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CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE FICTION: REDISCOVERING THE HUMANNESS IN US ALL
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ASIAN HEALTHY EATING HABITS: THE SECRET TO AGING BACKWARDS
Asian countries are frequently recognized for their ageless appearances and healthy lifestyles. These communities often claim that diets are at the forefront of...
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OPINION
Does Canada need a patients’ Bill of Rights?
There is no doubt that the collective experiences of the pandemic have left an indelible mark on everyone’s life. For most of us, the pandemic is a hazy memory. But for healthcare workers and patients, the pandemic remains a stark reminder of the inefficiencies and dangers of Canada’s health care system.
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According to a new report from Food Banks Canada, food banks across Canada are experiencing an unprecedented surge in visitors, reaching the highest number of visitors since 1989.
>> Continues on page 03
When not pursuing a major in biology for health science and a minor in psychology, 20-year-old award-winning entrepreneur Esha Dhillon is driving technological innovation in the healthcare industry.
>> Continues on page 08
Since its premiere in 1975, Saturday Night Live (SNL) has been a cornerstone of television and comedy. All these years, audiences have been captivated by the combination of celebrities and comedians into a night of conversation and performance.
>> Continues on page 10
On Tuesday, October 24, the UTM Men’s Hockey team took on St. George Black at Varsity Arena – the team responsible for ending their playoff hopes last season. Despite the whirlwind of anticipation leading up to the season opener, the Eagles ultimately skated away in a hard-fought defeat.
Canada and India have mutually expelled each other’s diplomats over their escalating feud regarding a suspected breach of Canadian sovereignty by the Indian government.
Diana Fu Associate News Editor
On October 14, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats and consular officials following a federal police investigation that linked Indian government agents with activities that threatened the public safety of Canadians.
According to a press release from Global Affairs Canada, the six individuals were expelled after India refused to cooperate with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) after being asked to waive diplomatic and consular immunities. Due to ongoing public safety concerns for Canadians, Canada issued expulsion notices to those individuals.
The RCMP released a statement on October 14 linking Indian diplomatic officials with the coercion and threatening of individuals and businesses within Canada to collect intelligence for the Government of India, which they used to pursue a campaign of harassment and intimidation of South Asian communities in Canada.
In their statement, the RCMP explained why they shared this information with the public despite typically refraining from such disclosures. “It is not our normal process to publicly disclose information about ongoing investigations, in an effort to preserve their integrity. However, we feel it is necessary to do so at this time due to the significant threat to public safety in our country.”
The RCMP continued to address these safety concerns throughout their statement and even announced a serious threat to Canadians. “There is a violent extremism threat in Canada that Canada and India have been working on over the years. However, these threats are impacting Canada and India’s ability to collaborate.”
Diplomatic tensions rise following accusations linking India to Canadian Sikh leader’s death
The diplomatic spat began last year on September 18 when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the government of India of playing a role in the death of Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Nijjar was shot and killed on June 18 last year outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia. He was a prominent Sikh separatist leader and a public advocate for Khalistan—an independent Sikh homeland in India’s Punjab region.
In response to the allegations, on September 21, 2023, India restricted the issuing of visas to Canadian citizens, citing the increased tensions between the two countries.
India restored visa services later in the year on November 22, amidst a calming of the dispute. However, according to immigration consultant Jennie McCahill, with the increasing tensions between the two countries due to the situation’s recent escalations, these services look to be under threat again, especially with the expulsions of consular staff.
On May 3, the RCMP formally charged three Indian nationals for Nijjar’s murder. The three men are suspected to be part of the Bishnoi gang, an influential organized crime group with origins in India’s Punjab state. The RCMP linked the Bishnoi gang’s activities in Canada with the actions of Indian government agents in its ongoing investigation.
Before making accusations of the Indian government’s involvement, Prime Minister Trudeau discussed Nijjar’s death with members of the Five Eyes intelligence network, which consists of Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. All of the Five Eyes countries have since supported the RCMP probe that formally connected Indian government agents with Nijjar’s death, although with various degrees of caution to preserve their own ties with India. India has denied all accusations levied against it, insisting in a statement on October 17 of this year that Canada has not provided evidence to back up its claims.
In a press release released on October 14, the Ministry of External Affairs of India called the accusations levied by the RCMP against the now-expelled officials “completely baseless” and announced the withdrawal of its High Commissioner to Canada in retaliation for Canada’s actions.
India also accused the Canadian government of committing “naked interference in Indian internal politics” by providing “space to violent extremists and terrorists” to harass leaders of the Indian diaspora freely. The statement particularly attacked Prime Minister Trudeau for using the expulsions as a means to shore up political gain amidst a foreign interference hearing.
The hearing, known as the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions, is a commission investigating foreign interference in the Canadian democratic process and has operated since September 8, 2023. The commission was founded because of Canadians’ rising concerns that foreign countries had infiltrated Canadian institutions and the federal elections process.
On May 3, the commission released an initial report detailing the scale of foreign interference in Canada. India is included in the list of countries suspected of engaging in interference operations within Canada.
On October 16, while testifying in the commission’s public hearings, Prime Minister Trudeau called India’s alleged actions a “horrific mistake,” openly accusing India of violating Canadian sovereignty. He also accused Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not listening to his concerns regarding the death of Nijjar when he brought them up at the 2023 G20 Summit held in New Delhi before he made the allegations public in a speech to the House of Commons on September 18, 2023.
Northern lights illuminate the skies of southern
Ontario
Residents of southern Ontario capture photos of the northern lights in the late hours of October 10 and early hours of October 11.
On October 10 and 11, Toronto and parts of southern Ontario were treated to a colourful display of the northern lights due to a geomagnetic storm in the area.
The northern and southern lights, also known as the aurora borealis and aurora australis, respectively, are usually most visible near the poles of the northern and southern hemispheres. The lights began in the late evening hours of October 10 and spanned into the early morning hours of October 11.
“So happy I was able to see this once-in-a-lifetime view!” said Long Pham, a 27-year-old resident of Toronto who viewed this month’s light show. “It was so bright that even in downtown Toronto, despite all the light pollution, I got to experience it. The sky lit up with vibrant greens, pinks, purples, and reds, with the auroras streaking and waving across the night sky.”
Northern lights are caused by solar storms, which are also known as geomagnetic storms, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center. Solar storms occur when the sun emits more heat and light to the Earth, sending energy and charged particles known as the solar wind. In some cases, solar wind becomes a storm where the sun’s outer atmosphere sometimes lets out huge bursts of energy called mass ejections, which produce solar storms.
While sometimes the Earth’s magnetic field shields the world from most of these storms, sometimes particles can travel down the magnetic field through the north and south poles into the world’s atmosphere. When the particles interact with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, they produce light where green and red are from oxygen while blue and purple are from nitrogen.
This year, the northern lights travelled as far south as New Mexico, with no reports of disruptions to power and communications.
