On November 11, amidst cool temperatures and sharp winds, University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) faculty, staff, and students gathered at the Davis Building’s...
>> read more on page 03
WILL YOU CHOOSE THE ‘TRAD’ LIFESTYLE AT THE
“END OF THE
WORLD?”
Reject modernity, embrace tradition! ‘Trad” influencers create content emulating the lifestyles from decades past and have amassed millions of followers...
>> read more on page 05
UNWRAPPING THE ORIGINS
OF FAMOUS CHRISTMAS SYMBOLS
As the holiday season approaches, familiar Christmas archetypes begin to emerge—Santa Claus, reindeer, and other festive staples...
>> read more on page 08
This winter term, students at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) can expect a new course offered by the university’s Department of English and Drama. Special Topic in Indigenous Storywork: “Indigenous Feminisms,” or ENG348H5S, will be...
>> continues on page 02
Being a university student is no easy feat. Full-time students spend on average 30-50 hours per week studying, leaving them with little time to socialize, relax, and play sports. Between balancing projects, clubs, and work... >> continues on page 11
It’s no secret that Toronto is full of enthusiastic Swifties (fans of Taylor Swift), and over the past few weeks, our city has spared no expense in rolling out the red carpet for Taylor’s arrival. From Nov 14 to Nov 23, Taylor Swift set out to perform...
>> continues on page 09
The hands of my ancestral women had long adorned the hair of their daughters with the red and orange silk weaves of the kardoune ribbon. For centuries, daughters sat between their grandmothers’ and mothers’ legs, quietening to the silence...
>> continues on page 04
Emma Catarino Contributor
Aaron Calpito & Diana Fu Associate News Editors
Maram Qarmout Contributor
Yasmine Benabderrahmane Contributor
Illustration credit: Buket S. Baykal
02 NEWS
55,000 Canada Post workers go on strike after a year of bargaining
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers and Canada Post negotiate working conditions while packages and mail remain at a standstill.
On the other hand, FedEx does not expect to be impacted by the strike, while Amazon said only a small portion of their packages are delivered by Canada Post, where customers will be contacted if their orders are affected.
On November 15, Canada Post stopped delivering mail across Canada when approximately 55,000 of its workers went on strike. Represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), the workers involved in the nationwide strike called for better wages, safer working conditions, and other contract improvements.
Canada Post said it will not process or deliver any mail or parcels until the strike is over, and even then, mail service will likely take some time to return to normal.
The CUPW issued a 72-hour strike notice to Canada Post before walking off the job. On November 15, the CUPW issued a statement revealing that Canada Post “had the opportunity to prevent this strike, but it has refused to negotiate real solutions to the issues postal workers face every day.”
According to the same statement, Canada Post threatened to change its employees’ working conditions and leave them exposed to layoffs, leaving the union with “no choice” but to go on strike.
The impacts of this strike will be felt nationwide. Canada Post said that for the duration of the strike, no new mail or parcels will be accepted, and customers should expect delays for mail already in the postal network.
The strike is also affecting other major couriers. The union for Purolator, a subsidiary of Canada Post, said that its staff will not handle mail coming from Canada Post in an act of solidarity. Purolator expects, however, that their “network and service will not be impacted.”
UTM Teaching Lodge to host first-ever winter course
Special Topic in Indigenous Storywork: “Indigenous Feminisms” will focus on applying decolonial and Indigenous methods and will be instructed by Professor and Chair Maria Hupfield.
TVulnerable communities and those living in remote areas will also be affected. One Ottawa food bank is warning that the strike will affect their serving clients as the bank receives most of its financial donations via mail.
Small businesses across the country will also be hit particularly hard, as 80 per cent of these businesses rely on Canada Post for shipping goods, invoicing, and receiving payments, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.
Some Canadian banks have issued statements saying that they still require their customers to make payments and meet financial obligations as normal, urging those who haven’t already to switch to online banking.
Government benefit cheques will not be affected by the strike, as the CUPW and Canada Post have agreed to continue delivering benefit cheques such as Old Age Security, the Canada Child Benefit, and the Canada Pension Plan.
Negotiations have been underway since the beginning of the strike, and though some consensus has been found, there is still a lot of ground to cover. A special mediator has been appointed to support both the Canada Post and the CUPW in their negotiations.
Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon is hoping for both parties to come to an agreement, with no plans to mandate the postal workers to end the strike. Although the federal government has the authority to end the strike through new legislation, as demonstrated during the postal work stoppages in 2011 and 2018, government officials have stated that there are currently no plans to pursue such measures.
Once the strike is over, Canada Post said all mail and parcels in their postal network will be “secured and delivered as quickly as possible on a first-in, first-out basis” and that delays should be expected even after the strike ends.
his winter term, students at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) can expect a new course offered by the university’s Department of English and Drama. Special Topic in Indigenous Storywork: “Indigenous Feminisms,” or ENG348H5S, will be instructed by Assistant Professor of Indigenous Digital Arts and Performance and Canada Research Chair in Transdisciplinary Indigenous Arts Maria Hupfield.
The course will be offered as a seminar and discussion and held at the campus’s Teaching Lodge on Principal’s Road. Built with a traditional Tipi to honour Indigenous cultures and traditions at UTM, the Teaching Lodge is a canopied outdoor teaching space designed to immerse students in an authentic engagement with Indigenous pedagogy.
This winter term marks the first time the Teaching Lodge will be used as the primary site of instruction for a course. The course material will be based on traditional Indigenous texts, media, and performances and will involve students studying Indigenous art while “applying decolonial and Indigenous methodologies,” according to the university’s website.
By using the Teaching Lodge, the course aims to fulfill the objectives laid out in a report by the Steering Committee for the University of Toronto, a coalition
of faculty involved in Indigenous affairs and Indigenous students and elders. The report—Answering the Call: Wecheehetowin—outlines the university’s commitment to abiding by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s recommendations.
Director for UTM’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives, Tee Duke, stated in an article by UTM, “The report called for the expansion of Indigenous curriculum and cocurricular education along with the hiring of Indigenous faculty and expanded Indigenous spaces on our three campuses.”
The new course fulfills one of the report’s longer-term calls to action, being that “The University should work to integrate significant Indigenous curriculum content in all of its divisions by 2025.
By having the course led by Hupfield, who identifies as an off-rez urban Anishinaabe and belongs to Wasauksing First Nation, the course also fulfills the recommendation that “the University fund a pool of Indigenous curriculum developers, who ideally should be of Indigenous heritage themselves.”
The method of evaluation for the course will involve participation, close reading, and reflection assignments, which will include texts by Gina Starblanket, Jo-anne Archibald, and Maria Hupfield.
