursing students and how their exams changed during the pandemic. There were concerns about cheating, prompting measures to ensure academic integrity that caused anxiety among students. The article argues against traditional exams, stating that “students need to be equipped with critical thinking not simply information recall.” My solution to this problem involves the greatest thing about pandemic schooling: take-home exams. Since we have multiple days to do it, the stress is lessened and we have materials to produce better answers. This would also help prepare us for the working world, where we’ll need to use materials to produce work. Thanks to a greater amount of time, these exams can cover more material, thus giving students a fairer chance to show what they know from a course. So, the next time you’re up early for an exam, remember these good reasons regarding why you should not have to endure it.

How lights change your perception of lifeparadox

The way we illuminate our lives impacts our comfort in and enjoyment of a space. Romana Krekhovetska Contributor

Business Buzz: May-bee it’s not so complicated Hannah Grace Wang Arts & Entertainment Editor

usiness and entrepreneurship aren’t for the faint of heart. With so many entrepreneurship centres and business programs available, finding the information you want can be daunting. The entrepreneurship world can be a sticky business (pun intended), but it doesn’t have to bee! (Okay, last pun.) My name is Hannah, and you’ve probably seen me and my sticker and stationery business, The Aesthetics Studio, do pop-ups around campus. If not, then hopefully I’ll see you around soon! I’ve been running my business for three years now, and there’s nothing I love more than talking about the behind-the-scenes of what it’s like to run a small business. I plan to talk about marketing campaigns, running a small business, managing inventory and finances, selling wholesale, pitch competition, and more in this column. I hope Business Buzz is a source of insight into all things small business and entrepreneurship. But I have to say: I’m not a business expert. I’m not even a business student, so please don’t take what I say as professional advice in any regard. Assume everything in this column is my opinion from my own experiences unless I specify otherwise. Now that we’ve got the boring stuff out of the way, let’s talk about something interesting (and perhaps an unpopular opinion): I find most business cards to be boring. Why? Usually, people just throw away the card unless it’s truly something special. The only cards I’ve kept are ones that bring me value, whether that’s information about the business itself, the design of the card, or a combination of qualities I like. One way to spice up your card design is to make them into membership cards. They’re popular with many coffee shops because you collect a stamp or a sticker for each drink you buy, and you can redeem a drink once you’ve collected enough. This concept can be applied to other services, like a nail tech shop or home bakery goods. Membership cards are a fun alternative you can easily incorporate into your design and ensure your customers will keep them. If you want a physical item to share your business, you can also try it out as bookmarks or stickers. For my business, I have special membership cards for my monthly sticker club, and I make my own stickers. They’re always a hit whenever I do pop-up events! Anyway, that’s it for now.

ith the variety of lights and lighting technologies at our disposal, we can control not only the atmosphere around us but also our moods and feelings. Ultimately, light is not just about accessibility, but also about creating a feeling of peace and belonging. Lights can even evoke a sense of home if placed in a way that highlights the best features of the environment. For me, in addition to its practical uses, light has always been a form of self-expression— a way to convey how I am feeling without having to say anything. So, I want to weigh in on the popular TikTok debate known as “big lights versus ambient lights.” If you have not heard about it before, here is all you need to know. An online discourse was sparked, centering on which kind of lighting was better. Some argued that the so-called “big lights,” like the ones we have on the ceiling, or “task lights,” like study lamps, are better overall as they serve a purpose and are more useful in assisting with most tasks. However, a majority of people contended that, although the big lights are useful in some cases, they are not something you want on in your home all the time. They stated that big lights should be reserved for tasks, while ambient lights are the ones you use for living a good life. Ambient lights often come from small lamps, string lights, and candles, and are considered better for creating an atmosphere you will want to return to. Recently, some research was done surrounding this debate, and the results provide us with the following insights. One result that will not come as a surprise to anyone is that lighting has a tremendous impact on our mood. For example, research by the National Library of Medicine suggests that, for the majority of people, a cozy (warm-toned) ambiance and an activating (cool-toned) ambiance can help achieve a feeling of pleasure and calmness depending on whether the person was previously feeling sad or anxious. Besides, lighting can help us regulate our body temperature better. For example, a light perceived as too bright for the eyes will make us feel hot and uncomfortable, making us want to escape the place or situation. This problem often results from task lights. Therefore, substituting them for ambient lights might be the solution needed, as they are less saturated. Although the TikTok trend portrays ambient lighting as the solution to all your problems, there is a negative side to the trend as well—namely, the cost involved in setting up your space to have ambient lighting. Often, it is not just about the colour or brightness of light, but rather, what place it takes in the space overall. To create ambiance, light becomes a form of art, and with everything available on the market, it could take any form—a cloud, a flower, string lights, or steampunk-style lights— shape, and colour you can think of, as well as any price tag. This can prevent it from being accessible to young people and other financially underprivileged groups. Ultimately, the choice between “big lights” and “ambient lights” is about your needs and what makes you feel most comfortable and at peace. Although big lights are more in your face and boring, they last longer and are more cost-efficient. If I were to pitch in my two cents on the matter, go for the ambient lights. There is nothing better than the little lights twinkling everywhere, creating a magical atmosphere for your space. There could be no Christmas—or fun, for that matter—without lights illuminating the darkness.

Stay buzzing, Hannah.

ILLUSTRATION BY BEATRIZ SIMAS/THE MEDIUM

Looking back at 2023, and looking forward to 2024: four students share their reflections Dry pillowcases Keira Johannson Contributor

n the first day of January, I rang in the new year from the comfort of my childhood bedroom, tucked under fresh, warm bed sheets and dressed in Christmas pajamas gifted to me by my parents. On the first day of January, despite being happy to be home and far away from exams and class projects, I rang in the new year in solitude by crying myself to sleep.

