RE-IMAGINING SELF-CARE: WHAT IT REALLY MEANS FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
Imagine this: your phone alarm goes off like a gunshot, and you go back to burning holes in your laptop screen. It’s 3 A.M., and sleep seems like it’s out of the cards tonight, just like most other nights this week.
A DISCUSSION ON TODAY’S AI, THE WORLD’S LATEST WRITING ASSISTANT
Written
by Roald Dahl, The Great Automatic Grammatizator is a satirical short story written almost 70 years ago detailing how a single machine took over the story industry. The Great Automatic Grammatizator is a machine that mass-produced high-quality stories and novels in only minutes.
How the U of T community is celebrating Black History Month this year
Celesta Maniatogianni Associate News Editor
Since 1976, February has been recognized as Black History Month (BHM), a commemoration of the legacy, history, achievements, and contributions of Black people, particularly in North America. To celebrate the month this year, copious events are being held throughout the University of Toronto (U of T), some of which have been described below.
In downtown Toronto, on January 28, U of T’s Ontario Institute of Studies in Education (OISE) hosted its Black Education Symposium, a full-day learning experience exploring the history and future of Black education in Canada and featuring various Black leaders and scholars.
UTM’s (unexpected) place in Canadian baseball history
Joseph Falzata Sports & Health Editor
WhenI heard the story that one of baseball’s most important organizations had picked the former Erindale College to host its biggest event of the year in 1981, I was immediately intrigued. After all, at that time, the campus was more of a glorified farm than a university, and it certainly didn’t seem fit to host anything as big as the Society for American Baseball Research’s (SABR) yearly conference.
“I mean, you’re asking me to recall something from 44 years ago,” chuckled Bill Humber, former Seneca professor, author of seven books on baseball history, and the only Canadian to serve on SABR’s board of directors, who had also attended the 1981 event. “Let’s just put it this way, it was a gradually urbanizing part of the GTA.”
While the setting of Erindale might not make sense for the current 7,194 members of the SABR, the quaint campus was ideal for the 147 attendees of 1981.
“I guess [SABR] had thought, ‘We need to expand our profile and research outside the United States.’ And we were pretty active in terms of baseball research, of course at Seneca, and so they approached us about holding their annual conference in 1981,” Humber explained. “That was the first time they ever left the United States to hold an event.” The Independent Student Newspaper of the University of
HOW THE PROJECT 2025 BOOK BAN AFFECTS FUTURE GENERATIONS
Project 2025 is a policy proposal document created by American rightwing organizations, including the Heritage Foundation. The 900+ page document has four main objectives: defending American borders, dismantling the administrative state, making “family values” the core of a true American life, and ensuring citizens have the “God-given” right to live freely.
TEDxUofT Mississauga hosts annual conference at Maja Prentice Theatre
Madhav Ajayamohan Features Editor
OnJanuary 25, TEDxUofT Mississauga hosted its annual conference at the Maja Prentice Theatre in Mississauga. This year’s conference was called SHIFTED, with its central theme being “Change.”
The event featured eight speakers from different backgrounds and careers who all took the stage to discuss their journeys and experiences. The program commenced with a small technical glitch and a wave of laughter, which, accompanied by the hosts’ corny humour, created a warm atmosphere conducive to listening and learning.
Martin DeSouza, a successful entrepreneur in the personal development industry, began his presentation by speaking about himself and his twin brother. He said, “I was the dreamer with the big ideas, and my brother was the protector, our rock, keeping us safe.”
As they grew up, Martin’s brother became riddled
with self-doubt. While Martin believed in their career in entrepreneurship and taking a chance, his brother feared failure. One day, Martin’s brother told Marin to move on without him– that Martin should chase his dreams without being held back. Martin let his brother go so he could move on.
Then, DeSouza revealed a monumental twist: he never had a twin brother. Rather, his brother was a metaphor for all the limiting beliefs that held him back. DeSouza describes limiting beliefs as the stories we tell ourselves– that voice in the back of your head that tells you that you can’t do it.
These beliefs are “rooted in our biology, not our psychology,” DeSouza explained. Our body uses fear to protect us and to stop us from making bad decisions. However, that same instinct limits us from pursuing better goals.
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Photo by Sara Li
02 NEWS
How the U of T community is celebrating Black History Month this year
Celesta Maniatogianni Associate News Editor
February is filled with various events celebrating Black history, including UTMSU’s “Buy Black,” OISE’s Black Education Symposium, and Hart House’s annual Black History Month Luncheon.
Since 1976, February has been recognized as Black History Month (BHM), a commemoration of the legacy, history, achievements, and contributions of Black people, particularly in North America. To celebrate the month this year, copious events are being held throughout the University of Toronto (U of T), some of which have been described below.
In downtown Toronto, on January 28, U of T’s Ontario Institute of Studies in Education (OISE) hosted its Black Education Symposium, a full-day learning experience exploring the history and future of Black education in Canada and featuring various Black leaders and scholars.
Meanwhile, at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), the campus’s student union (UTMSU) hosted a variety of events for BHM, beginning with their BHM Welcome Ceremony, which took place on January 31. The Opening Ceremony featured cultural games, a cultural clothing fashion show, and food. It also served as an opportunity for Black-identifying students, staff, faculty, and alumni at UTM to connect.
UTM students to “browse, shop and uplift Black entrepreneurs while discovering unique products and services.”
On the same day at noon, The Blackwood and Black at UTM performed Jeremy Toussaint-Baptiste’s “Y’All Don’t Wanna Hear Me (You Just Wanna Dance).” The performance took place on UTM’s walking route and concluded at the Communication, Culture, and Technology Atrium. The presentation incorporated a long-range acoustic device, which is primarily used for crowd dispersal, and alternatively
On February 8, U of T’s Faculty of Music Gospel Choir, directed by Dr. Darren Hamilton, performed “A Celebration of Black History through Music.” The event featured traditional and contemporary gospel pieces and took place at the Meridian Arts Centre in Toronto. The performance was composed of two sets and twelve pieces and featured the West African Drumming and Dance Ensemble, directed by Kwasi Dunyo.
On February 6, the Union hosted “Buy Black” in the Student Centre’s Presentation Room, a marketplace featuring Black-owned small businesses. According to the Union’s Instagram page, the event allowed
employed it to create “an opportunity to gather through Black music, conversation, and dance,” according to Black at UTM’s website. Also hosted by the OISE in collaboration with the U of T Department of Applied Psychology & Human Development was the Frantz Fanon 100th Year Anniversary Symposium, which took place on February 21. The symposium was held in celebration of Frantz Fanon, an influential Afro-Caribbean psychiatrist, philosopher, and anticolonial thinker.
On February 22, U of T alumni and friends participated in “a self-guided tour of the richly layered work of Firelei Báez” at the Vancouver Art Gallery in Vancouver, British Columbia. According to U of T’s Alumni website, the exhibition dived “into the historical narratives of the Atlantic Basin, exploring colonial histories, the African diaspora, and cultural mythologies.”
Later this month, on February 28, the Division of University Advancement, in partnership with Hart House, is hosting the annual BHM Luncheon. The event will feature keynote speaker and former television personality Tracy Moore, University of Louisiana student guest speakers Calcea Johnson and Ne’Kiya Jackson, and a performance by spoken word poet and Toronto’s inaugural Youth Poet Shahaddah Jack.
On February 20, U of T’s Innis College hosted a special screening of “Kanaval”, which tells the story of a young boy, Rico, and his mother, who were torn from their home in Haiti and relocated to Quebec in 1975. The film’s Director, Henri Pardo, will also join the screening for a discussion and Q&A.
More information on these events can be found on the U of T’s AntiRacism and Cultural Diversity Office’s website.
“Racing without direction”: Hugh Gunz Memorial lectureship honours UTM professor emeritus and sheds light on career management
Aaron Calpito Associate News Editor
friends, family, and former students attend and remember
in
and ICUBE.
OOn February 4, the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) staff, graduate students, and friends and family of the late Hugh Gunz gathered at the Innovation Complex building through a special online lecture by Celia Moore.
Gunz, who passed away in January 2024, served as the Director of Undergraduate Programs and as an Associate Chair for the UTM Department of Management (UTMM). He was also a Professor of Organizational Behaviour at U of T’s Rotman School of Management, of which he was a faculty member since 1989.
experts to share insights into organizational life and what it means to build a successful career.
This year’s event’s key presenter was Professor Celia Moore, who teaches organizational behaviour at Imperial College Business School and is one of Gunz’s former students. “Hugh had such a positive influence
in the world, which he delivered largely through his relationships with others,” Moore stated about her former doctoral supervisor.
