The cover image was created by Buket S. Baykal using graphics sourced from Freepik.com
02 NEWS
From renting to owning, it is all about overcoming the housing crisis in Ontario
Experts including Real Estate Sales Representative Deoranee Sunoo acknowledge the challenges of buying a home in today’s Canadian housing economy.
Yovarshee Ramchurn Contributor
Abhishek Jane dreams of owning his own home. Though he has worked hard to pursue a Canadian education, save for a down payment, and explore various jobs to advance his career, economic challenges have made it difficult to reach that goal.
Jane, married and 32, considers Milton, Ontario, his preferred home address but had to rent an apartment in Mississauga as he works as a senior insurance operations representative at the Royal Bank of Canada’s Meadowvale office. He and his wife now earn a joint income of C$150,000 and want to buy a house but face challenges, including high inflation, stagnant wages, and rising house prices.
“Saving is not enough, it’s like you [are] putting money in the piggy bank—it just stays there, and [its] value does not change,” he said in an interview with The Medium
Jane would like to buy a detached home or freehold townhouse within a budget of C$700,000 to C$800,000. His priorities include safety, security, and accessibility to essential services and main areas, mainly locations like Milton, Guelph, Cambridge, and communities east of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), which are particularly attractive.
Jane has carefully managed his finances, focusing on savings and low-risk investments. He leans toward secure investment options such as Guaranteed Investment Certificates, government bonds, and conservative mutual funds, preferring to balance growth with financial security.
Jane’s advice for renters considering the shift to homeownership focuses on three main pillars: managing debt responsibly, investing savings wisely, and aiming for income growth.
“Keep your debts in check. Do not overspend. Do not go dig deep in debts,” he recommended.
In an interview with The Medium, Daniel Ripoll, the vice president external of the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union, highlighted the complex challenges students face with renting and owning homes in Mississauga.
“It’s never been cheaper to buy a condo, but that’s still around C$500,000,” he explained. “I don’t think any student has that lying around.” For students, renting is often the only viable option, yet even rental rates have surged dramatically. Ripoll pointed out, “Median rent has gone up by 20 to 30 per cent in the past two to three years.”
Students often encounter resistance from landlords who are hesitant to rent to them. “A lot of realtors will straight up tell you ‘No students,’” Ripoll noted, sharing that even when students meet rental qualifications, revealing their student status often results in a rejection. “This is a problem we’ve been experiencing for a long time,” he added, especially for international students and newcomers.
In response to these issues, Ripoll suggests more regulated housing solutions. “One thing we’re trying to work on is creating more student co-op housing,” he explained, as well as collaborating with the city to establish safer, regulated rooming arrangements. “If we could just add a few more regulations like fire exits and proper bathroom ratios, it could work.”
Ripoll hopes that these steps will make housing more accessible and affordable for students struggling to find a stable place to live.
According to real estate expert
Deoranee Sunoo, prospective buyers like Jane face unprecedented challenges when it comes to buying a home, especially in cities like Brampton and Mississauga, where housing prices have more than doubled over the last decade. Homes in these areas were once around C$500,000, but now, the average price is closer to one million dollars.
In an interview with The Medium, Sunoo noted that while the market has cooled slightly post-pandemic, prices remain high, and buyers find it difficult to qualify for mortgages amid the high cost of living, high rates and mass immigration.
An interesting shift has emerged with some people opting for properties outside the GTA. Ontario cities like London and Windsor offer more affordable options compared to the GTA, making them attractive to buyers willing to commute or work remotely. “It’s hard for them to afford a home because the mortgage payments will reap up most of their income,” she stated.
Sunoo noted that some families even sublet part of their rental homes to offset costs, illustrating the creative strategies renters and prospective buyers are employing in today’s market.
The 30-year mortgage has recently gained attention as a potential solution for those struggling to meet high monthly payments. Sunoo explained that while this extended payment plan reduces monthly payments by about eight per cent, it means a longer commitment with added interest over time. This option may appeal to first-time homebuyers, but Sunoo cautions buyers to consider the financial implications of a longer-term mortgage carefully.
For current renters, such as Jane and students hoping to own a home, Sunoo suggests exploring government programs, such as the First Home Savings Account and the Home Buyer’s Plan, which provide tax advantages that can ease the path toward homeownership. She also recommends shared accommodations for single renters and maximizing savings to build a down payment fund.
Sunoo acknowledged that while owning a home is a long-held dream for many, financial readiness is crucial. “My advice will be, don’t move out unless you really have to—stay with your family and save your money.”
Photos: provided by Yovarshee Ramchurn, Abhishek Jane, Deoranee Sunoo, and Daniel Ripoll
QSS Council discusses student
fee increases and New Year’s resolutions for UTM services
Administrators and student leaders discuss plans for the future in the final Quality Service to Students meeting of 2024.
Aaron Calpito Associate News Editor
In its final meeting of 2024, the University of Toronto Mississauga’s (UTM) Quality Service to Students (QSS) Council met on December 5 to discuss proposals for student fee increases and plans to improve student wellbeing.
streamlining student navigation of Wellness services, and increasing student awareness of health services.
Director of Recreation and Wellbeing Peter Mumford announced that the Department of Recreation, Athletics & Wellness is seeking to implement outdoor wellness programs, expand upon and create programs for “equity deserving communities,” improve recreation equipment, and bring back Sunday evening residence time in the coming year.
According to its Terms of Reference, the QSS Council is a largely consultative body composed of administrators and student leaders. It meets every month to discuss programs and initiatives with the aim of improving the student experience at UTM.
The Council kicked off December’s purely informational meeting by going over proposed student fees for the 2025-26 session. The proposals included fee increases for Recreation, Athletics & Wellness, Health Services, and Student Services.
If accepted, the new fees for the services under consideration would amount to C$610.66, an increase of C$30.96 from the 2024-2025 session. The proposals come as UTM expects an increase in student enrolment in Fall 2025.
The Council will vote on whether to endorse these proposals in their next meeting on January 15.
The rest of the meeting was dedicated to presentations by various UTM departments.
The Health & Counselling Centre (HCC) Medical Director Erin Kraftcheck noted that the HCC has brought on an additional physician, highlighting that the new team member will help make more appointments available.
Citing student feedback, Kraftcheck noted that, “students want to access our services in new and unique ways, including without having to physically show up [to the HCC clinic].” The feedback has prompted the HCC to update the way it delivers services, such as by creating the option for booking appointments online instead of by phone call.
Kraftcheck stated that the HCC’s priorities for 2025 include expanding the Peer Support and Ask the Nurse programs,
Regarding the UTM Shuttle Bus, the University’s Hospitality & Ancillary Services announced that it plans to implement a new Sunday round trip to the St. George campus by the 2025-26 session, in addition to the five such trips in the current schedule. It also plans to enhance wi-fi on buses and implement virtual ticketing as part of its broader initiative to move all shuttle-related services to the cloud.
Speaking for Students Affairs & Services, Career Centre Director Felicity Morgan said that the Student Services Hub will focus on optimizing its use of space, maintaining its social atmosphere, and increasing support for graduate students. She also positively reflected on how some students use booths in the Hub to study and socialize. “We know space is really scarce on campus,” she said, “but we want students to see this as more than just a space to study.”
Representatives for the Career Centre, the International Education Centre (IEC), the Centre for Student Engagement (CSE), and Family Care Services each conveyed goals to expand outreach to students to increase awareness of programs and pathways at UTM. Additionally, the IEC hopes to increase its number of staff positions by 43 per cent while the CSE aims to increase available funds for student groups and the salaries, wages, and benefits of its employees.