There’s a familiar comfort found in salty teardrop stains on cotton pillowcases. Some of my best sleeps have occurred after a tear-jerker rom-com, a breakup with an ex-boyfriend, or even after a battle of buying concert tickets on Ticketmaster. Crying exhausts me. But I also find comfort (and maybe even satisfaction) in feeling sorry for myself. However, on January 1, 2023, I decided that my New Year’s resolution would be to keep my pillowcases dry; I was going to stop feeling sorry for myself. This year began with tears. Although I love when things come full circle, I’m confident that the year won’t end the same way it started. From solo dates at art galleries and indie pop concerts to traveling abroad in Europe alone for the first time, 2023 was the year of embracing solitude. In 2023, I learned to be okay on my own again. I read from literary fiction novels on checkered blankets in local playgrounds and I pondered century-old artwork in museums and galleries. I roamed cobblestone streets in Florence with a skip in my step and I ordered escargot at cafés in Paris—and didn’t feel embarrassed when I butchered my lackluster French. But most importantly, in 2023, I traded mindless goal setting with mindful intentions. I made decisions and followed them through. I went to sleep at night and woke up without shedding a tear. In 2023, I kept a promise and my pillowcases stayed dry.

Social media, school, and stationery Hannah Grace Wang Arts & Entertainment Editor

s I approach the end of this year, I can’t help but wish I had done more. More in school, more with my stationery business, and more with social media. I suppose it’s not uncommon to feel a little melancholy at the end of the year and wish you had achieved more. But what is more? Will more ever turn into enough?

Balancing life as a full-time student and small business owner (among other responsibilities) can be overwhelming at times, but as I enter this season of reflection, I try to remind myself I’ve done what I can. For me, wanting more is an abstract idea. While I don’t think more will ever turn into enough, I can show myself compassion for the things I did achieve. I published my very own colouring book, travelled to Iceland with my mom, learned more about myself than the last couple of years combined, experienced my first relationship heartbreak, learned to crochet, and felt the loneliest I’ve ever felt. There’s something to be said about reflecting on the past, and how it brings a plethora of emotions. But the thing is, I’ve learned and grown and lived. And that is enough.

A tapestry of triumphs, gratitude, and resolutions Debbie Wong Contributor

s the sun sets on 2023, it’s only fitting to pause and reflect on the journey this year has been. My journey this past year has been nothing short of transformative, marked by a series of personal triumphs that have sculpted the person I am today.

From the simple act of prioritizing self-care to the monumental milestone of getting my first car, each achievement has woven itself into the fabric of my year. These moments, often overshadowed by the cacophony of daily life, are the pillars of resilience that upheld me throughout the challenges. Amidst the hustle, I’ve learned that true success lies in the balance of personal and academic pursuits. Hence, my New Year’s resolutions serve as a compass for the upcoming chapter. Aiming for a perfect 4.0 GPA signifies not just a commitment to academic excellence but a dedication to pushing my intellectual boundaries. Journaling and reading are promises to cultivate a mindful existence, fostering personal growth and introspection. As the ink dries on the pages of 2023, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, with growth and gratitude. Together, let’s embrace the lessons learned and the dreams waiting to unfold in the unwritten pages of 2024.

Some final words before our new start in 2024 Vanessa Bogacki Contributor

hen the academic semester comes to an end, our minds and hearts feel several emotions linked to this change. The first is stress, as all university students enter their final weeks of classes. Multiple papers, tests, and exams are now haunting us daily, making us wish we hadn’t skipped that 9 a.m. class to get some extra sleep.

As a senior student, I’m sad, as I realize that my time at UTM is slowly coming to an end. My core undergraduate experiences will no longer be realities. Instead, they will transition into memories that I will look back on and laugh about. It’s a time to self-reflect on the journey that I’ve undergone within UTM and the accomplishments I’ve achieved as an undergraduate student. Excitement roams our minds, as we now know a fresh start is just around the corner. As we slowly welcome the new year, we are reminded that 2024 is a time for change, growth, laughter, and success, as it opens new doors for students. The thrill of beginning a new semester, having chances to meet new people, and growing within ourselves is an extremely welcoming experience we all share. With 2024 just around the corner, I wish all UTM students good luck on their finals. May 2024 be the start of a journey that inspires a fresh chapter in all our lives.

The brain science of being transgender

How science is an invaluable tool in combating misinformation and transphobia. Mashiyat Ahmed Associate Opinion Editor