Her presentation consisted of poignant anecdotes about her time working with Gunz and lessons about building a career in the face of uncertainty and discouragement.
Daring to career
In one anecdote, Moore described how she was confused by Gunz’s use of the word “career” as a verb. “I asked, ‘Don’t you mean to careen?’ He said, ‘No, to career means to race without direction. Don’t you know the history of the word career?’”
According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, career, when used as a verb, means “to move fast and in a way that is out of control.” Gunz likened career management to the act of careering, Moore explained.
She emphasized that as much as we can forge our career pathways through ambition and personal agency, there will always be uncon-
Professors,
Hugh Gunz
a recent online lecture hosted by UTMM
The Hugh Gunz Memorial Lectureship, hosted by UTMM and ICUBE, celebrates Gunz’s legacy by providing a platform for
Photo by Sara Li
Photo by Sara Li
trollable aspects which undermine our career aspirations. Dealing with setbacks starts with accepting their inevitability and working around them.
“We get too stressed about the trajectories of our careers,” Moore explained. “Sometimes you can career around wherever you want, or sometimes it’s not up to you. But as long as you know who you are and what’s good for you, then you can just wake up the next day and go ‘What would I like to put my mind to today?’”
Rather than viewing careers as a series of progressions and setbacks,
Moore argued that we should allow for more exploration and ambiguity in our career paths. “We can have some agency over the shape [our careers] take. We can climb, but we can also play, and swing, and wonder.”
Onward in memoriam…
Dr. Ann Armstrong, who orchestrated the event alongside Professor Soo Min Toh, spoke with The Medium about the lectureship after Moore’s presentation.
As the attendees socialized over food and drinks, Dr. Armstrong expressed that she was pleased with how the event played out and how many people came to pay tribute to Gunz. She also commended Professor Moore for bringing Gunz’s teachings to life in an emotional and deeply personal way.
Dr. Armstrong and Professor Toh plan to make the lectureship an annual event “with a focus on graduate students.” Although Gunz may no longer walk the halls of the Kaneff Centre or Rotman, Dr. Armstrong hopes that his lifelong work of teaching and inspiring students will continue in the years to come.
Serbia’s students lead the fight for justice after fatal roof collapse
Milica Samardzic Contributor
The movement, which was sparked by a tragedy, has seen students combat government resistance as part of a nationwide movement.
On November 1, part of an outdoor roof collapsed at a train station in Novi Sad, Serbia, claiming the lives of 15 people. The shocking event soon became a catalyst for a powerful student movement that evolved into a national protest.
In the days following the collapse, students in Novi Sad organized gatherings, blocking intersections and observing a moment of silence for the victims. Soon, high school students and their teachers joined the vigils, spreading the movement’s momentum.
The roots of this movement were deep, fueled not only by the tragedy but by long-standing dissatisfaction with the Serbian government under President Aleksandar Vučić.
Agricultural workers, frustrated with years of neglect, voiced their support for the students. Similarly, the Bar Association of Serbia and theatrical artists, who had been silently suffering under the regime, began to join the protests.
Actors held banners reading, “The students have risen. What about the rest of us?” In Belgrade, the Serbian capital, 100,000 people gathered on December 22, 2024, at Slavija Square to stand in silence for 15 minutes in solidarity with the students.
As
their own blockades. These actions
violent, with members of Vučić’s party physically attacking the students.
The protests quickly spread, with medical professionals and artists leaving their hospitals and theatres at 11:52 a.m. daily to join the students in blocking the streets. Lawyers, seeing the justice in the students’ demands, lent their full support, advocating for a return to the rule of law.
The students continued to hold firm, standing, and united under four key demands: release of all documents related to the reconstruction of the Novi Sad railway station; the identification and prosecution of those responsible for the violent attacks on peaceful students and professors during peaceful vigils; the dropping of criminal charges against detained students; and a 20 per cent increase in the budget for higher education to restore dignity to knowledge production in Serbia.
The students, who had no formal leaders, operated based on a system known as plenum, or an informal citizen assembly. This allowed every student to participate equally in decision-making, ensuring the protest remained focused on justice rather than individual agendas.
The students protest daily, blocking streets and holding moments of silence at 11:52 a.m. The University of Niš and the University of Kragujevac, located in southern and central Serbia, soon joined the protests, creating a wave of solidarity that spread across the nation.
The situation became even more heated when, during a blockade on January 16 at the Technical Faculty, a car deliberately drove through a group of students, hitting a young woman. The incident sparked massive outrage, leading to a large protest at the Autokomanda intersection in Belgrade.
Photo by Ana Samardzic
The Go-Change civil society movement stated that after the incident, it filed a criminal complaint against Vučić for repeatedly minimizing the responsibility of drivers who have driven into crowds of protesting students.
Meanwhile, a group of students were attacked with a baseball bat by members of Vučić’s party in Novi Sad, which prompted an urgent response from the Belgrade students, who marched to Novi Sad in solidarity, where they were greeted by tens of thousands of people, who cheered them on.
Though Vučić, in an attempt to appease the situation, organized council meetings, the students refused to back down, responding with chants of “Vučić, you are not important.” They rejected the idea that a single president could resolve their demands, emphasizing that their requests were addressed to multiple institutions—not just the president.
The non-violent nature of the movement has drawn widespread admiration, including from the international community. In fact, the students have even been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, a testament to their commitment to justice and inspiring change.
As the protests continue, the students march toward Kragujevac, a city with immense historical significance. Kragujevac was the site of the first Serbian Uprising in 1804 against the Ottomans and played a pivotal role in the creation of modern Serbia. The city is also where the Sretenjski Ustav, Serbia’s first constitution, was adopted in 1831.
In the wake of these protests, Serbia’s future has come into sharper focus. The European Union has acknowledged the importance of the student movement, placing Serbia’s European Union, or EU, accession process on the agenda and releasing an open letter, in which it stressed that the process requires the effort of all segments of Serbian society.
the protests grew, the faculty at the University of Novi Sad was joined by students from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, who staged
soon turned
While prosecutors classified the incident as attempted murder, Vučić dismissed it, saying it was normal for someone to drive through people in a hurry.
TEDxUofT Mississauga hosts annual conference at Maja Prentice Theatre
Madhav Ajayamohan Features Editor
The event featured eight inspirational and accomplished speakers who discussed topics including organizational psychology, unleashing one’s potential, and Roman stoicism.
On January 25, TEDxUofT Mississauga hosted its annual conference at the Maja Prentice Theatre in Mississauga. This year’s conference was called SHIFTED, with its central theme being “Change.”
The event featured eight speakers from different backgrounds and careers who all took the stage to discuss their journeys and experiences. The program commenced with a small technical glitch and a wave of laughter, which, accompanied by the hosts’ corny humour, created a warm atmosphere conducive to listening and learning.
Martin DeSouza, a successful entrepreneur in the personal de- velopment industry, began his presenta- tion by speaking about himself and his twin brother. He said, “I was the dreamer with the big ideas, and my brother was the pro- tector, our rock, keeping us safe.”
As they grew up,
Martin’s brother became riddled with self- doubt. While Martin believed in their career in entrepreneurship and taking a chance, his brother feared failure. One day, Martin’s brother told Marin to move on without him– that Martin should chase his dreams without being held back. Martin let his broth- er go so he could move on.
Then, DeSouza re-
vealed a monumental twist: he never had a twin brother. Rather, his brother was a meta- phor for all the limiting beliefs that held him back. DeSouza describes limiting beliefs as the stories we tell ourselves–that voice in the back of your head that tells you that you can’t do it.
These beliefs are
“rooted in our biology, not our psychology,” DeSouza explained. Our body uses fear to protect us and to stop us from making bad decisions. However, that same instinct limits us from pursuing better goals.
DeSouza then articulated a three-step framework to remove one’s limiting beliefs: disconnect, rewire, and reinforce.
Disconnect refers to determining exactly what is holding you back. DeSouza explained that he once thought he feared failure when he feared abandonment. It’s important to treat the root cause of our limiting beliefs rather than the symptoms. Rewire asks you to rewire your brain: focus on “trust over fear.” DeSouza explained we need to trust in that small voice in our heads that tells us to make the most of those chances the universe gives us to change
DeSouza noted that the final step is to keep encouraging that voice again and again. You need to reinforce your new beliefs with repeated and consistent action.
The next speaker after DeSouza was Sabrina Baldini, a sex educator and coach, who spoke about the third sexual revolution. Baldini explained that the first revolution occurred in the 1920s when women started to fight for reproductive rights. The second revolution occurred in the 1960s to 70s, when protests were held for gay rights.