In a discussion regarding how UTM organizations could conduct better outreaches to students, Vice President and Principal’s Delegate Chad Nuttall disclosed that, according to survey data collected by UTM staff, “students, by and large, want to hear about events through email and through a weekly newsletter.” He suggested that organizations should accommodate this preference moving forward.
December News Briefs
Celesta Maniatogianni Associate News Editor
Holiday tax break rolls out across Canada.
In mid-December 2024, the Canadian government implemented a temporary tax break for the holiday season, exempting the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) on certain items such as groceries, children’s clothing, diapers, toys, books, and Christmas trees.
In provinces where both GST and HST are exempt—such as Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island—purchasing C$2,000 worth of such items during the tax break would realize GST savings of C$100 during that period. Canadian taxpayers are expected to save an estimated C$1.5 billion, which will be reduced from federal revenues.
The two-month tax break, lasting from December 14 to February 15, is intended to relieve some of the financial pressure of the holiday season, and “give Canadians more money in their pockets,” according to the Government of Canada.
U of T community members recognized by the Order of Canada
On December 18, Honourable Mary Simon, Canada’s Governor General, announced 88 new appointments to the Order of Canada, which included U of T faculty, alumni, and supporters.
The Order of Canada—one of the country’s top civilian honours—recognizes and celebrates Canadians who have made extraordinary contributions to the nation. There have been over 8,000 inductees into the Order since its conception in 1967.
Thirteen U of T faculty members were included in the appointments, including Ophthalmology Professor Steve Arshinoff; Political Science Professor Sylvia Bashevkin; Nutritional Sciences Professor Zulfiqar Bhutta; Medicine Professor Sandy Buchman; Medicine Professor David Chitayat, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education Professor Emeritus, Stacy Churchill; Medicine Professor Dafna Gladman; Professor and former Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, Daniel Haas; Anthropology Professor Tania Li, Mathematics Professor Vijaya Kumar Murty; Medicine Professor Greg Ryan; Nutritional Sciences Professor Emerita Valeria Sue Tarasuk; and Medicine Professor Emeritus George Trusler. Moreover, 11 U of T alumni and friends were inducted into the Order.
In a statement, Governor General Simon stated, “Members of the Order of Canada are builders of hope for a better future. Each in their own way, they broaden the realm of possibilities and inspire others to continue pushing its boundaries.”
Geoffery Hinton officially accepts Nobel Prize in Physics.
In December 2024, U of T Professor Emeritus of Computer Science Geoffrey Hinton officially accepted his Nobel Prize in Physics, which he was awarded in October 2024, during a formal ceremony at Stockholm Concert Hall in Stockholm, Sweden.
Won alongside Professor John J. Hopfield of Princeton University, Hinton was awarded the prize for his contributions to the development of fundamental frameworks of modern artificial intelligence (AI). Hopfield is credited as the inventor of a network for saving and recreating patterns, which Hinton built upon to create the Boltzmann machine, which was capable of finding properties in data and performing tasks such as identifying specific elements in pictures.
Five days before the ceremony, Hinton took part in a panel discussion at the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, where he discussed topics including AI development and its future. The next day, he visited the Nobel Prize Museum, to which he donated an early Boltzmann machine.
Hinton also participated in a Nobel tradition dating back to the event’s 100th anniversary in 2001, where laureates sign the underside of a chair in the Nobel Prize Museum’s restaurant.
The University of Toronto ranked the world’s most sustainable university.
QS World University Rankings, which evaluates post-secondary institutions for their environmental impact, social impact, and governance, named the University of Toronto (U of T) the most sustainable university in the world for the second consecutive year.
U of T President Meric Gertler said to U of T News, “On behalf of the University of Toronto, I am thrilled that our university is once again ranked first in the world in the QS Sustainability Rankings.”
U of T placed first overall out of more than 1,700 institutions across 95 countries and did especially well in two of the three main areas on which the ranking is based: firstly, environmental impact, which includes environmental education, research and sustainability and secondly, social impact, which includes employability and outcomes, equality, and health and well-being.
The placement comes after U of T secured 21st place in Times Higher Education’s 2025 World University Rankings. Canada is currently ranked as the top university in Canada, the third among public universities in North America, and the tenth among public universities globally.
Illustrations credit: Buket S. Baykal
Photo credit: Sara Li
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WRITE FOR US
04 OPINION
Editor | Mashiyat Ahmed opinion@themedium.ca
Worn by both men and women, these shoes have retained their unique chara teristics throughout history. With flat soles and slipon features, khussas offer a blend of comfort and style, making it the ideal shoe for all occasions.
Khussas: bridging the past and present with every step
The sole of Pakistan’s cultural heritage is embedded in this footwear.
Maryam Raheel, Contributor
As Pakistani fashion trends evolve and adapt to societal changes, one article of clothing has remained a popular choice for centuries: khussas. Khussas are more than just a traditional type of Pakistani footwear: they carry stories of the country’s history and rich culture.
Dating back to the Pre-Mughal time, with influence from Chinese styles, khussas were originally made using wood to form the sole. Since it was typically worn by those in rural areas, the region’s hot temperatures made wood an impractical material for protecting one’s feet from the heat. Over time, people switched from wood to leather as it was easily accessible and allowed for a sturdy, comfortable fit that shielded their feet from injuries.
These sensible shoes soon caught the attention of the royal courts. The Mughal Emperor, Jehangir, introduced khussas to the Mughal court and claimed it as the royal shoe. They began to decorate and design the shoe with threads of gold and silver, gems, and intricate embroidery. This new style eventually garnered popularity among the public, leading to the variety of khussa styles we see today.
A reason for the khussas’ continued popularity and use is that it’s made entirely by hand with sustainable methods. Skilled craftsmen cure, cut, and stitch the leather, creating pieces of the soles that are sewn together with cotton threads before designing the vamp by keeping the classic leather look or adding elaborate patterns. Still in high demand, artisans have been able to keep their profession alive and play an essential role in the preservation of our cultural heritage.
Worn by both men and women, these shoes have retained their unique chara teristics throughout history. With flat soles and slip-on features, khussas offer a blend of comfort and style, making it the ideal shoe for all occasions. Offered in a variety of colours and styles, they’re the favoured option for everything from festivals to casual outings.
While modern fashion trends alter aspects of the khussa to fit the latest styles, its timeless essence and unique craftsmanship ensure that it will unmistakably remain a khussa.
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Illustration credit: Sehajleen Kaur Wander
Editorial:
Psychedelic substances need to be used with responsibility, care, and context
As the popularity of these drugs increase, youth should learn about the cultural and contextual story before experimenting with magic mushrooms, or we risk repeating historical harms.
Mashiyat Ahmed Opinion Editor
In psychology, the ego is the mental glue that holds together someone’s enduring sense of who they are—their identity—and, in more colloquial terms, indicates one’s self importance. Imagine facing others’ criticism or even ridicule. Our mind’s ego quickly interjects to deny the validity of such criticisms when our self-importance has been tested or bruised.
Think of the ego as a barbed wire barrier meant to bolster one’s individuality even at the expense of our interconnectedness as a species. Psychedelics are hallucinogenic substances that cause alter our perception, mood, attention, and thinking. Psychedelics such as magic mushrooms or LSD (commonly known as acid) nibble away at the barriers we’ve erected between ourselves and the world, allowing us to experience sensations of connectedness and unity like never before.