hroughout scientific history, both scientists and the public have been curious about the sexually dimorphic brain, otherwise known as the “gendered brain” in pop science. The brain is the most malleable organ in the body, perpetually influenced by genes, the dynamism of our environments, our internal experiences, and more. The interaction of these factors combines in exquisite and sometimes unexplainable ways to create the inexhaustible variety we see in our fellow human beings. Only recently has science turned its attention towards unbiasedly and systematically uncovering the secrets of the gendered brain in relation to transgenderism. The incongruence caused by a mismatch between a person’s biological sex (defined by chromosomes, gonads, hormones, and genitalia) and their gender identity leaves traceable and measurable imprints on their brain. We now know that sexually dimorphic brain regions selectively respond to who an individual perceives themselves to be, rather than their assigned sex at birth. We indeed live in a political world. All over the media, I hear debates and polemic rhetoric surrounding the “transgender issue;” of what rights these people ought to be afforded and the legitimacy of their experiences . In the end, I am left confused and disheartened by the hostility and misinformation perpetuated by both sides of the political spectrum. So, naturally, as a student of neuroscience, I turn to what science has to say. The purpose of this article is not to provide a political opinion about transgenderism; it’s to represent the larger scientific conversation in a way that is digestible for all and why it’s important to listen to this conversation. In his influential book: Behave, American neuroendocrinologist Robert Sapolsky writes that “it’s not the case that transgender individuals think they’re a different gender than they actually are. It’s more likely they got stuck with the bodies of a different sex from who they actually are.” With this remark, Sapolsky summarizes almost three decades of neuroscience research on brain and gender, and what it means to be transgender—no matter what stage of transitioning one is in. Firstly, it’s important to state that many children and adolescents go through gender identity struggles. Yet, as they grow older, these struggles either resolve themselves or the child becomes a part of their LGBTQ2S+ community . In fact, only 23 per cent of childhood gender incongruence (discomfort caused by a mismatch between one’s gender and sex) leads to transgenderism. Surgically transitioning as a transgender person is also associated with improved psychological well-being. According to one literature review, “Studies show that there is less than 1% of regrets, and a little more than 1% of suicides among operated subjects.” With some of my friends, I have personally been a witness to how their process of transitioning has benefited their lives. As mentioned before, the brain is uniquely sensitive and responsive to sex in a way the rest of the body isn’t, and when it comes to sexual development, the body and brain tend to develop asynchronously and at differing paces. By the time a boy hits puberty, they will most likely develop adult male genitals, acquire a deeper voice, and start growing body hair. However, due to atypical biological events in their past, their brain will resemble that of a female rather than a male. But what does this really mean? A pioneering study from 1995 found that a specific brain region associated with sexual behavior was larger in males than females. Upon investigating this brain region size in male-tofemale trans individuals, researchers found that this specific brain region was consistent with the transitioned sex (female) of the individual rather than their assigned sex at birth (male). Another follow-up study from 2000 tracked transsexuality as a function of the number of brain cells present in sexually expressive brain regions. Usually, males have twice as many brain cells in these brain areas responsible for sexual dimorphite attributes as compared to females. After controlling for hormone statuses, sexual orientation(s), and social context(s), the study determined that male-to-female trans individuals did not have the cell count of their birth sex, but the sex they insisted they were. Likewise, female-to-male trans people had cell counts representing their gender orientation rather than their biological sex. These studies spearheaded the modern, and still progressive understanding of sex-gender mismatch: the idea that sex differences in the genitals take hold before sex differences in the brain, and that the lack of synchronization between these two processes might lay the foundation for transgenderism. The unshakable conviction that one isn’t born in the right body is so far supported by science, but more research needs to be devoted to further replicating these results and exploring how gender identity is coordinated with brain function, hormones, genes, and more. What we do know is that being trans isn’t simply a feeling. It’s an intense and persistent psychological experience that originates from fully biological possibilities and results in distinct physical imprints on the brain as the organ matures. Sometimes, transphobic rhetoric is bolstered by the claim that “switching genders is simply unnatural.” Even if something seems unlikely, not well-observed, or even downright impossible to us, the fact that it exists makes it, by definition, natural. The reality is that gender struggles are more common than people think, and it’s crucial that in an age of science, we as students commit ourselves to learning the facts of the situation and be open to new information with a compassionate mind.

ILLUSTRATION BY CHARLES URGILES

Free Palestine from your silence Your silence in the age of the internet is an inhumanity. Yasmine Benabderrahmane Contributor

his article was meant to be published more than six weeks ago, but I fell victim to censorship by The Medium—and in that process, Palestinian rights were deemed subjective and ignorantly conditioned to a different standard of humanity. So, I write today, praying that my words pose no danger, but instead awaken the fear-mongering silence imposed on us by our institutes. I ask that you forever resist the intimidation against justice. —————— Names carry stories, histories. My name is Yasmine Benabderrahmane, and it is the story of a rich North African culture and Algerian colonialism. My name is my point of identification. My name is a story of lineages, genealogies, and histories. Names are no different in Palestine. Yet, the world has gaslit the West into assuming that Palestinian humanity is secondary, that their names are less deserving of a story. In Gaza, parents mark their children’s bodies with their names, in hopes of identifying their decapitated corpses. Within the first week of indiscriminate bombing in Gaza, a practice of collective punishment, 47 surnames—entire families—were permanently erased from the Palestinian civil registry. As of November 24, 20,031 Palestinians have been murdered since October 7, 2023. When I wrote my first draft, the toll was 3,750. I implore you to check the updated count, for it has undeniably changed since publication. Meanwhile, imprisoned or killed Israelis are respected and named. We hear from their relatives. We know their dreams and aspirations. We cover their stories in the media. That is human, and that is just. But this humanity and justice does not extend to Palestinians. Not when the media coverage has limited human lives to numbers. Not when the media desensitizes us from the thousands of cold Palestinian bodies. Not when the media calls on Palestinian activists to be interrogated on live television. I condemn and resist the violence that has taken place against all innocent civilians and my grief extends to the communities that have been affected—at our school and beyond. I condemn and resist the rising antisemitism, islamophobia, and racism in our communities. It is human to do so. But it is also human to condemn and resist a violent apartheid state. When a settler colony actively upholds the “fragmentation, dispossession, and segregation” of an indigenous population, know that “apartheid” rests as the true definition of the system. When a settler colony has targeted more than 90 houses of worship, more than 65 journalists, and more than 120 hospital facilities and collapsed the Gazan healthcare system, know that “genocide” rests as the true definition of the situation. In our age of information, where—for the first time—you can witness a catastrophe in real time, ignoring the genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians is an ignorance of your own choice. It is solely in your inhumanity to blame. You lose your dignity the moment you choose to look away, the moment you stand “neutral” in the eyes of a genocide. Redirecting the blame for this genocide is also an act of ignorance. Western colonial powers claim that the collective punishment dealt in Gaza is only a valid response to Hamas’s attack—a claim that sets the narrative in a vacuum that simply does not exist. History does not begin the moment you take notice of it. This is an evolving story of 75 years of Israeli occupation. In 1948, al-Nakba, the “Catastrophe,” took place. More than 700,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes. Forced to flee or to survive as refugees in an open air prison within their own lands. The establishment of a Zionist state was assumed at the expense of Palestinians, masked under the narrative of a mere religious conflict. What was first a response to the brutal conditions that Jewish people endured in Europe soon gave birth to Jewish and white supremacy in the Middle East, one that has legalized a segregationist regime. When a system chants, “A land without a people for a people without a land,” the dispossession, slaughter, and genocide of Palestinians become systemically justified. It paints