Given that there were 40 years in between each revolution, Sabrina argues we are long overdue for the next revolution—the revolution of romance. While there is a large focus on perfect sex between perfect partners, in recent years, that line of thinking has changed.
Baldini reveals that on Pornhub, the second most searched term in 2021 was romance. In 2022, the most searched term was reality. In 2024, the most searched term was demure, the second most searched term was wife, and the third most searched term was coworker.
“We are so starved for human connection that we are romanticizing our everyday lives,” Baldini explained. “We are romanticizing our therapists, we are romanticizing our coworkers, we are romanticizing our neighbours and our friends because that is where romance lives. Because that is where romance lives– not in our screens– but in our everyday human connections.”
What people are looking for today isn’t perfection but authentic human relationships. Our sexual preferences are the best indication of that. As Baldini said, “Sex is a unique representation of our humanity.”
Other speakers at the event included Chukwunonso Nwabufo, a translational pharmacologist; Keisha Lerum, a Roman history and anthropology student; Leo Chan, chief innovation igniter and coach; Rafael Chiuzi, organizational psychologist; Sirio Berati, creative entrepreneur and artificial intelligence innovator; and Victoria Gracie, a student researcher, fashion model, author, and body image expert.
My journey from undergraduate to synthetic chemist.
Picture this: it is the last month of high school. University acceptance and rejection letters have been sent out, and you’re weighing your options, deciding which offers to accept and which ones to turn down. Much like many of you who may be reading this, I embarked on a journey to start a life sciences degree at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), not knowing what lay ahead.
In 2016, I began my undergraduate classes at UTM as a life sciences student. Growing up and watching my dad, an infectious disease physician, I was in awe of his rationale, his ability to dissect scientific problems, and his methodical way of thinking. He also seemed to have infinite knowledge about practically everything, leading me to think, “If I want to be the same, then I must become a physician too.” Little did I know, my admiration had everything to do with my dad and his character, and little to do with his profession.
Truthfully, coming out of high school, I wanted to be a physicist or mathematician but remained steadfast on medical school. I didn’t just love numbers; I loved the logic behind the math. In my first year, I sampled all the sciences: biology, chemistry, physics, and calculus. As I progressed, I discovered a love for chemistry (thanks to the incredible Professor Judith Poe) and math, which felt like a universal language (thanks to the inspiring Professor Tyler Holden). This realization convinced me to declare a double major in math and chemistry.
Later on, when I studied mathematical proofs, I fell in love with the universal language of math even more. It wasn’t simply the logic; it was how math appeared in every other natural science. From the behaviour of planets and stars to atoms and subatomic particles, math was everywhere. Heck, it even showed up in business, politics, economics, and practically every aspect of our lives. Learning math teaches you to view the world differently. You analyze claims and can easily delineate between conjecture and real proofs. It felt like a superpower!
where I was performing better—but the future felt uncertain.
Then, in an eleventh-hour decision, everything changed when I was accepted into Patrick Gunning’s lab, led by one of the world’s most renowned medicinal chemists. I upgraded my chemistry minor to a specialist. Why, you ask? In the Gunning lab, I witnessed how chemistry could change lives. Chemistry was no longer just the colourful reactions driven by complex molecular mechanisms that I liked drawing in secondyear organic chemistry class. It came to life as a therapeutic tool. The molecules in my flask weren’t just the product of reactants coming together; they represented hope. They are someone’s prayers.
I learned medicinal chemistry: how to translate organic reactions into molecules, and how these molecules could become powerful medicines to impact real lives. I discovered the beauty of chemistry hidden behind tests and assignments, a perspective rarely granted to undergraduates. Soon after, I decided to continue my work with Patrick Gunning and pursue a PhD.
Starting in research to better prepare myself for a PhD applications was not the easiest transition. It took me a very long time to do chemistry properly and know what the right questions to ask were. Even tasks like combing papers for valuable information felt daunting at some points. My journey was full of constant self-doubt and imposter syndrome creeping in: “Am I doing this right? Am I even good enough to be here?”. Surely enough, even as I near the end of my PhD, it still creeps in occasionally. So naturally, after four months of applying and
class, showed her the email and exclaimed, “I’M GONNA BE A DOCTOR!!!” to which she responded, “Haha, congratulations... I guess?”
Amid the COVID pandemic and the chaos of classes abruptly turning online, the twinkle in my eye that “the best is yet to come” was resurrected. I started working on projects I was passionate about, tackling diseases with personal connections to me. I wanted to explore all kinds of chemistries and drug modalities. I was more driven than ever.
Gradually, I learned how to become a drug designer and developer. Imagine designing a molecule that short-circuits an entire biochemical pathway—a cascade of biological events leading to disease. Imagine creating a molecule (or a collection of atoms in just the right arrangement) precisely tailored to disrupt the chemical undulations of a target protein. As physician James Bradner (one of the greatest physician scientists to ever walk the earth) so eloquently put it, “It’s like taking out a hurricane by targeting a raindrop.”
During grad school, the ways I could utilize my knowledge and skills expanded exponentially. Reading papers, mentoring a mini-army of bright undergrads (who are all now well on their way to becoming doctors themselves), doing internships abroad, attending conferences, and meeting reallife science superheroes made grad school feel like a dream. Now that it’s drawing to a close, it feels like it was too short-lived.
This journey wasn’t always easy. It was full of setbacks, hard times, and obstacles, but also an insane amount of luck driven by curiosity. If there’s one takeaway from my experience, it’s this: no matter what path you envision for yourself, life has a way of changing for the better in ways you can’t foresee. It’s almost the only constant in life—destiny takes its course.
waiting with no response, I started to gradually push the panic button.
That is, until I realized math is somewhat limited by the technologies of our time. While some things can be proven mathematically on paper, we can’t always verify them in the physical world. On top of that, I wasn’t excelling in my second-year chemistry classes as I had hoped. I planned to drop chemistry to a minor and focus on math,
However, one day, I randomly received an email during an analytical chemistry class: “Congratulations, we are pleased to offer you admission to the Doctor of Philosophy - Chemistry program.” Aside from smiling like an idiot for the entire class and embarrassing myself, I ran up to my professor after
Who knew I’d be working on therapies with the potential to impact millions of patients? Who knew any of this would happen over 8.5 years after I pressed the “accept offer” button? Certainly not 17-year-old me. There was always a path for me that I didn’t plan but was meant to walk. If I could time travel, I’d go back and tell my younger self: “You’re in for one heck of a journey. Make sure you enjoy every bit of it.” So, if you’re reading this with any shred of doubt or uncertainty about the future, you should be telling yourself the same thing, because rest assured... the best is yet to come!
Editor | Mashiyat Ahmed opinion@themedium.ca
Illustration by April Roy
Re-imagining self-care: What it really means for university students
Jia Bawa Associate Opinion Editor
Self-care has long been a culprit of capitalist ploys. But it’s time we reinvent self-care by embracing personalized practices.
Imagine this: your phone alarm goes off like a gunshot, and you go back to burning holes in your laptop screen. It’s 3 A.M., and sleep seems like it’s out of the cards tonight, just like most other nights this week. Just one more module. I can’t help it, it’s hell week!, you think to yourself. But the reality is, when you’re a university student, especially at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), every other week is an uphill battle. Juggling school, work, extracurriculars, and somewhat of a social life is hard, and figuring out a balance can take years. Just when you think you’re getting a hang of things, you’re dealt a curveball, and you’re back at the bottom of the ocean.
If we students don’t intentionally make it a point to take care of our physical and mental wellbeing, burnout is almost guaranteed. According to the Canadian Student Wellbeing Survey, around 53 per cent of post-secondary students have experienced burnout, which results from prolonged stress culminating in emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion. In other words, it’s when our bodies and minds simply run out fuel to keep the machine running. I am one of those 53 per cent of students who has experienced burnout. Going into my third year at UTM, I expected to be better at this by now. Little did I know, life was going to hit me like a bus.
The appeal of commercial self-care
Right now, we are knee-deep in midterm season, with exam season whispering our names from behind the gym. Coupled with the god-awful snowstorms we’ve been dealt with in the past couple of weeks, it is so easy for anything other than studying to take a backseat. And I get it, piles of coursework, a barren cold landscape, plus caffeine addiction equates to a university student with eternal bags under their eyes. Anything that doesn’t contribute to us acing our final is unworthy of our attention. But this mindset is not healthy; we know better, and we owe it to ourselves to make ourselves a priority.