According to Shawn Dahl, a weather forecaster at the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, those who missed the lights can still see them. “We’re in for more of the experiences we had last night,” Dahl said to CTV News regarding this month’s northern lights.
However, it is difficult to experience the Auroras in urban areas due to light pollution. The night sky can be up to 100 times brighter than in a natural unlit location, meaning the northern lights are often hard to see due to the glow of city lights. The best way to see them is to travel outside the city where there is no light pollution to experience the lights.
Emma Catarino Contributor
Illustration credit: Buket S. Baykal
Photo credit: Audrey Thilloy
U of T ranks top 25 in Times Higher Education World University Rankings
For the second year in a row, the University of Toronto ranks twenty-first among 2025 World University Rankings—the only Canadian University in the top 40.
Samuel Kamalendran News Editor
The University of Toronto (U of T) has maintained its position as a leading global academic institution after being placed twenty-first for the second year in a row in the 2025 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings list—with 185 new entries compared to last year. While U of T maintained its twenty-first ranking for another year, the university ranked eighteenth in 2023 and 2022.
Among the list—which ranked more than 2,000 institutions from 155 countries and territories—U of T placed in the top ten for the subject areas of Clinical and Health, Education, and Psychology and ranked third and tenth among public universities in North America and globally, respectively.
The United Kingdom’s University of Oxford ranked first for the ninth consecutive year. According to THE, the university was “bolstered by significant improvements in industry engagement and teaching” for the 2025 ranking. Followed by Oxford are the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Princeton University, and the University of Cambridge, filling places two to five, respectively.
While institutions in the US and the United Kingdom dominated the ranking’s top positions, THE noted that both countries are experiencing a decline in their average research and
The fight against food insecurity on campus
As food insecurity on campuses continues to rise, UTM’s Food Center works to ensure students have the support they need.
Mashiyat Ahmed Opinion Editor
teaching reputation stating, “the reputation of the wider UK sector is rapidly eroding, with a similar trend seen in the US.”
Chinese universities, boosted by global research influence, continued their approach towards the top ten, while Australia’s top five institutions all decreased in rankings “due to declining reputation and international outlook.” Meanwhile, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates all joined the top 200 for the first time, reflecting the growth of their higher education sectors.
In Canada, U of T was joined in the top 100 by the University of British Columbia and McGill University, while places 100 to 200 featured McMaster University and the Universities of Alberta, Montréal, Waterloo, and Ottawa.
According to THE, its World University Rankings “are the only global performance tables that judge research-intensive universities across all their core mission: teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and international outlook.”
The rankings’ methodology is based on 157 million citations, 18 million research publications, and survey responses from over 93,000 scholars across the globe. Overall, the study featured the collection of over 470,000 data points from 2,860 institutions.
THE uses 18 performance indicators to create the rankings and provide comprehensive comparisons. The indicators are categorized into five groups that include teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook, and industry. Teaching accounts for 29.5 per cent of the rankings, with research environment at 29 per cent, research quality at 30 per cent, industry at four per cent and lastly, international outlook at 7.5 per cent.
While U of T dropped its rank since the 2023 list, it is the only Canadian university in the top 40, maintaining its reputation as a leading academic institution.
According to a new report from Food Banks Canada, food banks across Canada are experiencing an unprecedented surge in visitors, reaching the highest number of visitors since 1989.
Between April 2023 and March 2024, over one million people visited a food bank in Ontario an unprecedented 7.6 million times—a 134 per cent increase from the fiscal 2019 to 2020 year—according to a regional food-bank network, Feed Ontario. The network’s CEO, Carolyn Stewart, pointed to the surge in the cost of living, which has kept many trapped “in the cycle of poverty and living in circumstances that make it impossible to get their heads above water.”
Standing out is Mississauga, which experienced the largest growth in food bank usage in the province, with a usage increase over twice that of the provincial growth. According to Food Banks Mississauga, one in 13 Mississauga residents use a food bank, with almost a third of users being children. The city saw 421,000 visits to banks, which is an 80 per cent increase from last year.
Students often are at the intersection of the many contributors to food insecurity as they face academics, tuition costs, the rental market, and the scarcity of employment. As of late 2022, 44 per cent of post-secondary students in Canada were food insecure.
Amidst such circumstances, the University of Toronto Mississauga’s (UTM) Food Center, led by fourth-year forensic science and biology student Hailey Dubue and a team of dedicated volunteers, works to grow, manage, and distribute free food packages to students anonymously, all year around to ensure that students’ access to nutritious and conveniently priced food is never an arbiter of their academic success or personal well-being.
“The Food Center [at UTM] was established to help combat food insecurity on campus and create a confidential and stigma-free space accessible to all UTM students,” said Dubue in an interview with The Medium
Every week,
dent volunteers gather in room 113, groceries in hand, packaging canned vegetables, stocking the fridge, organizing seedlings into packets, and greeting other students with a smile as they funnel their way into the center to pick up the week’s orders.
Huda Hashmi, a first-year student at UTM hoping to pursue a specialist in accounting or finance, recently started her volunteering journey with the Food Center. What started as a simple way to get involved on campus turned out to be a role where Hashmi could help others feel supported while gaining new experiences. “What really stood out to me is that students don’t have to show they need food or essential items. It’s available to everyone, no questions asked,” Hashmi stated.
The center also implements anonymous processes to combat the shame around economic insecurity, such as the opportunity for students to anonymously make food orders on a Google form. Drop-in confidential hours and discrete locations where students can pick up their orders also promote a culture of respect and sensitivity.
Furthermore, this past summer, a new plot of land said to be transformed into a food garden reopened near the McGrath residence. Currently, under the management of UTM’s Sustainability Office, the local garden encourages students to plant and cultivate fresh produce as a part of the UTM Food Center’s commitment to sustainability initiatives and combatting food insecurity.
The garden will complement the UTM Student Union and Food Centre Seed Library, which provides students with seeds, gardening equipment and education, and now, a fresh plot of land where they can see their gardening efforts flourish to life.
Individuals can order pre-packaged herbs, flowers, and vegetable seedlings, and whenever they’re ready, bring their gardening skills to life with the support and company of other like-minded folks.
Dubue also discussed the multi-faceted nature of food insecurity, calling it an umbrella term that doesn’t only include those who lack access to food but also “those who do not have regular access to safe and nutritious food options” or the necessary resources to grow their own food.
Since many UTM students lack suitable gardening spaces that would enable them to take control over their food, “the food garden would help bridge this gap in accessibility,” stated Dubue.
a small but passionate group of stu-
Photo credit: Ziead Kaddoura
Photo credit: UTM Food Center
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A Contrast between Inclusivity and Nostalgia
My thoughts on the 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
Milica Samardzic Staff Writer
The Victoria’s Secret Show returned in 2024, six years after their last show in 2018 due to a combination of funding shortages and mounting criticism regarding the show’s potentially harmful branding messages. Millions took to social media to discuss their hopes and expectations for this year’s show, with many curious about how the brand would change to accommodate the changes in the world since the show in 2018. But although people looked forward to seeing how the brand would reinvent itself to dodge the usual criticism surrounding the promotion of unhealthy beauty standards, the reactions to this year’s show, which took place among the bustling glamour of New York City, were more divided and passionate than ever.