My personal experience
As much as our egos protect us, they also isolate us. During the summer of 2024, I experimented with a higher dose of magic mushrooms—approximately 3.5g. With the house empty and echoey, I lay alone in the middle of my mattress and stared at the ceiling, feeling a slight agitation in my lower stomach, which I blamed on my anxious nerves. As the breeze blew in through the window, I began to take gradual notice of my limp body on the sloppy mattress, feeling the exact contours of my hips as they dug into the bed.
Thirty minutes later, the skin on my chest and shoulders, apart from gathering a slight sheen of sweat, assumed a new capability to sense almost every lock of ebony hair that frazzled across it, and even though the noise of the world dimmed like a bulb low on battery, my vision sharpened. The patterns on my carpet, which had always been rectangular and boring, began to move slowly and gracefully.
An hour later, I was still in my room, too preoccupied with its mere details that I had not cared to notice in the last three years I had lived here. Time began to distort, though I was not cerebrally aware of it. Experientially however, I could only focus on the here and now, the indispensability of the immediate moment, and could give no regard, no matter how much I tried, to the past or future.
The poets tell us that the past and future are but mere illusions, and neuroscientists who study chronoception—the science of time perception—know that time in the mind is an illusory reality constructed by the brain to help us navigate our environment. I had experienced time dilation before when a two-hour-long exam felt like an eternity or when a twentyminute game of Cards Against Humanity felt like the quickest five minutes of my life.
But even then, notions of the past and future still existed in the background of my immedi-
ate life, just not terrorizing me. What began as a sense of melting into my bed ended with the dazzlingly unfamiliar experience of not being confident in who I thought I was. The ordinary things that ornamented my identity—my name, social circles, my career aspirations, political and philosophical convictions, the colour of my skin and texture of my hair which gave way to my ethnicity—were all rendered hollow, if not meaningless.
Unarmed, metaphorically nude, no longer pressed between the walls of the past and future, and feeling my body in new ways, I was at the apex of my psychedelic “trip”. The feeling of separateness, a pocket of the world created by my previously astonishingly durable ego that only belonged to me, was weakened. At a higher dose, I am sure it would have been in shambles.
The exploitative antics
of the west’s “discovery”
of psychedelics
For some, psychedelics are reminiscent of the counterculture movement of the 1960s and the increasingly liberal attitudes towards love, sex, and politics that defined the zeitgeist of the era. For others, psychedelics remind them of rich spiritual and ritualistic traditions that Indigenous elders in their family practice or practiced. For science geeks and mental health advocates, psychedelics represent astonishing breakthroughs in health, psychology, and neuroscience.
But no matter which angle you explore, the rich and often neglected history of psychedelics’ origins remains unflinchingly true: the introduction of psychedelics to the western world displays a history of neglect and colonial exploitation of Indigenous communities, specifically in modern-day Mexico.
The Mazatec are one of many Indigenous Peoples whose use of psychedelics for spiritual gains is well-documented through anthropology. In spiritual ceremonies called Velada, shamans guide community members as they eat mushrooms to “cure the spirit, communicate with Mazatec deities, ask profound questions, and seek guidance from an ‘ultimate source’.” In the wake of inducing an altered state, marked by visual hallucinations and unlikely thought patterns, a cacophony of songs and drums, prayers and reflections erupt, and ceremonial tobacco use follows. Shamans then proceed to guide individuals through elaborate and meditative rituals, fostering deep relationships and insights many believe to be the core of the drugs’ power.
In the 1950s, American ethnomycologist Robert Wasson stumbled across the Mazatec and their activities surrounding psychedelics. He then convinced the spiritual leader of their community—Maria Sabina—to let him participate in these elaborate rituals.
After persuading Sabina to allow him to engage in sacred rituals only meant for Indigenous community members, Wasson quickly gathered his insights and travelled back to the U.S. to publish multiple articles on his “findings,” and in the process completely betraying Sabina’s trust and identity. Wasson didn’t even hesitate to bring back sacred Indigenous knowledge when his findings and enthusiasm would eventually kickstart mass synthetic development and scientific breakthroughs about psilocybin and LSD’s surprising therapeutic role in improving the symptoms of mental disorders.
The introduction of magic mushrooms to the Western world was conveniently timed, though steeped in colonial antics: not only did Wasson forgo any regard for Sabina and her community’s privacy, but his framing of mushrooms as simply psychological remedies or groundbreaking spiritual agents utterly sensationalizes and trivializes thousands of years of Indigenous sacred significance.
Context and intention are essential
I am not an avid psychedelic user, nor will I ever be. But I have microdosed on psilocybin— the ingredient that makes up shrooms—and experimented with higher doses of it twice in the cozy and private cove of my bedroom (away from my parents, obviously). But what began as an intellectual and scientific interest in psychedelics turned into me honestly playing with a substance while neglecting its cultural sanctity in Mesoamerican Indigenous communities— even when I was aware of this.
I am not advocating that psychedelics stay within the Indigenous community. That’s simply not a reasonable demand now that we are
decades into exploring their interaction with the mind. However, I have noticed the rise in commodifying psychedelics—both the substance and the experience.
The pharmaceutical industry, I believe, is eager to latch onto the financial gains that the demand for psychedelics can have. Beyond corporate fascination, the science community too seems to overwhelmingly treat psychedelics as this magical panacea for the deeply complex nature of mental illness. You can also now buy “psilocybin gummies” and tea bags, or go on retreats and oases promising “the trip of a lifetime.”
This is dangerous. Psychedelics have become products of consumption—a problem I am guilty of contributing to, more than once—and in the process, we risk trivializing, erasing, and disrespecting a 10,000 year cultural history that we have no real way of understanding. Some of us don’t even have the desire to understand it, and instead are swept up in the popular appeal of these “mind-bending” drugs.
I learned from my experience that context and intention are essential when interacting with psychedelics, either as consumers or enablers. We need to make a better individual and collective effort towards approaching these sensitive experiences with intentions rooted in personal growth, exploration, and community building; we need to check where our interests come from, and whether they are manufactured by mass media.
We need to remind ourselves that when we experiment with these drugs, we are actually piggybacking off of a neglected history of extractivism and scientific and cultural abuse. All of this starts with cultivating awareness in our social circles, and more importantly, holding industries and individuals who abuse these substances to account. Or else, we risk repeating Wasson’s harm.
Illustration credit: Ramiya Sureshkumar
10 things to leave behind in 2024
From 9:00
A.M.
classes to fearing office hours, here are 10 ways to make your upcoming semester a success for your grades and mental health.
Debbie Wong Contributor
University life can be a mix of chaos and charm. The habits you build during these formative years can last you a lifetime. Whether it is bragging about pulling an all-nighter or the universal loathing of group projects, students cling to certain quirks like they’re part of the syllabus. But let’s be honest, some of these habits and mindsets do more harm than good.
With the new year ahead, it’s time to pack up the excuses, outdated mentalities, and overpriced latte, and trade them for a healthier approach to university life. After all, university is about growth, not suffering. In this list, we’re calling out the most overdone, overrated, and downright unnecessary aspects of campus culture and offering better, more fulfilling alternatives.
So, grab your reusable coffee cup and your half-empty planner, and let’s leave these ten relics of student life where they belong: in the past.
1. Romanticizing all-nighters
Picture this: it’s 3 A.M., your laptop opens, and a half-empty energy drink sits next to you as you frantically type on the keyboard, trying to finish an essay. Sound familiar? All-nighters have become a flex in student culture, but they are less about “productive grind” and more “poor planning meets caffeine overdose”.