According to the UTM website, students can expect to immerse themselves in Indigenous perspectives throughout the course. “Applying decolonial and Indigenous methodologies, students will explore Indigenous texts, media, and/or performances, spanning traditional and innovative forms, genres, and mediums engaged by Indigenous writers ranging from Leanne Betasamosake Simpson and Tanya Tagaq to Billy Ray Belcourt.”
Celesta Maniatogianni Associate News Editor
Aaron Calpito & Diana Fu Associate News Editors
Illustration credit: Buket S. Baykal Photo
U of T commemorates Remembrance Day this year
The University of Toronto’s three campuses host ceremonies to honour Canada’s fallen veterans.
Samuel Kamalendran News Editor
On November 11, amidst cool temperatures and sharp winds, University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) faculty, staff, and students gathered at the Davis Building’s south entrance to partake in the campus’ annual Remembrance Day ceremony.
The event was led by the Vice-President of the University of Toronto (U of T) and UTM Principal Alexandra Gillespie, who started the ceremony with a land acknowledgement, which was followed by the playing of the Canadian anthem. Gillespie shared her own perspective of war through the plays of the esteemed Greek tragedian Sophocles and spoke on current conflicts occurring over the world.
Wreaths were placed at the base of the flagpole by Gillespie, UTM Student Union Vice President of Equity Philip Anyang, and Richard Waters, a representative of United Steelworkers Local 1998. At 11 a.m., the Canadian flag was lowered, and attendees observed a two-minute silent reflection. As the ceremony neared its conclusion, organizers played the Last Post, followed by the raising of the Canadian flag to half-mast.
Earlier on October 8, the UTM Indigenous Centre hosted a poppy-beading workshop in the Maanjiwe Nendamowinan building. On November 11, the Historical Studies Society ran a Remembrance Day poppy-making event in the atrium of the Instructional building, where students made their own poppy to honour fallen veterans.
At U of T’s St. George campus, this year’s ceremony marked the 100th anniversary of the 44-metre-tall Soldiers’ Tower, which houses a 51-bell Carillion and was built to honour soldiers and U of T community members who passed during the First World War. The monument was subsequently expanded to include the names of 1,185 individuals who perished during both World I and II. Today, the an-
nual Service of Remembrance takes place at the foot of the tower and honours those who served in both world wars and other conflicts.
This year, the St. George service included carillon recitals during the ceremony and was attended by students, faculty, staff, alumni, veterans, and local and federal government representatives, who honoured Canada’s war contributions through poems, historical vignettes, and the retelling of the history of the Soldiers’ Tower.
The event saw the placing of wreaths by U of T President Meric Gertler, Vice President and Provost Trevor Young, Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland and Chair of U of T’s Governing
Council, Anna Kennedy. President of the U of T Alumni Association, Corwin Cambray, presented a plaque commemorating the anniversary of the Tower.
The ceremony was followed by a public reception in the Great Hall of Hart House and the opening of the Memorial Room in Soldier’s Tower.
At the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC), faculty, staff, and students participated in a ceremony which featured the UTSC Concert Band and Choir and String Orchestra. U of T Scarborough Principal Linda Johnston and Vice-Principal academic and dean Karin Ruhlandt were present at the ceremony.
Mayor Chow announces plans to open Toronto libraries 7 days a week
Set to come before the city council early next year, the plan will see the expansion of the opening hours and programming for all 100 branches by 2026.
Emma Catarino Contributor
On October 27, Toronto
Mayor Olivia Chow stood out outside the Toronto Public Library’s (TPL) Wychwood Branch to announce her proposal to open all 100 library branches seven days a week by July 2026.
The plan proposes Sunday service at 33 branches, changing the seasonal Sunday service of 40 branches to a year-round service, and improving Sunday programming at libraries. The plan will also see all libraries be open from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays and nine branches increase their Monday hours.
The initiative, which was a promise during Chow’s election campaign in 2023, will cost C$8 million from the 2025 TPL budget. This comes after the TPL 2024 budget spent C$10 million to add Sunday and Monday hours to select locations, which generated a 61 per cent increase in traffic over the past year, according to a report to the library board.
The report noted that “increased branch hours are a cost-efficient way to increase access to library services that achieve important economic, social and health outcomes for Toronto residents.”
The report also noted the many ways increasing opening hours might respond to the lifestyles of Toronto, which included removing barriers for residents who live busy urban lives, providing a safe, out-of-school destination for children and youth, and expanding opportunities for Toronto residents to “enjoy the city’s and their community’s cultural and literary life.”
First opened in 1883, the Toronto Public Library system has been a staple of the city’s culture and community. It is now the largest network of public libraries in North America, with 100 branches scattered city-wide. TPL offers many perks besides simply borrowing books. Anyone with a library card, which can be obtained for free by eligible individuals, has access to libraries with free wifi, computer access, and various events.
TPL also facilitates copious programs which cater to various interests and demographics,
including after-school clubs, computer classes, author events, and the Summer Reading Club, which encourages children to complete their reading goals over summer vacation. The library also offers a variety of online resources and TPL Maps, a program that hands out free tickets to Toronto’s biggest attractions, including the CN Tower, to anyone with a library card.
After the announcement, a press conference was held outside the branch where Chow told reporters, “Libraries are one of our greatest tools to make our city more equal.”
“I use libraries all the time. I rarely buy books. Why not get them for free?” Grace de Costa, a forensics psychology specialist student at the University of Toronto Mississauga, said as she shared her thoughts to The Medium about the announcements. “I usually don’t use the library as a physical space to hang out or study, but I know that they have so many amazing programs for early child development.”
In early 2025, the plan will come before the city council for approval before it is finalized and set into action.
Photo credit: Sara Li
Photo credit: Ramiya Sureshkumar
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of the Kardoune :
How hair is wrapped in ribbon and heritage.
The hands of my ancestral women had long adorned the hair of their daughters with the red and orange silk weaves of the kardoune ribbon. For centuries, daughters sat between their grandmothers’ and mothers’ legs, quietening to the silence of the night, tuning to the chatter, harking to the stories, as the kardoune coiled against the length of their hair.
The practice of the kardoune amongst Algerians is embedded in the sacred nature of womanhood—where the pride of women’s hair rivalled the boast of the men’s battle scars. A practice originating from the Indigenous Amazigh people of the Maghreb, it involves tightly wrapping a piece of fabric around the length of a woman’s hair and is intended to smooth and protect the hair during the night.
Like many before me, of whom I only know of in retellings, I, too, once sat idly waiting for my grandmother to gather my hair in the patterns of the kardoune. The tedious wrapping of the silk ribbon was always accompanied by stories. The gentle lilt of my grandmother’s touch always stood in polarity to the violence of the war she recalled to me.
