UTSC Commons Fall 2018 by U of T Scarborough

UTSC Commons utsccommons@utsc.utoronto.ca

University of Toronto Scarborough 1265 Military Trail Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4

WELCOME WISDOM: New principal joins UTSC p6

SISTERS FROM SYRIA: After escaping war, students pay it forward p14

BE BETTER: Campus community weighs in on being a good citizen p24

FALL 2018

News

Insights

Research

Culture

Community

IN THIS PLACE WE ARE HOME

KEYNOTE

A magazine for the alumni, friends and community of the University of Toronto Scarborough Fall 2018 Volume 8, Issue 2 Produced by the Department of Communications & Public Affairs 416-287-7089, utsccommons@utsc.utoronto.ca Editor Chris Garbutt Principal Photographer Ken Jones Communications Assistant Cellie Agunbiade Art Direction, Design & Production Hambly & Woolley Inc.

This space is usually reserved for the thoughts of our principal, but since we’re in a time of transition, I’m filling in to talk a little about this issue of the Commons. First, I’m not cheating you out of hearing from our new principal, Wisdom Tettey.

Principal Tettey spent the summer making the move to U of T Scarborough from his previous role at the Okanagan campus of the University of British Columbia and is now hard at work on campus. You can learn more about him on page 6. Our campus is a place where the local and the global come together in tangible ways. This struck me when I first read the article by Raquel Russell (BA, 2017) about two U of T Scarborough students who are refugees from Syria (see page 14). Their story spans the arc of the last century — the sisters are Armenian, and their grandfather had to flee his homeland to escape persecution. Today they are in Canada because of the civil war in their own country of birth. And by the way, they are thriving here. When I first read their story, it was humbling to learn of the work they are doing for their community and their campus. Stories of migration are pretty common here, both at the university and in Scarborough. These are stories of triumph and of struggle — for example, city expert Steven Farber’s research (page 20) reveals how access to transportation is crucial for refugees to have a successful transition. These stories bring us closer to the truth of real lives. They make me proud to work at a place like U of T Scarborough. We’d like to know what you think. You can contact us anytime at utsccommons@utsc.utoronto.ca. And in the next few weeks, we will be sending out a reader survey — check your email and tell us what stories you want to hear.

Chris Garbutt, BJ, MEd Editor

UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

Editorial Advisory Group Pankaj Aggarwal Associate Professor, Department of Management Andrew Arifuzzaman Chief Administrative Officer Andrea Charise Assistant Professor, Interdisciplinary Centre for Health & Society Vina Goghari Associate Professor, Department of Psychology and Graduate Department of Psychological Clinical Science Joe Hermer Associate Professor, Department of Sociology Alice Maurice Associate Professor, Department of English Georgette Zinaty Executive Director, Development & Alumni Relations To contact us, email utsccommons@utsc.utoronto.ca or write us at UTSC Commons, Communications & Public Affairs, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4 UTSC Commons has a circulation of 35,000 and is published twice a year by UTSC’s Department of Communications & Public Affairs. All material is copyright © 2018 University of Toronto Scarborough and may be reprinted with written permission. Alumni receive the magazine free of charge. For information about how you can support University of Toronto Scarborough, please contact Development & Alumni Relations at 416-287-7115, advancement@utsc.utoronto.ca or at the postal address above. Visit us online utsc.utoronto.ca Facebook UofTScarborough Instagram & Twitter @utsc

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UTSC COMMONS

CONTENTS

FALL 2018

14 WE ARE HOME features

8 14 20

THE BEST OF KEN JONES

After 37 years, campus photographer Ken Jones is hanging up his camera bag. by Chris Garbutt

A NEW START

Since coming to Canada from Syria, these two sisters have never stopped giving back.

Cover: Taylor Kristan

Research suggests that repressing negative emotion reduces political engagement. p2 THE FUTURE OF FARMING? LOOK UP

UTSC is planning a vertical farm for research and teaching. p4 DID YOU KNOW?

by Raquel A. Russell

The campus has its first Indigenous librarian. p5

LOST IN TRANSIT

MEET THE NEW PRINCIPAL

For many refugees, life in Canada is hampered by transportation problems. A recent study explores what’s wrong and how to fix it. by Alexandra Shimo

mosaic TOO HAPPY TO ACT?

BE A BETTER CITIZEN

We polled faculty, students, staff and alumni to get their take on what citizenship means to them. by Donna Paris

Find out more about Principal Wisdom Tettey. p6

campus news

Highland Hall opens for business. p29 Dance app goes on Dragon’s Den. p29 Big financial boost for Tamil Studies. p30

meeting place

George Fadel works in sports management, a passion he nurtured while at UTSC. p32

annotation

Take a walk in the Highland Creek valley. p36 UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

MOSAIC TOO HAPPY TO ACT? Suppressing negative emotions can limit political engagement Being in a better mood might make you happier, but it can also make you less

likely to take political action. “Negative emotions motivate us to take action, but negative emotions

UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

don’t feel good, so we naturally find ways to avoid feeling them,” says Brett Ford, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology. “When we reduce these feelings in the short term, it can come at the longer-term cost of being less politically active.” This means that when we suppress negative emotions, we may become less

likely to contact government representatives, attend rallies or donate money and time to political organizations. Ford’s research has explored the effect of one common strategy people use to manage their emotions called cognitive reappraisal, essentially reframing or reinterpreting a negative event — finding a way to think differently about it in order to feel better. “There are many ways to use reappraisal, but the key to reappraisal is that people have found a way to think differently about the situation in order to feel better. Some people may rationalize that it’s not that bad and it won’t last long, or maybe they think they’ll find a community of likeminded individuals to pull through a difficult time together.” Across a series of six studies, Ford and her colleagues explored the effect of this strategy among Americans who had voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. The studies all came to the same conclusion: “Those who used reappraisal felt better. But they were less likely to be motivated to get involved and try to change the system that upset them in the first place.” Ford believes it’s important for people to know that negative emotion can be a motivating force in getting people to be politically active. She uses the example of students affected by the Parkland shooting who publicly said they wanted to stay angry in order to maintain their motivation to enact political change relating to gun control. “It can be a good thing to ‘stay mad,’” she says, “but there can also be costs associated with that. It’s a heavy burden to stay mad over a long period of time.”

Illustration by Pixabay.com

Ideas & Observations

MOSAIC

take home

“FAKE NEWS!” WHEN EVERY PIECE OF INFORMATION IS SUSPECT, HOW DO WE GET TO WHAT’S REAL? WE PUT THE QUESTION TO OUR FACULTY.

PLASTIC POLLUTION ISN’T JUST A PROBLEM IN OUR OCEANS. IT’S ALSO AFFECTING THE GREAT LAKES

Photo by Pixabay.com

When it comes to plastics polluting our water, it’s not just the world’s oceans

we need to worry about, says U of T Assistant Professor Chelsea Rochman, an expert on water pollution from plastic contaminants. Pollution from plastics was just one of many environmental issues that came into focus during the annual conference of the International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR), hosted by U of T Scarborough this past summer. Rochman and her colleagues found that the concentrations of plastics in areas of the Great Lakes are equal to or greater than those reported in the Pacific Ocean. “The contamination in the Great Lakes and other bodies of freshwater from plastics and microplastics is ubiquitous,” she says. The researchers’ work in Lake Ontario, Lake Superior and Lake Huron also found microplastics in nearly all fish collected. “Toxicity tests in the lab show that microplastics can be harmful to wildlife, impacting growth, feeding behaviour, survival and reproduction,” says Rochman. She notes a lot of the research on plastic pollution in the Great Lakes is still in its infancy, but says it’s becoming a hot topic of environmental research.