Pulling all-nighters ruins your health, zaps your focus, and leaves you drained for days. Instead, ditch the sleepless night for smart time management. Break projects into small, manageable tasks and prioritize quality rest. Contrary to popular belief, success doesn’t require self-destruction; it thrives on balance.
2. Post-exams trauma narratives
Real terror begins after the exam ends: students dissect every question, swapping horror stories and collectively panicking about how badly they think they did. While it feels necessary in the moment, these post-exam trauma narratives only increase anxiety and self-doubt.
Reminiscing about every mistake won’t change your grade, it’ll just keep you in a worry loop. Instead, leave the exam in the past where it belongs. Take a deep breath, grab a snack, and focus on what’s next. If you must debrief, do it briefly and move on. Your peace of mind deserves better than endless “what ifs” about a test that’s already over.
3. Fear of networking
Networking often feels like a chore, mixed with social anxiety. Just the thought of walking into a room full of strangers or sending that first LinkedIn message can send students into a spiral of dread. But avoiding networking means missing out on valuable opportunities: internships, mentorships, and maybe even lifelong friendships.
Here’s the real deal: networking doesn’t have to be awkward and formal. Start small, attend casual campus events or chat with classmates about shared interests. Introduce yourself on LinkedIn with a genuine message that highlights your enthusiasm. Remember, it’s about forming connections, not delivering a TED Talk. The more you practice, the less intimidating it becomes. Who knows? Your next coffee chat could lead to your dream job.
4. Clinging to high school glory days
We all know that person who can’t stop bringing up their high school accomplishments: “I was captain of the debate team,” or “Back in my high school, I won prom royalty.” While those achievements were great, clinging to them in university is like your desperate ex crawling back into your life, it doesn’t quite belong anymore.
University is a fresh start, a chance to reinvent yourself and achieve things that matter now. Instead of reliving past glories, focus on building new ones. Join a club, take on leadership roles or explore new opportunities. Let’s ditch the nostalgia and create new accomplishments. You will be surprised by how much more satisfying it is to live in the moment.
5. 9 A.M. classes you know you’ll skip
It starts with good intentions. You enroll in that 9 AM lecture, convinced that this will finally be the semester you become a morning person. Fast forward a few weeks, and your alarm is on snooze, your attendance is questionable, and the only thing you’ve mastered is regret.
Let’s be honest: if you’re not naturally an early riser, those 9 AM classes set you up for failure. Instead, opt for later class times or asynchronous options when possible. If you must take an early class, pair it with a foolproof morning routine to get you moving. Life’s too short to rush to class half-awake with a coffee you can barely hold.
6. The fear of office hours
Walking into office hours can be daunting. Sweaty palms, a racing heart, and the persistent fear of sounding dumb, but here’s the thing: professors don’t schedule office hours just to sit alone, they’re there to help.
Leaving this fear behind opens doors to better understanding course material and building relationships with those who could write you glowing recommendation letters. Start small and bring one or two specific questions to break the ice. And remember, professors were once students, too. Office hours aren’t a test of your knowledge but a chance to expand it. Plus, free academic advice? Why not take advantage of that while you can?
7. A campus coffee dependence
I get it, coffee feels like the only way to survive. But relying on overpriced coffee to keep you awake isn’t a quirky trait, it’s an expensive habit. Those $6 lattes add up fast. Plus, they’re barely keeping you functional during that 9 A.M. lecture you swore you’d attend (you didn’t).
It’s time to be responsible. Learn how to brew your coffee. Not only will you save money, but you can customize your caffeine precisely how you like it. Your wallet will thank you.
8. Procrastination excuses
You’re not alone when you tell yourself, “I work better under pressure,” as you binge-watch Netflix. But let’s face it: procrastination is just stress in disguise. Waiting until the last minute doesn’t make you an academic weapon. It leads to panic, guilt, and sleepless nights. Leave behind the endless excuses and get things done. Break tasks into smaller pieces, set mini-deadlines, and reward yourself when you hit them (perhaps with a $6 latte). You’ll find less stress, more free time, and a guilt-less existence can do wonders for your health.
9. Ignoring free fitness facilities
Take a look at your invoice. See that $200 you’re paying for the gym? So why aren’t you using it? The RAWC offers many resources: fully-equipped gyms, group fitness, and even swimming pools. Yet so many students let these perks go to waste, opting instead for overpriced membership or skipping fitness altogether.
Exercise isn’t just for the aesthetics; it boosts energy and increases focus. Hit the treadmill, join a drop-in yoga class, or try the equipment you’ve been eyeing. You already paid for it, so you might as well flex those muscles, literally and financially.
10. Constant campus Wi-Fi rants
It happens to the best of us: sitting in the library, furiously clicking “refresh” while the Wi-Fi mocks you with its eternal loading circle. The campus Wi-Fi is not the best, and venting about it to friends is easy. But the truth is that complaining about the Wi-Fi doesn’t fix the Wi-Fi.
Instead of wasting time ranting, try finding alternatives. Use offline tools, download materials beforehand, or find study spots with better connections. And hey, if the Wi-Fi is really a dealbreaker, consider investing in a better internet plan. The Wi-Fi might be trash, but your productivity doesn’t have to suffer because of it.
Photo credit: Sara Li
07 features
Culture: A fine line between the beauty of appreciation and the ugliness of disrespect
Exploring different cultures is arguably one of the most pleasurable things to do. But how do we know if we are doing it respectfully?
It is crucial to ensure that we are respecting the culture itself, instead of putting the idea of foreigners having that cultural experience on a pedestal.
You step foot into a newly opened Japanese restaurant. You are greeted by friendly smiles, polite nods, and waiters saying irasshaimase—or welcome in Japanese. The scent of fried food seeps into your nose, and a warm fuzzy feeling spreads all over you. Buzzing with anticipation, you order shrimp tempura—a Japanese fried dish—for the first time. You dip it into the tentsuyu sauce and take a greedy bite. Satisfaction spreads all over your body.
This heavenly feeling you may ask, is the joy of appreciating other cultures.
Culture is one of the pillars of humanity. It is the beautiful composite of all the history, cuisine, and arts cultivated by those before us. From our social habits to our beliefs, our cultures shape who we are. It is the doorway to truly experience the wisdom, artistic expression and love of a community.
Now, you are fascinated by other cultures. Who doesn’t love beautiful things? Chances are, you were inspired by it. That magical bite of tempura reminded you of a dish from your own culture, and you can’t wait to combine them and create a completely new dish. To share this ecstatic feeling, you will post the recipe on TikTok.
“This is a perfect plan,” you thought on your way home. But an alarm rings in your head. The term ‘cultural appropriation’ crosses through your mind. Hesitation rises. Is it wrong to add a creative twist to others’ culture? How do you balance the fine line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation?
A checklist to avoid cultural appropriation
1. Ask yourself, “Am I coming from a place of genuine interest to appreciate the original value and tradition of the culture?”
When you try a new cultural practice, make sure you aren’t doing so from a judgemental point of view.
In many cases, Westerners are praised for trying certain cultural traditions, while people from that culture are made fun of for practicing those same traditions. For example, people from Hong Kong have received racist insults for eating roasted goose, a local dish, but when Westerners try it, they are deemed as ‘cool,’ ‘brave,’ and ‘open-minded.’