Palestinians as subhuman. It dehumanizes and delegitimizes the existence of the Palestinian identity. It becomes an untitled ethnic cleanse, supported by our governments that have a history of settler colonialism. So, it tires me to see Western governments, their media, and the public lecturing the children of colonization, children of apartheid, and children of slavery on the morality of resistance. They condemn Palestinian liberation because they do not know colonialism like we do. They learn about decolonization in the comfort of their history classrooms, romanticize resistance in the words of their dystopian books, and deem themselves worthy of this high moral pedestal from which they judge us and our resistance. They villainize resistance because it is a reminder of their active crimes. They criminalize our politics and movements for freedom, politicize their crimes, and serve that to the world as the norm. Our institutes demand the decolonization of scholarship, but they do not know what decolonization looks like. Our institutes have convinced us that oppressors deserve a peaceful response to their oppression. We saw this in the criticism of US Civil Rights activism, in the censure of African liberation, and the disapproval of Asian state independence. If you recognize the pattern, yet continue to condemn Palestinian liberation, then you are a product of your time and media—not of your moral judgement. In the process of silencing our voices, Israel has managed to unveil a final truth: the West has never and will never change. Our governments champion human rights, but that is an act. They champion truth and reconciliation, but that is an act. They champion decolonization, but that is an act. In fact, as I type, “‘decolonialism”’ is underlined in a red, squiggly line. The line whispers to me, tries to confuse me. It tells me that decolonialism is a mistake. It corrects me, thinks it knows better. It condemns me— — condemns my decolonial efforts, condemns the decolonial efforts of my ancestors, and the decolonial efforts of every indigenous person. Western morality is much like that red, squiggly line. So, I remind you about today. Today, a child aches for the warmth of his father’s hug, but he is met with the cold of a lifeless hand. Today, a grandmother sees her hope of return in the rubble that engulfed her family. Today, a mother buries her child, but she wishes she had died instead. Today, a boy next door clutches his phone, staring at his undelivered messages to his lover in Gaza. Today, a girl fights to write for the names that you have dissolved into numbers. You will try to erase Palestine, but its people will live on in the trees, in the watermelons, in the olives, in the stitches of the tatreez in the lines of the kuffiyeh, in the cries of every mother, in the smiles of every child, in the bravery of every man, in the words of every poet, in the pride of our humanity, and in the guilt of your inhumanity. Trying to fight an oppressor is hard enough, but trying to prove the existence of the oppressor makes it entirely impossible to gain victory. So, I leave you with Dr. Omar Suleiman’s words: “For too long, they’ve remained faceless. For too long, they’ve remained nameless. We can never allow them to make us voiceless.” My name is Yasmine Benabderrahmane, and I resist the intimidation against Palestinian justice.

Finding comfort in solitude: a guide to spending time alone Inspirations to do something by yourself, for yourself. Mashiyat Ahmed Associate Opinion Editor

hen I was four years old, not a minute went by when my tiny hands weren’t wrapped around the bare skin of my mother’s arms, grasping for one more second of her parental hold before ultimately being left on my own to survive preschool. Whether it was my mother or a cherished childhood toy that I couldn’t go anywhere without (mine was a baby doll I called Annabelle), I quickly grew accustomed to the idea of attachment. But this article isn’t about my four-year-old self ’s inability to be left alone. It’s about my 17-year-old self and how I learned to find comfort in solitude. And my 19-year-old self, who had the confidence to book a solo trip to Europe. But most importantly, it’s about providing a guide to how you can spend time alone too, and enjoy it in the process. I present to you: my top five things to do alone.

The Drive

I got my driver’s license on my 17th birthday, and it became a symbol of freedom. I no longer relied on my parents to drive me somewhere I wanted to go. But it also became a pivotal moment in my life where I started to do the things I wanted to do, regardless if I had anyone to do them with. I went on hikes, visited coffee shops, or roamed aisles in a bookstore. And I did all these things alone. One of my favourite things to do was drive. Up toward the mountains, I could view the entire city, with my go-to playlist playing on blast from the car speakers. Just me, the music, and the road. Driving alone can be very therapeutic, and it’s a great option for anyone who might be intimidated to do things by themselves in public. Even if you don’t have a car, I present an alternate idea: The Train Ride. Especially if you enjoy people-watching. Trains are perfect for that.

The Art Gallery

trust me, it’s not that bad. The first time I participated in the solo dining experience was at Cactus Club during my first year of university, and I came prepared. I knew that I wanted to order my favourite dish: the spicy chicken over white rice (sadly discontinued), and I’d also packed a tote bag with my journal and lit-fic novel so that I could have something to do while I sat there alone. Let me tell you, it feels so powerful to walk into a restaurant (bonus points if it’s a proper dining restaurant) and ask for a table for one. The key is to own it. Walk in there and act like you’re this famous food reviewer (this act will especially sell the waitstaff if you carry around a fancy notebook and pen). Also, bring something to do like I did. Jot down things you observe, sounds you hear, and smells that make your stomach grumble even more than it already is. One time, I even witnessed a full breakup (that was pure entertainment). The best part about dining alone, in my opinion, is that you tend to get better service. The server is proficient, the food is quick, and you usually walk out feeling really good about yourself (mainly because of your full stomach but also because of the good vibes).