Through the years, the kardoune became a symbolic nightly routine, a bonding moment of nostalgia that etched itself into a memory of home when I was away. A nostalgia that women in Algeria tended to their hearts when torn away from their mother’s hands by the weaves of marital stability.
When my grandmother began to lose her sense of self to Alzheimer’s, when I became new and nameless and extinct, I vowed to absorb her memory, desperate for latenight kardoune-wrapping and her stories. Although I had mastered the kardoune wrap myself, I sat by my grandmother’s feet, correcting details of stories when her memory hazed.
And when my grandmother passed, I cut my hair, for I no longer found sense in its length or care. It became a burden, a futile mess that longed for my grandmother’s hands, longed for her meticulous twists, and her whispers. So, when asked about my heritage, I know its breath stands beyond the words woven into the fabrics of language.
Rather, it embeds itself in the tender hand motions, treading the futures of my people through memory. It finds itself in the cold floors under the daughters and the stark colors of silk entwined around their mother’s fingers. It sets itself in a secret of beauty, a pride of stories, passed through generations and across the land. For the patterns of the kardoune are defiant, much like the women of its care.
As my hair grows from its years of grief, I revisit the kardoune’s adornment, hoping that one day, as the sun shines and the moon crawls, my grandmother’s stories find themselves murmured in the cadence of the wrap.
Yasmine Benabderrahmane Contributor
Illustration credit: Buket S. Baykal
Photo credit: Yasmine Benabderrahmane
Will you choose the ‘trad’
at the “end of the world?”
lifestyle
The homesteading and self-reliance that is often emphasized by ‘trad’ influencers is simply the logical continuation of an individualist society. ‘America’ and ‘Canada’ are individualist fantasies that were sold to the original European settlers, promising them the opportunity to purchase (stolen) land to improve their class position and to live a self-reliant life.
Why many aspire to a lifestyle of raw milk and homesteading at the brink of climate collapse.
Erin Sauvé Associate Opinion Editor
Reject modernity, embrace tradition!
‘Trad” influencers create content emulating the lifestyles from decades past and have amassed millions of followers on social media by looking to the past to live better, more holistic lives. Why are so many people inspired by this lifestyle?
The time periods that these influencers take inspiration from can vary. Hannah Neeleman of Ballerina Farm, known for cooking wholesome meals for her husband and eight children, and drinking raw milk seems to look to a pre-Louis Pasteur era, with the farmhouse and ranch giving her posts a manifest-destinyconquering-the-wild-west ring to them. Nara Smith’s posts are reminiscent of the ideal nuclear family dynamic of the 1950’s. In either case, the nuclear family is a centerpiece in their posts, many of which emphasize natural and organic living.
The ‘trad’ lifestyle seems to distrust the mainstream, industrial mode of food production, and place great emphasis on health and using all-natural, organic products. Pre-packaged and processed foods are almost never seen on their pages, and they go to great lengths to feed their families with whole, organic ingredients. Neeleman takes a drastic departure from mainstream food systems by
drinking and promoting unpasteurized milk, which is something that carries serious health risks. Their skepticism of and separation from the mainstream food system evokes the Farmto-Table movement of the 1970s, which is also the period when environmentalism gained social and political momentum. Strongly associated with the “hippies”, the Farm-toTable social movement was the result of a similar distrust of processed foods and emphasized the importance of locally sourced diets.
Liberating or misguided?
Living through climate collapse, the desire to retreat and create a safe life for one’s family is not difficult to understand. We are inundated with news about microplastics and forever chemicals in our food and water. The power grids are old and over-burdened, freshwater sources are dwindling, and governments are clearly not taking the necessary actions to mitigate intensifying natural disasters. Protecting oneself from these threats seems to be a natural impulse. Avoiding toxins by consuming natural or homegrown foods, and in the case of homesteaders like Smith and Neeleman, ensuring a level of self-sustenance that doesn’t rely on corporations is also attractive.
American media theorist Douglass Rushkoff’s article, “Survival of the Richest,” sheds light on how this impulse manifests in the ultra-rich. He attended an event where a group of five ultra-wealthy prodded him for answers on which regions would be the safest, and how to manage a bunker (which one individual had already built!) during the climate collapse. Rushkoff notes that despite their immense wealth and power, they see total climate collapse as inevitable, that they are powerless to stop it, and that they are willing to leave
everyone else behind to save themselves. Although the ‘trad’ lifestyle typically does not involve building bunkers, they seem to be attempting a more accessible version of this by creating a life somewhat separate from the rest of society.
Like the millionaires that Rushkoff speaks of, ‘trad’ influencers and their aspirers must believe that they are powerless to affect change. Moreover, they must lack faith in the power of community and collective organizing to protect them. Instead of working with their communities to improve collective resilience in the face of climate change, they are choosing to abandon them to pursue their individual security. Their massive social media following suggests that others also endorse this misguided, socially atomizing lifestyle in response to the climate crisis.
This idea that we do not owe each other anything, that we are not each responsible for the well-being of one another in society, is the breakdown of the social contract. We saw this at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, where many people refused to wear masks in public spaces. Although the pandemic very clearly demonstrates how individuals are responsible for the health of others, the adoption of a “not my problem” attitude leads to an excess of infections and deaths. At a time when climate change is exacerbating existing inequalities, the fact that millions of people are drawn to individualist, social contract-breaking fantasies exemplified in the ‘trad’ lifestyle is very concerning. How can we protect each other when we feel no responsibility for each other?
The homesteading and self-reliance that is often emphasized by ‘trad’ influencers is simply the logical continuation of an individualist society. ‘America’ and ‘Canada’
are individualist fantasies that were sold to the original European settlers, promising them the opportunity to purchase (stolen) land to improve their class position and to live a self-reliant life. This founding idea shines through when looking at the content of these predominantly American ‘trad wives’, often homesteading influencers. Like how many of the original European settlers were disillusioned with their class positions in their home countries, perhaps many people today look to the ‘trad’ lifestyle as a response to their own disillusionment and deprivation of the means of production.
There is power in numbers
The widespread loss of faith in the power of the collective coordination of communities to become more resilient is not only concerning for the climate, but equally detrimental to our social nature as humans. One glance at history teaches us that community resilience comes from collective organization. For example, the Black Panther Party’s collective organization and outreach, such as through their Free Breakfast Program was able to support communities while bolstering their movement. Unity, and the ability to rely on one another is essential, especially as climate change continues to threaten communities.