This is where self-care comes in. We all know what self-care looks like, right? Or at least the glamourized, TikTok-versions of it. Cue the “showertok” videos with countless bubble bath products, a weekend in the Cayman Islands, or a high-pitched voice reminding you that “You totally need this new journal that is no different than the other journals you have rotting at home, except for the fact that it is ‘espresso brown’, the colour of the season! Never mind that you keep buying journals under
the guise of self-care, when you hate journaling, you think it’s boring and a fad, and you’re never going to be consistent with it! It’s on sale!”
Sure, self-care is no longer a foreign concept due to its popularity on social media, but is this version of self-care actually helping us? Are we actually practicing self-care? The cookie-cutter, whitewashed, and algorithm-boosting drive of social media, and by extension, big brands, have devoid self-care of its true meaning and intention, rendering it to yet another capitalist ploy to feed big corporations. The commercialization of selfcare reduces investing in our health to a trend that you can latch onto if you buy just the right products to fit a narrow and planned obsolescence-driven idea of “self-care.” If elaborate bathing techniques, pretentious journaling, or fancy ginger shots packaged in health buzzwords doesn’t suffice, we are left feeling guilty after investing money, time, and energy into ourselves. After all, isn’t that what self-care is about?
And so, we get caught in this cycle of overconsumption, unable to break free. One of the biggest perpetrators of this cycle is social media. How many times have you come across an influencer starting off a video with the phrase, “TikTok made me buy it” or “This is the one thing you need”. You interact with one post like that, and soon enough, your entire feed is just an echo chamber of stuff to buy so you become “that girl”.
A brief history of self-care
Self-care started within the medical community in the early 1950s, referring to practices that helped individuals prevent or manage health conditions through proper nutrition and exercise. However, it didn’t receive mainstream attention until civil rights activists in the 1960s, particularly the Black Panther Party, embraced it as a method to combat activist burnout.
Black Panther leaders Angela Davis and Ericka Huggins reported turning to mindfulness practices like yoga and meditation while wrongfully imprisoned for the murder of an FBI informant. Upon their release, they began advocating for the importance of nutrition, physical activity, and strong interpersonal connections as essential tools for navigating an hostile society.
This led to the incorporation of self-care into the Black Panther Party’s broader mission, pushing for the holistic well-being of the Black community amid racial oppression and sociopolitical reinvention. Their efforts went beyond personal health, encompassing medical services, food access, childcare, and community banking. By establishing these alternative support systems, they created of care beyond institutions tailored to the success of white Americans. The roots of self-care lie in marginalized communities’ efforts to sustain themselves within a system that systematically oppresses them. Yet, today’s repre-
sentation of self-care couldn’t be more astray.
Social media portrays self-care as an all-or-nothing concept, where the idealized self is achieved by checking boxes off of a curated list of what others have deemed “healthy.” What gets lost in translation is that self-care is supposed to be personal. It’s literally about yourself. As broke university students, we can never reach the social-media-hyped standards of modern selfcare. Sure, some people do get up at 5 A.M., have an elaborate workout and skincare routine, eat their greens, hang out with their friends, get a 4.0 GPA, and still remain mentally sane. But for the vast majority of us, that is not the case. Even getting out of bed at 7 A.M. for our early morning class takes a lot of willpower. But in my opinion, if we go to the early class and pay attention, we are actually practicing self-care.
Reimagining self-care for yourself, and not for the gaze of others
Self-care does not need to be an aesthetically pleasing picture curated for Instagram or for the gaze of invisible onlookers we have internalized through doomscrolling. It can be messy and plain, like watching your favourite TV show after you finished the assignment that gave you nightmares. Maybe we take an extra-long shower or read that book we’ve been eyeing: any leisure activity that isn’t directly related to our professional gain is self-care. We don’t need to be running at full speed all the time. Self-care can be going out with friends, even if it involves spending money, to reward yourself for making it through the week, the month, or the semester, even if you didn’t have the smoothest time. Proper self-care starts with detaching our self-worth from achievements, showing ourselves the grace we would our friends, and pursuing reasonable rewards not only when we’ve succeeded, but as a practice of self-love.
And how do we find the time for this self-care? This may be contradictory, but what works for me is scheduling it into my calendar. Yeah, it’s kind of sad that I am in a state where a lunch with a friend is an Outlook notification, but hey, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, right? Life gets hectic, and so anything that isn’t planned doesn’t happen. The truth is, unlearning the “trendification” of what self-care looks like is a work-in-progress. What works for me might not work for you; but I think that, especially as students, we need to take the time to learn what self-love means to us. Our academic success and emotional lives literally depend on it.
Things happen, life sucks sometimes. All we can do is try our hardest to remember that it’s our life. If we don’t have the time to do the little things that bring us joy, we aren’t really living, are we?
Culture Corner: More than just makeup
Debbie Wong Staff Writer
Connecting cultural and gender identities through kohl.
II
solemnly admit that sometimes, when I look into a mirror, I don’t feel beautiful unless I am wearing makeup. I know this is wrong and maybe I should be trying harder to change how I perceive myself, but then I rummage through my parent’s drawer and steal their kajol, or kohl, depending on which parent it is. My hands and eyes aren’t as culturally practiced in the art of applying it, but I put it on nonetheless, along with some concealer to ward off the undereye bags and make the black pigment of the substance pop.
I feel more beautiful. More cultural. Like my femininity isn’t just for show. That it has substance.
Both kajol and kohl are vivid black eye pigments—often simply referred to in the west as “eyeliner”—that have come
to define cultural practices and aesthetics across time and continents. Most documents indicate the practice of applying kohl or kajol originates from Ancient Egypt, where people would wear it to signify status, protect their eyes from the harsh unforgiving desert sun, or to resist superstitions such as the evil eye.
Though the methods and ingredients of kohl production differ culturally—my dad’s Moroccan kohl, for example, is made from the mineral galena and olive oil whereas my mum’s Bangladeshi kajol comes from monosha plant extracts and wax—the creamy sultry black substance is a point of convergence between the two
Illustration by Sara Li
geographically disparate cultures that make up my identity.
One of my earliest memories of myself was wearing my dad’s kohl, looking in the mirror, and feeling beautiful. I was 12 and didn’t understand what “feeling beautiful” even meant, but I knew I felt closer to a culture that I had never truly lived in; only heard of, held and eaten, and worn through kohl and other ornamentations.
But kohl is more than just something that ornaments the eyes. Through waves of colonization, immigration, and glo-
balization, this kohl has stood the test of time, tribulations, and tradition. In nomadic tribal communities spread across Northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, kohl is worn by both men and women as it attests to the power and confidence of embodying the body our Creator has given us, and of showing tribal identity.
I wear kohl only occasionally for cultural events since the exotic minerals often irritate my naive eyes. But whenever I do, I feel quite proud and excited on the inside, even if others simply perceive it as eyeliner that I am wearing. In truth,
kohl not only unites the cultures, but time too. Many women on social media have taken a liking to the traditional “feel” of the substance and the rich brass tube it comes in.
This has helped many discover rich traditional make-up practices, and understand how something as innocuous and everyday as makeup can make second-generation immigrants—who feel estranged from their cultures—more beautiful.
Lessons in embracing collectivism
Jia Bawa Associate Opinion Editor
A reflection on the destructive role of individualism in motherchild relationships.
Growing up with disparate cultures became the gravity that pulled on my identity and destabilized my role as a daughter. On one side, the vines of my Yemeni heritage grew with the ripened grapes of my traditions and customs. On the other side, I found the Western air that dehydrated those grapes to form dark raisins. The presence of individualism as a leading value in Western society hovered over my head, whereas my values of collectivism and community that I inherited from my ancestors were dormant due to the internal battle for a dominant place in my identity.
Individualism and collectivism
Individualism is, broadly speaking, an orientation towards life, or rather, oneself. Individualists, or individualist cultures, emphasize self-sufficiency, pursuing one’s goals, independence, and uniqueness as important values that shape how society and cultural institutions are organized. In cultural studies, individualism is often juxtaposed by its ideological opposite: collectivism. As the name suggests, collectivism emphasizes community bonding and cooperation and sees the individual as inherently enmeshed with a group identity.
First introduced by Dutch social psychologist Geert Hofstede, cultural descriptors like individualism-collectivism, among five others, became what is now known as “Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions.” The machinery of the human brain is pinned down by certain biological certainties encoded in our genes, but unlike other organs in our body, our brains are astonishingly malleable, ready to literally reshape its biological framework to accommodate our rich cultural and environmental milieu.
point of the image, while the Chinese focused on “contextual information,” or how different components of the image interacted with each other. The study reflects the impactful effect of culture and environment on an individual’s perception and approach to life.