“Not all voices and opinions, when it comes to factual reporting, are equal. One should not use a single tweet as ‘proof’ of a certain ‘fact.’” — David Nieborg, media studies

“We need to trust our own instincts about stories that seem to be overly harsh or conveniently appearing to reinforce our own prejudices.” — Jeffrey Dvorkin, journalism, author of the textbook, Critical News Literacy

“Use fact-checking websites such as Snopes.com and PolitiFact.” — Lucan Way, political science

“Is this story based on credible primary and/or secondary sources? Is this fact or personal opinion? Whose voice or what aspect about the event is emphasized or downplayed? Active news consumption through a variety of news outlets, instead of passively depending on news aggregates, also helps improve news knowledge and develop a critical eye.” — Sherry S. Yu, arts, culture and media

“Get your evidence from sources that would be embarrassed by mistakes, like reputable scientific and media organizations, and not from sources that simply want to attract attention.” “Did you know that nearly nine in 10 Donald Trump supporters admitted in a survey that they’ll believe something to be true just because they want it to be true? Well, I hope you didn’t know this, because I just made it up. The more amazing the claim, the more evidence you should require in order to believe it.” — Christopher Cochrane, political science

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breakthrough thinking

THE FUTURE OF FARMING? LOOK UP

It’s not science fiction and it’s coming to U of T Scarborough: a farm in the sky.

In about five years, the northern part of the campus will look a lot different. Part of that evolution will be a building that operates as a farm. The building will be a visible part of a research centre called the Environment and Related Technologies Hub, or EARTH. “We want it to be cutting edge,” says Biological Sciences Professor Marc Cadotte. “We want to allow opportunities for training and research.” A familiar part of EARTH is the Environmental Science and Chemistry Building, a major centre for environmental research and a LEED Gold certified structure. U of T Scarborough Chief Administrative Officer Andrew Arifuzzaman says the field is a priority for the campus. 4

UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

“EARTH was started in 2008 as a way for the university to put a very strong footprint for consolidation of environmental research here in Scarborough,” Arifuzzaman says. The hub will be a partnership with Centennial College. “During the discussion about UTSC’s priorities in the environment, Centennial College mentioned that they are looking to build a vertical farm facility,” Cadotte says. “The opportunities for partnership became clear.” The vertical farm facility would be the first of its kind on campus, where its entirety is a living interactive lab. This means a new way of learning, researching and training at both U of T Scarborough and Centennial College for students and faculty. “Every single component of the building, from the heating and cooling to the lighting to the vertical farm to a potential on-site café, is an element that students and the community can interact with,”

says Andrew Petrou, the director of Strategic Initiatives and External Relations at Centennial College. Petrou says the vertical farm facility would also demonstrate a sustainable urban-farming technique that could address and support food security issues in the Scarborough community and country. “The success of the facility could help create opportunities in other areas of Canada where food scarcity is an issue,” he says. The facility will create a possibility for new programs and courses. It will primarily benefit students in the environmental science and biological science programs “We have taken a leadership role within the province about driving forward an environmental and sustainable agenda,” Arifuzzaman says. “I think this EARTH initiative and the vertical farm will be other examples of how we can push that agenda forward and really let people see the environmental leadership that this campus has to offer.”

MOSAIC

did you know

SARAH GUAY IS UTSC’S FIRST INDIGENOUS LIBRARIAN

Sarah Guay, liaison librarian for biological sciences, psychology and neurosci-

ence, is the first U of T Scarborough librarian to identify as Indigenous. “It’s very exciting to be the first,” she says. “But for me, this is also still very new.” It was only this year that Guay registered as a member of the Bonnechere Algonquin First Nation. Her lineage is traced through her Algonquin grandfather, who died before she was born. Most of the necessary documents were destroyed in a house fire. The verification process was lengthy — two years. But with a cousin’s help, Guay was able to connect the missing pieces. Even though she’s now Indigenous on paper, Guay says she’s careful in navigating what that means. “I’m hoping I discover what it means to be Indigenous as I start to learn about that history and engage in those relationships.”

KARATE CLUB STILL KICKING 50 YEARS LATER

In September 1968, a young James Hart started a karate club in the Meeting Place. Fifty years later, it’s believed to be the longest-running non-academic club at U of T Scarborough. Hart remembers the first class being so big that he had to find a way to make the numbers more manageable. “More than 60 people showed up,” he says. And he was the only teacher. “I thought, ‘I have to thin the class.’ I did a really hard class, and the next time we had 40, and I kept it like that.” The karate club now holds classes at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre and is open to the public. When asked why he still teaches karate after all these years, Hart says, “It’s like why do you breathe? It is because you have to.”

UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

“I’M ENERGIZED BY THE PASSION ON THIS CAMPUS” New Vice President and Principal Wisdom Tettey talks about community and inclusion on a local and global scale by Chris Garbutt photography by Ken Jones

UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

MOSAIC

e don’t take the term “community” lightly around here. Anyone new to

the campus will quickly notice the close community feel of this place. But it goes deeper than that. We value our community connections — as researchers, as partners and as residents. Which makes our new principal, Wisdom Tettey, a good match. “I’m energized by the passion on this campus about making a significant impact in the community,” Tettey says. “There is a commitment to cultivating global citizens whose devotion to advancing society extends beyond the local into the global.” This atmosphere of diversity and inclusion reflects Tettey’s own beginnings. He grew up in Accra, Ghana, in a neighbourhood that was home to people from many places. “It wasn’t the most privileged neighbourhood,” he says. His mother — whom he names as his most significant influence — encouraged her children to connect with those of different backgrounds. Home, he says, was like the public square. “My friends would gather in our house. I learned to speak all the different languages. Because of that, people in Ghana have difficulty guessing where I’m from!” Coming from such an environment, it’s little wonder that supporting inclusion has been a central value for Tettey. He says he learned very early the values of hard work and serving others.

Tettey spent the past seven years at the Okanagan campus of the University of British Columbia, leading the faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, and then the Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences. Prior to joining UBC, he spent 13 years at the University of Calgary. Before that, he was at Queen’s University, where he received his PhD in political studies and began his academic career. As an expert on the African diaspora and in media and information technology, Tettey looks forward to continuing his research in Toronto. At U of T Scarborough, he cites the Centre for Critical Development Studies; the Department of Arts, Culture and Media; and the Department of Political Science as places where colleagues are doing work that dovetails with his own. “The Toronto community connects me with my research and will allow me to connect with the communities with whom I do my work,” he says. As principal, Tettey intends to build on the local and global nature of the campus. “These are not different spheres,” he says. “One of the things that’s striking to me is how the campus values diversity of different sorts — diversity of intellectual perspectives and diversity of backgrounds. When you’re on campus, it is great to set your sights up and see the diversity right there.” UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

K EN JONES The Best of

For 37 years, few people were more recognizable on campus than Ken Jones. At any gathering, you could bet that Ken was there to record it. Researchers have relied on Ken’s talents to visualize their work. He’s captured the student experience from orientation to convocation. And he has been the principal photographer for this magazine since its inception in 2011. UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

Athletics

Sciences

Fieldtrips

Student Life

t a time when everybody is a photographer, Ken sets the bar high. He has shot close to 2 million photographs of the campus and its community, which today form an unparalleled visual history of U of T Scarborough. 10

UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

THE BEST OF KEN JONES

UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

Architecture

Convocation

Sciences

Athletics

en retired in June. It’s not enough to say he will be missed. He’s an artist, a storyteller, a friend. Everybody knows him. When Ken had a camera in hand — and when did he not? — people actually enjoyed getting their picture taken.