People survive by working together, and the idea that one can guarantee one’s survival by leaving everyone else behind is not only a fantasy, but also a deeply dangerous mentality that prevents us from building a better world. It is without a doubt that the cascading effects of climate change will affect all of us, and while there is no way to guarantee our survival, the best that we can do is not to turn our backs on one another, and to fight back.
Illustration credit: Ramiya Sureshkumar
Leigh Revers: the not-so-good, the bad, and the dirty
UTM claims to be an inclusive place, but that’s hard to believe with faculty that openly speaks against it.
Jia Bawa Associate Opinion Editor
The view that only “hard” sciences like physics, chemistry, and biology are “real sciences” is an antiquated opinion that has been held by academics since Newton discovered gravity. Criticizing social sciences like psychology, sociology, and anthropology for being “too soft” or unworthy of being labelled as legitimate science is getting tiring, and in the 21st century, we’d think professors teaching at such a prestigious and diverse institution like the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), would be above such childish gibberish. Apparently, that was too much to ask for.
Our very own Leigh Revers, associate professor under the Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences at UTM, holds the very same opinion. According to an op-ed in the National Post, real scientists would never be activists or concern themselves with the political state of the world and trying to bring about change, stating that real scientists like him “see politics as a distraction, a pastime that, [and which] inexplicably absorbs our colleagues in the social ‘sciences’ (a broadly understood joke among colleagues), leaving us enlightened thinkers free to make useful discoveries.”
Over the last couple of months, Professor Revers has been an unequivocal voice in objecting to what he calls “the febrile ideological skirmishes that have begun to break out across Canadian university campuses,” by which he means the implementation of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. Revers claims that the liberalism pervading institutional spaces has created an atmosphere of political sensitivity and the death of critical thinking, where members of the university administration are mandated to promote “political correctness” — language and policies intended to avoid offense — in their classrooms, labs, discussions, and more.
Now, back to the idea that science is somehow divorced from politics, we must remember that though chemistry and physics certainly don’t call on any political or social awareness to succeed in, science, any science, never happens in a vacuum. In fact, science, just like everything else, is a product of the political, social, cultural, and economic forces shaping a society and ideology in each place and time. No scientific advancement or inquiry is immune from this, even if people don’t immediately realize it. In my opinion, Professor Revers takes a rather simplistic approach to representing this, and in the process, uses inflammatory language to communicate his ideas.
In the same op-ed, Professor Revers goes on to call scientists timid and weak in the matter of expressing political opinions and standing up for what is right, making it sound like they were akin to a caveman, ironically, and stated that all they should be concerned with is the “hard science, facts and truth.” From these statements, it’s clear that he feels the only thing that should be expected of scientists is that they come up with new hypotheses and prove them. After that, don’t ask them for anything. God forbid they be held to any sort of standards of social and moral responsibility.
“Don’t ask me about gender ideology, don’t bother me with magical ideas about sex falling on a spectrum, don’t trouble me with questions of race or class. We have evidence, mountains of it, and we will point to it; now go away!” Professor Revers exclaims.
It doesn’t seem like he is keen on making the world of academia a more inclusive and welcoming place for young people—especially under-represented and marginalized individuals—eager to take their first steps into the world of STEM. With someone like Leigh Revers acting as a gatekeeper of academia, I can’t exactly blame them.
UTM prides itself on being an institution with a multicultural and ethnic cohort, welcoming students from all walks of life in search of higher education. It presents itself as being committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to making education more accessible for everyone. Evidenced by the Principal of UTM, Alexandra Gillespie’s speech, where she declared that “equity, diversity and inclusion will permeate all aspects of UTM’s future, as envisioned by our new Strategic Framework: from research to student engagement, and from teaching to infrastructural development.”
This is all well and good, and there have been many well implemented steps taken to ensure that campus is a more inclusive space. But in my opinion, the issue lies in the fact that some of UTM’s own faculty clearly detests this change. Who would take up such a noble pursuit, I wonder? Leigh Revers!
UTM’s recently appointed dean, Professor Nicholas Rule, implemented a DEI policy that required all faculty to submit a DEI statement as a part of the faculty’s annual performance evaluations. Revers expressed his clear dislike for this shift in policy, calling it a “an ideological litmus test” and further went on to imply, “we might well be drawn into a lie to ensure our continued good standing in the eyes of the watchful administration.” You might think, at this point, that I am just a clout chaser and taking things out of context, just to make for a clickbait worthy headline. But I encourage you to read Professor Revers’s published writings and arrive at an informed opinion yourself.
For now, Professor Revers believes the DEI awareness and quotas in universities not only hampers genuine debate of critical issues due to a need to be “woke,” but is actively opposed to the rationality and western Enlightenment values that have made science so successful. He expresses worry about the future students who will flow through UTM’s campus, stating that Canadian tax dollars are “supporting the mass infantilization of the next generation” of students.”
Alright, so Revers has a few controversial opinions. Why should you, the students of UTM, care? Because isn’t it awfully hypocritical of UTM to pride themselves on their diversity, forward thinking, welcoming and inclusive environment and attempts to open new doors for marginalized communities, all while professors like Leigh Revers, who are so strongly against every one of these things, are employed at our university? They are representatives of UTM, yet for some reason, no one seems to have a problem with the continual jokes they crack at the expense of a very serious issue?
In fact, they can go to a huge news platform like The National Post and write how this is all a game to them, and they don’t think any of it should be taken seriously. Is this the impression UTM wants to give off? Is this what they stand for? Leigh Revers may be the most qualified person in his field, but is it really acceptable for him to slander DEI initiatives put forth by the institute the employs him?
Illustration credit: Buket S. Baykal
07 features
Discovering the charm of GTA’s small towns
Niagara, Elora, and Uxbridge are just a few of southern Ontario’s hidden gems where one can escape and experience wonderful views.
Menahil Warriach
Associate Opinion Editor
Being a student means being bombarded with endless obligations and deadlines. Just as you finish one assignment, another important assignment pops up. Sometimes, you just want to turn the other way and avoid that to-do list. But even if you want to escape, the question is where. If you ask me, I love visiting small towns around Mississauga to get away.
For me, small towns provide the perfect relief from the hustle and bustle of big-city life. Each town has a rich history, a passionate sense of self, and a close-knit community. After exploring various towns, I see it as my responsibility to share my knowledge with the next generation. Here are a few of my favourite towns to visit and why.
Niagara on the Lake
Because of its beautiful appeal and calming allure, this town is ideal for those who enjoy wine and old country views. The town is filled with antique buildings and boutique stores and even features a beautiful lake. Niagara on the Lake is a personal favourite of mine. I recommend going here during the summer for the full experience.