The Movie Theater

I truly don’t know why I didn’t do this one sooner. I feel like movie theaters were designed for you to go by yourself. The only part where it’s noticeable that you’re alone is in line, waiting for popcorn and a soft drink. But if you can get past that hurdle, the theater is a great option for a solo date. A few Fridays ago, I went to the movies by myself for the first time to see The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. And the best part? I didn’t feel embarrassed when I caught myself blushing at a young Coriolanus Snow (the same man who goes on to murder many children in the original trilogy). The people sitting next to me didn’t know me. They couldn’t judge me for romanticizing a villain character just because they had cast an attractive British man to play the part. Part of me hoped I’d turn my head to see them blushing, too. Even sitting in a movie theater alone, I found ways to connect with a bunch of strangers.

The Solo Trip

There’s something special about walking around an art gallery or museum. While it can be great fun to do this with another person as well–discussing the different meanings of paintings and pointing out what each artwork means to you–there’s also great fun in doing all this alone. There’s no timeline. You can spend as much or as little time as you want with each piece.

Probably the most significant thing I’ve done alone is travel. In April, I backpacked across Europe by myself for a month. Safe to say, it was the best experience of my life. So, I decided to do it again. A few days ago, I impulsively booked a week-long solo trip to Ireland in February. A week-long trip full of self-discovery, stepping outside of my comfort zone, and cheap beer at Irish pubs. I also hope to learn the jig!

I suggest listening to music through earbuds while you walk around each gallery room. Romanticize it. Take photos of your favourite art pieces. Reflect on what inspires you and what doesn’t. Maybe you can even go home afterward and create your own piece of art.

So, whether it’s a solo drive down your hometown dirt roads or a backpacking trip across the globe, I encourage you to go out and do something by yourself. Anything. Give yourself the opportunity to learn more about yourself, what you like, and the type of person you want to be.

The Restaurant

I know what you’re thinking. This is probably one of the scariest things to do alone. But

ILLUSTRATION BY AURORA PICCIOTTOLI/THE MEDIUM

If your Spotify Wrapped is anything like mine, your top song might even become “On My Own” by Ross Lynch (you know, the one from Teen Beach Movie). He said it best, and I can assure you that you’re brave enough to take the road, out on your own.

features

Editor | Louis Lam features@themedium.ca

A Palestine story Looking at things from a different perspective. Maryam Lela Contributor

ne day, you get a knock at your door. You open it to find armed men, clad in uniforms, telling you that you must pack up and leave your house at once. If you don’t, they’ll have to force you out. “But this is my house!” You declare. “You can’t make me leave!” But your cry falls on deaf ears. The men step inside, seize you and your family, and drag you away from your house, land, and all you’ve ever known. You later discover that these men didn’t just visit you but also 750,000 of your country folk, friends, and relatives. They forced them out of their homes, too. “But why?” you wonder, watching the armed men destroy your family’s century-old farmland. “What did we do to deserve this?” This scenario is one that thousands of Indigenous people experienced in Palestine—which is considered Israel today—in 1948. This event is known as “The Nakba,” which is Arabic for “the catastrophe.” Palestinians at the time called this event a catastrophe because of what took place: Palestinian villages were raided by militia, 15,000 Palestinians were killed, and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced from their land. This happened at the hands of Zionist militia, who settled in Palestine in 1947 and 1948. Zionists are people who believe in the political ideology of Zionism—the belief that Jewish people deserve their own theocratic ethnic nation, where they can live freely without being persecuted. But the Palestinians fought back against the occupation. Soon, the UN noticed the rising tensions between the Palestinians and the Zionist settlers, and proposed that, from then on, Palestine would be partitioned into an Arab state and a Jewish state. But the Palestinians refused to accept the plan. They believed it was unfair—their land wasn’t anyone else’s to tamper with. Palestinians continued the fight against their occupiers. But to no avail. In 1948, Palestine was officially renamed Israel. “The year 1948 was the year of rupture in Palestinian modern history,” says Areej SabbaghKhoury, senior lecturer in sociology and anthropology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. “The Palestinian national-being was shattered.”

“During a period of military rule that lasted until 1968, the word ‘Palestine’ itself became a taboo and Palestinian identity a security threat,” says Sabbagh-Khoury, commenting on the social aftermath of the Nakba. “The name ‘Palestine’ was erased not only from geographical and geostrategic maps, but also from public discourse.” After the events of 1948, some surviving Palestinians fled to what is now modern-day Gaza. Others fled to surrounding countries like Jordan. But some stayed, refusing to give up their land. For those who remained, they witnessed the Judaization of Palestine. According to Sabbagh-Khoury, the term Judaization refers to the “erasure of Palestinian traces [and] their replacement with Hebraicized forms.” To “Hebraicize” something means to transform it to fit the Hebrew language, character, or customs. For example, towns with Arabic names were changed to have more Hebrew-sounding names. Another example of this Judaization was how the newly established Israeli government dealt with Palestinian property. “The state dealt with Palestinian property as if it were the spoils of war, redistributing it to Jewish citizens and recent immigrants,” Sabbagh-Khoury comments. “Palestinian citizens found themselves under a foreign sovereignty that cast them as enemies.” Today, 75 years after Israel was officially declared a state, Palestinians continue to struggle

under Israeli occupation. Approximately 2.2 million Palestinians currently live in Gaza, a tiny sliver of land occupying 363 square kilometres, that borders Egypt. Gaza has one of the highest population densities in the world. Civilians living there face heavy land, sea, and air blockades put in place by the Israeli government. The Israeli government built these blockades in place after Hamas gained control over Gaza in 2007.