Athletics

Convocation

Faculty

Student Life

Arts & Culture

THE BEST OF KEN JONES

When he agreed to share some of his favourite shots, we asked if he would add a little commentary to say what makes each image special. “I don’t need to do that,” he said. “Let the pictures speak for themselves.”

—Chris Garbutt

UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

University of Aleppo Location

A leppo, Syria

University of Toronto Scarborough Location

Toronto, Canada

Carly (left) and Annie (right) as toddlers in Aleppo, Syria.

A New Start by Raquel A. Russell

Having to flee their homeland was all too familiar for Carly and Annie Sahagian’s family. Since coming to Canada from Syria, the two sisters have never stopped giving back The First World War is in its eighth month, but in the

Ottoman Empire another nightmare is just beginning. On April 24, 1915, Ottoman authorities round up and arrest thousands of Armenian community and intellectual leaders in what is now Turkey. They will be taken to holding centres, and then killed. Men are massacred or die from forced labour. Women, children and the elderly are deported, accompanied by military escorts who deprive them of food and subject them to further violence.

A seven-year-old boy, Karnig Sahagian, is among the thousands who are deported and who make the arduous 160-kilometre trek to the nearest place of safety. After several days, he and his mother arrive in Qamishli, a city in the northeast of Syria, where Karnig will grow up and have children of his own. “They called it a death march, that walk through the desert,” says Carly Sahagian, a U of T Scarborough student and Karnig’s granddaughter. “That was only 100 years ago, not that far removed.” UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

The spirit of surviving that march has been passed on to Karnig’s children and grandchildren, including Carly, who is a fourth-year molecular biology and gender studies student, and her younger sister Annie, a thirdyear student majoring in media studies and gender studies. “We still have the spirit of that strength,” says Carly. Thie sisters have channelled that strength into surviving their own experience in a country in crisis. We’re in a small café — where they’ve already discussed their drink orders in Armenian — as they tell their story. Like their grandfather before them, they’ve had to leave the only home they had known. In the Syrian city of Aleppo, Carly and Annie enjoyed a childhood of studying, going out with friends and spending time with family, including their younger sister and brother. Their father worked as a photographer in Aleppo — a talent he inherited from his father, Karnig. Their mother, formerly an agricultural engineer, is now a full-time homemaker.

Carly (centre left) and Annie (centre right) celebrating their admission to U of T Scarborough with their brother (left) Armenian couple, Andy and Betty Lousarian, an Armenian couple from their Canadian Armenian church and their mother (far right). The Lousarian’s are like grandparents to the Sahagian sisters and have provided them and their family with much emotional support.

Both sisters talk about growing up as Armenian Christians side by side with Arab Muslims, speaking Arabic and Armenian and living in peace. Life was simple … until it wasn’t. “We were at school, and I was in 11th grade,” says Carly. People were going into the streets, peacefully demonstrating. “It was exciting, because we also wanted some change.”

Statue of Mary The Virgin at a Christian Centre in Aleppo where youth people participated in religious activities. The centre is close to where Annie and Carly grew up and Annie regularly visited.

UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

In December 2012, peaceful protests abruptly shifted to violence when car bombs detonated in the streets of Aleppo. Carly was in class and she remembers her teacher explaining away the noises by saying that a building fixture might have fallen. But soon came news of casualties. When their father arrived to take them home, it was clear that something was terribly wrong. Carly was in a panic. Her legs were shaking so badly that after getting home she couldn’t stop the trembling enough to go up or down stairs. “This was the day that changed everything,” she says. The explosions were a cog in the complicated wheel of the Syrian crisis, a conflict the family would live through for five years. Basic needs were no longer met. Civilians had little to no power, water, heating or fuel, and no access to news or the internet. Yet life went on. Even when rebel forces hurled bombs at the University of Aleppo. Even as friends, and friends of friends, died or found themselves caught in the crosshairs of explosions, pieces of metal left embedded in their skin.

A NEW START

“It was hard to see our country go through war,” says Carly. “We’d seen a lot of the Iraq War on TV, but we never thought we would actually be in a war in Syria.” The Sahagian children read by flashlight and found ways to keep up with their studies. “You had to continue your life,” says Annie. That was until their father’s photography shop was destroyed by rebels and the family’s livelihood was gone. As violence continued to escalate, the Sahagians, like many other Syrians, fervently accelerated their search for a way out.

They were among thousands of Syrian refugee families to arrive in Canada through private and government sponsorship. Like others, they were eager for a new start. A community centre for newcomers, where

volunteering was encouraged, served as a launching point for Carly and Annie to learn more about their new home. “It was about seeking opportunities to help us integrate with the Canadian culture,” says Annie.

Carly (centre) with close friends on her last day at Aleppo University.

*** They consulted family abroad, including an aunt who lived in Scarborough, and the decision was made — the Sahagians would go to Canada. After months of preparing, they boarded a flight. Following a stop in Lebanon, they arrived in Toronto on January 29, 2016. A view of the skyline in Aleppo. (Date unknown)

UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

Annie (centre) and friends spending time together before starting Grade 12. Annie’s photo of a garden close to their apartment in Aleppo during the 2014 winter. Bombings and shootings were happening, but that didn’t prevent me and my friends from going out and enjoying the snow,” says Annie.

That interaction inspired both sisters to volunteer in the admissions office, and later to work part time as student recruitment assistants. “We work with many international and domestic students that were just like us — lost and longing to get into U of T,” says Annie. ***

Once situated with family in Scarborough, the two girls immediately began to look into post-secondary opportunities. After pulling up a map and looking around the city, they quickly decided to apply to U of T Scarborough, but they were lost and didn’t know how to get started. 18

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“We came to the admissions office and one of the senior recruitment officers, Lindsey Andrew, helped us apply for school and financial support,” says Carly. “We are forever grateful to her.”

In the café, Carly comes back to the table with her berry fruit smoothie and Annie’s almond latte. After a few sips they talk about their volunteer activities. The list is dizzying — more than a dozen committees, organizations and initiatives, including Human Concern International. Specific to the university are the Biology Students’ Association (BioSA), Orientation Frosh Team, Student Ambassador Volunteer Program, International Students Association, Women’s and Trans Centre, Campus Council and the School of Continuing Studies. In most cases, both sisters volunteer.