Elora
Offering picturesque views, The Elora Gorge has earned Elora the title “Most Beautiful Village in Ontario,” according to a recent YouTube vlog in 2024. It is a great retreat with its lively arts scene and welcoming cafés. For more active people, the village also offers outdoor activities like hiking and tubing. I would recommend visiting in the fall, but this town shines in every season. It’s not that far from Mississauga and is great for a road trip with friends.
Uxbridge
The charming town of Uxbridge, found just northeast of Toronto, is known as the “Trail Capital of Canada,” according to Trip Advisor, because of its vast system of beautiful trails, verdant forests, and undulating hills. Uxbridge is ideal for equestrian riding, cycling, and hiking.
The York-Durham Heritage Railway allows you to soak in the natural beauty of Uxbridge aboard vintage trains with fun activities. You can also enjoy the artistic side of the town through the Uxbridge Studio Tour, where you can visit the studios of local artists. The town is a wonderful place for day trippers and nature lovers alike because of its welcoming eateries, smalltown brewers, and quaint stores.
Stratford
Although a bit far from Toronto, Stratford is well-known for its world-class Stratford Festival. The Stratford Festival attracts theatregoers from all over the world with its superb Shakespearean and modern shows. With its swan-filled lakes and charming gardens, the town is a lovely destination along the Avon River.
Stratford’s historic downtown is a center of art and culture, with upscale dining options, boutique stores, and lively galleries. For theatre enthusiasts as well as those looking for a leisurely cultural retreat, Stratford is the perfect destination because of its friendly atmosphere and innovative attitude. In my opinion, it is a lovely place for a quiet, relaxing day out.
Unionville
This is a historic village in Markham, well-known for its lively Main Street dotted with boutique stores, welcoming cafes, and excellent dining establishments. The prominent 19th-century architecture within Unionville gives it a European vibe and makes it a great location for walks and photography. You will also find cultural activities like the Unionville Festival and various performances. It is only a short drive from Toronto and provides the ideal getaway with its unique blend of small-town charm and contemporary conveniences. I would personally recommend going here in the fall to experience those Gilmore Girl vibes.
I believe that small towns are amazing, especially for students like me, as they provide the perfect atmosphere for resetting your mental health and the opportunity to experience new things. Every once in a while, when life gets too much to handle, it’s okay to have a retreat, it’s okay to take a break in an idyllic village.
Small towns are the key to sating your wanderlust, whether you’re dying for a peaceful getaway, a trip back in time, or a close-up look at nature. Explore these quaint, off-the-beatenpath getaways and escape from the city. These small towns will make a large impact on you and make you eager to. It worked for me, so hopefully, it will work for you, too!
Photo credits: Menahil Warriach
Unwrapping the origins of famous Christmas symbols
Professor Kyle Smith, who teaches a course on Christmas’s history, shares insights on how holiday symbols and traditions have changed over time.
Yusuf Larizza-Ali Staff Writer
As the holiday season approaches, familiar Christmas archetypes begin to emerge—Santa Claus, reindeer, and other festive staples. While Christmas originally marked the celebration of Jesus’s birth, many of today’s traditions have roots outside Christianity. But not all of today’s Christmas traditions come from Christianity. Christmas has gained several new ideas and traditions over time, many influenced by modern culture and consumerism.
Kyle Smith, professor of Christianity in the History of Religions program at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), shared the origins of different modern Christmas archetypes in an interview with The Medium. Professor Smith currently teaches RLG3375H, Christmas: A History, at UTM and is currently working on his book about the historical figure Saint Nicholas.
Saint Nicholas: The original Santa Claus
Professor Smith revealed that little is known about Saint Nicholas, except that he became bishop in Myra—a city that belongs to the region we now call Türkiye. “Based on the stories that we have, Saint Nicholas was born in the Roman province of Lycia in the late third century and died somewhere around the 340s.”
Professor Smith noted that details about his life are historically conflated with another Nicholas—a monk called Nicholas of Sion who lived a few centuries later. The church and historians at the time combined both these Nicholas’s lives together to produce the tale of Saint Nick.
From historical depictions, Professor Smith narrated the story that cemented Saint Nicholas’s status as Santa Claus. In Myra, there was a man named Nicholas, a widower who had three daughters. Although Nicholas was once a wealthy man, some failed investments caused him to live in abject poverty. He was on the verge of having to sell his three daughters into prostitution so they could survive.
Professor Smith mentioned that though the story has many variations, a common theme is that Saint Nicholas comes at night and throws a bag of gold through the window of Nicholas’s house. Saint Nicholas did this for three nights, giving each daughter enough money to be married and avoid prostitution.
Professor Smith emphasized that the theme of the story is establishing that Saint Nicholas “is this nocturnal gift giver to young people,” which ended up setting the foundation for Santa Claus.
Later versions of the story give rise to many current Christmas traditions. Some versions of the story mention that the girls each hung their stockings up to dry by the chimney, which is where the tradition of hanging stockings on chimneys comes from.
Several other versions depict Saint Nicholas landing on the roof of the house and dropping presents down the chimney, giving rise to the lore of how Santa Claus pops down the Chimney. Professor Smith noted that even the tradition of cookies and milk for Santa comes from German and Dutch traditions of preparing cookies in the shape of Sinterklaas their interpretation of Saint Nicholas.
According to Professor Smith, the modern representation of Santa Claus grew out of American consumerism. In the 19th century, he was used for gift-giving advertisements. Even the image of Santa Claus in a red suit does not come from Christianity but from a Coca-Cola campaign devised by Haddon Sunbloom. Professor Smith even noted that the campaign helped create and drive Santa’s global presence.
Where did Santa’s elves come from?
When asked about other archetypes related to Santa Claus, Professor Smith stated that Santa’s elves partly originate from Clement Clarke Moore’s 1823 poem, A Visit from St. Nicholas, where he describes Saint Nicholas as an elf. The idea of elves as helpers was further reinforced by European versions of Saint Nicholas that describe him as having helpers.
Why do we associate red and green colours with Christmas?
Christmas beyond a religious holiday
According to Professor Smith, green was previously associated with the Winter solstice, which then was associated with Christmas time. The red and green colours also come from the tradition of using evergreens, holly branches, and other similar plants in homes for Christmas and tree decorating.
Professor Smith explained that families brought “plants that can survive in the winter into the house as a way of bringing something from the springtime to tide over the coldest time of the year.” The vibrant red of holly berries contrasted with the deep green of its branches came to symbolize resilience for families, eventually cementing these colours as iconic staples of Christmas traditions.
The colour red also comes from the illustrator Thomas Nast. Professor Smith explained that while Santa was initially depicted wearing brown fur, Nast later illustrated him as wearing red. Professor Smith hypothesizes that this change came from Nast’s childhood memory
of Germany, where Saint Nicholas was often depicted wearing “red as a bishop.”