Individually, I’ve found on a day-to-day basis when interacting with other cultures that non-collectivist persons have a hard time authentically expressing themselves, collaborating with others, maintaining healthy relationships with themselves and their counterparts, reciprocating or showing love, and ultimately functioning in society in a manner that is harmonious and unifying.
Westerners often shift towards a mindset that is fixed in its perspective on social elements of community and society, and this
another person, and persevering through that.
I started to find that any lack of perfection was not the source of any error, but it’s the expectation for perfection, especially within a mother-daughter relationship, that left a seemingly irreconcilable distance between us two women: an unavoidable gap in front of my mother’s two feet. Islam and many Arabs describe heaven as under a mother’s feet: she’s symbolic of a key that grants you access to an everlasting happiness.
As a young girl, and even now as a woman, the emphasis on individualism in my personal and public life hurt me even more because love is one of my core values. I feel so much power in love, and so my desire for my relationship with my mother to be flawless heightened. However, when I let that desire go, I was able to admire the folds in the creases of her eyes as she would joyfully laugh at her own jokes. I remember thinking that there is so much power and beauty to be found in the cracks of any relationship.
In a sense, our minds are cultural inventions, fluent in whatever “cultural language” — a set of unspoken and spoken values, motivations, and social rules — we grow up with. For many of us, the “languages” our minds have adapted to do not always reflect our ancestral cultures. We must strike a balancing act.
The impact of cultural mindsets on perception
Several studies in cultural psychology have found marked differences in individuals’ thinking and perception styles molded by either individualist or collectivist conditioning. For example, I stumbled upon the work of social psychologist Richard Nisbett, who wrote the book The Geography of Thought, and his studies on how individualist-driven versus collectivistdriven thinking shapes our perception.
According to one of Nisbett’s eye-tracking studies, both Chinese (driven by collectivist values) and American (driven by individualist values) were presented with an image that had a main object interacting with other components in the background. Studies like this and others in the field of psychology assume that perception is tied to attention: the more our eye rests on something, the more we are assumed to be paying attention to it.
After measuring eye movements, Nisbett and the other researchers concluded that Americans focused more on the focal
fundamentally weaves into the foundation of kinship as these spaces are often where ideologies such as individualism manifest. However, East Asians convey a sense of communal self that is shared and developed together as a community. One’s magnitude lies in the parts that forge them, just as the Japanese artistic style of kintsugi embraces beauty in the fallibility of life.
To be a loving daughter: setting realistic standards for my mother
In my earlier teenage years, I came to the unsettling realization that I had set up an unattainable criterion for my mother that listed unrelenting and impossible standards. The realization stemmed from the belief that individualism had hurt and limited my self-expression and authenticity. I had believed, and still believe, the brand of self-care and mental health that promoted cutting off anyone who hurt me to preserve peace of mind. I followed these individualist perspectives with conviction until I started to become hostile, apathetic, and unforgiving. Even to my own mother.
I truly think it was the traditions of the collectivist Yemeni culture, interconnected with the teachings of Islam that emphasize mercy, compassion, and prioritizing one’s mother, that made me realize how significantly my hostility and apathy were corrupting my relationships. I saw my mother for who she is: a woman, and before that, a human. Humans are inherently fallible. So, I began to focus on what not all humans do, which was to dedicate their mind, body and soul to nurturing
I didn’t even have to meet her halfway; she always met me where I was with so much grace. That’s why I adopted the belief that no one is more gracious than a mother. No one deserves more grace than her. Unintentionally, individualism promotes a ruthless duty to oneself; our own progress and peace of mind at the expense of the community, whether that be our relationships, or cultural communities. I believe there is no power in the self solely. We are mosaics of the people, relationships, and heritages that have made us. Believing otherwise is not only naïve, but emotionally reckless and fractures the things that truly matter.
Bridging the gap
For a prolonged period, before becoming a form of life from the state of an embryo to a fetus, we are dependent on our mothers. The fetus is attached to the mother through an umbilical cord which sustains the fetus through three blood vessels, two arteries, and a vein. These have the very important job of carrying resources for the purpose of sustaining the placenta and fetus. The absolute scientific truth is that before we are one, we are two. Your development is rooted in the dependence upon another person physically and even psychologically. Before you are independent, you are dependent on every fiber in your mother’s being. It is exactly the reason why practices of collectivism need to be welcomed back into our homes, and also why our society’s hyper-individualism cannot go unchecked. You cannot begin to experience the fruitfulness of love in a state of mental and emotional isolation, which I believe is a sour outcome of extreme individualism. In pursuit of self-actualization rather than communal actualization, you become the loser. When I began to question my thinking, I was able to see my mother with more clarity and compassion. I was able to embrace her in all her flawed grace and in doing so, I was able to embrace myself authentically. I was able to awaken from my state of comatose and value my ancestral customs, implementing the wisdom of its lessons into how I practiced intimacy and connection.
My experiences with my mother have led me to consciously bridge the gap between the acceptance of imperfection and love to foster a healthy relationship with the people that matter most to us. The shortcomings of someone as meaningful and valuable as a mother shouldn’t provoke indignation and bitterness; there should always be space for forgiveness, compassion and empathy no matter how complicated the journey is.
Illustration by Adanna Scott
08 features
A discussion on today’s AI, the world’s latest writing assistant
Madhav Ajayamohan Features Editor
Yesterday, it was the Great Automatic Grammatizator. Today, it is ChatGPT and artificial intelligence tools.
Written by Roald Dahl, The Great Automatic Grammatizator is a satirical short story written almost 70 years ago detailing how a single machine took over the story industry. The Great Automatic Grammatizator is a machine that mass-produced high-quality stories and novels in only minutes. The machine eventually monopolized the industry, leading to a decrease in the number of human writers.
With today’s rise of artificial intelligence (AI), we wonder whether Roald Dahl’s nearly 70-year-old prediction came true. Today’s ChatGPT writes essays and stories in seconds. Writing bots even copy the distinctive writing styles of authors, leaving us to wonder that perhaps Al can take over the world of creative writing.
ChatGPT and other generative Als certainly do a great job mimicking human writing. They can copy a writing style but can’t develop a distinctive voice. Their incomprehension of subtle emotions like sarcasm and humour means their writing cannot touch people’s hearts. If you ask me, AI can write a novel similar to past novels, but it cannot generate original work.
texture.”
Writer’s block is a state where writers are unable to come up with an idea or put that idea onto paper. The phenomenon manifests in various forms, from thoughts like, “What should I start writing? “to, “I feel like this word doesn’t have the right texture.”
Several writers in the study mentioned that AI could help them get past these difficulties. One writer from the study explained, “It’s a lot easier to react to something and make modifications than to come up with something from nothing.” With AI, writers can lay out possibilities on how to proceed. Even if none of the options are good, by understanding what they don’t like, it’s easier for writers to find something they
like.
While AI lacks a human’s cultural background, its vast knowledge allows for innovative advice and ideas at a much faster rate than humans.
serves the idea that writers use AI as a research assistant.
In their study, Katy Ilonka Gero, Tao Long, and Lydia Chilton interviewed 20 writers to understand “when and why might a creative writer turn to a computer versus a peer or mentor to provide support,” according to their article.
Throughout their research, they found that some writers use computers to combat writer’s block. Writer’s block is a state where writers are unable to come up with an idea or put that idea onto paper. The phenomenon manifests in various forms, from thoughts like, “What should I start writing? “to, “I feel like this word doesn’t have the right
One writer from the experiment explained, “A peer is someone who is grounded in a very specific point of view, and culture and identity and preference, you know, their own reading habits and a peer can be a very valuable partner… when I turn to SudoWrite, I know that I’m getting feedback and interactions with my work that is not personal at all… The amount of information on hand that SudoWrite is pulling from is this vast trove. And that’s something that a human could never, even if they’re well read, could really never achieve.”
Another study by Oloff Biermann, Ning Ma, and Dongwook Yoon ob-
Some writers in the study mentioned that they liked using AI tools for plot and character generation. AI can provide random and unexpected suggestions that help writers continue the plot or develop characters. One writer from this study described how roleplaying conversations with AI made their characters’ dialogue more three-dimensional. This interaction helps set writers on the right track, allowing them to refine the rest on their own.
A key advantage of AI as a support tool is its accessibility—writers can use AI anytime, anywhere. Writers from the study noted that asking friends for help was difficult because it required their time and availability, whereas AI can provide instant feedback at any moment, making it a convenient tool for writers seeking guidance.