A NEW START

“What drives a lot of my involvement is the opportunity to meet as many people as possible, to have fun and share conversations that let me go home satisfied thinking that, ‘Today I have influenced someone’s life,’” says Annie. The sisters have done awardwinning work in Armenian organizations on and off campus. Both participate in the Armenian Students’ Association and the Syrian Refugee Association at U of T Scarborough. They also volunteer at the Armenian Relief Society, a United Nations non-governmental organization. And both work in the Toronto chapter of the Armenian Youth Federation of Canada, where they contribute to public awareness campaigns on topics such as the Armenian Genocide. (The Genocide is unrecognized in some countries. But April 24, the date of the initial round-up and arrests in 1915, is officially designated in Canada as Armenian Genocide Memorial Day.)

In class, Carly and Annie are inspired by new ideas and possibilities. “I never would have thought of anything like media studies or women and gender studies,” Annie says. “We’re both getting exposed to these different concepts and how they intersect,” says Carly. The sisters say time management is key for getting their work done. “You need to know your priorities,” says Carly. “I write everything in my agenda because there are too many things to do.” This bustle of activity is new, they say; it began as part of their campus life at U of T Scarborough. “I never experienced this back in Syria,” Carly says with a laugh.

As our time comes to an end, the sisters talk optimistically about their futures. Carly is considering work with the UN, and Annie is looking into media production. *** Buzz in the café amplifies as more people come in at the end of the work day. Annie’s empty mug sits on the table. Carly, smoothie in one hand, pulls out her phone to plan their route back home to Scarborough. They chat briefly before turning back to me. “The crisis taught us how to value little things in life that you take for granted,” says Annie. This appreciation, like their grandfather’s strength and spirit, guides them in all they do.

***

Annie (left) and Carly (right) at their first U of T Scarborough Frosh.

UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

Lost in Transit by Alexandra Shimo

For many refugees, life in Canada is hampered by transportation problems. A recent study explores what’s wrong and how to fix it

Face down in the sand, the three-yearold almost looked at peace, head tilted

to one side and auburn hair matted against his forehead. As if sleeping deeply. As if a touch from one of the rescue workers on the Turkish beach that warm, late summer morning of September 2, 2015, might be enough to wake him up. Of course, it was not. Alan Kurdi’s death — and, more specifically, the photo that went viral and circled the world — set something extraordinary into motion. In Canada, people opened their hearts. Rarely, in either war or peace, has a single image had such an impact. The plight of people in war-torn Syria was no longer relegated to the back pages of newspapers. The media devoted prime time and space to the Kurdi story. Alan’s mother and his five-year-old brother, Ghalib, had also drowned on the 40-minute boat ride to the Greek island of Kos. There was an aunt in Vancouver, reporters learned. The family wanted to come to Canada, but their application had been turned down. 20

UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

With a November election approaching, the tragedy became an election issue. Each of the three major parties promised to bring in large numbers of refugees. The Conservatives said 10,000 over three years. The NDP said 10,000 by the end of the year and 9,000 annually after that. Both were trumped by the Liberals’ promise of 25,000 by January 1. “I can’t even imagine what that father is going through right now,” Leader Justin Trudeau said. “This is something that goes beyond politics.” Clearly, the Liberals had an ear to the ground, for those words reflected the public consciousness. In numbers not seen since the influx of Vietnamese “boat people” in the 1970s, Syrians began to arrive at our borders. In spring 2015, before the Alan Kurdi photo, there were 1,300 Syrians who had resettled in Canada since the Syrian Civil War began in 2011. Five months after the photo, there were 26,166 — 11,000 of them privately sponsored.

Mitchell Population

4,500

LOST IN TRANSIT

“I saw the photo and cried,” says Lisa Morgan, a radio DJ with 107.5 Kool FM. Morgan lives in New Tecumseth, Ontario, a town of 27,000 just north of Toronto. “I said to my husband, ‘something has to be done. We need to sponsor some refugees.’ And he said, ‘but it’s expensive.’ And I said, ‘let’s ask the community.’” Working with others from her town, including four churches, Morgan formed Refugee South Simcoe, which to date has sponsored three families, two of them from Syria — a total of 12 people. These families were resettled in and around New Tecumseth and the nearby Alliston area. Unfortunately, in the logistics of private sponsorship lie the seeds

of potential future problems. So explains Steven Farber, a professor in the Department of Human Geography at U of T Scarborough. Private sponsorship does not have a similar vetting process to government sponsorship. For governmentsponsored refugees, the area chosen for resettlement must meet Ottawa’s list of criteria. Only neighbourhoods with support services — such as transportation, medical facilities and refugee-specific social services — get the go-ahead. For privately sponsored refugees, the location is usually evaluated based on the sponsor’s needs — affordability and convenience, for example — regardless of whether it offers sufficient newcomer services.

New Tecumseth Population

27,000

Durham Region Population

Hamilton Region Population

552,000

646,000

Without a car, the suburbs are hard to navigate. In Durham, it can be quicker to take a train into Toronto and get on a bus back into Durham again

Survey characteristics

from the Journal of Transport Geography

Variable

Total Percent

Gender Female 34 58.6% Male 24 41.4% Marital status Married 42 72.4% Single 5 8.6% Widowed 1 1.7% Average age Total sample 34.3 Female 32.9 Male 36.3 Birth country Burundi 1 1.7% Iraq 3 5.2% Jordan 1 1.7% Lebanon 1 1.7% Pakistan 5 8.6% Saudi Arabia 1 1.7% Syria 42 72.4% Zimbabwe 1 1.7% Not answered 3 5.2% Previous country Burundi 1 1.7% Jordan 7 12.1% Lebanon 14 24.1% Pakistan 5 8.6% Saudi Arabia 1 1.7% Syria 28 48.3% USA 1 1.7% Zimbabwe 1 1.7% Reason for current housing Chosen for them 23 39.7% Cost 5 8.6% Close to friends/family 26 44.8% Close to work/school 10 17.2% Close to other services 6 10.3% Other 5 8.6% Average household size 5.5 Highest education level Post-secondary degree 21 36.2% Certificate or diploma 5 8.6% Secondary school 23 39.7% Primary school 7 12.1% No formal education 2 3.4% Sources of income Personal Employment 9 15.5% Private Sponsorship 30 51.7% Government assistance 19 32.8% Other 4 6.9% Date arrived in Canada July 2015 to Dec 2015 3 5.2% Jan 2016 to June 2016 13 22.4% July 2016 to Dec 2016 24 41.4% Jan 2017 to June 2017 12 20.7% Not Answered 6 10.3% How long plan on living in Durham More than 5 years 16 27.6% 2–5 years 14 24.1% 1–2years 18 31.0% Less than 1 year 9 15.5% a

Respondents could select more than one category.