The show itself was established in 1995, where conventionally attractive, white, tall models would strut around with a playful energy in sexy lingerie and extraordinary wings, that always managed to match the theme of that year. What was fascinating was that not every model would be allowed to wear wings. They needed to earn them, just like how one Angel was given the privilege of wearing the famous (or perhaps infamous) fantasy bra of the year.
When I sat down on October 15 to watch the live premier on YouTube, I did not realize how much I missed watching it until it started. The production was a staple of my middle school and high school experience: wearing all pink and sipping hot chocolate, with my television or laptop screen adorned with the fanciest lingerie, fiercest walks, and phenomenal musical performances from the leading artists of that year. It was also a time I was the most “girly,” as I used to be a big “tomboy”— terms I used before but find problematic now. But I cannot lie and say that the show made me feel particularly good about myself: the whole concept of the Angels is that their beauty is unattainable, goddesses amongst average mortals such as myself and countless other girls around the world.
Later on, when I became more conscious of my body insecurities (yes, I am white and fairly tall standing at 5’9-10, but I was never model skinny), watching beautiful women such as Adriana Lima, Gisele Bündchen, and Taylor Hill were not entertaining anymore, but a constant reminder of what I am not (but should be in my mind).
However, now at 22, as a young woman who came very far in her self-acceptance journey, I find myself agreeing with others that the show was boring compared to the previous ones. There was no playfulness between the models, the wings were not as spectacular and dashing as they used to be, there was no bombshell hair or fun themes, nor any interaction between the models and the performers/audience. One viewer even commented on Reddit that “most of the girls look like they’re at a funeral and for some reason were forced to do a runway for the first time ever.”
On the other hand, the goal of this year’s show was to promote Victoria’s Secret as a more inclusive brand, involving more gender-diverse, older, or racially varied women. I believe they achieved this at some level with the inclusion of Ashley Graham, a champion for body positivity, and Tyra Banks and Kate Moss, the much older models, to close the show. On top of this, I noticed that this is the first year where all the performers were women, which I felt was a step in the right direction in silently declaring that Victoria’s Secret should not be entirely for the male gaze and instead is a cultural spectacle for women, by women (mostly).
But many viewers were disappointed that the show lacked authenticity, especially since the crowd present seemed very bored to be there. Also, due to the lower budget compared to previous shows, some thought that the show felt cheap. I also heard some people commenting that although Gigi Hadid had beautiful wings, opening the show in “pajamas” was not a good look for the brand.
Despite negative reactions, others had no problem in declaring their love for the 2024 show, expressing that the lingerie and wings were beautiful, the performers Lisa, Tyla and Cher were amazing contributions, and that Victoria’s Secret maintained the essence of their personality.
In the end, I think the true beauty of the show is the complexity of responses that it evokes. Everyone has their reactions to what the show makes them feel. As stunning models take to the runway with their dashing outfits, some feel empowered, while others understandably don’t. But we can’t deny the even the most scathing critic will take the time to sit down and watch it.
Photo credit: Milica Samrdzic
Does Canada need a patients’ Bill of Rights?
Our doctors and nurses increased their shifts despite reports of staff being chronically overworked psychologically and physically. Towards the end of the pandemic, many workers chose to pivot professions and transition into a more sustainable career.
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has illuminated the mounting flaws in our healthcare system. Moving forward, we must better prioritize patient health outcomes.
Zainab Khalil Contributor
There is no doubt that the collective experiences of the pandemic have left an indelible mark on everyone’s life. For most of us, the pandemic is a hazy memory. But for healthcare workers and patients, the pandemic remains a stark reminder of the inefficiencies and dangers of Canada’s health care system.
Canada is one of the leading countries in healthcare, and we are fortunate enough to have free healthcare in place, making it easy for citizens to get treatments with no additional costs, as opposed to our neighbors down South, where a per-day hospital visit can cost almost three-thousand dollars.
To ensure that all people residing in Canada receive medical services, Canada follows three guiding principles regarding healthcare: universality, accessibility, and public under the Canada Healthcare Act.
What the pandemic showed us
Yet though this system has proved somewhat effective, the pandemic’s sudden rise and lingering presence continues to highlight several flaws in our supposedly world-class healthcare. The sudden demand for health care services has resulted in long waitlists, surgery and appointment cancellations, and the postponement of life-sustaining medical services. On top of this, the pandemic years reported widening inequalities based on race, gender, and socioeconomic status, as reflected in higher death rates and comorbidities from COVID-19. This urges one to ask how effective and judicious Canada’s foundational principles of health care really are.
With the sudden demand, healthcare workers faced multiple challenges and increased pressure to maintain the same standard of care as before. Our doctors and nurses increased their shifts despite reports of staff being chronically overworked psychologically and physically. Towards the end of the pandemic, many workers chose to pivot professions and transition into a more sustainable career.
The shortage of healthcare workers is also underscored by the medical education system in Canada, which is notoriously strenuous to matriculate into and endure. Additionally, the country makes it incredibly challenging even for aspiring healthcare workers who have the skills and ambition, due to the cost of education and debt incurred, as well as sparse availability.
We must acknowledge that behind strained healthcare workers, patients and their loved ones are struggling too.
The need for a patient’s rights bill
The Canadian Healthcare Act does not outline individual patient rights. A separate patient and healthcare worker bill can help establish these boundaries and highlight the role of healthcare and patient rights in receiving healthcare. Establishing these legal rights, especially regarding timely access to medical care for patients and not overworking healthcare workers, could help mitigate the problem of long wait times and patients and their families not feeling supported during times of crises, which have become more pronounced during COVID-19.
Health can degrade quickly, and waiting for care with no answer in sight can harm someone’s health. Setting acceptable wait times for emergencies and less urgent procedures will ensure patients receive the necessary care within a reasonable timeframe.
The pandemic has also underscored the importance of telemedicine, where certain health care services and consultations can be done digitally without the need to visit a clinic or hospital. With more healthcare services provided digitally, clear guidelines should also be developed to protect health information shared through virtual platforms. This bill could help address these issues by establishing data privacy standards tailored to the ever-changing digital healthcare system and the rise of AI, which is already playing an instrumental role in shaping how health is administered.
The conversation about patient rights should also include considerations for healthcare workers. Protecting the rights of healthcare providers is just as essential for maintaining the quality of patient care and healthcare workers’ mental health and well-being. During the pandemic, the risks faced by healthcare workers due to overwhelming workloads, long work hours, and an increase in demand emphasize the need for stronger legal protections.