Why is Santa’s hometown the North Pole?
Nast was also the one who linked the North Pole with Santa’s home. At that point in history, “no explorer had actually made it to the North Pole,” Professor Smith revealed. Thus, the North Pole became this fantastical location for people in the 19th century, much like Narnia is for us now.
Where did Santa’s herd of reindeer come from?
Professor Smith noted that the first historical reference to reindeer predates Moore’s famous poem, appearing in a small book titled The Children’s Friend, which depicts Santa in a sleigh pulled by a single reindeer. In Moore’s poem, the lone reindeer transforms into a team of eight. However, Professor Smith remains uncertain why reindeer was used in the book and poem, as earlier tales mention
Many people who are not religious or Christians actively celebrate the holiday of Christmas. Professor Smith stated, “I think there are plenty [of] religious holidays [with] many cultural elements to them as well that have nothing to do with piety.”
Professor Smith noted that Christmas was historically seen as a “large drunken feast,” and there were commercialized elements such as poor people entering homes and offering to sing for a drink in exchange. But over time, we now see it as a “cozy holiday for children and spending time with family.”
In recent years, you hear many people say Christmas has been overly commercialized. However, many of our beloved Christmas traditions and values originate from commercialization. For example, despite Japan’s low Christian population, Christmas is huge in Japan. Professor Smith explained that a major reason why everyone celebrates it is because of a marketing campaign from decades ago by KFC. Even today, many Japanese people line up at KFCs around Christmas due to this commercialized tradition.
Today, according to Professor Smith, Christmas “has nothing to do with religion, it just becomes a cultural phenomenon.”
flying horses. He suggests that the shift likely occurred in the 19th century US.
Illustration credit: Sehajleen Kaur Wander
09 Arts
Johannson
Fashion as a form of self-expression The story of us: Taylor Swift in Toronto
A glamour of our choosing, fashion decides how we will be perceived.
Jia Bawa Associate Opinion Editor
Fashion is often underestimated, with many of us thinking it is limited to the clothes we wear, but it’s so much more than that. Fashion can be akin to putting on armour, a glamour of our choosing, that decides how we will be perceived.
When approaching fashion-forward individuals on campus, UTM students Giselle, Gurjas, Navya, and Saarah, all shared that wearing clothes representative of their personal style makes them feel empowered and connected to their identity.
Giselle felt that fashion allowed her to bring a distinctive part of her personality to life, explaining that whether she chooses softer, delicate pieces or bolder, statement-making styles, her fashion choices reflect different aspects of who she is. Navya felt similarly. For them, fashion was the “first impression” they made. Being “part of the punk/DIY scene,” fashion allowed Navya to express her “identity within this counterculture.”
Gurjas and Saarah shared how they used fashion to show who they really are. Gurjas expressed that in high school, she faced peer pressure to conform to the status quo. She described herself as “feeling lost.” Since coming to university, she has explored what style resonates with her, finally finding comfort in “street-style and influences of Y2K.” Similarly, Saarah spoke about how she didn’t feel
the most confidence in herself when she was younger, and the freedom to dress however she wanted has made her feel “unstoppable.”
For Saarah, her dressing sense is versatile, not confined to any one aesthetic, but instead alternating between styles depending on her mood.
In terms of how fashion impacted their daily lives, Giselle, Navya, and Saarah all felt it made them a lot more ready to take on the day. One of Navya’s methods to combat the winter blues was to take a few extra minutes to come up with an outfit she felt confident in. “It’s a small thing, but it really helps me stay on track,” she shared. “Especially in the winter when everything takes just a little more effort by default.”
On how fashion could be used as a creative medium, Giselle said fashion is a way to express her creativity by playing with colours, textures, and styles to create a look that tells a unique story. Navya felt that every article of clothing carried the weight of rich cultural history, sharing her personal experience as a South Asian person and how “embroidery weaves narratives of tradition, heritage, and artistry into every stitch.”
Gurjas and Saarah referenced how fashion designers pour their heart and soul into their designs to portray what they’re feeling. They also applauded the work of UTM’s own Charity Fashion Show and how they encourage designers to make use of sustainable materials and let their creativity shine through.
Judging by the responses of these UTM students, it is easy to see how tremendous of an impact fashion can have in our lives. It is far more than a mere garment. It holds a million stories, and even the littlest piece of thread may hold the secrets of a lifetime.
From adorning Toronto’s Police horses with friendship bracelets to naming a street after her —Taylor Swift’s arrival in Toronto for the Era’s Tour has taken the city by storm.
Emma Catarino Contributor
It’s no secret that Toronto is full of enthusiastic Swifties (fans of Taylor Swift), and over the past few weeks, our city has spared no expense in rolling out the red carpet for Taylor’s arrival. From Nov 14 to Nov 23, Taylor Swift set out to perform six shows at Toronto’s Rogers Centre. The stadium, which is usually home to Toronto’s Blue Jays and seats almost 50,000 people, has been decorated with giant friendship bracelets out front with beads that read, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour”, a staple since the tour began in March 2023.
Tickets for the Toronto shows originally became available back in the summer of 2023. Last-minute tickets cost anywhere from $2K to $22K each. In preparation for her visit, downtown Toronto turned into every Swiftie’s dream. Billboards promoting the Eras Tour were found on all street corners. Every night Taylor performed, the Rogers Centre and CN Tower were illuminated with pink lights. The city’s most outstanding display of affection was when they unveiled “Taylor Swift Way,” a street connecting Nathan Phillips Square and the Rogers Centre that is temporarily named after the artist.
“The experience was amazing, the vibe of the city in preparation for the concert was exciting and fun!” says Raneem Akel, a Teaching Assistant at UTM, “Downtown Toronto was going all out for the concert.
Most restaurants, stores, and other public places were highlighting the Taylor Swift/ Eras theme.”
Multiple businesses have hopped on the Taylor Swift bandwagon. McDonald’s locations offered a bundle meal that included two junior chickens and two friendship bracelets. Off the Gardiner highway, there was a Christmas tree farm with a billboard saying, “Come visit us Taylor!” and even an adult toy company advert that read, “We <3 Taylor!” — both of which seem like shameless attempts to capitalize off of Taylor’s brand. However, my personal favourite was the Toronto Humane Society. They’ve named several of their cats after lyrics in Swift’s songs, in hopes that the furry felines will be adopted by Swifties, which is fitting as Taylor is known for her love of cats.