2. Educate yourself on the cultural experience that you are interested in.
Researching the cultural practice, such as its history, meaning, and traditional practice can help avoid misinterpretation. To truly appreciate a culture also means taking the time and effort to learn its history and meaning.
In this age where everything is available online; it is important to fact-check and do research on different content. The media might be able to show a glimpse of cultural context, but something as rich and deep as culture requires effort to truly understand it. Sorry to break it to you but learning about a culture requires more than watching a TikTok video.
3. Give credit to where the cultural practice originated from, and share your ideas with accurate context.
While it is exciting to present your vision, it is crucial to share where your inspiration comes from while expressing your creativity. This small step can make certain that the culture is being represented accurately and that you are respecting the culture’s origin.
Why should you care?
It is a privilege that we get to be in an international place like the University of Toronto, where we are exposed to various cultures. While we benefit from learning from other cultures, it is key that we preserve the culture’s originality and spirit.
It is incredibly disrespectful and foolish to undermine, mock, or disregard other cultures just because they are different than our own. Culture bridges humanity. The first step to creating a peaceful, loving, and ever-growing community is to respect other cultures.
Just do it!
It may be a lot of work, but you should still explore a lot of cultures. Being open-minded can expand our vision and knowledge in ways beyond our imagination. It could lead us to many places—both figuratively and literally!
So, what are you waiting for? Go try that Greek cuisine you have been thinking about, read that book about Indigenous culture you were recommended, or even take that summer abroad course that you have been meaning to apply!
features@themedium.ca
Gisele Tang
Associate Features Editor
Illustration credit: Buket S. Baykal
The Malayalee Man’s Trademark: The Lungi
The lungi is an important cultural garment for South India.
As a third-culture kid of Indian descent, I am always out of the loop when it comes to Indian customs. The most infuriating tradition I have not mastered was wearing a lungi. The lungi is legwear worn by Malayalees, the Indian community I come from, situated in Kerala—a southwestern state in India.
Whenever I think of Malayalee men, the first thing that crosses my mind is the trademark style of the lungi. However, with more research, I realized lungis aren’t just legwear. The way a lungi is worn reflects certain nuances within the Malayalee community.
According to a news article by The News Minute, the lungi is usually a “two-metre long cloth, in floral prints or in colourful check patterns, draped around one’s waist or at times pulled up to the knees to make a knot.”
Usually, lungis are casual clothing you wear while relaxing at home or going for a walk around the neighbourhood. However, they are also the vestment of choice for the blue-collar working class. This tendency has made lungis symbolize lower levels of education, while Western clothes symbolize higher levels of education. This trope is particularly propagated in movies.
An example is the Malayalam movie Meleparambil Aanveedu, which features a family with one educated man among its family of non-educated men. Throughout the movie, Jayram is featured wearing Western clothing to show how he is educated and works at a company. Meanwhile, his brothers and father always wear lungis, signifying their lack of education and occupation as farmers. Therefore, we can say that the lungi is a garment that can reflect the social class of the wearer.
Many of the lungi’s nuances come from how you wear the lungi. A common way to wear a lungi is to wrap it around your bottom half and tighten it by bunching and tucking it towards your right. However, Tamilians—people from Tamil Nadu, Kerala’s neighbouring state—also wear their lungis towards the left. Therefore, the lungi also acts as a type of identification or as a signal to show others where you are from.
Another variation of wearing the lungi is by repeating the same above steps, and then folding half of the lungi upwards and repeating the bunching and tucking process. This is the shorter style of wearing a lungi. This is typically worn by people while they are engaged in physical labour since the longer length makes it harder to move around. However, the shorter style means something entirely different for me.
In South Indian action movies, the protagonist always dons the shorter style before he destroys the villains. In a blog post, the author m@dness perfectly describes the hype when the lungi-wearing main character fights the bad guys:
“It usually occurs right before an action sequence and will most probably be in slow motion (especially if it’s a Mohanlal starrer). The hero bends down slightly, does a mini hop-skip flicking the end of a lungi into an outstretched palm before he ties it around his hips and proceeds to demolish the villains; with every lungi-addict in the audience silently, or sometimes not so silently, cheering him on.”
The author’s explanation shows exactly how sensational this style of wearing the lungi is. Meanwhile, the longer style is more ‘decent’ and ‘polite.’ For example, whenever a Malayalee sees someone socially ‘above’ them, they immediately undo the extra fold and go to the longer style as a show of respect. Therefore, the lungi also plays a role in the social interactions between Malayalees.
As a garment that has many societal and religious connotations, the use of lungi can even lead to controversy. An example of this is the ‘lungi’ protest in Kozhikode, Kerala caused when a man wearing a lungi was not allowed in a family-friendly restaurant, supposedly due to the fact the lungi is a ‘low class’ garment.
Another incident is when a man wearing a lungi was not allowed in the visitors’ gallery of the Kerala assembly. While he argued that it was custom in Malabar, a region in Kerala, to wear a white shirt and kallimundu (another name for lungi) for auspicious events, he was rejected as the lungi is an informal dress.
Personally, after learning more about lungis, I want to be able to actually wear one. I don’t have to wear a lungi to be Malayalee, but a lungi is undoubtedly a trademark of Malayalee culture. It’s a clothing style that is tied to how Malayalees live and interact with each other—a style that represents us like none other.
Paradox of an identity thief
Growing up everywhere and belonging nowhere–or maybe everywhere?
I can’t exactly place my earliest memory as a child, but I do hazily remember what I assume to be Al-Jazeera on a bulky Panasonic. I faintly recall my mother beside me, crouched over while rocking me into comfort, yet her eyes never faltered from the LCD lights. It must have been at least four in the morning in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE), yet my nagging cries and incessant tears kept her up.
On March 19, 2003, President of the United States George W. Bush ordered the launch of airstrikes on Iraq’s capital of Baghdad due to false suspicions of Iraq’s possession of weapons of mass destruction, ultimately leading to the nearly 9-year-long Iraq war. I would have been about a month and a half old.
When I tell this story, no one quite believes that my memory truly serves me that well—and who knows? Even if it may have come to me in a dream, it will always serve as a reminder of my perception of what it meant to be Iraqi, or lack thereof. As a Russian-Iraqi who grew up everywhere except home, I have always been told who I was, whether by the news anchor on TV, the unsolicited opinions from strangers and friends, or even the Merchant in Aladdin who called me barbaric.
I always found it difficult to accept myself as such, though it was impossible to challenge as a child. And how could I? The characters who looked like me and lived inside my television were always the bad guys. How would I prove I wasn’t the vulgar, militaristic, hot-headed Arab I was broadcasted to be?
Identity, especially in reference to culture, is by no means linear. In and of itself, we have inherited small fractures of culture from all over the world. We import spices from India, finish our meals with tea from China, and sleep on Egyptian cotton sheets. Though culture courses through our blood in ancestry and tradition, it also finds the space to flourish and coexist outside ourselves. To be forced to accept what the world has determined of me is to also accept that, admittedly, my entire existence is a paradox.
Because though I am Iraqi, I am a Russian and a Canadian who was born and raised in UAE’s smallest Emirate. Growing up in both Canada and the UAE has given me the ultimate ‘melting pot’ experience. I grew up with Palestinian, Afghani, Egyptian, Persian, and Portuguese friends—all with families who took me in and raised me as their own.