Developing policies that ensure adequate staff, making the journey to be a doctor less costly, safeguarding against unsafe working conditions, and providing mental health support is essential. Healthcare workers are the backbone of this country in many ways, and setting minimum staffing standards in hospitals could help reduce the strain on individual workers while protecting staff in high-risk situations.
In my opinion, accountability in healthcare is essential, and establishing a patient bill of rights is crucial to protect the well-being of one of the essential building blocks of our society. Establishing a good foundation will protect us all in the case of future pandemics and surges in medical need. This will also elevate the voices of marginalized groups.
Although it might take some time to implement these new changes in the system, by slowly working towards these goals, patient and healthcare worker protections will be prioritized. Canada will also be able to strengthen its commitment to equitable healthcare, building a system that is not only free but also fair, resilient, and capable of facing future crises!
Illustration credit: Sehajleen Kaur Wander
We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion
Revisiting what inspired guttural fear in me as a child.
Rhianna Buck Associate Opinion Editor
If reminiscence is movement into the hypothetical places of our past, I never imagined how much I would be moved by offhandedly revisiting a piece of media — Lateralus, the album by Tool — that scared me deeply as a child. Lateralus is an album which scared me for a myriad reasons, primarily its heavy themes of life beyond this body and awareness of the connectedness of all beings.
Lateralus is technical and otherworldly. It’s cryptic, full of strange time signatures and lyrics describing the narrator’s gutwrenching awe at the simple stuff of our existences. I wanted to investigate exactly what it was that scared me as a child, why it scared me, and how I carry its enduring significance today.
What did I find?
I am lucky that my fear left an imprint, with outlines of curiosity. In Lateralus, I found lyricism that described truths that will stay with me for the rest of my life, not to mention what is arguably one of the best transitions between songs in all of rock history. I wondered what it was within this art that stayed with me? Was there something in the melody that made my memory of this music so embodied?
The repeating lyrics of the album’s third song is, “Be patient, I must keep reminding myself of this.” I look back to my childhood and adolescent days of pediatric clinics, rheumatologists, ER visits, IV drips with medications that did not work, and the poetry I’ve always written. I am terrible at waiting, I am impatient, and listening to Lateralus, I see the timelessness in my everdeluded sense of time.
As a child, I had widespread chronic pain that was difficult to explain and treat. As a result, I was relatively miserable and pessimistic. I did not understand why my body had to be one that suffered. I did not understand why other children were not in pain all the time. As an adult, I still am in pain, but as “Parabola” suggests, I have changed my thinking such that I understand this pain to be evidence of a gift I have been given.
Though I am biased, I uphold that pain is something that can compromise our personhood and make us feel alone. On this very basis it transcends our personhoods and, in doing so, reminds us we are human beings. Suffering is a universal thing. In our habitual reactions to the deep threat of time and pain coupled, there is an underlying “I”, or a “We”, because you suffer sometimes, and you fear pain just as I do.
The title of another song on the album, “Parabol”, alludes to a parable: a story meant to teach a lesson. This song posits that life itself is this same kind of story, meant to teach a lesson. “Parabol” has the closing reminder that there is comfort to be found in this body and the mundane familiarities of life. Further, in choosing to be here, right now, we can understand the universal truths within our consciousness.
A parabola is the quadratic function with the iconic U shape, and the name of the next song in Lateralus, immediately following “Parabol”. Parabolas touch the Y axis — the line of infinity — at one point. We, as living beings then, are this metaphorical or literal intersection, the singular crossing with this line of infinity.
The coupled unit of the two tracks, “Parabol” and “Parabola”, communicate a kind of optimism that took time for me to gain. In “Parabola”, the narrator discusses how the features of this reality, of our bodies and minds, are fleeting and changing. What is suggested, rather than pessimism or mourning for a form not yet lost, is a kind of repetitive and grateful worship of our own improbable overlap with the infinite and the resulting coincidence that is our life.
As a child, I had widespread chronic pain that was difficult to explain and treat. As a result, I was relatively miserable and pessimistic. I did not understand why my body had to be one that suffered. I did not understand why other children were not in pain all the time. As an adult, I still am in pain, but as “Parabola” suggests, I have changed my thinking such that I understand this pain to be evidence of a gift I have been given. The pain, whether physical, spiritual, emotional, or psychological that we experience serves as a reminder for why we should be grateful. It is an opportunity to look the anomalousness of our existence in the face.
What can you find?
I have an invitation for you. Think back to when you were much smaller. What scared you then, and why? Are you still afraid?
When you reach inwards to grasp that fear, I want you to tell me about the colour of the vibrant string of self, which connects your past to your present.
If you are still afraid, I urge you to ask yourself what wisdom is with you, by virtue of your body’s memory? How have you thanked your body? If you have outgrown the fears of your childhood: Do you feel as if you have evolved in a sense?
There is something to be said about the sensory experiences that stay with us, and maybe even more to be said about those that are forgotten. I am reminded of my own timelessness by my ability to let go of the vivid senses that characterize fear, to reshape that into wonder, sadness, and transcendental gratitude. The things which affected our bodies back then affect our bodies now. How will you grow by letting them affect you again?
Illustration credit: Ramiya Sureshkumar
namely abortion, which is forbidden in the Catholic faith — are “against life.”
This dilemma seems to suggest that, for U.S. Roman Catholics, their vote is a moral toss-up.
It isn’t.
Outlining the issues
Tragically, Catholic political ethics have been largely narrowed into the single issue of abortion. This represents a monumental “dumbing down” of the scope, depth, and cogency of Catholic social teachings.
In 2020, for example, approximately 50 per cent of Catholic voters voted in favour of former president Donald Trump. This is likely owed in part to Trump’s anti-abortion stance and his vow to select Supreme Court Justices who would reverse the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling, which was established in 1973 to allow women in the U.S. access to medically safe abortions without government interference. It is one promise Trump kept.
The result is that abortion is no longer a singularly clear choice in the election but rather an electoral litmus test, a neutralized blur. If the single issue for Catholics has been washed out, what then? Where can they turn for guidance and trust? Fortunately, the long history of Catholic social teaching provides solid answers for the perplexed faithful.
Clearing the air: Trump violates Catholic doctrines like no other
Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical, Rerum Novarum — sometimes called the church’s “best kept secret” — is renowned for taking a strong progressive stance on issues of social justice, supporting fair working conditions, and most importantly, clarifying the Catholic Church’s rights to comment on social, ethical, and political issues. It provided profound insight on many critical issues that are relevant to this election, including notions of the common good, the preferential option for the poor, and support of labour.
On the issue of labor, Catholic social teaching has consistently stressed the priority of labor over capital, something affirmed in Pope John Paul II’s 1981 encyclical Laborem Exercens. Trump, however, as an employer, has consistently stiffed unions. And, in a recent podcast with billionaire Elon Musk, Trump hailed the X owner as “the greatest” for insouciantly firing striking workers.