According to the UN Secretary-General, Israel’s 16-year-long blockade on Gaza goes against international humanitarian law. These blockades “target and impose hardship on the civilian population, effectively penalizing them for acts they have not committed.” Israel’s blockade on Gaza has led to its weakened economic system. As noted by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, “The economy and its capacity to create jobs have been devastated, resulting in the impoverishment and de-development of a highly skilled and well-educated society.” However, not all Palestinians live in Gaza. Some 3 million live in the West Bank, a section of land under Israeli control. Life in the West Bank is no easier for Palestinians. For years, many of them have been illegally imprisoned in Israeli jails in the West Bank, have been shot in the streets, and have continuously had their houses and properties stolen from them. They face restrictions getting from one place to another, and are heavily surveilled by Israeli facial recognition systems. In 2013, Mufeed Sharabati, a 57-year-old Palestinian living in the city of Hebron in the West Bank, was interviewed. He gives a glimpse into the day-to-day struggles Palestinians face in the West Bank: “Every time we enter or exit [our] street we have to pass through a checkpoint, and have our belongings checked,” Sharabati explains. But even inside his own house, he and his family don’t feel safe. “Israeli forces [can] invade our house anytime they want,” he says. “Nothing is normal here, but at the end of the day this is my home. I will not leave here except when I die,” Sharabati concludes.

“Under Israeli occupation, generations of Palestinians have endured widespread and systematic arbitrary deprivation of liberty, often for the simplest acts of life and the exercise of fundamental human rights,” says Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur and Affiliate Scholar at the Institute for the Study of International Migration at Georgetown University. “For Israel’s carceral regime to end, and its inherent apartheid with it, its illegal occupation of Palestine must end,” she concludes.

Arts

Editor | Hannah Wang arts@themedium.ca

Mary-Rebekah Reyes upholds her love for art and family with Short Drop The UTM graduate’s first short film is a collaboration project that delves into Caribbean folklore. Alisa Samuel Contributor

n October 25, 2023, the Department of Visual Studies at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) partnered with the Black Leadership Table at UTM to present a screening of Short Drop—a nine-minute short horror-thriller film inspired by Trinidadian and Tobagonian folklore, of which Mary-Rebekah Reyes is the executive producer. In 2022, Reyes graduated as an international student from Santa Cruz, Trinidad and Tobago with a specialist degree in art & art history from the UTM and Sheridan joint program. “The oral tradition of my people’s history is being lost in a lot of ways,” Reyes told The Medium, speaking to the motivation behind making the film. “You can maintain our stories by archiving work in an academic sense or you can do that through film because it lives on forever.” Reyes’ brother, Romario Reyes, wrote and directed Short Drop. Together, as independent artists, they worked on a low budget to realize their vision for the story. After three days of shooting on an iPhone amid the challenges of self-learning the technicalities of basics like scene lights and camera work, the film eventually featured at the Film and Folklore Festival this past spring in Trinidad and Tobago, and then at Toronto’s Caribbean Tales International Film Festival last month. “Doing a project like this outside of school for the first time, you really need the people around you to be present, patient, kind, and loving to be able to go past 3 a.m., working neck and neck with you, saying ‘I’m going to stick with you through it ‘til the end,’” Reyes said. “And we did have that, thankfully.” As Reyes drove long distances for props and focused on scheduling to a “T,” a small-scale team of equally creative-minded (and thereby, empathetic) family and friends supported her as cast and crew. She wouldn’t have wanted it any other way—and quite possibly, couldn’t have imagined it otherwise. Reyes’ father, newly retired from his job as a secondary school arts teacher, is one of 11 children, all of whom are artists in some professional capacity. “All of my cousins and I grew up together as siblings and we were all artists,” Reyes shared. “All of us would enter art competitions every year,

and it would literally be like ‘Reyes, Reyes, Reyes’ for first place, second place, and third place.” The art competitions they participated in were never limited to a certain medium. Reyes engaged in various art forms like painting, dancing, acting, and fashion design throughout her entire life, so much so that she struggles to categorize herself as an artist today. “I wouldn’t even say I’m a multidisciplinary artist because to me it’s all just as natural as it is to speak English,” Reyes said. “Yes, there are differences between creative works in terms of scale and technique involved, but the interest, the underlying reason why I’m drawn to doing all kinds of art in the first place is the same: there’s just a pull for me to do it as I don’t find joy in anything else.” Under the tutelage of her father, as one of the many students he nurtured into scholarship winners, Reyes was granted a full open scholarship from the government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to study, in particular, art & art history at a university level in Canada. Reyes, who counts 17th-century Baroque artists Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Peter Paul Reubens as amongst her favourites, is currently researching Trinidad’s first internationally recognized artist, Michel-Jean Cazabone, on the merit of receiving the Ben Portis Memorial Award in her final year. “Trying to find my own art history in the land of the Caribbean is important because that was something that wasn’t covered at UTM or Sheridan, but I can use my degree for this current project,” Reyes explained. “I know the academic structure of how to do research, but my research now has pivoted in the sense that if I want to tell stories about where I come from and my people, the way I go about doing that research is going to be a little bit different, though still informed by my studies.” Alongside regular trips to the University of the West Indies’ library to search for Cazabone in the archives and to talk with academics who can help, Reyes intends to continue exploring folkloric characters through film by first talking to people in the street and inquiring about their personal experiences with folk knowledge and culture. When asked to give advice to aspiring UTM creatives, her response was: “Trust in your own individual journey, be careful about the company you keep, [and] focus on totally positive things— but first start with discipline because it’s more important than motivation […] In producing, you have to be a critical thinker, be quick on your feet to problem solve, know how to navigate personalities and strengthen relationships, and not let your emotions get the best of you because how you respond to difficult situations determines the success of a project.”