My mother refused to play anything but Fairuz when driving me to school, ultimately famil-
iarizing me with the Lebanese dialect. My coworkers at my first job as a 16-year-old invited me to their Diwali celebrations every year, my great-uncle tried (and failed) to teach me German every summer I spent in Austria, and I broke my fast eating French Gratin in a Syrian house every Ramadan.
I accumulate all these experiences as trinkets and trophies; as evidence that I go against the grain, and do not conform myself to a mould of others’ expectations. I am adorned with the specks and slivers of everyone I have ever known, and it has made me the person I am today.
However, that does not mean I am any less Iraqi or Russian than I have made out to be. Even though my Arabic frankly spits out of me like a sputtering motor, and I hardly passed my first-year Russian course, they are an imperfect reflection of who I truly am.
My insistence on taking the shirt off of my back for a stranger is the standard in Baghdad, and my love for reading and writing is contained between the pages of books that rest on Al-Muttanabi Street, long after the bookstores are shut for the night. There is an Iraqi proverb that goes, ‘The reader does not steal, and the thief does not read.’
My ability to withstand gruelling Canadian winters comes from my Russian roots, and my guarded nature pays homage to the nesting dolls that have sat at my bedside table for as far as my memory recollects. The smouldering Baghdadi sun that strikes my back negates the cutting winter winds of Moscow within me and has only deepened my affections and curiosities to the polarizing sides of me. Most people say fire and ice don’t mix, but I’m doing just fine.
So here I stand, an amalgamation of my experiences, teetering on the edges of what defines ‘culture’ when the lines have always been boundless. If culture intrinsically expands and shapeshifts itself freely, why can’t I do the same? I am Russian, Iraqi, Emirati, and Canadian, all in my unique ways, and they exist within me all at once.
Though my story is far from unique, it is a testament to the idea that we inherently find belonging while seeking to understand exactly where we belong. In a world that seeks to simplify, challenge yourself to go beyond embracing your complexities and redefine what it means to be authentically yourself.
Culture is ever-fluctuating, ever-changing, and ever-growing, and so are we. So yes, I can be vulgar and a little brutal, and while vodka isn’t my cup of tea, I’ll always prefer mine with cardamom and extra sugar
Madhav Ajayamohan Features Editor
Dina Mukhamed Mekhdi Contributor
Illustration credit: Buket S. Baykal
Illustration credit: Buket S. Baykal
09 Arts
Can food be considered art?
With every dish made is a story told—filling the recipe book with secrets, superstitions, and satisfactions of the people you love.
& Entertainment Editor
Of the many family traditions indulged in during the holidays, my favourite occurs during Eid and school vacations when my grandmother rounds up all her granddaughters to make Seviyan together. I didn’t visit my family this winter, so I heard all about it instead from my youngest cousin. She relayed the event with all the enthusiasm a ten-year-old can possess, telling me with great delight that she thought it to be “like making art.” I found her comparison quite apt.
and shapes the noodles. Every swirl of the wooden spoon in the pot colours the milk with the flavours of pistachios and almonds—the way a paintbrush swirls across a canvas. This is a tradition passed down from grandmother to granddaughter down the branches and bark of my family tree.
Seviyan is a traditional Indian dessert that combines wheat vermicelli with nuts, milk, and sugar. Simple to make but timeconsuming, my grandmother has spent many days turning fumbling fingers into sculptor’s hands as she kneads the dough
In India and Pakistan, food is not just food. It is art, history, and centuries of stories, some that are preserved only in the spices of our curries and the stalks of our cane sugar as the tides of time and the violence of colonization have tried to erase them from our countries. The Jalebi is treated with the delicacy of spun glass, and the Ladu is pinched and rolled like
The music of Disney’s latest hit, Mufasa:
The Lion King
Releasing 30 years after the Disney classic, The Lion King, this prequel-sequel is a worthy musical successor to the original film, paying homage both to the original score and the film’s African heritage.
Emma Catarino Contributor
Mufasa: The Lion King was initially released in theatres on December 13, 2024, grossing $476.4M in the global box office. The film is a prequel-sequel to the live-action The Lion King (2019) movie, which itself was an adaptation of the original The Lion King (1994) animated movie. Mufasa: The Lion King follows the origin story of the titular character, Mufasa, as he grows up with his brother, Taka, falls in love with Sarabi, and eventually ascends to being “The Lion King.”
the finest pottery. We have restaurants and dessert makers with businesses and recipes passed down for generations—recipes our parents swear taste the same at 50 as they did at 15.
Food itself holds a very fascinating place in cultures across the world. The purpose of any dish is to provide health and nutrition, but a dish made for someone else is cooked for the sole purpose of providing care. In that way, food is the very first language of love. In the Mediterranean, we see the Mezze— a tradition of hospitality and connection—carve its place in every served meal. In Japan, there’s the tradition of preparing and sending bento boxes off with your loved ones for the day. The food predominant in any culture is the food made again and again for the care and keeping of others. It is cooked with tender hands and hearts, plated to entice both your eye and your appetite, and shared among family and friends to bring us together. Every dish made for you by your family and friends is their love arranged meticulously on a plate and there for you to gorge on as much as you want.
And with every dish made is a story told: three green chillies because your aunt added them by accident and now it’s tradition; a spoonful of yogurt because your roommate swears it makes the whole thing taste better; an extra pinch of sugar because you know your sister likes it sweet. On and on as you grow up, you gain a recipe book filled with secrets, superstitions, and satisfactions of the people you love. So prevalent is food in our cultures and made with such dedication and passion that how can we call it anything less than art?
The film contains seven original songs, six of which were composed by the famous Lin Manuel Miranda. The first song of the film, “Ngomso,” contains lyrics in Xhosa and was composed and sung by Lebo M, a South African artist who also worked on the original The Lion King movie. The six songs composed by Lin Manuel Miranda are more modern and Western to appeal to a larger commercial audience (and to cater to the fans who watched the movie solely because of his participation in the production). However, while the main soundtrack didn’t bring the movie’s African heritage to the forefront, the background score makes up for it. David Metzger composed the score for the film, which features lyrics in Swahili and Zulu, sung by the South African Gospel Choir.
Lin Manuel Miranda first became well-known in 2008 for his Broadway musical, In the Heights, which was adapted into a movie in 2021. However, he is most famously known for creating the Broadway hit musical, Hamilton, which he wrote, composed, and starred in. Since then, he’s composed numerous songs for Disney, most notably creating the soundtracks for Encanto and Moana. Miranda has a distinct contemporary musical style with specific repeating themes for each charac-
ter, overlapping vocal melodies, and rapping. This distinct style stands out in the songs he wrote for Mufasa, too.
As a Lin Manuel Miranda fan myself, I thought his style shined through most in the song “I Always Wanted a Brother,” as the lion cubs sing the titular line repeatedly in a fast-paced, modern way, pronouncing “brother” as “brothaaa” in a New York accent (Miranda was born and raised in Manhattan).
The songs that Miranda wrote for Mufasa do a great job of upholding the playful vibes of the original The Lion King film. However, I feel that some bits of these songs were so similar to his previous work that it pulled me out of my immersion in this film (though that may be just because I’ve listened to the Hamilton soundtrack a million times).
Overall, the movie’s soundtrack was very well done, and it paid homage to the original film in numerous ways, from the love song “Tell Me It’s You” being akin to “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” to Timon and Pumba giving an updated rendition of “Hakuna Matata.” Most of the songs were light and upbeat, similar to the original film, while still remaining creative and fresh.