Can Catholics in good conscience vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz? Absolutely. Through an honest sifting of issues, a reflection on Catholic social teaching, and deep prayer, Catholics can indeed in good faith vote Democratic in the 2024 election. By doing so they will be keeping faith, not only with their Catholic tradition, but with their democratic values.
Stephen Bede Scharper, a former editor at Orbis Books and the John A. O’Brien Chair in Ethics as a visiting professor at the University of Notre Dame, is a professor of religion, anthropology, and environment at the Univeristy of Toronto Mississauga. Stephen.scharper@utoronto.ca
08 features
Esha Dhillon’s story in transforming healthcare innovation
Award-winning entrepreneur and businesswoman shares her experience with starting multiple companies—including Sigma Mental Health Pre-Med Clubs of Ontario and Global Health Core Inc.—at an early age and how she rose to success.
When not pursuing a major in biology for health science and a minor in psychology, 20-year-old award-winning entrepreneur Esha Dhillon is driving technological innovation in the healthcare industry. Her passion for medicine and drive to positively impact her community fueled her work and led to her significant contributions to the medical field.
In an interview with The Medium, Dhillon shares her experience in the healthcare industry and reveals how she founded and became CEO of her own company.
From inspiration to action
From a young age, Dhillon was inspired by her mother, a cardiac technologist, while she worked with other doctors and nurses in both the intensive care and cardiac care units. Watching her mother inspired Dhillon’s commitment to healthcare after observing her mother’s journey in the medical field.
Dhillon revealed that watching everyone collaborate inspired her to realize that, while she didn’t want to become a doctor, she wanted to be involved in the healthcare system. “I found it so beautiful, it was just amazing,” she reminisced.
Her experience volunteering at the hospital also contributed to her passion for healthcare. During this time, Dhillon witnessed the struggles people faced while accessing or attempting to access healthcare.
“I noticed that in the emergency room where I volunteered, there were a lot of patients waiting for a very long time,” said Dhillon. In some cases, wait times reached up to 50 hours for some patients. Dhillon shared that witnessing how patients, especially children and the elderly, struggle with issues like this inspired her to make a change and address these issues once and for all.
Action is not limited by age
In her junior year of high school, Dhillon started not one but two non-profit organizations—Sigma Mental Health and Pre-Med Clubs of Ontario. Dhillon founded Sigma Mental Health during the COVID-19 pandemic as classrooms shifted to online schooling.
“I noticed that [many] of my friends were experiencing a lot of mental health concerns,” Dhillon shared. “They didn’t know how to go through a lot of the changes that were happening at that time.” Realizing these difficulties propelled Dhillon to pursue immediate action to address these concerns.
“Sometimes going to a psychiatrist or psychologist can be very expensive, and they aren’t the same age group or don’t have the background as you.” Dhillon expressed that her focus when starting this organization was providing the community with an affordable mental health service that could connect with them.
With Sigma Mental Health, users can anonymously send their mental health concerns through the application, where they are met by a team of youth who share similar struggles to answer their concerns. Though the teams are not professionals, they provide comforting advice and shared experiences on how they overcame similar obstacles.
On the other hand, the Pre-Med Clubs of Ontario was aimed at students interested in pursuing the healthcare industry. Dhillon’s main goal with this organization was to give students a full picture of the healthcare industry—including providing insight into departments and roles that are sometimes less known or talked about in the community.
“I wanted to give to other people interested in health care the same resources that I gained growing up in the hospital alongside my mom,” Dhillon explained. “To show them that [healthcare] isn’t just about being [a] doctor so-and-so. You can take on so many other roles, and still influence the system and be a part of it.”
With the high number of interested students, Pre-Med Clubs of Ontario later became a house provider of resources such as documents, guest speakers, technicians, cardiologists, and more to other pre-med clubs.
Founding Global Health Core Inc.
Dhillon’s experience in the healthcare industry and experience spearheading two non-profits eventually led her to found Global Health Core Inc.—an Artificial Intelligence chatbot that makes accessing healthcare resources easier for users. Once a user enters their health concerns, the chatbot directs them to the appropriate resources.
“I genuinely believe that the healthcare industry is very good in Ontario,” shared Dhillon. “It’s a matter of how our resources are being allocated and how efficiently we’re using them.” Global Health Core Inc. aims to efficiently allocate resources by leading users to the right place at the right time.
“What would happen is that we would suggest the best place for you to receive healthcare, which isn’t always the emergency room,” added Dhillon. The chatbot suggests the best places to receive healthcare by taking into account factors such as the user’s health condition, their distance from the facility and wait times at the facility.
Dhillon explained that, for instance, if a user is looking for walk-in clinics, the chatbot would provide a database of live wait times and locations of walk-in clinics, giving the user knowledge and, in turn, control over the healthcare they receive.
Navigating ongoing obstacles
Though Global Health Core Inc. continues to advance and improve, it still faces its fair share of obstacles. According to Dhillon, her three biggest obstacles are funding, the search for a reliable co-founder, and keeping up with how fast the company operates.
There are two types of funding a company can receive, the first being dilutive funding, which is when a company raises capital by selling equity or stocks of the company. The second type is non-dilutive funding, which does not require a company to give up equity but includes grants and loans. Non-dilutive funding often holds specific restrictions for a company to follow.
With dilutive funding, Dhillon shared how difficult it can be to choose the right investors. “You have to find investors and supporters that are not only interested in pushing money into your idea but supporting the community, which is my core mission and purpose.”
Another difficulty Dhillon faces in her work is finding a strong co-founder. While Dhillon has an extensive background in business and
healthcare, she lacks software expertise. Specifically, Dhillon is searching for a University of Toronto student of either the Mississauga or St. George campus who is not only passionate about health care but also passionate about supporting the community.
One of the greatest challenges, however, of starting a healthcare company is maintaining it. “The startup industry, health care specifically, is so fast-paced,” revealed Dhillon. “Not in the sense of regulations and rules, but in the fact that there are so many changing needs in the environment.”
In fast-paced instances like the pandemic, healthcare organizations have to remain adaptable and competitive, while ensuring patients can access their needs.
The power of unconditional support
Unconditional support is key to achieving big dreams. Aside from her hard work and dedication, Dhillon credits her loved ones for her greatest achievements.
“A hundred per cent, [my family] is the number one reason that I’ve done anything good in my life,” she shared. “They’ve always been there, and that’s the support that I acknowledge the most to have been impactful to me.”
In addition to her family, Dhillon also thanked one of her high school teachers, Mr. Pascalitas, for providing her with unwavering support and opportunities.
Know your health
Anyone can play a role in improving community public health, not just healthcare professionals—and staying informed is a crucial step in that process. It is also important to know how to seek help and what to look out for.
“Don’t just go on the internet and try to search your condition. But look at alternate sources of care. You can try and contact virtual care or a family physician if you’re worried about something,” Dhillon elaborated that patients looking for help should not only rely on emergency rooms but other sources as well.