Based on existing academic literature, Farber believed this approach could be problematic. So he and his research team surveyed 60 men and women, mainly from Syria, in Durham, Region, and conducted four focus groups, each with eight to 10 participants. The team worked with researchers from Community Development Council Durham (CDCD), McMaster University and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Their research findings, which explored the problem and also looked toward solutions, were published in the Journal of Transport Geography. The findings showed that Durham was well-suited as a site for research on refugees and transportation challenges due to its size and lack of public transit. “It is very difficult to get from one side of Durham to the other,” says co-author and CDCD researcher Anika Mifsud. She says it’s “actually quicker to take a train into Toronto, and then get public transport back out to Durham again.” Of the people surveyed, 84 per cent did not own a vehicle, but wanted to. Sixty-two per cent of respondents said the combination of lack of public transport and no car had worsened their sense of loneliness. Fifty-seven per cent said it increased their sense of sadness. In the focus groups, the researchers could understand in detail what was going on, seeing and understanding the stories behind the statistics. What emerged was a sense of isolation. One participant said, “My family and I are Muslim; sometimes we need halal stuff. I can only get them from Scarborough; sometimes it takes me up to five hours to reach Scarborough with the transportation.” Typical concerns that researchers heard: “At my children’s school there are activities for both of my kids, but I don’t have time; there is no time; I have

to walk and it takes me time to get there; there is no opportunity to participate; it is because of the transportation.” Social exclusion has already been well documented in academic literature, particularly in studies of elderly Canadians and Canadians living in poverty. These groups are less likely to engage in activities outside the home, either because of the cost, a lack of time or energy, or a combination of the three. And this can lead to mental health challenges. Mifsud says the situation can be even worse for people arriving from a war-torn country. Anything that reminds an immigrant of home — be it a specific food, such as the Syrian yalanji (vegetarian stuffed grape leaves); an activity, such as a service in a mosque; or bantering in a shop in Arabic — can provide a sense of belonging and familiarity. This can help the person cope with a sense of loss. And in the case of war refugees, it can help them cope with memories of war and violence. Mifsud explains that community, culture and connection are crucial in helping people overcome the tragedy of war — so any form of social exclusion can be problematic. “Those linkages to their home country can be fragmented and tenuous because of the violence. And so they need more reminders of those cultural and ethnic links through food, language, people or other cultural products.” This research does not surprise Dareen Yousef. She, her husband and their three daughters (now 13, 12 and eight) used to live in Damascus. They belong to a small Islamic sect called Ahmadiyya. Founded in India in 1889, Ahmadiyya emphasizes peace over violence and tolerance over extremism, and has strongly and publicly denounced ISIS. When the war broke out, Yousef was a stay-at-home mother and her husband was working as an

LOST IN TRANSIT

accountant. In 2011, as violence escalated, the family flew to Jordan to visit her parents — and while they were there, their home in Damascus was bombed. Being Palestinians, the couple weren’t allowed to work in Jordan, so they moved to Ghana. There too, their Palestinian status created obstacles to finding work. They lived in an Ahmadiyya compound in Ghana’s capital, Accra, barely eking out a living. They felt trapped. “We were in Ghana looking to get out somewhere. We got an application from an aid organization and it happened! I didn’t choose Canada,” says Yousef. “Canada chose me.” The family moved to Mitchell, Ontario, 20 km northwest of Stratford, because that’s where their sponsor lived. Yousef likes Mitchell, an agricultural community of 4,500, because it’s green and quiet, and the people are friendly. But the downside is the absence of Syrian food or ingredients. The nearest places to purchase them are London and Kitchener, and without a car or public transit, the only way to get there is via cab. This is expensive — $200 for a round trip to London. “It was very hard at the beginning,” Yousef says. “I was very lonely. There was too much different.” “Our rural clients are really struggling,” says Mifsud. Both men and women are impacted by a lack of affordable transportation, but women tend to feel it most, perhaps because they’re often trying to organize the whole family’s daily needs and schedules. They’re also the ones most likely to be isolated in the home. Dima Al-Dahouk can relate. In Syria, she lived in Harasta, a suburb of Damascus, and was an accountant in a yogurt factory. She and her husband, Ousama Juha, both use wheelchairs — he because of polio, and she because of a car accident — and both are accomplished athletes. He won the gold medal in wheelchair

powerlifting in an Egypt world cup competition in 2005, and represented Syria in wheelchair basketball in 2014. She won the bronze medal at an international world cup in table tennis in Jordan in 2012. After their house was bombed, the couple fled Syria. They arrived in Canada on March 15, 2017. In Syria, they lived rich and full lives. But here in Canada, they have struggled. After living in Hamilton for more than a year, neither has been able to find work. Not having a car affects their ability to do almost anything — attend language classes, have a social life, buy Syrian foods, find a job. And “when the snow comes,” Aldahouk says, “it’s hard to be in a wheelchair. Sometimes, I can’t leave the house because I have two kids. [The youngest, age four, has Down syndrome.] I can’t deal with the kids with my legs. Sometimes I’m scared. So I just stay home.” Al-Dahouk’s story shows the real danger inherent in the lack of accessible and affordable transportation. It also shows that the problem isn’t only rural; it also exists in some city neighbourhoods. Without immediate relief, resettlement problems can deepen and become entrenched. Social isolation affects the ability and speed of language learning, which impedes

the ability to find work, which leads to a lack of confidence, which further impedes the ability to find work. And so the vicious circle deepens. If people can’t engage with their community and the larger society, it’s bad for their mental health, Steven Farber says, and “in the long run, that entrenches poverty. Transport impacts people’s lives in a visceral way.” The good news, according to Farber and Mifsud’s research, is that solutions exist — and are quite doable: Develop guidelines about appropriate neighbourhoods for privately sponsored refugees, or — perhaps easier — just subsidize transportation costs. For example, says Farber, give people cab or Uber money, or arrange carpooling. “The solutions to these problems are not very complicated, and they do need to be implemented.” For now, the households of Al-Dahouk and Yousef are trying to save up to buy cars. It isn’t easy. After a year of job searching, Yousef is now a dietary aid in a nursing home and her husband is working as a painter. Still, with three children, life is expensive. “I don’t know how long it’s going to be to afford a car,” she says. “I wish. I’m trying. Sometimes you feel down. But you have to tell yourself to get up and focus on the good things.”

“If people can’t engage with their community and the larger society, it’s bad for their mental health, Steven Farber says. “Transport impacts people’s lives in a visceral way.”

UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

BE A BETTER CITIZEN

Be a Better Citizen by Donna Paris

We live in confusing times. Nothing is black and white. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to even know whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right or wrong when legitimate media reports are called fake news, actual fake news is trumpeted as truth, and Twitter rants are given the same credence as facts. In this milieu, how can we possibly know how to be good people, good citizens? How can we be better? Can we be better together? For many, being a good citizen means following the rules, voting, paying taxes. But is that enough? We polled faculty, students, staff and alumni to get their take on this issue. UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

It’s the small things Being a good citizen happens in small moments — it’s never one

thing. Sometimes being a good citizen means that you’re not the one speaking, but rather you are the one creating the space for someone else, so we can hear their voice. — Nana Frimpong, vice president equity, Scarborough Campus Students’ Union

Do it I teach courses that explore inequities and injustices that undermine health.