Spotlighting the CBC Gem series How to Fail as a Popstar A story of prevailing with failure, rather than fighting against it. Alisa Samuel Contributor

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Wow, this seems like a great project. I’d love to book this,” was Adrian Pavone’s reaction to the CBC Gem Series, How to Fail as a Popstar. Pavone says they were drawn to be part of the show because it’s about a “Queer Brown kid who’s trying to become an artist and they’re not some Queer Brown stereotype.” Apart from that, Pavone adds that it tells an honest story about failure that speaks to many people. “Failure is universal, but every piece of media seems to be about overcoming failure, whereas this one is about accepting failure, and learning to prevail with failure, rather than in spite of it.” When it came to the audition process, Pavone says the audition scene itself was more than enough to turn this into an “instant dream role.” Vivek Shraya (the Indian protagonist) tries to impress a white producer and “is immediately pigeon-holed into his Indian-ness.” A halfGuyanese artist, Pavone mentions they’ve experienced that exact scene numerous times, from casting directors to peers to even some family members where they were told “in one way or another, that my approach to being an actor isn’t optimal—that I ought to lean into my Brownness, that I ‘should go do Bollywood!’” “This story is not about magnifying what the majority population sees when they look at you. It’s about carving your own space in a field with countless barriers,” remarks Pavone. Upon booking the role, Pavone headed to their nearest Indigo and purchased two of Vivek Shraya’s books. I’m Afraid of Men was the roadmap Pavone used for “real-Vivek’s journey to where she is now.” After watching her past performance videos, listening to her music, even finding playlists of what Pavone believed was Shraya’s favourite music, and reading the onewoman play, How to Fail as a Popstar, Pavone said they were in utter awe of Shraya’s story. “I only hoped I could do the story justice,” comments Pavone. On set, Pavone studied Shraya as much as they could, despite the pressure of performing in their first lead role in a show. “Vivek herself was a lovely resource, but ultimately, she gave me a lot of free rein in my interpretation of this fictionalised version of her younger self. She’s a true artist in that she deeply believes in the power of collaboration,” says Pavone. The most challenging part of this role for Pavone was the pressure they put on themselves as

an actor. “Oddly, even though the project is about living with failure, I refused myself the right to failure. To me, as the actor, the project was about hope. I mean, isn’t that what the career of every artist centres on? But yes, I put so so much pressure on myself, to the point where it crippled me some days,” Pavone reflects. “I would constantly seek reassurance from Vivek and Vanessa, our director, both of whom were so sweet and encouraging.” Reflecting on what they enjoyed most about playing this character, Pavone says the role meant so much in so many ways. “I’ve made some beautiful new friendships, I’ve had my own identity and journey validated, I’ve finally got an entire project I can point to and say, ‘Hey I made that!’” One moment they’ll never forget was from the wrap party. Pavone and Shraya were chatting with another actor, Davin (seen in the last episode as Shraya’s student, Kavi), and at some point, Shraya pointed out how amazing it was that “in that triangle were three Brown Genderqueer artists talking about things other than the fact that we were all Brown and Genderqueer. It was really special.” In that moment, Pavone says, they found what felt like “the rarest, sweetest communities in the world.” “I owe a lot to this project, but playing a Queer Brown character whose story wasn’t about being Queer and Brown? Top notch. Aces. Oh, also that Vivek and Vanessa were committed to making Brown people unapologetically sexy on TV,” notes Pavone. When asked what they hope viewers would take away from the show, Pavone says, “I know it’s cliché, but to leave behind anything and anyone who not only doesn’t serve you, but actively hurts you. Is that harsh? I don’t know. I have a feeling a lot of people will get a hold of that message and start dumping friends and family left and right if they fight sometimes. It’s a tough balance. When do you know something is hurting you past what’s okay? How do you know how long to keep trying? It’ll be different for everyone.” The bottom line that Pavone wants viewers to take away is “how okay it is to fail. How okay it is to stick to your guns.” As a final message for readers, Pavone says their older sister forgot how Pavone warned their family about a make-out and a (semi) nude scene. “Not only did she accidentally have to rewatch the make-out scene like five times because her Wi-Fi wasn’t working, she also screamed and fell off her couch when the nude scene came on,” amuses Pavone. You can stream How to Fail as a Popstar on CBC Gem and you can follow Pavone on their Instagram. ILLUSTRATION BY AURORA PICCIOTTOLI/THE MEDIUM

sports & health

Editor | Omar Khan sports@themedium.ca

Raptors Wrap-Up: In-Season Adjustments The Raptors started and quickly ended their In-Season Tournament run amidst a consistently inconsistent season. Justyn Aleluia Columnist

he emotional rollercoaster that is the 2023/2024 Toronto Raptors’ season has brought excitement and disappointment with each win and loss– especially in the past few weeks.

The Raptors began their In-Season Tournament with a close loss to the first-place Boston Celtics. This was a game the Raptors needed to win for an excellent chance to progress into the tournament’s knockout stage. No stars on either side came through with a game-changing performance; the Raptors lost simply because they weren’t better than the Celtics—and right now, no team is. The Raptors lost to the red-hot Orlando Magic, 126-107 in their second In-Season Tournament game. They fell to 0-2 in In-Season Tournament play and were subsequently eliminated from the inaugural tournament. Unfortunately for the Raptors, they ran into the Magic, who were in the middle of a more than eight-game winning streak. The following night, they ended with an impressive 132-131 win against the Indiana Pacers. Pascal Siakam shined in this one with 36 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. Scottie Barnes also made his mark with 20 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, and four steals. This game is an example of the Raptors’ potential when Barnes and Siakam play their roles effectively—something the team hasn’t seen very often. They followed this performance with another win against the struggling Chicago Bulls, their first and only In-Season Tournament victory. Former fan-favourite DeMar DeRozan was ejected in the final minutes of the game after the Raptors attempted to run up the score while they were already up big. Head coach Darko Rajakovic told DeRozan they needed to score be-