“Putting an effort towards that can help prevent having to go to the emergency room. But then it also helps you to be better equipped in handling any post-treatment conditions,” shared Dhillon.
Dhillon’s story serves as a reminder that with the right support and information, individuals can contribute meaningful change to the healthcare system, leading to a healthy and more informed community.
Gisele Tang Associate Features Editor
Photo provided by Esha Dhillon
09 Arts
Editor | Keira Johannson arts@themedium.ca
Contemporary Japanese fiction: Rediscovering the humanness in us all
A
reflection on my experience rediscovering the joys of reading through Japanese fiction.
Emma Liang Contributor
The return of the regular academic calendar comes with the demands of course assignments, exams, and extracurricular activities, not to mention finding enough time to maintain our relationships outside of the classroom. During such a busy time, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and anxious.
That’s exactly how I felt as the summer holiday came to an end: excited to start the hectic school semester but also apprehensive about falling behind my peers. I needed to find a way to help quiet my restless thoughts. Thus, I decided to take up a new hobby, a way to relieve the tension and find a place of calm amidst the chaos.
I started to get back into reading. It had been a while since I could remember picking up a book for my own enjoyment. And so, I found myself on the lookout for book recommendations on Instagram and TikTok. As basic
as the search method might have been, I wanted to find books that people resonated with, with storylines that helped them connect with their own emotions.
Through various “Bookstagram” pages and videos online, a common genre surfaced: Contemporary Japanese Fiction. I will admit, the minimalist book covers and wholesome titles drew me in initially. With pictures of cats and cozy little bookshops, it was hard not to make my judgements of these books solely on their covers. But beyond their aesthetic appeal, I found myself resonating with the books on a deeper level as I started reading. Bestselling titles such as Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagasawa and Sweet Bean Paste by Tetsuya Akikawa easily transported me into the characters’ worlds as the stories began to unfold.
As a university student reaching the end of my time at UTM, I saw parts of myself within each book and the themes that they explored. These novels, I found, were often characterized by quiet, introspective narratives with a focus on personal growth and emotional connections. They explored the intricacies of human life, including themes of self-discovery
Presha Dev Contributor
People can become highly attached to celebrities they don’t personally know, demonstrating a parasocial relationship. A parasocial relationship is a one-sided relationship in
and human relationships, as seen through the character-driven and emotionally resonant stories.
Whether it was lessons on conquering change, appreciating life, or reflecting on certain circumstances, each story reminded me that it’s okay to feel lost at times. Sometimes, we need time to ourselves to remember that life is about living rather than letting time pass us by; that what we take from our experiences shapes the direction of our future.
If you’re interested in rediscovering the joys of reading, too, here are a few recommendations. Whether the stories take place in a fam-
ily bookshop in the bustling neighbourhood of Jimbocho or inside a tiny dorayaki shop on the outskirts of Tokyo, there is something for everyone to connect to:
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, Satoshi Yagisawa
Sweet Bean Paste, Tetsuya Akikawa
What You Are Looking For Is in the Library, Michiko Aoyama
Before the Coffee Gets Cold, Toshikazu Kawaguchi
which one person is in complete awe of someone who is unaware of their existence. There are various reasons parasocial relationships can occur. A celebrity may share a fan’s values, allowing a sense of connection and relatability that develops into a strong passion. Other times, a famous person’s work — such as a musician’s lyrics — can help fans cope with hard times. These strong feelings make one feel as if they truly know that public figure, building a deep, onesided attachment.
Recently, Liam Payne, a member of the BritishIrish boyband One Direction, passed away. As a fan of the group since 2013, this news was and still is very difficult to process. After their indefinite hiatus began in 2016, there was less talk about One Direction in the media. However, media outlets and social media were flooded with talk about Payne’s death. As this is one of the first deaths of a major celebrity this generation grew up with, even people who weren’t fans of the band grieved.
As One Direction was a big part of many people’s childhood and teenage years, many fans felt like they lost someone close. Fans around the world held memorials to pay tribute to Payne. Many fans recalled memories of the singer on social media, from the days of One Direction to the recent years. These online tributes highlight his solo career, iconic performances, and funny moments. Other members of the band and loved ones of the late singer spoke up as well, sharing their memories and love.
Mourning Liam Payne’s reminds us all how big the One Direction fan base once was. It brought many together, allowing us to relive memories from the past and create a strong sense of community. I reconnected with friends I had made during the years of being a big One Direction fan to share my own thoughts and feelings and to check in on one another.
Unfortunately, the grieving has received backlash with the message, “he did not even know who you were.” Disenfranchised grief—grieving something society doesn’t necessarily accept or agree with—is valid and quite underlooked. Many don’t understand the depth behind situations like this and how it impacts fans. For many of us, Liam Payne was not just a musician but a person we grew up with. It’s important to understand that grief is personal, and connections made from afar can be just as meaningful.
Photo credit: Menahil Warriach
Illustration credit: Sehajleen Kaur Wander
Celebrating the legacy of Oscar Peterson
UTM’s Music and Culture Concert Series presents a celebration of Peterson’s impactful career.
Laura Luasu-Ludiazo Contributor
The University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM)’s Department of English and Drama recently held the first UTM Music and Culture Concert Series, honouring the legendary jazz pianist, Oscar Peterson, with a tribute concert in Deerfield Hall. The performance, led by jazz graduate Josh Smiley, celebrated Peterson’s contributions to music and his profound impact on the jazz genre.
Attending the tribute concert was a pleasant experience as I had never witnessed a live performance on campus before. Experiencing this small slice of musical talent in between classes was a worthwhile break. Among the pieces performed, my favourites were Love Ballad and Hymn to Freedom. Hymn to Freedom, a musical interpretation of Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech, resonated deeply and brought back memories from when I sang it in the school choir as a child.
In contrast, Love Ballad has a more lyrical and smoother tune, illustrating Peterson’s talent for crafting beautifully expressive melodies. The atmosphere during the concert was reverent, with an attentive audience responding warmly to Smiley’s playing. It was amazing to watch his fingers fly across the keys, bringing the music to life and all from memory!
Born on August 15, 1925, in Montreal, Quebec, Oscar Peterson began his performance career as a pianist with the Johnny Holmes Orchestra. After several years, he formed his first of many trios. Peterson quickly gained fame, with his performances at the Alberta
Lounge in Montreal being broadcast live on the radio, helping him reach a wider audience.
In 1949, impresario Norman Granz discovered Peterson and invited him to perform with Granz’s Jazz at the Philharmonic (JATP) at Carnegie Hall. His performance left audiences in amazement, and he joined JATP as a full-time touring member in 1950, forming a successful piano-bass duo with Ray Brown.
Throughout his career, Peterson amassed an extensive discography that includes collaborations with jazz legends like Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, and Dizzy Gillespie. His accolades are numerous, including the Praemium Imperiale, UNESCO International Music Prize, eight Grammy Awards (including a Lifetime Achievement Grammy), and the Glenn Gould Prize.