AI and the writer
Every writer has their own reason for writing. Some truly love the craft and every part of the writing process, while others see writing as a business and a way to make money. These different perspectives influence how writers feel about using AI.
The group most resistant to AI are those who view writing as a deeply personal endeavour. For them, storytelling is an extension of their identity. One writer from Biermann and others’ study even compared their writing style to a fingerprint, indicating that one’s writing style is as deeply personal as one’s fingerprint. As one writer stated, “I don’t want to feel like someone else is doing my work [...] I don’t want to be the editor of my piece, I want to be the writer of my piece.”
Even writers who embrace AI are cautious about preserving their creative identity. They may use AI for brainstorming ideas or developing characters, but they stop short of letting it write the story for them. However, for those who see writing as an inherently personal process, even the planning and drafting stages are meaningful and unique to them. They reject AI’s involvement, fearing it interferes with something they deeply cherish.
On the other hand, writers who prioritize efficiency over the artistic process are more likely to use AI. These writers see writing as a job and want to speed up their workflow. By leveraging AI for ideation or time-consuming tasks like setting descriptions, they can reach their goals faster.
Another factor influencing AI adoption is confidence. Experienced writers often distrust AI’s ability to match their style and resist its use. Meanwhile, less experienced writers who may feel less secure in their skills are more open to using AI to compensate for their weaknesses.
Ultimately, the question comes down to control. Whether using AI to write entire stories or just as a brainstorming tool, writers inevitably cede some control to the machine. The real question is: How much are you willing to give? Writers must decide for themselves how much of the process they want to keep in their hands and how much they’re willing to let AI handle.
Illustration by Sara Li
Professor Sali Tagliamonte on the value of learning Canadian linguistic diversity
Ramiya Sureshkumar Theatre Erindale Correspondent
Professor Sali Tagliamonte stretches beyond linguistic research and discusses discovery in culture, history and identity through understanding Canadian linguistic diversity.
Inspired by her students’ different understanding of words used in Northern Ontario, Professor Sali Tagliamonte is researching the field of language variation and change, with a focus on linguistic diversity in smaller communities of Northern Ontario. In an interview with The Medium, University of Toronto linguistics Professor Tagliamonte shares the results of her research and discusses the meaning behind the dialects of Canadian English.
When we picture the word research, many of us may imagine numbers and statistics. However, Professor Tagliamonte’s research method went in a completely different direction. She and her students focused on drawing information from stories that carry specific communities’ identity, culture and history.
“We talk to people that were born and raised in, say Beaverton or South Porcupine, Ontario,” Professor Tagliamonte said, “and we get them to tell stories about their lives. They’re basically an oral history.” By asking questions regarding people’s childhood hobbies, school life, communities and traditions, Professor Tagliamonte collected linguistic data from conversations with members of various communities in Northern Ontario.
“The data is so precious,” Professor Tagliamomnte shared, “because the stories that people tell us are the whole history, culture and identity of a place and a group of people, as represented by individuals’ stories.”
Why focus on Northern Ontario?
Most of the population of Ontario resides in the Greater Toronto Area, with very few people from the North. Professor Tagliamonte decided to dive deep into Northern Ontario linguistic culture after learning about the vast wilderness and landscape up in the northern reaches of the province. “I wanted to see what was up there and bring new information into what we know about Canadian English,” she explained. “At the time I started doing this [research], Canadian English was considered to be monolithic. It’s the same sea to sea, no matter who you talk to.”
Knowing this was far from the truth in her personal experience, Professor Tagliamonte was determined to show the linguistic diversity in Canada. She proposed the idea of taking her students to virtually unknown places, discovering how language develops over space and time, and acquiring undiscovered cultural and historical knowledge of smaller communities. Aside from learning purposes, the process of discovering new words and expressions became exciting for her students.
“There are so many surprising older words from the foundational dialect that you can still hear up North,” Professor Tagliamonte said. “I’ve actually heard someone say, ‘Come on into my living room and sit on the Chesterfields (couch).’ That’s pretty crazy!” The element of never knowing when a new word will appear in conversation was a delightful and eye-opening experience.
Why do vocabularies change depending on place?
When asked why different places often have new words and a different vocabulary than others, Professor Tagliamonte stated, “It’s all about personal identity. Part of it is wanting to sound like where you come from.” A community-specific vocabulary produces a sense of belonging within individuals and becomes a way for people to express love for the place they live in. Learning about linguistics not only provides us with linguistic knowledge, but it also teaches us about a community’s values, lifestyle and history.
Time travel by learning
When asked about the significance of learning Canadian English, Professor Tagliamonte described it as a tool for time travel. “If I go and talk to a 95-year-old for two hours, I’m going to learn about the earlier times in the history of our country, our city, and of the place that [they] lived in.” Professor Tagliamonte explained. “That means I’ve gained access to a different time.”
“We have diversity across human beings, across places, and generations,” Professor Tagliamonte said. “If you listen to someone’s story, you develop an ability, a different appreciation for people.” She shared that it is crucial in today’s world to look outside of ourselves and make an effort to understand others.
If we only focus on our surrounding environment, we will miss the valuable chance to expand our vision and mindset. It is only through genuine conversation and actively listening to others that we can gain perspective on where people are coming from and develop true understanding. That, in itself, is a great source of happiness.
More than research
Though this project contributes to academic purposes, its value stretches far beyond that. “I want to bring conscious awareness to and add to the knowledge base we have about our country and our province,” Professor Taglia-
momte said. “Like, ‘What’s going on out there? And what are the people and communities like?’”
Canadian culture stretches beyond the stereotypes of big cities, and there’s more to Canada than many people may think. “There’s more diversity in Canada than people realize,” Professor Tagliomonte added.
“Many think that everything is happening here in Toronto, but that’s not true.” She explained that many natural resources that Canada is known for come from up north.
Toronto has access to resources like paper, cadmium, mineral resources, electric power and other precious metals because of the supplies of Northern communities. Therefore, it is important to show our appreciation for these communities, and a great way to do that is to learn and share their unique cultures.
Favourite Canadian slang
When asked about her favourite Canadian slang, Professor Tagliamonte shared a few from her childhood and hometown. “My favourite word is ‘slimes,’ and it’s not that gooey stuff that you play with,” Professor Tagliamonte explained.
Having grown up in a mining town in Canada, Professor Tagliamonte described the old way of mining—take the ore out of the ground, search for gold and precious metals in it, and then smelt the ore. This heating process makes the gold, silver or copper float to the top, while other parts of the rocks are left behind.
These residues would be dumped in the lakes and create gelatinous goop. “As kids, we were told not to go to the ‘slimes’ because you would sink into it and get messed up, but as the lakes got filled and dried up, the slimes became firmer, so people could go play on them,” she shared as she reminisced on her favourite slang from her youth.
Illustration by Melody Zhou
10 Arts
How the Project 2025 book ban affects future generations
Emma Catarino Staff Writer
Following the recent American election, several dozen books are proposed to be banned for themes that oppose the “ultra-conservative social vision.”
Project 2025 is a policy proposal document created by American right-wing organizations, including the Heritage Foundation. The 900+ page document has four main objectives: defending American borders, dismantling the administrative state, making “family values” the core of a true American life, and ensuring citizens have the “God-given” right to live freely. President Trump is already working on passing legislation using the Project 2025 document as a baseline for his new policies. Trump has also appointed key authors of some of the documents to fill government positions. Project 2025 promotes “unitary executive theory,” which would place all federal bureaucracy and independent agencies directly under presidential supervision.
Part of Project 2025 involves an extensive list of proposed book bans. The ban list includes many notable titles, ranging from The Handmaid’s Tale to Harry Potter to 1984 and more. Explanations for the potential bans include sexually explicit content, feminist views, and LGBTQ+ characters. Themes like these are banned as they are seen as going against the “family values” and other ideals outlined in Project 2025.
Book bans are detrimental to society because books explore many different themes, characters, and situations, which allow young children to learn about and form their own ideas about certain issues. Books may be a child’s first introduction to ideas like dictatorships, different religions, or relationships that look different from the heteronormative model. As the internet becomes easier to control, books are really the only way to introduce someone to a new perspective. One of the main reasons that Gen Z is so opposed to corrupt authority figures is because we grew up with dystopian stories of revolution like The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, and Divergent. While it may seem like a bad idea to allow youth to read books about revolution, these books teach people that the government is not always correct, does not always have the citizens’ best interest in mind, and encourages standing up for what’s right. Otherwise, you’d raise a generation that is agreeable with the idea of the government having full dictatorship control. Which is, evidently, what President Trump seems to want.