I ask students to think deeply about these problems because once you see them, you can’t unsee them. I also hope to help them see that wicked problems can be solved. It isn’t hopeless. Social justice is central to being a good global citizen and it can take many forms. Ask yourself what kind of world you want to live in, then find like-minded others and take action together. Don’t despair — keep going. Work together to find thoughtful, caring ways moving forward. There are many struggles that warrant attention. I moved into an area where I could affect governance. That’s why I teach in the health policy stream. Recently, I also set up a doctoral scholarship for women’s health research at the university to support the next generation of leaders. So don’t just think about taking action, do it! There are so many ways change can happen. Where to start? Try volunteering. When you find an agency you believe in, it is a wonderful way to give back and affect change. And you get hooked. — Suzanne Sicchia, assistant professor, Interdisciplinary Centre for Health & Society 26

UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

Teach your children well

Do it consciously

Most people in academic leadership take it on because of a desire to safeguard and to give back to the institution. Citizenship has the same philosophy: we are all responsible for the success of our society and it requires more than passive floating through life with whatever is easiest or happiest. We are all better off if everyone takes on the community work that needs to be done, the public clean-ups at parks, or by teaching kids to stand up to bullying even if they are not the ones being bullied. I am tremendously inspired by the students here — they are so involved! Some of them study and volunteer and hold down part-time jobs, too, along with other responsibilities. And by my own kids. I have a teen who is even more socially aware than I am, she watches documentaries and challenges me on things. And my son, who is younger, is becoming aware of the respect due to Indigenous peoples. It’s wonderful to see how education can build empathy and foster the desire to help others.

It’s not accidental to be nice. It’s a decision. It’s not like crying, when we have no control over our behaviour and emotions. It’s important to remember that everyone has their own personality and life that we may know nothing about, and to constantly be aware of that. But if you’re in a bad place and you hate yourself, it’s hard to love the rest of the world. They go hand in hand. So how you engage starts with how you treat yourself. If you don’t have a healthy relationship with yourself, then eventually that comes out. In high school, it wasn’t the best environment for me, and I was nasty and angry. I see it now when I look back. But at university, the focus is outside myself, and I have a different outlook on life. I’m in a happier place, and I can be my authentic self.

– Maydianne Andrade, professor; vice-dean, Faculty Affairs & Equity

Use your talents I was raised to be a good citizen. My mom made sure that I know I’m no better than anyone else, and to be grateful for it. I feel like a lot of us are forced into politics now — and every conversation leads back to Trump. With journalism, that is one way I can help to send out truth. And good information: Recently, I wrote an article about Olivia Rennie, a student who landed a research grant to look at mental illnesses. She’s so smart and so sweet and she has such a bright future ahead of her. I really love seeing good things happen to good people.

– Alum Anna Boyes, former intern with UTSC Commons

– Alum Téa Mutonji

Keep your eye on the prize I wish I were a better citizen. I know that

there are things I’d like to see happen in society and I know they would require a lot of effort on my part. But one thing I know is that you should know what your values are, and part of that is figuring out what is important to you. And probably the answer to doing the things you value can be as simple as paying attention to the right things. If being kind and charitable to others is important, for instance, then keep that in mind. We fail not because we don’t care, but because we forget how important that is to us. We need to be mindful and think about this every day. Maybe it’s as simple as sending yourself a text to remind yourself: don’t forget you want to be x or do x. Or leave a sticky note on the wall, or perhaps ask someone else to remind you once a day. Find ways to keep that goal in mind. – Cendri Hutcherson, assistant professor, Department of Psychology

BE A BETTER CITIZEN

Get woke

Be engaged, wherever you are

We are so interconnected now — we are part of a race, part of the world, and we need to recognize our privilege and become aware of what we have. We need to figure out where the gaps are and if there is some way we can contribute. Am I a good citizen? I’m very hard on myself but I’m getting better. A few years ago, I went to Malawi to do a three-month internship. I chose to go there because it was outside my comfort zone, and I worked for a local NGO that was helping people out of high school get skills training. I taught them business presentation skills and developed a course in marketing and marketing research. I was born in India and I’ve been back, so I know what it’s like. But Malawi is different — it’s one of the poorest countries in the world. They have so little, but their lifestyle is totally based on community and they want to give you whatever they can to make you feel welcome.

Ironically, I’m not a Canadian citizen yet.

– Management student Yashvi Shah

Be open… …to people expressing their views, listen to people you

disagree with, and be willing to change your own views. – Margaret Kohn, professor and acting chair, Department of Political Science

I emigrated in 2013 from Pakistan with my partner and two little ones. We came to Canada because it really resonated with us (the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was underway, advances were being made in LGBTQ rights and freedom of religion was a given). After settling in the GTA, I quickly got involved with organizations working on what mattered to me: I volunteered for Habitat for Humanity the month after we landed, worked with the Aboriginal Sport and Wellness Council of Ontario, and became a member of Generation Squeeze, which advocates for the rights of young Canadians. Currently, I am on the board of Sandgate Women’s Shelter of York Region, which provides services for women and children who have experienced violence. That’s what I think makes a good citizen. It’s a toss-up between service and civic engagement. It’s important to be engaged wherever you are and however you can. Whether you are a CEO or a mom with kids at home, you can impact your circle of influence: In a new country, for a while, it was just my family and the five people who followed me on Twitter! My kids are active volunteers as well, and I like how they think. Their minds go there automatically. My husband is starting a dog-training business, and lately the conversation has shifted to how he can include training service puppies. As they grow up, I will be proud of my kids no matter what, but I will be truly happy to see them giving back. We applied for citizenship earlier this year. I love living in the GTA and the way it welcomed us. We want to make it our permanent home and are doing what we can to make it an even better place for everyone else. – Maliha Hasan, grants and sponsorship officer, Office of Student Affairs & Services, Development & Alumni Relations Office

Ensure that no one is left behind To be the best we can be, to be transparent, to look at things not just from your own perspective but from the perspective of people around you, to try and achieve our goals but not to impede others in their pursuit — that’s what I think makes a good citizen. Ten years ago, I co-founded eSSENTIAL Accessibility, an application that bridges the divide, allowing people with disabilities to access the web using assistive technology. We took a different approach — a social impact model — and reached out to brands like Canadian Tire, Cineplex and Metro to enhance the customer experience for people with disabilities (and empower them!), and the response has been overwhelming. We then formed a coalition of private and public-sector organizations to create an inclusive web experience. Automatic doors at grocery stores, braille on elevator buttons, real time captioning for television…all these innovations are increasingly widespread and indicative of an overall trend in general and digital accessibility in particular. About 17 per cent of the population identifies as persons with a disability and almost 50 per cent of the population has an emotional connection to disability. It’s a no-brainer: organizations and brands want to do the right thing, meet regulations such as AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) and it’s an opportunity for them to ensure that no one is left behind.