In June 1985, Peterson was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Toronto in recognition of his contributions to the arts. Louis Armstrong famously referred to him as “the man with four hands,” a testament to his exceptional skill at the piano. UTM honours Peterson’s legacy further by naming a residence hall in his memory, reinforcing his impact on the university community.
Considered one of the greatest pianists and composers in not only Canadian music history but worldwide, Peterson’s captivating style continues to inspire generations of artists. Throughout his life, Peterson was a remarkable musician and educator. In the 1980s, he returned to teaching, serving as an adjunct professor of music at York University and later as chancellor. He also helped establish the Oscar Peterson Jazz Research Centre towards the end of his career.
The tribute concert at UTM was both a celebration of Oscar Peterson’s impactful career and an opportunity for the university community to reflect on his lasting influence on jazz and music education. As we honour his legacy, we are reminded of the power of music to inspire, heal, and bring people together.
The rise, fall, and rise again of Saturday Night
Live
Exploring the evolution of SNL, from cult comedy to viral sensation.
Since its premiere in 1975, Saturday Night Live (SNL) has been a cornerstone of television and comedy. All these years, audiences have been captivated by the combination of celebrities and comedians into a night of conversation and performance. Created by Lorne Micheals, the show brought sketch comedy to mainstream viewers, blending satire and television through a format that remains nearly unchanged today.
momentum, the show has received several accusations of unfittingly handling issues of gender, race, and problematic stereotypes. Notably, the show’s lack of diversity in casting has also been a long-time discussion despite improving in more recent years. After facing backlash for this avoidance of marginalized groups, Micheals decided to hire Sasheer Zamata, the first Black woman to join the casting crew, in 2013. Likewise, the show has provoked outrage and backlash from different sides of political spectrums, as the unfiltered improvisations and scenes from the show commonly depict satirical (and often problematically exaggerated) storylines and portrayals of political candidates and debates.
SNL premiered on NBC at a time when talk shows wanted to gain popularity. With its unique craft of pre-recorded segments, live musical performances, and insider guest appearances, it’s no wonder the show quickly gained traction. Comedians like Chevy Chase rose to fame, and the show introduced a new generation of viewers to improvisational, raw, and often politically influenced humour. The show’s key element came from its unpredictable and unhinged nature. Audiences were new to the excitement of a show that unfolded in realtime, with the possibility of unplanned scenes and unscripted dialogues.
As the show rose towards notable success, it didn’t go without a little controversy. It is understandable that due to its unplanned and often inevitable
On another note, incorporating social media into its production has been one of SNL’s best marketing and growth strategies yet. On platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, the show’s creators have invited celebrities to post bite-sized sketches, such as Ariana Grande’s recent monologue episode released on October 12. Despite criticism of the show’s occasional reliance on celebrity-driven sketches and performances to fill their content, SNL’s success on social media platforms continuously proves the show’s influence in pop culture.
The newly-released biographical-comedy film Saturday Night offers a glimpse into the 1975 premiere of the show. Directed by Jason Reitman, the film dives into the behind-the-scenes process of the show’s production and fine-tuning, portraying the immense pressure, thought, and hilarious mishaps that went into the show’s debut. For SNL fans, the film offers an immersive, personal, and comedic perspective that further captures the raw, unpolished energy that defines what SNL has become.
Mariana Dominguez Rodriguez Contributor
Photo credit: Sara Li
Illustration credit: Buket S. Baykal
11 sports & health
Editor | Joseph Falzata sports@themedium.ca
Asian healthy eating habits: The secret to aging backwards Eagles stay cold on fresh ice
How do Asians look so young? Here, we are going to spill some of the greatest secrets that Asians have been following for centuries to remain healthy and youthful.
UTM Men’s Hockey was unable to find a win in their season opener.
Vincent Kunda Contributor
On Tuesday, October 24, the UTM Men’s Hockey team took on St. George Black at Varsity Arena – the team responsible for ending their playoff hopes last season. Despite the whirlwind of anticipation leading up to the season opener, the Eagles ultimately skated away in a hard-fought defeat.
cisions with the puck shrank rapidly. The game now highlighted the sheer skill and high hockey IQ on display, as both teams showcased their best under pressure, each move more calculated and precise than the last, but in the end, the Eagles couldn’t manage to make the comeback.
Following the game, a few significant voices in the locker room made some noteworthy statements about the outcome.
“Tonight wasn’t our best, but we’re learning from it. We’ve got the talent and the drive, and we’ll come back stronger for the next one,” said Ethan Defarias, assistant captain for the Eagles.
Gisele Tang Staff Writer
Asian countries are frequently recognized for their ageless appearances and healthy lifestyles. These communities often claim that diets are at the forefront of their healthy lifestyle, and are the key to their good health and their tendency to seemingly age backwards.
Why do Asians drink hot water?
Asian countries often prefer hot drinks over iced drinks. This is not merely a preference. It’s actually supported by various scientific reasons.
Our normal body temperature is around 98.6°F or 37°C. Drinking warm water provides our bodies with the closest temperature it prefers. In Chinese medicine, it is believed that cold beverages weaken the body, especially our spleen. The spleen’s responsibilities include fighting invading germs in our blood, controlling the level of our blood cells, and filtering our blood cells. As such, the health of our spleen can affect our immune system and our ability to fight infections.
Constantly drinking cold beverages goes against the preferred temperature of our stomach and the spleen, giving it the extra chore of having to heat the cold beverage we ingested and impacting our digestion and nutrient absorption.
On the other hand, hot beverages warm up our stomach, which promotes blood circulation and helps our digestive system to work more easily.
Nourishing and scrumptious meals
If you are a sushi lover, I have some great news for you! Not only is it delicious, but it also contains a variety of health benefits.
Traditional sushi does not include processed ingredients like spicy mayonnaise, imitation crab, or fried onion flakes. It’s actually much simpler. A combination of dried seaweed, vinegared rice, and fresh seafood, dipped with soy sauce and wasabi, and voilà — there you have an authentic sushi!
Not to mention that sushi is also a type of resistant starch, since it’s a cooked and cooled carbohydrate. This type of carbohydrate avoids getting digested in our small intestines, which can helps lower our blood sugar levels.
There are many other popular, nourishing Asian meals. These include curry, which is traditionally made with health-promoting spices that contain antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as Bibimbap, a Korean rice bowl served in a
hot stone pot containing many vegetables, proteins such as beef, pork or tofu, and probiotic-filled kimchi.
“Not
too sweet” is the highest compliment
While Asian cuisines are rich in flavors, one thing you might notice is that they rarely feature refined sugar. However, this does not mean that there is a lack of fancy desserts!
Many traditional Asian desserts are not only delicious but also contain many health benefits. It’s common to add foods that are naturally sweet into Asian desserts, including dates, coconut sugar, and red bean paste.