Additionally, due to the different perspectives that books can offer, for a lot of children, books are the first place where kids can feel seen. Titles like Love, Simon reassure LGTBQ+ children that they aren’t defective or less deserving of love because of their sexuality. Books like The Hate U Give can make people of colour feel vindicated because of its story about standing up against racism. Books may be the first time a child encounters someone like them and realizes they aren’t alone. For some kids, books like Harry Potter can be a means of escapism, a distraction from the pressures of daily life. If these books get banned for their themes of LGTBQ+, racism, and witchcraft, respectively, then a whole generation of kids might grow up feeling even more alone in this world. Books such as Fahrenheit 451 and 1984 are also hot on the ban list. This is ironic because the main themes of both books are about how destructive censorship can be for a society.
Ultimately, the proposed book bans outlined in Project 2025 are a form of brainwashing—silencing diverse voices and limiting children’s ability to critically engage with the world around them. By not allowing people to be exposed to values and opinions that oppose their own, you create a society that all thinks exactly alike, with no room for innovation.
The end of an era: Saying goodbye to the Weeknd
Aqeel Shahid Ullah Contributor
Reflecting on the career of the Weeknd, from being on the streets to becoming a global superstar.
With numerous hit songs and commercial achievements, the Weeknd is no doubt one of the most accomplished singers in the world. Ever since his debut, he has massively impacted R&B and pop, with several of his albums dominating the global charts. His latest album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, is the third installment of a trilogy following his previous two albums and is also supposedly his final album under his current moniker, as he intends to continue his career under a different persona.
The Weeknd, born Abel Tesfaye, began his career in 2009 when he started to anonymously post music on YouTube. During this time, he was homeless in Toronto and using drugs. In 2011, he released his first mixtape, House of Balloons, on his website, which immediately made waves in the media due to its dark aesthetic and the mystery behind his identity. This wave of alternative R&B continued with his debut album Kiss Land in 2013, which was moderately successful and had a lukewarm critical reception. Abel’s second album, Beauty Behind the Madness, shifted to pop and had greater success, yielding two number one singles as well as an Academy Award nomination. He then broke into the mainstream with his third album, Starboy, which was a massive success and whose title track became one of his biggest hits.
Tesfaye went on to reinvent himself with his fourth album, After Hours, which featured dream pop influences and produced his biggest hit yet, Blinding Lights, which remains the most streamed song on Spotify to this day with over four billion streams. In 2021, he performed the Superbowl Halftime Show. However, despite these huge achievements, After Hours was snubbed at the Grammys that year, much to the surprise of many. Afterwards, Tesfaye decided to stop submitting his work to the ceremony.
In early 2022, he released his fifth album, Dawn FM, which leaned towards synth-pop and featured a more ‘80s-inspired sound. Tesfaye later confirmed that these albums were part of a new trilogy, which would conclude with his latest release, Hurry Up Tomorrow. Each album symbolizes the act of dying, with After Hours representing his death, Dawn FM being a sort of purgatory, and Hurry Up Tomorrow representing the afterlife and his supposed rebirth.
Aside from his musical activities, Tesfaye is also largely involved in philanthropical activities. In 2014, he donated a sum of $50,000 to the University of Toronto to fund a course on Ge’ez, the classic language of his home country Ethiopia. He also donated to multiple other organizations, such as the Black Lives Matter Global Network and the Scarborough Health Network. In 2021, Tesfaye was appointed a World Food Programme goodwill ambassador and was also among the number of celebrities who expressed solidarity with those who died in the Palestine crisis, donating over $2 million to Gaza to help feed starving families.
Throughout Hurry Up Tomorrow, Tesfaye sings about much of his personal life. Each track seamlessly transitions into each other, causing the album to feel more like a cinematic experience. The final titular track on the album transitions into “High For This” on House of Balloons, symbolizing that, while Tesfaye might be free, the Weeknd is a constant cycle of drugs and partying. While he will continue to make music, Tesfaye believes there is simply nothing else left for the Weeknd to do, stating that he has said what he had to say and “just wants to know what comes after.”
So regardless of what’s next for the acclaimed musician, one thing is for certain: Tesfaye’s story is far from over. Whether as the Weeknd or not, audiences can expect future endeavours to only add to the legacy he has built.
Illustration by Ramiya Sureshkumar
Illustration by Ramiya Sureshkumar
Sierra Peca’s “The Fragility of Identity”
Skyler Piskoroski Associate Arts & Entertainment Editor
The UTM alum and artist’s new exhibit explores the impact of colonization in small island cultures, such as Malta.
“I wanted to be a vessel to teach people here about Malta,” said Sierra Peca, a third-generation Maltese-Italian Canadian artist and recent University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) alum. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Art History at the St. George campus with a specialization in feminist and decolonial theory.
In her current exhibition, “The Fragility of Identity,” Peca explores the impact of colonialism on the ecosystems of Malta. It began with her residency at the Gozo Contemporary in 2024, which she discovered at the recommendation of one of her undergraduate professors. She was most inspired by the Valletta Gardens and the views from the ancient Ħaġar Qim temples.
“While at Ħaġar Qim I was told about this smaller island, Filfla. The British army used to use it as target practice and basically ruined all ecosystems on it,” Peca shared. Her trip to the temples and the Valletta Gardens occurred on the same day and sparked this idea for her to mix her art with ecosystems.
While visiting one of the Crafts Villages in Malta, she bought her first plate to be used in her Fragility series. Once back in Gozo, she began her process, considering breaking it first and painting on the shards. Fearing the plate would shatter, she decided to use it whole, making her first painting on it and soon asking her Nanna to bring her more.
“Almost all of them are marked with an engraving that says they were made in England, a few of them in France, which is ironic,” she said, a calculated choice to represent the years of colonization Malta has faced from various countries.
Each of the plants Peca featured is endemic or semi-endemic
to Malta, and almost all of them are categorized as endangered or at risk of extinction—another reminder of the impact of colonization even after 60 years of independence.
During her residency, Peca could experiment more in her work rather than stick to the expectations she sometimes felt during her studies. She could also explore a new way of framing her art. Having previously worked on canvases that were much easier to hang, the plates proved to be the most surprising part of the experience.
“I figured ‘oh I’ll take a Sunday to frame them, whatever,’ but it took five days to frame them by myself,” she laughed. “Thankfully, I enjoy the labour of making art.”
The second part of her exhibit is her Thumbprint series, which uses and explores the traditional Maltese bizzilla (lace).
“While in Gozo, I was talking to a woman who was making the lace, and she told me that you can always tell the difference between traditional versus imported lace,” said Peca. “Even if
it’s made with the same pattern, it will always have small differences.”
She tried various ways of using the lace, as a stamp and as a canvas, before landing on the final product of using the patterns to make these “thumbprints.” Similarly to real fingerprints, each one is unique. The art of bizzilla is a dying one, and Peca points to its historically gendered connotations.
“Historically, women’s art has instead been called a ‘craft’ or been diminished,” she said. “It’s not a new thing of women being in art, but it’s a new thing to actually recognize it as art and not as just a craft.”
Peca’s work explores and challenges the different colonial and gendered aspects of Maltese culture, looking at them through a different lens and shining a new, appreciative light on what are often overlooked and endangered cultural features.
“The Fragility of Identity” is on display at the Etobicoke Civic Centre in the Ascent Gallery from February 3 until April 24, 2025. You can connect with Sierra and explore more of her work on her website and her Instagram.
11 sports & health
Editor | Joseph Falzata sports@themedium.ca
Eagles Battle Hard in the Annual East vs. West Classic
Vincent Kunda Contributor
Despite a full arena of UTM fans, neither Eagles team was able to take home a win against league rivals.
On Saturday, February 8th, the UTM Eagles hockey teams faced off against UTSC in the annual East vs. West classic—a fierce rivalry between U of T’s two satellite campus teams. Despite forecasts of a harsh winter storm, both teams hit the ice determined to claim victory in front of a passionate UTM crowd.
The women’s game kicked off at 5:00 p.m., setting the tone for an intense evening. The UTM fans brought energy and enthusiasm, rallying behind the team with unwavering support. However, despite their grit and determination, the Eagles fell short in a hard-fought 4-1 loss. The players gave everything until the final whistle and remained on the sidelines to cheer on their counterparts in the men’s game.
At 7:00 p.m., the men’s squad took to the ice, facing a tough challenge with a depleted roster. Despite missing key players, the Eagles brought heart and intensity. UTSC, however, didn’t make the long journey in harsh conditions to back down easily. The opening period was scrappy, with both teams struggling to settle into their game. Sloppy passes and frantic play from the Eagles led to an early 2-0 lead for UTSC. As the period ended,
head coach Peter Christopoulos urged the team to hit the reset button and refocus.