– Alum Spiro Papathanasakis

UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

CAMPUS NEWS Alumni Achievements

Georgette Zinaty is executive director of Development & Alumni Relations at U of T Scarborough

CONFIDENCE COMES FROM LIKING WHO YOU ARE U of T Scarborough’s chief fundraiser recognized as an inspiration “My boss once said to me, ‘your bar is too high,’ and I said, ‘maybe everyone’s bar is too low.’” Those who know Georgette Zinaty would not be surprised by this exchange. Zinaty projects confidence in everything she does — and encourages others to do the same. 28

UTSC Commons | Spring 2018

“Confidence is so critical in getting someone from A to B and from B to C in life,” she says. “I think the one thing that holds people back is often their inability to see themselves in the positive light they should.” The U of T Scarborough executive director of Development & Alumni

Relations has been advocating confidence through leadership programs on campus. “A lot of the programs I have developed are very much based on what I wish people had told me — and some did tell me.” This year, she was listed with five others as Immigrant Women of Inspiration. (The women are selected annually from across the country, by Canadian Immigrant magazine.) Zinaty, originally from Israel, was chosen for her outstanding work in promoting diversity, inclusion, women and leadership. She has created core leadership programs — such as Leader2Leader, the Emerging Leaders Initiative and the Women in Leadership Initiative — that are available to people affiliated with the university and often to the public. “I want to help people at all stages of their careers. I want to help them see opportunities, whether it’s by creating such programs or through coaching and mentoring.” Zinaty says confidence doesn’t just bloom on its own; it starts by looking within. “It comes from knowing who you are and liking who you are.” It can take time to find that confidence, she says, but the first step is asking yourself questions about what you like about yourself. Tapping into your confidence enables you to reach for new positions, jobs and opportunities that may at first seem beyond your reach. “My perspective is that I am not competing with everybody else,” says Zinaty. “I am competing with myself. I want to make sure I am improving and that I achieve my potential. I take great pride in helping others do the same.”

CAMPUS NEWS

A PATH FOR EVERYONE U of T Scarborough is dedicated to

HIGHLAND HALL OPENS ON CAMPUS Highland Hall is opening for business.

The new building has state-ofthe-art tiered classrooms and a technologically advanced Centre for Teaching and Learning, as well as faculty and administrative offices, student lounges and study and event areas. With a lecture hall that seats 134, and a multi-purpose space that can accommodate 600 during exam time, Highland Hall is good news on a campus that’s still growing.

It will be home to faculty, staff and students in geography, political science, critical development studies, anthropology and sociology departments and the home of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Health & Society. It will also be the new location for The Hub and for university services such as the registrar’s office. Classroom and study spaces are opening first, with departments and university services expected to move in through September and October.

ensuring that the campus grounds can be enjoyed by anyone at any time. That’s why the university decided to revamp the path that leads down to the Highland Creek valley. The new path is expected to be open year-round and will have a short and long route. “It will provide a safe, comfortable and enjoyable opportunity for all U of T Scarborough community members,” says Campus Architect Jennifer Adams Peffer. Lighting will be incorporated within the railings, and benches will be placed in a variety of locations along the path. There will also be a wheelchair charging station and a Code Blue station. The opening of the new path this October will provide “spaces to sit, eat lunch, study, relax among the trees and learn about our unique campus ecosystem,” Adams Peffer says.

ALUM TAKES DANCE APP TO DRAGONS’ DEN

StageKeep, a dance choreography app

created by two U of T Scarborough alumni, has caught the attention of television producers for the CBC series Dragons’ Den. Dragons’ Den is a reality series where entrepreneurs pitch business and investment ideas to a panel of venture capitalists, with the goal of reaching a deal. “We don’t know how they heard about us,” says Axel Villamil (BSc, 2017), the company’s CEO and founder. “They sent us an email saying, ‘Hey, we are contacting small businesses in the area. Thought you’d be a good fit. Come to the audition.’” Villamil and the StageKeep team were one of about 60 businesses auditioning that day. It went well and they were asked to run through their dance routine twice, but they’re not allowed to share the final decision. The episode is scheduled to air this fall. UTSC Commons | Spring 2018

CAMPUS NEWS

TAMIL GROUPS PLEDGE $3 MILLION TO U OF T SCARBOROUGH FOR CHAIR IN TAMIL STUDIES A group from the Tamil community in Canada and one from the United

States are teaming up to pledge $3 million to create a chair in Tamil Studies at U of T Scarborough. “Language is an integral part of Tamil identity,” says Sivan Ilangko, vice-president of the Canadian Tamil Congress and a director of Tamil Chair Inc., which was originally formed to establish a

Tamil chair at Harvard University. “This initiative will not only help the academic advancement of the language, it will help open it up and share it with the rest of the world.” The pledge, made by Tamil Chair Inc. and the Canadian Tamil Congress, includes raising funds to support the endowment of a full-time chair position that will explore aspects of Tamil language, history and culture through research and scholarship.

TOP SCIENCE STUDENT IS INSPIRED TO HELP OTHERS The summer before Olivia Rennie started university, her brother was diagnosed

A performer at the celebration to commemorate the creation of a new chair in Tamil Studies.

UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

with a brain tumour. In many ways, this fueled her passion to help people. She now works as a research assistant at the Hospital for Sick Children, where her brother (who is now doing well) was treated. Rennie graduated from U of T Scarborough with a double major in neuroscience and psychology. She was one of this year’s recipients of the Governor General’s Silver Medal, which recognizes top undergraduate students across Canada. “This is never something I could have imagined I would achieve,” she says. She has also been a research assistant at the university and an ambassador for the Centre for Teaching and Learning. As a volunteer with the Enabling Accessibility Fund Youth Pilot Initiative, she and her team received a $10,000 grant to help make her community more accessible. Rennie plans to continue on a helping path. “I hope I can use the skills I have to make a difference in people’s lives.”

“The littlest thing tripped me up in more ways than one.”

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MEETING PLACE Alumni News

SPOTLIGHT

George Fadel

Gratitude and Giving Back

BA, 2016

How does a hometown boy with a BA from U of T Scarborough end up in Tennessee as marketing manager for the Memphis Grizzlies basketball team? George Fadel handles the marketing, helps out with branding initiatives, and was involved with launching Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies G League team and Grizz Gaming for their eSports NBA 2K League team, but he has no complaints aout the workload. “I work in a fast-paced environment, but it’s all about time management,” he says. “I’ve worked with athletes all over the world, and if anything, my degree helped me broaden my perspective and gives me a better understanding of global events.” Fadel, who graduated in 2016 with a specialist degree in political science, has never been the type to take a seat on the bench. After graduating from high school, he coached his high school’s volleyball team for eight years. At U of T Scarborough, he was president of the Scarborough College Athletics Association, held positions on other committees, then went on to serve on alumni committees. “I never wanted to just go to class. I wanted to make the most of my time.” He grew up playing competitive volleyball and soccer, and one of his first jobs after university was managing communications for the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association, handling public relations for the association’s 32

UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

Olympic and national team athletes. Perhaps that’s why the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre is so important to him. “Basically, a few of us got the ball rolling for that venture during the early stages, and the university got this building and hosted the Pan Am Games – it’s an awesome legacy for the university.” One thing Fadel gets is that learning isn’t over after your first degree. This past May, he graduated from Columbia University’s Master of Science Sports Management program and received the 2018 Dean’s Excellence Award. The highest honour bestowed by Columbia, it’s given to one student each year. “It was a very awesome moment,” he says. “I didn’t tell my family. I wanted them to be surprised. My parents and my sister were in tears.” Above all, Fadel has always been the type to give back. “I immigrated to Toronto from Cairo as a child,” he says. “I grew up here, I’m a child of Scarborough.” He continues to give back as much as he can, because “I appreciate what the university has done for me, so I want to make sure I’m helping the school do everything it can to make it a better place for students.” For Fadel himself, there may be more school in the future. “I might go back part time and get my MBA, or maybe even pursue a PhD,” he says. “With the right work ethic, you can evolve to become the best version of yourself — the sky’s the limit in Canada and the States.”