cause “it’s the In-Season Tournament,” but later admitted that he didn’t know they were already eliminated. The Raptors would later lose their final In-Season Tournament game to the Brooklyn Nets, finishing their first tournament with a 1-3 record. This season, the Raptors have been consistently inconsistent and are constantly oscillating between the 10th and 11th seed in the Eastern Conference—more or less the same spot they’ve been in for the past three seasons. Though it can be demoralizing for fans to watch as teams like the Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic take leaps in performance this year, most are satisfied with their teams’ performance: “Honestly, I’m happy,” says Rohan Sharma, a third-year student at the University of Toronto Mississauga, “they seem a lot more competitive than most media outlets were projecting and have a good chance to make the playoffs.” Another student and Raptors fan, Miguel Hipolito, shared the same sentiment: “I expect the Raptors to make the playoffs and become a potential sleeper to make a deep run.” Fans have also recognized the inconsistency of Siakam and Barnes. It seems that when one plays well, the other plays mediocrely. In the first seven games of the season, Barnes averaged 22.6 points per game with a 25 per cent usage rate while in those same seven games, Siakam struggled with 15.4 points per game with a lower 20.8 per cent usage rate. Okay, so what? Well, in their next 10 games, Siakam’s usage rate grew to 28 per cent while Barnes’ fell to 21.9 per cent and at the same time, Barnes dropped to 16.5 points per game and Siakam rose to 23.2 points per game. This has only fueled growing calls to trade Siakam for a player who better complements Barnes’ playstyle. It’s clear that the Raptors will eventually have to give the keys to Barnes and allow him to lead the team without Siakam holding him back.

ILLUSTRATION BY LAURA TOVAR/ THE MEDIUM

Blue Line Breakdown Omar Khan Sports and Health Editor

ILLUSTRATION BY LAURA TOVAR/ THE MEDIUM

fter an up-and-down start to the 2023/2024 NHL season, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ defence finds itself injured, depleted, and in need of reinforcements. Currently, Timothy Liljegren, Mark Giordano and John Klingberg are all injured and will likely miss significant play-time. The Leafs’ blue line was already an area of concern prior to these injuries, but taking these players away only exacerbates this issue. It is clear that General Manager Brad Treliving has some work to do and needs to make a trade to boost his blue line. Some players he will likely target include Christopher Tanev, Brett Pesce, Travis Sanheim, and Andrew Peeke. These players would all benefit the Leafs with their individual defensive play and physicality. It will be interesting to see how Treliving goes about addressing his defence without taking away from his forward group. The Leafs faced similar defensive depth issues last year, addressing it by acquiring Luke Schenn and Jake McCabe, who fit into the team seamlessly and were important players for the Leafs. While Schenn left the Leafs in free agency, McCabe remains a Leaf and has been a consistent presence on the blue line despite facing some injury-related trouble himself this season. Meanwhile, the Leafs’ offence has been inconsistent. The second line consisting of William Nylander, Tyler Bertuzzi and captain John Tavares have been the Leafs’ best, providing offence and earning wins. However, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner have been suffering with inconsistent play. This issue grew larger, forcing Head Coach Sheldon Keefe to shuffle the lines and pair Matthews with Nylander and Tavares with Marner. This subtle change seems to be working for the Leafs. In a recent game against the Seattle Kraken, Mitch Marner scored both a hat trick and the shootout winner, appeasing his critics for the time being and bringing home victory for Leafs nation. This game by Marner leaves Leaf fans hopeful that he and Matthews will be more consistent, play better offence, and lead the team to play better hockey for the rest of the season. The Leafs look to beat their archrivals the Boston Bruins in their next game. This match is set to be an exciting one, as games between these two teams are always electric. However, the Leafs will likely bring more intensity to this game after their embarrassing lack of response when defenceman Timothy Liljegren was injured on a dirty play by Brad Marchand earlier this month. If this bad blood carries over to this game, Leafs fans will be ready for an exciting, physical, and intense game against perhaps one of the league’s best teams. This game will set the tone for the next month of the season for the Leafs. They are entering December in a playoff spot, but not as high in the standings as they would like to be. If the Leafs want to secure home ice advantage against whoever they play in the playoffs, they will need to be better in the regular season, to rack up the points and climb the standings. Fans hope to see the team win more games and prepare for this year’s playoffs.

Puzzle Corner

Editor | Laura Tovar design@themedium.ca

Exam Themed Word Search 12/3/23, 7:15 PM Examsrelated Word Search - Word Search Labs Instructions: See if you can find the words in our examwords list in the puzzle below!

Exams Word Search I X T O R I S X R S S Y F G T F D H P G O Q J W P T Y E F T F S S E L J V B Q P Z E G P S C A A R S F B N E N T X E H B D V N A P D Q E P J N Z K F C N S I U F L F E L M C S I E F R C L N S I Y F R J X I A N P S O Q J K E D E O L O E F X N Y X Z O V Q U F F P L P G I E P G L C N K O Q I O A B C P T I W I R E R M R W F F L G T O L A O D N E T U A P E T P U X D Z A A W V L Y U D F V E O L W I R K W T E N T X E Y D U T S S K A E O L K G W W N D I B Y E F D S S Y K R S P T M X C L R V D M C Y X G A G C L Q S V Z P D O O M O E L M P S Y F X I G K L H G M N V P S M M Z Z T S G G I A S M A X E F I M L C P L G V J D T M T Y E L J K A Q W Z V S F M I L T Y T Q S E R U T C E L N S W U A O F H W M V S T A R B U C K S U X G Q Y U S N X Z V O R O Y N I P C Q H I A S L A N I F H O L I D A Y S Y Y F P Z 1. exams

2. finals

8. meditation

3. study

9. powerpoint

4. essays 10. relief

14. holidays

5. sleepless 11. lectures

15. starbucks

6. stress 12. read

7. yoga 13. unwind