Taylor Swift’s arrival hasn’t been a love story for all Toronto citizens, however. Homeless populations living near the Rogers Centre were moved into shelters due to health and safety concerns. Those affected have had mixed thoughts about the situation. While some are happy for the opportunity to get a spot in a shelter, others don’t want to leave their homes behind. One such person was Crystofur, who resided in a tent in Roundhouse Park. According to the Toronto Star, they weren’t happy when Toronto police asked them to relocate to a shelter, claiming that, “I don’t feel safe anywhere, but in this park, I feel very safe.”
But overall, Taylor Swift’s arrival in Toronto has had a positive effect both on its citizens and its atmosphere. It’s also had a favourable effect on the city’s economy. Between hotel stays, food, and other tourist expenses, Toronto’s economy is set to gain at least $200K from Swift’s week-long stay in the city. With a profit that large, it’s no wonder why Toronto’s been so ready to roll out the red carpet.
Photo credits: Jia Bawa
Theatrical rereleases
Looking at the reasons behind theatres rereleasing classic movies.
Tyler Medeiros Contributor
In a world where Netflix, Disney+, and other streaming platforms are easily accessible, it’s hard to think of reasons why anybody would want to leave their couch to watch an old movie. That said, we are seeing a recent trend of classics returning to the big screen.
One of the reasons for the resurgence of classic movies in theatres is the lack of new ideas and the unwillingness to take risks. A lot of old classics are being re-upped for sequels. The likes of Toy Story 5, Shrek 5, and Jumanji 3 will all be in theatres in 2026. Although these are not rereleases, they are sequels of movies that have been extremely successful at the box office in the past. Movie studios have decided to create and produce an excessive number of movies of the same franchise because they believe that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Movie theatres and studios are operating under this same principle when it comes to rereleases. They would rather rerelease an old movie that they feel will be a guaranteed success than risk spending valuable resources on a movie that viewers may not enjoy.
I
am super excited to see one of my favourite movies of all time, Interstellar, when it returns to theatres on December 6. I have watched Interstellar at least ten times but never in theatres.
Another reason behind the rerelease of movies in theatres is holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving, Halloween, and Christmas. Christmas is a joyful time of year for people all over the world, especially movie lovers. Some of the most beloved movies are Christmas-themed, such as Elf, The Grinch, Home Alone, and yeah, I guess we can put Die Hard in there, too. One of the important aspects of a Christmas movie is the way it makes you feel. There is an element of nostalgia at play with Christmas movies, which is why many people rewatch the same Christmas movies over and over again. Knowing this, theatres rerelease some of these Christmas classics to give people an alternative to watching the movies at home.
Although watching a movie in the theatre may not be as intimate of a setting, there are still many appealing reasons to watch movies in theatres. Whether it be the gigantic screens, the loud, enthralling music, or the comfortable reclining chairs, theatres create an atmosphere where you become one with the movie. This is why there is still a large demand for movies to be released in theatres. People want to experience films that they never got to watch in theatres because they were either too young or not born yet. Personally, I am super excited to see one of my favourite movies of all time, Interstellar, when it returns to theatres on December 6. I have watched Interstellar at least ten times but never in theatres. I expect my eleventh watch to be the best yet as I will feel completely immersed in space.
If you, too, can’t wait to see an old movie on the big screen, here is a list of upcoming movies being rereleased in theatres for you to keep your eyes on.
Illustration credit: Buket S. Baykal
11 sports & health
Editor | Joseph Falzata sports@themedium.ca
Time-managing athletics and schoolwork as a UTM student
Being a university student is no easy feat. Full-time students spend on average 30-50 hours per week studying, leaving them with little time to socialize, relax, and play sports.
Between balancing projects, clubs, and work, students often lack the time to take care of their bodies. Exercise—whether it be intense or moderate—is essential in maintaining the physical and mental welfare of all students.
So how can student athletes and other students looking to get more involved in sports allocate their time to ensure academic success and physical wellbeing?
Time-management is key
For student athletes, it’s important to recognize their main priorities. Because time is precious, student athletes are limited in their activities and choices. Whether it’s for the next big assignment or the upcoming championship game, a careful assessment will enable them to channel their energies and time on important projects and games without worry of failure or stress.
Building a routine is just as crucial. Through a carefully managed routine, student athletes allow themselves a sense of stability and structure, where they know what to expect every day. Routines will help them optimize their performance by allowing them to sync their body and mind to their schedules.
To save time while studying, student athletes should find a studying technique that best attunes to their personality and schedule. They can rely on spaced repetition, where instead of cramming notes all at once, students would break up their study sessions. For example, in between every practice set, athletes can spend time reviewing notes. There are many other methods athletes can rely on, but it’s ultimately up to them to find a technique that matches their learning style and schedule.
With many time-management tools available online and through the app store, student athletes should depend on these technologies as their allies. A few examples include Todoist, Clockify, and Microsoft To Do. Through these digital planners, athletes can organize their day-to-day activities and tasks. This should enable them to track their progress, ensuring they stay up to date with their practices and assignments.
Workout regiments
Students looking to get more involved in athletics should schedule a time (between classes, after waking up, before sleep, or when brushing teeth) to do a few exercises.
These could consist of leg workouts such as lunges, mountain climbers, or wall sit holds, where the student does the exercise for 45 seconds and rests for 15. Other basic exercises include squats, pushups, burpees, side planks, planks, and glute bridges. A student may choose to do this at home or at
UTM’s RAWC, where they can challenge themselves by using the various machines readily available. In each case however, a simple and brief workout is enough to improve physical wellbeing and cardiovascular health.
The stretches students once committed to in high school are also just as valuable as any intense workout. Jumping jacks, quadricep stretches, hamstring stretches, calf raises, downward dog pose, knee to chest, and various more can be done. While they’re beneficial anytime, stretching may have the biggest impact in the morning, as they can revitalize one’s energy and set a positive pace for the rest of the day.
Sometimes even moving around campus can make up for a student’s lack of exercise. From relocating between classes to walking around campus for a better studying location, The New York Times claims that fidgeting and small amounts of movement is better than sitting all day.
Consistency above all
The most important thing to remember for any student is the value of consistency. The Daily Universe emphasizes the need to be proactive and consistent when exercising. Even if the exercise is as basic as taking a walk outside or within one’s home, being consistent every day will help build a stable and healthy routine.
However, it’s crucial to do it out of love and interest. Forcing oneself to build a habit, even if it’s for the sake of a healthier mind and body, may instead cause more harm than good. Finding an exercise that a student enjoys and can be consistent with is more important than forcing any workout routines found online.
Maram Qarmout Contributor
Illustration credit: Sehajleen Kaur Wander
Eagles bounce back on the court for first wins of the season
Both volleyball teams as well as men’s basketball came away with important wins this past weekend.