Some other examples include the Japanese dessert Daifuku, a round mochi stuffed with fillings, such as red bean paste and strawberries. Another example is the Thai dessert, Mango Sticky Rice, which is made with ripe mango, coconut milk, and sticky rice. Asian dessert options are endless — Sago from Hong Kong, Filipino Buko Pandan, Taiwanese Sweet Potato and Taro Balls are just a few of the other most famous post-entrée dishes from across the continent.
The point is, a good balance between enjoyable and healthy meals can make a huge difference in our bodies in the long run. It’s through accumulating these tiny mindful habits that amazing health results can be reflected in our lives!
Though we have only gone through some Asian healthy eating habits in this article, there are so many more lifestyle habits that contribute to their good health. Staying youthful is not just about genes. A lot of it depends on mindful habits!
Eagles take to the rink
Despite missing key players like Mathew Chekay, Everton Smith, and Devon Facchinato, the Eagles hit the ice with determination, a wellpracticed strategy, and a fine-tuned game plan they’d been working on since September. However, St. George Black quickly capitalized on a crucial turnover in the Eagles’ defensive zone right after a first-period faceoff, taking an early lead.
Undeterred, the Eagles kept up the pressure, creating numerous scoring opportunities. The game’s intensity increased as they found their rhythm, with Michal Buczek hitting the posts multiple times, breathing life into the Eagles bench.
By the end of the second period, both teams had registered an equal number of shots, fueling the Eagles’ determination to find the back of the net. With the score still locked at 1-0 in favor of St. George Black, the stage was set for a thrilling final period.
During the intermission, coaches
Peter Christopoulous, Dan Mui, and Ryan Mui offered words of encouragement to their team. They emphasized the need for strong defensive play to support starting goalie Noah Csaky-Schwede, who was delivering an impressive performance between the pipes, keeping the Eagles in the game.
After a short intermission, the third period began with both teams surging onto the ice, energized and eager to claim victory. Every player, driven by an insatiable hunger to score, raised their game to a new level. The intensity skyrocketed — passes became sharper, shots packed more power, and the window to make de-
Returning second-year player Chris Lamont also commented on the team’s performance. “I think the boys played hard, but we failed to capitalize on our scoring chances and didn’t clear the front of our net well which set us back.”
Notably, Tuesday’s game marked the debut of several fresh faces for the UTM Eagles, including Devon Lakhanpal, Jeremy Krolewski, Phoenix Walker, and Colin Furlong. Each of them showed tremendous heart and pride while donning the blue and white uniform, contributing to the team’s effort with energy and determination in their first of many appearances as UTM Eagles.
Eagles head coach Peter Christopolous was also positive about the new environment in the Eagles locker room. “Considering it was the season opener, I thought the team provided a solid effort and skated hard throughout the entirety of the game,” said Christopoulous. “Obviously not the outcome we wanted, but many positive things to take from it as well as things to learn from. Goaltending by Noah was phenomenal, and he made some solid saves for us. We will regroup at practice and get ready for the next game!”
The men’s team will look to bounce back with even more energy when they return to Varsity Arena on November 5 at 8:00 PM to face off against the St. George Red. With high stakes and a renewed focus, the atmosphere promises to be electric, and a win seems within reach for our Eagles!
Stay tuned for more information and news about UTM’s Tri-Campus league!
Photo credit: Sara Li
Steve Dangle’s memoir highlights the meaning of sports fandom
Insights from a Leafs superfan highlight the importance of fandom to student life.
Yusuf Larizza-Ali Contributor
To many sports fans, supporting a team is ingrained into who they are, and no one knows that better than Toronto Maple Leafs superfan Steve “Dangle” Glynn. We all have professional sports teams that we watch and support. We stick with them through their highs and lows, feeling like we share an inseparable bond with them — a bond so close that, at times, it might influence how we feel, how we speak to other people, and even how productive we might be in school. In Dangle’s case, his fandom for the Leafs has transformed into a full-on career.
In 2007, Steve Dangle began a YouTube channel where he discussed hockey and NHL news. This included his most notable series called LFRs (Leaf Fan Reactions), where after every Leafs game he would upload a video recounting the game and giving his thoughts. The series started off small in views, featuring Dangle in his bedroom being filmed with a low-definition camera. However, the series slowly evolved, growing in popularity, and leading to Dangle producing much higher quality videos in his homemade studio. From there, Dangle managed to
enter the professional world of sports broadcasting, becoming a well-known figure synonymous with the Leafs.
In 2019, he published a memoir titled: This Team Is Ruining My Life (But I Love Them): How I Became A Professional Hockey Fan. The book recounts Dangle’s story of being a hockey fan and his career in sports broadcasting. Dangle mentions he did not remember how his interest in hockey started, but that his dad once told him, “Our team is the Toronto Maple Leafs,” and from that point on, Dangle knew who to root for.
The memoir explained the two common ways that people become fans. The first is cheering for the team of the city you are from because you feel a natural connection to them. The other one is family influence, which can cause you to support various teams depending on preferences.
Many of us became fans at a young age and learned certain aspects of fandom, such as favorite players, why we root, and dealing with the disappointment of loss. Many of us can especially relate to Dangle’s written experience of dealing with the sting of losses. Readers have likely experienced similar feelings when their own favorite teams underperformed. Like Dangle,
they have felt a profound sense of disappointment, despair, and anger, as well as annoyance with the winning team, and these frustrations can boil into other aspects of everyday life.
The memoir also discusses other aspects of Dangle’s life that are relatable to university students. He tells his story of applying to the journalism program at Toronto Metropolitan University, then known as Ryerson. This led to him getting a job and internship with Sportsnet where he got to work with well-known sports analyst, Gino Reda. He also got the chance to cover several famous NHL players who were junior players at the time, like John Tavares and Ryan O’Rielly. This section of the book is likely to resonate with those passionate for any sport as it is a dream come true to find a career in the field as Dangle did.
As a university student, Dangle’s book resonated with me, not only as a sports fan but as a proud Leafs fan. For many students, following sports of all kinds is integral to both personal and academic parts of life. It can help provide relief from the stress of school by partaking in a different kind of event. It can also lead to connections within the sports community, such as when congregations of students of all different backgrounds came together to watch and support their countries during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
This especially applies for local teams, where students will wear their merch, get together to view games, and actively root them on. The importance of sports in schools is evident in the fact that all levels of schooling have their own teams representing the school. In our case, the UTM Eagles are an example of how we can all unite as one community and cheer for our team. We feel a deep connection to them because the team represents something to us, and by supporting them, we’re supporting the larger UTM community as well.
Dangle’s growth to professional sports analysis, from a humble YouTube channel to a much larger platform, shows just how much his life has been impacted by sports fandom. I, just like Dangle, have a passion for the Toronto Maple Leafs, just as any reader may have for their team. His book shows how the highs and lows of a team can match his own as he had enough passion for them to express them publicly. Dangle’s book is a great reminder of the power sports fandom holds and a great read for all sports fans alike.