Photo credit: Sara Li
Editor | Keira Johannson arts@themedium.ca
Zainab Hassan Associate Arts
Illustration credit: Sehajleen Kaur Wander
“The Culture”: more than music
The AGO’s new exhibition highlights how hip-hop has impacted global visual culture.
Kirsty Carnan Contributor
Stepping off the elevator onto the fifth floor of the Art Gallery of Ontario, I am greeted by their most recent exhibition, “The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century,” featuring six sections: Language, Ascension, Pose, Adornment, Tribute, and Brand. Together, they showcase the influential power that hip-hop has had on a wide range of visual culture, representation, activism, and identity since its birth in 1973.
This exhibition visits Toronto as it travels across North America, initially started and curated by the Baltimore Museum of Art and St. Louis Art Museum. Changing with each city it encounters, “The Culture” uniquely includes Canadian artists and designers such as Caitlin Cronenberg, who photographed Drake’s Views album cover, and Patrick Nicols’ work, “A Great Day in Toronto HipHop”, picturing major DJs, MCs, producers, radio and television personalities, as well as those in breakdancing, graffiti writing, and fashion from Toronto.
Walking through the exhibit, I was not only immersed by the display of creation rooted in Black, Latinx, and Afro-Caribbean experience but also surrounded by the sounds of hip-hop. Travelling from one section to the next, the music connected yet separated the
The significance of Indigenous facial tattoos
With Indigenous facial tattoos becoming more popular in the mainstream, it is important to know about their history and significance within their respective communities.
works. What has started as a verbal and instrumental medium for expression has since blossomed into much more, including fashion, contemporary art, videography, and sculpture—solidifying its place among visual culture and affecting the larger picture of activism and identity across the world.
Hip-hop music typically discusses topics of interpersonal relationships, opinions, experiences, and political wrongdoing as a way for artists to connect and communicate with the public and their listeners. This is then translated into other forms of art present in the exhibition. For instance, the videography by Kahlil Joseph that takes inspiration from Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d. city album offers a visual representation of Lamar’s storytelling about Compton, California. Robert Pruitt’s work, “For Whom the Bell Curves,” outlines the travel routes of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade using gold chains that serve as a comparison of wealth, personal expression, and forced Black diaspora.
Next to it, Anthony Olubunmi Akinbola reworks and redefines black durags, which are used to protect hair and also function as a fashion accessory, to create a four-panel collage that is reminiscent of abstract painting.
The artists themselves have become selfproclaimed brands through their growing popularity and influence over their listeners. Mainly, this is apparent through fashion and shoes. The exhibition holds Moncler’s “Maya Jacket”, which was famously worn by Drake in his “Hotline Bling” music video and was a common status symbol among hip-hop celebrities back in the 2000s. Other examples include bedazzled Timberland boots and Travis Scott’s collab with Nike, creating his own Jordan 1s that are available for fans to purchase.
“The Culture” conveys the genre’s impact on visual culture beyond what I have discussed in this article, and I encourage you to check out the impressive display. The exhibit runs until April 6, 2025.
Skyler Piskoroski Associate Arts & Entertainment Editor
Facial tattoos have existed for thousands of years and hold important roots within Indigenous communities. The meanings and specific traditions vary across Indigenous cultures, but all represent a connection to Mother Earth. Kakiniit is the name for the practice of traditional tattoos in Inuit culture, with tuniit referring specifically to facial tattoos. These tattoos are most common among Inuit women and are done exclusively by women on other women.
The practice in Inuit culture comes from the legend of the sea goddess, Sedna, and is done for various purposes. Each tattoo’s symbolism is unique and holds special meaning for each woman: a representation of entering womanhood, sharing about her family, her achievements, her place in the community, and ensuring that she goes to a place of goodness and happiness in the afterlife.
However, the practice of tuniit decreased when European colonizers and Christian missionaries in the 1700s claimed tattoos were evil and banned women from receiving them. This ban, as well as further genocidal acts to get rid of Indigenous culture, resulted in tuniit becoming a taboo subject and a marker of shame among those who had them. Many did not want to discuss them with younger generations, result-
ing in much of this knowledge not being shared or passed down. The practice almost disappeared following the passing of the last generation of women who had these markings.
There has been a sort of contemporary revival of Inuit facial tattoos in recent years. As a way of preserving the tradition, many Inuit women have begun getting facial tattoos again. This resurgence has become a way of teaching and normalizing the image of tattoos on Inuit women for younger generations, as well as challenging colonial taboos.
Many public figures have also begun receiving traditional tattoos. Influencer Shina Nova got her first face tattoos in 2020 and shared on TikTok about the history of their demonization by colonizers and their importance to her as an Inuit woman. Quannah Chasinghorse, a Sicangu Lakota and Hän Gwich’in supermodel, was the first Indigenous model to walk for Chanel and attend the Met Gala in 2021, bringing her traditional face tattoos into mainstream media. And Mumilaqq Qaqqaq made news when she was elected in 2019 as a Nunavut Member of Parliament with facial tattoos.
The Inuit Tattoo Revitalization Project is a newer project founded by Hovak Johnson, which works towards the goal of bringing back and further normalizing this tradition. The project raises money and travels across Northern Canada to give women the opportunity to receive these tattoos just as their ancestors did.
As a result of increasing education, awareness, and activism, perspectives on Indigenous facial tattoos are beginning to change. Cora DeVos, the photographer for the Revitalization Project, explained that when the project began, there were only a few women who had tattoos for them to photograph, whereas now there are hundreds of Inuit women in Canada who wear them proudly.
Photo credit: Kirsty Carnan
Illustration credit: Ramiya Sureshkumar
11 sports & health
Editor | Joseph Falzata sports@themedium.ca
How being active and eating well alleviates the bird flu
Exercises
and foods that can help keep your body strong during a sickly time.
Maram Qarmout Contributor
It’s no surprise that many university students are sick right now. As many students are on campus every day and the weather is changing, students face the risk of catching various viruses.
Avian influenza, also known as the bird flu, is often found to infect birds and animals first before humans. While it is rare for humans to catch the bird flu, it’s not impossible. It may be hard for students to determine whether they have the bird flu because the symptoms parallel a normal cold: fever, sore throat, fatigue, cough, etc.
The bird flu
Cleveland Clinic clarifies that individuals can only be infected by the bird flu by coming in contact with infected birds or animals, their saliva, bodily fluids, respiratory droplets, or feces. However, it’s especially important that students walking through campus trails be careful around animal habitats as small dust particles may come in contact with their eyes, nose, or mouth and still cause an infection.
If someone has recently visited an animal habitat or feels that their flu symptoms are peculiar—for example, pink eyes, shortness of breath, diarrhea, or nausea and vomiting—it’s vital that they visit a doctor and conduct a swab test. Unlike a normal flu, avian influenza may result in brain swelling, pneumonia, acute respiratory distress, and a few other detrimental health effects, which is why it’s crucial that students see a doctor urgently.
Exercise and diet
Although it’s difficult to take care of one’s body while infected with the bird flu, preemptive measures may help alleviate some of the symptoms, including proper exercise and a nutritional diet.
Exercise isn’t simply an act of staying fit. It’s proven to help quell many viruses. According to a research paper by Sports Medicine, physical activity aids the respiratory system to expel any inflammatory viruses. An article by The National Library of Medicine explains that by exercising, students activate a level of stress hormones that reduce excessive inflammation.