MEETING PLACE

SHARE YOUR STORY WITH US

WHO’S DOING WHAT 1

Go wherever your curiosity takes you. That’s how Ermo Ou (BCom, 2002) lives his life. After five years at an investment firm in Toronto, he moved to Shanghai to work at a venture capital firm. “Then I wondered what it would be like to retire at the age of 33,” he says. And so, temporarily, he did. “I wasn’t spending my time wisely,” he explains. “I was working all the time.” He had gone to speak to a famous Buddhist, who is never available before noon because he chooses to wake naturally. “It truly inspired

1 Ermo Ou 2 Sean Smith

me to re-evaluate life’s most basic choices, and I instantly chose to drop the alarm clock.” He backpacked through Asia for a year and a half, exploring his long list of interests, from collecting cognac to calligraphy to blockchain technology. When an opportunity came up at an equity firm based in Chongqing, Ou decided to take it. “The city is a bit like the Wild West, and now I work and live between Shanghai and Chongqing,” he says. “It’s nice to get something different every day.” Still, he adds, “I’d like to move back to Toronto eventually — and enjoy the fresh air!”

Send your updates to: utsc.utoronto.ca/alumni

Smith looks back on his “job interview” with Watsa: “We had coffee together, he asked some questions, and by the time we finished our coffee he said, ‘I think you’re going to be a great fit.’” Smith laughs. “We didn’t even sign a contract, we just shook hands.” As for the future, “I’m with Fairfax,” he says. “The culture here is unlike any other. We do great things for shareholders, our customers and the community.” 2

Sometimes the worst thing that happens is really the best thing. When Sean Smith (BA, 1986) didn’t get into a journalism program, he studied history and political science instead. He ended up working at Southam Inc. as a proofreader. “The first day, I was thinking, ‘What have I done?’” Working quietly in a cubicle was not for Smith. He had some friends in sales, and that looked better. He decided to go for it. “I’m an extrovert — I fell in love with sales.” Smith is now CEO of Pethealth Inc., (a Fairfax company providing animalmanagement software, RFID microchip identification and pet health insurance). He works with Prem Watsa, the founder of Fairfax, whom he describes as “a Canadian legend.” UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

3 Marc Langlois 4 Aurora Herrera

Marc Langlois (BCom, 1995) comes from a family of entrepreneurs. “It’s in the blood,” he says. “I’ve always wanted my own business.” It didn’t happen right away, though. After graduating, he became a chartered accountant and worked for an accounting firm. Then, about two-and-a-half years ago, one of his clients, International Custom Products Inc., was having a succession issue — and Langlois ended up buying the business. “I realized I had to take a risk,” he says. “It’s the challenge that gets me out of bed every day.” 34

UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

Langlois credits U of T Scarborough for getting him started in the right field. In his final year, he filled out applications at a job fair and landed a position at Price Waterhouse. He considers himself lucky. “I wouldn’t have been able to get started without that help.” Now he’s the one doing the hiring. “Whenever possible,” he notes, “I try to hire students right out of school and to participate in the co-op program. It’s a way to give back.” His advice for new graduates? “Never stop learning. Network,” he says, “and put down the phone: arrange a face-to-face interview. People will remember you.”

Who knows where a degree will lead? For Aurora Herrera (BA, 2015), it carved a path to another one. Herrera, whose BA is in journalism, is currently in England, working on her PhD in journalism at City, University of London. “I’m the first person in Trinidad — and possibly the Caribbean! — to study for this PhD, which I’ll be completing in 2020.” Herrera started working in journalism when she was only 14, writing a column on youth issues for the Trinidad & Tobago Guardian. While studying at U of T Scarborough, she had the opportunity to spend time at the CBC. After returning to Trinidad, she hosted a TV show and also freelanced, including blogging for the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival, as well as producing award-winning films and ads. Herrera says her time at U of T Scarborough was “paramount in developing my abilities to dig deep, work hard, aim high, question productively, fail miserably, learn hard lessons, take responsibility, rebound successfully, care deeply and live passionately.” All in all, she says, “The nurturing and challenging environment at the university is one that I feel privileged to have experienced.” 4

MEETING PLACE

5 Natasha Sideris 6 Pramilla Ramdahani

Natasha Sideris (BCom, 1999) began her studies at U of T in Physical Sciences. After attending a career fair and learning about the university’s Management Co-op program, she decided to modify her program of choice after first year. Sideris spent all three co-op work terms at a mid-size public accounting firm in Toronto, and it was through this experience, coupled with her studies in business, that she decided to pursue a professional accounting designation after graduation. After U of T, Sidaris articled with KPMG in Toronto and obtained her CA designation. She then moved to Bermuda where she worked in the hedge fund industry for three years. She returned to Canada in 2005 and currently resides in Halifax.

Most recently, Sideris has been working independently as a parttime CFO for hire, primarily helping early-stage companies in the health technology space with all things financial. She credits the university with her success. “I don’t know where I’d be today had I not participated in the co-op program at U of T — it’s a brilliant program because it gives you an opportunity to test the waters before finishing your degree and deciding on your career path,” she says. It all started with volunteering. Pramilla Ramdahani (BA, 1992) and her daughter were involved in a fundraising project. Ramdahani raised $15,000, which went to an Indigenous organization. “The executive director was quite impressed,” she says. “So he hired me to help with fundraising.” She brought together donors, the City of Toronto and educational institutions to develop a model to help homeless youth. It provided them with skills training, jobs and permanent housing. “That’s when I realized I had a calling for fundraising,” says Ramdahani, whose degree from U of T Scarborough is in sociology. Later, she started bringing community leaders together with unemployed youth in Durham Region to identify issues and discuss how to address them. That was six years ago — the beginnings of the Community Innovation Lab. Ramdahani founded the lab to help people with entrepreneurial ideas, provide work experience placements,

and, at the same time, transform communities with creative projects. “In the beginning, we were meeting at Tim Hortons,” she says. “Now we have our own incubation space with 6,000 square feet, and signature programs for youth, women, entrepreneurs and seniors.” Her motto? “It’s OK to fail. Failure drives innovation and we can learn from it, as well.” UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

ANNOTATION

The brand-new pathway behind the Andrews Building — see page 29 —

makes the valley easier than ever to access. Next time you’re on campus, it’s worth a detour.

How many times have you gone into the Highland Creek valley? It’s a campus

treasure, but we often hear that people don’t realize it even exists!

Faculty use the valley for

biological and environmental teaching and research.

It’s also a place for sports,

with state-of-the-art tennis and baseball facilities and two grass fields for soccer, rugby, football and cricket.

As part of the ravine system, the valley is U of T Scarborough’s link

to Lake Ontario and to the Rouge National Urban Park. It’s a sanctuary for wildlife and a great spot for hikers and naturalists. 36

UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

KEYNOTE

Chris Garbutt, BJ, MEd Editor

UTSC Commons | Fall 2018

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University of Toronto Scarborough 1265 Military Trail Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4

WELCOME WISDOM: New principal joins UTSC p6

SISTERS FROM SYRIA: After escaping war, students pay it forward p14

BE BETTER: Campus community weighs in on being a good citizen p24

FALL 2018

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