Evan Mowder & Tea Falzata Contributors
Eagles volleyball fly to pair of wins
Two big victories came for the UTM men’s and women’s volleyball teams this past Sunday after successfully defending home court against Scarborough. Although the Eagles came into the game as underdogs, both teams were able to pull through for an important double win.
Walking into the games with a hard loss under their belts from the week prior, confidence was far from high for the women’s team. Even so, the women were able to make quick work of Scarborough, winning the first set 25-14.
However, the opposition was able to bounce back, taking the second set 17-25. Payton Bouvier, Eagles team captain, encouraged her team to keep fighting. “We always have each other’s backs and work cohesively to ensure that we each perform offensively and defensively even in tough situations,” said Bouvier during the break.
Even though the women lost their momentum, they were able to bounce back, dismantling Scarborough and winning the next two sets convincingly. Bouvier stated after the match that although the Eagles dropped an early set, they still “played well as a team.”
A similar story can be said for the men’s team, who also won their match in four sets. Even though the first set was tight, the men were able to pull through with a 25-22 win.
As was the case in the women’s match, the Eagles were unable to come away with a second-set win, dropping a nail-biting marathon 33-31. However, the men were eager to bring home their first win of the season, and the team pushed through, winning the next two sets back to back.
“The receives, blocks, and defensive coverage was on point,” said Abdullah Yousef, setter for the men’s team. Speaking on the massive improvements to the teams cohesion since last week, Yousef added the team did a better job “trusting each other and just having fun out there,” which, “made [it] possible to secure the win.”
Campus sport participation is up. Here’s why.
How The Medium is helping revive a sports
Joseph
Men’s basketball show dominance in first win of the season
The men’s basketball team was back in action for their third game of the season in Scarborough on November 17th. An uncharacteristic 0-2 start for a veteran led squad had tested the Eagles’ character in the early weeks of the season.
After a disappointing loss in their first meeting, the Eagles were back at the Pan Am Centre looking to get their revenge against UTSC.
The Eagles definitely delivered.
Right from the tip, the Eagles got out to an early 12-2 lead, hounding UTSC on the defensive end, and forcing early turnovers. Offensively, the Eagles were playing unselfishly, moving the ball, hitting cutters, and knocking down open shots.
UTSC stayed determined, cutting into the lead late in the second quarter, and cutting the Eagles lead down to 49-36 at half.
In the halftime huddle the Eagles—who were showing more urgency then their prior two games —knew this game was far from over. However, there was a different feeling and focus from this week compared to those prior.
The second half saw more energy from the crowd, and with each big play UTSC made, the crowd roared trying to build momentum. The Eagles remained composed, consistently responding to Scarborough’s pressure. Forwards Elijah Steiner and Andreas Jankovic owned the glass, combining for 27 rebounds, while captains Evan Mowder and Amro Matti combined for 41 points, hitting shots from all over the floor and controlling the pace of the game.
The team finished strong, and when the final whistle blew, the scoreboard read 85-71 in favour of the Eagles.
“The team showed great resilience,” said Matti after the win. “[The team] had each other’s back and communicated with excellence.”
With their first win under their belt, the Eagles now know what it takes going forward. No game will be easy, but as time goes on, this brotherhood will only get stronger.
culture on campus.
Falzata Sports & Health Editor
In February 2022, UTM held their first competitive soccer tryouts since cancelling all varsity and tri-campus programs during the pandemic. It was a modest turnout at best, and the lack of awareness meant most of the campus’s best players never ended up hearing about the team until it was too late. In fact, when the following season rolled around, and new, talented players appeared for the first time, I asked them why they hadn’t played the previous season.
“I didn’t even know we had a team.” That was the response I received.
Believe it or not, there was a time when UTM campus culture flourished with sports of all sorts. Indoor ball hockey in particular stole the show in the school paper each week, leaving students flocking to newsstands to see them or their friends being featured in the latest sports stories.
“The newsstands would get depleted,” recalled Zain Fancy, former student, ballhockey enthusiast, and writer for The Medium in the mid-1990s. “[The Medium] made everything feel bigger than it was.”
The Medium was the driving force that propelled the expansion of UTM’s ball hockey league—a league that, at its peak, constituted 70 men’s and women’s teams and was once hailed as the largest intramural sports program in Canada.
In the years to come, The Medium’s Sports & Health section shifted further away from campus news, adopting a more “legitimate” approach to sports reporting with a greater emphasis on Toronto’s professional teams.
But perhaps it was the unprofessionalism of the now-forgotten Sports & Health section—the unrefined prose, the unfiltered opinions, and the unwavering passion for a league that was so, in the grand scheme of things, unimportant—that allowed the section to nurture and grow a campus culture of sport.
If you’ve been following the Sports section so far this year, you would have seen the weekly updates on UTM’s tri-campus soccer teams. Just two weeks ago, men’s soccer completed an undefeated season, winning its first ever league champion-
ship. This was the same program that had only made one tri-campus final in the past five seasons and was miles away from ever being considered the top team in the league. While tryouts in 2022 were contained within the tight walls of Gym C, the most recent tryouts were spaced across three different sessions, with over a hundred hopeful players taking to the field to push for a spot on the roster. UTM’s soccer scene, whether that be through tri-campus, intramurals, or even drop-in sessions, has solidified itself as an integral part of our campus’ sports culture.
And it’s not just soccer that’s seeing an uptick in participation. Through the first semester, UTM saw nearly 650 unique participants comprising 114 teams across all intramural sports programs. From spikeball to badminton to dodgeball, UTM students have clearly expressed their desire to get active and take part in the healthy competition offered by the university.
UTM’s Learn to Play programs have also seen increased demand throughout the semester and has provided 138 students the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of new sports in a safe environment, at their own pace.
However, even with the higher levels of participation, the vast majority of UTM students are still uninvolved in the numerous athletic opportunities offered on campus. In fact, according to UTM’s internal records, less than one in ten students are currently registered in a UTM sports program. While The Medium has consistently publicized sports tryout dates, game schedules, and other campus athletic programs, there’s still much work that needs to be done by school administration to engage the student population with the opportunities offered to them.
The Department of Recreation, Athletics & Wellness has done a fantastic job providing athletic opportunities for students, but it falls on the larger institution and other student organizations to shape the general sentiment towards campus sports.
That’s precisely why I’m unapologetic for dedicating one-third of the Sports & Health section each week to tri-campus soccer. Truly, there has been no better sports-related story on our campus this year. It’s something to celebrate, and for our school, one so widely regarded for sciences, math, and even liberal arts programs, it’s essential that we take the time to recognize the value of a sports subculture and its impact on not just student athletes, but campus life and community at its core.