The second period saw a shift in momentum when UTM’s Phoenix Walker put the Eagles on the board, finishing a determined forecheck in front of the net. The score tightened to 2-1, but UTSC responded quickly, restoring their two-goal lead at 3-1. As the teams headed to the dressing room for the second intermission, Coach Peter reminded his players of hockey’s infamous truth: A 3-1 lead is the most dangerous lead in hockey. One goal could change the entire game.
With renewed energy, UTM stormed into the third period. Michal Buczek, who had been relentless all game, finally capitalized with a well-placed wrist shot from the high slot, cutting the deficit to 3-2.
The final ten minutes saw UTM throw everything they had at UTSC, battling for every puck, and every opportunity. The crowd roared, the players gave it their all, but time was not on their side. Despite several near-misses and a last-minute push with an empty net, the Eagles couldn’t find the equalizer and ultimately fell 4-2.
Though both UTM teams suffered defeats, the night was a testament to their resilience and passion—a true display of what it means to be an Eagle.
On a personal note, this was my final East vs. West classic in front of my friends and peers at
UTM. As a graduating student, these past three years with the Eagles have been some of the most rewarding of my time here. Being part of this team allowed me to continue playing the sport I love at a competitive level while forging unforgettable friendships along the way.
Tri-campus hockey has strengthened my leadership skills and provided a positive, supportive environment that made every game, practice, and road trip worthwhile. A huge thank you to our coaches – Peter Christopoulos, Dan Mui, and Ryan Mui –for their dedication to this team. Their commitment to player development and the love of the game has been invaluable.
As the former men’s hockey captain Sammy Abdulnabi famously said: Fly, Eagles, Fly.
The destructive impacts of an all-too-common addiction
Maram Qarmout Staff Writer
Understanding the effects of pornographic addiction on the developing brains of students.
Historically, it was much more difficult to consume pornographic material due to the limitations and challenges of accessing it. However, the internet era has made accessing pornography as easy as turning on the TV to watch a regular cartoon show.
Studies show that the brain does not fully develop until around 25 years of age. As such, students with their still-growing brains are more susceptible to the neurological and physiological changes that come from pornography addictions. Understanding the dangers associated with pornography is the first step in putting an end to the addiction altogether.
Destruction of the brain
Frequent viewing of pornography has been proven to damage vital brain regions for individuals. Research demonstrates that pornographic addiction leads to memory deficits. Important attributes of life such as decision-making and goal-orientation also worsen for individuals the deeper their addiction goes.
Dopamine and other neurochemicals associated with reward and pleasure release when individuals consume porn. However, over time, watching pornography disrupts the natural reward system, which leads to addictive behaviours among viewers. When individuals become addicted, their cognitive functions begin to deteriorate, leading to the presented diminishing memory functions.
Other studies explain that changes in dopamine transmission can facilitate depression and anxiety. Porn consumers have reported greater depressive symptoms, lower quality of life, and poorer mental health compared to non-viewers.
Furthermore, individuals who no longer enjoy the process still find themselves wanting and needing more porn, which might
explain why they feel negative emotions of depression and anxiety as they can’t seem to escape the dark hole.
MRI imaging has revealed that porn addicts faced a reduction of grey matter, which is an important tissue within the brain and spinal cord that affects day-to-day activities. A reduction in this area results in poor movement control of the body, memory loss, and cognitive impairments such as difficulties with speech, attention, reasoning, and judgement.
Porn consumption has also been associated with the disintegration of the prefrontal cortex, the brain region storing executive functions such as morality, willpower, and impulse control.
An erosion of the prefrontal cortex results in individuals behaving compulsively. They make poor decisions, lose their willpower to fight against addiction, and live ridden by shame and guilt. This furthers their spiral into depression and anxiety.
Seeking professional help is highly encouraged. Many mental health professionals recognize porn addiction as a determinantal problem which makes conversing with them much easier. They will help provide recovery plans and programs that treat the physical, mental, and emotional needs of the patients. It’s understandable that some individuals may feel ashamed or guilty to reach out for professional help. Here’s a few ways
Covenant Eyes, an advocacy group that seeks to raise awareness for the dangers of pornography, expressed concerns of fatigue, memory loss, and a lack of concentration stemming from addiction. As one anonymous testimony revealed, “‘I really need your help on this because it’s been affecting my mind, not able to concentrate and also forgetting things easily at work and at home.’”
Fears such as this outline the permanent effects porn addiction can have on children and young adults for the long-term if the right steps are not taken to prevent further health deterioration.
How to quit the habit
Understanding that quitting is hard is the first step for any addict. There will be withdrawal symptoms such as difficulty sleeping, restlessness, an increase in irritability, anxiety, depression, and various more. However, this doesn’t mean it’s impossible.
people can try to overcome it individually or until they feel confident enough to seek professional guidance.
They can start by believing in their capabilities to quit no matter how many times they may relapse. That alone will help them navigate through times of guilt and shame. Replace the habit with more productive activities, like meditation and exercise. So that the reward system within the brain rewires to accept healthier dopamine activation.
Another step would be to find a supportive system. Be it friends or family, people around you can aid in times of relapse or temptation. Ultimately, it’s important not to give up and to understand the repercussions of continuing. Sometimes, temporary pleasure only brings forth harm and recognizing that danger before it’s too late is vital to living a healthier lifestyle.
UTM’s (unexpected) place in Canadian baseball history
Joseph Falzata Sports & Health Editor
Looking back at the 1981 SABR conference at Erindale campus.
WhenI heard the story that one of baseball’s most important organizations had picked the former Erindale College to host its biggest event of the year in 1981, I was immediately intrigued. After all, at that time, the campus was more of a glorified farm than a university, and it certainly didn’t seem fit to host anything as big as the Society for American Baseball Research’s (SABR) yearly conference.
While the setting of Erindale might not make sense for the current 7,194 members of the SABR, the quaint campus was ideal for the 147 attendees of 1981.
“I guess [SABR] had thought, ‘We need to expand our profile and research outside the United States.’ And we were pretty active in terms of baseball research, of course at Seneca, and so they approached us about holding their annual conference in 1981,” Humber explained. “That was the first time they ever left the United States to hold an event.”
And so, it was decided that the upcoming conference would be held in Toronto. But how did Humber and his team settle on Erindale campus?
“I mean, you’re asking me to recall something from 44 years ago,” chuckled Bill Humber, former Seneca professor, author of seven books on baseball history, and the only Canadian to serve on SABR’s board of directors, who had also attended the 1981 event. “Let’s just put it this way, it was a gradually urbanizing part of the GTA.”
“For our part we looked around to see where was the best place to hold the event and there were reasons to go to the University of Toronto,” said Humber. “It was the summer months and there were fewer people around and residences were available.”
Erindale campus had only opened its doors in 1967, just four years before SABR had hosted their first convention in Cooperstown, NY. While the campus began with a small group of 155 students, SABR’s 1971 conference had a mere 16 attendees. It almost seemed fitting that the two groups would find each other during their early teenage years.
Ironically, the man responsible for bringing them together had his own relationship with Erindale campus years before joining SABR.
“My wife went to Erindale actually and graduated in 1972. The trek out to Erindale, it was long, let’s just put it that way,” laughed Humber. “You had to get on a bus that took you into the wilds of Mississauga. I would go out occasionally to Erindale with her and enjoy the pleasures of, I won’t call it rural Ontario, but it was a mixture of farmland and gradually urbanizing space.”
The event itself was hailed as a great success. The 125 attendees was a record-high for the time. John Thorn, current Official Historian for MLB who attended an SABR conference for the first time at Erindale, wrote a feature piece for The Sporting News, claiming that despite three days of non-stop baseball, “no one went home feeling he had enough.”
Though the event is fondly remembered, it did not go without a slight controversy. According to the SABR website, Blue Jays broadcaster, Early Wynn, who was set to be the keynote speaker for the event, suddenly withdrew without explanation. Additionally, there was an ongoing MLB labour dispute, and so the 1981 event became the first – and only – event to not feature a baseball game as part of the program.
“The normal process of a SABR convention would be to go to a baseball game, and that would’ve been the intention, to go to where the Blue Jays play. But obviously we weren’t able to do that, so we played our own game on the grounds of the thenErindale college!”
All these years later, Humber still looks back at his home stadium for the convention with fondness.
“It turned out to be a wonderful site for the event itself.”