Exercise also increases the concentration of white blood cells, which are known to be at constant war in our bodies fighting against all illnesses and diseases. Strong immunity is vital to staying healthy, which is why physical activity is essential to maintaining high concentration levels of white blood cells. Eating healthily is just as vital as exercising consistently. A failure to eat an adequate amount of vitamins and minerals may reduce the availability of important immune cells that help alleviate flu symptoms.
Foods rich in vitamin D, C, A, E, B6 and B12 are recommended for every meal. Fish, especially tuna and salmon, including egg yolk and fatty cheeses, are prime examples of vitamins D and A. On the other hand, cruciferous vegetables like cabbage and broccoli, kiwi, and citrus fruits are a few examples of foods enriched with vitamin C.
Using vegetable, olive, or sunflower oil when cooking and eating basil, hazelnuts, or avocados is a way for students to include vitamin E into their diet. Vitamin B6 can be found in whole grains and liver. Similarly, students can eat aged cheeses, fish, and milk to complete their B12 intake.
Berries, nuts and seeds, shellfish, eggs, yogurt, and cheese are all great ways of adding minerals to a diet. These suggestions are a few of the options available for students, but they are a first step for all students to ensure that their dietary needs are met.
When these needs are met, symptoms such as respiratory infections and inflammations are reduced. Furthermore, various immune cells strengthen, heightening their ability to combat virus cells. As the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada explains, an abundance of vitamins and minerals ensures that the body is nourished and hydrated, which is crucial during an illness when it may be difficult to consume food.
When students choose to exercise and eat nutritionally, not only are they enabling themselves to stay healthy, but they also ensure that their bodies are ready to combat any viruses roaming the air amid the flu season.
Illustration credit: Buket S. Baykal
Diversity and Team Building
Looking into the potential pros and cons behind diverse team building.
Tyler Medeiros Contributors
The University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) campus is home to students from over 130 different countries, making it one of the most racially diverse schools in North America. Students from around the world attend UTM for its award-winning facilities and excellent teaching staff, but what role does the racially diverse student pool play in sports team building?
The Benefit
Constructing a team made up of players from a variety of backgrounds can be beneficial for a multitude of reasons. The one that springs to mind straight away is the wide range of knowledge and experience that each player brings to the team. Because of the diverse student pool at UTM, an immense amount of knowledge and unique experiences can be shared and circulated within different teams. Students who were born and raised in countries from Africa, Asia, or Europe may have a unique skill set or background in a sport or exercise that is not popular or familiar in Canada. Building a team made up
of individuals from a variety of backgrounds will likely give your team a competitive advantage over competing schools.
Potential Drawbacks
One of the potential downsides of building a team made up of individuals from different countries and various cultures is the possible language barrier.
Picture this: you are a member of an intramural soccer team made up of 10 members. Three of them are from Portugal; they speak English but with a heavy Portuguese accent. Another four of the other teammates are from China and are still learning the English language. The two other members were both born and raised in Canada and grew up speaking English.
Trying to have a conversation or set up tactics and strategies to defeat the opposing team
would be extremely difficult. Words and the meanings behind them would get lost in translation. Verbal language is not the only drawback of building a team comprised of people from diverse backgrounds: there is also the risk of cliques forming, which can be detrimental to a team’s overall success and togetherness due to a lack of a team unity.
Although there are potential issues surrounding diverse team building, there are ways to avoid and remedy them. A potential language
Winter sports update:
barrier between teammates can be worked around using universal hand and body signals to communicate. Teams may also consider working with a translator to help communicate specific messages.
Cliques are another potential negative impact of diverse team building that can be avoided. The most crucial step in eliminating cliques is the nomination of a captain. The role of the captain would be to ensure that each member of the team feels included and valued within the group.
Big Picture
When building a team at school, studentathletes need to remember one of the core elements of the mission behind UTM sports: to provide students with a positive, healthy, and inclusive sporting environment. Including all students who express interest in being part of a team is not only ethical, but it’s also a great way to gain fresh insights into sports.
If you are interested in joining a team on campus, follow this link for more information.
How are the Eagles doing so far?
UTM’s tri-campus sports are back in full swing after a full month hiatus.
Joseph Falzata Sports & Health Editor
UTM’s winter sport programs return to action this week after an extended holiday break. While our men’s soccer and mixed ultimate frisbee teams saw much success this past fall—finishing first and second in their regular seasons, respectively—the Eagles men’s and women’s basketball, ice hockey, and volleyball programs are still underway and will hope to replicate the same achievements.
Men’s basketball (1-4-0, 4th place):
After their first five games, the Eagles currently sit bottom of the table. However, the men’s squad has been unlucky, losing a pair of matches by narrow margins. With only one win separating second place and fourth place, the men’s squad will look to turn things around, and with their next two matches being played at home, hopes are high for the Eagles.
Top scorer: Amro Matti – 14.8 PPG, 3.3 APG, 5.3 RPG
Next game: UTM vs UTSG Red, January 19 @ 1:00pm at UTM RAWC Court A/B
Women’s basketball (1-4-0, 4th place):
The women’s squad also currently sits at the bottom of the standings with the same record as the men’s team, and their lone win came against second place St. George Blue. However, the Eagles post the second-lowest points against in the league, meaning if they can find ways to improve their offence, the women’s side can definitely pick up wins down the back stretch of the season.
Top scorer: Kaitlin Parsons – 9.2 PPG, 0.8 APG, 7.2 RPG
Next game: UTM vs UTSG Red, January 19 @ 11:00am at UTM RAWC Court A/B
Men’s ice hockey (1-4-0, 4th place):
After a nearly undefeated regular season last year, the men’s team has been unable to replicate the same on-ice dominance. Despite the slow start, the Eagles are only one win back of second place. If the men’s team can find ways to turn tight losses into wins, they should be able to bounce back before playoffs.
Top scorer: Matthew Chekay – 11G, 1A
Next game: UTM vs UTSC, January 21 @ 8:00pm at Varsity Arena
Women’s ice hockey (0-2-3, 4th place):
Even though the women’s hockey team is still searching for their first win of the season, they’ve tied three games—more than any other team in the league. They’ve managed to keep games close, but their lack of scoring isn’t doing them many favours. The Eagles need to start hitting the back of the net if they want to start seeing wins instead of draws on their record.
Top scorer: Molly Patten – 3G, 1A
Next game: UTM vs UTSC, January 14 @ 9:00pm (Arena TBD)
Men’s volleyball (1-4-0, 4th place):
After being blown out in their opening matches, the men’s volleyball team has taken their last three games to five sets each, but with only one win to show for, the Eagles need to be better in clutch time. With the worst points against in the league, the Eagles need to focus on their receiving and defence if they want to compete on the court.
Top scorer: Lucas Lin – 11.4 KPG, 1.0 BPG, 2.8 DIGS PG
Next game: UTM vs UTSG Red, January 19th @ 5:30pm at UTM RAWC Court A/B
Women’s volleyball (3-2-0, T-2nd place):
The women’s volleyball team are currently tied for second and are the best performing winter sports team at UTM. The Eagles are only one win back of league-leaders St. George Red, and with UTM taking on the Reds next week, they’ll be hoping for a strong performance to move into first place.
Top scorer: Payton Bouvier – 8.2 KPG, 1.8 BPG, 5.2 DIGS PG
Next game: UTM vs UTSG Red, January 19 @ 3:30pm at UTM RAWC Court A/B
If you’re interested in covering any future tricampus matches or would like to get involved, email sports@themedium.ca to learn more.
Photo credit: Yifei Pang (Kevin)
Illustration credit: Sara Li